What do you think?
What They Did: A Novel
A dark, deadly secret between two friends tears them apart, only to reunite them decades later as they are forced to confront what happened that night . . . or lose all they hold dear.
She keeps me safe. She keeps me wild. Carly Rivers and Dana Lee were best friends when they were younger. Like fire and water, they always balanced each other Dana kept them wild. Carly kept them safe.
But then, a split-second decision resulted in an irreversible tragedy. To this day, neither has spoken of what happened; they share a terrible secret that sent them on separate paths, each hoping to leave the darkness behind them. Carly becomes a police officer in Florida with a beautiful house and a beautiful husband and son. For Dana, things go the other way. After a string of failed relationships and broken hearts, she finds herself in Black Ash, Michigan, working for the notorious meth dealer Warner Prince. When Carly’s husband, also a cop, is killed in the line of duty, her son, Anthony, spins out of control. In search of his own fresh start, Anthony heads to Toledo, a stone’s throw from Dana’s home in Black Ash. As Anthony’s friendship with Dana puts him in the crosshairs of some sinister people, Dana’s and Carly’s lives come together again. Twenty-four years have passed, but the secret between them hasn’t died, and the friends soon find themselves in a situation where history is doomed to repeat itself.
Brimming with action and suspense, and tempered with a strong emotional core, Rio Youers’s gripping new novel is an intense, edge-of-your-seat story about fierce friendship, the bonds of family, and the extremes we’ll go to, to keep our loved ones safe.
She keeps me safe. She keeps me wild. Carly Rivers and Dana Lee were best friends when they were younger. Like fire and water, they always balanced each other Dana kept them wild. Carly kept them safe.
But then, a split-second decision resulted in an irreversible tragedy. To this day, neither has spoken of what happened; they share a terrible secret that sent them on separate paths, each hoping to leave the darkness behind them. Carly becomes a police officer in Florida with a beautiful house and a beautiful husband and son. For Dana, things go the other way. After a string of failed relationships and broken hearts, she finds herself in Black Ash, Michigan, working for the notorious meth dealer Warner Prince. When Carly’s husband, also a cop, is killed in the line of duty, her son, Anthony, spins out of control. In search of his own fresh start, Anthony heads to Toledo, a stone’s throw from Dana’s home in Black Ash. As Anthony’s friendship with Dana puts him in the crosshairs of some sinister people, Dana’s and Carly’s lives come together again. Twenty-four years have passed, but the secret between them hasn’t died, and the friends soon find themselves in a situation where history is doomed to repeat itself.
Brimming with action and suspense, and tempered with a strong emotional core, Rio Youers’s gripping new novel is an intense, edge-of-your-seat story about fierce friendship, the bonds of family, and the extremes we’ll go to, to keep our loved ones safe.
416 pages, Hardcover
Published August 18, 2026
About the author
Rio Youers
91 books471 followersRio Youers is the British Fantasy and Sunburst Award–nominated author of Lola on Fire and No Second Chances. His 2017 thriller, The Forgotten Girl, was a finalist for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel. He is the writer of Refrigerator Full of Heads, a six-issue comic series from DC Comics, and Sleeping Beauties, a graphic novel based on the number-one bestseller by Stephen King and Owen King. Rio’s latest novel, The Bang-Bang Sisters, was published by William Morrow in summer 2024.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
August 25, 2026
Another strong offering from Rio. This one was brutal and intense, like all of his stories. The relationships were well written, and I enjoyed myself with this emotional, at times bleak, novel.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced reading copy.
What They Did is quite the slow burn compared to Rio's other works, but that's not to say this is any less engaging. In fact it's quite the opposite. It's a real heavy hitter at times and will leave your jaw on the floor. Some of those latter scenes... man... they get you alright.
The character depth, as is the pacing, is right on the money. Great writing.
I really hope this novel does well for Rio. I believe his time is yet to come.
One of those novels to sit back and sink into.
Quality.
What They Did is quite the slow burn compared to Rio's other works, but that's not to say this is any less engaging. In fact it's quite the opposite. It's a real heavy hitter at times and will leave your jaw on the floor. Some of those latter scenes... man... they get you alright.
The character depth, as is the pacing, is right on the money. Great writing.
I really hope this novel does well for Rio. I believe his time is yet to come.
One of those novels to sit back and sink into.
Quality.
March 27, 2026
I’m won an arc on Netgalley of What They Did by Rio Youers. It’s a slow burn, which I normally don’t love, but I loved this one. His ability to tell a story is outstanding. I’ll definitely be reading more by him! 4.5 stars!
September 8, 2026
I started reading Rio Youers a few books ago, with Lola on Fire, and I've read everything he's written since. His bad ass fmcs and fast-paced action soothe my action movie loving heart. But in this book he did something different--he wrote a S.A. Cosby-esque thriller that will get your blood pumping but also bring tears to your eyes. Holy shit did this one pluck some heartstrings while also making my heart race.
Carly and Dana have been best friends since high school, though now in midlife they have fallen out of touch. Carly's husband, a fellow police officer, has been killed in the line of duty and she and her college-aged son Anthony are struggling. Dana is maintaining an illusion of moderate wealth and happiness while she secretly lives in a shitty apartment and works as a money collector for a drug dealer. When Anthony moves Toledo, not far from Dana, Carly and Dana reconnect and Carly asks Dana to watch out for Anthony. But of course Dana isn't the best example....
This book moves between alternating timelines of the present, and the girls' high school/young adult years. There is so much tension and angst but also beauty and hope. Dana and Carly are impossible not to empathize with as young adults, making the dumb mistakes we all did. And it is heartbreaking to see when those innocent, dumb mistakes become imprinted on their souls.
