You'll Never Forget Me

by Isha Raya

In this captivating cat-and-mouse thriller, a struggling actress is only just beginning to enjoy the life she's always wanted after inadvertently killing her rival—but now she must contend with the woman who threatens to take it all away.

Struggling actress Dimple Kapoor wouldn’t call herself a murderer, per se—she’d prefer the term “opportunist.” Years ago, she did what had to be done to get herself out of a bad situation. And now, after accidentally killing her Hollywood rival, Irene Singh, at a party, she’s simply seizing the chance to nab her dream leading role and resuscitate her career in the process. There's only one someone else at the event witnessed the crime…and caught it all on camera.

With everything she’s ever wanted within reach, Dimple will stop at nothing to keep stardom in her grasp. But Irene’s parents have hired Saffi Mirai Iyer, one of the best private investigators in the business. Living up to her reputation, Saffi immediately zeroes in on Dimple, who feels she has no choice but to raise the stakes. Playing along with Dimple’s façade, Saffi invites her onto the case, suggesting she act as bait to draw out the killer—and as the two women’s cat-and-mouse game intensifies, Saffi starts to wonder if she may have finally met her match.

With their careers at risk, both women must fight the potent chemistry drawing them closer together. Dimple needs Saffi dead and for her theories to die with her. And Saffi needs Dimple behind bars, but catching her elusive prey won’t be so easy—especially as emotions begin to cloud her judgement. When ambition and desire collide, only the most cunning will survive.

Genres: Lesbian, Queer, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, LGBT, Adult, Fiction

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 13, 2026

About the author

Isha Raya is a fan of psychological thrillers featuring questionable morals, mastermind schemes, and brown women who get to be anything from superstars to supervillains. She graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in biology, and she currently resides in the depths of your mind. You’ll Never Forget Me is her debut novel. You can find her across social media @theisharaya and at https://www.theisharaya.com/

Reviews

[Isha Raya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spent years writing You'll Never Forget Me, pouring my blood, sweat, and tears into it, simply because I wanted to read it. If you find yourself enjoying this book, then perhaps it's because we're kindred spirits. Or maybe it's just that we both grew up on 2010s Tumblr. Either way, I will never forget you <3

Making myself scarce now since ARCs are being sent out (to ensure that author and reader spaces remain separate, I don’t interact with reviews of my books on any online spaces unless I am tagged!)

Content warnings can be found here: https://www.theisharaya.com/content-w...

[Lia · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you ever read death note and thought “i want this but sapphic and MORE toxic” this is the book for u!! saffi could literally throw me out of a window and i would say “thank you”

[Martie Nees Record · Rating 2 out of 5]

“You’ll Never Forget Me” by Isha Raya

Genre: Psychological Thriller/LGBT
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Pub. Date: January 13, 2026

This novel is so over the top, I thought I was reading a farce. Yet it is supposedly written as a cat-and-mouse thriller. Dimple (yes, that is really her name) “does not call herself a murderer, per se—she’d prefer the term “opportunist.” Our protagonist’s personality is captured in this line. Saffi is the private detective determined to prove Dimple’s guilt. Readers enter knowing that Dimple is a struggling actress who kills a rival for roles. The bodies keep on flowing afterward. Dimple will stop at nothing to become a movie star. How can a novel with betrayal, blackmail, multiple murders, and framing manage to be dull? The plot is simply too silly to be believable, making the story boring. I still applaud the author for her diverse characters and a surprising love affair, which is why I give this book a two-star rating rather than one star.

I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review.

Find all my book reviews at:
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[rose ✨ · Rating 1 out of 5]

“people always seemed untouchable until they died.”

“how could anyone connect me to this crime?” idk girl maybe the painfully obvious trail of evidence you left behind??

struggling actress dimple kapoor’s luck changes when she impulsively kills her rival and lands the breakout role they were competing for. with her dreams of stardom finally within reach, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to make them come true and immortalize herself on the silver screen—even kill again.

unfortunately for dimple, the family of the woman she murdered hire renowned PI saffi iyer to investigate their daughter’s death. saffi immediately suspects dimple (side note: literally everyone should immediately suspect dimple, she is Not Good At This) and dimple decides that saffi must die before she can link dimple to her crimes.

what follows is allegedly a cat-and-mouse thriller where dimple’s goal (murdering saffi) and saffi’s goal (seeing dimple locked up) are complicated by an inexplicable attraction, but in order for a game of cat and mouse to be riveting, i need to believe in dimple as a criminal (and to a lesser extent saffi as a PI). that’s difficult when dimple is not the criminal mastermind she thinks she is and saffi is not the brilliant PI she thinks she is (and the writing is not self-aware enough to recognize that).

i picked up you’ll never forget me for the killing eve comp. unfortunately it does not measure up; what makes killing eve so compelling is (a) the dynamic between eve and villanelle and (b) villanelle’s charisma. you’ll never forget me never manages that with dimple. you can’t just tell me that she’s a charming, clever murderer when her behavior doesn’t line up with that—frankly, she’s really rash and should have been caught about a dozen times. the same applies to saffi. if she’s so brilliant, i want to see that. she can’t just conveniently suspect dimple based on vibes. and while i could (maybe) get past a mediocre PI chasing an inept murderer if the chemistry was there… it decidedly is not. i was never sold on this supposed “obsession” (on either side), so the whole concept fell flat.

