After Catherine Steadman's last novel, I was so excited to read Look in the Mirror. I am generally drawn into multiple POV and books with questionable/mysterious timelines and connections, so I was a fan of this novel very quickly. It absolutely drew me and had me wondering where it was all leading. Overall, I gave it 4 stars as a really enjoyable read that I would recommend to others. Thank you for the opportunity to read this advanced copy! I will always be excited to read this author's work!

I wanted to love this so much. I loved the setting. The house was so descriptive, I felt like I was in the house with them. Unfortunately I think the storyline jumped the shark and became so unrealistic and over the top that it lost me.

Thank you to Random House for my copy of LOOK IN THE MIRROR. This one is out July 30.

This book is fast paced and full of wild imagery. I really enjoyed it but some of the content wasn't my fave. I still recommend it but maybe read the synopsis first, because I sure didn't.

I couldn't put this one down!! I loved the entire concept and thought it was very easy to follow along. Will be recommending to everyone!

Intense! You're father dies of natural cause and leaves you his estate. You're wealthy, but there's a mystery house in the Caribbean. You visit it only to find it has a locked door and some malfunctioning, high-end technology. At the same time, chapters alternate and readers learn about another woman who's visited what appears to be the same house at either a different time period, or a similar house at the same time period. Both women are trapped by the house, and different people try to save them. Who should we trust? What an awesome kickoff to the book... Look in the Mirror borders on thriller and horror, and as the story begins to unfold with its clues revealing the truth, the book gets stronger in some areas but a little messy in others. Loved the premise, but figuring out why people are either lying or doing certain things is never quite explained. Murder for murder seems a little much if there's no backstory. Some comes, but ultimately, I felt this missed the mark on what could have been a 5-star read. Still worth reading and I will continue to pick up Steadman books!

This was a ride - one I didn't necessarily enjoy but couldn't figure out and wanted to see through. Premise was a little too out there for me.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

I was hooked reading this book but then it fell flat. I have read her books in the past but this one seemed different. A different king of writing. I am hoping that she changes back to her old style. I felt confused at times and had a hard time finishing.

A literal page turner - your head will be snapping back & forth faster than you can turn the pages!

“Look In the Mirror” transports you to the sunny isles of the Caribbean from dreary London as main character Nina works to close out her father’s estate. As she visits a second home she didn’t even know he owned, Nina finds herself on an unknown adventure that appears to have a very sinister ending.

I could honestly not believe how this book unfolded. Each time I thought I had the plot figured out, Catherine Steadman took the story in a completely different direction, which kept me on my toes through the final pages. Be ready to stay up all night - you won’t want to put it down!

"Look in the Mirror" by Catherine Steadman is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into themes of identity, self-perception, and the complexities of relationships. The story follows a protagonist who finds herself entangled in a web of deception and betrayal after a shocking incident forces her to confront her past and the choices she has made.

Okay, wow. This book was deeply frightening and unsettling. I actually had to go check GoodReads to see if it was categorized as horror--it's not, but I think it should be. It was far more unsettling than the thrillers I usually read.

Steadman did an excellent job with the pacing. The way each chapter ended made me not want to stop reading, so I stayed up VERY late to finish the book. I was happy with the conclusion, but I don't like it when I'm rooting hard for a character and their ending isn't what I want. But, such is life as a reader. (For spoilers, I won't say who I'm talking about in this book.)

I thought the main character, Nina, could have developed more when it comes to the relationship with her father. It took her a long time to get to a conclusion based on her knowledge of her father that I felt she should have reached faster. There was one "room" that I felt like could have been developed a little more, but overall, a really interesting story!

I would definitely recommend Look in the Mirror to thriller readers with the warning that it was pretty intense. I would also recommend this title to horror readers that might be looking for something in a different genre but still gives them the anxiety and unease of horror. Look in the Mirror gets a 3.5/5 (rounded to 4) from me. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Catherine Steadman's Look in the Mirror is a wild, twisty and dark ride. Professor Nina is grieving the loss of her beloved father, well-known for his brilliant mind and designs, when she finds out she's inherited his beautiful home in the Caribbean. The house is more than a house-it's a state of the art mansion with a private beach and state of the art technology. Nina is stunned and concerned-how did her father afford this home and manage to keep it a secret? She begins to investigate and feels he must be hiding even more. Maria, a nanny to the VIP and 1% has a goal to take on one more contract and she will be set to pay for medical school. Her job-two weeks in the Caribbean with two young children. Maria, entering the house, is given access to everything-except the basement. Days pass and her clients are a no-show. She makes herself at home but her curious nature gets the better of her. Told in alternating timelines and perspectives, Steadman takes readers through a back and forth of two seemingly unrelated characters that comes to a startling realization. Twist after twist abounds and Steadman has crafted a diabolical plot that readers will fly through. The synopsis of the novel does not allude to the major plot points which allows the reader to go in slightly blind and dial up the tension. Another great novel by Steadman!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I wanted to like this one, I truly did.. but I absolutely hated it. The first maybe 20% pulled me in, but then it just kept getting more and more boring and I found that I kept forcing myself to finish in hopes of it getting better. I won't say don't read it because this is something someone else would love, but unfortunately it just wasn't for me.

