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.

ARC by NetGalley and the publisher.


Newlywed Sam is in the throes of wedded bliss as all her dreams are finally coming true. Her husband Ben and their future life together hold a promise of happy normalcy that she has so longed for. Sam’s honeymoon state of mind is short lived and hijacked away as her mother-in-law falls suddenly ill. Causing the new family to move to Edenic Camilla Island in order to care for her. Upon arrival Sam and her daughter Emma are met with welcoming open arms from the island residence. However, as ghostly pasts are revealed it becomes apparent that this picturesque island and the people there are hiding deadly secrets behind their warm smiles.

Don’t Eat the Pie is a hauntingly atmospheric slow burn horror that served all the eerie dread that I absolutely love in my spookier reads. Reading this was like watching a movie, as each chapter unfolds you begin to slowly piece together the puzzle and understand where the shadows are leading you to. As such this debut will absolutely give you Rosemary’s Baby vibes as well as American Horror Story. Told through dual POV we follow both Sam and Emma as they unravel the truths that the island hides; like the fact that Ben’s previous wife mysteriously died during childbirth and now her ghost is trying to warn Sam and Emma, but of what they don’t know. The books pacing and mounting unease had me reading at the edge of my seat screaming at the characters and clamoring to uncover all the secrets, as if learning them may somehow aid in these characters fates. Asher expertly weaves tension and ghostly cult filled horror while also managing to explore deeper subjects such as pregnancy loss, generation trauma, tough family dynamics, and DV. Again I can’t say enough how much I truly enjoyed this book and am shocked that it is a debut! If you are a fan of gothic horror reads with ghosts, a secluded island location, cults, unhinged twists, and enjoy pie then you absolutely have to pick up this one!

Don’t Eat the Pie comes out September 24th, 2024.

Thank you NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing Co. for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This one didn't work for me. The character interactions and dialogue felt unrealistic and very contrived and it distracted me from the story. I just didn't mesh with the writing style.

“Don’t Eat the Pie” by Monique Asher is a gripping gothic horror novel that plunges readers into the eerie world of Camillia Island, where darkness lurks beneath the island’s seemingly perfect surface. Newlywed Sam moves to the island with her daughter, Emma, to care for her ailing mother-in-law, Nadine. At first, the island appears idyllic with its friendly residents, beautiful homes, and colorful flowers. But as they settle in, the island’s sinister secrets begin to unravel.

The novel masterfully builds tension through its atmospheric setting and unsettling events. Emma starts seeing ghostly apparitions and receiving grim warnings, but Sam dismisses her daughter’s concerns, eager to maintain peace with her new family. The mystery deepens when Sam becomes inexplicably ill after participating in a local pie-making contest, despite being warned not to eat the pies.

Asher’s writing is reminiscent of classic horror tales like “Rosemary’s Baby,” blending supernatural elements with the psychological unease of a mother-daughter relationship strained by secrets and trauma. The dual perspectives of Sam and Emma add depth to the narrative, making their fear and confusion palpable. “Don’t Eat the Pie” is a chilling, atmospheric read that horror fans will devour. With its twisted plot and unforgettable setting, it leaves readers with a lingering sense of unease and anticipation for what Monique Asher will conjure up next.

This was soooo good! I loved the characters, the atmosphere, and the fantastic tension building. Really well done and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I really enjoyed this book! It has fantastic "Get Out" vibes! The creepy progression of knowing things are not ok, and there's nothing you can do to stop it will keep you reading this one! It has a lot of classic Gothic feelings to it. It slowly builds from one crazy event, to the next. There's a lot that happens, and it's written much like a movie.

The journey embarked upon by Sam, her husband, and their daughter Emma, upon relocating to an island due to the illness of Sam's mother-in-law, was a captivating one. Eerie occurrences manifested themselves immediately, piquing my interest. Despite Sam's attempts to rationalize these phenomena, Emma remains skeptical. It becomes apparent that the spirits haunting the island carry a message, albeit a mysterious one. I fervently consumed this literary masterpiece and wholeheartedly endorse it to all enthusiasts of the supernatural.

This book started off so well and I was really enjoying it, but by the end the characters were kind of annoying in how not smart they were being. So it was pretty frustrating.