i think the most disappointing part is that this is a really neat idea. a sapphic cat-and-mouse thriller where the PI decides to let an old hollywood creep go down for a lethally ambitious young actress’s crimes? that could have been so good! it could have been such an interesting way to explore the dark side of fame, what people are willing to do for success, whose crimes are forgotten or forgiven, etc. unfortunately it was none of those things for me.

i’m not sure who i would recommend this one to. maybe readers who are particularly into hollywood/hollywood-adjacent thrillers might enjoy this more than i did? it isn’t one that i’ll be recommending, though.

i received an ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

rating: 1.0/5.0 stars

[Jen Ryland (jenrylandreviews & yaallday)]

If you love stories about anti-heroines, You'll Never Forget Me is for you!

Dimple Kapoor is an up-and-coming actress, and a talented one. But Hollywood is competitive and not fair that there seems to be room in Hollywood for only one South Asian ingenue. So it must be a coincidence that Dimple's rival Irene ends up falling down a flight of stairs. Sorry/Notsorry, Irene!

Dimple is unhinged in a darkly comic way. She'll do anything to get what she wants ... and deserves.

Enter Saffi, a tough PI hired by Irene's grieving parents to look into their daughter's tragic "accident." Saffi is pretty sure she's cracked her case, but decides to play a fun cat and mouse game with Dimple, to whom she feels an irresistible pull.

I loved how Raya took the old time femme fatale walks into a PI's office concept (from movies like The Postman Always Rings Twice or Double Indemnity) and made it sapphic. I also appreciated that the book spoke to the difficulties of being a woman of color in Hollywood.

Darkly comic, unhinged, simmering with erotic undercurrents, this book is for fans of unhinged thrillers like Killer Potential or So Happy Together, or TV series like Killing Eve.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!

Subscribe to my amazing newsletter HERE at JenRyland.com Let's be friends on Bookstagram!

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been excited for You'll Never Forget Me for such a long time and really pushed my hopes up, which may have been the reason this book didn't hit quite as hard as I hoped it would.
It feels like a sapphic version of NBC's Hannigram in Hollywood, if Hannibal lacked his talent for manipulation and Will's interpersonal relationships didn't follow a clear logic.

This story definitely had its strengths, and the showdowns between Saffi and Dimple were really intriguing and kept me invested.
The vibey Hollywood aesthetic that is present throughout the entire story was also one of its strong suits.
However, the actual crimes being committed always ran incredibly smoothly, which made them feel a bit too easy.

Sadly, where I was really lost was at the ending. I was very excited to see how this story would be wrapped up , but really, it just made me drop my star rating down one star.
What could have culminated in a final showdown of two minds that have been pitted against each other to reach their goal of mutual destruction did end with some death, but definitely not the ones whom I would have logically expected.

If you want a book with a toxic sapphic relationship, don't mind unclear motives, and instead want to experience the wild and occasionally dark Hollywood vibes, then this might be the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for providing me with this ARC in return for an honest review.

[Emmaline Savidge · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Killing Eve comp had me so excited to pick this up and I was sadly quite disappointed. What makes Killing Eve compelling is Villianelle actually being a criminal mastermind who is extremely thought out in her actions. When she meets Eve this changes and she becomes more erratic in an attempt to connect with the woman she's attracted to. Dimple is not calculated, she's an opportunist trying to cover her tracks and yet she somehow leaves no physical evidence behind. As a result, when Saffi suspects she's a murderer the hunch relies on very little physical evidence. Everything just felt so convenient and like the author was forcibly making the story take a certain shape (don't get me started on the nonsense with keeping a vial of blood for a week and it not clotting). There were a few nice moments like the way in which Dimple and Saffi connect over their past actions around the 50% mark, but it wasn't enough to carry the story. Overall, this was a suspense novel that really lacked any suspense.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Corryn Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a hard one to read. It dragged on and on. I definitely didn’t see some of the twists that came but I wouldn’t say this was a book a couldn’t put down.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

A fun cat and mouse game. It had a really strong start, but it kind of lagged in the middle, and then picked up again at the end.

Dimple was a bit of a psychopath, but it was hard not to root for her. She was pretty cool and wouldn’t let anything stop her from getting what she wanted!

Priyal was so loyal! I loved her. She was such a cute and kind character.

I didn’t care for Saffi, but it’s not like I disliked her. Maybe because I wasn’t rooting for her like I was for Dimple. I wanted Dimple to win in their back and forth, so naturally I won’t root for Saffi or like her as much.

Atlas and Eli were fine characters, but I knew they weren’t as important to the story as Dimple and Saffi were, so I never got attached to them. They were just kind of there.

