This book was kind of predictable but an okay read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Slight deduction for the seeming randomness of memory, though that somewhat makes sense later. I spent 90% of the book thinking there should have been alternating memory chapters instead of spontaneous interludes, and it...eventually worked, but was weird for awhile.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bantam Books for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Claire is happily engaged to Noah and on the first anniversary of them meeting, she takes him lunch at his office only to find out he no longer works at that and hasn’t for several months. He doesn’t come home to the flat they share and Claire’s friend does some digging and finds that Noah has blocked Claire on all social media. Add to that, social media indicated Noah is and has been engaged to another woman for a long time.

This was an interesting book. I was never bored with it and I zoomed right through it. It was well written and I truly was on the fence about whether Claire was crazy or Noah was playing her the whole time and that question wasn’t answered until near the end of the book. This was a solid debut. I would read more from this author.

What the heck just happened? Now I'm questioning my own sanity. After staying up all night to binge read this book. Such a great read. I was hanging on to every word. I wish it didn't end.

This book had me guessing till the end. The novel centers on Claire. She’s a young woman with a wonderful fiancé. Noah. He’s great and treats her like a princess.
She is so happy. Claire has not always had it easy. Her mother was not loving and was very abusive.
Then one day everything changes for Claire. She brings Noah lunch at his office and he acts like he does not know her and Claire is devastated. Why is this happening. And then she starts to stalk him and soon she sees Noah in a new light. He seems to have a new life and she’s not in it. And Claire is not happy about this at all!
And she won’t take this ghosting lightly. Claire is just not that kind of woman.
Good book and different. 4 stars

Claire has had a rough go in life. She had a classically narcissistic mother who was abusive and neglectful, and basically on her own had to figure out how to grow up and go out into the world. Poor Claire didn’t have a great foundation, and her mother did go through partners, so it would be easy to feel that Claire really didn’t understand much about life.

Claire Darling takes us deep into Claire’s mind, and it skips back and forth from the present to the past, and at some point, the reader does see how life for this poor woman could get confusing.

Claire meets the charming and oh so handsome Noah who was perfect in every way. We are lead to believe that they are a loving couple on the brink of getting married, but are they really? What is fantasy and what is reality is deeply woven together so does this maybe make Claire unstable?

The story gets very dark and each reader must be their own judge.

Overall, I enjoyed the concept of the book. I did think at times that it got repetitive, and I did get that she had a troubled life, but just giving me more details didn’t really add much to the plot.

First off I’m just going to say that I was so wrong about how this book would end. Author – 1 Me – 0
Claire is a very nice person with few if any friends. She had a difficult upbringing, and memories of her mother still make her feel unworthy of friendship or love. But since she met Noah, everything has changed. He loves her, quirks, and all, and their engagement makes her believe that she will soon lead a happy life.
When she takes him a surprise lunch, suddenly everything changes. He does not work there anymore, he does not come home, and he does not return her calls. Why has Noah ghosted her and what is Claire going to do to win him back?
I had my ideas where this was headed, but I definitely did not see that ending coming. A really good read that kept me guessing.

Okay, I definitely have thoughts. . . .I admit that I saw early on what was going on, but there were many, MANY times that I second guessed myself. This is one of those books that I can't say too much about, as I don't want to give the ending away. What I can say, however, is that I was most certainly invested in it- I had a lot of sympathy for Claire, and hoped she'd be able to pull it together. I liked the authors writing, the pacing of the book. . . .and I will look for future titles by Callie Kazumi, and will recommend this book, as well.

Callie Kazumi is able to weave a great story that worked with the topic being told. I was engaged with what was happening and thought the psychological element worked overall with the story. I was on the edge of my seat and thought it had that suspense that I was looking for. I really enjoyed the way Callie Kazumi wrote this and am excited for more.

Thanks NetGalley for the free ARC! This was an entertaining read. I thought the protagonist was partly relatable, but partly obsessive. The first part was good; but I really enjoyed the second part with the court proceedings. I like how the author sectioned the storyline into two parts( basically before and after). I would recommend for an entertaining read.

What a fantastic debut novel!! It starts off with someone's murder and propels forward with heart pounding speed. Claire is in love and engaged to Noah, they just celebrated their one year anniversary but wait ...not all is perfect in paradise. The story takes a turn that we as readers are left wondering what the hell is going on. The finale is bang for your money great. Hope Netflix and the like buy the rights for the movie. Looking forward to more from this author.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Claire, Darling.

TW and CW: child abuse, verbal, physical, and psychological violence

Flashbacks to Claire's traumatic childhood and violent mother is disturbing so consider yourself warned.

I was disappointed by the premise since I quickly figured out the twist because I've read previous books with the SAME TWIST.

