Rebecca never speaks neither about her past nor who the father of her child is. Her husband Tom is curious, but as he knows only well what it is to fight his own demons, he never pushes for the answers.
Until that strange friend comes. Thin, fragile, with uncertain motives...and the secrets of his wife might never not be that unimportant again.
Because these two women have had been the cult members together. Victims, even if they hate that word.

I loved the 2/3 of the novel with all the uncertainties and revelations. The cult atmosphere with all that brainwashing is portrayed well and one can only ask why the police or other services have never been interested in the goings-on there.
But then the novel changes into the feminist romp and the brilliance goes away with the very unwise choices of somebody who should be the manipulative mastermind.

The last chapter is interesting, though - I actually believe that this character would behave exactly this way!

While this is not such a smart novel as it aspires to be, it still offers a too realustic view into the abusive atmosphere of the traps of the manipulation and preying on people.

The premise of this drew me in right away. The twin flames meets NXVM cult and seeing how it functions was fascinating. The characters were a bit frustrating and flat, and the ending happened a bit quick. Overall a fun read.

I almost requested this book several times, drawn each time to the clever cover and the concept. Something held me back though, and when I finally decided to give it a go and started listening, I realized that it was a misconception that almost led me to miss this one... I think the title and my expectations were just incongruent, and once I dug into the story I realized this was not gaslighting in the sense I've come to expect, with an emphasis on someone (usually a man) making someone else (usually a woman) believe one thing while actually doing/being/presenting another.

There are elements of that in the cult backstory, and even in a number of the interpersonal relationships throughout, but the book is about a lot more than that and that's where I really found it intriguing. This is a story about the complicated nature of who we are, what our past means, and if/how we can ever really run from who we were/what happened to us or if it inevitably follows in our wake. It's about coming to terms with your own choices - even when there wasn't much choice available when you made them - and learning to let go of what you need to in order to move yourself forward.

It was fascinating and horrifying and at so many points I found myself literally yelling out loud that I couldn't believe *anyone* could fall for the lines being fed to these young women - and then I realized that cult escape wouldn't be a trope if it didn't happen often, and that freaked me out more than I could say... It's a compelling tale and the narration really sold it for me. This was a really intense and wild ride and I quite enjoyed it (dark and horrifying though much of it was).

@netgalley came through for me on this gem. Again I went in blind but I LOVE that cover so much!!!! For me this book was just ok...I really wanted to love it but I felt like I was ease dropping on my daughter conversation the entire time and found myself being annoyed. It was well written though!

I love a good cult book and the premise and cover of this one were very promising. It's a much slower burn than I expected or hoped but did still pull me in enough to make me need to finish it. This is suspenseful but I would not classify it as a thriller if that's what you are looking for. Rebecca and Danny's dynamic was interesting and believable, as was the premise of ISB itself. I think it could have been edited down a bit to make it a little faster-paced and more suspenseful. The climax was satisfying but was left wanting something more by the end.

The narrator did a great job if you listed to the audio! Didn't detract from the plot and captured the emotions and intonations well.

3.5/5

Heart-pounding, eerie, and such a fun read.

Bex and Dani were fascinating to read about. Ben definitely felt reminiscent of Keith from NXIIM. This was a thrilling read, and I loved the way the discoveries unfolded as the story went on. There were a lot of heartwrenching moments as the narrative went on, and I think that the emotional component of recovering from trauma really made this book stick in my mind. I would love to see more from these authors working together.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While this book did seem to take inspiration directly from NEXIUM, it was still compelling and creative in its telling. Would recommend.

For fans of mystery and suspense, those intrigued by cults and brainwashing, this story raises the stakes of escaping a terrible situation when the main character isn't sure she wants to leave. Think NXIVM meets Heaven's Gate, a charismatic and revolutionary (but obviously mediocre) leader claiming to "heal sickness" sinks his claws into young, vulnerable women. "Gaslight" follows the story of two key players in his cultic group escaping his grasp forever. I devoured this book! It was everything I want in a cult documentary or memoir but with the added stakes of fiction. If your attention is captured by this type of docu-series, this is the novel for you!

I found this book riveting! It is such an engrossing tale about how a cult can suck someone in and remake them until the real person barely exists. The part about Danielle in particular was so interesting because she had a loving mother and a clear path forward, she was just dealing with pressure and depression. Then she gets sucked into this cult that ultimately has her committing some serious felonies.
The narrator was fantastic, did an awesome job of conveying feeling from the characters
Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and the author for my copy of this audiobook

This book is far from perfect but it keeps you on your toes, following many tropes associated with cult novels however, unlike most of them, this one actually is an engaging read.

There is clear research into cult behaviours done by the authors and as a result it feels more authentic than the standard copy and paste books we see time and again.

