*The Trouble with Drowning* dives into the consuming nature of envy and the lengths someone might go to reclaim a fleeting sense of perfection. While Kat’s desperation and unraveling mental state evoke empathy, her neediness and manipulative tendencies often teeter into unsettling territory, making it hard to root for her. The male characters felt one-dimensional, their voices distracting rather than compelling. I plan to read this novel when published to see if I like it better. Despite these flaws, the book captures the toxicity of comparison and self-doubt in a way that’s raw and thought-provoking. A dark, intriguing read, but one that left me feeling unsettled. 3 stars.

Struggling writer Kat becomes infatuated with author Eden Hart and starts to emulate her in every aspect of her life. As Kat's career and love life start to mirror Eden's, she struggles to maintain this perfect facade. When her mental health deteriorates and her past demons resurface, Kat concocts a dangerous plan to regain control of her life.

I must admit, this audiobook was quite captivating. While I can imagine that as a book it may have been a bit slow, as an audiobook, it flowed beautifully with a wonderful narrator that kept me engaged throughout.

The storyline was rich with events, yet I remained intrigued to see how it would all unfold. While I do not have personal experience with mental health issues in my family, I have come across similar themes in books and movies. It is often the case that when individuals stop taking their medication, things take a turn.

Kat, the protagonist, had a challenging start in life, but as the truth unraveled, she finally received the help she needed. I understand the importance of medication, but I also recognize that some individuals struggle with it as it may alter their sense of self, leading to unpredictable and potentially dangerous behavior once medications are stopped.

It is evident that a great deal of research went into this book, or perhaps the author has personal experience with mental health. The pacing of the audiobook was swift, with unexpected twists that kept me on my toes. I was drawn to the book initially by its cover, and I am grateful that I gave it a chance, as it felt incredibly real.

This story lingers in my mind, prompting me to consider what I would do to assist someone in a similar situation, or how I would cope if faced with such challenges myself. If you are not sensitive to the themes presented in this book, I highly recommend it. The writing is engaging, with well-developed characters whose actions are portrayed vividly.

This book sheds light on the existence of individuals grappling with mental health issues, encouraging readers to empathize and understand their struggles. I find myself reflecting on the narrative long after finishing the book, a testament to its impact and thought-provoking nature.

Thank you, Greenleaf Audiobooks for an audio ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with the Audio-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The book follows Kat, an aspiring author struggling with mental illness as she navigates her first "real" relationship.

The book started out quite okay but then slowed down a lot in the middle and then ending was.. something.

There was a lot of suspension of disbelief required to get into this book especially in the last 1/3 with all of those events taking place at once.

I was excited to see the depiction of mental illness but over all it leaned towards being problematic when it came to Kat, but Jacob's interaction with it seemed realistic enough.

The writing itself and the author's style were really good and I wasn't bored during the slow parts. I liked being inside Kat's head and seeing her reason out her actions from the inside.

At first, I struggled to get into The Trouble with Drowning. The pacing felt slow in the beginning, and it was difficult to connect with the characters or plot during the early chapters. The narration, though very good, couldn’t quite compensate for the lack of momentum, leaving me to question if I should continue.

However, the story started to pick up with the re-introduction of Eden. Her presence brought a fresh energy that the narrative had been missing. Suddenly, the plot began to unfold in more interesting ways, and I found myself wanting to listen to the next chapters.

While the slow start was a major hurdle, the latter half of the audiobook delivered a more engaging experience. The narrator’s performance also seemed to adjust to the evolving storyline, enhancing the emotional depth of the more intense scenes.

In conclusion, The Trouble with Drowning might not grab you immediately, but it’s worth sticking with it if you can push past the opening. Eden coming mid-way through the story ultimately helped turn it around for me, providing enough intrigue to carry the narrative to a conclusion. If you’re someone who can handle a slow start, this might still be a good pick for you.

Thank you NetGalley, Heather Hach and Greenleaf Audiobooks | Greenleaf Book Group Press for a free ARC copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

The Trouble with Drowning is such a fun twisty audiobook! I loved that this one was set in sunny Arizona perfect for listening on dreary winter walks!

The book was ok, I didn’t love it. I was hoping for more redemption for Kat after the diagnosis. I suppose the book ending the way it does leaves the possibility for a sequel.

I listened to the audiobook. Special thanks to NetGalley for the early copy, but all opinions are truthful and my own.

