This was a captivating psychological thriller. It felt dystopian and political but subtly so. Just enough to be intriguing without being so close to reality that it’s uncomfortable. It is one of those books that makes you admire the imagination of the author. Very unique from most of the thrillers I’ve read.

Brilliant thriller that kept me turning the pages late into the night. I highly recommend this wild ride of a book!! A definite MUST READ!!

Creepy setting, creepy characters. I loved experiencing this "perfect" community through Julia's eyes. She was a great main character, and I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC!!

The first few chapters moved slow but I later found out how important they were to the whole story!! It was very well written and overall entertaining!! I was on the edge of my seat gobbling it up!!! I will definitely be recommending this to everyone!!

After moving overseas to the idyllic Haven community for her husband’s dream job and a fresh start for the family, psychologist Julia finds herself questioning how a community could be so perfect. Unique for a psychological thriller, the Haven gave me a combo of a dystopian society and stepford wives vibes with the wives staying at home (but never lifting a finger to care for the home or cook) while the husbands work. As Julia gets more acquainted with the community, she finds herself wondering—is it even possible to leave?

I finished this one rather quickly and enjoyed it! I would have loved to learn more throughout the conclusion, what happened to some of the main characters involved etc and would definitely read a sequel (if there were plans for one)!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Where You Belong is a blend of speculative fiction and thriller, making it a fairly unique book and one that took on some fascinating concepts. Opening with Julia Seyward, a chief engagement officer grappling with a mysterious event around young boys disappearing who have used a game on the app she is associated with, she just wants an escape. Julia’s husband Jamie provides that escape with a somewhat out of nowhere move to Radiance, a community in another country. But all is not as perfect as it seems and Julia soon begin to look into the broader mystery of the community, and how it may be linked to her ‘previous’ life.

I enjoyed the ideas in the book and the play with our reality. For all we know there may be a Radiance community underway, and certainly if there was for a short time at least it might play out like the earlier chapters in this book. There were parts of the story, however, that drug just a bit, playing with too many things to create tension but which didn’t really add up. If you’re a fan of more realistic sci fi, The Stepford Wives, and John Mars this would fit nicely in a line up and haunt your mind just the same.

I’m not going to lie, the first few chapters I was bored. I wanted to DNF but felt I had to keep reading in order to write this review. I can wholeheartedly say I am so glad I kept going! What felt unnecessary in the beginning became pertinent information by the end. I was gripped by this book, literally on the edge of my seat, could not read fast enough!

TLDR; slow start, gripping middle, unbelievable ending. A must read for lovers of psychological thrillers

Whenever I start a book, especially when it’s a new author, I never know what to expect. This book really got me hooked from the very beginning. I knew this wasn’t going to be your every day thriller. To me it was a little Stepford wife or really Stepford husband. This book takes you on a wild ride with some twists and turns that I really was not expecting.
Julia and our family are moving to a new community to start a new life to start a better life because of her husband James new job. Julia is giving up a great job, her friends not seeing her mom to show James that she can slow down and be a real mother to her two young sons. With James moving ahead of them little does Julia know her life is no longer her own. Everything is control by apps and the people that she does meet seem off. Something isn’t right. Julia decides she hast to find out what is going on before something happens to her. Who can she trust? Some of the people she has become friends with seem to disappear and she wants to know why. When she does some digging, Julia does find out that her life is in danger, and her new home is not the place she should be.
I found the plot very intriguing. From the very beginning, I knew something was not right and I needed to find out through Julia what that was. so I really could not put this down. There was some twist and turns and I wasn’t expecting what came after. Julia finds out the truth.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes the intrigue. I can’t say this book really made you think. Are they really places like this community out there? Where some people really lose sight of reality. For a debut novel I thought it was really well written and really kept me interested. So thank Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

WHERE YOU BELONG BY S.J. KING.
Release date set for the 4th of March 2025.
This was a tense read.
I thought this story was very well written and i loved the author's writing style.
I thought the whole premise was brilliant and it was wrapped up lovely for me.
Its a unique plot and i thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.
This is my first book by this author and I'll be checking to see what other books are out.

Enjoyed this book, well-written and very entertaining.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Storm Publishing for this ARC.

#WhereYouBelong #NetGalley

It's been a long time since I've sat on the edge of my seat, devouring a book like I just did with Where You Belong. I started the book last night, I thought about it as I drifted off to sleep, it was the first thing I thought of when I woke up. Now that have finished reading it, I'm left with a whirlwind of thoughts, satisfaction, and admittedly exhaustion as my adrenaline is starting to wear off. Where You Belong is packed with love, betrayal, fear, distrust. It is going to mess with your mind. Do not recommend you reading this book when you don't have a day or two off of work. You will binge it like the latest season of your favourite Netflix series.

I am not sure how I feel about this book. While I enjoyed it and wanted to see what happened I couldn't wrap my head around the story line at times. The writing was really well done. I could actually see this book being made into a movie or series with some changes. The themes in this book really made me think but somewhere the book just fell short for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC.

This is a terrifying, creepy, suspense story. I leave out “thriller,’ because I was not thrilled by the story.
I’m just not a fan of cults and this one was particularly onerous but was saved by the well written
characters, the detailed descriptions of everything and Julia finally did escape with her boys. I
was glad she left the husband behind.
My thanks to Storm Publishing via NetGalley for the download of this book for review purposes.

