This was an outstanding novel with a great plot! I loved paging through each scene to see what would happen next. I enjoyed reading the scenes, going back and forth in time. I couldn’t decide what to believe, and was surprised at the twists and turns!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this

WOW! Okay so I was definitely going back and forth between theories of what was ACTUALLY happening thought this story. Honestly I don’t even want to say too much, I would definitely just go in mostly blind to this one. THE ENDING. Had me (again) saying WTFFF lol there’s more than one moment of WTF in this one! I really enjoyed and absolutely devoured this book and am currently up WAY too late in order to finish it. Worth it. Definitely recommend!

[Snack-Size Review] Claire, Darling, by Callie Kazumi

Quick Bite: Entirely too predictable.

(*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*)

What It’s About: When Claire stops by her fiance Noah’s workplace to take him lunch, she is told that he hasn’t worked there for months. Confused, she tries calling, texting, all the usual ways of reaching him. But he’s thoroughly ghosted her, and she’s determined to find out why.

A Word From The Nerd: Duckies, I’ve read this same story with the same “shocking” twist a whole lot of times. I think most regular thriller readers would’ve also known exactly where it was going. And the epilogue was just cheesy.

The Nerd’s Rating: TWO HAPPY NEURONS (and some Caribbean take-out.)

This was a doozy of a book, but I really enjoyed it.

It's really better for readers to not know much about it going into it.

CLAIRE, DARLING had such a great premise - woman goes to fiance's work only to find out he does not work there. What else has he been lying about?

Each chapter revealed little details and Easter eggs that made sense at the end. I wonder how many people will guess the ending, but I know I was surprised through about 95 percent of the book.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an e-copy of CLAIRE, DARLING to review.

I rate CLAIRE, DARLING five out of five stars.

CLAIRE, DARLING
BY: CALLIE KAZUMI

I really enjoyed this suspense driven debut novel called, "CLAIRE, DARLING," written by Callie Kazumi, which explores the nature of how damaging an abusive mother who was severely narcissistic to mentally disturbed and the implications of poor Claire growing up without a father or other siblings to just maybe not be her mother's main target to abuse. This novel had me questioning everything that I had just read by the time I finished it. It also had me very engaged with the story with how Claire was likely to be bullied in school since other children can pick up on vibrations of dysfunctional behavior which if the classmates are mean spirited it can lead to further abuse since there's no way that Claire could have functioned normally or fit in or made friends easily if she was the recipient of her mothers psychotic ire.

Now Claire is grown up and she meets a guy named Noah while working in a grocery store. He is so incredibly handsome Claire thinks as he asks her for a recommendation of a good Red wine. Since Claire says she doesn't drink she picks up a bottle and hopes it doesn't taste like vinegar. They go for coffee and hit it off and quickly they are engaged just celebrating their one year anniversary the night before with a delicious meal. They are living in her small studio apartment while he is having a bigger more exclusive property renovated for them to live in a nicer part of London.

UNTIL

The next day when Claire decides to bring him a surprise takeout lunch at his high end job with her friend from work. They are both shocked to find out he doesn't work there. Why would Noah keep this from Claire who they seem to have had the happiest of relationships? How would you feel if you were Claire? She tries texting Noah and calling him but he isn't answering them. Her friend at work who accompanied Claire to drop off his lunch comes by with some interesting news. She has managed to locate Noah on Facebook and the more Claire digs she realized that Noah has blocked her since her searches came up empty. What Claire manages to find makes me think of that old adage "Be careful what you wish for. What Claire discovers will bring her beck to the deep seated insecurities her mother has scarred her with. She has good reasons to be jealous, but I kept thinking if she had a more stable upbringing maybe things wouldn't have gotten so out of hand as they do.

Publication Date: March 11, 2025

Thank you to Net Galley, Callie Kazumi and, Random House Publishing Group--Ballantine/Bantam for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#ClaireDarling #CallieKazumi #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantineBantam #NetGalley

CLAIRE, DARLING
BY: CALLIE KAZUMI

I really enjoyed this suspense driven debut novel called, "CLAIRE, DARLING," written by Callie Kazumi, which explores the nature of how damaging an abusive mother who was severely narcissistic to mentally disturbed and the implications of poor Claire growing up without a father or other siblings to just maybe not be her mother's main target to abuse. This novel had me questioning everything that I had just read by the time I finished it. It also had me very engaged with the story with how Claire was likely to be bullied in school since other children can pick up on vibrations of dysfunctional behavior which if the classmates are mean spirited it can lead to further abuse since there's no way that Claire could have functioned normally or fit in or made friends easily if she was the recipient of her mothers psychotic ire.

