Alexandra Dubois is a bestselling author being threatened by a stalker as she writes the final book in her current series. Her publishing team take the threat seriously and encourage Alex to head to North Virginia and an isolated cabin in the woods.

I found it fascinating that Alex with her quirks, some due to her being on the autism spectrum, some learned behaviour I'd suggest, chose to go to such an isolated place. Hey, but it makes for great suspense and intrigue. Alex doesn't really trust anybody in this new place because everywhere she turns her past and present come to haunt her.

Day Gilbert does a marvellous job keeping the reader on the edge of their seats. The story has great pace which is important in building suspense. We always sense something is going to happen and her stalker will reveal themselves. Could it be him? Or her? Or is it just Alex's imagination gone wild?

I loved Alex. She's quirky, strong and independent but always vulnerable in her own way. At times she has an awkward manner with people, especially new ones, but there is this inherent kindness and goodness in her. She also comes across as being someone quite aware of themselves as we get to see some of her internal dialogue and her rationale behind some of her writing.

I was completely surprised by the identify of the stalker. I found their rationale for choosing particular victims a bit strange but maybe that's a thing. The scene where this person is revealed is tremendous, even though, a huge thunderstorm is a tad cliche but it works in this scenario.

I hope Day Gilbert writes more of these stories. I think the shorter 230 page story works well too, making it easy for a reader to finish the book in one to two sittings.

I feel very fortunate to have received an ebook copy of the story from the author's publisher via NetGalley. This has had no bearing on my review.

Queen of Hearts is the story of a well known author who is being stalked and hides out in a home in the Appalachian Mountains. In this psychological thriller, mysterious things keep happening. The author does not know who to trust! I had a hard time following the story at times. This may have been because the author in the story was autistic. Surprising details are revealed near the end! I received an e-book through Net Galley. This is my honest opinion.

I absolutely fell in love with a novel featuring a mystery writer with autism. The story begins with her moving to an isolated house after some unsettling events, and while she could choose other places, this house—suggested by someone—feels off, and she’s right to be wary. As she settles in, strange things start happening, adding layers of suspense to her already intense situation.

What really touched me was how the character's autism was portrayed with such authenticity. The way she describes her sensory experiences—every smell, every noise, every awkward social interaction—feels so genuine and raw. It’s clear the author put a lot of care into making her experiences resonate on a deep level.

Her insights and observations are not only compelling but also make you feel like you’re seeing the world through her eyes. It was such a moving and immersive experience, connecting deeply with her journey and understanding her perspective in a way that felt incredibly real and heartfelt. This book isn’t just a mystery; it’s a beautiful exploration of a unique and brilliantly drawn character.

Such an amazing thriller!! I loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

A great psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. Alexandra Dubois, a NYT bestselling author, has many fans but when one becomes obsessed the story gets very interesting, scary and even a bit exciting. This book has it all and will keep you enthralled from the beginning to the end.

A well written thriller that has well developed and interesting characters and a story that keeps on giving. I highly recommend this book to any fan that wants a thrilling ride of a read.

Thank you NetGalley and WoodHaven Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Queen of Hearts is a fantastic psychological suspense. I throughly enjoyed the fast paced plot and the well developed characters. I couldn’t put this book down. I definitely recommend this book.

Alexandra Dubouis is a best-selling author. When she is emotionally and physically threatened by an “invested reader”, she agrees to stay in her editor’s secluded cabin to work on her novel. Alex doesn’t know who to trust, especially when her identity and location become known in the small town nearest her hideaway. I felt that the suspense was well-done, there are a few characters in the story that the reader (and Alex) are unsure of their motivations and intentions. I had the correct idea about the stalker’s identity and methods (this did not lessen my enjoyment of the story), but the motive was a new one- loved that twist.
I received a free copy via NetGalley, and this is my honest and voluntary review.

It's a psychological thriller that's laced with a mix of reality and illusion. This book is cleverly plotted with twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. The characters are well developed and the story is engaging and suspenseful. The plot will keep you guessing until the very end. This is a book that you don't want to miss out on. It's sure to be a gripping read from cover to cover.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Heather Day Gilbert and the publishers for sending me an ARC of the book.

Heather Day Gilbert will keep you guessing with unexpected twists and turns. Don't even try guessing the villain. I guarantee you, you will be wrong. I like how the story is told from Alexandra's viewpoint but also how an interesting layer was added with Jordan's manuscript. Of course, we root for Henry Basham to win Alexandra's heart. Intriguing story that kept me spellbound and definitely on edge to try and figure out who the villain was. Would definitely recommend this book!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #WoodHavenPress for the book #QueenOfHearts by #HeatherDayGilbert. I really enjoyed this book about an autistic author. I have. I have a step son who is autistic so it hits close to my heart. Alexandra is a best selling author who has acquired a stalker, who has become quite aggressive. To escape this terror, she travels to West Virginia to her editors vacation home. Somehow, her stalker still finds her and starts with his threats again. Can she escape this person? Why are they stalking her?

"I might not be a fighter, but I'm a survivor , and that's exactly what I plan to do."

I am usually a huge fan of the stalker trope in thrillers. However, unfortunately this book fell seriously flat for me and nothing was able to redeem it.

Pretty early on I wasn't vibing with the FMC. The author let it be known that she worked with her daughter, who is autistic as well, to help craft this character. While that's admirable, I have to say, it felt like her diagnosis was her only personality trait. That and the fact that she was in a toxic relationship with her ex husband, as well as her estranged mother.
I found her character needed more development and, for that reason I found it hard to connect to her.

