I kind of love a novel where I don't really like any of the characters but I still enjoy the mess unfolding that they seem to always make.

This is a bit dark. Motherhood can be challenging and Rob just kind of made it even harder on his wife Laurel. Both neighbors next to their new house are suspicious and I felt bad for the judgements I made on one of them while reading.

The story just sucked me in and I read it in a few hours.

This was quite the psychological thriller back with neighborhood drama and trauma that I am still a little shook. This was a very slow build but not in a bad way. I read this one so quickly but it was a lot of development happening and then there was an explosive ending. I think I am still a little shocked by it.

This is the story of Laurel, a new mom to baby Poppy and toddler Jasper, who with her husband but a house on Cold Creek Lane for a steal. The reason for the great price is there was something that happened before they moved in. Which segues to Corey's point of view. Corey's daughter died and we aren't sure what happened but she is no longer with her husband and is living in Florida with her mom.

I enjoyed both points of view and was so curious how they would intertwine. I could actually relate to Laurel being postpartum and dealing with the stresses of a new mom. Her husband bugged me and was so unlikeable throughout the whole book. My heart ached for Corey after trying to rebuild her life after losing her daughter. I did predict some of what happened but I was also shocked at the very end. This was a fairly disturbing thriller and I actually really enjoyed it because it felt different than typical thrillers I've read lately. I'm torn between 4 and 4.5 stars because I don't quite know how I feel about the ending!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

This twisty domestic thriller examines the weight of motherhood.

Laurel West is pregnant and on bed rest when her husband Rob buys a home for them in New Jersey. With a toddler already at home, they won’t fit much longer in their small apartment, but Laurel doesn’t even get to see the place she’s expected to call home and when she gets there she feels uneasy about some things. Rob—who knows Laurel deals with anxiety because of a past trauma—keeps telling her there’s nothing to worry about, but Laurel can’t shake the feeling he’s wrong. In Florida, Corey Sutton is trying to outrun her past, but she isn’t sure she will ever be able to get over the horrible tragedy that defines her. How and why these two women’s stories are woven together will keep readers turning pages.

Even though I figured out one of the twists, I definitely couldn’t put this one down. The exploration of motherhood definitely rang true, and it was heartbreaking to see Laurel fighting to trust her instincts, then be shut down again and again by her husband, who was trying to be supportive I think but ultimately wasn’t very successful. The ending of the book was like a perfect storm and it’s one that I think will stick with readers.

There were some character motivations I didn’t completely understand and I wish were spelled out for me a little more, but this book did a fabulous job with atmosphere and building a real sense of dread. I’ d definitely recommend The House on Cold Creek Lane for readers who love a dark, atmospheric thriller that explores the claustrophobic nature of motherhood and life in the suburbs.

ARC REVIEW🤯💔🏡🚔🔪🔍

THE HOUSE ON COLD CREEK LANE - @lizalterman
Pub date: 8/6/2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a WILD ride. It had all the juicy drama + crazy twists you’d expect in a domestic thriller/suspense novel, but it also made me cry like a baby.
🤯 LAUREL + COREY🫶🏼
.. I had to keep reminding myself that these women were just fictional characters because I literally wanted to reach into this book, beat people up for them, and then give them both a hug😭
As a mother, I related to Laurel so much while reading about her postpartum struggles and how hard it was for her being a stay-at-home mom. (I also wanted to smack her husband and his entire family in the face multiple times).
Corey was definitely my favorite character in the book. Again, as a mother, I could never imagine going through everything she endured, and reading about how she dealt with her grief just felt so real and raw.

🤩But, don’t let my sappy mom emotions mislead you— this was a fast paced, suspenseful, dark thriller for sure. This is one of those books you stay up until 2 AM reading because you just need to know what happens next. The author did such a great job of dropping subtle details, making you feel like you have it figured out. + While I did predict one outcome, I was seriously SO shocked by the rest of the twists, and of course the ending😲😲😲

My only nitpick is I would have loved to know a little bit more about Laurel’s mom, and other characters’ backstories (don’t want to give any spoilers away!).

