Totally freaking creepy. I’m glad I was chosen for an ARC of this book. Reminded me of Rosemary’s baby. Sam and Emma were such well-written characters. Sam’s mother in law has had an accident and they have to stay on this beautiful island, but something is off. Back to the characters…it was some pretty good character development. It had some slow parts, but I felt a lot of books do, but I was never truly bored and felt I had to keep pushing. The book naturally kept me going. It is not a book for the light of heart, so read the triggers. This book does fall in a horror/ thriller category.

Thank you so much to Rising Action Publishing Co./NetGalley/Monique Asher for this ARC of Don't Eat the Pie in exchange for my honest review. Expected Publication Date: October 29th, 2024

Fun, intriguing, heart wrenching and spooky - all wrapped up in one 'can't put downable' debut novel from Monique Asher! The writing style was character POV chapters, versus traditional chapter layout - the writing and the story kept me interested the whole book. I read this novel in 24 hours! Although some of the main protagonists are kids/teens, I didn't feel like this was a coming of age novel(which I sometimes have a hard time connecting to). I loved the historic occult themes the author built on - and there was a twist at the end that I just had NO idea was coming. This novel isn't really outwardly gory - but more insinuated gore, so I think it's a great novel for new horror readers. I definitely recommend giving this a read, I enjoyed it a lot!

4.5/5 stars 📖

After Samantha marries Ben, they get a call that Ben's mother isn't feeling well, so Sam and her teenage daughter Emma head to the in-laws place on a small island for the summer - where people are just a liiiiiitle odd. 🤔

The highlight of the summer is an annual Pie Party, but (*shocker*) Sam eats the pie. Things don't go well after that.

Think Rosemary's Baby.

Personally, I really enjoyed the *second* half of the book. I was confused with who-was-who character wise (Sam's sister and nephew come along for the ride, and it took me more than a couple chapters to figure out who the heck they were).

But once I was IN it, I loved it! "Rosemary's Baby" is one of my favorite horror books, and one that got me hooked into the genre. So a retelling/rehashing of this classic was 100% a must read for me! It has all the necessary components: weird old people, stinky herbs, a crazy (pie induced) party - such a perfect combo. 🥧

I honestly want to buy myself a physical copy to reread, now that I know who-is-who. Currently I'm rating this as 4 stars, but could totally see this bumped up to a 5 with a reread.

I'd recommend this for fans of Ira Levin (Rosemary's Baby/Stepford Wives). Also, honestly it kinda has the same energy as some of Rachel Harrison's books, so for my Harrison fans, this should go in your reading list.

Oh, and be prepared to crave pie. and possibly want to plan a vacation to the Outer Banks in North Carolina.😂🥧

This is being released in October of 2024 and I will definitely want to get my hands on a copy for myself!

Thank you to Netgalley and @moasherwrites for the ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All views expressed are my own.

Don’t Eat the Pie had several things I really like. It’s got a gothic, cultish vibe with some eerie things you just can’t quite put your finger on. If you like Rosemary’s Baby or Nestlings, this is right up there. I really enjoyed the read. Thank you Monique Asher, Rising Action Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read the arc. I will be recommending this book to others.

An interesting book to say the least! Definitely kept me guessing about what would happen next. I think 3 stars is fitting for the book. I didn’t quite enjoy the writing style. Parts of the book I did not enjoy and felt like there were things left unanswered. However, overall it’s definitely an interesting read and I think many people would enjoy it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

I saw this book compared to Rosemary’s Baby and since that is my favorite book/movie I had to read Don’t Eat The Pie.

So how does it hold up to RB? Pretty well. You’ve got your pregnant woman, creepy old people, a locket of smelly herbs, weird smoothies, oh and a bunch of satanic rituals.

This is the authors debut book and I would definitely read more! Thanks to Monique Asher, NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing. I have written this review voluntarily.

After Sam marries Ben whilst on honeymoon they get the call Ben's mother has been injured on Camilla Island. Emma (Sam's daughter) arrives with her aunt and cousin who spend the summer on the island but things take a turn for the worse after a pie party which Sam is warned not to eat the pies. In what seems a very Rosemary's baby roundabout way Sam ends up pregnant and it progresses fast. Stuck on the island Emma explores the house where Ben's first wife died and spooky things start to happen with ghosts and seeing things which is brushed off whilst i got the feeling something very cult like was happening i loved every second of this book and writing. If you loved books like Rosemary's baby or hauntings i would highly recommend.

Oooh! This was a ride! Sam and her new husband and daughter Emma move to an island after Sam's husband's mother gets ill. Weird things start happening right away and I was here for it! Emma is not going along with her mother's explanations at all. The ghosts are trying to warn them about something, but they aren't sure what. I absolutely devoured this book and would absolutely recommend it to anyone who loves the paranormal.

This gothic horror novel taps into the vien if Suspiria and like Rose Red movies. It is a fresh take on a haunted house and a toxic relationship between family members. It had a great POVs describing what was happening from personal mindsets. What seems like a beauitful and just fantastic area slowly turns to rott and isolation.

