This book started off a bit odd, but that made it kinda good also.
We get a great backstory, even though it takes some time to come out but for me that was all part of the story and keeping you on edge.
The characters were great, you really start to feel for them and then you see what the crazy dynamics come to play. The more you get into this book the more and more you see, the more weird the island is (Camilia Island) and more twists and turns.
I loved the ghost, thriller/mystery and witchy (creepy old ladies) vibes were in this book.
I liked how history played a part in this story and how it was explained.

Sam and her family move to an Island to care for her new husband’s (Ben) mother, Nadine.
There is a ton of superstition on this small island also.
Things get dark very fast.
The house next to her mother-in-law’s is creepy—not only that, it’s where Ben’s first wife died.
Sam's teen daughter (Emma) was not happy to go to the island and she has a few things going on in her life at the same time, so many secrets. Emma get more freaked out when she starts feeling things and seeing things that she think is try to warn her. Clues from the dead.
Go read this book, it's really good.
I am so glad that I did. :)

**Thank you to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for the eARC of this title!**

While I enjoyed the writing in this one and thought the premise was great, this one is going to be a “DNF for now.” I will definitely return to this one at a time when I think I will enjoy it more.

Unfortunately, I just did a reread of Rosemary’s Baby the week before picking up Don’t Eat The Pie. While obviously more modern, this books has a lot of similarities to RB and I can’t fully invest myself in the story while I am playing the compare and contrast game.

Again, I will be picking this back up in the future and I think this book and author will work for a lot of people. Fans of horror will enjoy the tense storyline, and fans of thrillers will enjoy the multiple POV and timeline setup.

I liked the premise of this book but it moved a bit too slow for me. By the time things start to happen and the story progresses it was easy for me to lose interest, sadly. Cool concept and love the cover art!

I LOVED this one! It was such a good time and reminiscent of older horror such as Rosemary's Baby. I liked the dual perspectives and the complicated mother/ daughter relationships within. It was a really good time and SKETCHY PIE

Thank you to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for this perfect spooky season ARC

This was action packed, full on the Rosemary’s baby vibes and creepy moments to keep you scared just enough.
The ending was perfect without getting too crazy and wild.
Loved it. Perfect for the season!

4/5 ⭐️

There was such an interesting book in here and unfortunately it's not really about most of the stuff the author clearly wanted this book to be about. Aaaaah!

The big stumbling block right out the gate was the dual POV aspect. We switch back and forth between the perspectives of Emma and her mother Sam, but it honestly felt like Sam's POV was just there to make this not a YA book, especially given that she spends over half the book basically just pregnant and on bedrest. Her parts became repetitive for that reason but also because most of her interactions with Emma were so overwhelmed by the whininess of her internal monologue about how she never wanted to be a parent--like okay queen! Well your kid is 16, do you think you can at any point move on and stop making it your daughter's problem? Like, feeling bad about being a mother who sucks while continuing to suck on a daily basis does not make for a sympathetic character.

Bizarre choices were also made with regard to the pacing here, with time jumps between the short chapters so whenever anything interesting would happen (mostly to Emma) we'd return to that POV with weeks having passed and nobody really talking about what happened anymore. All the interesting stuff just got skated over like it was nbd. Also, not to downplay the real terror of climate change here, but setting a story on an island off North Carolina during hurricane season is so Chekov's gun at this point that I just rolled my eyes as soon as that plot point stormed in (haha! good one, me).

Anyway, this book would have been fabulous if it just fully focused on Emma walking into a whole new world of creepy Southern gothic generational wealth and hanging out with her friends and the locals, investigating the history of the island and her family, and trying to deal with her selfish, pitiful mother who's so obsessed with herself and the new dick in her life that she's willing to ignore the blatant Rosemary's Baby situation she's in. Frankly this all could have been background for the relationship between Emma and Juniper, the emo Tumblr witch girl next door who was by far the most interesting character in the book. I would read so much more about their ambiguously queer friendship (well, not THAT ambiguous. But we just never get a real look into how Emma feels about her, so). I also really needed to know what the hell ended up happening to Juniper!!!! oh my god.

