Polly and her friend shared a flat, and they had been preyed upon by a stalker, so had moved out for a while. Nicky went to stay with parents, and Polly signed up for an art retreat in the hopes it would help her to relax. Polly had another reason for signing up to it, she believed her biological mother once lived at Lakeside House in the Lake District where the retreat was being held, and she wanted to find out what she could about her biological parents. The couple who run the retreat appear to have problems, receiving threatening letters, and the other guests all appear to have their own secrets. Some of Pollys art work is vandalised, and it seems as if someone is trying to scare her. Polly wonders if the stalker has actually followed her to the retreat, or is it one of the other guests who has taken a dislike to her, or something to do with the letters the hosts are receiving. The weather turns nasty, the roads are flooded so everyone is trapped at the retreat. Then one of the guests goes missing.
This is an excellent psychological thriller, it kept me turning the pages as I couldn't put it down. A really great read.

Six strangers, from all walks of life, are staying at the newly refurbished Lakeside House in the heart of the Lake District for an art retreat. But each person has a secret and are there for their own reasons, not because of art.

This story followed a few of the characters, including the couple who owned the house. We mostly follow Poppy, a woman in her 20s who is fleeing a stalker and searching for her birth family. Her peaceful break quickly takes a sinister turn when strange things start happening. The book is filled with plenty of suspense and lots of twists, some I figured out, but others that caught me off guard. It was fast-paced, and I couldn't get enough of it once I started.

This had me totally hooked and drawn in from the very first page. This is a real page turner with so many twists and turns. Written across different timelines the main characters are Polly, Esme and Tara. I found myself questioning if all the characters were who they said they were or not. I found this really easy to follow and liked how it had a definite ending. Absolutely brilliant and would highly recommend. Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

My first Amanda Brittany novel but definitely not my last. This was a bit of a slow burn to me. Lots of great characters that kept me flipping pages. Secrets, lies and family ties.
Thank you NetGalley, Amanda Brittany and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood books for the opportunity to read an ARC of Now You Are Mine by Amanda Brittany. All opinions are my own.

When Polly signs up for an art retreat in the Lake District, she’s hoping for some peace, a break from the stalker who’s been making her life a nightmare, and maybe even a chance to dig into her past. Lakeside House, the retreat’s setting, is as full of secrets as it is scenic views. The previous owners met a rather grim end, and now the new, stylish owners are receiving some unsettling threats. Polly’s peaceful retreat quickly turns into a thriller—her artwork is being tampered with, her fellow guests are hiding more than just bad brushstrokes, and then one of them just up and disappears.

Now, with all this suspenseful setup, you’d expect a nail-biting read. But for me, this one didn’t quite deliver. The book starts with an intriguing premise, but I spent way too much time in the first half of the book trying to keep the characters straight. Many of them felt more like caricatures than real people, which made it hard to care about what happened to them. The thriller elements felt a bit over-the-top, with a villain who seemed more fit for a melodrama than a psychological suspense novel.

Character development was another sticking point. The characters felt shallow, making it hard to root for anyone, which in turn made the mystery less compelling until about halfway through the book. That said, when the plot finally picked up, I found myself more engaged. There were a few twists that genuinely caught me off guard, and the final act had me flipping pages to see how everything would be wrapped up.

The ending did tie things together, but some of the twists felt a little too far-fetched to fully buy into. Still, it was a fast-paced conclusion, which was a nice change from the slower start.

Overall, Now You Are Mine had its moments and a few surprises, but it didn’t quite meet my expectations in terms of character depth and consistent tension. I’m sure other readers will enjoy the twists and the speedy finish, and I’m grateful for the chance to read it before its release.

A masterful whodunit story. Told from multiple perspectives in the past and present which kept the story moving quickly. The author did a great job connecting everything together in the end. This is a fast page turner and quick read. I thoroughly enjoyed this one!


Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Six strangers are on a retreat at a remote lake house with a storied past; what could possibly go wrong?

For Polly, the artist retreat at Lakeside House is a perfect “kill two birds with one stone” situation. Spending time at the lake house will allow her to explore a family mystery she’s hoping to solve while also escaping the stalker who has been terrorizing Polly and her best friend – two completely standard problems to have simultaneously.

Of course, it’s never that simple, and between disturbing threats and the disappearance of another guest, Polly is left even more stressed than when she arrived.

This book includes separate timelines, which help connect the dots of how the plot points tie together. The timelines add to the buildup of the mystery surrounding Polly’s family, as well as the lake house itself. Author Amanda Brittany creates an intriguing puzzle using this method.

Brittany also does a good job of taking the plot to unexpected places; there is one twist I did not see coming, and it adds depth to the story. The bait-and-switch component made me want to go back and reread certain, and it was cleverly handled.

For those reading this and expecting more of an intense thriller feel, they might be disappointed, as this is more of a slow burn. However, for fans of figuring out puzzles in mysteries, this will be up their alley.

Polly signs up for an art retreat, along with five strangers, at a remote house where the previous owners reportedly committed suicide. Polly hopes to discretely learn more about her birth mother who clearly had some connection to the house, but she also is trying to escape a stalker. The other five strangers at the retreat are an odd assortment of people who also have secrets, as do the home's owners. When one of them disappears and Polly receives several threats, she would like to leave but finds that heavy rain and flash flooding make her escape impossible. When the house's owner turns up dead, no one knows who is safe, who is a threat, and who has a secret that caused them to commit murder.

This is a book that will keep the reader awake into the wee hours. No one is who they seem to be and their interest in attending the retreat may or may not be art related. The relentless, pounding rain adds to the drama, making the reader wish for sunshine, and ultimately, a happy ending for Polly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

What a thrill!
Now You Are Mine drew me in with a unique and mysterious setting, along with characters that have intertwined pasts. Protagonist Polly is looking for information about her birth mother when she signs up for an art retreat at an eerie lakeside manor. Other guests arrive who have strange attributes and personalities, and Polly is still trying to get away from everyday life and the unknown stalker. Mysterious things start happening around the manor, and when Polly starts to be threatened, she knows that she needs to get away. Will she find out about her family, and escape the doom lurking at the lakeside manor?
There were so many mysteries that were solved in the end of this story, and I loved how it all came full circle. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves good twists and a resolution at the end.

I thought I was going to start this one at bedtime.....boy was I wrong! There was no bedtime in my near future! Started and finished in the same night! Fast paced thrills from the very beginning. Just when I thought I had it figured out, I was thrown another curve ball!

Thank you so much for letting me be an earlier reading of this book, it’s the first book I’ve read by this author and didn’t disappoint! Quick and easy read, very well written and loved the plot. I would definitely read more books from this author and I’ll be recommending to all my friends.

★ ★ ★ ★

Thank you, NetGalley, Amanda Brittany, and Boldwood Books, for providing an early copy of ‘Now You’re Mine’ in exchange for an unbiased review.

This book starts with a bang! A mysterious narrator, enigmatic circumstances, and unsettling events pull you in. Fast forward to the present day, and we meet Polly, our protagonist, who is attending an exclusive artist retreat at Lakeside House, though she is not exactly an artist. Polly is joined by a group of eccentric and aspiring artists, each with their own hidden agendas that seem unrelated to learning new skills and expanding their portfolios…

As the story unfolds, we navigate three different timelines, all centered around Lakeside House and its current and former residents. Keeping track of all the characters was sometimes challenging, as there were quite a few. However, I enjoyed this aspect; it added to the mystery and kept me guessing. As the drama progresses, characters continually form new groups based on shifting circumstances, altering the dynamics and making everyone seem guilty, at least to me.

The reveal and the story leading up to it were absolutely captivating! Amanda Brittany masterfully creates a suspenseful atmosphere throughout, often infusing it with a chilling vibe. I could never have anticipated the fantastic twists she had in store!

This story is told from the point of view of Polly Ashton who is on the journey to find her birth mother. Polly also is a victim of a recent stalker that violated her life and her home so when a new art retreat is built and opened at lakeside, the house where her birth mother stood and took a picture she decides it’s the perfect place to relax and also find out about her mother and where she came from.
There’s also a haunted story about the couple who owned lakeside property, it was said they took their own lives and no one knows what happened so the story involving the past of lakeside is also told from the view of past characters. So it has a past and present storyline

This book was so easy to follow even if all my guesses were wrong. we also get multiple povs from other characters in the retreat which helped me get all the pieces of the puzzle. The plot twist, I didn’t even see it coming I was glad to be surprised.

Now I am hooked with thrillers!

Thank you so much for a copy of this book Netgalley

This is the first book ive read by this author and it most certainly wont be the last. Polly is searching for her birth mother, with only a single photograph showing her mother at the dark and forboding...
Long held family secrets and twists a plenty. Highly recommended xx

Polly heads to an art retreat at the Lakeside House in the Lake District. But Polly is not really interested in art. She's here to find out more about her biological mother, who she believes once lived at the house. She's also looking for a break, after a stalker preyed on her and her friend.

Polly finds out that the previous owners supposedly took their lives at the house many years ago. And the new owners are receiving threats from an unknown person. The five other guests at the retreat all seem to be hiding something as well. Polly's suspicions ramp up when someone destroys her artwork. Then, one of the other guests goes missing. Polly is worried that her stalker may have followed her to the retreat. Or, perhaps whatever is going on has to do with her unknown family...

I honestly found this book to be a bit of a drag and super unmemorable. It doesn't really pick up until the end. Either way, I found the majority of the book quite boring. I found myself skimming parts, waiting for some exciting action. Not really my cup of tea and not really a "thriller". I almost decided to give up at around 45%, but pushed through. I was glad when it was done, lol!

Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of Now You Are Mine by Amanda Brittany due to be published September 9, 2024.
Polly signs up for an art retreat at Lakeside House for two reasons – to get away from her stalker and to investigate her family history to see if her mother once lived there. But something sinister is happening. Everyone seems to be hiding something, things are damaged, and someone is missing. Is Polly in danger?
This was an exciting book – trying to figure out all the ins and outs of the house where they were staying. There were lots of twists and turns and trying to discover everyone’s secrets! Murders, missing people, secrets – all the great makings of a thriller!
This is my first book by Amanda Brittany – it was great – I look forward to reading more of her books.
#NetGalley #AmandaBrittany #BoldwoodBooks #NowYouAreMine

Brilliant characters! Brilliant plot and full of twists and turns that even I didn’t see coming! You think you’ve figured it out and then you’re hit with another plot twist! Very eerie and atmospheric! Fabulously written! I breezed through this in 2 sittings!
Big thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC I’m very grateful, Highly recommended!

This was an okay read, but didn't quite hit the spot for me. I found it hard to get invested in it, the characters didn't grab me. Hope others enjoy it more.

A remote lakeside house. Six strangers with something to hide. Who's out for revenge? Who will survive? When Polly signs up to an art retreat in the Lake District, it's an escape from the stress of recent months, when a stalker preyed on her and her friend! Good book! This book had intrigue, suspense, murder, great mystery, and a few crazy twists and turns! The story was interesting! I definitely recommend reading this one! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this story with me!

Are you ready for your new favorite thriller? Now You Are Mine should be removed up to the top of your to be read list. This was a great psychological thriller that kept me guessing until the very end.