You Can’t Hurt Me
4⭐️

A terrific read!

Anna is drawn to the life Eva led and left behind. As a journalist she sees a great opportunity to get closer to Eva through Eva’s husband, Nate. He ultimately chooses her as the ghostwriter of his memoir. Eva was unique due to her inability to feel pain. Nate, a neuroscientist, was immediately intrigued by Eva, but the between parts of meeting and her death are mostly unknown to others. Anna is determined to find those facts and piece together the lingering mystery surrounding Eva and her death.

This is told from Anna’s POV which had me constantly wondering if her narration would be reliable. The beginning of the book lacks quite a bit of emotion as the characters are very guarded (with others and themselves), but as the story unfolds the characters become sharper and more focused to the reader.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Hanover Square Press for this ARC opportunity in exchange for an honest review.

Pub Date Nov 05 2024

The premise of this book is so, so good, but I could not get into it. I agree with other reviewers who struggled to stay engaged because of the writing style. While I'm sure the ending is strong, I had to put this in my DNF pile.

Cook hooks you in from the beginning! Layered characters that keep you questioning everyones motives, readers of Frieda McFadden and Lisa Jewel will love what Emma Cook brings to the table with You Can't Hurt Me, an excellent psychological thrillride.

“You Can’t Hurt Me” is about Eva Reid, who can’t feel pain. Eva Reid's story is legendary. Since birth, she's been devoid of the sensation of pain: from paper cuts to broken bones, even childbirth fails to register. Her extraordinary life has captivated the attention of both journalists and scholars, including her husband, Dr. Nate Reid, a renowned scientist specializing in the study of pain. Among those intrigued by Eva's story is Anna Tate, a relentless journalist with her own shadowy past.

The sudden death of Eva within the confines of her home sparks a storm of speculation about her final hours and potential suspects. Anna becomes increasingly fixated on Eva's enigmatic existence: her sheltered life devoid of pain, her successful career as a psychotherapist, and notably, her complex relationship with the magnetic Dr. Reid, who once treated her as a patient before becoming her spouse.

As Dr. Reid sets out to pen a book chronicling Eva's life, Anna seizes the chance to collaborate as a ghostwriter. She works to uncover the truth about the night Eva died, but not without consequences.

Though initially enthusiastic about delving into this novel, I found it somewhat lacking in substance. The verbose and cumbersome language used throughout the book hindered my immersion in the story. Nonetheless, the conclusion offered a satisfying payoff, albeit after a slow build-up.

A massive thank you to Emma Cook, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Hanover Square Press, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: “Journalist Anna Tate is assigned as a ghost-writer to Dr. Nate Reid, a neuroscientist renowned for his work at The Pain Laboratory. Damaged by her own past, Anna finds herself becoming obsessed with Nate's late wife Eva Reid, a former patient of Nate's who was unable to experience pain. As she strips away the secrets of their relationship, she makes a shocking discovery, and the raw truth of each is revealed.”

My Rating: 4.5

Thank you Net Galley and Harlequin Books for the chance to read this great ARC!

I went into reading this novel with no expectations, the synopsis sounded like something I would love and be very interested in as I love a good thriller, suspense and mystery story. I am so thankful I was given the opportunity to read this awesome novel before it comes out which will be November 5, 2024!

I loved this book, for me it was a real page turner right from the first chapter. The first chapter starts in the present tense and sets the stage for what makes a juicy, non-predictable, suspenseful storyline. The first chapter leave’s readers wondering what has happened to Anna Tate to get to this point of fiercely running away in a panic from Dr. Nate Reid.

The following chapters go into the past tense that answers all of the readers' questions. This story provides multiple POV’s giving the reader the opportunity to see into the minds of the main characters & someone’s diary which I love!

At first Dr. Nate gives off mad scientist vibes with his obsession of the human brain and how it absorbs pain… or doesn't absorb pain. This story will surprise readers, for me I could not guess where the story was going and the surprises it had in store! I personally love a story that causes me to audibly gasp, feel shocked and impressed with the author’s writing and character developments.

The ending of this novel was especially a page turner that gave much suspense and shock.
I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys complicated romance stories, if you have an interest in psychology and if you love a good murder mystery that captures your attention from the first chapter.


TW: Drug use, Domestic Violence

This book is a bit of a slow burn but is so good. So many lies and lives falling apart. You really have to pay attention to understand what exactly is going on. In the end it was a great read.

“You Can’t Hurt Me” is about Eva Reid, who can’t feel pain. Eva Reid's story is legendary. Since birth, she's been devoid of the sensation of pain: from paper cuts to broken bones, even childbirth fails to register. Her extraordinary life has captivated the attention of both journalists and scholars, including her husband, Dr. Nate Reid, a renowned scientist specializing in the study of pain. Among those intrigued by Eva's story is Anna Tate, a relentless journalist with her own shadowy past.

The sudden death of Eva within the confines of her home sparks a storm of speculation about her final hours and potential suspects. Anna becomes increasingly fixated on Eva's enigmatic existence: her sheltered life devoid of pain, her successful career as a psychotherapist, and notably, her complex relationship with the magnetic Dr. Reid, who once treated her as a patient before becoming her spouse.

As Dr. Reid sets out to pen a book chronicling Eva's life, Anna seizes the chance to collaborate as a ghostwriter. She works to uncover the truth about the night Eva died, but not without consequences.

Though initially enthusiastic about delving into this novel, I found it somewhat lacking in substance. The verbose and cumbersome language used throughout the book hindered my immersion in the story. Nonetheless, the conclusion offered a satisfying payoff, albeit after a slow build-up.

