3.5 stars. This is a decent debut and I can see it some people loving it. I liked it, but it wasn't a favorite.

Some positives:
The opening chapters did a great job with establishing the atmosphere, tone and intrigue.
The snake imagery was creepy and uncomfortable.
The climax was fantastic and the very end was super memorable. That's going to linger in my memory.

Some not-positives:
I felt like the middle dragged a bit.
I didn't entirely understand the point of the multiple POVs. Emma's POV was great, but I was really underwhelmed by Sam's and I don't think it added much to the story. In fact, I think it hurt it. Also, weirdly, despite their POVs taking place in the same time period and being mother and daughter, they didn't seem to overlap a ton.
This felt like YA to me. Maybe that's just because I was more engaged with Emma's POV though.

I'd definitely check out more books from this author in the future.

Wet interesting book and premise! The cover is definitely eye catching I’ll give ya that! I did feel the story was a bit rushed and I had to keep restarting to make sure I was following. Narrator did amazing though!

Don't Eat the Pie is marketed as an adult horror book, but I had to double-check that it wasn’t a young adult novel. The plot from the blurb sounds amazing, but the execution feels rushed, poorly thought out, and extremely immature. Crazy things start happening with no buildup or clear reasoning, making the story feel chaotic rather than suspenseful. On top of that, the two main characters are insufferable, which makes it difficult to connect with the story. I’m sure this book will find its audience among horror fans, but it just did not work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy of the audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
So the start of this book was kind of confusing and I had to keep re starting it. Then when I was able to follow it I was hooked! Definitely not what I expected and I really enjoyed it. I wish the ending had a bit more to it but otherwise this was a good one.
Narrator was good as well.

I think the concept of the book is good, but the execution wasn't the best. The plot felt a bit rushed, it didn't flow very well.

I do think the multiple POV's made the book a bit confusing. It was also hard to really connect with the characters. Both POV's explored very different things that almost made it feel like 2 different books that interlaced together.

I think it may have just been a case of the book wasn't for me. I do think some people will love this book but its not for me.

also note the book has a lot to do about pregnancy, Domestic Violence and more so make sure to go check the triggers!

I think this book started off very strong, then fell flat for me. It seemed as though weird things were happening but not in an order to keep me interested enough.

I choose to get an arc of this book solely on the cover. That pie and title had me hooked.
This book is the horror book I have always been looking for, so freaking creepy.
Reminded me of rosemary’s baby with all the creepy things going on. Characters seeing ghosts, a women gets pregnant after eating a pie, people behaving odd, no one wanting to tell anyone what is going on.

If you have the opportunity to listen to this audiobook this spooky season, you absolutely should. An idyllic island with a bunch of old ladies is the perfect place for such a horrifying story to take on place! It’s got paranormal activity, pie, Lilith, mystery, and just downright creepiness. Seriously, what more does one need? Extra points for incorporating the mysterious Roanoke Island colony!

Sam has finally found healthy love in her new husband Ben. She hopes this could be a fresh start for her and her daughter Emma, her child from her abusive ex. When Ben’s mother needs help, they all move back to Ben’s childhood home where Ben’s ex passed away while pregnant. This stirs up all sorts of feelings, especially when things don’t all seem to be as they appear…

Don’t Eat the Pie was mysterious, atmospheric, and character-rich. The audiobbook narrators did a great job bringing the voices of Sam and Emma to life. The gothic vibes were on point and I enjoyed the secluded island setting of the story.

Unfortunately this book felt very familiar and ultimately the ending fell short for me. The pacing was all over the place and it felt like we ran head-straight into a brick wall in the last few pages. The tropes were overused and nothing felt overly unique. I had high hopes for this book and it sadly fell flat for me

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for access to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

DNF at 60%

I was lured in by the initial creepy vibes and the “something isn’t quite right here start to this book. However, the pacing of this one is just off since there’s so much telling without a whole lot of showing.

I will say that as soon as I saw the cover of this upcoming book, I really was intrigued to see what it was about especially when I figured it was probably a horror story. Also I will note, that this book has put me permanently off fruit pies! Not that I am much of a pie eater anyways but I am warning that this book may put you off any pies made by little old friendly women! You have two normal people, Sam and Emma moving to a picturesque small island where everything seems so perfect after Sam's marries the wonderful Ben. That never ends well. You get the nice creep of something wrong after they get there, Sam and Ben's honeymoon cut short because his mother fell. There are nightmares and strange pregnant women found or had died (including Ben's previous wife), all wearing necklaces like the one Sam got from Nadine when she married Ben. Yes, there are ghosts but these ones are firmly in the trying to help mode because there is something even worse happening on this perfect bit of paradise.

