⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

OK y’all, I don’t know how Kirsten Modglin does it. She literally blows me away every single time I read one of her books. This one was no different. Somehow she completely unlocked a new trope for me.… Love triangle, WHAT!?! I had no clue that was one of tropes I liked until this book. Phew, Lord Have Mercy!

Romantic suspense has always been my favorite genre, I mean it’s the best of both worlds, and this one was exactly that! The main characters, Carmen and the brothers Jack, and Dean, that love triangle, oh my! I was swooning and kicking my feet. Then Kiersten pulls that rug right out from underneath you and gives you all sorts of plot twist and turns with lots of WTH moments. I was rooting for my favorite brother, though, hoping Carmen would choose the right one… And she did, eventually!

The dual timeline is one that I’m familiar with, with Kiersten‘s writing style. I love that it brings the plot full circle. You see what happened then and now. It helps you put that whole picture together… Well, not really because she’s gonna leave you with your jaw on the floor multiple times with this book.
5/5 narration
The narrator was fantastic she truly draws you in and keeps you guessing. Fantastic job and will definitely look forward to her next narration.

A romantic suspense novel with a dash of mystery and an unexplained death. The story centers around the main character Carmen and her love triangle with two brothers Dean and Jack. The romance was the main feature, and the mysterious death of a young woman was more of a subplot. I loved listening to Diana Bustelo perform the story, especially through Carmen's perspective. The characters were well-crafted with likeable features and flaws, but I would have loved to see more pages surrounding the mystery subplot. Thank you Dreamscape Media, Kiersten Modglin, and NetGalley for the advanced ALC.

3.5⭐️

Kiersten Modglin is becoming a go to author for quick and easy thrillers.

Carmen returns to Hunter’s Hollow after leaving 11 years ago and never looking back. It was at Hunter’s Hollow that she found her first love and her first heartbreak. The past still haunts her and she decides it’s time to return and face it. This story consists of past and present timelines from Carmen’s POV.

Even though I didn’t guess the twist, I found the ending to be a bit rushed. I would have liked it to be a little more fleshed out. Still a good thriller overall. I highly recommend the audio. The performance was great.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advanced listener copy.

The blurb and tags are not what the book is about - it is NOT a psychological thriller, nor there is anything suspenseful about this story.

Carmen returns to Hunter's Hollows, a campground that she called home while she was a teenager. Through flashback, we learn about about Carmen and the two neighbor brothers that lived at the campground. While she was 14, they older teenagers (16 and 17). That alone was very cringe and inappropriate.

The story was slow, uninteresting and just meh. I did not like it.

thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an early access to this book.

I didn't like this. This book is a major departure for KM. It is not a twisty page-turning thriller but a slow burn supposed love story with the death of a teen lingering in the back but really didn't matter at all. There were so many elements to this story that I absolutely loathe but are popular (brothers chasing the same girl, borderline pedophilia being touted as romance, people who are still not over their HS flame 10+ years later and haven't moved on, etc), so I will likely be a minority here. Since the majority of this story also takes place in the past when the MC is a 13/14yo, so it comes across as YA novel.

Overall I found the older brother's interactions and feelings around Carmen totally inappropriate. Esp since I have a 13yo sister as well as a 15 and 17yo brother. To later hear in the end he had his sights on her from day 1, when she was 13 and he was 16 driving a car made me want to vomit. What a pedophile.

Thanks netgalley for my ALC.

The Hollow is my first Kiersten Modglin book, and I found it refreshingly full of heart, despite its dark themes of mystery and murder. It gets even darker, but no spoilers here. Carmen McKenna returns to Hunter's Hollow, the beloved, idyllic campground where she spent her teenage years, after a self-imposed exile of eleven years. The Hollow was the home she needed as a young teen, and Jack and Dean Hunter, the sons of the campground's owners, became her friends and protectors, and keepers of her secrets. Modglin handles Carmen's (and Jack's) coming of age--young love, disappointment, the careful happiness, and dreams for the future--with frank tenderness. Their idyll came to a horrific end when a brutalized body was found at Hunter's Hollow. When the crime wasn't solved, a heartbroken and confused Carmen left the Hollow behind. Now a successful illustrator, Carmen returns to Hunter's Hollow to spend time with her mother, who still works and lives there. She also wants to find the truth behind the unsolved death that still haunts her, and the residents of Hunter's Hollow. The novel's chapters move through two storylines: the present and the past. Carmen's reappearance upends everyone's lives--especially Jack's and Dean's. Neither have married or moved away. There's so much to their relationship triangle, and Modglin keeps the reader riveted to the development and unraveling of those relationships. The crime is just one element of the story, adding a dimension of suspicion and fear that keeps the tension high between the characters. Carmen is determined to find answers to the death that drove her away from Hunter's Hollow. When she does, it's the culmination of her journey to discover her own strength, emotional maturity, and what she truly wants out of life. Readers looking for thriller pacing may expect a faster-moving story. The Hollow is definitely a slower burn, but still satisfying, and with a surprising resolution.

