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Trip & Fall
Odessa thought the worst thing about her life was the distance she felt every night. The silence, and all the words left unsaid.
She was wrong.
When her husband, Sterling, whisks her away for a secluded trip, the days blur together. She returns with a suitcase full of souvenirs she doesn’t remember buying- and hauntingly familiar faces she’s sure she’s never met. Or has she?
But nothing about that trip was accidental, and nothing about what comes next is, either. Because monsters don’t make mistakes. They make plans.
And once you see the pattern, you realize it was never over.
It was only the beginning.
Trip & Fall is a dark psychological thriller about the horrors that slip beneath the covers, even in the marital bed.
You think you know the rules, until someone rewrites your life in blood.
Some trips you’re nudged into. Others, you’re shoved
She was wrong.
When her husband, Sterling, whisks her away for a secluded trip, the days blur together. She returns with a suitcase full of souvenirs she doesn’t remember buying- and hauntingly familiar faces she’s sure she’s never met. Or has she?
But nothing about that trip was accidental, and nothing about what comes next is, either. Because monsters don’t make mistakes. They make plans.
And once you see the pattern, you realize it was never over.
It was only the beginning.
Trip & Fall is a dark psychological thriller about the horrors that slip beneath the covers, even in the marital bed.
You think you know the rules, until someone rewrites your life in blood.
Some trips you’re nudged into. Others, you’re shoved
330 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 1, 2026
2 people are currently reading
1 person want to read
About the author
Annalise VanGallows
8 books32 followersAnnalise VanGallows writes immersive psychological thrillers about love and obsession.
She is a recluse by necessity and an author by compulsion. Life has pressed her into shadows, but that’s where the best stories bloom—along the edges of windows, in the quiet between walls, inside the hush of books that stare back when you read them. Her world is a manor with eyes and ears. The flowers bite, but they bloom. And in the enchanted library, there’s a hammock strung between logic and madness where she can swing and read in peace.
Writing is how she leaves. Each novel is a door, a key, a descent.
Her obsessions? Thought experiments involving truth and lies. Love that rots you from the inside out. The cost of surrender. The reward of choosing it anyway. She believes in passion that devours, wounds that seduce, and the terrifying clarity that comes from falling completely apart.
Her debut novel, Mad Honey, invites readers into a house where nothing is as it seems—where the sweetness of survival comes laced with venom, and where the only way out is through.
Do you come out clean and cleansed on the other side?
Or are you still filthy?
She is a recluse by necessity and an author by compulsion. Life has pressed her into shadows, but that’s where the best stories bloom—along the edges of windows, in the quiet between walls, inside the hush of books that stare back when you read them. Her world is a manor with eyes and ears. The flowers bite, but they bloom. And in the enchanted library, there’s a hammock strung between logic and madness where she can swing and read in peace.
Writing is how she leaves. Each novel is a door, a key, a descent.
Her obsessions? Thought experiments involving truth and lies. Love that rots you from the inside out. The cost of surrender. The reward of choosing it anyway. She believes in passion that devours, wounds that seduce, and the terrifying clarity that comes from falling completely apart.
Her debut novel, Mad Honey, invites readers into a house where nothing is as it seems—where the sweetness of survival comes laced with venom, and where the only way out is through.
Do you come out clean and cleansed on the other side?
Or are you still filthy?
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 5, 2026
Some stories grab you by the collar and drag you into the dark whether you’re ready or not – Trip and Fall does exactly that. When this book landed in my mailbox, I didn’t know I was about to tumble headfirst into one of Annalise VanGallows’s most haunting and emotionally charged worlds yet. This isn’t just a story you read – it’s one you survive. I wanted to crawl into the pages, pull her out, hug her, and tell her I was both wrecked and amazed by what she’d done.
Odessa’s story is not one told in soft tones or safe spaces. Raised in a home where instability was the only constant, she learns early how to navigate chaos. Enter Sterling – man who brings her the kind of precision and order she’s never known. At first, it feels like safety. But when patterns shift, and the man she thought she knew begins to unravel, Odessa’s foundation cracks. What follows is a slow, disturbing descent into a truth so twisted it makes you question every memory, every conversation, every smile. VanGallows doesn’t hand you breadcrumbs – she throws you into the maze blindfolded and makes you find your own way out.
