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TESS is a well-known thriller writer living a quiet but content life in her small New England town with her long-time spouse, Eddie.
JENNA, their daughter, is living a different reality with a husband who is increasingly controlling, an antagonist out of one of her mother's thrillers. But Jenna knows her mother can't help her. She needs to find her own answers to protect herself and her two children.
The last thing Jenna needs right now is the complication of her high school crush, Cole McGrath, moving back to town. Or maybe he’s exactly what she needs…
JENNA, their daughter, is living a different reality with a husband who is increasingly controlling, an antagonist out of one of her mother's thrillers. But Jenna knows her mother can't help her. She needs to find her own answers to protect herself and her two children.
The last thing Jenna needs right now is the complication of her high school crush, Cole McGrath, moving back to town. Or maybe he’s exactly what she needs…
371 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 15, 2025
2 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 24, 2025
Tess knows how to read people. In fact, she bases the characters in her books from people watching. But she may have missed something right beneath her nose. Her daughter’s husband… there is something brewing below the surface and she will get to the bottom of it.
Jenna has a meet cute that turns into her future. They are in love. They build a family. But wait. Something isn’t right. Who is this man now? This isn’t who she fell in love with. Has he always been this way?
Cole should have never left. This town holds his future. He knows it.
This book is Hallmark-movie-love-story meets psychological-thriller at its best.
I kept trying to outsmart the characters and figure things out first, but quite honestly, failed completely.
Tidbit I liked best: The story blends real local history into each scene and even play into the storyline.
Jenna has a meet cute that turns into her future. They are in love. They build a family. But wait. Something isn’t right. Who is this man now? This isn’t who she fell in love with. Has he always been this way?
Cole should have never left. This town holds his future. He knows it.
This book is Hallmark-movie-love-story meets psychological-thriller at its best.
I kept trying to outsmart the characters and figure things out first, but quite honestly, failed completely.
Tidbit I liked best: The story blends real local history into each scene and even play into the storyline.
October 11, 2025
An exciting thriller told from multiple POVs that will keep you guessing. Tess is a thriller writer living in a small town, but she and her husband End (or Eddie) are increasingly concerned about their daughter Jenna's life. Jenna's husband Keith is controlling and manipulative to Jenna and their children, a sudden change in their relationship since her last pregnancy.
The book starts with a cozy feel owing to the New England town venues where the story takes place, but quickly escalates to more of a thriller as one reads further. The various POVs help escalate the feeling of uneasiness, dropping small clues that quickly immerse the reader. There's a complication for Jenna when her old high school sweetheart moves back to town.
I very much enjoyed this book and was quite surprised by the ending, which is something I like when I read in this genre. I don't like it when I can guess the ending too quickly in a thriller. I heartily recommend this book.
The book starts with a cozy feel owing to the New England town venues where the story takes place, but quickly escalates to more of a thriller as one reads further. The various POVs help escalate the feeling of uneasiness, dropping small clues that quickly immerse the reader. There's a complication for Jenna when her old high school sweetheart moves back to town.
I very much enjoyed this book and was quite surprised by the ending, which is something I like when I read in this genre. I don't like it when I can guess the ending too quickly in a thriller. I heartily recommend this book.
November 14, 2025
Atmospheric, gripping, and deeply human.
The New England setting was perfect, cozy on the surface, cold underneath. The tension between Tess and Jenna added emotional weight, and the way Jenna slowly regains her strength was incredibly satisfying. Easily one of the strongest thrillers I’ve read this year.
The New England setting was perfect, cozy on the surface, cold underneath. The tension between Tess and Jenna added emotional weight, and the way Jenna slowly regains her strength was incredibly satisfying. Easily one of the strongest thrillers I’ve read this year.
September 17, 2025
A fantastic thriller that just happens to be set in my hometown! When I saw that the small New England town I grew up in was going to be the setting for this suspense tale, I just had to pick it up. I ended up reading it in about a day and a half and truly enjoyed the twists and turns. There are some both likable and relatable characters here, and one really nasty antagonist that you’ll want to see get his comeuppance. So if you enjoy thrillers, this is one you should grab a hold of!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews