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With Regrets
9 hours. 20 minutes
When recent NYC-transplant Liz Brinkley and her husband are invited to an exclusive soiree by their neighbor, “lifestyle guru” Britta Harris-Che, Liz’s immediate thought is hell no. Britta is insufferable, and Liz is wary to leave her young children with a barely teenage babysitter. And yet she RSVPs anyway, trying to extend an olive branch to her withdrawing husband, who seems desperate to get in with the cliquey elite.
They’ve barely made it through their first round of champagne when a “red alert” comes through their phones: strange atmospheric masses, reported to look like “glimmering clouds,” have been spreading through major U.S. cities and killing anyone they touch. Authorities have one clear directive: Find shelter. Immediately.
A collective panic seizes the dinner party; all the guests have children at home. In the mad dash to their cars, they see it: a shimmering net floating over the town. The street is littered with wrecked cars and dead bodies. Leaving now is not an option. Instead, the group launches into survival mode, grabbing supplies to take shelter in the hosts’ wine cellar.
As tensions and suspicions among the party guests near a boiling point, Liz becomes increasingly willing to do whatever it takes to get back to her children, but she soon realizes there may be others in the cellar even more desperate than she is...
When recent NYC-transplant Liz Brinkley and her husband are invited to an exclusive soiree by their neighbor, “lifestyle guru” Britta Harris-Che, Liz’s immediate thought is hell no. Britta is insufferable, and Liz is wary to leave her young children with a barely teenage babysitter. And yet she RSVPs anyway, trying to extend an olive branch to her withdrawing husband, who seems desperate to get in with the cliquey elite.
They’ve barely made it through their first round of champagne when a “red alert” comes through their phones: strange atmospheric masses, reported to look like “glimmering clouds,” have been spreading through major U.S. cities and killing anyone they touch. Authorities have one clear directive: Find shelter. Immediately.
A collective panic seizes the dinner party; all the guests have children at home. In the mad dash to their cars, they see it: a shimmering net floating over the town. The street is littered with wrecked cars and dead bodies. Leaving now is not an option. Instead, the group launches into survival mode, grabbing supplies to take shelter in the hosts’ wine cellar.
As tensions and suspicions among the party guests near a boiling point, Liz becomes increasingly willing to do whatever it takes to get back to her children, but she soon realizes there may be others in the cellar even more desperate than she is...
Audiobook
First published September 5, 2023
28 people are currently reading
5646 people want to read
About the author
Lee Kelly
7 books451 followersLee Kelly is the author of CITY OF SAVAGES, a Publishers Weekly pick and a VOYA Magazine “Perfect Ten” selection, A CRIMINAL MAGIC, which was optioned and developed for a television series by Warner Bros., and WITH REGRETS. With Jennifer Thorne, Lee has also co-written THE ANTIQUITY AFFAIR, THE STARLETS, MY FAIR FRAUDS (forthcoming from Harper Muse, 2025) and THE MIDNIGHT SHOW (forthcoming from Crown, 2026).
Her short fiction and essays have appeared in CrimeReads, Electric Lit, and Tor.com, among other publications, and she holds a Masters in Fine Arts from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. An entertainment lawyer by trade, Lee has practiced law in Los Angeles and New York. She currently lives with her husband and two children in Pennsylvania, where you’ll find them engaged in one adventure or another.
Her short fiction and essays have appeared in CrimeReads, Electric Lit, and Tor.com, among other publications, and she holds a Masters in Fine Arts from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. An entertainment lawyer by trade, Lee has practiced law in Los Angeles and New York. She currently lives with her husband and two children in Pennsylvania, where you’ll find them engaged in one adventure or another.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
September 21, 2023
Solidly engaging book. Domestic drama paired with mild dystopian events.
I was entertained by this book. A group of couples attends a dinner party. During dinner, there are emergency announcements that very few people take seriously. As the evening progresses, though, things get more and more strange and as some of them decide to leave to go home to their children. A "glimmer" comes out of the sky and people and animals who are hit by it are killed. They take shelter in the wine cellar and as time passes, nervousness and fear turn into suspicion and chaos as secrets are revealed.
This is a combination of end of the world dramatic events and juicy neighborhood drama. The hysteria felt real and the frantic nature of the people wanting to have control over a situation in which they had no control seemed pretty realistic. I liked the way the book ended and was suitably impressed by the story. There are a few things that could have been improved, but overall I enjoyed this unique twist on this type of plot.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
I was entertained by this book. A group of couples attends a dinner party. During dinner, there are emergency announcements that very few people take seriously. As the evening progresses, though, things get more and more strange and as some of them decide to leave to go home to their children. A "glimmer" comes out of the sky and people and animals who are hit by it are killed. They take shelter in the wine cellar and as time passes, nervousness and fear turn into suspicion and chaos as secrets are revealed.
This is a combination of end of the world dramatic events and juicy neighborhood drama. The hysteria felt real and the frantic nature of the people wanting to have control over a situation in which they had no control seemed pretty realistic. I liked the way the book ended and was suitably impressed by the story. There are a few things that could have been improved, but overall I enjoyed this unique twist on this type of plot.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
September 5, 2023
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!
“…what we need is to pull this dinner off. Do you think you can just do what you’re told? Do you think we can just survive tonight?”
When Britta Harris-Che, instagram influencer of #Brittasays, invites four couples to a dinner party at her house to impress them with her McMansion and ostentatious lifestyle, nothing goes as planned. This snarky group of country clubbers includes the town gossip, a dystopian novelist, a new mother with post pardom depression, and the PTA president. They are all keeping secrets from each other. When the evening is abruptly interrupted by news of a fatal airborne pathogen called the Glimmer, chaos ensues. Didn’t they just survive Covid 19?
What is the Glimmer? How will the partygoers get home to their children? Will Britta get footage for Instagram?
and…
Will they survive?
With Regrets can best be described as Katherine St. John’s The Lion’s Den meets Josh Malerman’s Bird Box.
This dystopian horror plot seems to have been inspired by living through Covid 19. The author perfectly captures the fears, anxieties, and claustrophobia of a pandemic. How terrifying to be separated from your kids and unable to get home to them in this type of emergency!
While all of the characters are extremely flawed and somewhat annoying, I really liked the direction this plot took. They each pretend to keep it together and wonder if they are enough. In the beginning I wasn’t sure if I could tolerate more of their shallow behavior, but I was on the edge of my seat for the last 30%!
However, the name of the phenomenon, The Glimmer, does not capture the terrifying threat associated with it. It needs a better name!
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this book and really enjoyed it!
3.5/5 stars rounded up
Expected publication date: 9/5/23
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane books for the ARC of With Regrets in exchange for an honest review.
“…what we need is to pull this dinner off. Do you think you can just do what you’re told? Do you think we can just survive tonight?”
When Britta Harris-Che, instagram influencer of #Brittasays, invites four couples to a dinner party at her house to impress them with her McMansion and ostentatious lifestyle, nothing goes as planned. This snarky group of country clubbers includes the town gossip, a dystopian novelist, a new mother with post pardom depression, and the PTA president. They are all keeping secrets from each other. When the evening is abruptly interrupted by news of a fatal airborne pathogen called the Glimmer, chaos ensues. Didn’t they just survive Covid 19?
