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

Claire plans a sweet anniversary surprise for her fiancé, Noah, by bringing him lunch at work. But when she arrives, she’s told no one by that name works there. Suddenly, he’s not answering his phone or responding to texts—he’s just gone.

Determined to uncover the truth, Claire, with the help of her new friend Sukhi, dives into an obsessive search for answers. But as secrets unravel, she struggles to accept what they find. Her past, full of painful memories with her mother, collides with her present in ways she never expected. Can we trust everything she’s telling us?

This thriller starts with a shocking crime and ends in the courtroom, taking readers on a suspenseful ride. While some twists were easy to spot, the story kept me hooked and delivered a satisfying ending. A strong first novel—I’ll definitely read more from this author!

My first Callie Kazumi novel but definitely not my last. I was totally engrossed in this story. Packed with tension, high emotions and a whole lotta creep factor. Characters were fantastic and kept me reading long into the night.
Thank you NetGalley, Callie Kazumi and Bantam Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book was hard to read and I did not finish it. However, I am happy to share why. The diary entries of the protagonist were very whiny and annoying. It felt like a bratty little girl was giving a play-by-play of her life. I could not stand those parts and it seemed such a large component of the book. I just could not go on. Life is too short. Thank you for the opportunity, Bantam and NetGalley; this book just was not for me.

Pretty much sums up this book, thanks to an overdone and tired trope.

Despite the story and writing keeping me engaged, I found Claire annoying and hard to like. She also seemed extra oblivious and her referring to someone else as the other woman (when she herself is the other woman) got on my nerves. While these all made sense later, I do not find the reveal convincing or strong enough. There are a lot of liberties taken, including a Freida McFadden-style epilogue to deliberately pull you in.

A readable popcorn thriller that hooked me but ultimately failed to satisfy.

This book was WILD! This book had so many good twists and turns. It really was exactly what I hope for when I read a thriller. I wanted answers just as much as Claire did - If not more. Such a good debut novel. I am excited to see what else this author will come out with.

Claire has the perfect life. She has a job she enjoys and the perfect fiancé, Noah. Or so she thinks…. One day Claire decides that she’s gonna stop by Noah’s office and drop him off lunch. One small problem, Noah does not work there. She tries calling him and he doesn’t answer, he has basically dropped off the face of the Earth. Naturally, Claire begins to try and figure out what happen to Noah and unfortunately what she discovers shocks her.

The story is told in two different parts. Part one deals with Noah’s disappearance along with some journal entries from Claire’s past culminating to a tragic act of violence. Part two deals with the fallout of part one. I personally enjoyed the second half of the book on how everything is broken down to the reader via testimonies. Being that I am familiar with this genre there was nothing that shocked me, but I did enjoy the pace of the novel.

3.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

this book was a wild ride. i knew that claire (the main character) was an unreliable narrator, but i audibly gasped while reading the epilogue. the first part of this book was much more engaging than the second part with all of the witness statements, though. “claire, darling” was an interesting read overall! thank you to the author and netgalley for this ARC.

What a brilliant debut!! I’ve read the mystery genre for a long time and this book was delightfully deceitful. I read it in one sitting and was clueless of the twist that I was to yet encounter!! Thrilled to receive the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc. I enjoyed this story so much. It was thrilling, entertaining, and everything and more that I hoped it would be. I rated this book a 5 stars.

This was a fast paced read that I finished in less than a day. It centers on Claire, who finds out her fiancé is living a secret life. You also get flashback chapters from Claire’s childhood and from diary entries over the last year that help provide the necessary background for the events in the current timeline.

I did figure out the big twist pretty early in the book, but it didn’t make me enjoy it less, and there were also other surprises intermingled throughout. The chapters from Claire’s childhood are heartbreaking to read and elicited a deep sympathy for her. I thought the ending was good, not great, but worked well with the rest of the story.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and quick read that really made me feel for the characters. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thoughts

Honestly this is the best thriller I have read in a long time. I absolutely devoured it because I had to know what was going on.

This is full of suspense and intrigue from the beginning to the end. I was worried that it was going to die off in the second half because the first half was filled with so much, but it never did. This is a true page turner.

I think the combination of flash backs, diary entries, and present day really kept it moving along as you are finding out more about her past with her abusive mother, learning about her relationship, and seeing how everything led to the present was perfectly executed.

I am so excited to read more from the author in the future.

Read If You Like:
- Psychological thrillers centered on obsession
- Narratives exploring the aftermath of deceit
- Stories featuring unreliable narrators
- Tales of personal unraveling and self-discovery
- Suspenseful plots with unexpected twists

In this taut psychological thriller, Claire Arundale's world shatters when she discovers her fiancé, Noah, has a secret life with another woman.

Her quest for answers leads her down a path of obsession, unearthing buried traumas from her past. As Claire's grip on reality weakens, she becomes entangled in a murder investigation, blurring the lines between victim and perpetrator.

This debut novel delves into themes of love, betrayal, and the haunting impact of one's past, keeping readers on edge until the final page.

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.