The actual storyline wasn't executed properly in my humble opinion. It had great potential but, some parts felt rushed, the suspense was lacking and the story didn't flow cohesively to me.

I was also able to guess the villain extremely early in the book. It was so obvious to me that I was convinced it wouldn't be that person...I was not wrong. Also, the villains reasoning for stalking her seemed a bit silly and far-fetched to me.
None of the remaining characters stood out to me either. The epilogue didn't really add anything to the book either and I felt it could've been left off.

Listen, this book did not work for me. Clearly I'm in the minority and that's okay. These are just my personal opinions about this one. I appreciate the autistic representation but I did feel like the author relies to heavily on that aspect. There's more to a person than their diagnoses if you know what I mean.

Would I recommend to others? Probably to those who are now dipping their toes into the thriller pool.

Thank you to Netgalley, Publishers and the author for my eARC of this book. All opinions are 100% my own.

I suspected every single character of bad intentions in Queen of Hearts, Heather Day Gilbert’s first published foray into the world of Psychological Thrillers. Well, all except the dog. 

Going in, I was hesitant. Would this story be too dark, too tense for me? Needless worry, as the reader is always in good hands with Heather Day Gilbert. As soon as her Viking Sagas were brought to mind, though by a minor and singular detail, I was all in.

Whether or not psychological thrillers are your thing, prepare to have a new must-read author. With a sympathetic but complicated main character as narrator and a host of possibilities when it comes to the identity of her stalker, Queen of Hearts is a riveting read.

Recommended.

This review refers to a temporary digital copy read via NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. A positive review was not required and all opinions expressed are my own.

Shut the front door and pick my jaw up off of the floor. Flabbergasted does not even begin to describe how I feel right now. I have been held hostage by this book all afternoon, and I never dreamed where it was headed.

Alexandria Dubois is a NYT bestselling author. With fame comes the good and bad, but boy does Alexandria get the bad. She starts receiving threatening notes from a fan who goes by "an invested reader". When someone tries to break into her home, her publisher and the police talk her into leaving home. Her publisher invites her to stay in a remote mountain mansion (this was no mountain cabin) in West Virginia. She should be perfectly safe here, at least that what she thinks.

This was an electrifying ride of deception, danger and intrigue. You don't know who you can trust. Five stars seems horribly insufficient for this hot book. This is my first read by this author, but it will not be my last.

Thank you to Woodhaven Press and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book sucked me in quick and kept my attention the whole time!! I rated it 3.5 stars (rounded up for rating). I really liked it and it seemed to hint at the possibility of a sequel? I’d love that.

Queen of Hearts by Heather Day Gilbert is a suspenseful thriller that kept turning the pages till early morning!
Her writing grabs you from the first chapter and I didn’t want to put the book down, as I was so engrossed in the story.
The story unfolds with masterful pacing and the characters are well developed and keep the book engaging throughout.
And the plot is full of twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the very end.

Thank You NetGalley and WoodHaven Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

(3.5 rounded up) The premise sucked me in. The suspense was provided and a little intrigue, but I knew the moment the perp appeared on page who it was. The epilogue had me baffled. My assumption is there will be another book and I will grasp how the epilogue came to be. I am having a hard time with this review as there were moments that really held me and others that preceded to lose me along the way. This just might not have been the book for me or I was not in the right frame to read it at this time. Thank you for the opportunity to read early and share my own thoughts and opinions. #QueenofHearts #HeatherDayGilbert #Wood-havenPress #NetGalley

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This book kept me on edge throughout, especially with the twists and turns, I found it to be a intense and creepy read overall.

This psychological thriller was a fast-paced, quick read that had me hooked from the start. I loved Alexandra, the protagonist, who's a strong and feisty author who knows how to stand up for herself. Her diagnosis with autism made her interesting, felt more real and complex, and I liked her even more for it. The setting of the small town and remote lodge was perfect for the stalker trope, and I felt like I was watching a movie or bingeing a TV show.

One minor quibble was that the characters were a bit too quick to jump to conclusions towards the end, but the multiple plot twists made up for it. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to fans of psychological thrillers looking for a new page-turner.

Queen of Hearts is a creepy thriller with a protagonist with autism for a unique story. A bestselling author, Alexandra Dubois is always getting fan mail but her latest letter threatens the author. Alex is writing the last book in her best selling series and the “invested reader” has a strong opinion on how the story should end. As things escalate, Alex heads to her editor’s mountain house. Alex soon discovers the borrowed house is not any safer than her own home. Danger comes calling for Alex in this twisted thriller that blindsided me with the whodunnit for a real page turner. My voluntary, unbiased, and non-mandatory review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

Thank you Woodhaven Press, NetGalley, and Heather Day Gilbert for the great opportunity of reading the advance copy of Queen of Hearts. Alex is an autistic woman who has successfully managed to become a bestselling author of suspense novels but as she is beginning her seventh book a stalker begins to gaslight her and try to make her scared of everything she knows. Her editor sets her up in a remote West Virginia town in his cabin so that she will be safe and off the grid but before long she is sure her stalker has found her and if she’s not careful she could be his next victim. She’s sure he has already been responsible for the death of a young woman before her that stayed at the cabin. So is she safe or did she walk right into a trap? And who is really after her? This is such a good story and I’m so glad to see this writer has more books available. I look forward to reading more of her work and highly recommend this book.