Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I was fully invested at the beginning but mid way started to lose interest. It was good but sometimes the different perspectives took a minute to sink in, which got me mixed up a time or two. Did not expect the ending, and I'm still not sure if I liked it or not! The narrators did a good job.

I was not expecting this to go into the fantastical realm. This one definitely kept my interest. The older ladies were definitely creepy.

This book was a wild ride from beginning to the end. I honestly didn’t know where the book was going to lead but I like where it ended up. Highly recommend

Don't eat the pie was an amazing book so many twists and turns. i would definitely recommend this book

Southern gothic horror, a mother daughter story, ghost and a spooky island. This one had a good creep factor.

Cady Zuckerman and Stephanie Willing narration was well done however there were times it got confusing to who was talking.

3 stars

I received this audiobook from the publisher Dreamscape Media for a fair and honest review.

🥧Book Review🥧
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Summary- When her mother-in-law falls ill, Sam dutifully moves her family to Edenic Camillia Island to care for her. The island residents, namely the older women, welcome Sam and her daughter Emma with open arms, endless cocktails, and plenty of superstition.

It seems perfect until it’s not. The house next to her mother-in-law’s is creepy—not only that, it’s where Ben’s first wife died.

Sam’s teen daughter Emma isn’t interested in spending the summer in Camillia. It gets even worse when Emma starts to see things—knowing that there are ghosts trying to warn her of something, but what?

Despite Emma’s pleas, Sam doesn’t want to rock the boat with her new family. Emma won’t pretend nothing is happening, especially as the messages become more grim and frequent. What secrets are buried on Camillia Island? And why are all the residents keen on keeping them quiet?
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Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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My thoughts- thank you @netgalley and @risingaction @simonandschuster for the advanced copy of this! This one gave me major Rosemarys Baby and Wicker Man vibes. I so enjoyed this one, it was creepy and a lot of fun. I wouldn’t recommend reading this one if you’re pregnant because yikes it was gory in the best way possible. 🤣it was spooky and fun and had a fantastic setting. Definitely recommend checking this one out, you won’t think of a pie contest in the same way 🤣.
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QOTD- do you enjoy pie? What is your favorite flavor? Mine is pumpkin 😍.

"Don't Eat the Pie" by Monique Asher is a mystery horror novel.

Samantha (Sam) and Ben are on their honeymoon when they get word that Ben's mother, Nadine, has had a stroke. They rush back to Ben's hometown on an island of the coast of Virginia.

Sam's teenage daughter, Emma, along with Sam's sister, Becky, and Becky's son, Jax, arrive, and they all stay together at Nadine's mansion.

The book alternates chapters between the voices of Sam and Emma. There are two narrators, Cady Zuckerman and Stephanie Willing, who do well, but their voices are so similar it is still hard to tell who is talking if you miss the first word of the chapter.

Emma sees ghosts in the house next door. There are a lot of snakes all around. Sam turns out to be pregnant, and the baby grows unnaturally fast inside her. Something sinister is going on. Becky and Emma start to figure it out. The book gets stranger and scarier as it goes on and then quite gory near the end. It's creepy and weird.

Characters - 3/5
Writing - 3/5
Plot - 3/5
Pacing - 4/5
Unputdownability - 3/5
Enjoyment - 1/5
Narration - 3/5
Cover - 5/5
Overall - 25/8 = 3 1/8

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, and Monique Asher for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I don’t quite know what this book was or what it was meant to be. It was definitely attention catching, and the lead up was great, but I didn’t find the end result super satisfying.

I didn’t not like it, but I didn’t love it. I found between the switching POVs and unclear ending, it wasn’t very conducive to a satisfying ending.

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

Big thanks to NetGalley, Monique Asher, and Dreamscape Media for the ARC audiobook!

Don't Eat the Pie by Monique Asher is a captivating and suspenseful story that instantly reminded me of Rosemary’s Baby with its creepy vibe and unsettling elements. While it’s tagged as a horror novel, I’d say it leans more towards a young adult thriller with some adult themes mixed in. The suspense builds nicely, keeping me hooked as the story progressed.

This is a case of the idea sounding SO good, but the execution unfortunately not working for me. I barely remember this one already, I just remember wanting it to be over :/

A good creepy story with a messed up family. This book had many interesting details including a creepy island, historical connections and even snakes. A good read for the genre.

Don't Eat the Pie is a spooky tale full of twists and turns. Monique Asher wove a great tale with this book.

unfortunatly i couldn't get into the writing style so this was a early dnf, or did not finish, for me.

While I sometimes got a little lost in dream like sequences, it worked beautifully. Very Rosemary's Baby. Thank you for sharing!

What is a normal family to you??
Gothic , horror, with a modern family twist of new and blended families. The unfolding of the residents who came to Camilia before is dine at a steady pace, and you only learn something crucial…and often creepy…right when you need to learn it. I need to find time to Reread to see if I missed any crucial foreshadowing. A perfect autumnal novel.

The narration for this audiobook narration is heard from two different characters. Samantha, a middle aged mother who has recently married a man named Ben and Emma, the teenaged daughter. I appreciated that the publisher hired good audio narrators. The voices were very distinct and very different in tone. It was very easy to tell both of the characters apart.. The narrator for Emma was very youthful and the narrator for Samantha was mature and well spoken. The audio quality of the recording was also excellent.

