Claire, Darling is a gripping debut that kept me on the edge of my seat! 😲 After an unexpected breakup, Claire’s quest for answers spirals into a psychological nightmare that explores obsession and self-discovery.

What starts as a simple anniversary surprise quickly unravels when Claire learns that her fiancé, Noah, has ghosted her and moved on to a new life without her. The shock and betrayal hit hard, and Claire’s desperate need for closure leads her down a dark path, forcing her to confront her troubled past and a manipulative mother who has haunted her for years. 😟

Kazumi expertly weaves tension and emotion throughout the narrative, making it impossible to put down. Claire's struggle to reclaim her identity amid the chaos is both harrowing and relatable. As she delves deeper into her obsession with Noah, the stakes rise, and the line between love and madness blurs.

This psychological thriller is a must-read for fans of suspenseful stories that explore the complexities of relationships and the shadows of the past. A stunning start for Callie Kazumi! 📚✨

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book…the description had me so excited, and then it had the added spice of an unreliable narrator and I was ready. Unfortunately, the gripping plot and unique narration felt smothered by the endless repetitive descriptions and inner dialogue. At first I was feeling it, and wanting to know how it was all going to play, but about halfway through I had guessed the plot twist, as I’m sure most will, and I was just ready to get there.

It’s getting two stars because of the well written unreliable narrator and the fun plot. But unfortunately, it mostly dragged by in my eyes and left me thinking “why was this written?”

Bonkers! Hooked right from the beginning and truly loved this one - couldn't put it down. Great for thriller fans, fast paced and just a fun ride.

Single sitting read – !!!! – and it was giving me full body cringe because of how uncomfortable I felt in some scenes. I never put anything together, so I was actually shocked as the story unfolded. Further commentary to come closer to pub date – I'll definitely be recommending this for a creepy read that keeps you engaged.

Ummm, okay…this was one of those books where literally the entire time I am like what is happening?!?! Where is this going?!?!? Why is everything so messed up? 😂 Every single chapter intrigued me! I was so sure I knew the twist but then things also had me second guessing so that just made this book that more enjoyable! A fantastic psychological thriller! If you need something to get you out of a reading slump, read it asap!

Callie Kashmir hits all the marks in this superbly written novel.of psychological terror tht had me absolutely riveted from page one.
Claire is happily planning her wedding to the love of her life, Noah, until one day when he disappears out of her life, with no warning and no contact. Her calls go to voice mail and when she goes to his office, she finds he is no longer working there.
Absolutely baffling, intriguing and spellbinding mystery that will keep you flipping the pages non
stop.
Great character definitions and storyline that moves right along.
Just a really good read.

Naturally Disturbing.

Claire, Darling is a disturbing, psychological thriller/mystery. Told from Claire's point of view, Claire, Darling is a mix of past journal entries, flashbacks, present day adventures, and future consequences. Little by little the truth is revealed until reality catches up and bringing Claire the shock of her life.

This book is addictive, twisty, and…disturbing. When the outcome is revealed, it was as expected but no less shocking. I thought about Claire more often than not, falling asleep thinking about all of the possibilities, asking myself if Claire was indeed an unreliable narrator or if Noah, her fiancé, was unfaithful and guilty of ghosting his fiancé for another.

The characters felt real. Their strengths and flaws notable. Each believable when it was their turn to tell their sides to Claire and Noah’s story. This is where “naturally disturbing” comes to play, as that is the best way I can describe the plot. The slow reveal felt natural, as if I was witnessing the unfolding of a developing breaking news segment.

I loved the flashbacks to Claire’s time with her mother. They were heartbreaking and often left me feeling sorry for Claire – which in and of itself was hard to do, all things considered.

If it wasn’t already clear, I loved Claire, Darling. I want this in movie/show form. I want a physical copy. I want a collector’s edition. I want an audiobook with a full cast. I want it all! Kudos to Callie Kazumi on her fantastic debut. Cannot way to read more books from this author.

I truly love thrillers, and one of my favorite parts is seeing if I can figure out the twist before it is revealed. While I was able to figure out the twist before it was revealed, I was still gripped. This leans into the psychological aspect of a thriller, which always makes for a fun read. At some points, I got really annoyed with Claire, but once the major twist was revealed, it made sense why I thought Claire could be annoying. This would be a great book club, or beach trip read (if you're a thriller girlie!)

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned...and heaven forbid said woman also is unhinged and unravels very quickly. This was not quite what i expected from the blurb, but that's not a bad thing. It was still a very enjoyable, guilty pleasure read and a quite interesting take on the subject.

Claire, Darling is not a book for me but I’m sure others will enjoy it. It was an extremely slow read for me and I had it all figured out quite early.

While it had a slow start and it took me a while to finish, I am really glad I did! I felt that I was right there with Claire through the highs and lows. And I did not see that ending coming!

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.