This book was so interesting and unique. Usually thriller books feel repetitive and the plots get recycled over and over but that was certainly not the case with Look In the Mirror. The book started off fast paced and then slowed quite a bit for me. I love multiple POVs in the books I read because I feel like it adds extra depth to the characters and I do feel it was beneficial to this story.
With all of that being said, this book still ended up very “middle of the road” for me. I can’t quite pinpoint why but I think it felt like multiple different books meshed into one? I was really enjoying the storyline with Maria in the beginning but then Nina’s was not my favorite. I also felt let down with the ending because it felt so predictable.. even the last few pages that I assumed were supposed to feel surprising. Maybe I’m just used to extreme twists at the end?

I would still recommend this book to anyone looking for a thriller that is unlike anything you’ve read lately. Even though it wasn’t a book that I would lose track of time reading or drop everything to finish, I still looked forward to my reading time every day to see what would happen next.

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for providing this book for review. As always, all opinions are my own.


TW: There were many but these are the ones that stood out to me the most; Death of a parent, Mentions of caretaking for an ill family member, torture, kidnapping

This book pulls the reader in. When I was reading the blub I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. The cover and title were intriguing. Overall, I was confused because of how complex and how much was going on but it definitely made it hard to put down! This book had a bit of a WCKD from maze runner feel and that was really fun to read! The character’s backstories are well developed and make them seem all the more real.

I loved all things about this book. Catherine Steadman never steers me wrong with her writing style and how she leaves you vividly seeing her stories play out in your mind as you read. This book was great! Catherine took this book to a LEVEL UP LEVEL && is packed with twists and turns, mystery and a hint of horror that will keep you at the edge of your seat guessing what’s happening next. I’m keeping the vague because this book needs to be read to be understood but you’ll thank me later if you love our author and her style!!

Thank you @netgalley, @randomhousepublishing and the author of this book for an opportunity to review this e-ARC.

oh my
let me get my thoughts straight real quick
wow
the way this book put the human experience into words was perfect
made me think a lot about life, what it is, how we see others, who they really are past our ideas of them
i love maria so so much
what an amazing woman
really all the characters were just *chefs kiss*
so well written
i thought a lot about how catherine even was able to write this into book form, so much research and thinking had to be done
tbh the whole time i read it i was googling meanings of the poem, other little mentions, etc, and learning more myself as i did.
this is legit a really believable storyline
rich people getting off on some evil Big Brother type shi

just warped interests to pass their own boredom
appreciate what you have and be a better person, not harming anyone in the process, that’s what i wish for this world, but power and money make sick people.

Loved this book-it kept my interest from the start! Sometimes books in this genre all start to feel the same but this book stands out as a compelling original story unlike anything I have ever read!!

Thank you Netgalley for ARC!

I could not put this book down! I had no idea what to expect going into this book, as I chose not to read the synopsis, but I was immediately pulled into it's craze plot. It's unlike any other book out there right now, and would be awesome as a movie or a Netflix series. There were a few times the story jumped randomly to different people and threw me off, but not enough to take away from the story. Definitely recommend!

I really enjoyed this book from start to finish, it’s suspenseful, intelligent, and so fast paced that it’s hard to put down! I loved the multiple points of view and rounds myself conflicted over which characters I liked and trusted and you definitely can never beat an island setting, definitely worth the read. I give it 4/4.5 stars!

I absolutely could not put this book down — it’s been a long, long time since I read a book cover to cover in the span of a few hours, but I was completely rapt by this story, and especially Maria’s sections. However, the pacing was never quite calibrated between Nina and Maria, and it was hard to tell after a certain point what choices were deliberate and what were errors that will be edited out later (e.g. Nina’s POV changing from first to third randomly). I also don’t know if this exactly stuck the landing to me. In a lot of ways, I kept thinking of this as Squid Game meets Succession, but many of the motivations behind the central mystery lacked a real emotional punch. I can imagine a lot of this getting fixed by the time the published book comes out, though, because this is certainly one of the rougher ARCs I’ve read.

This is a goosebump-inducing, spine-tingling, edge-of-your-seat kind of book! I found myself legitimately terrified (but in the best way) multiple times throughout this book. I feel like Catherine Steadman may be an underrated author. I've LOVED the books of hers I've read but don't hear a ton of chatter about them. Here's me putting my two cents out there---pick up Look in the Mirror and give her a read! I haven't been this excited about a thriller in a while. The writing is so good it made me feel like I was watching the movie version of the book as I was reading it. Steadman has a gift for transporting readers into her world. Read this book and let the terror commence!

Plot: Nina gets a call from an attorney letting her know that her father left her an incredible property on the British Virgin Islands. As far as she knows, her father didn't have a vacation home and didn't spend much time outside of their home in London. As strange as the circumstance is, she decides to go to the island to check out the mystery her father left behind for her to solve. Nina knows there has to be a reason behind all of it. Meanwhile, Maria is a nanny to the ultra-rich. She's accustomed to working jobs that require discretion and attention to detail. She arrives at the house she was hired to work at only to find no one there. Her instructions were to enjoy the property but not go into the locked room in the basement. Will curiosity kill this cat?

The way the plots overlap and the two stories start connecting toward the second half of the book is genius. I love the building suspense and the way it made me want to slam the book shut at times but also I couldn't put it down! My heart was pounding as Maria and Nina found themselves in stressful situations beyond what we imagine happening in a typical day. This beautiful house on the stunning island of Gorda is full of secrets and is a character unto itself. Vacation thriller is a genre I want to see more of! Don't read Look in the Mirror while home alone...but definitely read it!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Catherine Steadman for the ARC of Look in the Mirror!