The premise of this book was totally different from anything else I’ve read. It really kept me wanting to read to find out what would happen! Catherine Steadman is always an author that I enjoy because her books get so out there with the plot. Just crazier than one could ever imagine! Thanks for the ARC!

LOOK IN THE MIRROR is a clever thriller that made me search passages for connections between the two main characters, and it kept me guessing throughout. I enjoyed the escape room/Squid Game vibes.

To go into the plot would ruin the book, so I won’t do that. I’ll simply say that the short chapters and creepy atmospheric story hooked me. Yes, some of it is highly improbable but LOOK IN THE MIRROR is still a solidly interesting read that I enjoyed. I always like dual timelines and different points of view, as well as books that make you feel like an investigator.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the early digital copy of LOOK IN THE MIRROR. I liked it so much that I also ordered it as my Aardvark Book Club pick of the month.

The following review was posted on my Goodreads profile on 9.19.24:

Wow, what a ride! LOOK IN THE MIRROR moves faster than some of Steadman's other thrillers, with lots of tension, suspense, and action to keep it interesting. The plot is a touch predictable, but not entirely. I expected it to go a different way until it...didn't. I buzzed through this book in a day because it kept me riveted, always wanting to know what was going to happen next. Sure, it's unrealistic and, yeah, I didn't care overly much about the characters. Still, I enjoyed this crazy, entertaining ride overall. It's diverting if nothing else.

"I flip the note over but the back is blank. I reread the scratchy words: Look in the Mirror."

As you prepare to start this one, just know you need to clear out your day. Once you start the story, it's addicting - a race you need to keep reading to understand what's happening and get all the answers.

I did this as an audiobook, which is narrated by the author, and is absolutely phenomenal! I can't recommend it enough! It really is great to go into this one blind. The twists are shocking, each turn kept me guessing and kept me needing to read on. The characters are quick to get introed and easy to root. It was great - this author just has such a great way to pushing plots and stories that keep me guessing and I just love it! I'll be anxious for the next one!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. This book is so fast paced and so interesting. I wasn't expecting it to go where it did with the concept of the house. At first I found Nina's chapters a little on the boring side and Maria's chapters were the interesting ones but once it got to a certain part Nina's chapters were so good that I didn't want to put it down.

My only real complaints were the first chapter and the epilogue. The first chapter was so confusing and hard to read that it would scare away readers (in my opinion at least.) Also I truly didn't need the epilogue I think I would have rather not found out who was behind the house.

4.5 stars rounded up

I was able to get a physical copy of the book. I really enjoyed this fast paced thriller/mystery. I haven't read any other books from this author but will be looking into more of her books. This a was a great book and one I'd recommend to any reader.

DNF at 10% of the audiobook. It felt like I had read this story and its tropes before. I also CANNOT STAND 2nd person narratives.

📖 Book Review 📖

📱🎧 "Look in the Mirror" by Catherine Steadman

⭐️⭐️⭐️
 published July 30, 2024

Nina has inherited a vacation home in the British Virgin Islands from her recently deceased father, but she never knew he had a home there. This is a state-of-the-art, high tech, all glass beautiful home on the ocean. When she is told by the realtor company she must come in person and they compensate her flight, and expenses she travels to the island right away.

Maria is a nanny with this final gig which she arrives early, just a couple of days before the family. Instructions came with one main rule- don’t go in the locked room
in the basement. Simple.

A mystery full of odd connections and random pieces- this story kept me guessing. I kept wondering “What’s the connection of these two women? What’s going on at the houses they are residing? Is this some weird game?” To give you anymore would ruin the mystery for sure.

Many thanks to @NetGalley and @RandomHousePublishing for this ARC


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