You guys definitely need to put this one on your radar!
Pub date is AUGUST 6TH 🤩

Thank you to @netgalley + @severnhouseimprint for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

P.S, Liz, if you’re reading this, I would LOVE to have you join an Instagram Live Q+A session soon to discuss this wonderful book!🤞🏼🤞🏼

#arcreview #domesticthrillerbooks #domesticsuspensebook #thrillerbooks #upcomingbookrelease #severnhouse #netgalley #authorspotlight #bookspotlight #thrillerbookreview

Laurel and Rob West were in need of more space with a new baby on the way and a young son but were struggling to find an affordable home. Rob surprised Laurel by making an offer on a perfect Cape Cod house in a charming New Jersey suburb without her seeing it first. Despite the hope for an exciting fresh start, Laurel sensed that the neighbors were hiding something about the house. And the older woman across the street showed too much interest in her family, particularly her son. Also feeling like she was being watched, Laurel's trust issues stemmed from her mother's murder when she was young, magnified by the recent release of her mother's killer from jail.

Meanwhile, Corey Sutton had recently moved into her mother's condo in Florida. Divorced and mourning the loss of her daughter, Corey is struggling with grief and anger. She can barely keep it together. It becomes evident that these women will soon be connected in some way.

In Liz Alterman's suspenseful thriller The House on Cold Creek Lane, this dark, twisty story is about the complexities of domestic life and motherhood. Two women have to find inner strength when they are pushed to the brink of despair. The age-old question, "Do we really know our neighbors?" couldn't be truer than in this riveting book, which kept me reading through the night.

4.25 stars.

📚 PRE-PUBLICATION BOOK REVIEW 📚

The House on Cold Creek Lane By Liz Alterman
Publication Date: August 6, 2024
Publisher: Severn House

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
(Rounded Up to 5⭐)

📚MY REVIEW:

Everyone at @thrillerbookloversthepulse has been loving this book and I can now count myself among that group of cheerleaders for this domestic thriller!

This was a slow burn thriller... Sometimes it even felt painfully slow. I don't say it was painfully slow because it wasn't good... It was. I loved the suspense build-up in this book -- it was both brutal and brilliant at the same time.

I had my suspicions throughout the book, questioning the intentions of so many of the characters. Honestly, I can't share much about the majority of this story's supporting characters without giving spoilers...but "ick" is a fair summary. But let me just leave this here: I wanted to reach into the pages and throttle Laurel's gaslighting and dismissive husband, Rob, so many times. Ugh.

Our story is told from the perspectives of two women in alternating chapters. The unreliability of both our MCs, Laurel and Corey, was perfect. While the reader can see that the women's stories overlap in some capacity, it took a long time to get there. And I had to shelve my patience as I waited to figure out how, when, and why their stories would come together. When the book's ending was finally revealed in the last few chapters... It was a big wow moment for sure. A couple big wow moments, actually. The way this one wrapped up made the slow burn worthwhile... For me anyway.

If you're a fan of domestic thrillers with questionable narrators and creepy vibes, this book is for you. A huge thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, and thanks to Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse for including me in this book tour!

#TheHouseOnColdCreekLane #LizAlterman #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #ARC #thrillerbookloversthepulse #thrilleraddict #thrillerlover #bookreviews #bookrecommendations

The story was fast paced and there was definitely some mystery. I did find it to be predictable, though. There was a major red herring in the plot that I knew was a red herring and would ultimately have nothing to do with the plot, but it was still important context to some of the characters.

As a mother of young children, I can relate to where Laurel is at in her life, juggling children, changing diapers, and trying to make friends with other mothers, which made me feel more connected to the story.

Overall, this was a fun domestic thriller and I enjoyed the plot of this one!

Instagram Review to be posted 8/2!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Severn House, and Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse for this gifted advance copy!

