Stalkers, ex-pop stars and written from many different view points. A thriller that doesn't quite deliver was how I found this novel. Some will love it, it wasn't for me.

This book got my attention from the first couple of chapters. I really liked the fact that it is written from different people's perspectives, and from different times in their lives. There are some great twists which makes you want to continue to read and not put the book down. I love when this happens!

I felt like this book grabbed me from the beginning, and it is a slow burn. I have read this author before and I love her work, and this one was no different. What I really loved about this book is how fast paced it was, and the main character is relatable.

This was a solid thriller with a great premise and some fun reveals, but which didn't keep me entirely guessing. Crazy For You centers around ex-popstar Victoria London whose friend Nikki Stone died gruesomely 20 years ago. Since then, she has retreated from the spotlight and spends her time rehabilitating wolves and wolf dogs. Even so, reporters continue to hound her, and now she's begun receiving emails with Nikki's photos. Things continue to escalate from there. There's a lot of suspense, tension, and intrigue in this book that definitely kept me hooked. However, I didn't feel like the writing style and characters were engrossing me as much, and I did see a couple plot points coming ahead of time which is always a bummer for me when reading a thriller. Overall, there were some things that detracted from my overall enjoyment of this book but I did like it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Inkubator Books, and Marnie Vinge for providing this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

It took me a while to get into this book. As one that normally listens to audiobooks, that may have been why it took me a little longer.

This book wasn't a hit for me. I found it relatively predictable, and I could see most of the plot twists coming from the beginning. I found the premiss a little different, so that did help keep me engaged. However, the rest of the book just wasn't for me.

But if you are one for stalkers and crazy obsessed fans- this is one for you.

I give this one 3 ⭐⭐⭐ ( I feel like this is generous)

Crazy for you by Marnie Vinge.
This was a good read. I did like the cover. Each chapter has Victoria Alice joey. I really didn't trust Alice at all. I certainly didn't like Jake at all. He was creepy. He gave me goosebumps. Gripping and twisty. I was surprised. I didn't expect that

This was an entertaining popcorn book kind of thriller. I didn't really like any of the characters, but I was definitely curious to see where the story was going. I found it pretty predictable, but the action at the end was tense enough that it held my attention.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

This book was so incredibly interesting to me. The twist was a little easy to predict, but there were other parts that kept me guessing and on my toes. I loved that this book involved such developed characters, a twisted back story and the aftermath of a previous event. Thanks so much for this ARC, Inkubator Books and NetGalley!

Book Information
Crazy For You.
By
Marnie Vinge.

Genre - Psychological Triller.

Pages - 282 Pages.

Tropes -
Stalker.
Toxic Relationships.
Obsessive Behaviour.
Animal Rescue.

Available on Kindle Unlimited - Yes, available now!

Available Formats - Kindle, Paperback and Hardcover.

Publishing Information -
Published on 15th September 2024 by Inkubator Books.

Format in Which i Read - Kindle.

Where my copy come From - Netgallery and Zooloo's Book Tours.

POVs - Multiple POVs - Victoria, Joey and Alice.

Dual Timeline - Yes.

1st or 3rd Person - 1st Person.

HEA or Cliffhanger - Wrapped and finished, although left with a question ending?

Series or Standalone - This is a standalone.

Trigger Warnings - This book does have some content that people may find triggering, for example unaliving and toxic relationships.




My Initial Thoughts

When i first started reading this, i couldn't believe that we was told the crime straight away, and it sets the pace from which all the drama follows Victoria and why she abandoned her live in LA, for the safety of the wolf rescue. Which may i add sounds like heaven, a place i would love to visit.


Plot

From the start of the storyline the pace is set, and you get a real feel for the dangers that Victoria faces in just existing. There is many a secret hidden in side the story line, and when it matters nothing is as at seems. I managed to figure it all out before i had finishing reading but i still didn't expect the drama that continently flowed.


Characters

The characters were a diverse mix within the story. Victoria is the average teen pop star who turns away from the lime light with her own demons in tow. Jake.. the less said about him the better.. Alice has a very difficult childhood by no doubt but she's most certainly a little insane, and Joey just wants her quite live with Victoria at the ranch... "Besides, what is the worst that can happen"


Recommend

i recommend this to anyone that enjoys a easy flowing thriller.

Favourite Quotes

" I Just wanted to let you know that tonight was like a religious experience for me. I've never felt as connected to any other human being as i do to you through your music... Forever obsessed"

"Jake's presence is an entirely different level of threat to my life. The foreclosure is small in comparison. The bank won't kill me. But Jake might."

"The past has come back to haunt me. But i think i was haunted even before everything happened with Nikki Stone."

Favourite Chapter/s

I don't tend to have favourite chapters in thrillers.

Summed up in one sentence

A wolf-tastic thriller.


Overall Wrap up

I did enjoy this one, it was a very quick read and although i predicted the twist very early on, i enjoyed the other parts of the secrets and lies that were unearthed. Jake.. none of that i guessed at all. When you read as many thrillers as i do you become able to be the detective along with the story.



