This could’ve been shorter. Have the NetGalley book but decided to use a credit and listen to the audiobook. Can’t believe it took me 2 weeks to finish this audio book. And the twist was meh. Didn’t see it coming but wasn’t mind blowing either. Main character was whiny from start to finish. I do think this would’ve been better if there wasn’t so much filller information. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me.

I enjoyed this! I was surprised by the ending and was intrigued throughout the story. I would recommend this! Special Thank you to Yasmin Angoe, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was absolutely amazing! I was totally enthralled with this story from beginning to end, I could barely put it down, and when I finally read the last page, the house was dark, I was hungry, thirsty, needed to pee and my neck was stiff. But damn, it was worth it!

This is a fun suspenseful thriller that will keep you guessing. Was Jack's grandfather murdered? Did she kill her own father? I listened to the audiobook and loved the narration as it really brought the story to life. The twists just keep coming and the ending was a surprise! I loved the red herrings and I just went along for the ride.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Yasmin Angoe’s “Not What She Seems” is a gripping psychological thriller that masterfully blends suspense, mystery, and emotional depth. Set in the small cliffside town of Brook Haven, South Carolina, the novel follows Jacinda “Jac” Brodie as she returns home after years of self-exile, only to confront her tortured past and a new, insidious danger.

The story begins with Jac’s reluctant return to Brook Haven after her grandfather’s hospitalization. Once the local pariah, Jac left town under a cloud of suspicion following her father’s mysterious death. Now, as she navigates the familiar yet changed landscape of her hometown, she becomes increasingly convinced that the town’s new benefactor, Faye Arden, is hiding something sinister.

Angoe’s writing is evocative and immersive, capturing the tension and unease that permeates Brook Haven. The setting itself becomes a character, with the crumbling cliffs symbolizing the precariousness of the secrets buried within the town. Jac is a compelling protagonist, whose journey from guilt-ridden outcast to determined investigator is both believable and engaging. Her interactions with the townspeople, each harboring their own secrets, add layers of complexity to the narrative.

The plot is meticulously crafted, with each twist and turn revealing new facets of the mystery. Angoe skillfully balances the suspense with moments of introspection, allowing readers to connect deeply with Jac’s emotional journey. Themes of trust, betrayal, and the impact of past traumas are explored with nuance, making the story resonate on multiple levels.

“Not What She Seems” is a standout thriller that will keep readers hooked from the first page to the last. Yasmin Angoe has crafted a novel that is thrilling and thought-provoking, with a storyline that is as emotionally rich as it is suspenseful. Highly recommended for fans of psychological thrillers and anyone looking for a deeply engaging read.

I enjoy a good suspense/thriller novel, and this one had many upsides. Set in a small town, we see how much the town citizens do not like Jacinda. They believe she killed her father. Heck, even she thinks that she killed her father. It isn't until the end that we learn the truth of what happened that night. 

Jac is a very flawed character. She also makes poor decisions from page one. She is an educated woman but doesn't stop to think that maybe she needs to have proof before accusing someone of something and shouldn't go off half-cocked. This does not help her case in the least. I didn't understand why her mother was so hard on her, but we do find out more about her mother's past, which explains a lot. 

There are some twists near the end that are surprising. I definitely didn't see those coming. 

I do feel like the book was about 50 pages too long. Jac has too much angst, and it detracted from the storyline. However, I did like uncovering the mystery of what her grandfather was working on and Jac's determination to solve the case.

We give the book 3 1/2 paws up.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was a fairly forgettable thriller with a main character acting in pretty absurd ways.

I thought I'll like this more than I did. The beginning was intriguing and engaging. I liked that the main character has some unkempt anger. She was obviously holding on to a lot of different feelings that she wasn't willing to work through. Until she has to go back to her hometown and bury her grandfather.

For me a lot of her actions though were unfounded. Like the constant obsession over Faye. It seemed weird to have this nagging hate towards a person you don't know. And the end felt unnatural. It was more of the author telling us it must have been like that, and not the storyline leading towards that. It felt rushed, the conversations very convoluted (I kept having to go back to understand who was saying the line, as it didn't make sense in certain parts, that that is what that character would say, as they were just saying the opposite five lines back). And overall kind of unsatisfying.

Overall it's middle of the line unreliable narrator story. Nothing new and exciting.

Thank you to the publisher and OTRPR for my gifted copy.

Not What She Seems tells the story of Jacinda Brodie's return to her hometown in South Carolina after her years-long absence after the death of her father, for which she is blamed. She had made a life for herself in graduate school, but it pulled back home after her grandfather ended up in the hospital. Jacinda is pulled back into old mysteries by way of her grandfather's old case files, with all these stories set with the backdrop of Murder Manor, the infamous home of a historic serial killer.

