Hmm. I am an avid thriller reader & listener, and this was interesting and intriguing but does not make my list of top 10 thrillers ever. I was into the deception and intrigue, also loved the action and fast pace, but felt that it didn't all come together as a masterful whole. I don't love when thrillers get too far-fetched (somehow we put up with Freida McFadden doing it over and over again, but that's a whole nother story).

This book is full of misogyny, gaslighting, grooming and unrealistic events. Catherine comes off as a total pushover and is very immature which I guess is maybe the point. Tom is a grade A arse and I immediately hated him which I also guess is the point.

The police were totally negligent, he story was all over the place and I just felt this whole book was totally unbelievable and not in the good way. The ending was somewhat satisfying but this was a tough read for me. I had so many negative notes and eyerolls in the first 20% I'm surprised I finished it but I plowed through since it was an audiobook and I listened while doing chores.

This was an audiobook and I do feel the narrator, Stephanie Cannon did a great job.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for access to the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Fun suspenseful read. It definitely has a similar vibe to Perfect Marriage. Jessica ended up being my favorite character.

3 stars is because the narrator did fantastic with a rough story. This is my 2nd Cole Baxter and I was hoping it would be better than The Patient but it was just as incomplete in my opinion. The main female character was whiney and not realistic he made women look weak and unable to handle the world alone. The male main character was a butthole from the get-go and we all knew he was in the wrong there was nothing good about him. It was unrealistic because I couldn't believe a woman would fall for that or fall in love with a monster like that. This author sent me another one of his books to review but I can't stomach it it's awful.

CHECK TRIGGERS!!!

I struggled with this book and nearly DNF'ed it twice. This book needs trigger warnings for domestic abuse, emotional abuse and other forms of abuse. If those warnings were on the description then I would not have requested this book as those really trigger me after being in an abusive relationship.

Regardless, I have rated the book on plot line and put my feeling about that to the side. I want to give this book a 1* based on the triggers but plot wise it is 4*. The plot is very in depth and well thought out and wrote. The characters have depth and you root for the main female character and her accomplice.

I had high hopes for this book but unfortunately I just couldn’t get into it. It has the elements for a great thriller, but I found the writing to be a bit erratic- random quick storyline jumps. I’m sure there’s an audience that will enjoy this book. It just wasn’t for me

2/5 Stars! Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this audiobook of The Anniversary by Cole Baxter narrated by Stephanie Cannon.

The narrator did a pretty good job but the story just didn't do it for me. I pushed through and finished because I had made it too far to quit. Catherine and Tom has such a gaslighting and abusive relationship that it just made me angry and annoyed. The book started pretty interesting, but then the characters just got annoying. It just felt unrealistic towards the end and the ending was just okay for me. This is my first book by the author too so I'd like to check out and give his other novels a try before completely crossing him out.

The Anniversary follows a couple after they are in a bad car accident after an anniversary dinner. Catherine remembers her husband Tom was the driver, but now she's being accused of the crash. I thought this premise sounded intriguing but I found the husband to be a bit overly diabolical for my tastes. Cole Baxter is an interesting author, so I will be sure to pick up one their next books. 3 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an audio ARC...

I really tried to like this, gave it a good go as loved the narrators, but it just didn't do it for me as the characters didn't grow on me and TBH i didn't really care what happened to her

Tom & Katherine go to celebrate their 5th anniversary and on their way back - there's a collision which leads to a fatality and Tom claims that Katherine is responsible for the accident!
Katherine cant remember the time of the accident and is now answerable to the cops!

The story was so perfect till the 10% range, after that it just became too far fetched and the writing was also too amateur!

overall 2.5 stars !

thanks to netgalley, bookouture audio, Cole Baxter for approving the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Your spouse is the one person you should trust with your life, but what happens if you find out that you shouldn’t?
Catherine and Tom have plans to enjoy a nice dinner for their 5th wedding anniversary, with some expensive food and wine. But when they get into a car accident that changes Catherine’s life as she knows it, she starts to learn that maybe who she trusts in her life might not be who they say they are.
She must find out who she is married to and who she can turn to in her deepest hour of need. Maybe her version of the past is not as she remembers it, but will she get out in time to save her life and maybe others?

I would rate this book at 3 stars. I really liked the premise behind the book but wanted more character development. I would love to know more about Tom and Catherine’s past and what made them who they are today. I was intrigued by the dynamic of how the town and friends played in Catherine’s struggles but wanted more on their relationships with Tom. I also enjoyed the narrator Stephanie Cannon!

