The Realtor

by Sonya Bateman

I’m a single mom. I provide for my little girl by selling people their dream homes. But one moment will shatter everything I’ve built.

It’s my daughter’s first day of kindergarten and she’s a bubble of excitement as I drop her off. All I can think about is how our little life is finally on track.

But then I bump into an old friend at the school gates. She tells me that my college boyfriend Brad Dowling has woken up from his coma after five years.

No one ever thought he’d wake up — least of all me.

In fact, I built my life around believing he was never coming back. That I was safe.

One way or another, my carefully constructed, mostly stable life is about to fall apart.

And then I get a text: I know what you did. Murderer.

Genres: Thriller, Psychological Thriller

200 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 2024

Reviews

[Sheila R · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very unrealistic

The story is just ok. However it is absolutely clear that the author, through another book as well, has zero understanding of police procedures. And clearly did not do any research into it either. Everything that happens around the police would never happen in real life. Not even close. I don’t recommend this book.

[Lacy Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick little thriller read! Definitely giving lifetime, but I’m not upset. Would definitely recommend if you’re trying to squeeze in a short book! It also had a nice ending that I enjoyed.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story is decent, the word usage and grammar are surprisingly bad. Doesn’t anyone have an educated editor anymore?

[Kathy Brackin · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read, fairly enjoyable as well.

[Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a quick read. I liked the book, but the passive main character was a little annoying. I guessed most of the plot and the book illustrated how some people peak in high school or college and never are able to move past those periods in their lives.

The book was good, but it lost one star for the weak and goalless main character.

[BiancaX N · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my kind of thriller! If you like Frieda mcfadden’s style or even Colleen Hoover on “too late” you would enjoy this one! I honestly didn’t want to put it down!!

[Rebekah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an easy read and had some fun moments.
Celine was just awful though. Her character was extremely annoying. And Brad is disgusting and she is still crazy about him for whatever reason.
I figured Izzy was Brads kid and he was in on everything as well.
And it’s obvious she was going to end up with the detective.
Yeah, kind of fun read but it just screamed “I am a crappy lifetime movie!”

[Sandra Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story about a realtor with a secret—a secret that somebody knows. After closing on the biggest sale of her career, the threats start coming in. Additionally, the father of her kid has just woken up from a coma and the death of her friend may have been murder and not a suicide.

This one definitely grabs you as you follow the realtor through all her fears, trauma, and suspicions. Seriously, what was with that client she sold the house to? She was showing up everywhere she went, wanting to be best friends. And then suddenly she wanted to be a realtor just like her, too? What was going on?

I really got into the mystery of who was behind all this. Even though the events sort of led to a predictable ending, I was still somewhat surprised. The end scene was quite suspenseful.

A good read! Will definitely check out the author’s other books.

[Kayla Lines · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Realtor follows Celine, a single mum and real estate agent juggling motherhood and sales when her carefully rebuilt life unravels. A former college beau, Brad, wakes up from a five‑year coma, shattering her sense of safety. Then the threats start: anonymous texts calling her a murderer. Suddenly, every relationship, past and present, is under suspicion.

What works well:
• The premise crackles with tension, an everyday mom turned detective after waking nightmares collide with real life.
• Celine’s anxiety and paranoia are palpable, ratcheting suspense until the shocking payoff.
• Lovers of twist-heavy thrillers will feel at home here. The final chapters grip you like a vise.

[PRISCILLA WADE MCWHORTER · Rating 5 out of 5]

UNEXPECTED

Wow! Who knew relationships could be so twisted? Who knew one man could be the basis for such treacherous behavior. Talk about some green-eyed monsters...this story has them. The drastic way they go about getting their revenge is WAY-Y-Y-Y over the top. I'm glad to not be associated with any chicks like this. I wasn't sure just how this would end...but...am pleasantly surprised how it did.
Another great read, Sonya. Thanks.

[Robin Ofsonka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can A Best Friend Be Trusted?

This was a quick read and I enjoyed it very much. I did enjoy Celine's character and Hannah's.
Celine's use to be boyfriend wakes up from a coma 5 years later only to find out he has a daughter and dozens upon dozens of ex-girlfriend's who have any numbers of reasons to have him or want him back.
Looking for a quick read then I would recommend this book.