It’s impossible to talk about VanGallows’s characters without feeling like you know them. They’re not just names on a page – they’re living, breathing people who bleed authenticity. Odessa’s fragility and stubborn strength feel like reflections of the reader, and Sterling… well, let’s just say he’s the kind of character who leaves fingerprints on your thoughts. Every one of Annalise’s stories pulses with emotional realism, but Trip and Fall digs deeper. Each flawed, scarred person is written with precision, forcing you to see their humanity even as their choices make your stomach churn. VanGallows writes emotion like it is muscle memory – instinctive, raw, unforgettable.
The atmosphere is thick and unsettling, the pacing deliberate but never sluggish – a heartbeat that builds, breaks, and rebuilds with terrifying rhythm. The story moves between timelines, threading past and present until they fuse into a single moment of reckoning. And just when you think you’ve figured it out, VanGallows yanks the floor out from under you. The transitions are smooth, but the tension never eases; you live inside Odessa’s disorientation right alongside her. The writing is cinematic yet claustrophobic, each scene lit just enough to see what’s coming before the lights go out again.
Trip and Fall is the kind of dark psychological thriller that doesn’t just rattle your nerves – it sears into your chest and lingers there. It’s heavy, unflinching, and unforgettable. If you loved Mad Honey (it’s set for re-release **hint, she is turning it into a whole series**jumps for joy – you can find the original Mad Honey here), brace yourself – this one cuts even deeper. But please, read the trigger warnings first, check her website if you need details, and take care of yourself – because Annalise VanGallows doesn’t write for comfort, she writes for catharsis.
Trip and Fall releases March 1, 2026, and it’s one that will stay with you long after the final page stops turning.
I would like to thank Annalise VanGallows for the opportunity to Alpha/Beta/ARC for Trip and Fall. As always, all opinions and reviews are of my own volition. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future, by the author or the publisher for a fair and honest review.
Some stories grab you by the collar and drag you into the dark whether you’re ready or not – Trip and Fall does exactly that. When this book landed in my mailbox, I didn’t know I was about to tumble headfirst into one of Annalise VanGallows’s most haunting and emotionally charged worlds yet. This isn’t just a story you read – it’s one you survive. I wanted to crawl into the pages, pull her out, hug her, and tell her I was both wrecked and amazed by what she’d done.
Odessa’s story is not one told in soft tones or safe spaces. Raised in a home where instability was the only constant, she learns early how to navigate chaos. Enter Sterling – man who brings her the kind of precision and order she’s never known. At first, it feels like safety. But when patterns shift, and the man she thought she knew begins to unravel, Odessa’s foundation cracks. What follows is a slow, disturbing descent into a truth so twisted it makes you question every memory, every conversation, every smile. VanGallows doesn’t hand you breadcrumbs – she throws you into the maze blindfolded and makes you find your own way out.
It’s impossible to talk about VanGallows’s characters without feeling like you know them. They’re not just names on a page – they’re living, breathing people who bleed authenticity. Odessa’s fragility and stubborn strength feel like reflections of the reader, and Sterling… well, let’s just say he’s the kind of character who leaves fingerprints on your thoughts. Every one of Annalise’s stories pulses with emotional realism, but Trip and Fall digs deeper. Each flawed, scarred person is written with precision, forcing you to see their humanity even as their choices make your stomach churn. VanGallows writes emotion like it is muscle memory – instinctive, raw, unforgettable.
The atmosphere is thick and unsettling, the pacing deliberate but never sluggish – a heartbeat that builds, breaks, and rebuilds with terrifying rhythm. The story moves between timelines, threading past and present until they fuse into a single moment of reckoning. And just when you think you’ve figured it out, VanGallows yanks the floor out from under you. The transitions are smooth, but the tension never eases; you live inside Odessa’s disorientation right alongside her. The writing is cinematic yet claustrophobic, each scene lit just enough to see what’s coming before the lights go out again.
Trip and Fall is the kind of dark psychological thriller that doesn’t just rattle your nerves – it sears into your chest and lingers there. It’s heavy, unflinching, and unforgettable. If you loved Mad Honey (it’s set for re-release **hint, she is turning it into a whole series**jumps for joy – you can find the original Mad Honey here), brace yourself – this one cuts even deeper. But please, read the trigger warnings first, check her website if you need details, and take care of yourself – because Annalise VanGallows doesn’t write for comfort, she writes for catharsis.
Trip and Fall releases March 1, 2026, and it’s one that will stay with you long after the final page stops turning.
I would like to thank Annalise VanGallows for the opportunity to Alpha/Beta/ARC for Trip and Fall. As always, all opinions and reviews are of my own volition. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future, by the author or the publisher for a fair and honest review.