Rounding this one up from its real 2.5 stars but only because I'm feeling generous today.

My thanks to Rising Action Publishing Co. and NetGalley for the ARC.

3🌟
Creepy in a wonderful way, but fell a little flat. The characters were classic horror movie tropes (as in you are constantly left asking yourself with the characters are making any of the decisions they are making.....). Fun read, worthwhile if horror is your thing!

In DON'T EAT THE PIE, readers are transported to the hauntingly picturesque Camillia Island, where gothic horror meets family drama, unraveling the sinister secrets behind a mother and daughter's summer that promises to be as unsettling as it is compelling for fans of Shirley Jackson and Daphne du Maurier.

I listened to the audiobook version.

It's rare a gothic horror book makes me uneasy, but Don’t Eat the Pie has done that. Not because it was particularly scary but because of some of the subject matter that just felt a little skeevey.

There are shades of Rosemary's Baby within the novel but almost portrayed in a more unsavory way then that older novel.
There were times I just wanted to smack Sam, the mother, for not seeing what Emma, her daughter saw, or for just being empty headed.

The narration was good but the voices of Emma and Sam were so similar I occasionally missed who was speaking.

If you like Gothic, strange families on remote island type books then you should enjoy this greatly.

Thanks to @netgalley and Dreamscape Media for giving me the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Apologies for latenesss. I’ve been under the weather.

Posted in Goodreads:

4/5⭐️

If there’s one thing that I kept screaming over and over in my head it was “Sam, what the hell did you get you and your daughter into?”

This gothic horror has an eerie abandoned house, paranormal activity and strange neighbors that would have had me running for the hills.

This is told from two POVs, Sam (mom) and her teenage daughter, Emma. Sam always questions if she’s been a good mom and she’s been working hard in her own to raise Emma. She feels she never catches a break and if she does then she wonders if the other shoe will drop.

Sam eventually meets Ben, a handsome charming intelligent man who comes from generational wealth. They’re married and Sam is whisked away to Italy for their honeymoon. But, the show semi drops. Ben’s mom falls into a coma and they have to cut short the honeymoon.

They decide to stay with Ben’s mom for the summer to help her heal and Emma, Becca (Sam’s sister), her son Jax and Emma’s best friend Hannah join. As everyone is enjoying the island, strange things happen in the abandoned house next door and the residents of the island seem a little off.

And if there’s a warning that needs to really be heeded, it’s “stay away from the pie”.

I enjoyed this read and look forward to more of Monica’s work.

Thank you netgalley, Action Rising Publishing and Monique Asher for the opportunity to read this book.

I went into Don’t Eat the Pi by Monique Asher pretty blindly—and I’m so glad I did. This is the story of Sam, a single mother, and her daughter Emma as they adjust to joining a new family when Sam remarries. Having known nothing but abuse growing up and in her previous marriage, Sam might be a bit blind to all the strange things happening around her now that she finally is part of a loving family.

As the story unfolds, creepy events begin to pick up after her mother-in-law falls mysteriously ill and then recovers at her secluded island home. On top of that, Sam is haunted by the shadows of her husband’s ex-wife, who passed away under suspicious circumstances right next door years before. What follows is a wild, tense ride filled with buried secrets, shocking revelations, and sacrifices made in the name of survival.

This story was unlike any I’ve read. I loved the unique premise, especially the tie-in with the pies (trust me, it’s weirder than it sounds but in the best way possible). It’s almost like a tropical Gothic horror—yes, that’s a thing, and it really works here. The book switches perspectives and timelines, but it never gets confusing or overly complicated. The alternating views just add to the richness of the story and keep the mystery heightened.

If you're a character-based reader, some readers have inconsistencies with the relationship between Sam and Emma. I'm just asking for the ride and read to be entertained, so I didn't find this to be the case for me.

One of my favorite parts was the disorienting tension—you never know who to trust or what’s real. Everyone seems like they have secrets, and the suspense builds up perfectly. Personally, the last line felt like it could go a couple of ways, but I’m choosing to believe the happier interpretation.