Heather Hach's "The Trouble with Drowning" follows Kat, an aspiring author who falls deeply in love with Jacob, the son of a famous novelist. Kat isn't just fascinated with Jacob; she's also enchanted by his family and the allure of being part of their world. However, when their relationship ends and Jacob moves on, Kat struggles to let go. The rest of the book delves into her obsession and her choices.

I liked the book, but I didn't love it. I've always found it challenging when mental illness is used to explain or justify a character's behaviour, and that's how it felt here. The author identifies Kat's specific diagnosis—schizoaffective bipolar disorder—but I'm not sure it added anything meaningful to the story. It seemed to do more harm than good. Instead of providing readers with a better understanding of what someone with this condition might experience, it felt like the diagnosis was merely a plot device. This kind of portrayal risks reinforcing harmful stereotypes rather than challenging them.

The author chose a complex label for shock value rather than genuinely exploring what living with that illness entails. When a story hinges on a mental health condition but only presents it through the lens of destructive behaviour, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It feels like a missed opportunity to delve into something deeper and more empathetic.

That said, the book wasn't entirely without merit! The plot moved quickly, and I remained engaged, hoping for some redemption for Kat—or at least a more thoughtful explanation for her behaviour beyond "she has a mental illness" or "her childhood was rough." I would have enjoyed it more if the author had kept things slightly ambiguous or omitted the mental health angle altogether. Overall, the book was okay. It kept me reading, but how it handled such a sensitive topic made me uneasy.

I'm grateful to Heather Hatch, Greenleaf Audiobooks | Greenleaf Book Group Press, and NetGalley for providing the eARC of "The Trouble with Drowning." This book will be available for purchase on November 21st, 2024.

I’ve never read a book quite like this one. It’s dark and melancholy with some lighter bits. I could use the same description for the main character. Interesting, for sure, beware if self harm is a trigger.

🌵The Trouble with Drowning🌵

I had the opportunity to listen to the audio version of this book, preformed by Laura Bell Bundy.

I thought she did a great job on the narration of the book. The book was just hard for me to get in to initially. I appreciated the topics tackled and how the book took on a real feel but unfortunately I just never got over the hump to loving it.

The book was labeled mystery thriller and that was definitely a miss for me. I see where they’re going with it but I expected way more than what was presented. The doggy door moments did have me reading continuously to find out what would happen though!

Take a look at the authors note and trigger warnings.

Thank you to the author, Heather Hach, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen this book. My review is being left voluntarily.

Wow! Not at ALL what I expected!
This one takes you on a thrill ride and doesn’t let you take a full breath in until the last page…and, even then, it was iffy! 😮😮😮

Kat is living in Tuscon on a wing and a prayer. She works in a book shop (Antigone’s) and is striving to be an author. She has a roommate and is hoping to one day meet her Mom, who is her idol, and an established, well known author.

When she is invited to her pool one day, Kat is so excited that she might finally get to meet the Mom! 😬 Instead, she meets her brother, Jacob, and an instant attraction is formed!

And, things seem to be going very well…very quickly!

As she starts to open up to Jacob, she begins painting a picture of a horrific childhood filled with torment, neglect and some forms of abuse….

Once she starts feeling a bit more secure around Jacob and his family, she gets into writing and a groove! And she thinks she might just have a hit on her hands! A book portraying her childhood and all its problems…

But as time goes on we get to see the TRUE Kat emerging…one who has a lot of dark secrets and an even shadier history….

I’m going to end it here, as I don’t want to give the plot away….but, wow! My mouth was hanging open several times, and I actually GASPED out loud at one point while washing the dishes! (Thank God my family is use to my antics and didn’t immediately call 911! )

From what I’ve read, the author is a screenwriter, but worked on this during the Covid Isolation Times. I sincerely hope she continues writing, as this was phenomenal!

**** TRIGGER WARNINGS **** This one touches on a whole realm of triggers: Abuse, Attempted Suicide, Bipolar Disease and Schizophrenia, Deception and Lies…as well as the mentality of: If I can’t have you….

Love that they threaded ‘flabbergasted’ (and another one, that of course, I can’t recall now…🫣) right into the fabric of the story!

4 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 for me, rounded up to 5!!

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #GreenleafAudiobooks for an ARC of the audiobook which is ***** DUE TO BE RELEASED on 11/21/24!! *****

#TheTroubleWithDrowning by #HeatherHach and narrated beautifully by #BellLauraBundy.

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The Trouble with Drowning follows Kat who is an aspiring writer working on her memoir about growing up in the foster system. Kat is rooming with Jess who is the daughter of a famous author, Carol Walshone whom Kat admires greatly. Through Jess, Kat is introduced to the entire Walsh family and begins a relationship with Carol’s son, Jacob. Things in Kat’s life seem to be going well, but as challenges arise it becomes evident that Kat may not be as carefree as Jacob initially thought.