[Andrea Holley · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️
Keep Your Friends Close… 🏡👱🏽‍♀️👧🏼📱
The writing style of this one wasn’t my jam. Definitely knew where it was heading. And very…unrealistic 😂
Celine’s a single mom, working as a realtor when her life is thrown into chaos. Her daughters father wakes from the coma he’s been in for 5 years and she needs to tell him about her daughter who is his. But, getting to that point proves to be difficult with a killer on the loose.

[Cynthia Locke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review

While not quite as good as the 1st 2 books of miss Bateman's that I read , still pretty darn good.... I figured out that it was Jill About 2⁄3 of the way through the book. And the reason i don't know she just seemed too good to be true. Still a very captivating author I need to find more about her

[Tiffany H. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok! That's exactly what this was. It was predictable and overdone storyline wise. I've read many a thriller that had the same concept. The writing itself, although very descriptive, had a juvenile feel. It was a quick read and a good break book for in-between series. This will not be on my recommendation list, though.

[Kelly Ferrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Realtor. by Sonya Bateman.
This book had a lot of twists in it and a few different characters to contend with … but was a fairly good book .. Celine is a Realtor who has had this one particular house on the market for a while .. finally someone is really interested in buying this house … A luxurious house that when sold will bring in a tidy sum of money for her … can she charm this person into buying it … and who is this mystery buyer …

[Hailey Dauzat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick read, but unrealistic

Celine is a single mother who’s a realtor. Her ex has been in a coma for 5 years when he wakes up and she has a huge secret to tell her. A weird client gets very attached to Celine and she soon realizes she has an ulterior motive. A quick read but very unrealistic.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

A predictable, recycled storyline with overly explained irrelevant details. Brad’s mother was an absolute pointless character edition, as her outburst towards the main character, Celine, were never explained. The Sabrina had Dan characters never had their animosity towards the main characters explained.

Overall this book follows the standard murder mystery plot map with subpar writing.

[Al · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was intrigued by this book at first, but then realized that there weren't many characters in play, so I suspected part of the ending before reading it. Parts of this book toward the end were so cringey for me, and a few parts made me roll my eyes, but overall, it's well-written and does the job of entertainment! It's a pretty easy read, and fits the bill of thriller pretty well.

[Darlene Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review

I have read a lot of thrillers. But that twist with Jill and Hannah being the ones after Brad. That was great Sonya Bateman and unexpected. Oh and Hannah’s daughter being Brad’s daughter. Another twist. Fantastic novel!

[Sandy Pruitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpected ending

I was irritated by Celine' s wishy, washy attitude, but she came through in the end to save her daughter. Jill's betrayal was unexpected, but it truly added to the thrilling plot.

[Connie Chetwynd · Rating 5 out of 5]

great! i read as my son is a realtor.

What can I say, it was terrific.
So many twists and turns. I knew who the main protagonist
was, but never realized it was not who! But, who' s.I think even F. McFadden would have been shocked.

[Jenn Book · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️2/5 The premise of this book was fascinating, but ultimately fell short. The writing felt as though it was written by a young adult/teen and the plot was all over the place. Additionally, the characters were all surface level and unlikeable - with the exception of Alyssa.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very hard to put down!

I read this book super fast!! Grabs you early and really keeps you guessing!! I didn't figure out the final twist either so I loved it! Definitely recommend this book!!

[Taylor Hull · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first this book just had so much going on! I had the killer in mind, but then a twist & changed who I thought. Towards the end (as in the last 3 chapters! Haha) I did figure it. I thought this book was actually good!

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Realtor - Sonya Bateman

I feel like people are really inflating their reviews these days. This book is okay. For the first hundred pages I was thinking 2.5 stars, but it does improve. It was a mildly entertaining easy read with a decent satisfying ending.

[Wendy Del Toro · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first I thought perhaps I'd read this before; but then I realized it was because it followed the standard template without bringing anything new to the table. Unoriginal and derivative with the cliched predictable villain and cheesy ending.

[BooksandBudgets · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started way too slow for me. I understand the buildup, but for me, the good parts were the last 5 chapters (and that's pushing it) of the book. I pretty much figured out the best friend mid-way through the book.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great modern read that flowed nicely.

The last few chapters were unputdownable!

Apart from the font being small and weird margins the book was well written and tied up nicely.

Would recommend for sure.

[Barbara Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the dark.

Amazing how all of this played out. Actually a bit bizarre. There is an underlying story within this book. Reminiscent of what I was taught, "There is only one person you can trust and that is yourself" So true in this book..