When I started reading this I definitely got Rosemary's Baby vibes which is great as I love that story. Then it kind of turned into Rosemary's Baby with all the same details of things happening which was odd, but I didn't mind too much. Like it could have been a fun, updated sequel to that book almost which I liked. So I wasn't that surprised when I got to the end and saw that the author wanted to write a gothic in the vein of Rosemary's Baby. But it went downhill from about the mid-way point for me.

This is the story of Emma and Sam, Sam who has just married Ben and is hoping that her life will be good and happy from now on. That Ben really is as great as he seems and she can leave her horrible past behind. And Emma her daughter whose life is going to be uprooted when they all move. Only Ben's mom has an accident while they are on their honeymoon and they have to go back to his hometown to help take care of her. A small island community where weird things start happening.

I did really love the first part of this book and was ready to recommend it to everyone. It was just fun to read and I loved the writing. But as I said as it progressed Emma's thought processes got to be really annoying. Like if you know weird, bad things are going on why would you just trust the people who are being weird? I did not get it and it was very frustrating to read. I know she is young, but still. So unfortunately I was left with a very meh feeling overall. I would be interested in reading another of the author's books since I did enjoy the first half so much.

Don’t Eat the Pie is a horror novel that tells the story of Newly Wed Sam and her daughter Emma and when they move to an island to take care of Sam’s ill mother-in-law. While everyone on the island is friendly, weird things happen. Especially at the house next door.

Rating: 2/5 stars. ⭐️

I want to start off by saying thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this book had a good idea for the plot. Reading the description, I was excited to see where it went. After reading, I found it interesting.

The writing style just wasn’t for me. I felt that scenes weren’t connecting and we were jumping from one place and thought to another. The dialogue and internal thoughts felt awkward to me.

The occult aspects don’t really fit into the story and I think they could have been left out. I also think the interaction between Emma and her father could be left out as well as it just felt weird.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing Company for providing me with an eARC of Don't Eat the Pie in exchange for my honest review!

I very much wanted to enjoy Don't Eat the Pie, but unfortunately, that doesn't really happen. It's determined to create an eerie tale that can make me feel like something is terribly off-kilter beneath the idyllic exterior, and there's certainly plenty of meat to work with via the dysfunctional family dynamics at play. However, the narrative simply comes across too formulaically to me. I've followed tons of this type of story already, so much of what happens in this book doesn't truly surprise or scare me. And once I reach the ending, I'm left with a big old shrug while wishing Don't Eat the Pie could have stood out more successfully. Oh well, I'm still glad I gave it a try, and now I'll officially rate it 2.25 out of 5 stars, which I'll round down to 2 stars.

This was a slow start for me, everything was so normal and I was expecting magic and witches as described. Once things start rolling, I was not disappointed. Sam falls in love and marries her dream man, her young daughter approves and everything is perfectly ideal. But then Bens mother has a fall and she along with her daughter, sister and nephew travel to a strange island for the summer to take care of her. Once they reach the island there’s no avoiding the empty house next door, it belongs to Ben but stands empty due to his first wife dying there. And that’s just the start of the creepy things that unfold. Emma is worried, unexplainable things are happening and the islanders are hiding things, they’re watching them and everyone is suspicious. After what can only be called an adult pie party things get worse, Sam never wanted more children, she barely survived her first child being born, she always takes her protection, and yet she falls pregnant anyway. What was once a overly friendly island now becomes obsessive, the child is everything and this small family might not survive the islands ways.

The only thing I didn’t like about this was the ending, it fell flat and left too many questions unanswered

Oh yes!! This is my type of book. Suspense, murder, ghosts, magic, gothic horror, weirdness, it's got the lot! Thank you to @Netgalley and Rising Action Publishing Co for letting me have an advanced copy of #donteatthepie by Monique Asher.

Sam moves to Camillia Island with her new husband Ben, to look after his mother who has recently become ill. She and her teen daughter Emma are welcomed to the island by the residents, and everything seems perfect. However, Emma starts seeing things in the abandoned house next door, the house where Ben's first wife died. Emma is determined to leave the island and get back to normality, but she knows something about the island and its residents isnt right, and she needs to uncover the truth and protect her mom from whatever the residents have planned for her.

I liked Monique's style of writing, and the story kept me gripped, with a good amount of suspense throughout. I would recommend this book, and would definitely choose to read other books by this author.