What is the Glimmer? How will the partygoers get home to their children? Will Britta get footage for Instagram?
and…
Will they survive?
With Regrets can best be described as Katherine St. John’s The Lion’s Den meets Josh Malerman’s Bird Box.
This dystopian horror plot seems to have been inspired by living through Covid 19. The author perfectly captures the fears, anxieties, and claustrophobia of a pandemic. How terrifying to be separated from your kids and unable to get home to them in this type of emergency!
While all of the characters are extremely flawed and somewhat annoying, I really liked the direction this plot took. They each pretend to keep it together and wonder if they are enough. In the beginning I wasn’t sure if I could tolerate more of their shallow behavior, but I was on the edge of my seat for the last 30%!
However, the name of the phenomenon, The Glimmer, does not capture the terrifying threat associated with it. It needs a better name!
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this book and really enjoyed it!
3.5/5 stars rounded up
Expected publication date: 9/5/23
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane books for the ARC of With Regrets in exchange for an honest review.
September 24, 2023
Didn't care for this one
A new deadly pandemic has hit the world. These luminous clouds are causing fatalities on a massive scale. Killing everyone and everything that comes into contact. The government even issued a warning for people to stay indoors and hunker down. Now a group of neighbors and friends are doing everything in their power to survive.
I wasn't invested in the drama between the friends and neighbors, nor did I have a fondness for any of them. I found the story to be lacking in depth. Additionally, we were never given a clear explanation as to what these clouds were and how they came into existence.
Overall, not for me.
*** Thank you to NetGalley, Lee Kelly, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
A new deadly pandemic has hit the world. These luminous clouds are causing fatalities on a massive scale. Killing everyone and everything that comes into contact. The government even issued a warning for people to stay indoors and hunker down. Now a group of neighbors and friends are doing everything in their power to survive.
I wasn't invested in the drama between the friends and neighbors, nor did I have a fondness for any of them. I found the story to be lacking in depth. Additionally, we were never given a clear explanation as to what these clouds were and how they came into existence.
Overall, not for me.
*** Thank you to NetGalley, Lee Kelly, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
March 18, 2024
I had high hopes for this apocalyptic thriller, however the end of the world trope really felt like more of a second fiddle to the constant arguing amongst the couples stuck in this house, on this suburban street. The bickering and backstabbing really just got annoying after a while, and not much of the actual world-ending cause, etc. was really explained or resolved, for me anyway, leaving me scratching my head in the end.
September 5, 2023
The women of this town are so enveloped in their own little lives and dramas that they can't see out of their silk thread count cocoons. Even now, apparently, stuck together in hell.
If an apocalyptic event were to happen during the filming of an episode of Real Housewives, the results may look a lot like Lee Kelly's novel With Regrets.
Taking place over the course of one nightmarish 24-hour period, this is a story about wealthy suburbanites who get stuck together at an exclusive dinner party none of them really wanted to attend, while an apocalyptic phenomenon known as the "Glimmer" torments the outside world, leaving chaos and death in its wake. Oh, and did I mention several of the women at this dinner party have children waiting for them at home?
With Regrets will definitely be one of my sleeper hits of the year. It's the domestic drama/survival thriller/dystopian fiction mash-up that I didn't know I always needed. Kelly takes the best elements of these genres -- the juicy, explosive secrets, the terror of the unknown, the need to adapt to a constantly-changing environment -- to create something completely unique. There's a perfect balance in the narrative between propulsive plotting and thoughtful character development, and I was completely riveted the entire time.
The characters are well-crafted and, although none of them are really likable, they are all sympathetic in some way. Through them, Kelly explores themes surrounding motherhood, marriage, ambition, and identity. The characters' responses to the crisis felt authentic -- especially the driving need to get home to your children by any means necessary.
I thoroughly enjoyed this genre-jumping, compulsively readable novel. And while the "Glimmer" seems like too lovely name for something so horrifying, I'm guessing there's a metaphor there about how sometimes the most beautiful things can be the deadliest. And that seems fitting for a book like With Regrets. Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the early reading opportunity.
September 10, 2023
ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.
The narration fit perfectly with this book and all the characters! It was clear, concise, and very easy to listen to for hours at a time! The story itself kind of took me by surprise. It turns from what could be neighborhood drama into a science fiction story pretty quickly! I liked how there were plenty of main characters to get many different view points of what was happening. I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes sci-fi, mysteries, and drama!
The narration fit perfectly with this book and all the characters! It was clear, concise, and very easy to listen to for hours at a time! The story itself kind of took me by surprise. It turns from what could be neighborhood drama into a science fiction story pretty quickly! I liked how there were plenty of main characters to get many different view points of what was happening. I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes sci-fi, mysteries, and drama!
September 16, 2023
2.5 stars
Not much I can say except, “Meh.” The characters were contrived and unsympathetic, but also mostly two-dimensional. The story had a frantic air but still managed to be boring and overly repetitive. It was complicated but also oversimplified without meaningful explanations of events or actions.
This is one of those books that sounded great from the summary, but then failed to deliver.
Not much I can say except, “Meh.” The characters were contrived and unsympathetic, but also mostly two-dimensional. The story had a frantic air but still managed to be boring and overly repetitive. It was complicated but also oversimplified without meaningful explanations of events or actions.
This is one of those books that sounded great from the summary, but then failed to deliver.
April 28, 2023
OH MY GOSH I love this book! It is really a mashup of Pineapple Street and Crazy Rich Asian with any dystopian story. The story is set when you meet multiple wealthy spoiled couples with the secrets that the rich normally hide. All of them see to be dreading attending a dinner at “lifestyle guru” Britta Harris-Che, Britta is vacuous and obnoxious and Liz and others already regret attending and leaving their children home with sitters.
THEN, a red alert cuts the novel in half !
Glimmering Clouds have descended upon the world and mass deaths are reported. Liz will stop at nothing to get home to her children. Thus starts an amazing, larger than life thriller that will keep you up all night! If you love soapy gossipy stories, dystopian sci-fi adventures, or just want a whole new type of novel, With Regrets is for you! #WithRegrets #LeeKelly #CrookedLaneBooks
THEN, a red alert cuts the novel in half !
Glimmering Clouds have descended upon the world and mass deaths are reported. Liz will stop at nothing to get home to her children. Thus starts an amazing, larger than life thriller that will keep you up all night! If you love soapy gossipy stories, dystopian sci-fi adventures, or just want a whole new type of novel, With Regrets is for you! #WithRegrets #LeeKelly #CrookedLaneBooks
September 14, 2023
““GLIMMERING CLOUDS” REPORTED IN NEWARK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT . . . GROWING “MASS” SPOTTED IN BOSTON . . . AIRPORTS QUARANTINED AMID GLIMMER-CLOUD PHENOMENON . . .”
This book was a mixed bag of personal and relationship drama, with a dinner soirée and the end of the world thrown in to boot!
I was almost sure I wouldn’t love this story; I despised most of the characters at first.
Then, it grew on me, and as secrets were spilled, the power went out, and alliances formed, I came to love it.
The end was *chef’s kiss* and despite the subject matter, I could walk away from this tale with warmth in my heart for the characters I’d spent so much time with.
Don’t listen if people tell you the suburbs can’t be bloodthirsty and cutthroat.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author & Crooked Lane Books for a copy.
This book was a mixed bag of personal and relationship drama, with a dinner soirée and the end of the world thrown in to boot!
I was almost sure I wouldn’t love this story; I despised most of the characters at first.
Then, it grew on me, and as secrets were spilled, the power went out, and alliances formed, I came to love it.
The end was *chef’s kiss* and despite the subject matter, I could walk away from this tale with warmth in my heart for the characters I’d spent so much time with.
Don’t listen if people tell you the suburbs can’t be bloodthirsty and cutthroat.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author & Crooked Lane Books for a copy.
September 18, 2024
I was expecting a dystopian novel, but this was actually a domestic drama. A near-extinction event is used as a catalyst to examine our social media obsessed culture, suburban privilege, motherhood, and female friendship.
This was a reasonably entertaining read and I applaud the author for finding a new twist on this material. But I was a little uncomfortable with the ending
This was a reasonably entertaining read and I applaud the author for finding a new twist on this material. But I was a little uncomfortable with the ending
September 4, 2023
With Regrets by Lee Kelly. Thanks to @booksparks for the gifted copy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
An exclusive dinner soirée, yet the guests all seem to have drama and secrets. As they begin the first drink of the evening, a red alert comes through for all US cities.
This is a unique disaster survival story, especially if you aren’t expecting it. It starts like a suburban thriller with a social media component to it. It stays that way but with a very strange, and deadly, occurrence. The characters are all vapid and selfish, but some will step up in the end and some only get worse. I didn’t like how it wasn’t neatly tied up with an explanation at the end, but I guess it ended true to life where investigations would have to occur.
“Millions of deaths? Is this a joke? What was in that old fashioned? What the hell is going on?”
With Regrets comes out 9/5.
An exclusive dinner soirée, yet the guests all seem to have drama and secrets. As they begin the first drink of the evening, a red alert comes through for all US cities.
This is a unique disaster survival story, especially if you aren’t expecting it. It starts like a suburban thriller with a social media component to it. It stays that way but with a very strange, and deadly, occurrence. The characters are all vapid and selfish, but some will step up in the end and some only get worse. I didn’t like how it wasn’t neatly tied up with an explanation at the end, but I guess it ended true to life where investigations would have to occur.
“Millions of deaths? Is this a joke? What was in that old fashioned? What the hell is going on?”
With Regrets comes out 9/5.
November 18, 2023
Full review on my blog!
Thank you to the author Lee Kelly, publishers Crooked Lane Books, and TLC Book Tours, for an advance hardback copy of WITH REGRETS. Thank you also to Libby for an accomanying digital copy. All views are mine.
Three (or more) things I loved: ...
2. This is a large cast, handled well. The talk about each other, to each other, which helps the reader learn who is who quicker. It helps they are all together for so many of the scenes. I've already got a feel for this huge cast of characters and I'm only 47 pages in.
...
4. I absolutely loved the approach to this scenario, being trapped in an apocalypse, in a basement wine cellar with the awful people in your most distant social circles. It is a mashup of genres and it is horrifying, a wonderful creation. The House Wives of the Apocalypse.
5. I enjoyed the author's use of experiment form in this book. These glimpses into tge characters lives obscured as often ed as revealed motivation and coming story.
...
Rating: 🌋🌋🌋🌋 world enders
Recommend? Yes!
Finished: Nov 27 23
Format: Hardback, TLC, ebook, Libby
Read this book if you like:
☄️ apocalypse stories
🍽 dinner parties gone wrong
🔓 locked room scenaries
😍 unlikely happy endings
🔪 rotten characters
Thank you to the author Lee Kelly, publishers Crooked Lane Books, and TLC Book Tours, for an advance hardback copy of WITH REGRETS. Thank you also to Libby for an accomanying digital copy. All views are mine.
Three (or more) things I loved: ...
2. This is a large cast, handled well. The talk about each other, to each other, which helps the reader learn who is who quicker. It helps they are all together for so many of the scenes. I've already got a feel for this huge cast of characters and I'm only 47 pages in.
...
4. I absolutely loved the approach to this scenario, being trapped in an apocalypse, in a basement wine cellar with the awful people in your most distant social circles. It is a mashup of genres and it is horrifying, a wonderful creation. The House Wives of the Apocalypse.
5. I enjoyed the author's use of experiment form in this book. These glimpses into tge characters lives obscured as often ed as revealed motivation and coming story.
...
Rating: 🌋🌋🌋🌋 world enders
Recommend? Yes!
Finished: Nov 27 23
Format: Hardback, TLC, ebook, Libby
Read this book if you like:
☄️ apocalypse stories
🍽 dinner parties gone wrong
🔓 locked room scenaries
😍 unlikely happy endings
🔪 rotten characters
September 5, 2023
Two things! First, wow did I fall in love with this story! I had a feeling I would enjoy it, but I devoured it. Second, I don't want to live in the swanky suburbs. Never, ever, I won't do it. Anyway, these unfortunate souls had the bad luck to not only live in the 'burbs, but to be in them during a global catastrophe, and during the worst dinner party of all time? Yeah, hard pass. Guess who else doesn't want to be there? Liz, who we meet whilst getting ready for Britta's dinner party. She doesn't want to go in any way, but she acquiesces to her husband who I guess hates himself enough to want to go? Hard to tell.
Anyway, the aforementioned host, Britta, is an "influencer", which is obviously cringe-worthy. And don't worry, everyone knows this is cringe-worthy, but because of whatever weird unspoken suburbs rules require it, people go anyway. Liz is quasi-likable at times, mostly because she was a writer for an apocalypse show that should be a real thing, and also because she is so concerned about her kids. Padma is the only truly likable and relatable character, but the rest are really well developed to the point where you kind of can't help but care about them in some sick twisted way? Let's just say, the author does a phenomenal job of making their flaws humanize them.
So to set the scene, at first, everyone is just kind of begrudgingly at Britta's stupid dinner party, counting the minutes until they can feel they've done their neighborly duty and leave. Britta and her husband are not getting along, Mabel's husband is a Grade A Jerk, Liz's husband left their kids home with a literal child babysitter without telling her, and Padma's husband (who is the only decent dude in the bunch) is at home with their infant. There's what seems to be a slightly older couple involved, too. Then suddenly, there are warnings going off all over the place- something is wrong, very wrong, and it is heading for their town next.
Well, everyone wants to bail immediately to go to their kids, of course. Problem is, the Event has other plans. Want to go outside? Good luck, you're probably getting vaporized. Now, Liz is more desperate than ever to get out of there, as her kids are alone with a different kid. So it becomes a survival and escape all in one. Throw in a character expose, and you basically have the bones of this story. And I could not put it down. I won't say much more, because there are all kinds of secrets to unravel, and excitement to be had, just know that you should read this book, and also, never ever move to the swanky 'burbs. Or go to an "influencer's" dinner party, but I trust that you already knew that.