I enjoyed reading this little novella, although I don't think the writing style is quite for me. I prefer stories with a lot of character development and detail, especially when setting up the story in the beginning. There was some of this here, although it reminds me more of the Lisa Unger style of writing where it focuses more on the emotion of the situation and less the entirety of the scene.

All in all, very enjoyable read and i'll be looking for more from this author in the future.

i loved this. a well written horror mystery with trippy elements that will keep you guessing at every turn. i especially liked the dual pov which felt seamless and not jarring, which can be a bit of an issue with a lot of dual/multiple pov books. thank you for the opportunity to read this arc!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book ahead of release. I enjoyed the story and will recommend it.

I love pie so the cover and title immediately drew me in!

Something is not right on Camilla Island. Emma is less than thrilled when her mom, Sam remarries and they move. While her new step dad, Ben seems ok, something isn’t right from the start.

I really tried to like this one but it was not for me. I couldn’t get in the rhyme of the back and forth perspective. The premise is interesting, I just never connected with any of the characters.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me and ARC in exchange for my review.

I really wanted to like this book, but it fell below my expectations. It wasn't a bad read, it just didn't draw me in the way I wanted it to.

This was a WILD ride!! Very quickly, we can see things just aren’t adding up and are too good to be true. I loved the dual POV between mother and daughter, as they really balanced each other out. Monique had a unique way of pushing the plot along with the help of Emma, who was questioning everything and was unafraid to dive in to the mystery. I really liked how she handled the duality of the characters and what drove them. It was a dynamic that l’ve never experienced and it really made this gothic horror plot line feel fresh and well done.

There were many twists and turns that had me confused and shocked. I was HOOKED and had to find out all the secrets and what was really going on! I thought the ending was well done and really exciting. That said, I wish we had just a bit more information and maybe an epilogue to see how things turned out a bit further into the future.
Basically, I loved it so much and I wanted more. The tension was incredible!

This was insanely well done for a gothic horror debut novel and it kept me captivated.

This is a fast-paced and unsettling story perfect for a horror binge. Definitely draws strongly from Rosemary’s Baby, with a heaping side dish of intergenerational trauma.

I did that it was a little too long just after the half way point but that ending was just sensational. Check your trigger warning, otherwise bon appetit.

I had so many things to do today, like packing for a trip. Instead, I opened this book and burritoed on the couch for six hours until I finished.

So, here we are 🤷🏻‍♀️

Was it a bit predictable? Yeah. I'm not even mad about it because there are enough twists and turns to make it feel fresh. It's basically like a Rosemary's Baby retelling with extra helpings of gaslighting and coated with generational trauma.

Emma, Sam, and Becca end up in a coastal Carolina town to care for Ben's mom—who seems to recover pretty damn quick—and then I guess they just decide to chill on this retirement island and party like it's 1699. There's some pie, a demon orgy, a secret garden, a sapphic road trip, a Narnia wardrobe, and, oh yeah, Ben's dead ex-wife. All adds up to a super fun and fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat horror read.

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/4662c620-89bb-45c5-afb2-f2cda11bb835

Sam and second husband Ben are so in love, she will happily move with him and her daughter Emma to his childhood home in Camilia Island when his mother becomes ill.

The atmosphere is tense from the beginning, and Emma doesn't pretend everything is normal as Sam does - there is something very wrong here, with strange things appearing, people being secretive, and also, you know, living next door to where Ben's first wife died.

Sam is torn between Ben and Emma - does she give up on the man she loves and the "normal" life she's always wanted, or does she ignore her daughter's pleas to believe her when she shares what is happening in Camilia. But Sam doesn't have long to make a decision - the island, and the people in it, are coming for her.

Sam's wavering was frustrating but Monique Asher makes a compelling case for her reasons, Emma is a wonderful, brave character, determined not to fade into the horrors of the island. The tension is present from beginning to end, and this gothic horror book was a rollercoaster I was happy to ride.

I really enjoyed this book. The author said it was a rosemary's baby retelling with a modern setting. I thought that the plot was well written, the characters were relatable, and the story made sense. I did find that the jumps back and forth were slightly confusing to follow, but after entering the story fully it was able to be followed. Overall, good book for those wanting a psychological horror novel!

This is super creepy. Something’s not quite right on Camillia Island. Why does everyone want to keep Sam on the island? Why is the pharmacist unwilling to prescribe normal medications? Why won’t Sam’s mother-in-law go AWAY??!

In the meantime, Sam’s teenage daughter Emma is doing some sleuthing, since she keeps experiencing inexplicable things, like a shadow of a woman in the house next door—where nobody lives.

Who can they trust, when everyone else on the island is banding together?

And what is in that freaking pie?!

This is a fast-paced, unsettling story that horror fans will enjoy. My one complaint is that I feel that it was a little too long…I think it would have been better at fifty pages less.

I look forward to seeing what Ms. Asher comes up with next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing Co. for the advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.