4.5 rounded to 5 for Goodreads

"People don't believe women, and that made us doubt ourselves. I wouldn't make that same mistake."

This book was catchy from the beginning. I love domestic thrillers, especially ones with nosey neighbors and suburban house wives. This is my second book by Liz Alterman and I'm quickly becoming a huge fan.

This book is told from the POV of Laurel- a mom of two, who just moved to a new neighborhood, at the insistence of her husband rob. She experienced something horrible when she was younger, and how carries around this feeling of distrust and every precaution (as she should). We also get the POV of Corey- she also experienced something very traumatic as a mother and is living back with her mom, at the age of 36, trying to figure out how to get through each day.

I loved reading each of the mom's POV's and how similar they were, but also extremely different. The characters in this book (with the exception of a couple) were just horrible humans- the neighbors were all horrible in their own way, Rob (the husband) was the worst, and it just seemed like neither one of them could catch a break. I was literally mad for Laurel and Corey the whole book. As a mom, some of the things that happened in this book made my skin crawl...I couldn't imagine going through what either one of them went through.

While I did have my suspicions about the main twist early on, I was still surprised by the ending. I also had the chance to listen to the audiobook of this and it was amazing. She even did a great job with the male and child voices. Great job!! If you love domestic thrillers about motherhood and nosey neighbors, pick this one up!!

4⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for an advanced copy of The House On Cold Creek Lane.

This book follows a woman named Corey who has suffered and unimaginable loss. She is trying to prove that something sinister happened on Cold Creek Lane while at the same time trying to warn Laurel West that her family is in danger. Can Corey stop history repeating itself?

I really enjoyed this book-I predicted a couple of things but the book still had my attention!

Thank you Netgalley & Severn House Publishing for an eARC 🔥♥️

The title of this book, The House on Cold Creek Lane, definitely caught my eye - it's eerie and intriguing, and I just knew I had to dive in.🔥

This book is like a masterclass in suburban suspense - think perfect families, creepy neighbors, and secrets galore.

Laurel, the main character, is trying to navigate her new life on Cold Creek Lane, but it's not exactly the idyllic suburban dream she was hoping for. Her neighbors are weird, her husband is distant, and she's starting to feel like she's losing her mind.

But here's the thing - nothing is as it seems. There's this whole other storyline with Corey, who's living in a retirement community in Florida, and it's like, what's the connection? How do these two worlds collide?

I love how Liz Alterman slowly builds up the tension, dropping little hints and clues along the way. It's like a puzzle, and you're trying to piece together the truth.

And the ending? Absolutely stunning. I was completely floored by the twist.

The House on Cold Creek Lane is a gripping thriller that's perfect for fans of domestic suspense. Trust me, you won't be able to put it down!🔥

This is my first time reading one of Liz Alterman's books, and she's convinced me to try another! If you haven't read her work, "The House on Cold Creek Lane" is a great place to start.

It's packed with clever twists and compelling characters that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The dual narration by Laurel and Corey, two individuals linked by a strange coincidence, adds intense edginess. Laurel is desperately trying to protect her family from an unseen danger, while Corey is seeking justice for a horrid event that authorities dismissed as an accident.

If you love a good thriller, it's a must-read. It's the kind of novel that makes you question everyone around you... and maybe you should!

Thanks to Severn House/Dreamscape Media for the advanced reading copies provided by Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

#TheHouseOnColdCreekLane #LizAlterman #NetGalley #SevernHouse #DreamscapeMedia #AudiobookReview

I was very impressed with this book, so much so I will be looking to read more of her work. Love a book thats unpredictable and this one certainly was. The ending made the book for me. Well done.

The House on Cold Creek Lane by Liz Alterman. Thanks to the author for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Laurel and Rob’s new home and neighborhood seem to good to be true. Laurel feels there’s something about the home no one’s telling her and there’s a neighbor taking too much interest in her family.

