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.

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, Yasmine Angoe for this E-ARC! I’d rate this book a 3.5/5.. for me I didn’t love it but I also didn’t hate it! It was hard for me to relate to the main character “Jac” and made me dislike this character every page I read. Overall, this book had a lot of twist to it and I enjoyed the ending..which made me round up a half a star!

3.5 rounded up. I liked the mystery surrounding Jac’s past and didn’t mind the slow burn because there were other mysteries intertwined in it. My favorite parts were Jac trying to piece together the cold cases that her grandfather was working on and the group they were apart of. At times it seemed a little too obvious who the villain was but I wasn’t sure if that’s because who I chose to believe for the truth. Even though it was only a small part I loved getting the villain’s backstory once everything was revealed. I was still surprised at some of the details that were unsurfaced. The pace really picked up towards the end and was where a lot of the thrilling moments happened.

Thank you @author_yasminangoe @otrpr @amazonpublishing for the #gifted copy.

Jacinda "Jac" is reeling from the betrayal of a bad boyfriend who had the nerve to steal one of Jac's real life traumas for his novel. No doormat, Jac breaks into his house and steals all his notes.

When her beloved grandfather then suffers a heart attack, she heads to her hometown to be at his hospital bed but immediately suspects that his diagnosis is wrong: someone tried to kill him.

Jac is a strong and entertaining main character. My only criticism of Not What She Seems is that it is not really a true mystery. Jac is pretty sure right away who is responsible for her grandfather's condition and just needs to prove it. That said, the book has plenty of action and betrayal and kept me on the edge of my seat until the end!

Small towns like to label people in specific roles and leave them there. Jacinda was a murderess, and Faye was the town’s new savior. What if people no longer fit in their molds?

The way the author introduces us to Jacinda, she is definitely not an example of responsibility or good choices. She’s in the process of changing her entire future while getting well-deserved revenge on an ex. If these are the impulsive sort of decisions she acts on, it’s easy to imagine her doing something similar to make her unwelcome in her hometown.

When Jac returns to her hometown after so long, she expects to still not be welcomed or accepted. The townspeople have long memories and still think she’s responsible for her father’s death. People are polite, as she’s there grieving the loss of her granddad. Jac and her granddad liked to try and solve old crimes together with some of his online friends, and she’s suspicious when she sees the scene of his heart attack. She wonders if it could actually be the scene of a crime.

While a lot of what Jac does is not well thought-out, her history makes it hard for others to believe that she is usually trying to do the right thing. As a sort of underdog, she isn’t very likable, although the title of the book felt like it was more about the unknown Faye, who moved into town after Jac left and is marrying the mayor. Faye has done good things for the community and everyone wants the mayor to be happy, so most people aren’t looking for anything to be less than perfect.

The story was engaging and earned 3 out of 5 stars. It would be an enjoyable book for those who enjoy contemporary mysteries, small town stories, and characters with surprising pasts.

Not What She Seems is a deliciously twisty, atmospheric, slow burn of a thriller that keeps you hooked and leaves you guessing till the very end.

Give me a small town, southern setting, a pool of mysteries and a cast of flawed characters any day. I live for these types of plots where everyone is a little suspicious and everyone is keeping secrets.

@author_yasminangoe has created a fantastically flawed and often frustrating lead character in Jac, who is fascinating to read if only because she makes terrible decisions. I loved following Jac on her journey of trying to figure out the secrets behind the suspicious nature of her grandfathers death while simultaneously trying to navigate being back in her hometown and balancing her reputation that always precedes her.

No spoilers, but while the first two thirds of this book are a simmering slow build, the last third becomes an all out wildfire of drama. I read well into the night finishing this one, just to see how it played out. Totally worth it.

This one is out now, so don’t wait on getting yourself a copy and getting cozied in with all the sultry mystery.

Many thanks to @amazonpublishing for the copy, @otrpr for inviting me to join the tour and Yasmin for sending such a fabulous story into the world. Can’t wait to see what’s next.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read an early copy of this book and for inviting me to be a part of the tour for this book. I will be posting my review on my bookstagram page @readingmama_reviews on my scheduled tour date, which is Monday, August 12. This rwas a very interesting story. I will say that there are several storylines going on here, so you may have to pay close attention so that you don't miss anything. Our main character is a woman named Jacinda Brodie, who returns to her small hometown after the death of her grandfather. Her grandfather, Montavius, is a retired copy who still investigates cold cases and is part of an online group called the Armchair Detectives. Jacinda, or Jac, doesn't believe that her grandfather just had a random heart attack; she believes that it may have been intentionally triggered. By whom you may ask? There is a new woman in town, Faye Arden, who seems to be quite the socialite, but Jacinda sees right through her. This is a bit of a cat and mouse back and forth as Jac tries to catch Faye in her lies and expose her to the town for who she really is. As I mentioned earlier, there are quite a few storylines going on, which was a little confusing at times, but overall, did work to make the plot more exciting. There are also some other topics that are dealt with, such as racism and sexism in the workplace.