Odessa’s story is not one told in soft tones or safe spaces. Raised in a home where instability was the only constant, she learns early how to navigate chaos. Enter Sterling – man who brings her the kind of precision and order she’s never known. At first, it feels like safety. But when patterns shift, and the man she thought she knew begins to unravel, Odessa’s foundation cracks. What follows is a slow, disturbing descent into a truth so twisted it makes you question every memory, every conversation, every smile. VanGallows doesn’t hand you breadcrumbs – she throws you into the maze blindfolded and makes you find your own way out.
It’s impossible to talk about VanGallows’s characters without feeling like you know them. They’re not just names on a page – they’re living, breathing people who bleed authenticity. Odessa’s fragility and stubborn strength feel like reflections of the reader, and Sterling… well, let’s just say he’s the kind of character who leaves fingerprints on your thoughts. Every one of Annalise’s stories pulses with emotional realism, but Trip and Fall digs deeper. Each flawed, scarred person is written with precision, forcing you to see their humanity even as their choices make your stomach churn. VanGallows writes emotion like it is muscle memory – instinctive, raw, unforgettable.
The atmosphere is thick and unsettling, the pacing deliberate but never sluggish – a heartbeat that builds, breaks, and rebuilds with terrifying rhythm. The story moves between timelines, threading past and present until they fuse into a single moment of reckoning. And just when you think you’ve figured it out, VanGallows yanks the floor out from under you. The transitions are smooth, but the tension never eases; you live inside Odessa’s disorientation right alongside her. The writing is cinematic yet claustrophobic, each scene lit just enough to see what’s coming before the lights go out again.
Trip and Fall is the kind of dark psychological thriller that doesn’t just rattle your nerves – it sears into your chest and lingers there. It’s heavy, unflinching, and unforgettable. If you loved Mad Honey (it’s set for re-release **hint, she is turning it into a whole series**jumps for joy – you can find the original Mad Honey here), brace yourself – this one cuts even deeper. But please, read the trigger warnings first, check her website if you need details, and take care of yourself – because Annalise VanGallows doesn’t write for comfort, she writes for catharsis.
Trip and Fall releases March 1, 2026, and it’s one that will stay with you long after the final page stops turning.
I would like to thank Annalise VanGallows for the opportunity to Alpha/Beta/ARC for Trip and Fall. As always, all opinions and reviews are of my own volition. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future, by the author or the publisher for a fair and honest review.
Some stories grab you by the collar and drag you into the dark whether you’re ready or not – Trip and Fall does exactly that. When this book landed in my mailbox, I didn’t know I was about to tumble headfirst into one of Annalise VanGallows’s most haunting and emotionally charged worlds yet. This isn’t just a story you read – it’s one you survive. I wanted to crawl into the pages, pull her out, hug her, and tell her I was both wrecked and amazed by what she’d done.
Odessa’s story is not one told in soft tones or safe spaces. Raised in a home where instability was the only constant, she learns early how to navigate chaos. Enter Sterling – man who brings her the kind of precision and order she’s never known. At first, it feels like safety. But when patterns shift, and the man she thought she knew begins to unravel, Odessa’s foundation cracks. What follows is a slow, disturbing descent into a truth so twisted it makes you question every memory, every conversation, every smile. VanGallows doesn’t hand you breadcrumbs – she throws you into the maze blindfolded and makes you find your own way out.
It’s impossible to talk about VanGallows’s characters without feeling like you know them. They’re not just names on a page – they’re living, breathing people who bleed authenticity. Odessa’s fragility and stubborn strength feel like reflections of the reader, and Sterling… well, let’s just say he’s the kind of character who leaves fingerprints on your thoughts. Every one of Annalise’s stories pulses with emotional realism, but Trip and Fall digs deeper. Each flawed, scarred person is written with precision, forcing you to see their humanity even as their choices make your stomach churn. VanGallows writes emotion like it is muscle memory – instinctive, raw, unforgettable.
The atmosphere is thick and unsettling, the pacing deliberate but never sluggish – a heartbeat that builds, breaks, and rebuilds with terrifying rhythm. The story moves between timelines, threading past and present until they fuse into a single moment of reckoning. And just when you think you’ve figured it out, VanGallows yanks the floor out from under you. The transitions are smooth, but the tension never eases; you live inside Odessa’s disorientation right alongside her. The writing is cinematic yet claustrophobic, each scene lit just enough to see what’s coming before the lights go out again.