I listened to the audio version of The Hollow. The narrator, Diana Bustelo, is excellent, and her characterizations are pleasingly subtle . She has a very youthful sounding voice that feels slightly more appropriate for the chapters set in the past, but work for the whole book. The transitions between the past and present storylines are smooth, and never confusing.

As always this was another great read from Modglin. I love her books so much and the audios are done so well.

Audiobook review🎧

Kiersten Modglin's ability to keep things fresh and unpredictable always surprises me. I am never sure what to expect next because of her vast collection and variety of novels. I went into this one blind and boy, did she throw me for a loop! Although the title and cover suggested a darker tone, the book was actually a mystery and romantic thriller, which was a pleasant change of pace for me.

I felt it heavily focuses on romance with the love triangle between Carmen and the brothers Dean and Jack. I was questioning who to trust with these two boys for a large portion of the book. The whole thing was a bit scandalous, but in a fun way.

There were moments when it resembles a YA thriller, but since I'm a fan of YA thrillers, I didn't object to it. I think it's because of the two timelines and the amount of time spent with these characters as teenagers. I felt the mystery was well integrated, and the theme of coming-of-age actually added to my enjoyment.

I think Modglin did a great job writing the setting for Hunters Hollow. Beautifully depicted, I felt transported to the campgrounds and cabins.

I share the same opinion as those who read it that felt the twist was a bit anti-climatic, and although I didn't anticipate it, I don't think anyone could. It was a sudden revelation, and that may be why. However, it didn’t matter because I had a great time reading it and finished the audiobook in a day. If you like a Mystery/Romance don’t let that discourage you.

Although I know 'The Hollow' isn't for everyone, if you like Kirsten Modglin or enjoy a fun mystery romance or a YA coming-of-age thriller, give it a try. It's possible that, like me, you'll have a difficult time putting it down.

It’s a yes for me!

Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Kiersten Modglin for the ALC in exchange for my honest review. It was my pleasure.

@deannsdailydrop 🖤

I loved the characters of this book and really enjoyed both timelines. I wish there was more thriller aspects, but it was a good romantic mystery!

I thought I was going to listen to a mystery, what I ended up with was a romance with a mystery in it. Not my cup of tea.

The Hollow by Kiersten Modglin
Release Date: 5/28/24
Format: audiobook

KMod has done it again with a delightfully bingeable book! I loved the dual timelines throughout this story and found myself immediately invested in the characters. For a shorter novel, the character development was really well done!

Modglin has a way of writing romance heavy mysteries that have you so engrossed in the personal drama, you sort of forget there’s a crime you’re trying to unravel. With other authors I don’t usually love this, but with Modglin it just is so well done!

My only qualm about this book I think is the marketing though. It is barely a thriller, more a romance with a smidge of mystery! I didn’t have a problem with it but I do feel like some readers might be disappointed if they go in for a twisty thriller and don’t receive one!

As long as you go in with the proper expectations, I highly recommend this book! Narrator Diana Bustelo did a fantastic job with the audio as well! Thanks to @netgalley for the gifted audio arc in exchange for my honest review!

Carmen returns to Hunter’s Hallow, the campground she grew up in to face her complicated past including the two brothers she was always torn between and the unsolved murder that’s always haunted her.

Wow. This was my first Kiersten Modglin and I can’t wait to listen to more! Here’s what I loved:

Thriller and romance: these are my genres so when they get combined I get so excited! Here you get a brothers love triangle that has lasted years. All the while, there is a missing girl and an unsolved murder to deal with. I love when these two genres are combined and Modglin does such a good job with it!

The structure: while Carmen is trying to figure out her present, you get alternating past chapters that really dig into her relationships with the brothers and The Hollow

The setting: I love a good cabin in the woods story and this whole book takes place on the family campground. It gives off a fun summer camp vibe while also being eerie.

The narration; I really enjoyed listening to this. The narrator did a great job with the characters and put me right into the story.

All in all, a really good romantic thriller!

Thank you to the author and Dreamscape for the gifted audiobook!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with early access to this audiobook.

This audiobook was written well and the narrator did an excellent job bringing the story to life. It caught my attention from the beginning and I had to know what was going to happen next. Unfortunately, the ending felt very out of place - almost as if the author decided they didn’t want to put any more effort into the story but felt obligated to finish it. While it made sense and was probably written this way for a shock factor, it didn’t meet the mark. Instead, I shook my head and sighed at how easy of an out the author took.

The first 90% of the book or so was a solid 5 stars, but the ending definitely knocked the overall rating down a star.

This audiobook was a well done single narration. I enjoyed the female narrator and her male POV voices were good.

The story fell a little flat for me. I felt like I was expecting a bigger twist. I would still recommend this audiobook though!

I love Kiersten Modglin's novels, because they're always well-written and suspenseful, but never work out my brain too hard. Of course I had to grab her latest, The Hollow, and I devoured it in two days.

