This was the story of Lark and a fateful night at work with her best friend Mikki. Mikki gets an offer she can't refuse and takes off with a stranger to drive to Florida. The story unfolds in alternating timelines and then hooks up to finish telling what happened. Lark really struggles with Mikki being gone, and I didn't really anticipate where the story went. All in all, a good read.

Thank you very much to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and author Jessica Strawser for providing me with a copy of Catch You Later in exchange for my fair review. The lovely cover and plot premise caught my attention right away, and I was intrigued from the first pages. Set in dual, alternating voices and timelines, the book flashes back and forth from the weekend Mikki disappears to eight years later, when Lark resumes the search.
Since kindergarten, Lark and Mikki have been inseparable best friends. Now in their thirties, they live as roommates in a desolate, nondescript town by the interstate, notable only for its Travel Stop. Since high school, they've worked countless night shifts together there, living by two simple rules: "Say yes to everything" and "keep their eyes open for a way out of Becksville." Lark, on the brink of single motherhood, finds strength in Mikki's steadfast support, believing together they can confront this life change. During one night shift at the Travel Stop, a mysterious man driving an expensive convertible BMW stops in for a coffee and begins talking to Mikki while she mixes his drink. Spontaneously, he then asks her to take a leap of faith and travel with him to a wedding in Florida so she can see the ocean. Before they exchange names, Mikki accepts, and is never seen or heard from again. Devastated, Lark embarks on a “Find Mikki” campaign and hires a PI, but the police never take her seriously. Grief stricken Lark gives birth alone, prompting her to fall deeper into depression as she realizes if Mikki missed the birth, she is really gone. Nini, Mikki’s aging grandmother, knocks on Lark’s door a month into motherhood and sees her condition, telling her she “guesses you’d better move in, then” so she and her baby do. The three of them learn to navigate the years together, never ceasing to wonder what happened the night Mikki rode off in 2016. Almost eight years go by with no answers. Lark is still living with Nini, engaged to a highway patrolman, and still working at the Travel Stop when the BMW mystery man walks in one night and asks if Mikki is around. Stunned, Lark wonders if she will ever learn the truth about her childhood best friend, and enlists Chris Redmond to assist her in finally obtaining the answers she has been seeking all these years. The characters are relatable and enjoyable. I found myself reading each chapter anticipating what ultimately happened to Mikki, but the pacing of the plot was a bit slow at times. The main relationship between the two female friends felt contrived and immature at the anti-climactic ending. This mystery left me wanting more for these enduring friends, and there needed to be more emotion in the finale. The plot was good but would have benefited from heightened suspense, emotional depth, and more intricate twists & turns throughout. 3/5

wonderful ,a missing girl presumed dead until the man she drove off with comes looking for her ,a very wonderful tale of two best friends .

I have read and loved all of Jessica Strawser’s novels, and because of that fact, I never read the synopsis; I just jump in completely blind! When I started her latest novel, "Catch You Later," I knew after only the first 10-15 pages that I was going to enjoy this gem. Now that I've finished it, it's officially my top favorite from Jessica to date!!!! I know I've said this before, but Jessica Strawser constantly reinvents herself with every novel she writes, and I absolutely adore it! The storyline is so original and absolutely addictive, and the characters are incredibly relatable and endearing. That combination is a recipe for a novel that will stay with you and will be re-read more than once (because it’s just that good)! "Catch You Later" is a 5+++ star novel that needs to be on the top of everyone's reading list, and I highly recommend it for a book club selection!! Jessica Strawser knocked it out of the park with this book, and I am so very excited to see what she comes up with next!

I liked the format of Catch You Later and how it moves between when the incident took place and the current day until both timelines align. It was an engaging and pacy read. I would recommend it.

I enjoyed this novel for the most part.
Cool characters and a nice storyline with twists and turns that I never saw coming.
After 50% in I finally felt that I couldn't put the book down until the end.
My thanks for a copy of this novel
I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

I loved this very much! The bouncing between timelines added to the story and unraveled it in such a great way. I felt for Lark and her longing for Mikki and the guilt she held on to.

I was afraid there was going to be a terrible twist at the end, but I'm so thankful for how it all played out and came together. Definitely worth the read an I'm thankful for Netgalley for the ARC.

I started reading this book thinking I was so smart and knew exactly where we were going, but it humbled me. It kept takingthrilling new turns, raising the stakes (and so many questions) until I was delivered to a thoroughly satisfying, utterly unexpected, final destination. This book was one of the best road trips I've ever been on! Highly recommend.

Best friends Lark and Mikki are stuck in the middle of nowhere, working at a service station where the only excitement comes from the passing truckers and travelers heading to far-off places. When a handsome stranger strolls in, Mikki seizes the chance to escape her mundane life, hopping into his fancy car to be his plus-one at a wedding in Florida. She promises Lark she'll be back in a few days but vanishes without a trace.

Fast forward eight years, and Lark is a mum, taking care of Mikki's grandma, and engaged to a local patrol officer. She believes she's moved past the trauma of losing Mikki, until the same handsome stranger reappears at the service station, dredging up old memories and unresolved questions.