Now Claire is grown up and she meets a guy named Noah while working in a grocery store. He is so incredibly handsome Claire thinks as he asks her for a recommendation of a good Red wine. Since Claire says she doesn't drink she picks up a bottle and hopes it doesn't taste like vinegar. They go for coffee and hit it off and quickly they are engaged just celebrating their one year anniversary the night before with a delicious meal. They are living in her small studio apartment while he is having a bigger more exclusive property renovated for them to live in a nicer part of London.

UNTIL

The next day when Claire decides to bring him a surprise takeout lunch at his high end job with her friend from work. They are both shocked to find out he doesn't work there. Why would Noah keep this from Claire who they seem to have had the happiest of relationships? How would you feel if you were Claire? She tries texting Noah and calling him but he isn't answering them. Her friend at work who accompanied Claire to drop off his lunch comes by with some interesting news. She has managed to locate Noah on Facebook and the more Claire digs she realized that Noah has blocked her since her searches came up empty. What Claire manages to find makes me think of that old adage "Be careful what you wish for. What Claire discovers will bring her beck to the deep seated insecurities her mother has scarred her with. She has good reasons to be jealous, but I kept thinking if she had a more stable upbringing maybe things wouldn't have gotten so out of hand as they do.

Publication Date: March 11, 2025

Thank you to Net Galley, Callie Kazumi and, Random House Publishing Group--Ballantine/Bantam for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#ClaireDarling #CallieKazumi #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantineBantam #NetGalley

Claire's world is turned upside down when she discovers that her fiance' , Noah, doesn't work at the same place anymore and begins to ghost her. Noah has been the one true person to love her unconditionally as she grew up with a mother who isolated her from others and tore down her self confidence and worth every chance she got. The why behind Noah's secrets becomes her obsession but what will she gain or lose from the answers? This is a twisty psychological thriller that takes you deep inside the feelings of betrayal but also past childhood traumas. 3.5 stars for me as it did keep me interested until the very end.

Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

CLAIRE, GURRRLLLLL!!!!

Not these twists and turns! I couldn’t a stop tapping my kindle screen. Claire has a crappy childhood and I know I am not the only one who literally HATED her mom. But ugh! You had to love and empathize with her. We get flash backs from her childhood, the present time, and then journal entries from her time with Noah, her fiancé, and then we start to see there is SOMETHING more going on here, I mean to have your fiancé ghost you? I mean I give it Claire though this woman was persistent …. CLAIRE, GURRRRLLLL THAT ENDING!!!!….. GOLD!!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this book!
Of all the ways I was expecting this book to end... that wasn't it at all!
At the very beginning of the book, I wrote a note to myself that said "Claire is not mentally stable" and honestly, that theme continues throughout the novel. The intent behind creating this persona was good, but the overall execution left a lot to be desired. The repetitiveness of the narration, while certainly portraying a very anxious character, also made for a slightly annoying reading experience. However, my favorite character was definitely Suhki and the level headed perspective she continually offered throughout the story.
Overall, this novel lacked a level of three dimensionality I prefer (and expect) from thrillers. There just weren't QUITE enough additional storylines happening to make the ending feel satisfactory and I honestly just didn't love the ending. I also had a lot of unanswered questions and while the last chapter was very suspenseful and shocking, it didn't do much to satisfy my need for more detail.
This one is an extremely fast read, and it will likely hook you from the very beginning, as it did me. I'm less dissatisfied than I would've been had the book moved more slowly or been longer. Not great... but not terrible either. Probably best as a beach/vacation read when you're trying to relax and not think super hard.

Please note: this review, along with my star ranking, is now published on my GoodReads account

Claire was raised by her narcissistic, manipulative and abusive mother who constantly berated her and called her a bad child. In school she was made fun of and bullied. By the time she became an adult her self esteem was almost nonexistent. No wonder when devastatingly handsome Noah paid attention to her, she fell irrevocably in love with him. But when he ghosts her, everything changes.
It becomes a psychological nightmare for Claire, the bad adult. And a good psychological debut book for the reader.
Thank you Netgalley and Bantam, Penguin Random House for the arc. This review is my personal opinion.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Claire, who has always had relationship issues due to an abusive and narcissistic mother, is finally happily engaged to Noah. When she surprises him at work one day, she is shocked to find out that he no longer works there. He stops answering her calls and pretends he doesn’t know her. What is really going on?