Bottom Line: Dinner party from hell meets the apocalypse? Um, yes please!
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
Anyway, the aforementioned host, Britta, is an "influencer", which is obviously cringe-worthy. And don't worry, everyone knows this is cringe-worthy, but because of whatever weird unspoken suburbs rules require it, people go anyway. Liz is quasi-likable at times, mostly because she was a writer for an apocalypse show that should be a real thing, and also because she is so concerned about her kids. Padma is the only truly likable and relatable character, but the rest are really well developed to the point where you kind of can't help but care about them in some sick twisted way? Let's just say, the author does a phenomenal job of making their flaws humanize them.
So to set the scene, at first, everyone is just kind of begrudgingly at Britta's stupid dinner party, counting the minutes until they can feel they've done their neighborly duty and leave. Britta and her husband are not getting along, Mabel's husband is a Grade A Jerk, Liz's husband left their kids home with a literal child babysitter without telling her, and Padma's husband (who is the only decent dude in the bunch) is at home with their infant. There's what seems to be a slightly older couple involved, too. Then suddenly, there are warnings going off all over the place- something is wrong, very wrong, and it is heading for their town next.
Well, everyone wants to bail immediately to go to their kids, of course. Problem is, the Event has other plans. Want to go outside? Good luck, you're probably getting vaporized. Now, Liz is more desperate than ever to get out of there, as her kids are alone with a different kid. So it becomes a survival and escape all in one. Throw in a character expose, and you basically have the bones of this story. And I could not put it down. I won't say much more, because there are all kinds of secrets to unravel, and excitement to be had, just know that you should read this book, and also, never ever move to the swanky 'burbs. Or go to an "influencer's" dinner party, but I trust that you already knew that.
Bottom Line: Dinner party from hell meets the apocalypse? Um, yes please!
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
June 7, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of
With Regrets.
I love post-apocalyptic novels featuring aliens, zombies, monsters, whatever, I'm pretty open-minded. I just want a good story with compelling characters.
Sadly, I didn't enjoy this as much as I hoped.
** Minor spoilers ahead **
The premise is straightforward; a dinner party with ingratiating people falls into chaos and fear when a strange environmental threat is detected in the air and causes lockdown across the world.
Tensions mount, nerves are frayed, and secrets are revealed while at the same time, the female guests are desperate to figure out a way to return to their children.
I didn't like any of the characters; most of them were unlikable, especially the men.
The suspense and drama was decent and what you would expect as the characters turn against each other, wondering who to trust, and figuring out next steps.
Britta is insufferable; I quickly grew tired of her Insta-obsession, reading about her scrolling and texting and posting photos even though she was unable to get online, and oh yeah, people are dying and the world is ending.
Readers don't know much about Liz, Padma, and Mabel, either.
The women are cookie cutout cliches; stifled by their spouses, suffering in silence when their husbands are unfaithful and/or social climbing, pretending the marriage is picture perfect when it's anything but.
The worldwide threat and lockdown does force the women to take control of their lives and the somewhat happy ending is a hopeful one, for the world and remaining survivors.
I love post-apocalyptic novels featuring aliens, zombies, monsters, whatever, I'm pretty open-minded. I just want a good story with compelling characters.
Sadly, I didn't enjoy this as much as I hoped.
** Minor spoilers ahead **
The premise is straightforward; a dinner party with ingratiating people falls into chaos and fear when a strange environmental threat is detected in the air and causes lockdown across the world.
Tensions mount, nerves are frayed, and secrets are revealed while at the same time, the female guests are desperate to figure out a way to return to their children.
I didn't like any of the characters; most of them were unlikable, especially the men.
The suspense and drama was decent and what you would expect as the characters turn against each other, wondering who to trust, and figuring out next steps.
Britta is insufferable; I quickly grew tired of her Insta-obsession, reading about her scrolling and texting and posting photos even though she was unable to get online, and oh yeah, people are dying and the world is ending.
Readers don't know much about Liz, Padma, and Mabel, either.
The women are cookie cutout cliches; stifled by their spouses, suffering in silence when their husbands are unfaithful and/or social climbing, pretending the marriage is picture perfect when it's anything but.
The worldwide threat and lockdown does force the women to take control of their lives and the somewhat happy ending is a hopeful one, for the world and remaining survivors.
June 24, 2023
This book had me hooked from the beginning and I just couldn’t put it down! The Glimmer was such a unique and terrifying phenomenon. It was suspenseful and the characters, though a bit stereotypical at times, all had great internal monologues and motivations. I loved how there was so much going on behind the scenes and, obviously, out in the open. It was perfectly balanced between character and plot driven, with both sides being equally intriguing. I will most definitely be recommending this read and thinking about it for a long time to come.
August 2, 2023
4.5
*With Regrets was a giveaway win along with Her Father’s Daughter. Thank you Lee Kelly and Crooked Lane books.
Soirée, red alert, glimmer…
“Life will rise to the challenge.”
Britta of “beauty, elegance, and confidence” Instafame , decides to hold a soirée. Britta, who is in the business of telling people what they want, will stage ALL aspects of this event in order to showcase her brand & and receive the social approval that she craves.
Soon after the guests arrive and tour her massive house, phone red alerts occur, initially saying all UK travel is suspended. Glimmering clouds soon appear all over the USA with many horrific fatalities. With some soirée fatalities, the seven remaining guests and a chef hunker down in the underground 1200-square-foot wine cellar. Theories include virus, aliens, conspiracy, attack, and bio weapons. The tension of not knowing the specifics of the phenomenon will affect their anxious survival behaviors . A lot of soul-searching will occur during their confinement.
Who will survive? Will these guests reunite with their kids? What exactly IS the glimmer phenomenon? I won’t tell!
And of course Britta is secretly recording…
*I enjoyed both books I won in the giveaway! Thanks!
*Touching dedication page!
*Unique storyline!
*Britta was one obnoxious, performative, drama queen of a character!
*Lots of secrets slowly revealed. Lots of reflection, self-appraisal, & insight!
*Was very curious about how this would end!
*I’ve not read a similar story - I recommend!
*With Regrets was a giveaway win along with Her Father’s Daughter. Thank you Lee Kelly and Crooked Lane books.
Soirée, red alert, glimmer…
“Life will rise to the challenge.”
Britta of “beauty, elegance, and confidence” Instafame , decides to hold a soirée. Britta, who is in the business of telling people what they want, will stage ALL aspects of this event in order to showcase her brand & and receive the social approval that she craves.
Soon after the guests arrive and tour her massive house, phone red alerts occur, initially saying all UK travel is suspended. Glimmering clouds soon appear all over the USA with many horrific fatalities. With some soirée fatalities, the seven remaining guests and a chef hunker down in the underground 1200-square-foot wine cellar. Theories include virus, aliens, conspiracy, attack, and bio weapons. The tension of not knowing the specifics of the phenomenon will affect their anxious survival behaviors . A lot of soul-searching will occur during their confinement.
Who will survive? Will these guests reunite with their kids? What exactly IS the glimmer phenomenon? I won’t tell!
