This is a fun book with twists and turns I didn't see coming. I thought I had it figured out in the first half of the book, but then I discovered I was pretty far off. I enjoyed the introduction of more characters' points of view as the story went on because it helped keep up the fast pace. I was definitely rooting for most of the characters, which doesn't always happen. Overall, this is a fast-paced ride that keeps the readers' attention from the start. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC!

Attention, Psychological Thriller lovers, don't miss this one! When Nina inherits a mansion on a tropical island from her father - that she knew nothing about - Nina is convinced he must have been living a double life. Nina's stay at the mansion and subsequent investigation lead her down a dark and confusing path.

Alternating timelines also include the story of Maria, a nanny to the very wealthy, her time at the mansion, and the viewpoints of a handful of characters who appear in both timelines. I particularly loved Joon-gi and Joe's characters.

Though the wrap-up of the book felt a little rushed, the ending was heart-warming, and I liked how it came together. This one will keep you on the edge of your seat and rooting for the main characters!

Thank you so much, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, for the opportunity to read this advanced copy! All opinions are my own.

#netgalley #randomhousepublishing #LookInTheMirror

Wow, if you want a thriller that you can’t put down this is the book for you! This book centers around Nia who has recently lost her father. She is surprised when she is notified that she has inherited a beautiful island vacation home, but this is just the beginnings of the surprises that await her. I could not put this book down!

This was a good one! It gripped me from the beginning and did not let go. I finished it in two days because I couldn’t put it down. I thought it was creative and thrilling without the gore of some thrillers. It was intelligent and well written as well. I highly recommend!

This book is a page turner and Nina is the star! Nina's father passes away and she finds something in his will, a house located on a small island in the Caribbean. She decides to travel to this house, as she questions why her father kept it from her.

There is also another main character named Maria, a super rich nanny who is already on the island. It is hard to write about this book without giving secrets away. The house is state of the art, and high quality. This book is a bit of a domestic suspense thriller. Written in the POV's of Nina, Maria, Yang Joon-gi, Joe and Lucinda. The Epilogue is great!

Go in blind and leave happy! The book cover is amazing!

Riveting, Action Packed, and Mystery! 3.5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy! This book will be released 6/30/24.

Look in the Mirror is an awesome psychological thriller that kept me guessing until the end. I loved the book. It starts with Nina, who is grieving her father who recently passed away when she discovers that he's left her a luxury home that he had built in the British Virgin Islands. Nina's confused because her father has never told her about this property, and she flies to the Caribbean to learn more about it. In the meantime, Maria is a travel nanny for super rich clients. She's booked a job to meet a family in the Caribbean for a few weeks, but when she gets there, the family is nowhere to be found. Her agency rep assures her that the family will be there soon and to make herself at home. She's free to explore the home, but a room in the basement is off limits. I don't want to give anything away, but the way the author weaves the storylines is brilliant. Look in the Mirror is excellent. This was my first book from Catherine Steadman, and I look forward to reading more from her. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC.

This unfortunately feel a little flat for me. Though I did find it entertaining at times, I also fought myself to dnf.

When Nina’s father dies, she is left something in his will: a gleaming dream vacation home in a balmy tropical paradise. She’ll find out the hard way that what you inherit from those you love can end up costing your life.

Maria, once an ambitious medical student, is a nanny for the super-rich. But when her wards never show, Maria begins to make herself at home, spending her days luxuriating by the pool and in the sauna. There’s just one rule: Don’t go in the basement. That room is off-limits.

Look in the Mirror by Catherine Steadman is told in alternating points of view between Nina, Maria, and Joon-gi (the electrician). The story was okay, I had a bit of trouble getting involved with the characters or feeling totally immersed in what was happening. The ending felt a bit rushed.

Overall, Look in the Mirror was just an okay read for me.

#LookIntheMirror #NetGalley @atrandom

Great book, really enjoyed the twists and turns that this took me on and I would definitely recommend to a friend.

