Fast-paced and interesting read! Some of the plot elements seemed a bit too convenient, and would have appreciated a more slam-dunk ending, but overall it was a good thriller with enjoyable twists.

The book is about Anna, a woman who tries to become the ghostwriter for Dr. Nate Reid, who is writing a memoir about his wife Eva, who died under mysterious circumstances. The story is set up as an intriguing psychological thriller, but it is hindered by poorly developed characters, slow pacing, questionable plot holes, and an unsatisfying ending. The author's obsession with Eva and the lack of depth in Nate and Eva make it difficult for the reader to understand their motivations. The slow pacing also lacks suspense and building danger, making it unreliable. The author's book showed promise but did not deliver. I guess I just wanted more of everything, suspense, character building everything.

You Can't Hurt Me slowly draws you in then quickly picks up pace to the story of two women and how their lives intersect.

Eva has a rare medical condition and can not feel pain.

Her husband Nate is a well renowned neuroscientist who spends his days in the Pain Clinic.

After Eva's mysterious death Anna a journalist becomes obsessed with what really happened to Eva.

Can Anna trust Nate and can Nate trust Anna.

Twists and turns had me reading long into the night as I just had to know the truth.

Emma Cook has presented fascinating and very real characters that you care about and has the reader racing to the end.

I am a fan!

I did not want to put the book down.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harelquin Trade Publishing/Hanover Square Press for the privilege of reading and reviewing You Can't Hurt Me.

LOVED the premise. When I was a kid, I heard about people who couldn't feel pain. When I said I thought that'd be awesome, my 5th grade teacher explained--in garish details that today would have trigger warnings and would probably end in her being fired--the dangers of not being able to feel pain. It scared the crap outta me and made me more grateful for the wisdom of Mother Nature.
So, yeah, the topic grabbed me instantly. Sadly, the writing itself was tedious. And I didn't care much about the cardboard characters.

A fast paced read with some great tension building and lots of lies and thrills. A good thriller always keeps you on the edge of your seat and in my opinion this author did a good job for portraying that. Well done

I think I'm really just over the unreliable narrator - yet I keep getting drawn into books because the description sounds so intriguing. But more often than not I find myself irritated and bored rather than intrigued and enticed to continue reading. Such was the case here. I liked the description. I liked the beginning. But really quickly I began suspecting that this was going to be one of Those Books where everything is just a little off kilter and you're supposed to be startled and appalled when no one is who you thought they were supposed to be... There’s nothing wrong here but there was nothing that made this one stand out compared to 100 others I've read either. This one just wasn't a good fit for me - at least not right now.

Anna, a journalist, becomes fascinated by Eva Reid, a woman who lived with congenital insensitivity to pain (CIP) and ultimately met an untimely death shrouded in mystery. When Dr. Nate Reid, Eva's husband and a neuroscientist, seeks a ghostwriter for his memoir detailing Eva's life, Anna seizes the chance to explore the intricacies of Eva's existence and her enigmatic demise. As she embarks on her investigation, Anna confronts her own tumultuous history while striving to uncover the secrets that envelop Eva’s life and the complexities of her relationship with Nate, who managed her condition.

The narrative unfolds through Anna's lens, prompting critical reflections on her reliability as a narrator. Initially, the tone of the story exhibits emotional restraint, mirroring the protective tendencies of its characters. However, as the narrative progresses, it unveils layers of complexity and emotional richness. The structure alternates between past and present, incorporating multiple perspectives, including diary entries, which enhance the reader's comprehension of the principal characters and their interconnected lives.

As Anna delves deeper into her inquiry, she uncovers startling revelations about Eva's life and the dynamics of her marriage to Nate. The narrative is rife with unexpected twists and turns that maintain the reader's engagement, culminating in a suspenseful and unpredictable climax. The novel's distinctive premise and its examination of themes such as pain, obsession, and the quest for truth render it a compelling read, particularly for those drawn to psychological thrillers and intricate character dynamics. Despite certain reservations regarding Anna's role as a protagonist, the overall narrative offers a thought-provoking and captivating experience.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

🌪️ T W I S T E D T H U R S D A Y review 🌪️ featuring “You Can’t Hurt Me” by Emma Cook!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Everyone has heard about Eva Reid’s rare condition known as congenital analgesia or congenital insensitivity to pain:

“It’s a rare disorder where the sufferer can walk on hot coals, place their hand in fire, walk on a broken limb for weeks and feel nothing more than a light tinge of a dull ache”.