I really liked the first half of this book. The second half you would have had to pry out of my cold dead hands. The emotions, the imagery, and all the freakin feelings. There are scenes near the end that bring me to tears now, (I may never forget Anthony in the woods with the leaves falling around him) and I finished this book days ago. Man this book was good, and if you don't pick this up you are shortchanging yourself.
Carly and Dana have been best friends since high school, though now in midlife they have fallen out of touch. Carly's husband, a fellow police officer, has been killed in the line of duty and she and her college-aged son Anthony are struggling. Dana is maintaining an illusion of moderate wealth and happiness while she secretly lives in a shitty apartment and works as a money collector for a drug dealer. When Anthony moves Toledo, not far from Dana, Carly and Dana reconnect and Carly asks Dana to watch out for Anthony. But of course Dana isn't the best example....
This book moves between alternating timelines of the present, and the girls' high school/young adult years. There is so much tension and angst but also beauty and hope. Dana and Carly are impossible not to empathize with as young adults, making the dumb mistakes we all did. And it is heartbreaking to see when those innocent, dumb mistakes become imprinted on their souls.
I really liked the first half of this book. The second half you would have had to pry out of my cold dead hands. The emotions, the imagery, and all the freakin feelings. There are scenes near the end that bring me to tears now, (I may never forget Anthony in the woods with the leaves falling around him) and I finished this book days ago. Man this book was good, and if you don't pick this up you are shortchanging yourself.
August 19, 2026
Back in February, the author reached out to ask if I would read an ARC of What They Did. I said yes and I am so happy I did.
“She keeps me safe.”
“She keeps me wild.”
This is a fantastic read centered around the relationship between Dana and Carly, two very different people, who have been best friends since adolescence. Now in their forties, their lives have diverged following a tragedy in their adolescence - Dana works for an unscrupulous drug dealer while Carly is a widowed cop. It is a story about loyalty, family, grief, loss, and the weight of secrets, set against the backdrop of the illegal drug trade.
The story is tense, intense, and gritty, but it’s also emotional and poignant. I am so impressed that the author was able to weave these elements together so believably. I also loved how well the female friendship was developed and how real it felt. Carly’s relationship with her teenage son, Anthony, was also spot on and relatable.
I finished this book with tears in my eyes. The whole story, and particularly the last 25%, was very good - fast-paced, riveting, and poignant.
This book entertained, engaged me, and touched me.
Highly recommend!
Thanks to the publisher and author for the complimentary digital copy. All opinions are my own.
“She keeps me safe.”
“She keeps me wild.”
This is a fantastic read centered around the relationship between Dana and Carly, two very different people, who have been best friends since adolescence. Now in their forties, their lives have diverged following a tragedy in their adolescence - Dana works for an unscrupulous drug dealer while Carly is a widowed cop. It is a story about loyalty, family, grief, loss, and the weight of secrets, set against the backdrop of the illegal drug trade.
The story is tense, intense, and gritty, but it’s also emotional and poignant. I am so impressed that the author was able to weave these elements together so believably. I also loved how well the female friendship was developed and how real it felt. Carly’s relationship with her teenage son, Anthony, was also spot on and relatable.
I finished this book with tears in my eyes. The whole story, and particularly the last 25%, was very good - fast-paced, riveting, and poignant.
This book entertained, engaged me, and touched me.
Highly recommend!
Thanks to the publisher and author for the complimentary digital copy. All opinions are my own.
July 11, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collin’s for my eARC of the crime thriller What They Did by Rio Youers publishing 8/18/26.
What they did is a story of friendship, grief, and the secrets that keep us sick, but it’s also an intense realistic crime thriller. It follows two best friends and their biggest secret through their lives and how that secret ends up shaping who they are in very different ways.
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️s for What They Did! At first this was leaning toward a 4 star read for me but I wholeheartedly appreciated how the ending was so realistic in what happens when we make mistakes. It wasn’t some beefed up story with a happy ending and this made the thriller even more satisfying. This was just the type of thriller I needed to read after several horror books in a row!
A crime riddled thriller with emotional characters and all of their flaws for better or worse.
I recommend What They Did for any crime thriller fans looking for something different that doesn’t paint an unrealistic picture of tragedy.
For all of my book reviews and recommendations follow me on instagram @chelleshelf365.
What they did is a story of friendship, grief, and the secrets that keep us sick, but it’s also an intense realistic crime thriller. It follows two best friends and their biggest secret through their lives and how that secret ends up shaping who they are in very different ways.
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️s for What They Did! At first this was leaning toward a 4 star read for me but I wholeheartedly appreciated how the ending was so realistic in what happens when we make mistakes. It wasn’t some beefed up story with a happy ending and this made the thriller even more satisfying. This was just the type of thriller I needed to read after several horror books in a row!
A crime riddled thriller with emotional characters and all of their flaws for better or worse.
I recommend What They Did for any crime thriller fans looking for something different that doesn’t paint an unrealistic picture of tragedy.
For all of my book reviews and recommendations follow me on instagram @chelleshelf365.
August 11, 2026
What They Did is definitely a slow burn at first, and I’ll admit I had to push through the beginning a little. I had a feeling the story was going to be worth sticking with, though, and I’m so glad I did!
Looking back, I actually think the slower beginning was necessary. It gave me time to really understand the two main characters, their dynamic, and the more important side character, which made everything that happens later hit that much harder.