I wouldn’t say there was much of a relationship. I honestly could have given or taken one, but don’t go into this expecting it to be a romance. It was definitely on the back burner, even if you knew where it was going.

The end was a bit unrealistic, especially with who would be framed and the logistics of it, but I was willing to suspend my disbelief because it’s a fictional book. There were some loose ends that never got explained that went into that as well.

It ended kind of abruptly. I would’ve liked to see more of them together or see what they did with their life. Even a quick chapter of a year or two later, just to see what happened to them, would have been nice. I am satisfied what happened in the end, but I also almost wished it ended a little differently. I didn’t really expect it to go any other way.

It was a solid debut novel! If it sounds interesting to you, it was a decent read. I got through it pretty quickly. The writing was easy enough to follow along.

[michelle ࣪ ִֶָ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 💫

I wanted to like this a lot more than I did, unfortunately. A thriller with a villainous main character and sapphic romance - I was all in, but it just didn't hit the way I'd hoped it would.

While I usually love an anti-hero or an unhinged narrator, I had a hard time finding Dimple all that likable. There wasn't anything about her that made me want to root for her despite the crimes she was committing. I was told she was charming but failed to actually be charmed by her. And some of the crimes just felt far too easy and clean, and I have no clue how Saffi was the only one sniffing her out. Speaking of Saffi - she as well felt a bit one note, and especially towards the end, I had a hard time understanding her motives. And while I was rooting for the romance between them at the start, I never really felt the chemistry that was supposed to be there.

There was a lot happening - blackmail, multiple murders, framing - but I still never felt utterly gripped by any it. The most interesting parts to me all happened in the first one hundred pages and then slowed from there. The ending was a bit frustrating, too. Not because of the fates of the two main characters - I'd assumed they'd end up how they did, and was fine with it - but just because of how it all played out, which I won't go into detail on, for non-spoiler reasons.

The writing itself was well done, and I really did love the representation included here as well. I wouldn't be opposed to giving this author another chance, because I really see the vision that she had with this, it just didn't land for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC.

[emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

rating — 3.75 out of 5 stars.

this was genuinely unhinged. i knew it would be going into it — looking at the premise alone, with an up-and-coming hollywood actress killing her rival (as the inciting incident, no less!) — it certainly sets the reader up for a wild ride.

first of all: i love unapologetically evil women! dimple is actually everything to me, and i loved watching her be crazy on purpose with a trail of bodies left behind her. not many people want to commit to the full send like that when they say they want to write evil women, so i was so on board for her journey. i will say, though, at times her unhinged antics felt a little all over the place. i get that that’s part of the point, since she’s scrambling to cover up this impulsive murder and the fallout from it, but it made the story feel meandering and confused at times as opposed to a well-plotted thriller. i also wish a bit more time had been devoted to fleshing out her relationship with saffi — what we got to see was delicious, but i think it would’ve helped if they met earlier than a third of the way in. i wanted more of them together!

overall, this was a fun, quick read. i read it on the plane home from vacation and it was nice and easy to read it all in one sitting! if you’re looking for a snappy thriller and you support women’s wrongs, this would be a great vacation read.

thank you to netgalley & the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Chelsea (gofetchabook)]

The story just wasn’t for me. One actress accidentally kills another in a fit of rage and steals her leading role. The police rule the death an accident but the family hires private investigators because they’re convinced it was murder. Just all plots I don’t enjoy.
I don’t love rich people behaving badly. I also tend to dislike family and friends convinced things aren’t accidents.

Additionally, we were kind of introduced to too many characters really fast and it was hard to follow. It feels like there may be some kind of second chance romance between one of the PI’s and another one he calls for help who has something dark in her past and doesn’t want to return to America. The whole “I did something bad but I’m not going to say what it is, just elude to SOMETHING happening for half the book” is another thing I dislike.

Overall, just not a book for me.

[andrea ✩ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cat-and-mouse sapphic thriller was right up my alley. I had so much fun reading this one!

I think it was super interesting to explore the "dark side" of Hollywood, and how much you're willing to do to obtain fame and glory. However, it was missing a little something in terms of writing to get me a little bit more engaged. There were times where I felt the dialogue felt a little too obvious for my taste.

But this is very enjoyable, particularly for fans of Gone Girl (such as me)

[Brooke! · Rating 4 out of 5]

insane book!!! was not expecting the ending AT ALL. saffi i love you 🙌🙌 4/5 stars for this book and very very interesting!!! the back and forth was AMAZING and i loved the dual pov.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Solid debut🙂‍↕️

[Em · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing the arc, this is an unpaid and truthful review!

Overall I enjoyed this book! I love a multi-POV romance, and I’m very happy to add another sapphic romance to my digital bookshelf! An actress (Dimple) on the brink of her stardom who accidentally murders her main rival which ends up giving her the role to launch her career. On the opposite end is a private investigator (Saffi) who returns to the US in order to help her old friends solve the case. Quickly Saffi suspects Dimple and a cat and mouse chase ensues where Saffi waits for the starlette to trip on her own lies.
Unfortunately the premise did not follow through for me as hard for reasons I will detail below. *Possible spoilers ahead*

Tension:
Both characters felt in control of the situation which should have had them spiraling. Due to this, I never felt tension or scared for the characters. Despite Saffi having an equally controlling personality as Dimple she did not do much the entire time. I know her passivity goes hand in hand with her PI job to watch but I think it would be more interesting if she pushed Saffi more physically. Or if she went beyond what is expected/allowed of a PI and risked her position and friendships more. Despite the stakes being murder and the death penalty, I barely felt them.