Stars.

3

I'd like to thank NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Crazy for You by Marnie Vinge. I was thrilled to be approved to read this novel and received a copy of it for free in exchange for my honest review.

The story is told from alternating perspectives and alternate timelines to keep the reader guessing. I know a lot of readers don't like these type of books. However, I actually enjoy books that have this type of format if it's done well, and the author did an exceptional job with it. Unfortunately, I did figure out part of the plot twist because of it. With that being said, there was another plot twist that I thought I had figured out and didn't!

As far as characters go, I really liked the main character, Victoria London and the wolves. In high school, there was a program where there were a specific type of wolf that was going extinct, and the program was trying to grow the population and reintroduce them to Yellowstone Park. I donated a small amount to the program and was pleased to see that the program worked and was featured on the television show 60 Minutes not too long ago. So, reading a book about a wolf charity was something a bit near and dear to me. Other than the wolves and Victoria London, I didn't care much about the other characters as I didn't really trust most of them.

Four out of five stars is what I gave Crazy for You by Marnie Vinge. The only reason I didn't give it more stars is mainly because there were times that I thought the story dragged a bit. Overall, it was an interesting read and one that I'd recommend to other people, especially if you like wolves. I'd categorize this book in the suspense and thriller genres.

The book held my interest for the first several chapters but after things were revealed, it became a little less exciting until the end when it again picked up. The different points of view threw me. Victoria, an ex pop star, gets an email from someone who has been dead for 20 years. She left her stardom behind when Victoria died and when she was also being stalked. With this email, old horrid memories are dredged up. We learn the truth about what happened to her friend and what is happening now as Victoria operates a pet rescue.
While the end was good and unanticipated, the middle was a bit confusing and, at times, a bit slow.
The character development was good, however.
Thanks to NetGalley and Inkubator books for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you, Netgalley, Marnie Vinge, and Inkubator Books for the ebook. I love a good psycho thriller and this did not disappoint! A quick and fun read that will have you turning the pages all throughout the night!

The cover didn't lie when it said it was a gripping psychological thriller with a shocking twist! I found this book very interesting and easily drawn in. I thought I knew the twist a few times and was wrong. I loved the wolves and rescue sanctuary aspect of it. The only thing I didn’t care for was the back and forth timelines. I know it’s very common in these books, but I just would have preferred a bold text of THEN and NOW at the start of a chapter. If you didn’t pay attention to the date when starting the chapter it was a little confusing for a minute. And honestly could have been just a me issue while reading it. Overall I highly recommend this book if you enjoy thrillers with a twist you don’t see coming!!

📚 PRE-PUBLICATION BOOK REVIEW 📚

Crazy For You By Marnie Vinge
Publication Date: Fall 2024
Publisher: Inkubator Books

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
(Rounded Up To 5⭐)

📚MY REVIEW:

If you are looking for a psychological thriller that is tension-filled and focused on edge-of-your-seat intensity, you do not want to miss Crazy For You! Wowza, this book was RIVETING!

This story was told in multiple POVs across multiple timelines...and if you're a fan of psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators, buckle up for this one! Throughout the book and in every storyline, there was a pervasive stalker wreaking havoc on the characters, which created such a creepy vibe.

Our female MC, Victoria, was a teenage pop star in LA in the early 2000s. She was being stalked by a super fan and became embroiled in tabloid rumors after the death of her friend and fellow pop star, Nikki, who died while attending a party in Victoria's home. Victoria left LA, happy to be away from the limelight, and opened a wolf conservation and rescue center in Oklahoma. There's a part of this story that touches on the MeToo movement, which may be a helpful TW for some readers. The alternating perspective is told by our other female MC, Alice, who is obsessed with not only her best friend, Joey, but obsessed with Victoria at the start of her career in the early 2000s. It quickly becomes clear that Alice is (more than a little) unhinged, with her life of trauma and her increasingly toxic friendship with Joey. There's a part of this story that touches on alcoholism, which may be a helpful TW for some readers. Reading and waiting for these storylines to intersect in the present day really kept my anxiety levels up!

This book was simultaneously a fast read and a slow burn. I don't know if I've ever read a book with so much unreliability, paranoia, and tension -- it was palpable! EVERY storyline was filled with intensity. This one grabbed me instantly, with the initial chapters making me feel as if I knew what to expect in the story ahead. But I didn't. This book was an even wilder ride than I anticipated, and the second half of the book had SO many unexpected twists and turns - my head was spinning (in a good way). I will say that just before the halfway point of the book, I started feeling a little confused about all the tension, like I was missing a big piece of the puzzle. I didn't understand why everybody was so stressed out about what was happening. But very shortly after I started wondering what I was missing, clues started cluing and twists started twisting -- and I wasn't going anywhere till this book was done and all the secrets were revealed.