A little before the halfway point, things REALLY started to pick up. Once I found out what had happened, I flew through the rest of the book because I absolutely needed to know what they were going to do next. The entire situation had me internally screaming and facepalming because of the choices being made.
I also really appreciated that the ending felt satisfying after everything the story put me through.
Overall, this was a suspenseful thriller that rewarded me for sticking with the slower beginning. I’d definitely read more from Rio Youers and would recommend this to readers who don’t mind a slow burn that eventually turns into a “just one more chapter” kind of read.
Thank you to the publisher, William Morrow, and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Looking back, I actually think the slower beginning was necessary. It gave me time to really understand the two main characters, their dynamic, and the more important side character, which made everything that happens later hit that much harder.
A little before the halfway point, things REALLY started to pick up. Once I found out what had happened, I flew through the rest of the book because I absolutely needed to know what they were going to do next. The entire situation had me internally screaming and facepalming because of the choices being made.
I also really appreciated that the ending felt satisfying after everything the story put me through.
Overall, this was a suspenseful thriller that rewarded me for sticking with the slower beginning. I’d definitely read more from Rio Youers and would recommend this to readers who don’t mind a slow burn that eventually turns into a “just one more chapter” kind of read.
Thank you to the publisher, William Morrow, and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
July 30, 2026
ARC Review! Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced copy of this read in exchange for my honest review. | 4.5 Stars
Can I just say, I did not expect to love this book nearly as much as I did? I knew that Rio Youers is an extremely talented author, and I enjoyed the first part of the book, but the deeper that I got into the story, I absolutely could not put this down.
Carly and Dana were the best of friends. Dana brought out Carly’s wild side, while Carly kept Dana grounded and safe. When the toughest of situations tested them, they were there for each other, but they have since gone their separate ways, and their best friendship became somewhat estranged. When Carly’s son moves to the same town as Dana, she sees it as the opportunity to reconnect. But Dana has a darker side, one that she has kept hidden from Carly, and when her son starts getting involved in the wrong crowd, Dana fears that some of those secrets are going to be exposed.
This book has a slower start. It takes about 30% to really start getting into the “bad thing” that happened to Carly and Dana. Once that’s revealed, I started to get interested, but wasn’t exactly sure where the book was headed. Around 50% I had a better sense, and was starting to get into things, but it was still a 3-4 star read for me.
But the second half of the book? Wow. Just incredible. I could not put this thing down and flew through the ending. I loved each of the characters so deeply and was desperate to see everyone come out on top – even when I knew there was no way everyone would walk away from this mess without some sort of problem.
I was expecting a thriller, but this is definitely more of a character-driven drama. That’s not normally what I gravitate towards – I typically want a fast paced thriller, but man this was just so incredibly good despite that. I waffled on how I wanted to rate this, but I really think 4.5 stars is accurate. The pacing was just a tick off early on, but it turned it around into such a solid, heart wrenching read.
Can I just say, I did not expect to love this book nearly as much as I did? I knew that Rio Youers is an extremely talented author, and I enjoyed the first part of the book, but the deeper that I got into the story, I absolutely could not put this down.
Carly and Dana were the best of friends. Dana brought out Carly’s wild side, while Carly kept Dana grounded and safe. When the toughest of situations tested them, they were there for each other, but they have since gone their separate ways, and their best friendship became somewhat estranged. When Carly’s son moves to the same town as Dana, she sees it as the opportunity to reconnect. But Dana has a darker side, one that she has kept hidden from Carly, and when her son starts getting involved in the wrong crowd, Dana fears that some of those secrets are going to be exposed.
This book has a slower start. It takes about 30% to really start getting into the “bad thing” that happened to Carly and Dana. Once that’s revealed, I started to get interested, but wasn’t exactly sure where the book was headed. Around 50% I had a better sense, and was starting to get into things, but it was still a 3-4 star read for me.
But the second half of the book? Wow. Just incredible. I could not put this thing down and flew through the ending. I loved each of the characters so deeply and was desperate to see everyone come out on top – even when I knew there was no way everyone would walk away from this mess without some sort of problem.
I was expecting a thriller, but this is definitely more of a character-driven drama. That’s not normally what I gravitate towards – I typically want a fast paced thriller, but man this was just so incredibly good despite that. I waffled on how I wanted to rate this, but I really think 4.5 stars is accurate. The pacing was just a tick off early on, but it turned it around into such a solid, heart wrenching read.
August 28, 2026
4.25/5⭐️
ARC provided by NetGalley. Carley and Dana are best friends who share a dark secret. On the morning of 9/11, while everyone has their eyes on New York, they’re in New Jersey burying a part of their past they hope will stay hidden forever.
25 years later, Carley and Dana live polar opposite lives. When Carley faces personal tragedy and her son ends up careening off the rails, she has no choice but to face Dana to ask for help, and in turn face the secret they buried all those years ago.
UGH. It is rare for a mystery/thriller to wrench my heart this hard. I loved Carley and Dana’s story and how they always tried to find each other through it all. Anthony made me want to rip my hair out, but also reminded me of what it is to be an impulsive young adult trying to deal with everything life throws at you.
ARC provided by NetGalley. Carley and Dana are best friends who share a dark secret. On the morning of 9/11, while everyone has their eyes on New York, they’re in New Jersey burying a part of their past they hope will stay hidden forever.
25 years later, Carley and Dana live polar opposite lives. When Carley faces personal tragedy and her son ends up careening off the rails, she has no choice but to face Dana to ask for help, and in turn face the secret they buried all those years ago.
