You will have no idea the twists and turns that will take you to where you need to go with this story...but boy will you enjoy the ride. So entertaining!

The Getaway by Mina Hardy delivers a gripping, slow-burn psychological thriller that’s full of tension, secrets, and the unsettling reality of a relationship that’s spiraling out of control. The novel sets a seemingly romantic backdrop—a remote cabin, a couple snowed in, the promise of intimacy—but quickly turns it into a claustrophobic nightmare where trust unravels, and danger lurks just out of sight.

Claire Fitzgerald heads to the cabin for one last weekend with Elliott Reyes, hoping to end their affair on a high note. Their relationship, built on secrecy and infidelity, has run its course for Claire, but Elliott is determined not to let her go. What begins as a planned farewell quickly shifts as Elliott’s need for control and his desperation to keep Claire around come to the surface. This imbalance in their desires creates the first crack in their idyllic weekend, setting the stage for deeper revelations.

One of Hardy’s strengths in The Getaway is her ability to shift the atmosphere from cozy to menacing. The cabin, with its isolation and the looming snowstorm, becomes a character in itself, amplifying the tension between Claire and Elliott. When an unseen assailant begins to target Claire, the novel turns into a chilling cat-and-mouse game where both she and Elliott are forced to confront not just the physical danger outside but the emotional turmoil within their relationship.

Hardy doesn’t shy away from peeling back the layers of her characters, revealing their darkest secrets. Claire starts as someone seemingly in control, planning to end things with Elliott, but the weekend shows how much more is at play in their relationship. Elliott, who initially comes across as merely over-attached, begins to reveal deeper, more sinister traits that make you question his intentions and how much he truly knows about Claire. The escalating psychological tension between the two makes for an unpredictable read.

As secrets unravel, the novel’s twists come hard and fast. What begins as a story of infidelity morphs into something much darker—each character hiding truths that not only endanger their relationship but threaten their survival. Hardy builds suspense through tight, claustrophobic scenes and eerie moments where you, like Claire, begin to doubt what’s real and what’s imagined.

The ending is a whirlwind of revelations and violence, with Hardy holding nothing back as the plot hurtles toward its conclusion. There’s blood, betrayal, and a final twist that feels both shocking and inevitable. The Getaway shows that while infidelity can wreck relationships, the secrets we hide to keep them intact can be far more dangerous.

Overall, if you enjoy psychological thrillers that explore the depths of toxic relationships, manipulation, and the blurred line between love and control, The Getaway is a fast-paced, chilling read that will keep you on edge until the last page.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! The Getaway by Mina Hardy is a thrilling, fast paced read that will have you hooked right away. I found this book to definitely be a page turner, though more so in the first half than the second.

Mina Hardy did a great job bringing me into the story and setting up a thriller in a secluded cabin. I really enjoyed how she was able to create the suspense, and good suspense is the most important part of a thriller like this!

This book had some very original twists that I absolutely did not see coming and for the most part I thought that was well done. I do think the book started to lose steam for me as the reveals happened. The suspense made me want to know what would happen next and each twist was exciting, but after I think the book’s momentum would be lessened for me. Still overall a good book for a thrill, and the ending did pick up a bit again.

Some of the twists I found that there was really no set up or foreshadowing at all, so how you’ll feel about that is just a matter of opinion. Usually that’s something I judge harsher, but here it’s definitely what the description of this book tells you to expect. And to be honest, I felt even the reveals that did completely came out of nowhere felt somehow organically revealed still. I suppose because they were shocking reveals to our main character Claire that it worked well enough that it was shocking for me too. Again though that’s just my opinion. I could see that not being to someone’s tastes if they prefer thorough foreshadowing and set up for twists.

The characters weren’t particularly relatable to me, however I do think they were well written. In particular I thought Claire was pretty interesting. She is a very refreshing character in how self assured she is and I like the maturity she has.

The Getaway is a very quick read and a great suspense filled thriller! I think it’s a book any thriller fan could pick up and enjoy! I definitely will check out more books by Mina Hardy, because I think the writing style of this book was the best part and something I’d enjoy in the future!

Umm...

I loved the first half of this book. I was fully invested in the story, to the point I was dreaming about the characters and daydreaming about where the story was going. I thought I was getting a Fatal Attraction style thriller where one or no one gets out alive. The first 50% was nerve-wracking and was a certain five stars. I loved that the characters weren't kids either, twenty somethings with heightened emotions. But, at almost the exact 50% mark, this little weekend getaway veered right off a cliff.

I'll admit, I never saw that coming and kudos to the author for giving us something out of left field. But holy hell. It went from Fatal Attraction to an episode of Bold and the Beautiful. The second half would barely get a three star rating, so rounding up for entertainment factor. There were a few more surprises towards the end, each one more and more far fetched. You absolutely need to suspend belief for this one. However, I was still invested in the ending and how on earth the author was going to finish this story. The last few chapters dragged and definitely needed to be cut down. Bizarre but recommended for fans of domestic suspense.

Review posted to Goodreads September 3rd.

this book started off really strong, the premise was so intriguing and I was so into it, and then it just started going downhill and I was not enjoying it anymore.

It was definitely different! I love thrillers set in cabins in the middle of nowhere, especially ones cut off by snow storms. Which seems to happen a lot in books for some reason! Anyways I loved the start of this but then it just got like..... what?! I wanted a thriller. I wanted tension and twists and someone finding a decapitated head on a pole in the bathroom. This just wasn't my vibe, it was a decent read but just didn't do anything for me

OMG WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST READ?!?