Romance:
The only romance we get is from when they describe one another. In this LA setting I expected a messy relationship which they tried to keep secret and Saffi tried to keep herself from. I would not count this as a romance book if it was not framed that way. The lack of action in the case continued in the romance aspect unfortunately.

In the end, I was sold a tug of war for power but it remained in Dimple’s court for the entirety of the story which was boring. Despite the lack of action the characters were interesting I wanted to see them do more things! I would love to see this author apply their character skills into a more captivating and paced narrative.

[ً · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was annoying

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

You’ll Never Forget Me by Isha Raya
Publisher: Ballantine | Bantam
Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the gifted ARC in exchange for my honest review.

You’ll Never Forget Me is a slick, twisted psychological thriller soaked in old-Hollywood gloss and powered by two very unwell women circling each other like sharks in designer heels. It’s sapphic, it’s unhinged, it’s campy in the best way—and it wants you to root for bad decisions made by worse people. Mission accomplished.

Dimple Kapoor, our anti-heroine, is a struggling actress with a gift for manipulation and a track record of “accidental” murders. The book opens with her killing her rival Irene Singh—technically an accident, but let’s not kid ourselves—and sliding into the exact role that had her auditioning for second-best her whole life. Dimple doesn’t just want the spotlight. She wants the entire stage cleared of competition. And if that means a few bodies drop along the way? Well, the show must go on.

Enter Saffi Mirai Iyer, a high-profile private investigator with a sharp mind, colder heart, and a face that belongs in a slow-burning indie drama about secrets. She’s hired by Irene’s wealthy parents to find their daughter’s killer, and within about three seconds, she’s pretty sure it’s Dimple. The twist? Instead of immediately hauling her off to jail, Saffi invites her to “assist” in the investigation—as bait. This is where the book leans hard into its camp-noir energy. It’s ridiculous. It’s melodramatic. It’s absolutely irresistible.

Raya doesn’t pretend this setup is grounded in realism. That’s not the point. The book is less interested in procedure than it is in obsession, power, and the way ambition rots when you feed it too much. The story revels in the tension between these two women—Dimple, calculating and desperate to be loved; Saffi, emotionally constipated and drawn to destruction. Their chemistry is like a lit match hovering over spilled gasoline. It’s not always believable, but it is fun to watch.

Now, let’s talk pacing. The beginning is electric—sharp prose, high stakes, and a clear hook. Then, in true thriller fashion, the middle gets a bit murky. The book wants to juggle noir aesthetics, psychological tension, and a slow-burn romance, and occasionally it drops a ball. There are moments where the plot meanders or relies on conveniences so absurd they break immersion. Dimple joining the investigation team after murdering one of the victims is particularly baffling if you’re trying to take any of this seriously.

But if you treat this book less like a crime thriller and more like a stylized fever dream about fame, morality, and the kind of queerness that doesn’t want to be sanitized—then it works. Raya has no interest in writing likable women. She writes compelling ones. Dimple is a standout: part femme fatale, part lost girl, part chaos goblin with a death wish. Her self-awareness is cutting; her motivations are messy. She doesn’t murder for fun—she murders because she’s cornered, she’s scared, and because she thinks it’s her only way forward. She’s a monster, sure, but she’s a deeply human one.

Saffi, on the other hand, is harder to pin down. For someone with such a sharp reputation, she often comes across as distracted, even confused. Her obsession with Dimple simmers but never quite boils over. And while the romantic tension is there, it never fully ignites. Some readers will find that frustrating. Others, like me, might find it more honest to the toxic dynamic being portrayed. They’re not lovers. They’re reflections of each other’s ruin. And sometimes that’s more interesting.

One of my favorite elements was how the book critiques Hollywood’s treatment of South Asian women—the way actresses like Dimple and Irene are interchangeable to casting directors, and how Dimple internalizes that erasure until she’s willing to do anything, even kill, to be the one who gets remembered. The book’s title isn’t just a threat. It’s a plea.

Quote that stayed with me:

“It doesn’t matter how hard you work—Hollywood picks someone to love, and most times, it isn’t you.”

Let’s be clear: this book will not be for everyone. If you like your thrillers tidy, your romances wholesome, or your protagonists morally redeemable, look elsewhere. This is for the readers who loved Killing Eve, Gone Girl, or A Simple Favor and thought, “What if we made it even messier—and gayer?”

Is it perfect? No. The plot sometimes twists itself into knots. The ending might frustrate readers looking for clarity or justice. But it’s bold, stylish, and compulsively readable. Isha Raya swung big with her debut, and while not every risk lands, enough of them do to make this a memorable ride.