No one can put out a five-star winner every time, and unfortunately, this one didn't hit the high standard I have for Modglin's novels. Was it interesting? Sure, but it was missing something. The mystery the story was trying to solve was blurred by the interactions between Carmen, Dean and Jack. I wasn't sure where everything was going, and what answers we'd get (and to which questions), and then all of a sudden, it all wraps up and we're done. I felt unsettled when it was over, like I'd missed something vital. Who knows? Maybe I spaced partway through, and didn't catch a few things that would have made my experience less disjointed.

Spacing out could have been due to the choice of narrator for the audio version, which is what the publisher gave me through NetGalley. IT WAS TERRIBLE. Diana Bustelo's high-pitched yet gravelly voice was such a distraction, and would have been better suited to a young teen novel instead of for a 20-something adult protagonist. Then add her mispronunciations of pretty common words, like "miss-chee-vee-us", and the not-quite-there novel became a true miss for me.

I enjoyed this book. I would say this is more of a romance than a thriller, but I enjoyed it. The main character wants to find out what happened to her childhood friend from years ago, but the story is more centered around a love triangle. I liked how the story was told. It went back and forth between the past and the present. Cute love story. One big twist in the end involving the murder.

The audio narration, as usual with KMod books was extremely well done.

I went in blind on this one, because let’s be honest if Kiersten writes it, I’ll read it. Ain’t no shame in my game. She mentioned there would be romance and it had a similar vibe to 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙈𝙀𝙎𝙎𝙀𝙎 series. Now I’ve only read 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘾𝙇𝙀𝘼𝙉𝙀𝙍 (♾️⭐️ btw) but it’s one of my favorite books of all time from any author. So just a heads up this one isn’t your typical KMod thriller…this is more of a romantic suspense novel. Don’t sleep on this one 😉

I can see why Kiersten said this one is along the same lines as that book. This one starts off a little slow but I didn’t mind it because you had to build up and get the back story amongst the MC TRIO. Talk about messy.

Kiersten created a world filled with richly created characters that you can’t help but love. This book will break your heart, put it back together again, make you sad, infuriated and hopeful. It’s a book that throws in so many aspects of real gritty life making it very relatable.

🤘🏻I loved the nods to T Swift and Charlie Day 🤘🏻

I don’t want to say too much because 𝙣𝙤𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙧, so just trust me when I say go order your copy today! She never disappoints. I mean how does she pump out so many books and they ROCK!?

Another awesome K.Mod book checked off my list! Cant wait to read the next one.

Thank you Dreamscape media & Kiersten Modglin for this read!

I must say I went into this blind because I love the author and this book was not what I was expecting but I loved it. This read is very heavy on romantic suspense with a thriller background for the plot. I loved the "Don't touch her", two brothers, safe vs risky and childhood sweethearts vibes.

The thriller aspect was a small town, unsolved mystery and I feel the twist I didn't see coming but was also a very abrupt ending to the whole truth being revealed. It was told in multiple POVs and the protagonists are very likeable.

This is a perfect read for those who love suspenseful romance with love triangles and childhood sweethearts. The mystery adds another level to this book which reads uniquely. This was a different book to what I usually pick up but I was all here for it!

I get asked frequently from friends for book recs that suit both romance and thriller lovers and I feel that this book fits the bill!

ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥: 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: 𝐖𝐨𝐰! 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐫𝐜 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝! 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐫. 𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝟐𝟒 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬. 𝐁𝐮𝐭, 𝐚𝐬 𝐮𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥, 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲! 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝.

𝐻𝓊𝑔𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝒦𝒾𝑒𝓇𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓃 𝑀𝑜𝒹𝑔𝓁𝒾𝓃, 𝒟𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂𝓈𝒸𝒶𝓅𝑒 𝑀𝑒𝒹𝒾𝒶, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

4.5 Stars

Kiersten Modglin writes fast paced thrillers that I love to read!!! This one was great, and considered a “romantic thriller”- which I had not been familiar with. But after reading this one, I get it!!

After Carmen’s father passes away, she and her mother move to Hunter’s Hollow to be close to her mom’s good friend and their family. After reluctantly moving there and leaving her friends behind, Carmen ends up really enjoying Hunter’s Hollow. The boys next door, Jack and Dean are protective of her. Their father becomes a father figure to her, and she and her mom have a new, make shift family.

On the heels of her first heartbreak, one of her friends turns up dead, and the killer is never found. Carmen decides to move to Atlanta for a fresh start.

Eleven years later she returns to Hunter’s Hollow and the past is everywhere. There is a bit of a love triangle going on with her and the boys- Jack and Dean. And another girl disappears from The Hollow while she is back.

If you like twists, turns, surprises and romance paired with great writing, very relatable characters, a dual timeline and a book you just can’t put down, then I suggest you pick this one up ASAP! The paperback is already out. I was lucky to get an advanced audio copy, narrated by Diana Bustelo, from @NetGalley and @DreamscapeMedia. The audio version comes out on 5/28/2024.