Thank you to NetGalley Bookouture Audio for the ARC.

Liked:

The author has made the majority of the characters (at least the ones that we are supposed to like) so loveable! The loyalty and friendship shown in these characters are amazing and a breath of fresh air within a thriller where usually the characters are all untrustworthy and shady.

I liked the concept of a clear cut of knowing who is good and who is bad but not why and spending the book exploring the motivations of the characters rather than who is trustworthy or exploring blurred lines.

This book displayed a real sense of fear with physical and dangerous violence, creating a heightened sense of anxiety within the reader.

The book is an easy book to get through, if you’re looking for a thriller that is more action as opposed to twists and turns I would recommend it!

Disliked (sorry!):

Most of my dislike of the book occurred during the second half of the book, I feel like the beginning and setting of the scene started off well but it gradually got more and more unrealistic, convenient and dramatic which I found to be frustrating.

Additionally, some parts felt like they were written to drag out the next part of the mystery to the reader and was more of a filler than moving the story along.

The actions by the husband and others felt like there was a bigger motivation than what was presented, it all felt a bit over the top and it was the biggest mystery of the book. The motivation felt disappointing and in my opinion, fell flat.

While I enjoyed not having to decipher who is telling the truth/who is lying, I felt increasingly frustrated at the characters as the proof was clearly presented on what really happened, I know about underlying reasons, however, I felt SURELY more people would actually investigate this (trying to stay vague).

Overall, the book started off interesting and sparked my interest, however, towards the end, the things that once niggled me cause great annoyance due to the increasing lack of realism that it no longer held my interest by the end. However, as stated, if an action book is more your thing, I would recommend it, it just wasn’t my type of thriller.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

So, as for the major plot, you know precisely what is going to happen.
Though Catherine wasn't the driver and her husband is the only one who insists she was, she is being investigated as the primary suspect in the death of a woman in a car accident. It is easy to deduce his motivations from the very first chapters and the general plot of the novel.

Although the book is technically well written, it has several unbelievable features that caused me to lower my rating even though it doesn't quite go nuts like a typical popcorn thriller.

I read a book from the same author earlier this year, and the plot was similarly really basic and uncomplicated, so I've realised that you basically get what you "order." I think you would love reading this book much more if you approach it with this mindset!

This book kept me on my toes the entire time. Had me full of so many different emotions as the Story continued on. There was so many twists and turns.. Amazing!!!

“The Anniversary” by Cole Baxter is a gripping suspense filled novel. Set in a small town it shows the complexities of relationships, betrayals, and mystery. It also shows that secrets will always find a way of getting out. The book is well written and narrated to engage you from the very first page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

This just did not do anything for me.
Bad story..... grooming (possible triggering?) far fetched.... incredibly dumb investigators... no likeable character.
I would not recommend.

I really don’t like to pan a book, but this one had a ridiculous, unbelievable plot. Just when you think it can’t get any more implausible, it does, big time!! If I had been reading, it would have been a DNF for me, but the voice of Stephanie Cannon came across as a groomed and gaslit young woman, making the narration the only thing believable from start to finish. Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ALC of this book.

Started off with a bang and got me intrigued straight away but then the further in I went, the more unrealistic it felt. Kathryn came across as weak and some of the actions against her were unbelievable. I’m not sure all these actions can happen to someone.
The narration was great, a little slow but I just speed it up. Wasn’t long so was easy to just plow through and continue to finish.

The Anniversary by Cole Baxter
(Narrated by Stephanie Cannon)

I was having high expectation of this book, but the story setting was unbelievable and the twist was weak. The story had a good start, it then went flat.

The narrator did a great job, especially showing Catherine was nervous, heart-broken and did not know who to trust.

While I was listening to the audiobook, I was hoping the story would get better.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my copy.

Pub date: April 19, 2024

I picked this up because of the premise. This promised to be such a great story but sadly it did not deliver. The level of naivety of the female main character was so extreme it was unbelievable. The author wanted us to believe that one man who holds no position of power or extreme wealth has a whole town wrapped around his finger. This felt like the author was attempting to gaslight readers into believing the ridiculousness of the Stepford Wives gone wrong.

I will give kudos to the narrator who did a great job. But even she couldn't save this one.

This definitely should've gone through a few more rounds of editing for content, character development and plot development.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.