Pretty good thriller! A quick read. It's pretty fast paced. I loved the plot!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars, rounded up

I was all-in on Catherine Steadman's latest LOOK IN THE MIRROR (publishes July 30, 2024). Shortly after Nina's father passes away, she finds out that she's inheriting an incredible, unique house of his on the British Virgin Islands. I love a creepy house even in a tropical setting!

At the same time, we are introduced to Maria, who is a medical student that also freelances as a high-priced nanny (interesting combo), and she is working at the house on a 10-day stint; however, her charges haven't yet arrived. The mysterious locked room she's not allowed into has a glitch and unlocks. And while Maria is smart, she's not immune to curiosity...

As I said, the premise was unique and fabulous. About halfway in, the novel lost some steam for me. What I did like is that there wasn't insane twist after insane twist. If you're in on the premise, then the rest of the story seems plausible, at least to me. I think the second-half problem FOR ME was that the novel then had an identity crisis. Is it an escape/locked room thriller? Is it an origin story? Is it a mystery? It becomes a little bit of everything, and I think I would have preferred the author to pick a lane.

Personally I have read almost all of Steadman's novels, and her others have all been just okay for me. This is actually my favorite by her, but it's still not a 5 star experience for me.

#catherinesteadman #lookinthemirror #july2024books #july2024release #netgalley #netgalleyreview

Thank you to net galley for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I found. this book slow and hard to get into. I kept waiting for something big to happen and I felt like that didn't hit until I was about 75% into the book. I enjoyed the last quarter of this book and would overall give it 3 stars. I liked how Nina wound up with the boy she met on the island at the end, and I thought it was crazy that the game continued on the ship even after it was found out about, and people went to Jail.

Nina's father dies and she discovers she has inherited a house in the Bahamas. Puzzled by this, she flies to the house in order to see if he's left any clues to why he has this house but never told her about it. She discovers that her father had more secrets than she thought.

Maria is a nanny, working for the top 1%. She books a gig in the Caribbean, but the family never shows. Given the run of the house, she settles in, but then breaks the one rule: do not go in the basement.

Can both of them escape the horrors that lurk below the literal surface of the house?

Catherine Steadman is the QUEEN of writing rich people playing twisted games, and I eat it up every time! This book kept my heart rate up and I couldn't stop thinking about it when I wasn't reading it. It was a great mystery, and just the right amount of unsettling.

I couldn’t put this one down, as evidenced by the fact that I read it through in 2 sittings.

Nina’s father has passed away and left her an incredible home in the British Virgin Islands that in description reminds me a lot of the house in Ex Machina. The only problem is that Nina knew her father really well and he wasn’t quite this rich nor did he own a house in the BVI. Or did Nina not actually know her father at all?

Look in the Mirror is a page turning, escape room of a book that will have you holding on for dear life until the very last page.

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group for this opportunity! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

When I say this book was not what I was expecting, I say it in the best way possible. I like to go in “blind” when I’m reading new books (meaning I don’t read the synopsis right before reading), however I did read this synopsis and did not see the book going in the direction that it did at all. It’s hard to explain all my thoughts on this book without spoiling anything so I’ll just say if you enjoy popcorn thrillers, Look in the Mirror is a perfect book for you!

4/5 stars because there were some parts (particularly with Maria) that seemed far fetched and hard to believe. I also had to go back & utilize my search function on my Kindle to remind myself who someone was once I got to the epilogue. Overall, a fantastic read that will keep you on your toes!

Release date: July 30, 2024

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

4 and 1/2 stars rounded up to 5! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This story focuses on two seemingly unrelated women… Nina who just lost her beloved father and finds out she inherited a mansion in the Virgin Islands (and that she may not have known her father as well as she thought she did!)… and Maria, a nanny to the rich and famous, who’s current job assignment has her in a creepy situation… she’s put up in a high tech house and told to await the arrival of her boss and 2 young charges. She’s given one rule… don’t go into the basement room. 👀 What could go wrong?!

I absolutely loved this book! It pulled me in immediately and I loved the alternating storylines. Maria’s story had me staying up late to see what was going to happen next.

I really connected to the characters and was rooting for them. This book was a nail biting, heart pounding delight!

My review went live today on Goodreads!

a bit of a slow start but once it picks up around 1/3 of the way through I could NOT put it down! I had NO idea what was happening here and definitely did not expect that reveal! It almost borders on horror territory, and expands on the direction of Steadman’s last book (Family Game). I really enjoyed this, and the author has become a consistent auto-read for me!

Catherine Steadman is a GENIUS. I have been obsessed with her since her debut novel "Something in the Water." Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group for the chance to read this one before it's release date.

The Family Game quickly became my top read from Steadman and Look in The Mirror might just take it's place. One fact is for sure: I will never look at an escape room the same, ever. Look in the Mirror is a slow burn. It really didn't take off for me until the 60% mark, but I was so invested with the characters, turning the pages late into the night was not an issue. It almost feels as Steadman is leaning into the horror genre and let me tell you... I am here for it!

Look in the Mirror is intricately crafted, well plotted, great strong characters, and so many surprises. THAT ENDING WAS AMAZING.

Absolutely 100% do not miss this one!

This is a very well written, original thriller. Scary and disturbing, at times too much for me. Two women, two separate story, find themselves trapped alone in the house. Who is trapping them, what is the goal, what do they have in common if anything? This is also a commentary about society, what we value and our lack of connection. I would prefer a little less action and more character driven, it was that but for me, less action is my preference. 4.5

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book. Catherine Steadman is an autoread author for me so I was very happy to see this NetGalley approval pop up. This book was a fun ride and I think it’s best to go in not knowing too much. I think readers who enjoyed her previous book, the Family Game, will also enjoy this - while the books are different, both have plot elements that sometimes ask the reader to suspend belief. I very much enjoyed this and look forward to the author’s next book.