And of course Britta is secretly recording…
*I enjoyed both books I won in the giveaway! Thanks!
*Touching dedication page!
*Unique storyline!
*Britta was one obnoxious, performative, drama queen of a character!
*Lots of secrets slowly revealed. Lots of reflection, self-appraisal, & insight!
*Was very curious about how this would end!
*I’ve not read a similar story - I recommend!
September 10, 2023
A genre bend like you've never read... If Pineapple Street or a Jenny Mollen novel got mashed up with the first few pages of Station Eleven. Get ready for something wild!
WITH REGRETS opens on the moments before an important dinner party. Influencer mom Britta is ready to seal the deal on celebrity status, and invites a who's who of her elite NJ suburb to her house. Forget that her husband and her are sleeping in separate beds, or that none of the guests really want to be there. This evening has to go perfect. For guest Liz, it's a nightmare, having to play fake nice and leave her kids at home with a sitter. All is going first world terribly, until news reports start coming in. Planes are grounded. Cell phones stop working. News of a million people dead overseas. And sightings of a glimmer of light in the sky that seems poised to kill everyone...
WITH REGRETS bites off a lot in its razor sharp jaws -- It's both an action-packed cinematic post-apocalyptic tale and a clever social commentary on the ways elite women build and protect their identities in flailing marriages. As our cast of pretty, popular, polished couples get driven deeper into the madness of their surroundings, secrets about sex, status, drugs, and so much more come to the surface and threaten the lives these individuals have thrust together. Not to mention, the threat on their actual lives. This novel is a true genre-bend, one that succeeds on its clever collaboration of these two novel archetypes. It pokes fun at its characters and gives you a bit of joy as you borderline hope some of these insufferable folks fall prey to their surroundings (and when the first one does, you'll smile - hard). The poke and prod at the lives of these characters is telegenic and ripe for adaptation. It's a suck-you-in kind of read that is perfect for a little escapist moment. And it will make you want to keep your friends close, your family closest, and your enemies far away.
Thank you to Booksparks for including me in the Fall Reading Challenge, and to Crooked Lane and Booksparks for my finished copy!
WITH REGRETS opens on the moments before an important dinner party. Influencer mom Britta is ready to seal the deal on celebrity status, and invites a who's who of her elite NJ suburb to her house. Forget that her husband and her are sleeping in separate beds, or that none of the guests really want to be there. This evening has to go perfect. For guest Liz, it's a nightmare, having to play fake nice and leave her kids at home with a sitter. All is going first world terribly, until news reports start coming in. Planes are grounded. Cell phones stop working. News of a million people dead overseas. And sightings of a glimmer of light in the sky that seems poised to kill everyone...
WITH REGRETS bites off a lot in its razor sharp jaws -- It's both an action-packed cinematic post-apocalyptic tale and a clever social commentary on the ways elite women build and protect their identities in flailing marriages. As our cast of pretty, popular, polished couples get driven deeper into the madness of their surroundings, secrets about sex, status, drugs, and so much more come to the surface and threaten the lives these individuals have thrust together. Not to mention, the threat on their actual lives. This novel is a true genre-bend, one that succeeds on its clever collaboration of these two novel archetypes. It pokes fun at its characters and gives you a bit of joy as you borderline hope some of these insufferable folks fall prey to their surroundings (and when the first one does, you'll smile - hard). The poke and prod at the lives of these characters is telegenic and ripe for adaptation. It's a suck-you-in kind of read that is perfect for a little escapist moment. And it will make you want to keep your friends close, your family closest, and your enemies far away.
Thank you to Booksparks for including me in the Fall Reading Challenge, and to Crooked Lane and Booksparks for my finished copy!
January 7, 2024
I really enjoyed the character development and seeing past the carefully cultivated lives they first presented. The tension made me paranoid of the normal noises of my house settling. I'm definitely going to check out other books by Lee Kelly.
May 1, 2023
Oh I really loved this story! This was wonderfully written and I cannot wait to read more from this author! I received this eARC from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion. Thank you!
September 20, 2023
3.5⭐️s rounded up
Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for access to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. I received it just before the pub date.
A dinner party thrown by a local lifestyle-influencer quickly becomes a scramble for survival as an air quality advisory unleashes clouds of deadly glimmering light on society.
-I thought the little frustrations and offhanded comments (Liz’s frustration about having to go to a suburbanite party and her husband’s lack of support; small hints about flights being cancelled, news alerts & Twitter updates, + no replies from her sister) did a lot to build tension before everything hits the fan
-as everything falls apart, you start to learn about the secrets everyone’s keeping, and the dirt hiding beneath the perfect veneer. But actually, you’re just learning that the secrets exist, as you don’t actually find out what they are until about 77% into the book
-the description of The Glimmer is quite pretty:
“the sky is glimmering, twitching, as if it’s covered in thin living lightning. As if someone’s adjusted it to an old tv station. Millions of glittering, multicolored threads writhe across the sky. Rows of voltaic capillaries now undulating over the trees…” but not really clouds at all. “An unspooling light, shimmering masses that look alive” and a “swarm of tinsel,” or “zombie fireworks”. The sound is also a bit eerie: crickets and whistling chimes
-that being said, “the Glimmer” just isn’t that scary of a name for the looming horror; perhaps the real scary bit is being stuck with people you don’t like, being separated from loved ones, and the overall anxiety of the unknown
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I did think the “secrets” reveal was a little basic; since there are so many characters, there could have been more hidden connections/threads linking them together. I thought the narrator was good at doing different characters (multiple couples & kid voices).
Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for access to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. I received it just before the pub date.
A dinner party thrown by a local lifestyle-influencer quickly becomes a scramble for survival as an air quality advisory unleashes clouds of deadly glimmering light on society.
-I thought the little frustrations and offhanded comments (Liz’s frustration about having to go to a suburbanite party and her husband’s lack of support; small hints about flights being cancelled, news alerts & Twitter updates, + no replies from her sister) did a lot to build tension before everything hits the fan
-as everything falls apart, you start to learn about the secrets everyone’s keeping, and the dirt hiding beneath the perfect veneer. But actually, you’re just learning that the secrets exist, as you don’t actually find out what they are until about 77% into the book
-the description of The Glimmer is quite pretty:
“the sky is glimmering, twitching, as if it’s covered in thin living lightning. As if someone’s adjusted it to an old tv station. Millions of glittering, multicolored threads writhe across the sky. Rows of voltaic capillaries now undulating over the trees…” but not really clouds at all. “An unspooling light, shimmering masses that look alive” and a “swarm of tinsel,” or “zombie fireworks”. The sound is also a bit eerie: crickets and whistling chimes
-that being said, “the Glimmer” just isn’t that scary of a name for the looming horror; perhaps the real scary bit is being stuck with people you don’t like, being separated from loved ones, and the overall anxiety of the unknown
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I did think the “secrets” reveal was a little basic; since there are so many characters, there could have been more hidden connections/threads linking them together. I thought the narrator was good at doing different characters (multiple couples & kid voices).