I flew through this book because I had to know the ending. Lots of great twists and turns. I also enjoyed the dual storylines of the present versus Claire’s childhood experiences with her mother. Overall, I found this to be an amazing debut psychological thriller, particularly if you enjoy an unreliable narrator (I do). I will look to read more by this author in the future!

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel.

This was noted as a book to look for in March on the TBRETC podcast, and it did not disappoint. Fast paced thriller, leading you through twists and turns from beginning to end. Highly recommend!

This was a fast paced thriller with an unreliable narrator. I had to keep reading since I wanted to know more about Noah and what was going on with him. I liked that I was kept guessing and questioning everything that clarie saw and it it was readl

I found this to be a fast-paced psychological thriller that kept me guessing all the way through. Claire’s world unravels when her fiancé, Noah, goes completely off the grid on their anniversary, and she’s left to uncover the truth. The book does a great job of blending suspense with some pretty shocking twists. The writing is engaging, and Claire’s obsession with finding Noah adds a layer of intensity.

This psychological thriller kicks off with a murder and wraps up with a Courtroom trial, but in between, you'll discover how Noah has tormented Claire in the present and the traumatic ways her own Mother has abused her in the past. The story is full of unreliable narration and deep psychological tension. As Claire digs deeper, she finds secrets that make her question her own reality. We never truly find out his secret, which keeps the suspense alive and adds to the book’s unsettling nature. The twists keep coming, and while satisfying, I felt like some parts dragged. This is a true psychological thriller, making you doubt everything and everyone, especially Claire herself. Overall, it’s a solid, twisty read for fans of the genre.

Claire goes to see her fiancé Noah at work one day. Sweet, right? Claire gets there only to find out he doesn't work there. Noah isn't answering her calls. What could he be hiding?

Turns out, quite a bit! Is Noah really a bad guy, or is Claire losing her mind?

You'll have to read to find out!

I just am not a fan of an unreliable character so that is why this doesn’t work for me. Hope it still does well tho for others!

I was shocked when I learned this was a debut novel! It was so well written; very fast paced and intriguing. I couldn’t put it down! The ending was very good and I did not see that coming.

Claire, Darling was impossible to put down.
Not only is the MC extremely unreliable, but she was also relatable. I feel like we were raised by the same mother, so this story really spoke to me. You're going to learn a thing or two about toxic relationships, and how trauma can rear its ugly head when it wants to screw with your life. I didn't know what or who to believe throughout the entirety of this book - and this unpredictable, unhinged thriller is exactly what I needed.

A cross between Eleanor Olyphant is Fine and The Wives - completely unreliable narrator but a fast paced thriller.

The premise of this one intrigued me, I was just as desperate as Claire was to find out what Noah’s deal was. It was pretty obvious early on where this was headed but somehow it still worked for me. I think it worked for me because the pacing was pretty fast and the narrator was super engaging, so a winning combo for a quick listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for this E-Arc, in exchange for an honest review.

Claire, Darling by Callie Kazumi follows Claire on what should be a happy day, celebrating an anniversary with a romantic lunch for her fiancé, Noah. But things go wrong quickly when she shows up at his workplace, only to find out he doesn’t exist there at all. What starts as a small crack in her reality spirals out of control, and suddenly, Noah is nowhere to be found. Her phone calls go unanswered, and her texts are ignored. It's like he’s disappeared.

Claire can’t shake the need to figure out what happened to Noah, and soon she’s dragging her new friend Sukhi along as she digs for answers. But here’s where things get tricky. The book keeps you on edge by making you question what’s real. Is Claire seeing things clearly, or is her mind playing tricks on her? Are the things she’s uncovering about Noah and her past true, or just a mix of doubts and confusion?

The book grabs you right from the start with a shocking murder and doesn’t let up. From there, you’re taken through a maze of twisted memories, possible betrayals, and diary entries that make you question everything you thought you knew. The author puts you in the position of figuring out what’s real and what’s just a product of Claire’s unreliable perception.

I love thrillers but what I truly like about this one is that it doesn’t rely just on big plot twists, but instead builds tension through a constant sense of doubt. The ending gives you closure but leaves you thinking about truth, memory, and how trauma can distort everything.

Love the fact that Kazumi is not afraid to push her readers to think deeply and question what they’re reading. I can’t wait to see what she does next.
4 Stars!
#NetGalley, #ClaireDarling, #CallieKazumi, #BantamBooks