For a book that is supposed to be multiple mysteries, there weren't many clues or attempts to solve any of the cases. The person who is introduced as the "bad guy" remains so throughout the entire story, so there isn't any mystery there. Jac has these cold cases that her grandfather held onto his entire life and she only starts to look at them at nearly the end of the book and then the answer to the mystery was so obvious. The pacing was so incredibly slow that I had to force myself to pick this up. The dialogue was completely unrealistic and characters would reveal something and then reveal it again a few pages later. The inner monologue was repetitive as well and the writing was simultaneously weird and boring. There were a bunch of different things going on, but they all felt like they had little to do with each other. Overall, the story and the characters just felt disorganized and flat.

ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥: 𝐸-𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀 & 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬), 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰-𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐧-𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞! 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰-𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡, 𝐬𝐨 𝐈 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝟏/𝟒 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡.

𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒆𝒆𝒎𝒔 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐚’𝐬 (“𝐉𝐚𝐜’𝐬”) 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝟐𝟐 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 (𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞). 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲.

𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝒴𝒶𝓈𝓂𝒾𝓃 𝒜𝓃𝑔𝑜𝑒, 𝒯𝒽𝑜𝓂𝒶𝓈 & 𝑀𝑒𝓇𝒸𝑒𝓇, 𝐵𝓇𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒾𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝒫𝓊𝒷𝓁𝒾𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

Yasmin Angoe’s Not What She Seems is a suspenseful mystery set in the atmospheric small town of Brook Haven, South Carolina, where secrets, guilt, and intrigue collide. The novel delivers a compelling blend of family drama, buried secrets, and a creeping sense of danger, but while it has a solid premise, it doesn’t fully deliver on its promise of tension or emotional depth.

The protagonist, Jacinda “Jac” Brodie, is back in her hometown after years of self-imposed exile following the death of her father, the former chief of police. Blamed for her father’s tragic fall, Jac left Brook Haven a pariah. Now, with her grandfather in the hospital, she returns to face both her family and the rumors that have long haunted her. Angoe effectively builds Jac’s internal conflict—her guilt over her father’s death and the unresolved tension with the town that still views her with suspicion. However, while Jac is a strong character, her emotional depth and connection with her past don’t fully resonate, making it hard for readers to feel invested in her personal journey.

One of the novel’s central threads is Jac’s growing suspicion of Faye Arden, the wealthy newcomer who has turned the infamous Moor Manor into a charming country inn. Jac is convinced that something sinister lurks beneath Faye’s polished exterior, and when she finds one of her granddad’s prized possessions in Faye’s office, the plot begins to spiral into a deeper mystery. While this discovery should ratchet up the tension, the pacing falters, and Jac’s investigation into Faye’s past feels predictable rather than thrilling. There are moments when the novel hints at greater stakes and danger, but it often falls short of delivering the kind of sharp twists and reveals that readers might expect from a mystery of this kind.

The small-town setting of Brook Haven, with its cliffside views and tightly-knit community, is well-crafted, providing the perfect backdrop for a story filled with long-held secrets and quiet tension. However, despite the promising setting, the novel struggles to maintain a consistent sense of suspense. The tension surrounding Jac’s return and her investigation into Faye’s true motives often feels muted, and while there are moments of intrigue, the overall pacing can feel slow, especially in the middle of the book.

Another aspect of the novel that could have been further explored is Jac’s relationship with her family, particularly the fallout from her father’s death and the dynamics between her and her ailing grandfather. These moments of familial tension could have added emotional weight to the story, but they are often overshadowed by the external mystery. Angoe touches on these relationships but doesn’t delve as deeply into them as she could have, leaving certain emotional beats feeling underdeveloped.

Faye Arden, as the central antagonist, remains a bit of a mystery throughout the book. While Jac’s suspicions about her are clear from the start, Faye’s motivations and backstory are revealed in a way that feels somewhat predictable. The novel builds her up as a charismatic and powerful figure in town, but when the eventual revelations come to light, they lack the shocking impact that might have elevated the story.

Despite these shortcomings, Not What She Seems is not without its strengths. Angoe’s writing is accessible and descriptive, and she crafts moments of atmospheric tension that hint at the novel’s potential. Jac’s determination to uncover the truth and protect her family is a driving force that keeps the plot moving, and there are enough twists to keep readers engaged, even if the overall mystery feels a bit formulaic.

Final Thoughts:
Not What She Seems offers an intriguing premise with a strong protagonist and a richly atmospheric small-town setting, but the execution doesn’t quite match the potential of the story. While Yasmin Angoe’s novel has moments of suspense and intrigue, the pacing and emotional depth fall short, resulting in a mystery that feels somewhat predictable. Fans of small-town secrets and slow-burn mysteries may still find enjoyment here, but those looking for a twisty, high-stakes thriller might feel a bit underwhelmed.

This was my first book by Yasmin Angoe and it will not be my last. This book was so good. I gasped at least 3 times. Absolutely phenomenal.