September 15, 2023
A solid extended Twilight Zone episode, take that as you will. It's INCREDIBLY annoying when novels include social media posts in their stories. If you're reading the epub, it's easy enough for your eyes to ignore the ephemera around the relevant information. But audiobook narrators must read EVERY SINGLE WORD ON THE PAGE including to, from, subject line, time, etc. There's a scene where someone uses a notepad to send messages to his wife. Each piece of paper starts with "HARRIS-CHE WINE LIST" with "WINE NOTES" underneath it. The narrator had to read that on every. single. note. Mind-numbingly tedious.
The narrator herself did an excellent job. The kids voices were horrifically annoying, but they were supposed to be...? But also, my god.
The narrator herself did an excellent job. The kids voices were horrifically annoying, but they were supposed to be...? But also, my god.
May 30, 2023
With Regrets was a peculiar novel for me, though worthwhile. I knew it would be outside of what I normally read, which was part of the appeal. On NetGalley it's categorized as General Fiction (Adult) and Sci-Fi & Fantasy and on Goodreads Fiction and Horror. Those are all suitable, if not entirely accurate. Some of the reviews out as of this writing are unintentionally misleading as well. This isn't a dystopia or post-apocalyptic. It's a peri-apocalyptic survival horror-ish melodrama with some humor and a few thrilling moments. As to the specific references made by the press release and what I've seen in the currently published reviews I can't comment much because I haven't read or watched any of them, except for the one, Coherence, which I enjoyed and was also part of why I read this. It turned out not to have much in similar though.
Honestly I'm not quite sure who the intended audience is for this, which isn't uncommon for me and is more a failure of my imagination than anything else. Although I primarily read science fiction and fantasy I think this could've done without it in this case as overall it doesn't seem to serve much more than as a plot device and if it had any deeper symbolic meaning then I entirely missed whatever it could've been. Kelly has written other books with fantastical elements, which I haven't read read, so it isn't as if this is something entirely new for her. For this book in particular I think it would've been better served to focus on the dark and absurd humor that was on the borderline between being mundane and surreal. I probably never would've come across this book if it that had been the case, but it may have been better for it.
As for the characters there are four viewpoint mothers, Liz, Britta, Padme and Mable. Liz is a writer who tends to see herself as an assertive leading character like the works she's written, though others see it as bullying. Britta is an Instagram lifestyle influencer who sees everything as an opportunity for Content and always wants to present herself as having The Perfect Life. Padme is a nursing mother who has severe doubts about her maternal suitability and has equally severe general anxiety. Mable is a Good Christian who just wants to fix people, though others see it as judgmental and condescending. Three of the husbands are also present, though none of their wives are on good terms with them. Various other characters have their own roles, but mostly to a far lesser extent. It's really kind of amazing how much the characters change during this short period of time. I wish people could make such strides towards self-awareness and empathy as they all did.
When I don't know a term I usually look it up and since this was about the sort of lifestyles that I don't know much about I was looking up a lot of brand names and other proper nouns. Did it matter much that I wasn't familiar with specific Instagram filters and hashtags, Japanese cosmetics, European wines and cheeses, fashion houses, or Safe Rooms? No, but I still like to know anyway. Some of the mentioned stuff is fictional, though I didn't know that until I looked. Simply being exposed to different perspectives was probably what I liked most about this, aside from what I saw as humorous. If nothing else, this really showed me how much I've restricted what I read and I ought to do something about that, even when considering this isn't really all that different from what I tend to read in a lot of ways.
The following may literally be only how I felt so don't take it too seriously. There were many scenes where I felt like I was reading an interactive cinematic game such as those developed by Telltale, Quantic Dream, or Interior Night. Quick Time Event (QTE) situations abounded and the conversations often reminded me of dialogue trees with timed game-changing choices. I like those sort of games, but I thought it peculiar that that's why came to mind for me. Interactive cinema like Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is similar, but not really relevant to this.
I received this DRC from Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley.
TV/Movies name-dropped and two direct references, which amuses me to do for some books.
21 Jump Street
Babysitter's Club
Walking Dead
Sleeping With The Enemy
DuckTales
Encanto
The Queen's Gambit
The Wizard of Oz
Love Actually
SNL
Mission Impossible
Zombieland
Working Girl
Indiana Jones
Modern Family
Survivor
The Scarlet Letter
Honestly I'm not quite sure who the intended audience is for this, which isn't uncommon for me and is more a failure of my imagination than anything else. Although I primarily read science fiction and fantasy I think this could've done without it in this case as overall it doesn't seem to serve much more than as a plot device and if it had any deeper symbolic meaning then I entirely missed whatever it could've been. Kelly has written other books with fantastical elements, which I haven't read read, so it isn't as if this is something entirely new for her. For this book in particular I think it would've been better served to focus on the dark and absurd humor that was on the borderline between being mundane and surreal. I probably never would've come across this book if it that had been the case, but it may have been better for it.
As for the characters there are four viewpoint mothers, Liz, Britta, Padme and Mable. Liz is a writer who tends to see herself as an assertive leading character like the works she's written, though others see it as bullying. Britta is an Instagram lifestyle influencer who sees everything as an opportunity for Content and always wants to present herself as having The Perfect Life. Padme is a nursing mother who has severe doubts about her maternal suitability and has equally severe general anxiety. Mable is a Good Christian who just wants to fix people, though others see it as judgmental and condescending. Three of the husbands are also present, though none of their wives are on good terms with them. Various other characters have their own roles, but mostly to a far lesser extent. It's really kind of amazing how much the characters change during this short period of time. I wish people could make such strides towards self-awareness and empathy as they all did.
When I don't know a term I usually look it up and since this was about the sort of lifestyles that I don't know much about I was looking up a lot of brand names and other proper nouns. Did it matter much that I wasn't familiar with specific Instagram filters and hashtags, Japanese cosmetics, European wines and cheeses, fashion houses, or Safe Rooms? No, but I still like to know anyway. Some of the mentioned stuff is fictional, though I didn't know that until I looked. Simply being exposed to different perspectives was probably what I liked most about this, aside from what I saw as humorous. If nothing else, this really showed me how much I've restricted what I read and I ought to do something about that, even when considering this isn't really all that different from what I tend to read in a lot of ways.
The following may literally be only how I felt so don't take it too seriously. There were many scenes where I felt like I was reading an interactive cinematic game such as those developed by Telltale, Quantic Dream, or Interior Night. Quick Time Event (QTE) situations abounded and the conversations often reminded me of dialogue trees with timed game-changing choices. I like those sort of games, but I thought it peculiar that that's why came to mind for me. Interactive cinema like Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is similar, but not really relevant to this.
I received this DRC from Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley.
TV/Movies name-dropped and two direct references, which amuses me to do for some books.
21 Jump Street
Babysitter's Club
Walking Dead
Sleeping With The Enemy
DuckTales
Encanto
The Queen's Gambit
The Wizard of Oz
Love Actually
SNL
Mission Impossible
Zombieland
Working Girl
Indiana Jones
Modern Family
Survivor
The Scarlet Letter
September 29, 2023
I absolutely loved this! It was interesting, there was mystery, a little sci-fi-ish element and the pace just propelled me to want more. I really enjoyed little social media/email snipets at the beginning of chapters that quickly allowed you to get to know the characters. It easily swayed me to love or hate certain characters. One of those characters was so vapid and it's scary to think that there are actual people out in the real world that are just like that.