If you like a tense, creative, and downright chilling read, Don’t Eat the Pie is a must. It’s incredibly entertaining, and I’m so glad I picked it up!

This Gothic horror novel will remind you of Rosemary's Baby as an unwitting woman, Sam, thinks she's living her dream with a perfect new husband Ben. Their honeymoon is interrupted by the illness of his overbearing mother Nadine. Sam brings her daughter Emma, sister Becca, and the rest of their family to mysterious Camillia Island where everyone acts strange. Did Ben kill his former wife Krysten? Why is the pie dinner so important? The pace is perfectly agonizing as the plot twists and turns. An excellent debut!

Thank you Netgalley & Monique Asher & RAP Publishing for an eARC 🔥

Imagine a tropical paradise, its vibrant hues and warm smiles masking a sinister truth. Welcome to Edenic Camilla Island, where the line between heaven and hell blurs like the island's swirling mists.
Samantha, a survivor of life's darkest storms, thinks she's found solace in the island's charming embrace. Her fiancé, Alex, loves her with a passion that heals her wounds. The island's beauty, with its colorful flowers and picturesque homes, promises a fresh start. But the ghosts of Alex's past refuse to rest.
The abandoned house next door, where tragedy struck, casts long shadows on their happiness. Alex's previous wife, Sarah, died under mysterious circumstances, leaving behind only whispers and speculation. Samantha tries to brush off the uneasy feeling, but:
Evasive whispers and nervous smiles from islanders
Haunted legends and ancient curses that linger
An unsettling atmosphere that clings like a wet shroud
Her own demons resurface when a mysterious pregnancy upends her carefully crafted plans. The island's mystique morphs into a suffocating trap. Samantha's resolve to never have another child, born from her traumatic past, is shattered.
As she navigates the island's treacherous undercurrents, Samantha discovers:
Dark secrets hidden behind perfect facades
Sinister forces manipulating the island's residents
Ancient rituals and superstitions that haunt
With each twist, Samantha's grip on reality falters. Her investigations put her and those she loves in danger .
And can we take a moment to appreciate the stunning cover art? Absolutely gorgeous 🔥

Don’t Eat the Pie definitely evokes some strong Rosemary’s Baby plus Stepford Wives vibes with a healthy dose of Southern melodrama, and this recipe cooked up as a quick, easy, and thrilling read. I was instantly drawn in to this book’s title and cover, and honestly, both are great advertising for this book, which gives readers what you would expect plus some extra supernatural surprises thrown in along the way.

I recommend Don’t Eat the Pie to readers looking for:

Complicated mother-daughter relationships
Unresolved generational trauma
Ghost and witchy vibes
Evil thinly veiled as Southern hospitality
Cultish energy
A controlling, overbearing mother-in-law being put in her place
Coming of age, sexual awakenings

I loved the pacing of this story, as well as some of the characters: Becca, Emma, Jax, and Juniper were all fun and unique, but I wasn’t the huge fan of Sam and Ben… and Nadine was the perfect love to hate kind of character who helped keep the pages turning. Don’t Eat the Pie was suspenseful and fun to read, just remember watch yourself on any remote Southern islands and don’t eat the pie unless you know for sure what’s in it.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC. All opinions are my own.

I spent the first part of this book confusing the characters and not really knowing what was going on, I spent the rest of it being a little creeped out, but also semi bored? I seem to be truly in the minority here. But while I did enjoy it a little, i felt like it just didn't connect with me.

Sam has recently married Ben and is ready to begin a new life with him and her teen from a previous marriage, Emma. However, Ben’s mother soon falls ill and it sees the new family moving to her island of residence to take care of her. With the elder community members plying Sam with alcohol and pie, Emma begins to see things that warn her that her mother isn’t safe here.

DON’T EAT THE PIE by Monique Asher is an eerie horror novel that will make you think twice about sticking your fork in that pie!