I definitely can’t wait to read more from Ms. Steadman. I loved this puzzle mystery of a book. It was so fascinating piecing the pieces together—and me being wrong with how the story ends. Completely satisfying ending. I would love to just pick Catherine Steadman’s brain about how she crafted the story and how long it took to fully piece each piece where it needed to be. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of Look in the Mirror by Catherine Steadman. Nina and her father are very close, and after he dies, she is shocked to learn that her staid and conservative professor father apparently has left her a mansion in the British Virgin Islands. She knew nothing about this part of his life. She goes there to see the place and to try to understand why and how. When she gets there, things go off the rails. I don’t want to say more, because there are so many surprises. It is a pretty exciting psychological thriller, definitely not what I was expecting. #lookinthemirror #catherinesteadman #advancedreadercopy #psychologicalthriller #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #booknerd #whattoread #readingtime #bookaddict #ilovetoread #ilovebooks #needtoread #readallday

This book was written so well and had me wondering what was coming next! It was a concept that’s been done many times before but twisted in such a way that it felt new and fresh. She is a masterful storyteller, but this one was simply exceptional! I had no idea what would happen and that’s a rare and wonderful thing for me. Her writing always keeps me on my toes and I love that. This was a phenomenal read and I loved every single word!

Loved the unique setting and plot of this book! I enjoyed piecing together the story. Another great book from the author. Thanks to Random House Publishing Group Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC.

I have pretty mixed feelings about this one. It held my attention and it moved quickly. It’s also difficult to share my thoughts on this book without spoiling it.

The book has plenty of intrigue from the start as the story mostly moves between characters Nina and Maria. For a long time it’s unclear how their storylines will tie together.. Further in, some things begin to fall in place while there there are many unanswered questions. At that point I began to worry that the resolution to the mystery wasn’t going to be satisfying or clever enough.

And for me, it ultimately wasn’t. So while I enjoyed reading the book and liked many of the characters, I was disappointed with the ending.



SPOILER: For me, if the answer is that the wealthy are cruel, sadistic and like playing games with people’s live — quite literally — I think it’s an easy out and not strong storytelling. There is very little insight or psychological reasoning for what’s happened in my opinion,

The set up for this thriller is intriguing and I was quickly pulled in. The house, the young women, the mystery were all the perfect set up. However, once I started to figure out what was going on, the book didn't feel so fun anymore. It felt like a missed opportunity. Overall an thriller. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

Maria is a nanny for the ultra rich and famous, and her newest gig involves a home in the British Virgin Islands with a mysterious locked room and no children to be seen. Nina’s father passed away and left her a home she knew nothing about in the British Virgin Islands, so she goes to see her inheritance and learn more about her father.

This is a book that I’m not entirely sure how I feel about. There were definitely aspects I liked and some I didn’t. It was written (probably intentionally) in a very choppy way that just felt undeveloped and rushed. Without giving much away, I picked up the book hoping for a fun locked door mystery and this is not that. It was completely different than the synopsis leads you to believe. That may appeal to some readers immensely but was disappointing to me. If you enjoy escape rooms, puzzles, Squid Game type stories, then this is a thriller that you should grab!

Thank you to Catherine Steadman, Random House- Ballantine Books, and Netgalley for the opportunity to be an early reader and reviewer.

Very fun! One of Catherine Steadman's best, my favorite since SOMETHING IN THE WATER! I truly had no idea where this one was going next, and the payoff is satisfying and unexpected. Highly recommend!

Wow, this book started SO strong, so it pains me to rate it only 3 stars. I could not put it down for the first 25% of the book, and it was so intriguing. Unfortunately, it began to fall apart for me after that point. I found that the character development was severely lacking, especially for the main character Nina. She came off as so cold and unlikeable, and it made it difficult for me to root for her in the end. Plus I did not understand the "instant love" romance that came out of left field towards the end of the book. Was I to believe these characters had deep feelings for each other after meeting for only a couple of hours and eating lunch together once? I was very confused by what was going on here.

I also felt the ending felt rushed and not well explained. It almost seemed like even the author didn't quite know what was happening and tried to explain it the best they could. I got the main gist but maybe I didn't fully understand how everyone was connected. Oh well. Not my favorite Steadman; her release The Family Game was much better than this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the copy of Look In The Mirror by Catherine Steadman. This was a great read and kept me glued to the pages. It took some time to understand the timeline and how Maria and Nina were connected, but it was worth the wait. If you’re willing to suspend some belief, you will be rewarded with a well-paced and creative story that will leave you speechless. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

"Look In the Mirror" by Catherine Steadman is a fun read with twists and turns that the reader won't see coming. It requires a bit of reality suspension by the reader, but not so much that it hovers over the book. There could have been better character development to suit the ending, but still, a twisty read that's perfect for a pool or beach day.