Final verdict:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)
Read it for the vibes. Stay for the chaos.

#YoullNeverForgetMe #NetGalley #IshaRaya #SapphicThriller #QueerBooks #WomenDoingCrime #PsychologicalThriller #HollywoodNoir #CatAndMouse #BooksWithBite #LGBTQFiction #FictionReview #MorallyGreyWomen #DarkFeminineEnergy #NewBookRelease2026 #ThrillerReview #ARCReview #BookTokMadeMeReadIt #BeGayDoCrime #SupportWomensWrongs

[Cee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dimple Kapoor did not mean to kill her rival.
She also doesn’t regret it.

If that sentence makes your pulse jump just a little, You’ll Never Forget Me is already whispering your name.

This book opens with a fall down a staircase and never once pretends it’s interested in morality. From page one, you’re trapped inside the mind of a woman who believes—deeply, stubbornly—that she deserves more than what the world is willing to give her. And if someone has to be removed from the equation for her to finally get her moment? Well. Hollywood is competitive.

Consider this your warning: this is not a redemption story. This is a villain era in designer heels.

Dimple is unapologetically unhinged in a way that feels intentional rather than sensational. She isn’t chaotic for shock value; she’s chaotic because she’s scrambling to maintain control after one impulsive act tilts her entire life off its axis. Her internal narration is darkly funny, detached, and often chilling—not because she lacks awareness, but because she has too much of it.

What makes Dimple compelling is that she knows exactly how Hollywood sees her. She knows she’s replaceable. She knows there’s a quota. She knows that talent is not enough when you’re a woman of color in an industry that thrives on scarcity. Her desperation doesn’t come from insecurity—it comes from clarity. And that makes every bad decision feel, disturbingly, understandable.

This book does something rare: it commits. Dimple isn’t softened. She isn’t excused. She doesn’t spiral into guilt in a way that conveniently absolves her. She keeps going. Bodies pile up. Consequences loom. And she adapts.

That full-send commitment to an evil woman is refreshing. Too often, stories promise us morally gray women and then panic halfway through, rushing toward justification or redemption. Isha Raya does neither. She lets Dimple be monstrous, ambitious, selfish, and brilliant—and trusts the reader to keep up.

Saffi Iyer enters the story as the supposed moral counterweight: the investigator, the truth-seeker, the one tasked with restoring order. But she’s not stable either. She’s emotionally volatile, driven by obsession as much as justice, and far more susceptible to Dimple’s pull than she’d ever admit.

Their dynamic is where the book truly crackles.

This is not a traditional romance, and I’m glad it isn’t. What exists between Dimple and Saffi is something sharper—an attraction rooted in power, recognition, and mutual unraveling. They don’t meet early enough for my greedy heart (I wanted more of them together, sooner), but when they do collide, the tension is immediate and electric.

Every conversation feels like a test. Saffi knows Dimple is lying. Dimple knows Saffi knows. And instead of diffusing the tension, that shared awareness makes it intoxicating. It’s an obsession, not love. And that distinction matters.

Stylistically, the book leans hard into old-school noir vibes—the femme fatale walking into the PI’s office, the glamour hiding rot, the slow burn of inevitability. But Raya modernizes it beautifully, grounding the story in conversations about race, visibility, and the brutal math of opportunity in Hollywood.

There are moments where the plot feels deliberately messy, even meandering. At times, Dimple’s antics spiral in ways that feel less tightly plotted and more frantic. But honestly? That chaos fits her mental state. She’s improvising. She’s covering tracks she never meant to leave. The story mirrors that instability rather than smoothing it over, and while it occasionally sacrifices momentum, it gains psychological realism in return.

Once you get into the story, the pacing sharpens, and the stakes escalate. The obsession deepens. You’re no longer asking what will happen, but how far she will go.

And the answer is: farther than you think.

This book is interested in power—who has it, who takes it, and who survives long enough to enjoy it. It’s about getting away with things. About choosing yourself even when it makes you monstrous. About how desire can feel indistinguishable from danger when you’re already standing at the edge.

By the end, you’re not looking for justice. You’re looking for impact. And this book delivers it with a smile that feels a little too knowing.


📚For Fans Of
Killing Eve (the obsession, not the romance)
Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch
Thrillers with queer leads
Villain-era women who never apologize
Stories about ambition under capitalism
Glamorous settings with bloody underbellies

If You’ll Never Forget Me has a thesis, it’s this:
Sometimes the most dangerous thing a woman can be is convinced she deserves more.

And Dimple Kapoor?
She never forgets that.

Until the next swoon-worthy or maybe dark story lol… happy reading and happy romancing! 💕

Bookstagram || Bookshop

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early!

If you like:
- supporting women's wrongs
- extremely toxic sapphic situationships
- a story that's plot-driven (over character-driven)
then you might like this book!

