I love love loved this book! It’s a story about a women with a new identity and new life, with a husband and children. But…. someone has found her 👀
And she will go to any lengths to protect her children.
Highly recommend!

3.5 stars.

Camille Prescott has it all. A doting husband, two children, and a charming home in a seaside enclave. But behind her polished mask lurks secrets. Raised by a vindictive and psychotic woman, Camille has gone to great lengths to bury her past and for good reason: if her mother ever finds her, she will kill her. Nothing can prepare her for the day her six-year-old daughter, Georgie, starts showing signs of unsettlingly familiar behavior, including an imaginary new friend who knows Camille’s past secrets.

I must say the premise of this one was super interesting, with Camille being a high functioning sociopath main character. It had all the potential to blow my mind, especially the intricacies of her trying to mask her identity and emulate ‘normal’ people. It was a shame that I didn’t end up connecting with the execution. I wish her relationship with her husband was flushed out deeper in the story.

The popcorn thriller elements themselves weren’t too bad, and I didn’t manage to completely predict the whoddunit. So that tells me I might not have been in the right mood for it at the time. If this sounds like something you’re interested in, I’d still recommend this for you. Check out the audiobook and let me know what you think!

This one was a wild listen!! There is so much to unpack in this one. Camille is a mother who is willing to do anything to protect her kids, but how far will she go?
This story does have a duo timeline. It shows Camille's past and present. This story shows mental health and how a mother is portrayed and how Camille handles that as a mother. The plot twist on this one was very good. I didn't see it coming. At first it was a bit creepy with the imaginary friend but oh gosh, it is so much more than that. The narrator, Renata Friedman did a wonderful job portraying Camille in all of forms and it was done brilliantly. So so good!! The narrator kept me engaged till the very end. I hope there is more from Camille and her family.

This book hooked me in and keep me shook to my core until the very end! CREEPYYYYYYY!!

Camille had a terrible chidhood but she keft her abuse in the past and is now married with 2 kids. Trouble starts when her daughter starts school and she starts to talk of an imaginary friend... One that seems to know things that no one should know. Things that Camille left firmly in the past.

SO SO GOOD!!

This book had a low hum of terrifying that I loved so much! it was a really interesting plot with the back story of Camille and the work she does to be well and that really added a nice dimension to this thriller.

Narrator was fantastic, did a really solid job.

The suspence is gripping!

4 stars

Minka Kent excels at creating complex and flawed characters. Her books are incredibly engaging, making it hard to put them down once you start reading. I was delighted to find out that "Imaginary Strangers" is the first book in a series, even though I usually don't prefer series.

Camille seems to have an ideal life with a devoted husband who is a doctor and two wonderful children. Even her mother-in-law is supportive and always ready to help. However, Camille has a huge secret she's keeping from her family. Despite all the support, she struggles with sociopathic tendencies rooted in a traumatic childhood, which she also hides from her family. Can you imagine living in constant fear of your true self being exposed?

This book is a real page-turner, and I found myself wanting more with each chapter. The twists at the end were astonishing, completely catching me off guard! I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in the series to see where the story goes next.

This book was a compelling listen. The narration was excellent, and the story kept me hooked from start to finish.

Though I didn't feel a strong connection with the characters, the plot was engaging enough to keep me interested. I'm not a big fan of cliffhangers, but I hope this means a sequel is on the way.

The themes were deep and somewhat sad, adding a layer of thoughtfulness to the story. It was an enjoyable experience, and I'm excited to see what comes next.

The first chapter drew me in immediately, and I couldn’t wait to see where this story was heading. I enjoyed the author’s exploration of nature vs. nature, and the realistic representation of how a traumatic childhood can shape individuals. As a sociopath, sympathy and empathy are strangers to Camille. Her carefully constructed life is threatened when her secrets and past begin to catch up with her. There was no way I could have predicted what was going to happen.
I really enjoyed this one and would recommend it.

Available to read and listen for free with Kindle Unlimited!

Favorite quote: “every relationship is transactional and anyone who believes otherwise, is fooling themselves.”

Thank you @brilliancepublishing and @Netgalley for my ALC!

The book is so mysterious, suspenseful and unsettling. The characters are mysterious too. The book kept me on the edge till the end. The vibe was unsettling and suspenseful. Narrator did a good job and the ending shook me. There are several twists, I didn’t see coming. The author has portrayed true fears of the mother. The psychological sessions were intriguing. As soon as Camille’s past encapsulated, I felt so deeply for her. This is a kind of book where you cannot judge the characters for what they did. This has been narrated in dual timelines.

Camille Prescott had a traumatic childhood. Something that happened in the past still bothers her. Now she has a husband and two children. But her concern increases when her daughter starts doing strange things. It puts her in dilemma whether her daughter’s friend is really imaginary or there is someone who knows Camille too well and using it against her to break her family?

I love Minka Kent’s books. They’re always full of suspense and keep me engaged. This one was no different. I enjoyed the narrator. She did a great job with the characters’ voices and made it easy to follow along.

Wow!

Another Minka Kent book that doesn’t disappoint!

It has it all! The thrill. The mystery. The creepy characters that had you completely enthralled and invested.

I didn’t see it coming y’all!!! &&& if you can stump me…it’s always a 5 star for me 👏🏻

4.75 🌟 because this book CONSUMED me - WOW!!