Eva’s life has been under a microscope with scientists and reporters … and even leads Eva to her husband Dr. Nate Reid who has dedicated his life’s research to pain.

When Eva is found dead inside her home studio, the details surrounding her death just don’t seem to be adding up. Nate decides to work with a ghost writer to write a book about Eva and gets paired up with a journalist named Anna who may be closer to this case than Nate could ever imagine. What will Anna discover about the night Eva died??

This book was to die for! I found it totally fascinating and frightening at the same time. The shocking twists and turns, nasty lies and deceit and emotional overload made this book gripping and deliciously dark!

Thank you kindly to Emma Cook, Hanover Square Press, HTP Books, Harper Collins Canada and netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This book releases on November 5, 2024!

This is the story of the protagonist Anna who is a journalist and becomes obsessed with the story of Dr. Nate Reed who spends most of his time in the Pain Laboratory. The death of his wife, Eva who had a condition of analgesia; the inability to feel pain before she died in a very mysterious way moves Anna to pursue the work of Dr. Reed and his own life.

It was a rather engaging plot, and the characters were not very predictable, which made the reader consider their actions and decisions. Even though there were a couple of scenes that I felt were a bit dull and dragged at some point, I did not get bored with the plot at all. I suggest it to all the lovers of thriller genre and can’t wait to read more of the author works!

Thank you to HTP (Harlequin Trade Publishing) and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

You Can't Hurt Me by Emma Cook is a fantastic thriller with a unique premise that I really enjoyed.

The Story follows two women, Eva and Anna.

Eva has a rare medical condition in which she cannot feel any physical pain. Eva's husband is Nate, a neuroscientist.

Anna is writing Nate’s memoir.

The story is told through Anna's point of view, which I think is a missed opportunity. Was she a reliable narrator?

I did really enjoy this story, unique with complex, flawed characters.

While the start of the book and the thrill was a bit slow it did pick up. Thank you for allowing me early access.

Oh this book was so intense! I still have chills. It drew me in from the very beginning and kept me on my seat to the very end. I loved it!

This was definitely an intriguing read.

Anna is very headstrong.

The lies, drama, and mind games that are within this book keeps you guess on where the truth is.

There are so many twists and turns that leave you wanting more.

I am fan of thriller books, this book has done complete justice. The description of this story was so unique and I loved this fast paced thrillers.It kept me guessing until the end and I was surprised by the ending. Overall,I would recommend this book for any thriller fans who wants a unique story line

A twisty thriller that keeps the pace going and has you on your toes for the majority of the book. Small slump in the middle but intriguing conclusion. No narrative is fully reliable which makes this book so fascinating, everyone is tangled up together.

I really enjoyed the concept of this book. Emma chose a very interesting main topic and ran with it in the best way possible. I was intrigued by the plot of the story and was invested through and through. I was trying to guess who may have done it and that person came across my mind but I kept going hmm no can't be. I love that kind of feeling when reading a thriller book.

*I won't be attaching my goodreads link to post this review only because I did a post prior on goodreads*

“You can’t hurt me” follows the lives of two women and the story of how their lives collide.

Eva has a unique medical condition in which she is unable to feel pain. This leads her to meet her husband Nate who is a neuroscientist. There is a mystery surrounding Eva as she has since passed away and nobody really knows what happened between getting married and her cause of death.

Anna is in present day as a ghost writer for Nate’s memoir.
She feels a responsibility to found out what really happened to Eva and give her a voice from beyond the grave.

Although the plot follows the lives of two women, we hear all of the story told from Anna’s POV which leads the question is she always telling the truth and being unbiased or correct in her information.

I enjoyed getting to see more depth to the characters as the story progresses. Overall I enjoyed this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the EARC!

Publish Date: Nov 5th 2024

I found this book to be very engaging and stayed up late to finish it. The dynamic between Anna and Nate kept me on the edge of my seat. Thank you to Emma Cook, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

Fast-paced plot that kept me thoroughly engaged throughout. The writer is very good at crafting this tale! I found myself not knowing what to trust and anxious to get to the climax.

Very realistic and interesting characters. Fast-paced plot that kept me thoroughly engaged throughout. Suspenseful and thrilling! Enjoyed every page of it!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.