"Where You Belong" is the debut novel by author S.J. King, and let me tell you, the synopsis had me hooked from the get-go! The captivating summary made me hit the pause button on my other reads to dive headfirst into this story.

It kicks off with a gradual buildup of suspense that adds a pinch of excitement and a splash of intrigue, making it tough to put down but, as I journeyed through the pages, the tension seemed to drop off as the plot unfolded.

Characters are the heart of any story, and while the cast here is definitely engaging, I found myself wanting to dig deeper into their backstories and motivations. A little more character exploration would have been like the cherry on top of an already yummy sundae!

Then there’s the ending—oh boy! Just when I thought we were gearing up for a big, mind-blowing reveal, it felt like it was rushed and fell short. I was hoping for that satisfying tie-up that leaves you gasping and saying, “Wow, what a ride!” instead of just kind of going, “Huh, that’s it?”

So, in a nutshell, "Where You Belong" starts off strong and has all the makings of a fantastic story, though it might leave some readers wishing for a bit more oomph at the finish line. It also reads more dystopian than psychological thriller but it was still a fast, fun read, and I can't wait to see what S.J. King whips up next!

I think what threw me off was the fact that this was more of a dystopian mystery type book? I still enjoyed it, I just wasn't expecting it.

I did enjoy Julia as a mother who would stand up for her kids as well as herself.

This was a very creative plot and characters so I thoroughly enjoyed it!

This was not really what I was expecting but I was certainly not disappointed. Initially I found the plot fascinating and enjoyed the hints of something sinister hiding beneath the surface of the gated community. As the story moved along I felt compelled to read as much as I could in each sitting. The author knew how much information to give up and how much to hold back. As I got deeper into the novel the writing expertly caused me to be constantly in suspense. For those such as myself who love a book with a twist or two, this book definitely delivered. I'm really hovering between four and five stars but I can't think of anything that I disliked so I'm going to tip the scales to a five. I will be looking for other books by this author.

Where You Belong by S.J. King was an absolute mind-bender! From the very first chapter, I was hooked, questioning everything alongside Julia as she started her new life with her family. It’s one of those thrillers that keeps you constantly second-guessing—who’s lying? What’s real? And the deeper you go, the more unsettling it gets.

Julia’s husband gets an amazing job offer and soon she and her family move to Haven. Everything seems wonderful at first, but something doesn’t seem quite right to Julia. As she tries to navigate what seems off about Haven, she learns that can she truly trust those around her ? Her neighbors? Her husband? Can she even trust her own judgement?

What I loved most was how thought-provoking it was. It wasn’t just about shocking twists (though trust me, there were plenty), but about memory, identity, and the stories we tell ourselves to feel safe. It made me wonder—how much of my past could I really trust? And the suspense? Unreal. Every time I thought I could breathe, another revelation hit, keeping me on edge until the very last page. If you love thrillers that mess with your head and make you think, this one’s a must-read!

An opportunity for a new start is all Julia needs . Life with her husband has its ups and downs and she is looking forward to getting things back to how they were,

Her new home in a gated community seems just perfect..but is it too perfect.. To Julia something semms off.

This is a good read. It is well written and I loved how the plot unfolded. There are twists and Happily I could not guess the outcome so it came as a surprise to me

A great novel to unwind with

I can’t exactly put my finger on it but I just couldn’t really get in to this book. The writing was great, the storyline was good, it just didn’t pull me in from the start like I am used to.

Julia is forced to move due to her husband’s job and right away she notices something is off about this “perfect” opportunity. While it seems nice to have everything in your life taken care of by others, is it really all it’s chalked up to be? Especially when everyone has to wear matching wristbands and have special phones.

I really connected with Julie as she wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself and her children, even though this seems to be a man’s world where they have moved to.

This book definitely gives more dystopian vibes than thriller which is why I think I just couldn’t really get engrossed in the book as I would have liked.

Thank you, Storm Publishing, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A unique storyline featuring an exclusive housing development linked to Radiance a new company. Stunning houses, gated community and money no object. Sounds perfect doesn't it? However as Julia discovers life isn't all it's cracked up to be. No freedom for wives, a wristband that flashes depending on your mood that links to points earned.
The longer Julia and her family live there the more distrustful she feels.
This isnt normally the genre I read, but I found it enjoyable. I found it a fairly slow read at the beginning. It's a stong debut novel

𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐦. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐲𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲.

Is it still considered dystopian if it's actually happening? This speculative fiction title was so reminiscent of John Marrs, so if you're familiar with the world he's created in many of books, I think you will be drawn in to this horror pretty easily.

Julia has been the primary breadwinner for her family of four while her husband James has been floundering. But when James get an unexpected job offer that comes with numerous perks, including a gorgeous new home in an exclusive neighborhood, they jump at the chance. Julia struggles to settle in to her new routine, which is a whole lot of nothing. All of the chores are done by Lin, their housemaid, and she doesn't even have to drive her boys to school, even though she really wants to. As a matter of fact, she can't drive anywhere because she hasn't reached that "level" yet.

Julia's sense of unease quickly turns to dread when a neighbor’s body is found floating in a pool during a party. The other other wives are quick to say it was a tragic accident. But Julia also hears fragments of the rumors swirling around about the family who lived in her house before her--and the fact that they abruptly vanished one day. Will her search for answers and her desperate need to know be her undoing?

Tense, unsettling, and all too believable. Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the early copy. This title is expected to publish March 4, 2025.