This story kind of goes how you expect. But there’s something in that, knowing more than the narrator and wondering how that was going to play out for her.

The flashbacks to Claire’s childhood lend sympathy to her, like a lot of sympathy.

It’s easy to get sucked into.

Claire, Darling was hard to put down. I finished it in less than a day. The story is a mystery wrapped up in a mystery. The ending still makes me wonder because Claire Darling is so good at spinning her tale that I am unsure if I shouldn't believe her. I look forward to reading more from Callie Kazumi.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam and NetGalley for this ARC.

4.5 rounded up - Wooo. I could not put this down once it got going. The beginning is a little slow but not too slow. I *needed* to know what the heck was going on! The flashback sections to all the stuff with her mom were hard to read but there was purpose. I can’t believe this is a debut! My biggest gripe, which is quite small, is that the author used boyfriend and fiancé interchangeably 🤣 so really not a big deal. This went many different ways I wasn’t expecting and kept me on my toes until the very end.

This book had a big twist at the end! No spoilers, but it was definitely interesting. Trigger warnings include mental illness, rape and sexual abuse, and abusive parenting. Things are not quite what they seem for main character Claire as she stumbles upon her fiance Noah's Secret life. I would recommend this book for those who enjoy psychological thrillers and those who enjoy trying to guess what's coming up next. I would not recommend this book for those who have had upsetting childhoods as this may bring up a lot of triggers.

Callie Kazumi’s debut novel has many engrossing moments. The story is about Claire, a woman who learns that she has been ghosted by her fiance. As she investigates what went wrong in her relationship she discovers her fiance has an entire double life. She spirals into obsession as she tries to discover why her, and where things went so terribly wrong.

I’m rating this book three stars because throughout the beginning of the novel there are many flashbacks to Claire’s relationship with a critical and abusive mother. These felt disjointed to me and separate from the main story. I did find things picked up a lot in the second half of the novel, and it all began to feel more integrated. There is a significant twist to the story, which I predicted, but which was still interesting.

Overall I think this is a solid debut.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for sharing this book with me in exchange for my honest review.

This book was engrossing from the very beginning. My God! I couldn't put it down. I had an idea of where they were going, since I have read similar stories, but I was still interested to see how the entire thing played out. This was an incredible debut novel!

Callie Kazumi’s debut novel Claire, Darling is an unpredictable, unforgettable story about a young woman who learns that her supposed fiancé is living a double life. Claire was raised by her cruel, narcissistic mother and has never truly come to terms with the long-lasting effects of her childhood. It hasn’t been easy for her to make friends or maintain relationships because she doesn’t think that she’s worthy of love. When Noah gives her attention, she is in disbelief…. and when he becomes her boyfriend, she ignores the red flags. Then a tragic event rips apart her life as she knows it and Claire is forced to reexamine what she has believed to be the truth for far too long.

I’m so grateful to NetGalley for introducing me to this brilliant new author who belongs on every “One to Watch” list.

Thank you NetGalley and Bantam Books for this ARC in exchange for a review.
Expected publication
March 11, 2025 by Bantam

Claire Darling is the debut book by author Callie Kazumi. I really enjoyed this and only learned that this was a debut when I looked for other books.

She’s been ghosted. But she won’t be forgotten.

Claire is excited to drop off a surprise workday lunch for her fiancé, Noah. It’s their anniversary, after all. But when the receptionist tells her that no one with Noah's name works there, Claire thinks there must be a mistake.

Noah isn't picking up her calls. Her texts go unanswered. It turns out Noah has a different life . . . one with a beautiful girlfriend, a beautiful house. Claire was never really in the picture.

Desperate to unpack all of Noah’s lies, Claire plunges into a nightmarish journey of obsession that submerges her deeper into the murky waters of her own past—a past dominated by a manipulative mother who shattered her sense of self.

If you enjoy bullying, trolling, stalking, trial, murder, unreliable characters, but reliable friends, this may be a book for you!
Bravo Calle Kazumi 👏🏻

The suspense of this novel is compelling. The main character Claire, is in a relationship with Noah Coors. In the beginning we see this story from Claire’s point of view. We sympathize with Claire for a mother wound tight. A mother so controlling Claire fears her reaction to everything. The first inkling that all is not as it seems is when a workmate starts questioning Claire about Noah, noticing him on social feeds with another women, Lilah. As Claire and her friend look into Noah’s life , we see the unraveling of Claire. Noah refuses to communicate with Claire which pushes her into a complete psychotic event. Unfortunately Lilah is the victim of this moment, and what follows is a fascinating exercise in misdirection. It will give you chills in the end. Happy reading

This was a wild ride! Claire goes to her fiance's work one day and finds that he no longer works there. She starts to realize that he has a double life and many aspects of their relationship have been hidden from her. While she is spiraling about her relationship the novel flashbacks to her life with her mother. This was the part of the book that had me practically in tears as I read about what a difficult life Claire has had to deal with.