My immediate thought when the book ended was, “I LOVE THIS KIND OF BOOK!!!” It’s not often I can find a book that fits so perfectly into this genre that I adore but can’t quite put my finger on naming. The Trouble with Drowning is categorized as General Fiction but blends in subtle elements of a suspense and evokes feelings of a psychological thriller.

The book is told from third person POV so you have the feeling and insights of multiple characters in scenes. While this typically would feel like it reveals too much of Kat’s motives or actions, instead it makes you feel more apart of the journey of all of the characters. I was as much invested in Jacob and Carol’s perspective and motives as I was of Kat’s.

The audiobook narration was done well. I truly enjoyed listening to this audiobook and will be keeping an eye out for future books by Heather Each.

I could not get past the first chapter. It could be that this type of book has a different audience than one I fit into. However, I found the book too cheesey to continue.

4 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted ARC (audiobook)…as all opinions are my own.

I opted for the audiobook of The Trouble with Drowning and was instantly hooked. Overall, this was a solid read with a sprinkle of humor and addicting plot twists that will keep you guessing. Each time I thought the plot was going one way...boop! Guess again my friend. My emotions suffered whiplash from all the drama.

Regarding the main characters…
The FMC (Kat) was a little unhinged with grand delusions. At times, I was frustrated with her actions and found myself fussing out loud. Thankfully, no one was around to question these outbursts and hand gestures. As the synopsis said, nothing would stand in Kat’s way. For older movie fans, think Fatal Attraction as she had some Glenn Close tendencies. I appreciated the character development of the MMC (Jacob) and how additional characters did not serve as unnecessary distractions. One tidbit that could have been omitted…the need to express the amazingness of every BIPOC character. Also, loved how the author fantastically described events as I was able to visualize it all.

After taking us for a wild ride, the story ended too abruptly. However, kudos to the great epilogue! The narrator was decent and easy on the ears… aside from making Pete sound like Steve Urkel and Jess sound like an annoying pre-teen. Unless that was the goal, then brava!

I would recommend this semi-psychological thriller to others and look forward to future publications from Hach!

Title rating: b-
Rationale: I can see where the title came from, but it doesn’t feel like it touched on or hit the main theme of the book.

Review:
The Trouble with Drowning follows aspiring author Kat as she falls in love with the son of a prominent author, and falls in love with his family and the life she could have as a part of it. When the relationship ends, and Jacob moves on, Kat doesn’t take it well. The rest of the book follows her obsession and actions thereafter.

I liked this book but I admit I didn’t love it. I always have a hard time with mental illness being used as an excuse for a character’s behavior, and I can’t help feel like that’s exactly the case here. I don’t think that naming a specific mental illness (schizoaffective bipolar disorder) helps the reader understand the character’s struggles, and I would actually argue that naming this particular illness can perpetuate stigmas associated with it. I also didn’t feel like this was the correct “diagnosis” based on the character’s behavior and inner monologue, which is why it felt more like a plot device rather than true representation or further exploration of societal norms and reactions to mental illness. Having such a complex diagnosis in a single book focused on horrible behavior just isn’t it for me. It affects every patient differently of course, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Having said all that, the book itself was fine. The plot moved quickly and I was engaged throughout (I think mostly hoping for some redemption or explanation for Kat’s behavior beyond “mental illness” or “childhood demons”). I wish the author had at the very least used an ambiguous mental disorder (because seriously, do we need to perpetuate incorrect stigma?) or abandoned the mental health as an excuse altogether.

I listened to the audiobook. Special thanks to NetGalley for the early copy, but all opinions are truthful and my own.

Overall, I rate this book either 3/5 or 3.25/5.

Take a moment to enjoy the cover and dive in. Kat works in a bookstore when she hears her favorite author give a reading. Kat is an aspiring author, and Eden is her role model. Their lives become intertwined in the most unexpected ways. Soon, Kat becomes romantically involved with Eden's son Jacob. It's idyllic in every way until cracks begin to appear with Kat's fragile emotional state. When Jacob distances himself, this quickly turns into a fatal attraction. The suspense ramps up when Jacob's new love interest enters and how far will Kat go to get what she wants?

I listened to the audio and a narrator can make or break a book. Laura Bell Bundy did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life. I recommend listening to this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to The Trouble with Drowning.

Love Laura Bell Bundy as the narrator of this audiobook.