This is a very slow burn in the beginning but then really took off towards the end.

Jacinda Brodie is in Washington D.C. Knowing her life is about to change if she is accepted into Fellows Program. When she’s declined she’s shocked until she discovers who inserted the doubt into the board her former boyfriend and professor. She sees red and decides to blow up both of her lies when she uncovers the deceit he’s been hiding. When she gets a phone call from home hearing the worst news possible. That her grandfather is in the hospital and he’s had a heart attack. Nervous because she has not stepped back into Brooke Haven since she left for college she’s wanted to leave her tragic past in the rearview mirror.
Arriving home it’s not the same place she left behind, this is when she meets Faye Arden, wealthy and charismatic woman , and she's redoing the sinister Moor Manor. Jac is immediately suspicious of her, and her suspicions are confirmed when she finds one of her grandad's favorite items stashed in Faye's office. As Jac digs into what happened to her grandad, she uncovers truths that scare her. Soon her and her families life is in danger and is to late?

I hadn't read Yasmin Angoe until I read Not What She Seems, and I definitely think I need to change that! This book was super wild at the end and while it was a slower burn to start, I was completely invested and couldn't wait to see what would happen. Jac is the main viewpoint in the story, and while I didn't always understand or agree with her choices, she was a multifaceted character who was both relatable and frustrating at the same time. She made for an entertaining and interesting FMC and the drama was top-notch.

Jordan Cobb narrates the audiobook, and I would recommend it to all the audio fans out there. I thought Cobb was an excellent narrator, especially for Jac, and she helped keep me on the edge of my seat. The conclusion of Not What She Seems blew my mind a little bit and was completely unexpected. Including Faye’s viewpoint later in the book was a brilliant idea and helped me get a better idea of her character and what was driving her throughout the story since we don't have her viewpoint elsewhere. There were a lot of what I would call stupid decisions being made when I neared the end, but it added lots of suspense, and I couldn't look away.

After reading this book that has family drama, a murder mansion, armchair detectives, past and present crimes, and a sneaky sweet antagonist, I’ll be picking whatever this author is writing down.

It’s a thriller with in depth background of its characters, set in the low country of South Carolina, and gives a shoutout to my alma mater, the University of South Carolina.

🚘 B O O K T O U R review 🚘 featuring “Not What She Seems” by Yasmin Angoe!

Happy Wednesday everyone! Today is my stop on the book tour for “Not What She Seems” which released on August 1, 2024!

This book is about Jacinda Brodie’s return to her small hometown of Brook Haven, South Carolina. A place where Jac isn’t welcomed or wanted even after all these years that she’s been away. As a child Jac was blamed for pushing the police chief/her father over a cliff and the rumours and accusations never died down, which is why she left town without turning back.

However, Jac returns to Brook Haven once she learns that her precious Grandfather is on his deathbed. Jac knows she has no choice but to face her past … but something else is OFF about the town. Something very sinister is lurking among the streets and the new town benefactor Faye Arden. What truths will Jac come across and will they put her family in the line of danger??

Thank you kindly to @author_yasminangoe @otrpr @amazonpublishing for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review and a spot on this book tour!

Not What She Seems was a pretty good read for me. Lots of stuff going on, and I especially the Grandfather and his mysteries. Solid read. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.

Jacinda “Jac” Brodie is back in Brook Haven, South Carolina. She left years ago after her sheriff father fell to his death and rumors blamed her. While she had no intention of returning, her grandfather is ill in the hospital. Faye Arden is a newcomer in town, transforming the old Moor Manor into an inn. Locals love her, but Jac is convinced something sinister is at work. One of her grandfather's prized possessions is in Faye's office, cementing that belief. The more Jac learns, the more dangerous it becomes, not just for her, but for her family.

Jac is angry, hot headed and almost incapable of not reacting to everything around her. She's not a southern belle as her mother wanted, but interested in detective work like her father and grandfather had been. Some cases haunted her grandfather, and the clock he cherished was a reminder of a case he consulted on but couldn't solve. Seeing it in Faye's office causes her calm to unravel, and she soon tries to investigate Faye in her clumsy way, causing more rumors in town as well as possible harm to herself as some of her other reckless behavior comes to light. She looks bad, while Faye continues to look like a victim. As we learn more along with Jac, we see the lengths each of them will go to.

I enjoyed both cases that Jac's grandfather had been troubled with. It not only is about the deaths of girls across the country, but a missing person's case. The reveals are very well done, and I was pulled into Jac's family, the chaotic emotions she felt, and the need for justice. This is a great summer thriller.

WHAT A TWIST!!!!!

I received this from NetGalley.

This book had so many twists and turns. It kept me on my toes wanting to read more! A great plot twist ending. Such a great read - you will not be disappointed.

I liked this book a lot. It kind of started off slow and didn’t pull my attention right away but then I couldn’t put it down. Good read.