SUMMARY: You'll Never Forget Me is a book about ambition, cunning, and two women haunting each other's narratives. The plot is very compelling, and I was gripped trying to predict what would happen next (and almost always failing--almost). However, in the subtler aspects of prose and character work, this book fell a bit flat. I definitely recommend it if you're a plot person, but if you like character-driven novels like I do, this one may leave you wanting a bit. My math gives it a 3.8, which gets rounded to 4 stars on Goodreads and 3.75 on Storygraph.

SETTING: The novel is almost entirely set in Los Angeles, and doesn't make much use of it. This is more of a prose problem than a setting problem (I'll get there).

CHARACTERS: This is my big problem with this book. These two main characters have so much potential, but the interiority we get is infrequent and shallow. Yes, Dimple is anxious and desperate, and yes, Saffi is filial in the most inconvenient way, but I don't feel like either of their brains were written with much delicacy. It was all surface, all the time, and very repetitive. For two women who are supposed to be incredibly cunning, they didn't feel very intelligent. Saffi figured Dimple out constantly with no puzzle solving or thought necessary. It just felt very bland, and with a book like this, the characters should be the most interesting part.

Also, I was pretty sure this was supposed to have a romance arc in it somewhere, but I found myself doubting it often because the leads had very little chemistry. I don't think Dimple ever mentioned being attracted to Saffi. Saffi had a couple moments of obvious attraction, and if those had been pushed a little harder, I think the romance would have come together a lot stronger.

PLOT: This is where Raya shines, because this shit was looping and twisting all over the place. While I'm not convinced of Saffi's or Dimple's intelligence, I can tell that Raya is smart as hell for figuring all this out without leaving any plot holes. That genuinely impresses me, because I could never. Multiple times I said, out loud to the nobody in my house, "Damn, Dimple."

PACING: Pretty much perfect. It never dragged, but I always had time to catch my breath. The only thing I wish is that we had seen more of Saffi working things out, rather than skipping to the part where she'd already put the puzzle together.

PROSE: My other big issue with this book. One of the best things about sapphic writing is the beautiful ways women talk about loving other women, but this had none of that. There was really no artistic writing in this book outside of telling us what happened and who did it. This also impacts the setting--inconsequential--and the characters--bland.

DID I HAVE FUN? Yeah. I really wanted to know how it ended and I really was rooting for Dimple and all her bad choices.

[kay.grace424 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun! At least, until it wasn’t. It’s a fun cat-and-mouse thriller up until a certain point towards the end, where a couple of serious things happen, and I actually had to come to terms with the general theme and undertones of the book. The general themes and undertones being the classic cautionary tale of an actress's ambition in Hollywood going too far, coupled with a PI’s descent into madness. The tone shift at the end made me like the book a bit less, since the vibe was much more fun prior, but it was still a solid book.

What I really liked about this book was that I was rooting for both characters. I was rooting for Saffi to catch Dimple and Dimple to evade Saffi, and though the ending was a bit predictable in terms of tone, I still had a good time.

The main characters were a little unlikeable, but I wasn’t surprised. I feel like that was to be expected, given the blurb and the beginning of the story. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing in books - unlikeable main characters make stories like this fun. Like, yeah, they’re a little insufferable, but they’re insufferable for each other! Which can be, and is in the book, fun.

The characters didn’t feel whole, but in a way that felt intentional - the whole story and its development revolved around their relationship to ambition and each other, and so it made sense why the focus on the characterization was those things and not a lot else. If this were a different genre, I would be mad, but given the rest of the story, it made sense. I’m not sure if this was an intentional move on the author’s part, but to me it read that way.

I rate books based on enjoyment and quality, and quality-wise it was great, but my enjoyment wasn’t as high as other genres might be, partly because of that final tone shift and partly because I’m not a huge thriller girl, which I recognize is a personal preference thing. I can see how this wouldn't be someone’s cup of tea, but not everything is for everyone, and that’s ok. I’d recommend this for fans of the genre and fans of books about Hollywood and ambition; for example, if that’s one of the aspects of the story of Evelyn Hugo that you liked, you’d like this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4.5 rounded down)
🌶️(0.25, sex vaguely alluded to in a cutaway + kiss/makeout)

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the advanced copy! I received an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

[coleythesapphic · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. Book basics
• Type: Thriller / Suspense with a sapphic romance subplot
• POV: Third person
• Format: eBook
• ARC: Yes (eARC)
• Source: NetGalley - THANK YOU!

2. Reading experience
This story surprised me right from the start. Instead of slowly uncovering the truth alongside the characters, I felt like I was watching everything unfold in real time which created a steady, building tension that never really let up. The pacing balances suspense with emotional undercurrents, letting both the cat-and-mouse plot and the romance simmer at the same time.

3. Who I think this book is for
• Readers who enjoy thrillers
• Fans of cat-and-mouse dynamics
• Sapphic readers who like heated-but-resisted attraction woven into a larger plot
• People who enjoy stories where morality is complicated and empathy shifts

4. What stood out to me
What surprised me most was how my feelings toward the characters kept changing. I didn’t expect to like the main character. Then I didn’t expect to like the private investigators. And yet, by the end, I found myself emotionally invested in nearly everyone except a couple characters who are meant to be a bit unsettling. That emotional recalibration felt intentional and effective, especially as the story explores power, guilt, and survival.