The plot kept me interested, and coming back for more. A very interesting look at mental illness, family, and nature versus nurture!

Finally we have a thriller which has a female main character, and she is not an "unreliable witness" . She is also not making great choices, but I was so happy to see that the mold has been broken.

This book was twisty and turny. Multiple points of view with side characters getting a chapter in here and there to add perspective from the outside onto the main characters.

A male point of view, a female point of view and several other secondary characters as well, provide a look at the relationship from all angles and give context to the way people would be reacting to the main characters, just not just how the characters see themselves and Thier situation.

If you love a diabolical character this book is for you. It's so awesome to see strong female leads in roles where they are not just "a woman gone crazy" with "too much to drink" so they don't remember things clearly in the story.

I think that this author handled mental illness with compassion and understanding, and the author's note at the beginning of the book explains her thoughts on villainizing people with mental illness so to speak. I really enjoyed all of the angles did this book looked at in regards to how to deal with, identify, and live with various mental disorders from grief all the way up to more serious diagnosable disorders.

Seeing all of the loose ends get tied up at the end was satisfying. The last few sentences of the book were giving me goosebumps. I so thoroughly enjoyed this thriller. It was my favorite one of the year.

Thank you to NetGalley, Heather Hach and Greenleaf Audiobooks | Greenleaf Book Group Press for my free ARC copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

I judge an audiobook by its narrator. If I can't stomach the audio sample, then it's a no-go on the book which I guess is the audiobook's version of judging a book by its cover. I know I will miss out on some great stories since I will not be able to handle the overly dramatic, nasal, upspeak or whatever characteristic that turns me off from the narrator.

I can say that Laura Bell Bundy does a fantastic job of narration especially given the multitude of characters of different genders, ages and backgrounds. I thoroughly enjoyed her voice performance of this book.

In terms of the story, I was intrigued by the blurb of a woman struggling with mental illness striving to succeed in life to the point of becoming unhinged. I think the premise was a winner. The beginning of the book where we meet Kat, an aspiring writer, who works in a bookstore and sees the model of a successful writer in Eden hooks you right in.

The first third of the book is well-paced and flows well as Kat moves into an amazing relationship and professional success. Then as the story shifts into a speed bump in Kat's life stemming from her lack of stability in her mental health, the pacing slows down. I would say it slows down too much and my interest started to wane. I really appreciated that the author was speaking directly about the struggles of living with mental illness. The slowness of the plot isn't so much because of that but likely needed tighter editing to move the story along.

Then, the story picks up as Eden is re-introduced into the story and getting to know her and how she starts to slip into Kat's place unknowingly was very satisfying. Unfortunately, as soon as the storyline of Eden and Kat start to intersect, the plot slows down again. As much as I wanted to hear how the story would play out, there seemed to be a lot of slogging through details that the reader had already been made aware of and the time frame of getting to the end felt too long.

I really appreciated the author's attention to her characters' back stories and if you enjoy really getting into the motivations and feelings of the characters, this book has a lot. However, I do think that some of the inclusions of passages of characters were stream of consciousness expositions on the characters that were for the author to keep grounded in each character's thumbnail.

The ending felt fast after enduring the nefarious trap that Kat set for Eden over weeks to months. But I will say that the intrigue at the end left a door open for another story in this world and I was glad to see that these characters would still have lives after The End and that it wasn't all wrapped up in a bow.

I do recommend the audiobook as I really enjoyed the narrator and if you are multi-tasking this is a good story to pass the time.

Thank you, Greenleaf Audiobooks for this advance copy.

Overall I enjoyed this book. I was very excited to see that Laura Bell Bundy was the audiobook narrator as I adore her.
I thought she did an incredible job with Kat.

Originally I noticed this book was marketed as a thriller, and while I don't think it was a thriller at all, i enjoyed it nonetheless.
(I see now it mentions that it's GF which suits it perfectly.)
Heather Hach navigated Kat's mental health struggles wonderfully.
The Trouble with Drowning had an original plot that I have not read before which was fantastic.

3.5 stars (I will round up)

Thank you Greanleaf Audiobooks for providing this book for review via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
If you enjoy light mystery and don't mind unlikeable protagonists, this book is for you. This book is captivating, though there were definitely some moments that felt a little bit unrealistic. It had just enough mystery to get you going, and there was a twist nearing the end that added another layer of suspense.
The narrator, the great Laura Bell Bundy, was amazing. She did a great job of emoting and getting into the characters.
All in all, the book was enjoyable and light. Perfect for a beach or picnic read.