The writing was fine, but nothing original or creative about the plot I haven't read already.

This book delves deep into Claire and her psychosis. At first, the reader sympathized with her and the disappearance of her loving fiance, Noah, who the first time in her life made her feel loved but most importantly, he made her be seen. Claire had a very troubling childhood as her Mother was the quintessential narcissist. She would waver between crying immensely due to her great love for her child to forgetting to feed her due to her dates and her drinking. One cannot help but feel who Claire felt less then and her relationship with Noah was enabling her to actually love herself. However, when Noah disappeared and she found out that he had a committed relationship with Lilah that she became completely obsessed and wanted to do anything to get him back. She trailed him to his work, the club, Facebook by creating a false profile, and any other situation that she thought he may be at. She finally confronts Lilah at her home and accused her of stealing her fiance. What happens next is truly shocking that she fabricated the entire thing. She bought the ring, she went on the trip by herself and he knew nothing about her besides her stalker personality. It culminated with the last sentence in her diary. This book is highly recommended due how suspenseful it is in nature.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy of this thriller. This was a I can't put this book down book....Claire, the title character seems to be happy in and engaged to Noah when we meet her...but there is more going on. First of all, we have alternating timelines where we learn about the trauma that Claire endured with her Mom growing up. Its painful and sad...and you just know that this relationship will factor into her current one. When her fiance suddenly "disappears" to a new life she had no idea about, job, friends, social media, girlfriend, Claire has not choice but to dig deeper in the past and the present. This had some good twists and my heart went out to lonely, friendless Claire. A good ride with this one.

Review Copy

Claire's mother was so mentally abusive I wanted to pull Claire aside and commiserate with her over drinks. She needed to know that she wasn't alone.

But, Claire ended up with a friend and a fiancé who loved her...at least so she thought.

That's it. And I was hooked. I absolutely loved this book and tore through the pages. Good thing they were digital! I had the whole book figured out - until I didn't. As usual, I couldn't have been wronger! Heh. Read every single page and tell me that you saw the last few pages coming.

Coming in March 2025, I offer 5 brilliant stars to Claire, Darling by Callie Kazumi. Don't forget to order it.

When her fiance Noah ghosts her, Claire is determined to find out why at any cost. It's a little predictable until the very end, when the author springs a shocking surprise on the reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Claire, Darling was dark and ultimately very twisty, with the inclusion of what I’m beginning to realize I love - a courtroom / investigation retrospective in the back half of the book that is fascinating and dramatic.

Claire is loved up with her fiancée Noah, just off a milestone celebration of their anniversary. She innocently and sweetie brings him lunch after celebrating with him the night before only to find out he doesn’t work there anymore and is in fact MIA. Claire, along with her friend and coworker, Sukhi, tries to find out what happened. After bringing in reflections of Claire’s fraught childhood with her Mother and relationship with Noah, the second half of the book ramps up the volume when we enter a trial that flips everything we just went through on its head. Once again I loved this piece of the story and what comes from it. This is a hard story not to spoil but suffice to say you may have a hunch of what is going on, but the way it is revealed is a true slow burn that is fascinating to read.

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House Publishing, for the ARC of Claire, Darling.

If you are a fan of author Frieda McFadden, I wouldn't hesitate to pick up this book! An emotional roller coaster to the end and a guarantee to keep you on your feet! Claire has a way to make sure she gets answers no matter how desperate they may when she discovers her fiancee is living a double life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Bantam for this ARC of Claire, Darling by Callie Kazumi.

I love psychological thrillers featuring deception, duplicity, ghosting, stalking, and obsession. These are why I requested to advance-read this book.

This story engaged me throughout, written in first-person POV with plot chapters of Claire’s present and past, interspersed with (notably, future) diary chapters.

Claire is insecure due to her traumatic upbringing and seemed to be a sympathetic character (“I’m Claire, and I do care” [about what people think]).

Claire’s boyfriend/fiancée Noah has ghosted her after a seemingly idyllic fast courtship. Claire skipped higher education, works in a mundane PR role, and does not make enough for more than a walk up studio apartment. Supposedly Noah makes more money and had previously put a deposit down for renovations to their future house.

Claire has one work friend, Sukhi, and a past with a controlling, narcissistic, dysfunctional mother.
Sukhi is strong and helps Claire to discover the truth about Noah.

This book riveted me! It has tight and increasing suspense, making for a propulsive read. *Why* has Noah done what he has done to Claire? Who is Lilah?
Is Claire just an unreliable narrator?

Four stars. (One star taken because some of the court trial pacing was a bit slow for me.)

Great book!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one! This book had a fantastic ending! It also had light suspense, very intriguing, murder, mystery, juicy secrets, and a few crazy twists and turns! The story was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me! 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!