This is my 2nd Lee Kelly book. This book was so different from the first and I enjoyed this one even more than the first. I will be instantly buying anything she writes from now on! I cannot wait to read her previous books.
This is my 2nd Lee Kelly book. This book was so different from the first and I enjoyed this one even more than the first. I will be instantly buying anything she writes from now on! I cannot wait to read her previous books.
May 31, 2023
Elegantly crafted with a brilliant and timely premise, With Regrets throws the cracks in the facade of suburbia's elite into relief through a disaster of potentially apocalyptic proportions. Playing on the claustrophobia, forced proximity and upending of normalcy with which we have all become well acquainted, With Regrets dials the familiar up to the extreme. With the near entirety of the novel taking place over approximately twelve hours, our cast of soiree attendees (of varying willingness) have this trauma quite literally compressed and compacted as they're locked in a cellar with rapidly decreasing contact with the outside world.
This is a novel about a world-shattering catastrophe. This is novel about women. Delightfully executed, With Regrets examines the complexity of relationships, worldviews, priorities, ethics, morality, and, perhaps most significantly, identity — it asks, as many have asked themselves in their own recent uncertain times, who are you in a crisis? Who are we when the need for pretense crumbles, if it does? What is living to you? What is your life worth to you? It preys on what some part of us has always thought of and feared. What if, when the end comes, we're away from home? What if we can't reach our loved ones? What if we're staring down our final moments among strangers, friends you can't stand, enemies who you tolerate by necessity, cut off from what matters most?
It's an original and stunning reimagining of the classic stranded dinner party gone wrong. It should not, perhaps, work as well as it does; as one of our protagonists does not hesitate to point out, this is, perhaps, the least relatable and accessible demographic to follow into their wine cellar (see the existence of a wine cellar with room enough for a party to take shelter). But the fact that these characters are, in many respects, terrible, makes it all the more enjoyable to observe them in their dead-end labyrinth. It makes it more startling and rewarding when, inevitably, the human in them is forced to show itself. I did not to be emotional by the end, but there you have it; the poignancy of the moment that precedes the climax and breaks the suffocation of the cellar-confined setting is remarkable.
A cathartic and gorgeous read. I flew through it in a day. No, it isn't perfect; yes, the creeping, beautifully and grotesquely rendered atmosphere is a bit compromised by what we shall call and unexpected detour in the name of avoiding spoilers, but yes, even this absurdity ultimately works. Of course it's absurd; their world is, our characters know as well as anyone by this time, very absurd. With Regrets is an expectedly delightful ride that was an unexpectedly deeply moving standout.
This is a novel about a world-shattering catastrophe. This is novel about women. Delightfully executed, With Regrets examines the complexity of relationships, worldviews, priorities, ethics, morality, and, perhaps most significantly, identity — it asks, as many have asked themselves in their own recent uncertain times, who are you in a crisis? Who are we when the need for pretense crumbles, if it does? What is living to you? What is your life worth to you? It preys on what some part of us has always thought of and feared. What if, when the end comes, we're away from home? What if we can't reach our loved ones? What if we're staring down our final moments among strangers, friends you can't stand, enemies who you tolerate by necessity, cut off from what matters most?
It's an original and stunning reimagining of the classic stranded dinner party gone wrong. It should not, perhaps, work as well as it does; as one of our protagonists does not hesitate to point out, this is, perhaps, the least relatable and accessible demographic to follow into their wine cellar (see the existence of a wine cellar with room enough for a party to take shelter). But the fact that these characters are, in many respects, terrible, makes it all the more enjoyable to observe them in their dead-end labyrinth. It makes it more startling and rewarding when, inevitably, the human in them is forced to show itself. I did not to be emotional by the end, but there you have it; the poignancy of the moment that precedes the climax and breaks the suffocation of the cellar-confined setting is remarkable.
A cathartic and gorgeous read. I flew through it in a day. No, it isn't perfect; yes, the creeping, beautifully and grotesquely rendered atmosphere is a bit compromised by what we shall call and unexpected detour in the name of avoiding spoilers, but yes, even this absurdity ultimately works. Of course it's absurd; their world is, our characters know as well as anyone by this time, very absurd. With Regrets is an expectedly delightful ride that was an unexpectedly deeply moving standout.
September 3, 2023
Imagine attending a dinner party where you're not crazy about your host or any of her guests. Now imagine being forced to weather an apocalyptic event alongside them while you're separated from your family.
Buckle up! Lee Kelly takes readers on a wild ride in this action-packed story told through the eyes of four women--each facing her own challenges. Despite the imminent threat and its inherent danger, Kelly infuses this novel with humor and heart. I loved watching these characters develop and change under pressure.
Given recent climate issues, the "glimmer" feels a lot more real and possible than one might want to admit, reminding me of the way Emily St. John Mandel explored pandemic themes in her novels well before COVID.
I listened to the audiobook (thanks to NetGalley) and voice actor Gail Shalan does a stellar job of sustaining suspense as she expertly shifts voices to distinguish characters, keeping listeners hanging on every word.
I look forward to Lee Kelly's next novel!
Buckle up! Lee Kelly takes readers on a wild ride in this action-packed story told through the eyes of four women--each facing her own challenges. Despite the imminent threat and its inherent danger, Kelly infuses this novel with humor and heart. I loved watching these characters develop and change under pressure.
Given recent climate issues, the "glimmer" feels a lot more real and possible than one might want to admit, reminding me of the way Emily St. John Mandel explored pandemic themes in her novels well before COVID.
I listened to the audiobook (thanks to NetGalley) and voice actor Gail Shalan does a stellar job of sustaining suspense as she expertly shifts voices to distinguish characters, keeping listeners hanging on every word.
I look forward to Lee Kelly's next novel!
September 8, 2024
Another library-date-with-girlfriend, read-in-one-sitting experience! This book leaped off the shelf at me (Science Fiction section, for what it's worth!) and I greedily devoured it. I was SO intrigued by what was going on the entire time, and the characters were the perfect kind of flawed and unlikable - like, not unlikable solely for the sake of it, but each with actual baggage that is relatable and real in the wake of the bizarre environment, which made it even more interesting. Liz was amazing and I want to be clear that I am unequivocally a Liz, and also I would arguably have murdered these loser men. The descriptions of the science fiction part (I don't want to ruin anything!) were also delightfully spooky and intriguing. I loved the ending, loved Queen Sabina, loved it all.
April 22, 2023
If you enjoyed the movie Coherence, then this is for you, with its suburbia dinner party going to hell because of world-changing occurrences.
This speculative novel has amazing characterisation, and I love the ultra focus on one very specific set of people, right on the shoulder of each protagonist, to understand and observe a phenomenon affecting the many. It's super personal, it's very precise and you really wonder how it will all turn out. Not that the people are very likable, but they are sooo very real.
I don't want to reveal anything, so I won't say much more, but I highly recommend to people who like mundane speculative fiction and character-driven narrative. A great book.