It is hard for me to rate this book because I’m still just a bit like, WTF?! It definitely wasn’t good, BUT it kept me hooked because of how outrageous it was… so that’s something?! The writing of the author definitely keeps you engaged and wondering what is going to happen next.

SUMMARY: Claire heads into her monthly “getaway” with Elliot, the man who is not her husband. She has plans to end the 2 year long affair but Elliot has different plans. As a snow storm traps the two in the remote cabin things start to go haywire. They discover truths about each other that they’d never expect. The truth & blood starts spilling out…Will they survive their weekend away?

• just going to reiterate that I’m confused by this book. I was definitely hooked which is a big positive but the plot was so ridiculous/far-fetched and just continued to get crazier.
• read at your own risk ⚠️ 😂

I liked the first part of the book better than the rest. It explored the relationship between a married couple and the relationship between the wife and the man she was having an affair with. The rest of the book was taken up with lots of danger/action/very bad, not relatable men. A few interesting twists., but also a lot of nonrealistic events. the writing was fine, the story to me was mixed. 3.5

This was my first book by this author and it started off with a bang. I was loving the domestic thrill of this and it was an easy 4-5 star but at the half way point it went way downhill. The twist was just blah and seems to be in way too many books lately. I’m not sure what the deal is with doing this as the twist in books. It’s not exciting or thrilling, it’s just plain nasty. No thank you!

The twists were TWISTING in Mina Hardy's, "The Getaway'". I so much enjoyed this book. I can't wait to let time go by and re-read it again! While it takes me a few days to really get into a mystery/thriller, this book had me from the first chapter. You will not be disappointed. I need to read more of Mina Hardy.

Based on the synopsis I wanted to love this book. For a while it was okay, with tension building. Unfortunately, for me, it became really unbelievable. Certain characters and how they related to each other pushed beyond the limits of fiction. It didn't feel like it was deftly handled. I'm not a fan of lots of sex scenes either. I'm not a prude, I just think they slow down the narrative. This book is completely the opposite of what I expected to read. Some reviewers have loved that so I wish the author well. This book just isn't for me.

The Getaway had me hooked from the first chapter with the authors deft writing having me pointing fingers at almost every character at some point, please note i was wrong at every stage! really great thriller!

Well, now I'm scared to go on holiday, aren't I? This book was nail bitingly good and utterly enjoyable!

Wow...just wow. I would never have guessed where this story was going based on the blurb, and that is totally awesome. I really enjoy being surprised and that's hard to do when there are so many books in this genre and only so many storylines. Grab a snack and your favorite beverage and jump on into this one. I think you will be glad you did.

Going in to this book, Mina Hardy was a new to me author. So I went in open minded and I didn't know what to expect.
Having said that, I was surprised by how much I liked this book!
We dive straight into the story (which I loved) and right from the start I was fully invested in the plot and the characters.
I did see some of the twists coming, but there was a couple that surprised me which as a long time thriller reader, doesn't happen that often.
I found the whole book to be thoroughly entertaining from start to finish and it definitely held my attention right until it finished.
Is this one of those books that will change your life? No. But I had such a fun time reading it and I thought the entertainment value was through the roof.
This is definitely one of those books I recommend you go in blind and you can definitely read it in one sitting.
A fast paced popcorn thriller that would be great to read in the winter time.
I had such a good time reading this, I highly recommend you give it a read!

This was a roller coaster ride and I loved it.

I love the snowed in trope, especially a cabin in the middle of nowhere.

We have a cosy cabin, adult fun, secrets exposed, and murder. What is not to like?

Claire meets her lover every month in the same cabin in the middle of nowhere. She looks forward to these getaways but this one doesn't quite go to plan.

This a twisty fun thriller that keeps you on your toes.

Bonus points for the protagonist being in her 50's, yes us older ladies do like a bit of naughty fun!

I had a hard time reading this book. The blurb was intriguing but I really couldn’t get into the story. The writing style is special and I’m definitely gonna try to read this book again maybe in the winter time but for now it is a DNF for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Howling Unicorn Press for this arc.

Claire is married to Troy, happily married, and yet, for two years she has been having a monthly romantic weekend getaway in a secluded cabin with Elliott. She has enjoyed her weekends with Elliott, but has a feeling that Elliott wants more from her than she is prepared to give him. Claire decides that this weekend will be the last, she will bring things to an end with Elliott. It has been fun while it lasted, but she feels it is now time to move on. She would like this weekend to be as fantastic as it usually is, and hopefully they will end things as friends, but Elliott has a few plans of his own.
The weather worsens, they are trapped in the cabin in a snowstorm, which could have been romantic, but secrets and lies come to light which cause Claire and Elliott to suspect they never really knew each other at all, and both wonder what the other one was capable of including murder.
I wasn't really a fan of any of the characters in this book, I didn't find them particularly likeable people, but I loved the plot, the way it twisted and turned with each new development. I was kept guessing until the end. An interesting and enjoyable read.

Once a month, Claire leaves her husband for a getaway at a remote cabin with Elliott, her lover. However, this time is a little different. She wants to end the relationship, but Elliott has other plans.

As a snowstorm traps them in the cabin and an assailant launches an attack on them, secrets are revealed and blood is spilled.

Even though I didn't particularly like any of the characters as I couldn't relate to them, I was entertained by the plot and there were many unexpected moments. When the final big reveal happened, the story dragged a bit but other than that, it was an enjoyable read.

This was a really good book that I thoroughly enjoyed & will recommend to others.
Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it