I would say however that the narration isn’t the best and would recommend picking this up in text format.

This psychological thriller was full of slow suspense as we follow present-day Rebekah trying to live a quiet and normal life with her husband and two children, then jump back to learn of her cult-involved past. With the arrival of an old friend, the past and present collide and secrets begin pouring out, putting everyone in danger. The change of multiple POV in different periods of time really gives for a good in-depth look at the characters. It was an engaging, albeit creepy read, and my only complaint is that things seemed to end a bit up-in-the-air for some. Overall still I good 4 star read, made even better with good audiobook narration. Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Nerve-wracking story of the lives of cult members. The story kept me captivated, although sometimes it felt like believability was being stretched to move the plot along more quickly. Overall, an entertaining read.

I love a good cult story! This one was especially fun because it was a past life that is catching back up with our FMC. This was a little bit dragged out for me through the beginning, but I think it was intentional to understand where Rebecca is in her current life and her past. However, it definitely starts to pick up and keeps the pages turning! This was really fun and the ending was wild!

Love a good cult book. I don’t know why I love the unraveling of these master manipulators so much. I’m just fascinated with the control these people have over others. Like how?! I’m always rooting for our protagonists. This was an entertaining read for my. Fast pace. Great narration. Would recommend. Thank you NetGalley!

If you like stories centered around cults, you’ll want to read this book! I could not stop listening to this audiobook. It had everything I wanted from perfect pacing to complex characters.
The authors did a really good job at showing the way cult leaders market themselves as life coaches or spiritual healers to target and draw in people who may be more susceptible to their tactics. They also did a decent job exploring the conflicting thoughts and emotions that victims of these systems experience.
But the real star of the show here is the story between Becs, the seemingly perfect housewife, and Danny, the unexpected visitor who causes reality to come crashing down around them.
Without giving too much away, I thought the progression of the women’s stories was true to what their experiences had been and I was pretty satisfied with the ending.

I also really enjoyed the narrator, Julia Atwood, for this book. Her voice matched perfectly with the characters and kept me easily invested in the story.

*Huge thanks to Miles Joris-Peyrafitte & Sara Sheperd, Blackstone Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced audiobook of this novel in exchange for honest review.*

I was excited to read this book about Rebecca, who has broken free from a cult and now has a family, being faced with potentially being pulled back in when her friend Danny shows up on her door step unannounced one day. However I was quickly disappointed. If this hadn't been an ARC that I committed to finishing I would have DNF it early on as I found it boring. I had no emotional connection to the characters at all, they were very one dimensional. I didn't especially care what happened to them one way or the other. I felt like the whole story was just being told to me rather than feeling immersed in it. It took so long to unpack the back story of Rebecca and Danny and what led each of them to join the cult, stay etc. And none of it was very surprising or special. It was also very hard to believe that Rebecca was able to convince Danny to leave the cult after being around each other for just a few hours. Every conflict just got magically resolved so easily and then it was all tied up in a nice bow at the end. This review will be posted to my Goodreads.

Holy shit. This book was a JOURNEY. A. Journey. There was never a point in time where I knew what was going to happen next and never a point in time where I wasn’t completely enthralled by the story. This was an amazing book. If you like twisty books that make you question basically every character you meet, this is the one for you.

Thank you, Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the free audiobook of Gaslight by Miles Joris-Peyrafitte and Sara Shepard.
This was an enjoyable read. 3.5 stars from me. It wasn’t the best book I have ever read but it kept me engaged and I appreciate that. Rebecca (aka Bex) was a bit insufferable, and I wish Dani had a bit more involvement in the actual bludgeoning scene. I would have also liked some better closure on Toby and Sophia.
I do wish there had also been a little more suspense in the story. It was a bit predictable, but entertaining overall.

I enjoy books with the subject surrounding cults. Fiction and non-fiction.
I couldn't get invested into this storyline. Like more than half of the reviews say, this is just a blueprint of the actual cult NXIVM.
From the branding, the type of leader as well as the members. I don't really have anything to offer in this review because it is not an original story.

Thank you to @netgalley and @blackstonepublishing for this advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I was engrossed in Gaslight's story all the way through. The present day portion of the novel takes place over the course of just one day, when two women from a cult, one who left long ago, and one still a member, come face to face after years. This edge-of-your-seat ride is interspersed with flashback chapters, following them as younger girls first becoming involved with the cult.

The alternating between past and present is done incredibly well, never feeling like it is taking away from the action currently going on, but expanding on the characters and history in a thoughtful way.

As someone with ties to religion as a child, and have been impacted ans traumatized by it, I found this to be a compelling look at what ideals and faith can do to a person when coming from someone looking to exploit you for their own purpose.

The narration was fantastic.