UGH. It is rare for a mystery/thriller to wrench my heart this hard. I loved Carley and Dana’s story and how they always tried to find each other through it all. Anthony made me want to rip my hair out, but also reminded me of what it is to be an impulsive young adult trying to deal with everything life throws at you.
September 20, 2026
This was really good. Super tense, super intense, and increasingly disturbing as it went.
What impressed me most was the character work. Dana and Carly are two very different women, but both feel fully realized. Youers does a really good job with female friendship, power, and vulnerability without making either woman feel stupid, simplistic, or one-note. Even the supporting characters, especially Anthony and Warner, have enough depth to feel like actual people instead of plot devices.
There’s a lot of emotional weight underneath the thriller too. Friendship, grief, loss, insecurity, all of it keeps building alongside the story and makes the tension hit harder.
And the pacing is excellent. Nothing drags, nothing feels rushed, and the book just keeps tightening as it moves forward.
Gritty, brutal, emotional, and deeply unsettling. Really well done.
What impressed me most was the character work. Dana and Carly are two very different women, but both feel fully realized. Youers does a really good job with female friendship, power, and vulnerability without making either woman feel stupid, simplistic, or one-note. Even the supporting characters, especially Anthony and Warner, have enough depth to feel like actual people instead of plot devices.
There’s a lot of emotional weight underneath the thriller too. Friendship, grief, loss, insecurity, all of it keeps building alongside the story and makes the tension hit harder.
And the pacing is excellent. Nothing drags, nothing feels rushed, and the book just keeps tightening as it moves forward.
Gritty, brutal, emotional, and deeply unsettling. Really well done.
August 25, 2026
Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC!
This one took me a little while to get into, the beginning felt a bit slow, but once the story picked up, I was completely wrapped up in it. The tension and twists kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next. I also enjoyed reading the flashbacks.
I will say, I found myself getting frustrated with Anthony’s decisions. You could tell he was raised so much better than the way he was acting, and while I understood that he was grieving, some of his choices just didn’t make sense to me.
BUT I think fans of King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby would really enjoy this one. If you like dark, gritty stories with tension, complicated characters, and a compelling plot, definitely check this out
This one took me a little while to get into, the beginning felt a bit slow, but once the story picked up, I was completely wrapped up in it. The tension and twists kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next. I also enjoyed reading the flashbacks.
I will say, I found myself getting frustrated with Anthony’s decisions. You could tell he was raised so much better than the way he was acting, and while I understood that he was grieving, some of his choices just didn’t make sense to me.
BUT I think fans of King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby would really enjoy this one. If you like dark, gritty stories with tension, complicated characters, and a compelling plot, definitely check this out
August 28, 2026
I received this book from Goodreads. This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I throughly enjoyed it. It had strong characters and a good plot. I would recommend it other readers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Two teenaged best friends. One crazy night. Two very different paths that converge again 20+ years later. This one had me feeling all the feels. It read like it could be a true story... The cycles of life and the choices we make and a mother's fierce love. While What They Did was a tragic story, it gives hope too.
May 2, 2026
Some of this book was fast-paced and suspenseful, but other chunks were slooooow. I did think it was generally well written. Didn’t love, didn’t hate. 3.5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
August 10, 2026
I really enjoyed this one! What They Did is dark, intense, and one of those books where you can just feel everything slowly getting worse and you HAVE to keep reading to see how it all plays out.
Carly and Dana were best friends when they were younger until one terrible night changed everything and left them sharing a secret that ultimately sent their lives in completely different directions. More than twenty years later, their lives collide again when Carly’s son ends up dangerously close to the world Dana has found herself in.
I loved the friendship at the center of this story and how much of it was about the choices we make, the things we carry with us, and just how far you’ll go to protect someone you love. It was definitely a slower burn in the beginning, but once everything started coming together, I was completely invested. There were so many moments where I could see something bad coming and still desperately wanted to know what was going to happen.
Dark, gritty, emotional, and suspenseful. This was my first Rio Youers book, but it definitely won’t be my last.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
Carly and Dana were best friends when they were younger until one terrible night changed everything and left them sharing a secret that ultimately sent their lives in completely different directions. More than twenty years later, their lives collide again when Carly’s son ends up dangerously close to the world Dana has found herself in.
I loved the friendship at the center of this story and how much of it was about the choices we make, the things we carry with us, and just how far you’ll go to protect someone you love. It was definitely a slower burn in the beginning, but once everything started coming together, I was completely invested. There were so many moments where I could see something bad coming and still desperately wanted to know what was going to happen.
Dark, gritty, emotional, and suspenseful. This was my first Rio Youers book, but it definitely won’t be my last.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
September 15, 2026
Carly and Dana were inseparable when they were younger, until tragedy forced them to part ways.
Years later they still speak, but their relationship is fragile. Carly’s husband recently lost his life in the line of duty and her son Anthony hasn’t been the same since. Anthony decides to move to Toledo and Carly thinks she can rely on Dana to keep on eye on him. Little does she know that her closest friend is keeping secrets about her life and the work she’s involved in. Both best friends aren’t just confronting their current situation, but they are also dealing with their past.
What They Did shows you how two best friends can go through so much and spend years a part, yet band together when they need each other. This story takes a dark turn. Carly and Dana are such opposites and the flashback chapters really build their bond. The ending was very unexpected. There was an outcome that I didn’t see coming. If you like dark thrillers, where things just keep getting crazy… check this one out!
Thank you William Morrow for my gifted copy.