Imaginary Strangers is an absolutely amazing psychological thriller with an addictive plot and writing.

Our FMC, Camille, was diagnosed as a sociopath and had an extremely rough childhood, but now she lives a seemingly perfect life. Unfortunately, it’s close to impossible to escape your past.

Sociopathy is a topic that has always interested me, and I absolutely loved getting the chance to read about an FMC with this diagnosis.

This thriller was an absolute page-turner with constant tension, a dual timeline, and twists happening throughout the book. I loved every single second of it! And the audiobook - WOW! I’m so happy I got the chance to listen to this story because the way our narrator told it gave it an additional special spark. 🔥 The Venus flytrap metaphor was so perfect! Once the book was finished, I kept thinking about it for hours and hours.

Thank you so much, NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing, for this audiobook ARC! All opinions are my own.

3 stars

**Thank you to NetGalley for this audio ALC in exchange for an honest review.**

Basics
Authors: she/her, USA
Genre: psychological thriller
Setting: seaside suburbia
Themes: blood ties, trauma, safeguarding
Mood: repressed panic, anxious, angry

Pros
+ Camille: sociopath mom of 2 with a dark past
+ Georgiana/"Georgie" : Camille's 6yo daughter with an imaginary friend called "bestie"
+ hearing about the imaginary friends from the 6yo's perspective is so creepy because anything she says could mean so many different things
+ one of my fav unreliable narrator slants (is she losing her mind or is everyone else wrong?)

Cons
- Camille thinks she is ~so clever~ but really it's her saying a lot of stuff about protecting her family but then acting dumber than her words would let you believe
- I figured out the big bad way too early.

TW: sociopathy, parental abuse and neglect, stranger danger, gaslighting, disassociation

I absolutely loved this book.

The narrator did a fantastic job. It was a little slower than I was used to, so I ended up listening to it at a faster speed, which I didn't mind because I finished it that much quicker.

Camille escaped an abusive mother and left home at 17. Now, a mother herself, her past has come back to haunt her in the form of a friend that her daughter calls "imaginary." Camille was diagnosed as a sociopath but has learned to fake her feelings and present in a completely normal way.

What drew me into this book first and foremost was the creepy child aspect. It opens with Camille's daughter having an imaginary friend she calls "bestie" and moves on to the girl making a new friend she calls "imaginary." But imaginary seems to know things about Camille's past that no one else does. Camille discovers that "imaginary" is really a teacher's aide at the school named Imogen and is determined to get to the bottom of Imogen poisoning her daughter's mind.

The other thing I loved about this book was that you really couldn't tell until the end whether Camille was a reliable narrator or not. Her diagnosis made you question it initially, but her behavior became more and more unhinged as the book went on. She became obsessed with stalking Imogen to get to the bottom of what was going on. She was convinced someone was trying to make her feel crazy. The reader really didn't know how much, if any was all in Camille's head.

Overall, I loved this book and can't wait to read more from this author.

Imaginary Strangers by Minka Kent

Go for the story, not for the plot twist.

Minka Kent delivers a story full of controversy and moral dilemmas inviting her readers to navigate the deep waters of mental health problems, treatment and awareness.

Camille has lived a tough life and through it all has learnt to deal with her past. Maybe not putting it behind but finding coping mechanisms to lead a healthy life.

Now she’s married to a loving man, mother of the lovely Georgiana and has a new boy baby on its way. Her mother in low not only makes her feel loved and wanted but also makes her feel that she has a support network.

Once the newborn arrives, Camille feels Atlas. The weight of the world on her shoulders; and once more her mother in law is there to save the day by proposing therapy sessions. This will help the new mother of two dealing with what may seem to be post partum depression.

Camille will open her mind trying to get as many tools as possible from her doctor in order to keep her sane mind and the family she treasures. However, the true Camille will step out in the sessions showing us that life is always tricky but not for the wrong reasons.

Personal thoughts 💭

Kent has conducted extensive research to build this character and I am personally grateful for that. Camille seems to be the process of long hours and not only a story to write but a character with a purpose beyond the pages.
I invite you to think it through, what if you are that one?

This book was definitely interesting. I could not imagine having a childhood or a mother like that. I would have lost my mind if someone was messing with my kids. This book had some good twists. I did not see the ending coming.

I love Minka Kent’s writing style. 🥰 this book had an interesting storyline and kids in thriller books always freak me out so the imaginary friend aspect made it even more spooky. 😳 I feel like the book had a great pace and ending.

When her six year old daughter Georgie comes home speaking about a new friend who seems to make references to Camille's past, Camille is shocked. Who knows her secrets?

Holy moly, this book was so fantastic - I just could not put it down. I was lucky enough to listen to the audiobook as I read along with my ebook copy and highly recommend the audio if you get a chance to listen to it. With a huge twist I didn't see coming in the story, I was left utterly speechless. Minka Kent has outdone herself again. All the stars for this one.

IMAGINARY STRANGERS was a good story. I had a lot of ideas about who Georgie's best friend was. I will say, I was surprised when it was revealed. I think fans of psychological thrillers will enjoy this one. The audiobook was quick and easy to listen to. I definitely would recommend it!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for my gifted ALC.

This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.