A massive thank you to Emma Cook, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Hanover Square Press, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Be sure to pick up this book when it is published on 11/5/2024!

Trigger warnings include drug addiction, murder, violence.

A review will be posted on Goodreads in October 2024.

Fantastic! Such a good read! Thank you NetGalley! The characters, the story line! It was all perfect! Couldn’t put it down!

WHAT A TWIST! I love trying to figure out who did it, but this one I was not expecting! So many times I thought I knew who it was because of so many misleading clues. So well written!

This was fantastic. I really enjoyed reading it and didn’t want to put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC of You Can't Hurt Me.

The premise of this book sounded really interesting, but unfortunately I DNF at 20%. The writing was so incredibly wordy and clunky that it completely took my attention away from the story. I would recommend skipping this one.

good mystery of who killed eva -- who is unable to feel pain. She is married to a neuroscientist and he became famous because of her. Loved the family aspect and writing the chapters from anna point of view and her family. Loved the slight romance.

These people!

Straight up, this is the most narcissistic bunch I’ve read in ages. Every last one of them! They bloviate. All. The. Time. Even their intimate conversations feel like two competing monologues.

But sometimes (I admit it), I hate read characters and this was kind of fun.

I definitely wanted to know who did what and why. I also wanted every last character to come to some kind of horrific end.

I will warn you that this is strictly psychological. I mean, seriously, not much action happens. There were one or two conversations that were just egos spouting off at each other and I simply could not understand why women liked any of the men in this book. There’s also a bit of a hump in the middle that leaves you wondering DNF or Read on. If you get to that point, read on because when their lies and lives fall apart, it’s popcorn!

• ARC via Publisher

The premise of this book absolutely appealed to me. The posting mentioned "page-turner," "edge of your seat," and I was like "yes, count me in!" But suspense, excitement, itching to turn the page, were none of the feelings I got while reading this. It dragged, was even boring most of the time. It doesn't claim to have a twist but even so, it was predictable as all get-out. The love story in this was really strong, so maybe if you're a romance kinda reader then it could be more your bag.

Overall, this book was not it for me. I could see someone enjoying this if they're into romances that hint at a mystery and end in a thrilling 20 pages.

The plot of this book was unique, and it was interesting to see how the 4 main characters (journalist Anna, her significant other Tony, Dr. Nate Reid, and Nate's late husband Eva) all wove together. There were things I didn't see coming, which is an achievement as I have read pretty much every psychological thriller out there and often find them predictable. It was an overall good read that I wanted to stay up and finish. My biggest challenge was I found it hard to get behind the protagonist Anna. Normally, there is a main character that I am rooting for but I just found it hard to like Anna.

I really like how this author writes. Makes characters come to life and helps reader feel what they are feeling. I enjoyed the twists and turns and the wondering of “who done it”. I will definitely watch for more works by this author. Very engaging and fast read.

This intricately woven drama is a tapestry of unreliable accounts, deception, and vivid characters, evoking a rollercoaster of emotions from heartache to disbelief. Approached with no preconceptions, the slow build of the narrative kept me hooked, eager to unravel the story's mysteries. The author's skillful storytelling led me through a web of uncertainties, culminating in a satisfying and surprising climax. A compelling tale that truly delivers on its promises. Grateful to NetGalley for the chance to experience this engaging ARC.

This book follows journalist Anna as she writes about Dr. Nate Reed, a researcher focused on pain in his Pain Laboratory. Dr. Reed's wife, Eva, who suffered from an insensitivity to pain, died under mysterious circumstances, capturing Anna's fascination with both the doctor and his story.

Written eloquently from Anna's perspective, the narrative feels more like a memoir than a mystery or thriller. If Eva's death weren't mentioned at the outset, its significance might be overlooked. While brief journal entries from Eva's time as a therapist provide some insight, the characters' backstories and motivations are not deeply explored, leaving readers wanting more to truly feel the psychological thriller elements.

The story moves slowly, and the climax feels somewhat anticlimactic. This book might appeal more to those seeking romantic fiction rather than a mystery or thriller, as the mystery element takes a back seat to the ghostwriting plot.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I so, so tried with this one! The writing style was not for me. I just couldn't get into it at all. It was definitely a slow burn if you manage to make it that far into the book.

This book is about a journalist, Anna, who finds herself writing about Dr. Nate Reed, a researcher dedicated to researching pain in his Pain Laboratory. His wife, Eva, suffered from an insensitivity to pain (she couldn’t feel it) before she died a mysterious death, and Anna finds herself fascinated with both Dr. Reed and his story.

The book is written eloquently from Anna’s perspective as she takes a job ghostwriting for Dr. Reed’s next book. With a lot of descriptive language and scene setting, it reads more like a memoir and less like a mystery or thriller, and if Eva’s death wasn’t introduced in the beginning, it might not be clear that that is what the book is about. While we’re able to learn more about Eva from the brief journal entries from the self-reflection journal from her time as a therapist, we don’t really get deep into any of the characters backstories or motivations, leaving you wanting just a little bit more to make it feel like a psychological thriller. I would have loved to get to know Anna more and understand her psyche, but instead we only really see it as a reaction to other characters actions.

The story progresses slowly, and once the reveal is made, it feels like the end fizzles out a bit. This book would probably be more suitable for someone looking for a romantic fiction rather than a mystery or a thriller, as the mystery takes a back seat to the main ghostwriting plot.