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.

Always excited for a new Megan Miranda book, and this one didn’t disappoint! A bit of a slow burn but totally worth it. The atmosphere was written so well I could get a good feel of the old college town. Great book! Highly recommend this and any of her books!

4/5⭐️ WOW. I’ve read a few Megan Miranda books in the past and loved them, so I was super excited to receive this ARC! And this was the best one yet!!

You Belong Here tells the story of Beckett, who must return to her hometown in order to send her daughter, Delilah, off to college after vowing to never return. While there, secrets from Beckett’s past are uncovered as her daughter is determined to be missing. Beckett fights to discover the truth surrounding her past and this town’s secrets. This story took so many turns that I was not expecting! I didn’t know who I could trust or where the story would end up but I loved every minute of it! Such a great fast paced, chilling thriller novel!

Thank you so much to Megan Miranda, Marysue Rucci Books, and NetGalley for the ARC!

Throughly enjoyed this one from start to finish. The pacing was perfect and really allowed me to immerse
myself into the story early on. I enjoyed both main story taking place in modern day, and the flash backs to Becketts college years and how it connects with modern day. I thought I had it figured out early on, but I was wrong! (Which I love) a fantastic thriller all around. The scenery and location of this book was fantastic as well.

Decent thriller set in the rolling hills of Virginia about a mother trying to protect her daughter from the past repeating itself. Great tension throughout until close to the end where the story took a bit of a dip for me. Pacing fell flat at times. Overall a pretty good pick #youbelonghere #meganmiranda #netgalley #goodreads

Whew! Talk about insane! 😳 Grab You Belong Here by @meganlmiranda when it is published in May. This 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ mystery/ thriller will have your heart pumping at the suspense and twists in the plot! In the read, Beckett, a mom hasn’t returned to her hometown where she went to college after an accident and secrets from her college days. Now, her daughter Delilah attends college there. A weird phone call and uncharacteristic actions for Beckett back to the scene. All sorts of wild suspicions ensue to determine the truth in multiple wild activities around campus. Grab this in-put-downable book asap! #peachypages #bookstagram #netgalley #arc #meganmiranda #thriller #lovetoreadbooks📚 #bookworm #book #readingtime📖☕️