I really enjoyed the story, characters and plot. This was a quick and easy read. Thank you for the advanced copy. Would recommend

This book started off intriguing and I was immediately sucked in. Then it didn't take long to lose interest. I honestly figured most of the twists early on and ended up skipping most of the book. Where I picked back up I wasn't lost at all. It went exactly as I expected. I think fans of The Silent Patient will really enjoy this story. It wasn't for me.

I featured this book in a new release video prior to publication and was very excited to read this twisty ass book. The description promises A LOT of secrets from literally everyone. I also love stories about married couples and this one is interesting because it's from an outside perspective. Will update when final review posts, but I'm expecting 5 stars!

A fast-paced intriguing read that was a lot of fun. This book does have an unreliable narrator so if that isn’t your thing you might not enjoy, in the case of this book it worked for me and I had fun with it. My biggest drawback is the ending, it wasn’t exactly how I wanted to see things end and I would have preferred things be a bit tighter. I did see a few negative reviews online and i do disagree with most.

You Can't Hurt Me was an easy read - not my favorite of the year but would recommend for an easy thriller! Would read another book by this author in the future.

You Can't Hurt Me is a fast paced read, one that kept me guessing. This was a dark, haunting read that I really enjoyed. The strong plot kept me reading late into the night. I was surprised that this was a debut!

You Can't Hurt Me by Emma Cook is a novel in which the premise was so interesting to me, but the novel was a disappointment. As one who lives with severe chronic pain, the concept of living without feeling pain is foreign to me, so I wish the author had explained more about Eva Reid and her condition. Her husband Nate is a neuroscientist who studies pain, Eva was his former patient. When Eva is brutally murdered, Nate is the prime suspect.When he starts to write a book about her, Anna Tate, who is obsessed with Eva, is hired as the ghostwriter. Things escalate from there. I felt character development was thin and there wasn't enough suspense to keep readers engaged. Thank you to the author publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

A gripping, dark, and twisty thriller that kept me hooked. Tense, full of surprises and solid.
Excellent storyteller
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

For some reason, I could not get into this book. I felt like the story dragged a bit and I found myself skipping pages to see if anything jumped out to me. I think I was partially the problem, I have to be in the mood for a psychological thriller.

You Can’t Hurt Me by Emma Cook had a good premise, but the story did not live up to it. I tried, but I was unable to get into the story. The writing did not pull me in. I found the writing style to be awkward. The characters were flat (as thin as crepes). The author did not take the time to develop the main characters (Anna, Eva, and Nate). We never really get to know Anna, the protagonist, which I found frustrating since the story is told from her point of view. I had questions about Anna, and they were never answered. I wanted to know why Anna was obsessed with Eva and Nate. I was also curious as to why Anna wanted to be the ghostwriter for the memoir. We are told little about Eva beyond her appearance, her condition, occupation, and habits. The story lacked suspense (it was dull). The twist could be seen a mile away (you can predict it from the beginning of the book). The pacing is slow (the snails in my garden move faster). The story lacked suspense. I expected a build up of tension or a feeling of danger but neither of these happened. The mystery could be solved early in the book which made the big “aha” moment a letdown. I liked that the action picked up in the latter portion of the book, but some of the things that were happening did not make sense. The ending was a letdown. As you can tell, I struggled to complete You Can’t Hurt Me. This is not the engaging physical thriller that I was hoping for when I picked up the book.

So many good books out this fall! I chose this twisty, suspenseful, psychological thriller and I’m so glad I did. What an interesting concept- based on the true condition of those who do not feel pain.

This one kept me guessing right up the very end. Hard to believe this is a debut novel – thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour!

Eva Reid has been in the limelight for her art, but also for being someone who can not feel pain. She has been the subject of research papers and news articles. And now Eva Reid is dead. Her husband Dr. Nate Reid, a pain expert is now writing a biography about his life and his late wife to clear up any suspicions about his involvement in her death.

Anna Tate is a journalist whom has taken an interest in Eva’s life and death. When she lands the job as the ghost writer for Nate’s book, she is sure this will be the thing to launch her career. But things are not as they seem, and as the story unfolds, so do Anna’s doubts. Who is telling the truth and who is hiding in the shadows hoping never to be found?

This psychological thriller by Emma Cook is a page turner. The main and supporting characters are so well written you can feel their emotions come off the pages of the book. The twists and turns kept me guessing and even at the end I was surprised by the biggest twist of them all. This was the first book I have read by this author, but it certainly will not be my last. My thanks to the author Emma Cook, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley for my advanced readers copy which I read and reviewed voluntarily. If you like a good mystery with twists and turns, look no further!

DNF @ 16%

While I was intrigued by the concept of this book, unfortunately it fell flat for me. I couldn’t get past the overuse of medical jargon within the first five chapters, and there was nothing that hooked me. Hopefully this book will work for others, but sadly it wasn’t for me.

This book had the potential to be really good, but it was too slow moving for my liking. I did like the storyline overall and enjoyed the big reveal but would have liked to have seen more twists and misdirections throughout the story. I also didn’t end up feeling particularly connected to any of the characters. I listened to the audiobook and read the digital book and at times I had times distinguishing which character’s POV I was listening to.

This book had an interesting premise. When Eva has cocaine induced heart attack and dies under the care of her doctor husband Nate, it raises questions. You see Nate is neuroscientist who works at a pain laboratory, inflicting pain on people to test their responses. He met Eva in this clinical setting , and fell in love with her brain that could feel very little, physically or emotionally. When Anna a journalist comes on the scene she is drawn to find out what really happened to Eva. Recommended for public libraries.