It picks up into high speed crazy scary after the weird pie party for adults only. Warnings abound from people who disappear, little old ladies are all up in your business, all wanting to help Sam with the pregnancy that happened all of a sudden and is very odd. And there are so many secrets it is amazing the island doesn't sink with the weight of them! Very hard to put down and a very good horror! I don't want to spoil the twists and all so I am just going to say it is dark and twisty.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to listen to this audiobook and review it.

1 star - DNF @ 29%.

I appreciate that this has a fast pace but it feels like so much is happening yet, nothing is happening at the same time. I found neither the real life or paranormal horror well developed. I was confused about when and where things were happening and the alternating between PoV's added to this. I also found both PoV characters annoying and their backstories felt cheap.

This was a spooky and surprising Southern Gothic that I really enjoyed. The setting was fantastic and extremely atmospheric in this small island giving off serious Wicker Man of the American South vibes many times. The two main female lead characters were smart and interesting and the last third is extremely suspenseful and nightmarish. I will definitely recommend this one to lovers of Gothic and Folk horrors!

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for approving me to listen to the audiobook and review through netgalley.

This story was deliciously creepy and many layered. Many twists and turns throughout, like the vines and snakes weaving through the hauntingly beautiful and unreal island our characters find themselves.

Both Sam and Emma were strong protagonists, as a mother-daughter duo, with very distinct voices. They're the kind of characters you root for, and hope against hope they will get out of this in one piece - which you will have to read through to find out. Trust me, you'll be surprised every step of the way in this cleverly written mystery that has you going "oh my god??" throughout each chapter. You won't want to miss this, and you won't want to put it down.
Be careful, though. And don't eat the pie.

xoxo

Unfortunately this was not the book for me. I have realized that horror novels are not really my cup of tea I wanted to give it another shot but I just could not get into it. I had to DNF,

Thank you to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for providing with an audiobook arc to review,
This does not in any way, shape, or form alter my opinions or rating of this book.
There were moments throughout this book where I got goosebumps and was utterly grossed out. I was hooked from the beginning to the end. I loved it. The audio enhanced the experience from the whispering and more I just felt so engrossed into this twisted story. I would definitely recommend this book to any one who wants to be creeped out especially for the fall. As a mood reader I think this is perfect for all the spooky vibes! Rating 5/5

First of all, I need to say how much I love this title. I didn't even fully read the synopsis before I requested it on NetGalley because I knew I needed it in my life.

I can't think of anything to compare this book to; not in a bad way, I <i>love</i> that. It did take me a few chapters to get all the characters straight because Ben's side of the family is living on the island and Sam takes her side of the family to the island with them. Once I had it all straight, I was totally hooked. I started the audiobook yesterday and I spent my break at work today with an airpod in because I couldn't wait to finish it.

I would classify this as a thrillerhorror, all one word because I don't think it was one more than the other. There are definitely horror elements, like ghosts and a Ouija board scene, but at the same time I wanted to know what the mystery behind everything was. I had some of it figured out but there were still parts that had me genuinely shocked.

I do think the ending was a little abrupt, but overall it was totally worth the read (listen-great narrator!).

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape media for the early release of this audio.

First, can we talk about the cover? I’m obsessed. 🖤

The book itself was really well written. The characters, the plot, the twists? Loved them.
The narration? Extremely well done. I enjoyed listening to this one so much.

I look forward to reading more from this author!

Don't Eat the Pie by Monique Asher probably makes it onto the "weirdest books I've ever read" list. The cover alone was enough to draw me in and make me curious about this gothic horror. I loved how the story unfolded little by little in the creepiest of ways. The multiple povs follow Emma and Sam as they find out the secrets the island is hiding. It was a surprisingly emotional read despite the dark and terrifying happenings. There was a lot of family drama that kept things interesting. The characters were all unique and deep. I wish there would have been a little more character development for Same and Emma though. Cady Zuckerman and Stephanie Willing did a wonderful job at narrating the audiobook. Their voices brought the characters to life and added to the eerie atmosphere. There were a lot of sensitive topics, including loss of a pregnancy so make sure to check the content warnings before you read but I definitely recommend this for horror fans.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.