My only critique is of the novel itself. I felt like the characters were well developed. Transitions between the two characters were smooth and I didn't catch myself wishing that I was with the opposite character. My complaint is with the plot. I never felt a sense of dread and unease. Moments of the book that were supposed to stir up angst came across as dreamlike as if it wasn't really happening. I'm reading about a man that is supposed to be seen in a house next door and the descriptions leading up to the observation went from zero to "A MAN IS THERE!" in about 10 seconds. A character wakes up and I didn't know if the character was dreaming or really observing what she claimed to be seeing. At 50% into the book there simply wasn't enough of a plot to keep my curiosity going. I simply didn't care any longer and I put the book down.

There was no concept of what the reader should be afraid of nor of who or what was our antagonist. All I understood was that Samantha and Ben were back from their honeymoon, the mother-in-law is ill and Emma thinks the local soda jerk is cute. DNF at 50%

Don’t eat the Pie by Monique Asher

Spending the summer on an island with your new husband and his family should be fun but what do you do when your new husband's first wife died there and your daughter is seeing some strange things on the island…

I love horror so I set the bar high… This one started out not so good. I almost DNF it. I was so underwhelmed and my brain was elsewhere then BAM…. I got pulled in and that was that… I was hooked.

It did flip between different POVs and it did get a bit confusing for me at times but it did round the story out having all of them.

It was a really solid horror book once it found its footing. The story of the missing roanoke settlers and the witchcraft…wooooweeee it was one heck of a ride!

4 stars

Not the best read, it had loads of potential but it not meet the expectations….
The beginning was dragging, then story started to become more interesting but quickly turned in to mess

Monique Asher’s "Don't Eat the Pie" serves up a deliciously eerie tale that’s perfect for the spooky season. Set against the enchanting backdrop of Camillia Island, the story follows newlywed Sam, who finds herself entangled in a web of family obligations and sinister secrets after moving there to care for her ailing mother-in-law. The idyllic island community initially embraces Sam and her daughter, Emma, with open arms, but it soon becomes clear that this warm welcome comes with its own chilling undercurrents.

Asher expertly crafts a sense of foreboding that intensifies as the narrative unfolds. The haunting presence of the house next door—where Ben's first wife mysteriously died—adds layers of intrigue and dread. Emma's unsettling experiences with the supernatural serve as a catalyst for tension, as her mother grapples with the desire to fit into her new family while dismissing her daughter's warnings. The contrast between Sam's yearning for a perfect family life and Emma's visceral connection to the island's dark history creates a compelling narrative tension that kept me on the edge of my seat.

The characters are vividly drawn, particularly Sam, whose pregnancy adds a layer of complexity to her already fraught situation. The revelation of a “demon baby” is a wild twist that amplifies the story's dark witchy undertones, blending elements of horror and psychological thriller in a way that feels fresh and engaging.

Asher’s prose is both evocative and unsettling, making every shadow feel like it could conceal a secret waiting to be uncovered. The older women of Camillia Island, with their endless cocktails and superstitions, provide a unique charm while simultaneously heightening the eerie atmosphere. Their cryptic behavior hints at the island’s buried secrets, drawing readers deeper into the mystery.

In "Don't Eat the Pie," Monique Asher masterfully combines elements of horror, family dynamics, and the supernatural, resulting in a narrative that is as compelling as it is creepy. This book is a must-read for fans of dark thrillers and anyone looking to embrace the chills of the season. Just remember: sometimes, the sweetest appearances can hide the darkest truths.

Don't Eat the Pie is an intriguing Horror story following a mother-daughter duo, Sam and Emma. This book features a mysterious atmosphere, creepy characters, and luckily, quite a few tropes I tend to enjoy.

I've read a few reviews of this novel and many mention comps to Rosemary's Baby. I absolutely see that, but I would add that it's Rosemary's Baby mixed with The Skeleton Key. Do y'all remember that movie? It released in 2005 and starred the beautiful, Kate Hudson; set in New Orleans and contained some great supernatural Folk Horror elements. This book was definitely giving me all that.

The Southern Gothic vibes, the protagonists being new to town, the locals behaving strangely, particularly on the home-front. It's all very intriguing and definitely succeeded in pulling me in. It's set on Camillia Island and the island helped add to the mystery. I think it's mentioned that like only around 40-people actually reside there, so it's super small and feels very remote; not a lot of outside influence.

Sam and Emma move there after Sam marries Ben, and his mom, who lives on the island gets sick. Emma wasn't thrilled about the move, but it's padded a bit by one of her friends, as well as her Aunt and cousin, going along for a bit; at least for the Summer.

I liked the back and forth of the perspectives between Sam and Emma. It really helped to build out their relationship, as well as their current circumstances. They were both experiencing different things on Camilia Island and it was the totality of their experiences that really created the suspense and mystery.

I felt the author did a great job of creating a sense of danger within this atmosphere. It felt unsettling, even when you weren't sure what you were really being unsettled by and I love that sort of reading experience. The audiobook does have dual narration, which is perfect for providing distinction between Emma and Sam. I liked that aspect as it made me feel like I was actually listening to the two women tell their story.

While some parts felt a little drawn out, and certain details towards the end got a little muddled, overall, I had a great time with this story. It kept me on my toes. I've never read from this author before, but I would definitely be interested in picking up more of their work. Particularly, if they have this same dark Southern atmosphere. We love to see it.

Thank you to the publisher, Dreamscape Media, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This book deserves more buzz, and I hope it starts getting it soon. It's a perfect Spooky Season read!!!