This is the perfect summer suburban thriller! I did figure out one of the twists early on but enough was left until the end that it did not affect my enjoyment at all. There was a tragic backstory that was the basis of the plot but the full story was not revealed until the end. The story follows two women who are emotionally breaking down in different ways, with different results. There are some seriously unlikeable characters. This is a hard book to put down!

“That’s the thing about choices, you don’t know which will be the one that blows your world apart until you’re trying to piece it back together.”

The House on Cold Creek Lane comes out 8/3.

This book caught my attention immediately. I was drawn in and could not put it down until I knew what happened to the two main characters, Corey and Laurel. Both mothers, both connected to Cold Creek Lane, and both dealing with unimaginable pain. Liz Alterman builds the suspense adding in nosey characters, mothers trying to help, husbands that made me want to scream, and the joys of juggling everything and being a mom you can be proud of.

Laurel’s husband Rob discovers the adorable little house on Cold Creek Lane. It is everything they have dreamed of, or so he tells Laurel. Since she is on bed rest and cannot physically see it. They move in once their new daughter is born. Laurel is dealing from trauma from her childhood, having a newborn, and a husband that I wanted to strangle. Rob irritated me beyond words. Corey is living with her mom and working at a garden center. She is trying to move past an unimaginable horror that happened. She is angry all the time. Wanting to punish herself and brings down everyone around her. What do these two women have in common?

I loved this book! It is fast paced, held my attention, and the characters are fantastically written! You know all the players that have taken part in both Laurel and Corey’s lives. You just do not know how it all comes together and that is the best! I loved it and that ending! Thank you to Liz Alterman and Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse for my gifted copy!

Wow! Extremely Well written slow burn domestic thriller! Not slow burn in a bad way at all, but in a way that really builds the plot and characters and in a way that makes the plot and twist. I was interested from the first page and kept on reading, and slow burns are normally not my style, but the author writes so well that you just go through the pages and are kept interested the whole time.
The way the two stories and POV’s melt together was so well written and digs deep into mothermood, relationships and friendships and how they effect people, their life and their desicions
This was my frist time reading this Author, but it will not be the last!
Thanks to NetGalley, Severn House and Liz Alterman for this ARC

This was a quick read. I love suspense stories centered around a neighborhood, so I was pulled in from the beginning! I enjoyed Laurel’s story more than Corey’s and think that if it was only Laurel and her family, I would have been fine with that. My detective senses were spot on this time and I did guess the twist pretty early on, but the build up to it was fun to watch anyway. I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I hoped and that made it difficult to root for them.

Also, what’s wrong with having a child free wedding? It’s not selfish!

The House on Cold Creek Lane is a really good domestic suspense novel. Lots of “omg so creepy!” moments laying out breadcrumbs to solve the mystery. Also, I just want to throw the whole man out when it comes to Rob. Ugh, no sir.

This book is a character-driven, suspenseful, and twisted tale that's perfect for a single sitting because it has that devourable quality. Laurel's struggles with motherhood come across as real. I'm sure mothers out there who struggled with a pair of young children will feel for her. I liked the addition of the creepy neighbor paying way too close attention to her kids, and the husband being so dismissive and genuinely unlikeable. Then you add in Corey's perspective with her emotional struggles, and the connection between the two women that you're waiting to see play out. I would definitely recommend this one for fans of domestic suspense and thrillers.

This domestic suspense book was precision. It is told in two women’s point of view: the current (Laurel) and the past (Corey) residents of the house on Cold Creek Lane.

There is a nice use of foreshadowing in Laurel’s story. Corey’s story gives a glimpse at the blow back of tragedy. In my opinion, both women have really annoying husbands which added a nice bridge between women.

I loved the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
What a phenomenal book! I loved the writing. The multiple points of view were confusing sometimes but merged together perfectly by the end. Some predictable moments but also plenty of surprises too. Right up to the ending. The ending was perfect!
I also listened to the audiobook version as well.
Both are phenomenal!