I can’t resist a mystery riddled with family secrets, lies, and unspeakable actions, and this story offered it all.

I enjoyed how the book was split between several perspectives. One is an interview with Marlow - now a famous actress known for her troubled past and reckless behavior. Another is that of her adoptive sister, Isla, who found Marlow in the woods in 1995.

Marlow claims to have no memory before Isla and her parents took her in and adopted her, but as the interview progresses, memories resurface, and the world is watching.

Listening to Isla’s side of things, I knew something was amiss, but I didn’t feel like I could trust Marlow either. Although the story plays out slowly, the author puts quite a surprising twist at the end. I certainly didn’t think it would take a dark turn, but it did!

𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑔𝑢𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑢𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑓𝑢𝑙.

Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours and @ellensteil
for a spot on tour and a gifted book.

Thank you @brilliancepublishing for the gifted audiobook.

This book was different. It has some pretty cool mystery vibes and I would likely have listed this one as a mystery but general/womens fiction is what it lists under. I'm lucky to have found this gem of a book.

Marlow was found abandoned outside a family cabin. The family adopt her when no family can be found and Marlow remembers nothing. Now an adult, Marlow has something to share and the whole world is watching.

It is a really weird dynamic of watching the adoptive parents with Marlow and Isla, her adoptive sister, enjoyed being close unless Marlow became famous. Loved the dysfunctional family and the story spanning over years.

so good

4 stars

Becoming Marlow Fin is full of twists and suspense, so if you’re looking for that sort of beach read, it could work for you. However, I found it a bit uneven, and more and more outlandish, making it hard for me to connect to as much as I’d hoped.

Jordan Cobb, Jennifer Aquino, and Kimberly Woods did an effective job narrating the audiobook.

Thank you Ellen Won Steil, Lake Union Publishing, Brilliance Audio, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

Sometimes going into books with no expectation is the best. I had no idea what to expect when I picked up this audiobook, but I was pleasantly surprised. Six-year-old Marlow Fin is found wandering in the woods on a rainy evening. The Baek family takes her in and makes her one of their own. I loved the interview style and how flashbacks were woven into the story to help the reader understand what happened. The mystery of the book is slowly revealed. The twist at the end I did not see coming. Steil focuses most of the relationship between Isla Baek (the daughter) and Marlow. With that said, neither Isla nor Marlow were my favorite characters, but Moni (Isla’s grandmother) was. This is a family drama / thriller that I won’t soon forget.

I love complex and unique stories and this one really surprised me. It was full of twists, secrets and lots of drama. Multiple POVs, one of them told as an interview, I loved that, it was a bit of a slow burn, but it kept me guessing until the end.

THIS is the perfect summer read and if you haven’t heard of it you have now and you need it!

I absolutely loved this book!
I loved the interview sections the most! I felt that’s where a lot of the emotions and reveals were happening and I couldn’t get enough!
I stayed up all night devouring this book!!!!!

I absolutely loved the story and mystery
Loved the characters except the parents they were sus the entire time I just couldn’t figure out why
Moni has my heart and I bawled my eyes out
ABSOLUTLEY LOVED the twist I didn’t see coming
This was just so good and juicy I couldn’t get enough!!!!!!
Oh and the ending ?!??? What?


As far as the audiobook goes for narration I liked the interview section better than the story sections. When Isla was reading it just felt a little monotone

One word review: Chilling. I devoured this book. It was a great mix between thriller and family drama and it had me on the edge of my seat at times. There were so many twists and turns and so many family secrets. Marlow was a compelling character and her story was disturbing but equally fascinating. The narrator was fantastic for this twisty story and the multiple POV. Don’t miss this one!