I also appreciated that even though we’re given a lot of information up front, the book still manages to land twists I didn’t anticipate, both narratively and emotionally.

5. Themes & tropes
• Themes: power, guilt, morality, survival, control
• Tropes:
Cat-and-mouse
Reluctant attraction
Sapphic tension under pressure
Past actions catching up to the present

6. Romance & relationship notes
The sapphic romance is a subplot, but it carries real heat and emotional friction. It’s very much a resist-the-connection dynamic. Charged, complicated, and shaped by the larger stakes of the story rather than existing separately from them.

7. Things to know before reading
• Includes death
• Features an abusive predator character within an industry setting (handled without graphic detail)
• Suspense-forward with emotional layering rather than pure action
• You may not like the characters at first and that’s part of the experience

8. Final takeaway
A tense, emotionally layered thriller that plays with your expectations of both plot and character and still finds room for sapphic heat along the way.

[Kate Laycoax · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is sapphic, toxic, and unhinged... but in the best way possible.

The story follows Dimple Kapoor, a struggling actress who accidentally kills her rival and then ends up landing her dream role because of it. Enter Saffi Iyer, a private investigator hellbent on proving Dimple’s guilt. What unfolds is a twisted, addictive game of cat and mouse between two women who are as morally gray as it gets.

Dimple’s chapters are especially fascinating because she has a detached, eerie way of viewing the world and her crimes makes her one of the most compelling characters I’ve read in a while. Saffi is more chaotic and emotionally unstable, and while I feel like I connected with her less, the dynamic between her and Dimple is electric and intense, and had me waiting with bated breath as soon as they met. They’re not exactly romantic partners, but more like obsession fueled enemies with moments of strange chemistry that they cannot deny even if they tried.

The writing is sharp and very clever, with a tone that feels dark, glamorous, and very old school in the best nostalgic way. It’s gritty, bloody, and full of tension. Once the story picks up (around a third of the way in), it’s impossible to put down.

This is not your typical sapphic romance. It’s about power, obsession, guilt, and getting away with murder... literally. Think villain era meets noir thriller with a queer twist. A bold, wild debut you definitely won’t forget. I am truly so happy that I had the chance to read this, because I think this is such an amazing book and hope others enjoy it as well.

Thank you to NetGalley, Isha Raya, and Ballantine/Bantam for the eARC of this book.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Ballantine Books and Random House Publishing Group for the e-ARC.

You’ll Never Forget Me by Isha Raya starts off strong, a suspenseful and engaging read that immediately pulls you in. The opening chapters were gripping, and I found myself eager to follow Dimple along and see how the story unfolds. Dimple is an incredibly complex character, though her motivations often felt murky, as if even she wasn’t entirely sure what drove her actions.

One issue I had was that Dimple seemed surprisingly careless about the details surrounding her crimes. From a reader’s perspective, there were clues early on that made it fairly easy to piece together her involvement, details that Saffi, despite her closeness to Dimple, never seemed to catch. For instance, Dimple’s claim of being drunk at Irene's party didn’t hold up, given that she doesn’t drink, which is a contradiction that stood out immediately and seems like something Saffi should have noticed.

Saffi, on the other hand, was a strong and intriguing character, but I struggled to understand her motivations and emotional depth. I wanted more insight into her relationships with Atlas and Taylor, which could have shown through a flashback or more developed backstory to better understand their dynamic. As written, it sometimes felt like she was detached from both of them, and I wasn’t sure if that distance was intentional or simply underdeveloped.

Overall, it was an interesting and atmospheric read with a satisfying ending. I enjoyed the premise and the tension it built, but I think the middle section could benefit from some tightening and deeper character work to fully deliver on its promising start.

[Cass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Ballentine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early.

You’ll Never Forget Me follows Dimple Kapoor, a struggling actress who accidentally kills her rival, which leads to her getting the role of her dreams, and Saffi Iyer, the private investigator trying to nail her for the murder.

This is a book that is hard to put down. I really enjoyed seeing the world through Dimple’s eyes as her detached way of looking at the people she killed while still being haunted by them was very interesting to read. I also enjoyed the characters of the other private investigators, especially Eli, as well as Dimple’s personal assistant Priyal, who was my favorite character.

However, our main characters didn’t meet until 100 pages into the book and even then, I had trouble seeing anything between them and thought in the end they worked much better as some sort of partners in crime, rather than romantically or sexually. I also really didn’t like Saffi’s character and how she thought about herself and others. Neither of the main characters are meant to be likeable but I really enjoyed being in Dimple’s perspective because of her world view while Saffi’s didn’t have the same appeal to me.

But I did find the story incredibly interesting and had trouble putting the book down as I was very curious to see where it would go and the ending did not disappoint.

