Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review. Claire, Darling was something else but in a good way. I would not call it a thriller but I still enjoyed the book very much and read it in one night.

This book was a fast paced, obsessive read. Claire has no friends, and no family. Despite that, this books starts on a day that Claire is on top of the world! It is her first anniversary with her fiance, Noah, AND she thinks a coworker may actually become her friend! Claire is excited to surprise Noah, by dropping off lunch at his work. Her coworker joins her. The receptionist in the lobby informs her that Noah hasn't worked in the building for months. This revelation stuns Claire, as she and Noah live together.

She tries to call him. She tries to text him. Nothing, nothing, nothing. He is just gone. He never returns to their apartment. She, with her coworker, start to snoop around. Because something does not add up. And they discover that Noah has another life, with a beautiful home, and a gorgeous girlfriend. But she cannot stop her obsessive snooping, all the while her mind continues to drudge up her childhood. Her mother has completely diminished her as a person.

This book, while twisty and excellent, also brings light to the words we say. Abuse isn't just physical. And while this book may seem predictable, it is not.

This book was a ride. Take over from this one- breakups can be messy. We have Claire who has found her prince charming or has she? You'll have to read it to find out. The twists and turns in this one kept me reading way into the night. I gave this one 4 stars and can't wait to see what she does next- will be reading her next one for sure.

First off, kudos to author Callie Kazumi on her debut novel, Claire, Darling. This is a strong first outing. I found it to be well written and fairly fast-paced. I recently watched Baby Reindeer on Netflix, and this novel left me with the same reaction — sadness. Kazumi uses the “unreliable narrator” deceit that seems so popular lately, but I thought the truth behind the deceit was pretty obvious. I was a little surprised by the final page revelation but generally I felt as though the truth was pretty obvious from early on in the novel.

The main character is Claire, a largely unremarkable woman who we meet when she decides to deliver lunch to her fiancé. She’s accompanied by her workmate Sukhi, and her world comes crashing down when her fiancé’s boss informs her that he hasn’t worked there in months. Thus begins Claire’s downward spiral as she attempts to discover the truth about her lover. Claire’s character is the only one that is truly developed as we learn about her troubled childhood with a narcissistic, abusive mother.

Though it is described as a thriller, Claire, Darling is really a psychological drama, and no one, including the reader, comes out unscathed. Just as with the experience of watching Baby Reindeer, this novel left me feeling nothing but sadness.

My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC.

This book was so good! I enjoyed every chapter! I really liked Claire and felt for her. The twists were a surprise and the ending was an even bigger surprise I definitely didn’t see coming!

This was a crazy, psychotic ride by a talented debut author! The fast-paced plot kept me on edge the entire time. Claire’s story turned from love to obsession quickly.
The varied timeline, journal entries, her inner monologue and recollections with Mother are deliciously creepy! The epilogue was the cherry on top!!
(This reminded me of a true story I watched on Netflix.)
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved this! I work in mental health so this is a topic right up my alley and I thought it was done well, Very quick read, I couldn’t put it down!

The story opens with a loving relationship between Claire and Noah. Claire shares their story via her diary to chronicle how they met, his support and the 1 year anniversary dinner. She also flashbacks to her upbringing with a mother who was a narcissist.

Claire does not have a lot of friends, but has made a connection with a co-worker at a PR firm. Sukie supports Claire after discovering Noah has ghosted her. Together they examine where Noah went and why.

Engrossing story and the ending ....... wow. I could not put it down.

This book grabbed me right away and kept me at the edge of my seat for most of the book - just my kind of book to get totally involved in. I would say that you should just dive into this book without reading too much about it because you want to just go with it instead of knowing things ahead of time. Essentially a 30-year old woman is engaged to the man of her dreams and goes to his office one day to be told he hasn't worked there for months. What the heck? She spirals obviously and with the help of her co-worker they begin to try to figure out what is going on. They are great sleuths. I loved this aspect of the book.

In between this present day nightmare for Claire is interspersed with her past relationship with her mother - who is one crazy bee-atch! Can you say Mommy Dearest?

This was so fast paced and I really enjoyed it - while I didn't love the ending it was still satisfying and all in all I thought this creepy psychological thriller was great. I look forward to reading anything else Ms. Kazumi puts out b/c I read this one really fast.

Thank you to NetGalley, Callie Kazumi and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine-Bantam for providing this e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

not the most original story in the world but still really good over all. I found the characters compelling and I wanted to keep reading to see how this was going to play out. I enjoyed the story and the twist at the end definitely added to it. Overall a solid thriller especially for a debut author.

Wow! What a debut novel this one was. Grabbed me from the very beginning and kept the pages turning until late into the night. So many interesting and complex characters and the diary entries and flashbacks really added to the narrative . The ending was such a shocker !

I will recommend this to all my thriller, loving friends.