If you're a fan of psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators and stalking vibes, you're gonna love this one. This book is perfect for fans of Faith Gardner, Lisa Gray, or Freida McFadden. I absolutely recommend picking this one up wherever you buy your books! A huge thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for gifting me an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

#CrazyForYou #MarnieVinge #InkubatorBooks #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #ARC #thrilleraddict #psychologicalthriller #thrillerlover #stalkervibes #booklover #bookreviews #bookrecommendations #bookrecs

Victoria is haunted by the death of Nikki Stone. Twenty years later she has tried to move on and runs a wolf rescue centre but someone can't let her go and they are determined to make her pay. Amazingly fast paced I was flying through the pages at a breathtaking speed just waiting for the twist. I felt scared trying to figure out what would happen next. I became invested in the characters even though I didn't particularly like them I was still hoping for a good outcome. It's a complicated thriller that I read while scared out of my wits about the stalker!

Marnie Vinge’s Crazy For You is a psychological thriller that combines the haunting echoes of a tragic past with the dark realities of fame and obsession. Centering on ex-pop star Victoria London, the novel weaves together themes of guilt, trauma, and the relentless grip of the past, creating a suspenseful narrative that keeps readers intrigued, even if it doesn't always deliver the emotional punch it promises.

Victoria, who once captivated the world as a music sensation, has retreated from fame after the tragic death of her friend Nikki Stone, a death that continues to haunt her two decades later. Although Nikki’s death was ruled an accident, Victoria has never been able to shake the guilt she feels for her role in it. Compounding her decision to leave the spotlight was a stalker, an obsessive fan who made her life a nightmare. The novel opens with Victoria leading a quieter, more fulfilling life running a wolf rescue charity, a stark contrast to the chaos of her past.

Vinge does a good job in setting up the eerie, unsettling tone of the novel. The email that Victoria receives about Nikki is the perfect catalyst for stirring up all the unresolved emotions and trauma that Victoria has been suppressing. The re-emergence of her past is both chilling and suspenseful, and the mystery behind who sent the email and why creates a solid foundation for the novel’s tension. The concept of a stalker or obsessed fan also adds an extra layer of unease, hinting that Victoria may never be truly free of her past, no matter how much she tries to escape it.

However, while the premise is strong, the execution falls somewhat short in places. Victoria is a complex character, shaped by guilt, fear, and a desire for redemption, but her emotional journey doesn’t quite resonate as deeply as it could. The novel hints at her inner turmoil, but Vinge doesn’t always explore these feelings in a way that truly connects with the reader. As a result, some of the more emotional moments, particularly related to Victoria’s guilt over Nikki’s death, feel underdeveloped.

The inclusion of the wolf rescue charity is an interesting touch and provides a symbolic backdrop to Victoria’s attempts to find peace. The wolves serve as a metaphor for her own wild, uncontrollable past, and the refuge she finds in their company highlights her need to distance herself from the poisonous aspects of fame. Vinge’s portrayal of Victoria’s relationship with the animals adds a unique element to the story, but at times it feels like more could have been done to integrate this aspect into the central narrative. While it provides a peaceful contrast to the rising danger around her, it sometimes feels like a secondary thread rather than a key part of the plot.

As the story unfolds and the mystery deepens, Vinge builds suspense through the growing sense that someone from Victoria’s past is out to make her pay. The slow reveal of this figure’s identity is effective, keeping readers guessing, but there are moments where the pacing drags. The middle section of the novel could have used a bit more urgency to maintain the tension that’s so well-established early on.

The novel’s final act brings the stakes to a climax, with Victoria forced to confront not only the person behind the threatening messages but also the unresolved guilt that has haunted her for years. The resolution is satisfying in terms of plot, though the emotional payoff might leave some readers wanting more depth. The confrontation is intense, but the psychological aspect of Victoria’s struggle could have been explored more thoroughly to make the ending feel more impactful.

Final Thoughts:
Crazy For You offers an engaging, suspenseful ride, with a strong premise that keeps readers hooked from the beginning. Marnie Vinge crafts a solid psychological thriller that explores the dark side of fame and the lingering effects of guilt. However, while the book delivers on mystery and tension, it occasionally falls short in emotional depth and pacing. Fans of thrillers with a touch of celebrity intrigue and a well-crafted atmosphere will enjoy the novel, though it might leave others hoping for a bit more intensity in both character development and plot execution.

I was not expecting that twist ending! This was one of those psychological thrillers that keeps you assuming and simultaneously proving you wrong. I had a lot of fun reading this book!

I thought I knew what was happening, but the turns proved me wrong. Great, easy read! I love the drama, stalker vibe of the book.
Thank you for the opportunity to read!

Crazy for you! The cover first off
Perfect for thriller spooky season
Page turning gripping
The characters some you’ll love some not so much
The guessing and ending
Great thriller

Victoria had everything a rising teen star would want - money, fame, and success. All of that comes crashing down when her best friend has a (literal) deadly fall. But then, 20 years later, Victoria hears from her - what's going on?!

This one took a little while for me to get into and felt like more of a slow burn, but it had a captivating story that kept me reading! Some of the characters could have used a bit more development and the ending made me wanting more, but overall I enjoyed VInge's ideas and plan on keeping an eye on her future works! Thanks so much for the ARC!