Years later they still speak, but their relationship is fragile. Carly’s husband recently lost his life in the line of duty and her son Anthony hasn’t been the same since. Anthony decides to move to Toledo and Carly thinks she can rely on Dana to keep on eye on him. Little does she know that her closest friend is keeping secrets about her life and the work she’s involved in. Both best friends aren’t just confronting their current situation, but they are also dealing with their past.
What They Did shows you how two best friends can go through so much and spend years a part, yet band together when they need each other. This story takes a dark turn. Carly and Dana are such opposites and the flashback chapters really build their bond. The ending was very unexpected. There was an outcome that I didn’t see coming. If you like dark thrillers, where things just keep getting crazy… check this one out!
Thank you William Morrow for my gifted copy.
September 6, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley for this gifted copy. All opinions are mine. This book is a suspenseful, character driven read with a friendship at its heart and plenty of descriptive detail to pull you into the story. 📚 I really enjoyed the friendship between the main characters and Youers’ writing style, especially the way he uses sensory details to make certain moments feel incredibly immersive. 👃🎶 When a familiar fragrance or a song I know showed up, my little nerdy auntie brain immediately connected with it, and those tiny details made me feel even more inside the story. That said, there were some slow sections that I think could have been trimmed, and some dialogue didn’t always feel natural, while the repeated references to Dana’s hair and Warner’s lion comparisons started to feel more irritating than meaningful. 🦁 Overall, though, this was a solid read with interesting characters, immersive writing, and an ending that pulled things together nicely.
August 19, 2026
This was a slow burn crime thriller with a heavy dose of realistic drama. I love character-driven books and this one definitely fits the bill for that. It's a layered story because it spans such a long time period with characters that are full of dimension. I wouldn't say the story hooked me right away and there were moment where the slow burn felt a little too slow for me, but once things got going I felt myself getting really emotionally involved in the characters' lives.
One thing I think a lot of thrillers have trouble with is wrapping things up. Sometimes it's like one extreme or the other between everything being wrapped up with a pretty little bow or everything being totally nebulous with a million loose ends. This one nails the ended for me because it felt so raw and real. Definitely recommending this one!
Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the gifted arc
One thing I think a lot of thrillers have trouble with is wrapping things up. Sometimes it's like one extreme or the other between everything being wrapped up with a pretty little bow or everything being totally nebulous with a million loose ends. This one nails the ended for me because it felt so raw and real. Definitely recommending this one!
Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the gifted arc
September 8, 2026
2026
Goodreads giveaway winner
I had a very hard time deciding what to rate this book. I even read a couple of reviews to see what others rated it to try and determine how I felt about it. And the thing I read over and over and over again in those reviews was "slow burn." And that is absolutely correct for the first half. And the first half is what I'm really struggling with. If the book held continued at that pace I would have given this book a sold 3 stars because I really struggled getting connected to the story in the first half, not gonna lie.
But the second half is a solid 5 stars. Where in the first half I struggled getting into the book, in the second half I struggled with putting it down (which I had to do far more frequently than I wanted to die to having a sick 2 year old and his needy older sister lol). But that second half is great! It is fast pasted and action packed, heart racing. You're rooting for our main characters (I won't state too much here because I don't want to give away spoilers). This book will be an excellent reread but you should definitely discover the twists and turns down yourself!
Goodreads giveaway winner
I had a very hard time deciding what to rate this book. I even read a couple of reviews to see what others rated it to try and determine how I felt about it. And the thing I read over and over and over again in those reviews was "slow burn." And that is absolutely correct for the first half. And the first half is what I'm really struggling with. If the book held continued at that pace I would have given this book a sold 3 stars because I really struggled getting connected to the story in the first half, not gonna lie.
But the second half is a solid 5 stars. Where in the first half I struggled getting into the book, in the second half I struggled with putting it down (which I had to do far more frequently than I wanted to die to having a sick 2 year old and his needy older sister lol). But that second half is great! It is fast pasted and action packed, heart racing. You're rooting for our main characters (I won't state too much here because I don't want to give away spoilers). This book will be an excellent reread but you should definitely discover the twists and turns down yourself!
September 14, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the eARC of “What They Did” by Rio Youers.
I went into this book not really knowing what was going to happen and halfway through, I couldn’t stop reading it. Best friends who had a deadly secret, reunited over 20 years later, only to be brought back to the past they left behind years ago. While it was filled with mysterious outcomes, it too was filled with tons of emotions and at one point, I swear I felt a tear come out of my eye. Some secrets just can’t stay that. Secrets.
I went into this book not really knowing what was going to happen and halfway through, I couldn’t stop reading it. Best friends who had a deadly secret, reunited over 20 years later, only to be brought back to the past they left behind years ago. While it was filled with mysterious outcomes, it too was filled with tons of emotions and at one point, I swear I felt a tear come out of my eye. Some secrets just can’t stay that. Secrets.
September 16, 2026
**Rounded up from a 4.5**
This was such a good book. It’s takes you back and forth in time, told from multiple POvs and damn it sucks you right in with really great story telling. It’s one book but it’s broken down into parts that just makes it a page turner. The two bff fmcs have very different paths but yet they keep coming back together and the secret they have is also what drove them apart. Damn this was good.
This was such a good book. It’s takes you back and forth in time, told from multiple POvs and damn it sucks you right in with really great story telling. It’s one book but it’s broken down into parts that just makes it a page turner. The two bff fmcs have very different paths but yet they keep coming back together and the secret they have is also what drove them apart. Damn this was good.
September 14, 2026
I enjoyed this book. Great characters and in-depth relationship building. I enjoyed the back and forth between the years, which I think really helped build the story! I can see this being made into a movie! Also a little surreal reading this book over September 11th 25th anniversary, when the story was describing September 11!
August 22, 2026
It was a good read.
March 18, 2026
I had the pleasure of reading an ARC of What we are They Did by Rio Youers through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
Carly and Dana become best friends as teenagers. Their lives are filled with joy rides, movies, skinny dipping and living life as teenagers do until Dana gets into a dangerous situation. It turns out that while Carly was always the safe one she is also a lot more dark than even Dana knew. As Carly rescues Dana they commit an act that forever binds them. Because of what they did they both decided to leave town separately to rebuild their lives as adults. Carly goes on to get married to a cop and becomes one herself and they have a son named Anthony. When tragedy strikes Carly’s family as she becomes a widow she starts to feel lonely and needs her old friend Dana back. Anthony is devastated about his father’s death and makes what will be a life changing decision to go and stay in Ohio for a few months. The events that follow seem to be Carly, Dana and Anthony’s karma.
I really enjoyed this book. There were lots of twists and turns and it kept me very much engaged. I was also very satisfied with the ending. I would absolutely read another book by Rio Youers and would recommend this to other readers.
Carly and Dana become best friends as teenagers. Their lives are filled with joy rides, movies, skinny dipping and living life as teenagers do until Dana gets into a dangerous situation. It turns out that while Carly was always the safe one she is also a lot more dark than even Dana knew. As Carly rescues Dana they commit an act that forever binds them. Because of what they did they both decided to leave town separately to rebuild their lives as adults. Carly goes on to get married to a cop and becomes one herself and they have a son named Anthony. When tragedy strikes Carly’s family as she becomes a widow she starts to feel lonely and needs her old friend Dana back. Anthony is devastated about his father’s death and makes what will be a life changing decision to go and stay in Ohio for a few months. The events that follow seem to be Carly, Dana and Anthony’s karma.
I really enjoyed this book. There were lots of twists and turns and it kept me very much engaged. I was also very satisfied with the ending. I would absolutely read another book by Rio Youers and would recommend this to other readers.
July 12, 2026
31157 of 45K pages
ARC - review to come
ARC - review to come
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rio Youers’ What They Did ended up being much more emotionally layered than I expected from the premise. Yes, there’s crime, violence, drugs, buried secrets, and escalating danger, but underneath all of that this is really a story about friendship, shame, trauma, and the strange ways people stay connected long after they probably shouldn’t.
The early 2000s nostalgia immediately pulled me in. As a New England girl who also spent summers working in coastal tourist towns for wealthy vacationers, those early chapters felt very real to me. Cruising around in terrible cars nobody cared about as long as the stereo worked, intense friendships that felt like they’d last forever, making questionable choices because you were young and alive and convinced life would somehow sort itself out later. The atmosphere was spot on.
The friendship between Carly and Dana was the strongest part of the book for me. Most women have had a friendship like that at some point in life. One person is safety, the other is chaos. One keeps you grounded, the other makes life feel bigger and more dangerous and exciting. The matching tattoos, “She keeps me safe / She keeps me wild,” perfectly captured that dynamic.
What really worked for me was how adult and complicated the friendship felt decades later. They stayed digitally connected over the years, but had not seen each other face-to-face in twenty-three years, which honestly stressed me out more than some of the violence in the book. There’s something very modern and painfully believable about maintaining old friendships through texts, curated updates, and social media while quietly becoming strangers.
As a woman in my 40s, I especially connected with the idea that some friendships belong to a certain season of life. Nostalgia can make us ache for who we were with someone without necessarily meaning we should step back into each other’s lives. “Legends night ended at 26” became my running internal commentary while reading.
The book also did a good job exploring how people build fictional versions of themselves over time. Dana especially felt tragic in a very human way, constantly embellishing her life because the truth felt too lonely or painful to admit.
The violence is intense at times, particularly in the flashback sequences surrounding Trent. I appreciated that the book treated those moments as chaotic, traumatic survival rather than stylish action scenes. The emotional aftermath mattered more than shock value.
My one genuine complaint is structural: the repeated Chapter 1 resets throughout the sections personally victimized me. I understand the stylistic choice, but my brain uses chapter numbers as landmarks and I spent half the book feeling attacked by Groundhog Day Chapter 1s.
Overall, though, this was tense, emotional, thoughtful, and surprisingly poignant beneath the thriller surface. I’m glad I read it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The early 2000s nostalgia immediately pulled me in. As a New England girl who also spent summers working in coastal tourist towns for wealthy vacationers, those early chapters felt very real to me. Cruising around in terrible cars nobody cared about as long as the stereo worked, intense friendships that felt like they’d last forever, making questionable choices because you were young and alive and convinced life would somehow sort itself out later. The atmosphere was spot on.
The friendship between Carly and Dana was the strongest part of the book for me. Most women have had a friendship like that at some point in life. One person is safety, the other is chaos. One keeps you grounded, the other makes life feel bigger and more dangerous and exciting. The matching tattoos, “She keeps me safe / She keeps me wild,” perfectly captured that dynamic.
What really worked for me was how adult and complicated the friendship felt decades later. They stayed digitally connected over the years, but had not seen each other face-to-face in twenty-three years, which honestly stressed me out more than some of the violence in the book. There’s something very modern and painfully believable about maintaining old friendships through texts, curated updates, and social media while quietly becoming strangers.
As a woman in my 40s, I especially connected with the idea that some friendships belong to a certain season of life. Nostalgia can make us ache for who we were with someone without necessarily meaning we should step back into each other’s lives. “Legends night ended at 26” became my running internal commentary while reading.
The book also did a good job exploring how people build fictional versions of themselves over time. Dana especially felt tragic in a very human way, constantly embellishing her life because the truth felt too lonely or painful to admit.
The violence is intense at times, particularly in the flashback sequences surrounding Trent. I appreciated that the book treated those moments as chaotic, traumatic survival rather than stylish action scenes. The emotional aftermath mattered more than shock value.
My one genuine complaint is structural: the repeated Chapter 1 resets throughout the sections personally victimized me. I understand the stylistic choice, but my brain uses chapter numbers as landmarks and I spent half the book feeling attacked by Groundhog Day Chapter 1s.
Overall, though, this was tense, emotional, thoughtful, and surprisingly poignant beneath the thriller surface. I’m glad I read it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 20, 2026
💊 T A N G L E D T U E S D A Y review 💊 featuring “What They Did” by Rio Youers!
Dana and Carly were the best of friends when they were younger and had a solid motto about their friendship: She keeps me wild (Dana), She keeps me safe (Carly). Their fierce bond and love for one another was unbreakable until a traumatic fight for their lives turns into a deadly tragedy. They made a pact to NEVER speak of what happened ever again and decide to leave town and go their separate ways.
Now as adults, Dana and Carly could not be living more different lifestyles. Carly is a homicide cop living in Florida with her son Anthony and grieving over the sudden passing of her husband who was killed in the line of duty. Dana on the other hand, has gone through multiple dead end jobs and failed relationships. She is currently living in a sketchy apartment in Michigan and working for the notorious meth dealer Warner Prince.
Anthony begins to act out and get into trouble as he grieves for his father. He decides to postpone school and move to Michigan with some buddies and find a hardworking job that makes him feel something. However, he gets hooked up with Warner Prince and becomes a part of his crew. Anthony has no idea the dangerous world he has just entered and the target he has put on his back if things don’t go as planned. Dana feels compelled to get Anthony far away from the drug scene, even if it means involving Carly so that history does not repeat itself.
💭 WOW, another action packed thriller that will knock your socks off! At the heart of the story is the 24 year old secret that sizzles in the background as you desperately turn the pages to find out WHAT it is. Multi-layered with dual timelines surrounding drugs, crime, violence, friendships, grief and trauma, this book will take you on the wildest ride of your life.
Thank you kindly to @rio_youers @williammorrowbooks @harpercollinsca @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This book releases on August 18, 2026!
Dana and Carly were the best of friends when they were younger and had a solid motto about their friendship: She keeps me wild (Dana), She keeps me safe (Carly). Their fierce bond and love for one another was unbreakable until a traumatic fight for their lives turns into a deadly tragedy. They made a pact to NEVER speak of what happened ever again and decide to leave town and go their separate ways.
Now as adults, Dana and Carly could not be living more different lifestyles. Carly is a homicide cop living in Florida with her son Anthony and grieving over the sudden passing of her husband who was killed in the line of duty. Dana on the other hand, has gone through multiple dead end jobs and failed relationships. She is currently living in a sketchy apartment in Michigan and working for the notorious meth dealer Warner Prince.
Anthony begins to act out and get into trouble as he grieves for his father. He decides to postpone school and move to Michigan with some buddies and find a hardworking job that makes him feel something. However, he gets hooked up with Warner Prince and becomes a part of his crew. Anthony has no idea the dangerous world he has just entered and the target he has put on his back if things don’t go as planned. Dana feels compelled to get Anthony far away from the drug scene, even if it means involving Carly so that history does not repeat itself.
💭 WOW, another action packed thriller that will knock your socks off! At the heart of the story is the 24 year old secret that sizzles in the background as you desperately turn the pages to find out WHAT it is. Multi-layered with dual timelines surrounding drugs, crime, violence, friendships, grief and trauma, this book will take you on the wildest ride of your life.
Thank you kindly to @rio_youers @williammorrowbooks @harpercollinsca @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This book releases on August 18, 2026!
August 16, 2026
Thank you to William Morrow publishers and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. I am happy to give my review and my thought and opinions are my own.
First, I really wanted to give this a four star rating, but there were a couple of places that kept me from it. I absolutely loved the storyline and most of the development of the main characters, the plot, and suspense throughout the book. Carly and Dana’s past experiences were so extremely tragic and devastating. What they went through really helped in understanding why they developed into the characters they did. Anthony was just annoying by the time it was all over. Yes, he had gone through a lot, but his decision making skills leave a lot to be desired. I really wish I would have gotten a backstory on him. Maybe something that would explain why he went so off the deep end. It just kept saying that he had the same anger issues that his mom did. I needed more than that.
Speaking of anger issues, I wouldn’t really call what Carly did having anger issues. Everything she did was in reaction to feeling threatened and scared. That part of her character development was a little confusing. That was something I needed more information on as well to fully understand where it was coming from.
I feel that some of the pacing was off as well. It started off strong, then got really slow, sped up again, and once it got going, was interrupted with a description of something I don’t feel added to the story. For instance, at one point, Walter’s character was discussed in detail about past. And while I wanted to know where he came from, the description was very long and had details that I do not feel was needed.
Overall, I did really like the book and I wish I could give it 3:75 stars here. I look forward to reading more from Rio Youers
First, I really wanted to give this a four star rating, but there were a couple of places that kept me from it. I absolutely loved the storyline and most of the development of the main characters, the plot, and suspense throughout the book. Carly and Dana’s past experiences were so extremely tragic and devastating. What they went through really helped in understanding why they developed into the characters they did. Anthony was just annoying by the time it was all over. Yes, he had gone through a lot, but his decision making skills leave a lot to be desired. I really wish I would have gotten a backstory on him. Maybe something that would explain why he went so off the deep end. It just kept saying that he had the same anger issues that his mom did. I needed more than that.