This book kept my interest .. some many question in the beginning that needed answers. Had me intrigued, but I don’t want to give away any spoilers.. Did he do the t ? Or not … I will definitely be reading more from this author !!

Emma Cook’s You Can’t Hurt Me is a psychological thriller that expertly blurs the lines between reality and delusion, evoking the same spine-tingling uncertainty found in Colleen Hoover’s Verity. Cook crafts a dark, gripping narrative that keeps readers questioning the truth until the very end.

The story’s central premise, focusing on an unorthodox doctor and the twisted dynamics within his marriage, is as unsettling as it is captivating. The doctor/husband emerges as a masterfully complex character, embodying an unsettling mix of charm, manipulation, and menace. His actions and motivations remain shrouded in ambiguity, making him both fascinating and deeply disturbing.

However, the book misses an opportunity to fully develop the wife’s perspective. Her voice, though present, feels underexplored, leaving readers craving deeper insight into her motivations and emotional state. Some additional backstory and character development could have provided a more balanced view, enriching the tension between the husband and wife.

Despite this, the book’s tightly woven plot and haunting atmosphere make it a compelling read. Cook’s ability to play with perception and twist expectations ensures that readers will remain on edge, piecing together the truth in a narrative steeped in psychological complexity.

If you enjoy thrillers that explore the darker corners of the human psyche and revel in the uncertainty of truth versus deception, You Can’t Hurt Me is a must-read. While it leaves room for improvement, it delivers an enthralling and chilling experience that lingers long after the final page.

I find it so difficult to give a book a low rating, as I tend to read what I like, but unfortunately, this one just didn’t hit the mark for me.

The premise was incredibly intriguing—Eva Reid, a woman with a condition that renders her unable to feel pain, is married to Dr. Nate Reid, a renowned neuroscientist. Their unusual dynamic catches the attention of journalist Anna Tate, who sets out to write an in-depth article about them. However, when Eva is pronounced dead from a drug related heart attack, Anna's curiosity deepens, leading her to question the circumstances surrounding Eva’s death. As Anna grows closer to Dr. Reid, after agreeing to be his ghostwriter for his memoir, her determination to uncover the truth takes center stage.

With such high stakes and a promising setup, I was eager to dive in. Sadly, the story didn’t quite deliver for me. While the concept had so much potential, the characters didn’t feel dynamic enough to fully pull me in. I struggled to understand Anna’s strong interest in the Reids, as her motivations were never clearly fleshed out, nor was her obsession with the Reids. The story, also, often veered into heavy-handed explanations and dense medical terminology, which made it challenging to stay fully engaged.

While I appreciated the opportunity to read this book, it ultimately wasn’t my cup of tea. Despite my best efforts to connect with the story, it fell a bit flat for me after various attempts to immerse myself in it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Hanover Square Press for providing this advance e-copy of You Can’t Hurt Me. This review are my own thoughts of the book. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me directly.

A new to me author. This book was intriguing. I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy it but I have to admit it was good. A bit out there and unbelievable but still good.

There are four main characters in this book: Anna who is the ghost writer, her brother Tony who is, well, her brother, Nate the author who lost his wife and Eva who is deceased and the subject of this book. Eva has a rare disorder. She feels no pain. Nate is a neurologist and very interested in Eva's condition. They fall in love and marry. Eva becomes a therapist. Then something goes awry. Nate comes home and finds Eva in her studio dead. Was it an overdose? Accident? Murder? Or possibly suicide?

Anna is hired to ghost write a book for Nate. His story. The story of his life. It's a hard job but Anna does a brilliant job of getting to the bottom of things. Of how and why things happened. She has many questions and there are several obstacles in her way but she manages. Anna and Nate have a bit of chemistry but she also fears him. He has a bit of a temper. Anna finds Eva's journal and learns a lot. But does it give her the answers she is looking for or more confusion? How does Anna's brother Tony fit into this? What big secrets do Anna and Tony have? What will happen when or if it is revealed?

This book is a quick read and kept me turning the pages. I really wanted to know what happened. Who may or may not have murdered Eva. Or if she overdosed. I wanted conclusions. I was left just a bit scratching my head until I read the Epilogue. That summed it up pretty well.

This book lost one star because I found it utterly unbelievable. It was still good though so I won't say don't read it. I have to say grab it. Read it. See what it's all about. It's good. I enjoyed it and it did give me some of the feels I expect from a good story.

Thank you #NetGalley and #Harlequin, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Four stars.

I was so excited by the premise of this book, unfortunately it completely fell flat for me.

Coming from a medical background, I was immediately drawn in by Eva’s rare condition of the inability to feel pain. Married to a scientist who investigates the neuroscience behind pain, Dr. Nate Reid, Eva mysteriously is found dead. Nate is seen as the primary suspect, although there is no evidence to substantiate the claim. Anna is a journalist who was drawn in by the perplexing case, and is somehow brought on to assist as a ghostwriter for Nate’s memoir.

My issue stems from there really being no character development, and I never fully understood why Anna became so invested in ghostwriting a memoir for Nate. There was a very slow build up to what amounted to an ending I predicted pretty early on. The slow pace, lack of character depth, and unsurprising ending made the book fall flat and a struggle to get through for me personally.

I did enjoy the author’s writing style and would be interested in reading more from her.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted eARC.