This book didn’t really do it for me. When I can’t really understand at least half of why a character makes the decisions they make it’s not going to end well for me. Maybe I will try reading this book again at a later date but for now it’s a no for me.

the suspense!! so thick you could cut it with a knife. im not a big thriller reader so i dont have the highest of expectations. all i care about is if the story grips my attention and i dont guess the plot twist. this one did just that! could not put this down

Not What She Seems by Yasmin Angoe is an amazing story about women overcoming their backgrounds.

Will Jac find her way out of this current mess?

Jacinda Brodie
Jac is our main character and point of view. Although she seems like a villain or maybe a victim, she is really a strong woman. Jac has lost so much in her life, but she is resilient and will move forward. Returning home is powerful and helps her get over her grief, although the town and her more recent past keep rearing up to interrupt her healing.

I like Jac. She had me rooting for her from the beginning. I knew she was strong, but she exceeded my expectations. Her growth throughout the book is fantastic.

The Mystery
Jac's Grandfather taught her to investigate, but I think both of them underestimated their opponent, and it cost them so much. Jac and her grandfather had a group or forum online to help them called the armchair detectives. I thought that was a marvelous idea and a great way for her grandad to keep his wits about him.

The author creates a ton of thrilling events that keep moving us toward the multiple plot twists and side cases that Jac deals with during her plight to find her grandfather's killer. I couldn't put it down, and when I did, Jac and her investigation kept returning to my mind without fail.

Five Stars
My rating for Not What She Seems by Yasmin Angoe is five stars. This story reminds us that everyone has secrets and that we don't know even the closest people to us like we think we do. I truly enjoyed this thriller and highly recommend it.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Not What She Seems by Yasmin Angoe.

Until the next time,
~Jen

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.

On the surface, Not What She Seems should be an amazing, thrilling read—a haunted house in the South near the sea, a mystery to unravel—but it falls short. The main character, Jac, is hopelessly unrelatable, constantly making bad decisions without learning from them. Her endless guilt, feelings of being ostracized, and strained relationship with her mother quickly became tiresome.

Jac's actions were frustratingly foolish, like breaking into the Manor for evidence that couldn't even be used against the murderer. And when the murder unfolded right before her eyes, she simply stood by, doing nothing to intervene. The happy ending in the epilogue felt too convenient, given the trauma she supposedly endured.

The slow start, combined with Jac’s persistent self-doubt and obsession with others' opinions, made it difficult to stay engaged. Despite its potential, this book was a disappointment, and I’ll likely avoid this author in the future.

3.5/5
Loving that I have gotten the chance to read another new to me author! I did enjoy this fast paced suspenseful book. There are some unlikable characters in this one that I’d say are pretty flawed and have a lot of trauma. In fact, the main character was one of them. 👀 I think if you go into this one knowing you likely won’t like her it makes the book even better. At times, the plot got wild and crazy and a bit unhinged which I think makes for the perfect summer thriller.

She left home as the local pariah at twenty-two, but when a family tragedy brings her back, she must confront her tortured past and a new danger in town that no one seems to understand but her! Wow this book had some really crazy twists and turns! It had suspense, intriguing, murder, mystery, and a decent storyline! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was worth reading! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for the ARC!

I read this entire book in one day and it's a long one, so that alone is quite a compliment to it!

My biggest problem with this book that started well and ended even better was that there was so much unnecessary fluff in the middle. This book could have been more effective had it been half the length. I feel like the plot of the beginning of the story that lured me in was lost in the woods of the nothingness in the middle of the book.

I did like the main character and was rooting for her!

This is out now!

Yasmine Angoe is not talked about enough! This book was so good. Thrilling and mysterious, the characters were interesting and I loved the ride this book took me on. I was unsure about how the different cases would pull together but in the end it all made sense. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. My only complaint would be that at times it was a little too wordy but, paired with the audiobook, it was easy to get past.