Trip and Fall is the kind of dark psychological thriller that doesn’t just rattle your nerves – it sears into your chest and lingers there. It’s heavy, unflinching, and unforgettable. If you loved Mad Honey (it’s set for re-release **hint, she is turning it into a whole series**jumps for joy – you can find the original Mad Honey here), brace yourself – this one cuts even deeper. But please, read the trigger warnings first, check her website if you need details, and take care of yourself – because Annalise VanGallows doesn’t write for comfort, she writes for catharsis.
Trip and Fall releases March 1, 2026, and it’s one that will stay with you long after the final page stops turning.
I would like to thank Annalise VanGallows for the opportunity to Alpha/Beta/ARC for Trip and Fall. As always, all opinions and reviews are of my own volition. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future, by the author or the publisher for a fair and honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Though this took me a few days to really get into I was absolutely blown away by how each twist made me question everything! I was 75% of the way through the book before I was decently sure who the big bad was and even then I felt like it could have gone a different way. Reading this really makes you think about how just falling into the motions and surviving is not the same as living and enjoying life.
The characters are very well written, Odessa and Troy are very relatable. She has normal fears and reactions, nothing feels overdramatic or as though she wasn't reacting enough. Troy feels like a man who has waited almost too long to get the girl. Sterling is also written well, you can feel the tension in his character.
Truly I feel as though if I were to go back and reread this next week I would find some new detail that I missed or some clue that was just subtle enough. This was an overall amazing read that kept me guessing until almost the last page!
The characters are very well written, Odessa and Troy are very relatable. She has normal fears and reactions, nothing feels overdramatic or as though she wasn't reacting enough. Troy feels like a man who has waited almost too long to get the girl. Sterling is also written well, you can feel the tension in his character.
Truly I feel as though if I were to go back and reread this next week I would find some new detail that I missed or some clue that was just subtle enough. This was an overall amazing read that kept me guessing until almost the last page!
March 9, 2026
Just wow. This book is unlike anything I have read. It is written in third person and is really good. Please be sure to read the triggers and be mindful of what you can handle.
Odessa meets Sterling and is drawn to him but after a few years of marriage things do not seem so right with him. There are blank spots that she can't seem to place what happened and he is cold and controlling.
As a middle school teacher, she meets Troy who has some animals he is showing to her school. When he sees Odessa, he is intrigued and just wants to talk to her. He is charming and so attentive to her.
There is a few years if the two of them texting and meeting and Odessa doesn't know what to do because of her marriage. But there are too many things that don't add up with strange men that act like they know her and a surprise that just doesn't add up with the timing.
This book will grip you and you will want to know what happens next. Bronte is such a great dog, love her and Cecily is that friend you just want in your life. Great book!
Odessa meets Sterling and is drawn to him but after a few years of marriage things do not seem so right with him. There are blank spots that she can't seem to place what happened and he is cold and controlling.
As a middle school teacher, she meets Troy who has some animals he is showing to her school. When he sees Odessa, he is intrigued and just wants to talk to her. He is charming and so attentive to her.
There is a few years if the two of them texting and meeting and Odessa doesn't know what to do because of her marriage. But there are too many things that don't add up with strange men that act like they know her and a surprise that just doesn't add up with the timing.
This book will grip you and you will want to know what happens next. Bronte is such a great dog, love her and Cecily is that friend you just want in your life. Great book!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Things I liked about this book:
-FMC who eventually chooses herself.
-HEA
-Bronte the dog (the real hero of this story)
Things I disliked about the book, that I just couldn't look past:
-FMC took way too long to realize what was going on. It made it difficult for me to like her and find her relateable.
-Book needs a lot of editing (from spelling errors to missing punctuation to repeated sentences/words and everything in between)
-Predictable twists.
If my dislikes don't tend to bother you and you enjoy psychological thriller, you will likely enjoy this book!
-FMC who eventually chooses herself.
-HEA
-Bronte the dog (the real hero of this story)
Things I disliked about the book, that I just couldn't look past:
-FMC took way too long to realize what was going on. It made it difficult for me to like her and find her relateable.
-Book needs a lot of editing (from spelling errors to missing punctuation to repeated sentences/words and everything in between)
-Predictable twists.