Speaking of anger issues, I wouldn’t really call what Carly did having anger issues. Everything she did was in reaction to feeling threatened and scared. That part of her character development was a little confusing. That was something I needed more information on as well to fully understand where it was coming from.
I feel that some of the pacing was off as well. It started off strong, then got really slow, sped up again, and once it got going, was interrupted with a description of something I don’t feel added to the story. For instance, at one point, Walter’s character was discussed in detail about past. And while I wanted to know where he came from, the description was very long and had details that I do not feel was needed.
Overall, I did really like the book and I wish I could give it 3:75 stars here. I look forward to reading more from Rio Youers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book started as a slow burn, and was maybe a little long, but it picked up the pace as it continued. It centers on Carly and Dana, who were best friends as teens but grew apart after a "bad incident" that they shared. 20-plus years later, Carly's son gets caught up with some unsavory people who are right in Dana's backyard, so they reconnect and old secrets are revealed while new secrets are created. There are also some flashback chapters that walk the reader through the things that happened back in their teenage years, solidifying their friendship and putting them on very different paths for the rest of their lives.
While I liked both Carly and Dana, I did feel that there was some level of characterization missing from when they were kids that I wish the author would have covered more. I can't exactly put my finger on it but there was something missing that made me have to work harder to figure out what kind of people they were in the later years. The book got more action packed as it continued and was downright terrifying at some points- it was also clear that the author didn't think anyone was exempted from bad things happening to them. I did feel like I had to suspend my disbelief a few times during the story, but I really didn't mind, as I was fully invested in the characters and their plight. The ending of the book was a surprise, but it ultimately worked well with the rest of the story even if it did catch me off-guard initially.
Overall, this was an interesting read that started off slow but picked up wildly as time went on. It could probably benefit from being edited down just a little more but was a satisfying read either way. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
While I liked both Carly and Dana, I did feel that there was some level of characterization missing from when they were kids that I wish the author would have covered more. I can't exactly put my finger on it but there was something missing that made me have to work harder to figure out what kind of people they were in the later years. The book got more action packed as it continued and was downright terrifying at some points- it was also clear that the author didn't think anyone was exempted from bad things happening to them. I did feel like I had to suspend my disbelief a few times during the story, but I really didn't mind, as I was fully invested in the characters and their plight. The ending of the book was a surprise, but it ultimately worked well with the rest of the story even if it did catch me off-guard initially.
Overall, this was an interesting read that started off slow but picked up wildly as time went on. It could probably benefit from being edited down just a little more but was a satisfying read either way. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 4, 2026
3/5
Thank you NetGalley, William Morrow, and the author Rio Youers for gifting me with this ARC to review! I had a mostly enjoyable time reading it but it unfortunately didn’t stand out to me.
Liked:
-first step to being a cop…murder someone and hide the body. Listen I will almost always love this plot line for a book. Carly decided to use that experience to bring a little bit a justice to the world. I can forgive a little murder when she was 21 (murder was completely justifiable too, man wasn’t a good person).
-3 povs. I’m a sucker for multiple povs (if done properly). I liked Carly’s cop and mom brain battling it out, Anthony’s raging emotions that led to devastating consequences, and Dana’s bleak outlook on life in general (even though she kind of pissed me off as a character)
Disliked:
-this is not the lion king, please stop calling Warner a lion or using it as a metaphor every other sentence. I can handle a couple of comparisons with the villain to a deadly animal but this was just way too much. Every scene with Warner in it the character he was with would refer to him as a lion at minimum 3 times on top of Warner referring to himself as one. If you have to keep mentioning it, I think that means you aren’t really as bad ass as a lion.
-Dana blaming karma for her shitty life decisions. I don’t like when people can’t take accountability for their own actions. “I just attract bad people/things,” no ma’am you chose shitty people because you like the danger and recklessness. Genuinely she wasn’t even being forced to work for Warner! She literally could’ve gotten herself out at anytime (which she says) but chose not to.
Thank you NetGalley, William Morrow, and the author Rio Youers for gifting me with this ARC to review! I had a mostly enjoyable time reading it but it unfortunately didn’t stand out to me.
Liked:
-first step to being a cop…murder someone and hide the body. Listen I will almost always love this plot line for a book. Carly decided to use that experience to bring a little bit a justice to the world. I can forgive a little murder when she was 21 (murder was completely justifiable too, man wasn’t a good person).
-3 povs. I’m a sucker for multiple povs (if done properly). I liked Carly’s cop and mom brain battling it out, Anthony’s raging emotions that led to devastating consequences, and Dana’s bleak outlook on life in general (even though she kind of pissed me off as a character)
Disliked:
-this is not the lion king, please stop calling Warner a lion or using it as a metaphor every other sentence. I can handle a couple of comparisons with the villain to a deadly animal but this was just way too much. Every scene with Warner in it the character he was with would refer to him as a lion at minimum 3 times on top of Warner referring to himself as one. If you have to keep mentioning it, I think that means you aren’t really as bad ass as a lion.
-Dana blaming karma for her shitty life decisions. I don’t like when people can’t take accountability for their own actions. “I just attract bad people/things,” no ma’am you chose shitty people because you like the danger and recklessness. Genuinely she wasn’t even being forced to work for Warner! She literally could’ve gotten herself out at anytime (which she says) but chose not to.
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