What a fantastic debut novel- I enjoyed every page. Even though I suspected the outcome very early in the book, it didn't stop me from being pulled in invested. Loved the London setting! Thank you #randomhouse and #netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Prepare for a thrilling journey with the psychological suspense novel "Claire, Darling." When Claire sets out to deliver lunch to her seemingly perfect fiancé, Noah, she is stunned to discover that he no longer works at his office. This revelation marks the beginning of a series of dark secrets that gradually come to light. As Claire delves deeper into Noah's life, we also uncover the impact of her own traumatic childhood, shaped by a manipulative and emotionally abusive mother. The scars from her past significantly influence Claire's ability to confront Noah's hidden truths. The conclusion left me utterly astonished! Although the book is concise, it is richly packed with compelling content.

Strangely addictive reading. Fast paced, but nothing truly original. I still really enjoyed it even if it somewhat fizzled out at the end.

3.5/5

Slow start but the last half of the book is really good.
If you like an unreliable narrator who you don’t know if you fully trust this is the book for you. You hear Claire’s story told by her in both the past and the present. You can also read her diary entries for her point of view on events happening.

The book is a little obvious. I guessed what happened about a quarter of the way through. However, it’s still a good read and you want to keep going to know what’s happening.

Claire is engaged to Noah and all of a sudden he disappears and pretends not to know her. She goes down the rabbit hole of trying to figure out why. She spirals from there.

Well Claire Darling, you had me going from page one to the end. what more can you say for a debut novel. This is a page turner for sure and a big accomplishment for an author at any stage of their career.

This book really had me on edge. I was not prepared for how suspenseful it would be. Truly enjoyed it and would recommend it for others as well.

“Claire, Darling” is a psychological thriller (was it a thriller, maybe?) by Callie Kazumi. In this book we follow Claire in two timelines - the present dealing with her boyfriend/fiancé and the past dealing with her relationship with her mother. Claire is engaged to Noah, but one day he seemingly disappears and she is frantic with worry. With help from her co-worker/friend, Claire discovers that Noah is engaged to someone else -and has been for a long time. Claire goes into a mental spiral trying to figure out why he did this to her - and interspersed are stories about Claire’s own upbringing and rather warped relationship with her own mother. I sometimes feel that reading books like these are a reminder to just be overly careful out in public and on social media. The fact that it becomes clear that Claire is an unreliable character was interesting - how much could the reader trust what she was saying? My favorite character, though, has to be Claire’s co-worker/friend Sukhi - she was so supportive of Claire and really tried to help her in her quest for finding Noah and dealing with the fallout. This book had some pacing and repeated information issues but it was a pretty good and interesting read. I did like the courtroom scenes - especially Claire’s lawyer. Was this book’s ending predictable - yes, but that wasn’t a bad thing. If you like psychological thrillers, this might be a book to pick up.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House Ballatine for a copy of this book!

Wow. This was a good one. I read this in a day because I had to find out what the heck was going on. I felt so bad for Claire and then when I got towards the end I felt the WTF. The ending was a good one. I'll read this author again.

This gripping psychological thriller is the perfect one-sitting read.
A twist-filled story, it delves into themes like infidelity, ghosting, abuse, bullying, trolling, stalking, and psychological manipulation. At its center is Claire, a seemingly ordinary woman who finally appears to have her life together: a promising new job where she can showcase her potential, a devoted fiancé, Noah, who supports her self-growth, and a reliable work friend, Sukhi. But beneath this façade lies a troubled past—Claire has endured a tumultuous childhood with a narcissistic, abusive mother, her father’s abandonment, and relentless bullying, leaving her isolated and struggling to build meaningful relationships. Now at 30, with her mother gone, Claire is planning a future with Noah, saving for a dream home and looking forward to a fresh start.
But her idyllic life crumbles when a spontaneous visit to Noah’s workplace reveals he hasn’t worked there in months. Worse, he vanishes—ignoring her calls and texts and failing to come home. Determined to uncover the truth, Claire enlists Sukhi's help and dives into social media sleuthing. What she finds is devastating: secret accounts that had likely blocked her, a new workplace, and signs that Noah might be cheating with a glamorous blonde named Lilah. Digging deeper, Claire discovers Noah and Lilah are about to marry and live together in an upscale home—a far cry from the life she thought they were building.
Years of emotional scars and feelings of inadequacy ignite Claire’s resolve. She refuses to let go of Noah without a fight and becomes consumed by a dangerous determination to win him back. But as she takes increasingly impulsive steps, she unwittingly puts herself in harm’s way, with consequences far more perilous than she could have foreseen.
While the major twist felt predictable to me, the fast-paced storytelling and intense, suspenseful events kept me hooked. Claire’s complex character and her chilling dynamic with her late mother were particularly well-crafted, even if some of the legal thriller elements felt a bit implausible.
If you enjoy psychological thrillers that draw you in quickly and hold your attention, this one is an undeniably compelling read.