Thank you again to Ballentine and NetGalley for the chance to read this early.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

[clarissa. · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you to netgalley for the eARC.

i don’t usually pay much attention to comp titles, but i saw that this one had killing eve listed. my hopes were high and i was excited, but i was left disappointed.

starting with the synopsis, one of the details is just wrong and it’s proven to be wrong as soon as chapter two, and confirmed again in chapter three. it doesn’t actually arise in the story again until toward the end so it’s not a major issue.

the writing style is incredibly clunky which i didn’t take notice to until i read a few paragraphs out loud. the phrasing was done as if the author was trying to get as many words in as possible. it read like a backward sentence if that makes any sense at all.

as for the characters, i didn’t think any of them had any depth whatsoever for about a third of the book, especially dimple. she felt very flat. in the end, they were all fine characters, but what irked me was the emphasis on dimple’s intelligence when it came to murder. i thought she was a very amateur killer, and the only reason why i thought she would get away with it was because everyone who wasn’t dimple or saffi were idiots. it was hard to believe that saffi, described to be the best private investigator in the world, thought dimple, who is moving with no plan whatsoever, was as entertained with dimple as she was. the romance wasn’t all that great either. the banter was fine sometimes, but it didn’t really land most of the time.

and the ending, oof . it was really messy. the story was already kinda messy to begin with, but the ending was just the cherry on top.

[laurakellylitfit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Out January, 13th, 2026
You'll Never Forget Me dives into the tangled aftermath of a high school tragedy, where the lines between memory, guilt, and obsession blur. The story follows a group of teens grappling with the mysterious death of one of their own, and the narrative leans heavily into psychological suspense. It’s got that eerie, slow-burn vibe that keeps you guessing who’s telling the truth and who’s hiding something darker. There’s a lot of emotional tension, and the way the characters unravel feels raw and unsettling in a good way.

That said, the pacing could’ve used a little tightening. Some parts drag while others rush through key moments that deserved more depth. The mystery itself is compelling, but the resolution doesn’t quite hit as hard as it could—it’s more of a quiet fizzle than a dramatic bang. A few plot threads feel like they were left dangling, which might frustrate readers who like everything neatly tied up. Still, the atmosphere and psychological layers make it worth sticking with.

Overall, it’s a solid read if you’re into moody thrillers with a touch of teen drama and emotional grit. It doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it plays with familiar tropes in a way that feels fresh enough. Not perfect, but definitely memorable—just like the title promises.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for this ARC!

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! This was quite an adventure and I have to say that it was so much fun! Dimple Kapoor, on her way down with no obvious way to salvage her career, makes an impulsive and life changing decision to remove her competition - and it completely changed her life. Not an inherently lovable character, nevertheless she grew on me until I found myself cheering her on. Enter Saffi Iyer, private detective on Dimple's tail, but is also not a particularly lovable character. In fact, the only people that I was drawn to are Dimple's assistant, Priyal, and the private eyes with whom she used to work and is temporarily working with again. Not that being a likable person is a prerequisite for being a good book, but it is nice to like someone. This book is full of unique, well rounded but flawed characters, the settings are interesting and well written, and the story is mostly believable. There are a few places where I think that things are perhaps a bit too vague, but on the whole this is a story that flows well and is a fun read. And an ending that makes you believe that the story is continuing on for the remaining characters. I would just love to read about their next exploits. I would enthusiastically recommend this book!

This ARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher, the opinions expressed herein are strictly my own.

[diamondinthepages · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

I received this book as an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher—thank you for the opportunity to read this early.

You’ll Never Forget Me by Isha Raya is a sapphic psychological thriller told from the “bad guy’s” perspective, which made the entire reading experience absolutely deliciously tense. From the very beginning, I found myself constantly thinking: will she get away with it?

The story is twisty and turny in the best way, keeping you trapped inside the mind of a morally gray (and honestly fascinating) narrator. Just when I thought I understood her motivations or had the outcome figured out, the narrative shifted and proved me wrong. That constant sense of unease and anticipation never lets up.

If you enjoyed the unsettling psychological tension of Honey, Don't or Gone Girl, or the sharp, uncomfortable brilliance of Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, I would absolutely recommend picking this up.

Darkish, compelling, and impossible to put down, this is a sapphic thriller that fully commits to its perspective and makes you complicit in it the entire time. I really, really enjoyed this one and can’t wait to see more from this author. 🖤📖

[Livingfortoday622 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Ballantine and NetGalley for this e-arc.Personally,I love a good cat and mouse game! When I first read the description of this book I knew I was going to be in for a ride because this book was right up my alley.I personally enjoyed Dimple sort of being an “anti-hero” who sort of has a warped moral compass due to her past trauma. Similarly, Safi is a private investigator that also carries trauma and has such a controlled and guarded nature about her they balance out each other nicely and shaped the way they interacted with each other.Although, their relationship being so messy and intense it kept me engaged.With that being said, I still wanted a little bit more depth of their relationship.As much as I was engaged I truly wish that some of the characters and their reasonings for doing things were a little bit more flushed out.There needed to be a little bit more exploration for their motives.As for the pacing of the book, I felt like it was good and punchy when it focused on keeping the suspense of the book and slower on the more emotional moments.For this being a debut, it was an overall fun read!!!