This novel is a riveting read from start to finish, with a dual narrative that masterfully weaves together Mikki's fateful decision to head to Florida and Lark's life years after her disappearance. The tension builds as both timelines converge, revealing Mikki's fate in Florida just as Lark's own investigation yields answers. Lark and Mikki are richly drawn characters, each grappling with their own flaws and desires, yet bound by their deep yearning for something beyond their ordinary lives.

Throughout the story, I was captivated, knowing that the novel's success hinged on its conclusion. Jessica Strawser did not disappoint; the reveal and ending were satisfying and well-executed, making this tightly plotted tale a joy to read.

What a unique book - a cross between every friend's nightmare and one of your own. Best friends, a good looking stranger, a road trip, rich people with questionable morals and some good guys working as peace officers. It's hard to talk about this book without giving anything away except to say someone disappears and their absence impacts those left behind and everything in between is 85% of the story.

I was pleasantly surprised by Catch You Later. With its dual narrative and time jumps, this is a novel that is nonlinear which added a rich depth to the story, while also implying chaos and confusion were always lurking. Thrilling, suspenseful, also heartwarming this was a great read that I could not put down until the end.

Excellent mystery surrounding two best friends. Mikki and Lark have been there for each other through thick and thin, always having each other’s back. Working together at a truck stop in their dead end home town, even sharing a tiny apartment, the women were extremely close. One night Mikki decides to take off with a stranger in a fancy car to a destination beach wedding in Florida. When Mikki doesn’t return Lark knows it can’t be voluntary and works to unravel the mystery. Fast paced story that is impossible to put down.

I adored this book. It gives new meaning to the word friendship.

When Mikki impulsively walks out of her job, where both she and Lark, her best friend, worked, and got in the car with a random guy, Lark knew it would turn out badly. But Mikki was the fly-by-the-seat of your pants kind of girl. When Mikki never returned home, Lark spent years searching for her, but there wasn’t even a tiny clue to follow. There was no rhyme or reason for Mikki to walk away from their friendship or from her own grandmother. When that same random guy shows up again, Lark is ready for a fight. She needs to know what happened to Mikki after she got in his car all those years ago.

I am pleasantly surprised by this book, my first by this author. It kept me entertained and I thoroughly enjoyed every single page. Thank you, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced reader copy.

An UNPUTDOWNABLE Mystery… Coming this October!!!

My 1st Jessica Strawser novel—and it was GREAT!!!

I am obsessed with the characters Stawser puts on paper. She imagines people I feel like I know, knew in a past life, or at least hope to meet. For me, character development MAKES the book. For example, details like Christopher set it off! I have met families like this…

In Catch You Later, Strawser artfully and insightfully sprinkles glistening sparkles of enlightenment across every page. The story not only covers a vast stretch of highway and a wide span of time, but it sent my own imagination soaring to unbelievable heights as I reflected on some of the rules…

Catch You Later hooked me and kept me interested. I GENUINELY DID NOT KNOW THE ANSWER until it was revealed… though I was Team Eat The Waffles straight away (red herrings not required to sell me on this)!

Special thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for the amazing digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

#CatchYouLater #EatTheWaffles #Mystery #NetGalley #LakeUnionAuthors @JessicaStawserAuthor @BookShell_F

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this early! I really enjoyed this one.

Two best friends who are inseparable working the night shift together until one day one of them makes an impulsive decision that changes both their lives forever. I was completely hooked by this book from the beginning with the mystery building straight away! It is a story of friendship, family tension, mystery and the power of never giving up.

My only reason this is not 5* was I found some of the chapters a little too long for me. I love the mystery and tension building in small snappy chapters however this was my only reason for not being 5*.

This was my first novel by Jessica Strawser but it won’t be my last! Go grab your copy once this is released!

3.5☆
This is one of those thrillers that you'll find difficult to put down.
I found myself wanting to know what happened next at the end of each chapter.

However, the twist was slightly predictable and the ending bit underwhelming which deemed it a 3.5 read for me

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me. I would give it 1.5 stars. It was very slow and hard for me to stay locked in. I think the premise of the book is good, but it just fell short, I needed more than conversations and inner monologue. I think if this book was shorter, it would have been easier to stay engaged. While the ending wasn't what I was expecting, it wasn't really satisfying.

Jessica Strawser is an incredible storyteller, and her writing style and characterization have substance and depth. With that being said, this was not one of her best. Her story telling keeps you hooked, but the climax, or even a few curve balls, are really not there in this mystery thriller. It is almost as if the slow burn snuffs out the mystery completely, The main relationship between the two female friends felt a bit contrived and immature. It was a nice ending, just fell a bit flat for such a long build up. Still a Strawser fan, just not her best. Would recommend to fans of the author to give it a shot. #catchyoulater #jessicastrawser #netgalley #goodreads

This book was good. A nice mystery but was hoping for more twists.. I liked that the friend was still alive. Would likely recommend this book to a friend

This book took a little while to get going, and third-person narration isn’t usually my cup of tea - I find it a bit tough to stay tuned into the conversations and really connect with the characters. The plot intrigued me, although the opening chapters didn't grab me, and my ADHD didn’t help with my wandering attention. But wow, once things started moving, I couldn’t put it down! I really fell for the characters, especially the friendship between Mikki and Lark, and Nini was a favorite. The author did an amazing job with the vivid descriptions and character growth. A big shoutout to Net Galley, Amazon Publishing, and of course Jessica Strawser for the ARC!