Overall, I really enjoyed the story and the arc that it took - there were a lot of creepy, cult-like elements that stood out to me and I felt like Asher really incorporated some nice (read: terrifying & disgusting) imagery.

However, I was never able to fully click with the writing style and the story didn’t flow very well from one point to another. I also had a hard time understanding Sam and Emma’s relationship - there’s what we’re told and what we’re shown, and they never really seem to match up. Emma also read much younger than her 16 years for a good chunk of the story.

Thank you to Rising Action Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: September 24

OK WHAT DID I JUST READ!

This was such an unexpectedly good read! This is the book you want a read that throws together multiple tropes and makes you squirm as all the suspense builds. The characters will frustrate you and have you yelling like you're watching a horror movie and can just SEE all the bad things unfolding.

Weird small island vibes with even stranger occurrences!

I was lucky enough to recieve both the ebook and audiobook and I loved both formats. The narrator was amazing and hooked me from the start. Great pace, enjoyable narration and was the hook that snagged me into the whole read!

I was drawn to the cover of this book so I requested it immediately and I was so happy to get approved for it! This book had me in a clutch from the beginning! It was so intense and had me wanting to keep reading. I really enjoyed the short chapters. This book was dark, intense and creepy! I really enjoyed the character Emma the daughter. It took me awhile to warm up to her mother.

I don't want to give anything away with this book. It was a wild ride that I thoroughly enjoyed! The author made me feel like I was really there. It played like a movie in my head. If you enjoy books with ghosts, and witches you might enjoy this book! I really hope there's a second with how it ended!

This book really wasn't for me. I found it infuriating that the book's title plays such an early role in the story and then is promptly ignored by both protagonists! It felt anticlimactic.

I found both characters to be too self-involved and whiny. They kept going on and on about the same grievances without trodding any new ground or coming to any new revelations.

Key details or story we're done off-screen as it were such as the death of the Grandma. We didn't even get a description of her body! Just Emma's one line statement that they'd killed her.

Many parts of the plot we're predictable and while some parts of the story were over discussed to the point of exhaustion, others were only alluded to in the briefest of moments.

I also don't understand the point of Emma's dad. That story line had virtually nothing to do with the outcome of the story and offered little in the way of story development.

Some of these criticisms (mainly the whininess of the character) could be due to the fact that I listened to the audiobook but still.

If you haven't come to the conclusion on your own, let me be clear. This book was not for me and I wouldn't recommend it.

WOW. Just wow this is my first book by Monique Asher and the spookiness in this story was top tier. Just what I needed. It was such a nice little mix of Rosemarys Baby and Midsommar. Leaving you to question so much. I sure as hell know I am not going to Camilla island anytime soon. Also, can we give some praise to the cover of this book because it’s amazing.

A Horror Bookworm Recommendation
Don’t Eat The Pie by Monique Asher
https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/

Emma attends a wedding at a beautiful location called Camillia Island. Both Emma and her mother indulge in what seems to be an unblemished environment. However, the residents of the island seem to have an eerie undertone about them. Emma slowly uncovers the real mysteries and unexplainable events surrounding the island…including the unusual pie contest.

Monique Asher’s debut novel is a bizarre encounter of what seems to be a living breathing island of dark mysteries. Family relationships, unearthly curses and haunting realities help build an ultimate crescendo of unnerving proportions. With a vibe of Rosemary’s Baby, The Wicker Man and a splash of Midsommar, Asher brings home the blue ribbon when it comes to psychological tension and paranoia.

With silver pendants, ouija boards and delicious pies of all shapes and sizes, Monique Asher brings supernatural settings to life by cleverly dressing them with human sacrificial accents. Looking through Asher’s ritualistic rose colored glasses, the reader will find a distorted Eden that is emotionally eerie, weirdly obscene and downright creepy as hell. It’s the constant feeling that something bad is going to happen that’ll getcha.

Here on Camillia Island, “tradition is tradition” and they take their pie recipes very serious. The Island is a bit like the Hotel California…”you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.” A five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Horror Bookworm Recommendation.