What a stunner!
I should have read this a long time ago!

I just bought one of her other books and found that I owned this one on my kindle from Netgalley (ummm) and lost it down the way.
If you’ve not yet read this and you like secrets and lies and people who can destroy the life you’ve built since then in one fell swooooop……this is it.

I was constantly turning pages and chumping through life’s “gotta do” list to get back to reading this.

This is an author that I’m becoming to recognise as an auto buy as I’m enjoying her writing so much.

It’s full up of “things” that all suspense thrillers should have.

My cuppeth overflowed!

This book was an excellent read. It's a read until way past your bedtime sit on the edge of your seat thriller. I loved everything about this one. Definitely a great recommendation.

Secrets and love are not a good mix. People will always end up getting hurt. Violet and Finn are this example.
This wasn’t a massive hit with me but I think that’s more down to my personal taste than the authors writing.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest reviews

Omg......... this book was amazing I flew threw the pages with Olympic speed I was hooked from the very first page. I found it full of twists and turns threw out and it kept me on the edge of my seat all the way threw  I would defiantly recommend this book if you like a good book to keep you reading threw the night hopefully you enjoy it as much as I did

Note: clearing old books from before 2019

I read this one in April 2017 - it was a fantastic exploration of marriage, and the secrets ones marriage can hold. The hopping back and forth was a little confusing at first but I soon found the flow.

I rated this book 4 stars on goodreads

Unfortunately, I read this book back in 2017 but completely forgot to upload a review on here, so can't remember exactly what I was going to say about it!

This book was powerful and suspenseful, and I couldn't put it down! I read it in one sitting, and that almost never happens. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title

I Almost Missed You is a book I couldn’t put down. When I read the last word I stopped and just sat there thinking about what I had read. Even now I am not exactly sure what I think of it, other than I want my friends to read it so we can discuss it.

My first mistake was assuming that I knew what was going to happen. There were other parts to the story beyond the father kidnapping his son that I was thrown off track numerous times. With each twist and turn I found myself becoming more invested in Violet finding her son. I wanted to be mad, truly pissed off, at Finn but I just couldn’t get there. It was evident that every character had their own secret. As close as the 4 of them were they were not always truthful with each other. I enjoyed how they paired off, not always with their spouses, sharing secrets.

Jessica Strawser did an amazing job taking the reader on a wild ride. A ride I didn’t want to end but I had to know what would happen to Caitlin, George, Finn, and Violet. I recommend picking up your own copy today.

This is an interesting exploration of marriage, secrets, and "what is meant to be". It has some elements of a thriller, but is more of a family drama than a page-turner. Throughout the book, we look into the motivations and emotional issues that the characters are dealing with, and how they ended up where they are. Very well done!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this free readers edition. In exchange I am providing an honest review.

"All the wrong people know the wrong secrets." Listen, secrets NEVER stay secret. Eventually they all come to the surface and it's always worst when they do than it would have been if they had just been exposed at the time of conception. And I don't understand why some things become secrets, it's so unnecessary for most circumstances. It's because us humans get too much inside of ourselves and make something way bigger than it actually is. I'm annoyed by it. Which means this book annoyed me almost as much as it interested me.

Finn and Violet have been married three years and have a son the same age. On their first real family vacation Violet returns to their room after Bear's nap and finds the room clear of Finn and Bear, almost as if they never existed. For a quick second she wonders if she's dreamed her life until that moment. But reality sets in and she frantically searches for her husband and son with zero success. Pretty soon the case is escalated to FBI involvement and they determine Finn has kidnapped their son and is on the run. Violet can't believe this nightmare is her reality. Where is Finn, why did he take Bear, what has happened to the family she thought she had?

According to the story, apparently people think Finn and Violet were "meant to be" but honestly after the first chapter I'm not sure how they would have ever gained that reputation. Finn is...unlikable. And sure, he kidnapped their son and took off so that's an unlikable quality right there but he's unlikable in general. As Strawser reveals Finn's backstory I think she meant for the reader to have sympathy for him but all I felt was annoyance and a bit of disgust. Frankly, I thought him to be an ass. Sure, what happened to precipitate this awful decision he made was traumatic and sad but sheesh, be a grown up and quit sniveling about it - get some help. I felt no sympathy for him, it was a huge turn off to him as a character. And his cowardice with Violet was so icky. I kept want to yell at her and tell her to ask some questions and why she didn't, when she had a few very pointed questions, was annoying to me as well. So unrealistic in my opinion. I just was put off more than anything by the character of Finn especially. Despite that I kept reading because I was curious to see how the situation would resolve itself and to have gaps filled in on the secondary characters of Caitlin and George. All in all, however, I finished the book and was left annoyed and indifferent.

Thank you for the review copy. Unfortunately, it just didn't appeal to me very much, so I did not end up posting a review on my blog.

Another book I forgot to post a review for. Sorry netgalley. I remember liking this book. It was more of a beach read, which kept your interest but not too deep. I would recommend.

Almost Missed You is a wonderful debut by Jessica Strawser. Violet is on vacation with her husband Finn and son Bear. When Violet goes to the hotel room to check on them, her worst nightmare has come true. Both her husband and son are missing. The police immediately expect foul play on Violets part. Both Finn and Bear cannot be found. This story goes between past and present examining how much we really know someone. The secrets and layers of the story are slowly revealed in each chapter with a satisfying ending.

This was an interesting take on the love-at-first-sight theme. What if you don't act on that sight? What if someone else shows up next?

The story was well-written and kept me reading. I wanted to know what could happen next? There was a lot of suspense and a little romance. I'm not much on romance or murder but these were kept to a minimum as there is so much more to the drama than just those ideas.

I love that there are children involved and beaches. Many layers of what? Why would he do that? What the heck is going on? So I highly recommend this to others looking for a good read. Oh, and I love the grandmother. A wealth of wisdom!

Definitely not the book I was expecting when I read the description. I was expecting a twisty thriller, but instead got a novel full of domestic drama. The first few chapters were really interesting and exciting, but when I found out what was really going on, the novel fell a little flat for me. The characters were well developed and the resolution was solid, but just not really the plot I anticipated based off of the jacket copy. Review posted on Goodreads and Amazon.

3.5 stars
Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I had never heard of this author before, but the story sounded interesting, so I took a chance on this book. It was well worth it, an emotional roller coaster of a read, this book follows the story of Finn and Violet, who ended up together by the mysteries of fate. They are married with a young son and embark on a family vacation together. But nothing goes as planned and Finn winds up kidnapping their son and disappears. He winds up on the doorstep on long time friend Caitlin and proceeds to blackmail her into helping him evade the authorities and Violet. She is put in an impossible situation and her choice could undo her life as well as Violet's.
We flash back to the past where the stage is set for the crash course of the present and follow the alternating narration of the main characters. The book is an emotional journey of a mother's love and how secrets never really stay buried, but always come to the surface eventually. Glad I took a chance on this book.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1723545112

Great debut novel! Very intriguing from start to finish. I'd definitely recommend and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

Everyone thinks they have the perfect life - even Violet! But when her family suddenly disappears while on vacation, Violet comes to realize that nothing in the past 3 years was as it seemed. Violet's terror, confusion, and anger, as well as Finn's sorrow and skillful manipulation pull the reader into this terrifyingly suspenseful story.

Did not finish. It was too slow for me. I took a break from reading so I can't remember the details of this book for a more thorough review