If my dislikes don't tend to bother you and you enjoy psychological thriller, you will likely enjoy this book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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February 27, 2026I received this as an arc and i've read quite a few books from this author as one and I have never been disappointed
I'm not usually mood reader, but for some reason.Lately, I have been so I kind of been putting off this book.Not really wanting to read it, I'd almost decided not to read it as an arc, and then I decided to go ahead.And try it and I am so happy.I did.I finished it all in one setting.I absolutely loved it
This author always delivers on the thriller and the mystery.Aspect of it, I love that they named a couple of thier other books in this one that I had also already read
I knew from the beginning that I did not care for Sterling, and it just got worse and worse and worse. The more it meant, although I wasn't expecting him to be that terrible. But I am very happy with the ending of the book
If you enjoy psychological thrillers questioning what's gonna happen in the book or where the storyline is going.This is the book and the author for you
I'm not usually mood reader, but for some reason.Lately, I have been so I kind of been putting off this book.Not really wanting to read it, I'd almost decided not to read it as an arc, and then I decided to go ahead.And try it and I am so happy.I did.I finished it all in one setting.I absolutely loved it
This author always delivers on the thriller and the mystery.Aspect of it, I love that they named a couple of thier other books in this one that I had also already read
I knew from the beginning that I did not care for Sterling, and it just got worse and worse and worse. The more it meant, although I wasn't expecting him to be that terrible. But I am very happy with the ending of the book
If you enjoy psychological thrillers questioning what's gonna happen in the book or where the storyline is going.This is the book and the author for you
March 6, 2026
I enjoyed this book it had many unforseen twist that took me on a dark ride that I was not expecting.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I recieved this as an ARC book and this is my honest opinion after finishing Trip & Fall
Overall I really liked this book, the premise was very interesting and the way the story unfolded, especially later in the book felt incredibly well thought out. I reached a point reading this where it was hard to put it down. I was so worried about Bronte who is the goodest girl ever, she is the best character and even has her own POV chapter which was such a great addition.
Early on in the book some of the character introduction feels forced and random, although it does become more clear later on in the book. This makes some of the earlier chapters hard to engage in because it feels like "why should I even care about this person".
I do hope some of the confusing and contradictory grammar is addressed, there are times where the tense changes mid sentence, parts of sentences are repeated, or words just feel like the wrong words for the sentence or message. These things did take away from the flow and the immersion at times and is a big part of why I was stuck between 3 and 4 stars.
Overall I really liked this book, the premise was very interesting and the way the story unfolded, especially later in the book felt incredibly well thought out. I reached a point reading this where it was hard to put it down. I was so worried about Bronte who is the goodest girl ever, she is the best character and even has her own POV chapter which was such a great addition.
Early on in the book some of the character introduction feels forced and random, although it does become more clear later on in the book. This makes some of the earlier chapters hard to engage in because it feels like "why should I even care about this person".
I do hope some of the confusing and contradictory grammar is addressed, there are times where the tense changes mid sentence, parts of sentences are repeated, or words just feel like the wrong words for the sentence or message. These things did take away from the flow and the immersion at times and is a big part of why I was stuck between 3 and 4 stars.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an advance review copy of this book, and I’m grateful I did.
This isn’t normally the genre I gravitate toward, I tend to live in sci-fi worlds and technical manuals, but this book completely pulled me in.
What stands out most is the psychological depth. The tension isn’t loud or flashy; it’s layered, deliberate, and quietly unsettling in all the right ways. There were moments that genuinely made me pause and think, not because of shock value, but because of how real and human everything felt.
The author has a strong grasp of emotional nuance. The characters aren’t just moving through a plot, they’re navigating internal battles that feel authentic and thoughtfully crafted. It’s the kind of story that lingers after you close the final page.
If you enjoy psychological complexity, slow-burn tension, and stories that trust the reader to pay attention, this is absolutely worth your time.
This isn’t normally the genre I gravitate toward, I tend to live in sci-fi worlds and technical manuals, but this book completely pulled me in.
What stands out most is the psychological depth. The tension isn’t loud or flashy; it’s layered, deliberate, and quietly unsettling in all the right ways. There were moments that genuinely made me pause and think, not because of shock value, but because of how real and human everything felt.
The author has a strong grasp of emotional nuance. The characters aren’t just moving through a plot, they’re navigating internal battles that feel authentic and thoughtfully crafted. It’s the kind of story that lingers after you close the final page.
If you enjoy psychological complexity, slow-burn tension, and stories that trust the reader to pay attention, this is absolutely worth your time.
February 22, 2026
Received this as a Arc copy-
I was excited about this book but it left me wanting more- and not in a good way.
I feel like I was sold on her not remembering her vacation - and feel like this got totally sidelined for many chapters about an affair. The twist wasn’t shocking to me. I didn’t really love this, it fell flat for me.
I was excited about this book but it left me wanting more- and not in a good way.
I feel like I was sold on her not remembering her vacation - and feel like this got totally sidelined for many chapters about an affair. The twist wasn’t shocking to me. I didn’t really love this, it fell flat for me.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews