Twenty years ago, Beckett Bowery was a student at idyllic Wyatt College when two local men died in a fire on the campus, with fingers pointing at her roommate, who disappeared and hasn’t been seen since. Now, Beckett’s daughter Delilah will be attending the same school, and Beckett fears that her past may come back to haunt her. You Belong Here gets off to a fast start, firmly gripping the reader with a palpable tension that has you totally engaged, with the book well on its way to a 5 star read. But when a heart-stopping crisis comes to a conclusion, it seemed to deflate all that tension, and the plot never really finds its footing again. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a good book, but the early excitement raised expectations that just never materialized, and left this reader wanting more, but not getting it. Even so, I would still recommend the book, but fans of this author (myself included) may feel a little bit of a letdown after a rousing start 3.5 stars. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another enjoyable and easy to read psych thriller by Megan Miranda with some fun twists. Made a long flight go quickly!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Simon Element for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you for an advance copy of this thriller by an author I have previously enjoyed. This is a mystery/thriller set in academia world of a college campus, one of my favorite settings. Beckett unwillingly returns to her own college town, where her parents still live, as her daughter without her knowledge is going to be attending college there. Something bad happened to Beckett there years ago, and it remains unresolved....and it quickly spirals into danger for her daughter. I enjoyed the college setting, my favorite, and I liked the characters of Beckett and her ex husband. The mystery is decent and wraps up in a surprising but satisfying way. A fast page turner!

Intensity at its highest levels identifies this book that needs to be read in one sitting because it is difficult to put own. Wow, so many twists and turns that you just can't predict what is around the corner. Loved the novel's storyline, characters, and action.

Perfectly paced mystery about a mom searching for her missing college age daughter at the same college where a mystery of her own unfolded twenty years earlier. The author did a marvelous job intertwining the two story lines into a mystery with a satisfying ending. It has lots of twists and turns that I did not expect. Would definitely recommend.

This was a fast paced and well written thriller. I enjoyed this book a lot. The plot was good and the character development was as well.

A twisty, dark academia mystery with old secrets, accidents and scary chases. Reminds me of Parents Weekend by Alex Finley and School of Lies by Laura Ling Brown.

Beckett left Wyatt college years ago after a terrible nightmare and never saw her roommate and best friend again. Now her daughter has accepted a scholarship to attend the college. After a cryptic text, her daughter goes missing.

This is a typical Megan Miranda, fun and easily digestible if you want to fly through a fun mystery book. Nice and repetitive if you enjoy audiobooks or just need that for plot purposes. The twists and reveals might be a tad predictable, but they are well paced. I would have liked to learn more about Daphne, Beckett herself is relatable but honestly a bit dense.


Thank you to Simon Element and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Book to be published July 28, 2025.

Beckett Bowery is a ghost writer and single mom to Delilah, a college freshman at her alma mater. Beckett had resisted sending her daughter to the college she attended, and at which her parents taught. The reason Beckett doesn't want Delilah there is because 20 years earlier, she and her roommate Adalyn were suspected in the deaths of two young men by arson in the tunnels under the old buildings.
There are many twists and turns in the story, beginning when Delilah goes missing at the college, leading to Beckett uncovering the truth of the twenty year old murders and her family's ties to them.

I felt such sympathy for the mother, Beckett, in this story. She had a strained relationships with both of her parents due to their dedication to their careers as university professors for, Wyatt Valley, a small private university. She herself had been a student there but a tragic murder happened during the annual Howling. This forced her to leave school before graduation, as she was under suspicion of being involved in the incident.

Beckett started her life again in a new place, met Trevor and they had Delilah. Years later when Delilah applied to colleges, Wyatt Valley was the only one she wanted, in the little town her grandparents still lived. Beckett feared for her daughter, returning to her Alma mater, but couldn’t tell her about the many reasons she feared for her life and that of her daughter.

“You Belong Here”, has many twists and turns and kept me engaged throughout. The characters were multi faceted and the various settings made it come alive.

Thanks to Netgalley for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to receive a copy of this book because I’ve loved every book I’ve read by this author. The plot was really unique compared to a lot of the thrillers I’ve read recently. I had a great time!

I love reading Megan Miranda books and this was not an exception. While not one of my favorites I was still not able to put it down. The pace of the story slowed down towards the middle but quickly picked up with multiple twists at the end. I was left wanting a bit more, but it was still an enjoyable read.

Your daughter chooses to go to your alma mater- a good thing, right? Not for Beckett in @meganlmiranda ‘s upcoming book, You Belong Here. It’s twisty and tells the story of how mom Beckett got embroiled in a murder 20 years ago when she was a college student. Now her daughter is starting school at the same school and the drama continues. I liked this book. @marysueruccibooks #netgalley

This was pretty good! Something about the style felt a bit off but overall the book and storyline was enjoyable. I didn’t know who was doing what! lol

The novel was suspenseful and kept me guessing with its twists and turns. Every time I thought I knew what was coming, I was wrong. Fans of Miranda’s previous works, such as The Last House Guest and Daughter of Mine, will recognize her signature style of atmospheric settings and intricate plotting. You Belong Here is poised to be another compelling addition to her repertoire, offering readers a thrilling exploration of family ties and the shadows cast by long-held secrets.

I am a big Megan Miranda fan. The whole "howling" premise was cool and eerie. The book was a slow-burn and a little far-fetched, but an enjoyable read regardless.

A decades-old secret that drove a young woman from her hometown now threatens her college-bound daughter in this twisty new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Megan Miranda.’

You Belong Here starts off perfectly creepy with a feeling of malevolence in the air. That little inkling you’re being watched… Miranda lays it on well and thick.
Hits even harder if you happen to have a daughter about to go off to college… which I do and now I’m wondering if I should just lock her down instead and make her sling chalupas somewhere locally...🥴

Anyway. How a seemingly innocent game of darts with a couple teenage girls and twenty something guys turns to chaos and murder is beyond me. But it does.

However, the book began to lose its grip on me around the 65%-70% mark. That’s when everything begins to spiral and reachhhhh & stretchhhh. Then convolution walks in and settles down like a greedy lush for the last leg. Things got messy. And the twists and revelations went toe to toe with implausibility.

To start off so promising with such an alluring hook, I hate to say it left me a little disappointed in the end.

But regardless of my experience, if you’re looking for a eerie thriller with plenty of secrets, puzzle pieces and wtf moments, this one may be for you!

Thanks to Simon Element | S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books & NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. I am always grateful.

Pub: 7.29.2025.

Beckett has returned to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, back to Wyatt College, a place she thought she'd never be again. Beck left under suspicion after two men were killed in a fire and her roommate disappeared. This time it is to drop her daughter Delilah off for her freshman year. Beck leaves with a sense of dread. Not long after returning to her home, she receives a dropped call and is unable to get ahold of Delilah. Her memories from college return, the tradition of the "howling" is still occurring and she's worried her daughter is now a victim.

Megan Miranda built this story with a slow burn of memories and flashbacks, foreshadowing through encounters in a small college town. I enjoyed the mystery and the twists in the story. Living in the mountains of Virginia and going to a college here, it was easy to picture and see the college town setting.

I would recommend this to others who enjoy the slow build of suspense and a few twists and turns along the way, especially those who like Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley, and Lisa Jewell.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for the honest review.

Ooooh, this one was so fun! Small-town secrets? Check. A past that refuses to stay buried? Double check. A mother-daughter duo caught in a web of danger? You already know.

This story follows Beckett, who fled her hometown after a tragedy in college, only to be pulled back when her daughter—completely unaware of her mom’s history—chooses to attend the very same school. Naturally, things spiral FAST. Long-buried secrets resurface, past mistakes come knocking, and Beckett has no choice but to face the ghosts she’s spent decades avoiding.

The atmosphere was chef’s kiss—that perfect mix of eerie, small-town tension and dark academia vibes. I loved the slow, creeping suspense, and while I saw some twists coming, others caught me totally off guard. The pacing dragged a little in the middle, and the ending felt a bit rushed, but overall, this was a solid thriller with a gripping mystery that kept me flipping pages late into the night.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

I liked this one! The ending was a bit anticlimactic, but the overall storyline and suspense was good! Her writing has evolved a lot in her most recent books!

Beckett Bowery never thought she would return to her hometown. She left for a reason. Decades long secret that she has been avoiding. To her surprise, her daughter secretly decides this is the exact place she wants to go to college. 

Has. it been long enough for the town to forget?

There are really great elements in You Belong Here. It feels like a good solid thriller. I found it easy to read and easy to digest. 

Although the 'easy reading' might be because the inner thoughts of Beckett started to get repetitive and boring. I found myself speeding up my reading when we were in Beckett’s brain, which is most of the story. 

There were some plot holes throughout the story. Questions that Beckett obviously should’ve asked her daughter. Beckett jumping to conclusions too quickly. Moments that were so glaringly obvious it felt annoying as a reader.

Sometimes the characters were so dumb in their thought processes. It made me want to hope they all died a horrible death. (dramatic, but isn't that the point?)

The ending twist fell flat for me. It was trying to give 'oh-my-god I didn't expect that' vibes - but it was more 'we could have been a lot more creative' vibes. The blackmail part of the story felt forced and oddly placed. 

Overall, it was a nice read but way too many plot holes and messy characters with poor thought processes to make this an absolute masterpiece. it hasn't been that long since I finished and I'm already forgetting this book. For that reason, I'll sadly not be able to recommend to my followers.

Amazon Link - You Belong Here By: Megan Miranda

Stats: 352 pages - Expected publication July 29, 2025

**Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.