This was a solid thriller, although I did guess the twist pretty early in. It still made for an interesting read. The book flowed easily and kept me engaged the entire time. Claire was a dynamic character and I enjoyed reading about her life. The flashbacks really helped to explain why she acted in the way that she did. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you to Random House/Bantam Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

I finished this and I’m still sitting here like….. but that can’t be right! This was a story where you thought one thing but it was really another. Even with the truth being convoluted the story was still relatable because we as women are so often gaslighted and then we’re called crazy. This was a great psych thriller and lovers of the genre will enjoy it!

“For God’s sake, Claire, darling, he’s making a fool of you. Why would a man like that want a girl like you?”

What a debut!! Now this one is unhinged. And I’m here for it.
This book starts as heartbreak but spirals into something much darker. Claire goes to bring lunch to her fiancé, Noah’s, work only to discover he doesn’t work there anymore. Not only that, he isn’t answering any of her calls. She’s been ghosted! With her co-worker and new friend by her side, she is determined to get answers.
Through this we get Claire’s diary entries for when she first meets Noah and her childhood with a manipulative mother. Who has made her feel unloved and not good enough.
The lines between reality and delusion blur which makes this a tense and eerie read. Definitely recommend for psychological thriller fans.

Claire is finally putting the past behind her, and moving on from being raised by an abusive mother, when she runs into Noah, the perfect man. Instantly her world is better, as Noah teaches her that she is worthy of love and their relationship quickly turns serious.
When she goes to surprise him with lunch one day shortly after they get engaged, at his place of work, she’s shocked to learn, Noah no longer works there. Thinking there has to be some misunderstanding, she reaches out to him, but he completely ghosts her.
Claire is not one to be ghosted however, and she will do anything and everything to get answers.

This was such a quick fun thriller. I loved the short chapters, and the diary entries, really helps the reader to understand Claire’s dark past. This book is perfect for fans of Freida McFadden and Alex Michaelides.

Thank you to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ooooh Claire Darling, that sure was a fun ride!

For a debut novel in the popcorn thriller genre, Claire Darling checks all the boxes! Claire is finally lucky in love, ready to celebrate the one year anniversary with her fiancé Noah, when she is suddenly ghosted by him. Noah appears to be living a double life, with another fiancé.
As Claire tracks down Noah, the reader learns about Claire’s childhood and incredibly dysfunctional relationship with her mother. I don’t want to go into more detail so as not to give any spoilers, but this was incredibly well done character development for a binge-able thriller.

4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫


Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Claire raised by an abusive single mother makes her life what she wants. When her fiancé Noah ghosts her, we begin to learn some hard truths about Claire’s reality. The shocking twist ending reveals the depth of Claire’s mental state.

Absolutely loved thus book! I had an inkling about what was really going on but I still wasn't actually sure until the end...even then the epilogue for this book is one of the most surprising I've read before. Definitely plan to keep an eye on this author!

I really enjoyed this book . I finished it in one day I loved the surprise ending I would recommend this book with praise👍

Going in blind is the best way to experience this one, so I’ll keep things vague! I guessed the ‘twist’ super early, but that didn’t stop me from flying through it in a day. I just had to know what was actually going on with Claire and Noah.

Claire has a lot of unresolved trauma, especially from her mother, who completely wrecked her sense of self. So when Noah vanishes—like he never existed—Claire becomes obsessed with finding him, convinced their relationship was real. The diary entries throughout really drive home how stunted she is emotionally, and as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Claire’s reliability is very questionable.

This isn’t really a thriller, even though it starts with a death. It’s more like domestic suspense or contemporary fiction with a psychological edge. Even though it was predictable, I didn’t mind because I was so locked in, wondering if Claire and Noah were ever actually engaged—or if something else was going on.

This was my first book by this author, and I’m definitely curious to see what they write next!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the eARC. This one releases on March 11, 2025!

WoW. What a RIDE!

Oh Claire Darling!

When Claire's "Life" begins to unravel and her fiance Noah seems to walk away into thin air with another woman. Things begin to unravel for Claire. Where is Noah? Where is her "perfect" man? He was perfect by the way. Nice Vacations, a house they were renovating, and planning a wedding.

Claire has to know why Noah ghosted her. As she goes through the who, what, when, where, and whys nothing makes sense. Her mother was a witch (only because I don't think we can curse on Goodreads). Claire's whole life she has suffered by having no friends, an abusive alcoholic mother, and then when she met Noah her life was Perfect.

Oh, the webs we weave.
The world Claire lives in may not be the one anyone else lives in. The ending was great although I predicted it. That is the only reason this book is getting a 4 instead of a 5.

Oh Claire, Darling.

Thank you Bantom and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Claire, Darling was a book that intrigued me and I was excited to read. It was not a great read, but also othorrible. I felt the flashbacks were confusing until you get to the end. I felt the story was also slow paced.