This speculative novel has amazing characterisation, and I love the ultra focus on one very specific set of people, right on the shoulder of each protagonist, to understand and observe a phenomenon affecting the many. It's super personal, it's very precise and you really wonder how it will all turn out. Not that the people are very likable, but they are sooo very real.
I don't want to reveal anything, so I won't say much more, but I highly recommend to people who like mundane speculative fiction and character-driven narrative. A great book.
May 31, 2023
Wealthy suburbian couples, a 'lifestyle guru', secrets and a dinner party - what could go wrong?
Well... when they get a 'red alert' come through on their phones to find shelter immediately and stay inside, panic breaks out. Trapped in the wine cellar.. suburbian drama and secrets unfold, morals are questioned and self awareness comes into play.
The suspense of the story, coupled with the unfolding disaster was well written, and the characters reactions were realistic - overall becoming a fast paced, sci-fi novel which keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this eARC.
Well... when they get a 'red alert' come through on their phones to find shelter immediately and stay inside, panic breaks out. Trapped in the wine cellar.. suburbian drama and secrets unfold, morals are questioned and self awareness comes into play.
The suspense of the story, coupled with the unfolding disaster was well written, and the characters reactions were realistic - overall becoming a fast paced, sci-fi novel which keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this eARC.
September 4, 2023
This is the type of book that’s exactly in my niche: a weird book that doesn’t fit into any sort of box that I just couldn’t put down. Imagine you’re a mom living in the suburbs and you hate it (I can sympathize. I hate the suburbs). Your husband wants you to go with him to a dinner “soiree” (the amount of time and emphasis the cast of characters put on this word throughout the book is infinitely enjoyable) two of the most influential members of the neighborhood (and the influential is literal, seeing as the wife has an Instagram following of nearly 100K followers) are putting on and you don’t want to go. You have stuff to do and you don’t even like these people! The sitter that was recommended to you turns out to only be 11, but your husband is basically guilting you into going to this dinner party because he’s feeling like you’re not even trying to fit into the life you’ve built together. So you go.
It’s awkward as soon as you get in the door, but as you’re sitting down and contemplating the first course and your cell phone at the same time, the news gets weirder and weirder. No one can get through to the UK. Airports in the northeast are closing. What’s happening?
Imagine if the Glow Cloud from Welcome to Nightvale (all hail the Glow Cloud) became some kind of evil Eldritch horror that somehow targets technology? Or…at least that’s maybe, possibly the working theory? And now you’re trapped at the dinner soiree from hell with people you can’t stand while your kids are at home with only an 11 year old to care for them and you don’t know when or if you’ll get back to them.
This is what I love about writing, creativity, and about innovative writers: the ability to pick up pieces of inspiration from different genres and then throw them together into a plot blender and come out with a book like With Regrets, where technothriller meets domestic thriller meets post-apocalyptic science fiction meets suspense. Heck, you can even chuck in a touch of horror if you want. Just a smidge, though.
This book was engaging from the start and had an interesting plot, but the book as whole is definitely character-driven. For the most part, that’s great. For the majority of the book the characters are intriguing and you want to know more about them. You want to find out what makes them tick and ferret out their secrets. Sadly, somewhere around the beginning of the third act some of the characters start to break down into caricatures or even stereotypes, and the book falls flat for just long enough to lose some of the momentum. It’s not long enough to ruin the book, but it is long enough to affect the overall enjoyment level a little. Otherwise, this is a great read that’s a little out of the box.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Domestic Thriller/Science Fiction/Speculative Fiction/Suspense Thriller/Post-Apocalyptic
It’s awkward as soon as you get in the door, but as you’re sitting down and contemplating the first course and your cell phone at the same time, the news gets weirder and weirder. No one can get through to the UK. Airports in the northeast are closing. What’s happening?
Imagine if the Glow Cloud from Welcome to Nightvale (all hail the Glow Cloud) became some kind of evil Eldritch horror that somehow targets technology? Or…at least that’s maybe, possibly the working theory? And now you’re trapped at the dinner soiree from hell with people you can’t stand while your kids are at home with only an 11 year old to care for them and you don’t know when or if you’ll get back to them.
This is what I love about writing, creativity, and about innovative writers: the ability to pick up pieces of inspiration from different genres and then throw them together into a plot blender and come out with a book like With Regrets, where technothriller meets domestic thriller meets post-apocalyptic science fiction meets suspense. Heck, you can even chuck in a touch of horror if you want. Just a smidge, though.
This book was engaging from the start and had an interesting plot, but the book as whole is definitely character-driven. For the most part, that’s great. For the majority of the book the characters are intriguing and you want to know more about them. You want to find out what makes them tick and ferret out their secrets. Sadly, somewhere around the beginning of the third act some of the characters start to break down into caricatures or even stereotypes, and the book falls flat for just long enough to lose some of the momentum. It’s not long enough to ruin the book, but it is long enough to affect the overall enjoyment level a little. Otherwise, this is a great read that’s a little out of the box.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Domestic Thriller/Science Fiction/Speculative Fiction/Suspense Thriller/Post-Apocalyptic
September 2, 2023
This story is told in third person from four women in attendance at a dinner party including Liz, Britta, Padma and Mabel and interspersed with various online news alerts, email and text messages and Instagram posts. I’m sure all that attended this soiree wished they had sent their regrets instead. It was filled with flawed characters, but there was also character growth, female power and the story of mothers just trying to get back to their children and keep them safe.
When this started, I’ll be honest, I just wanted to smack-a-bitch. In the beginning, Britta the Instagram influencer and later Liz who runs rough shod over everyone in her way. Britta is one of the lifestyle types that expertly crafts every moment of her life online to look impossibly perfect with the motto that women really can have it all but at the expense of her relationships and family. Padma and Mabel often brought stability and calm to the pair until their own issues got in the way.
Once the phenomenon started happening, it was all a train wreck and I couldn’t look away or stop reading. There’s actually not much science fiction here so don’t let the genre label spook you. It’s just an unexplained apocalyptic event that provides the catalyst for thrilling panic and clashes of character bringing out the bad side of some and others instincts for leadership and survival.
Read if you enjoy watching unlikeable suburbanites go from seeming perfection to utter chaos.
Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for a copy provided for an honest review.
When this started, I’ll be honest, I just wanted to smack-a-bitch. In the beginning, Britta the Instagram influencer and later Liz who runs rough shod over everyone in her way. Britta is one of the lifestyle types that expertly crafts every moment of her life online to look impossibly perfect with the motto that women really can have it all but at the expense of her relationships and family. Padma and Mabel often brought stability and calm to the pair until their own issues got in the way.
Once the phenomenon started happening, it was all a train wreck and I couldn’t look away or stop reading. There’s actually not much science fiction here so don’t let the genre label spook you. It’s just an unexplained apocalyptic event that provides the catalyst for thrilling panic and clashes of character bringing out the bad side of some and others instincts for leadership and survival.
Read if you enjoy watching unlikeable suburbanites go from seeming perfection to utter chaos.
Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for a copy provided for an honest review.
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