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Kill the Thing You Love: A Novel
Not yet published
Expected 19 Jan 27In this twisty psychological thriller, a family man’s perfect life splinters into obsession, delusion, and dangerous secrets after the reappearance of his first love—who died eighteen years ago.
Hospital exec Ethan Bell has it a loving wife, two children, a promising career, and a comfortable home in the Seattle suburbs far removed from the darkness of his past.
Until he sees her.
Fawn Blom, Ethan’s high school sweetheart and first love. The girl who’s haunted him since that fatal accident almost twenty years ago. She’s here, at his favorite coffee shop—definitely not dead. And suddenly, his carefully constructed world doesn’t seem so perfect.
Consumed with the promise of a second chance, Ethan’s obsession with Fawn grows, deepening with each lie he tells, every erratic behavior he can’t explain away. But his former psychiatrist isn’t convinced Fawn is real.
As Ethan struggles to reconcile his long-held grief, the fabric of his reality slowly unravels. And if it turns out Fawn isn’t actually there, everything he’s built—everything he’s hoped for—could disappear for good.
Hospital exec Ethan Bell has it a loving wife, two children, a promising career, and a comfortable home in the Seattle suburbs far removed from the darkness of his past.
Until he sees her.
Fawn Blom, Ethan’s high school sweetheart and first love. The girl who’s haunted him since that fatal accident almost twenty years ago. She’s here, at his favorite coffee shop—definitely not dead. And suddenly, his carefully constructed world doesn’t seem so perfect.
Consumed with the promise of a second chance, Ethan’s obsession with Fawn grows, deepening with each lie he tells, every erratic behavior he can’t explain away. But his former psychiatrist isn’t convinced Fawn is real.
As Ethan struggles to reconcile his long-held grief, the fabric of his reality slowly unravels. And if it turns out Fawn isn’t actually there, everything he’s built—everything he’s hoped for—could disappear for good.
- GenresThriller
336 pages, Paperback
Expected publication January 19, 2027
About the author
M.R. Collings
1 book10 followersM. R. Collings is an award-winning author and former spine surgery physician associate who traded the operating room for the page. Drawing on her medical background and fascination with human behavior, she writes psychologically layered stories that explore the tension between love and obsession, identity and illusion, truth and perception.
As Melissa R. Collings, she also writes humorous, heartwarming romantic stories about the messy, beautiful ways we love and grow.
When she’s not writing or plotting, she’s having deep, thought-provoking conversations with her husband and two children in Nashville, studying preventative health, or losing herself in a painting. Her imagination never fails to get her into trouble, and she lives by the philosophy: nothing is impossible, even when the darkness says otherwise.
Subscribe to her newsletter for behind-the-scenes bookish fun, medical moments, and reader extras, or connect with her on Facebook (@MelissaRCollingsAuthor), Instagram (@melissarcollings), and TikTok (@melissarcollings).
As Melissa R. Collings, she also writes humorous, heartwarming romantic stories about the messy, beautiful ways we love and grow.
When she’s not writing or plotting, she’s having deep, thought-provoking conversations with her husband and two children in Nashville, studying preventative health, or losing herself in a painting. Her imagination never fails to get her into trouble, and she lives by the philosophy: nothing is impossible, even when the darkness says otherwise.
Subscribe to her newsletter for behind-the-scenes bookish fun, medical moments, and reader extras, or connect with her on Facebook (@MelissaRCollingsAuthor), Instagram (@melissarcollings), and TikTok (@melissarcollings).
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June 23, 2026A review from the author:
This book started with a question: What happens when the thing consuming you begins to feel more real than anything else?
Fear. Grief. Love. Guilt. Longing. Obsession.
We talk about these things like they’re feelings, but sometimes they become something bigger. Sometimes they take over the room. Sometimes they whisper in your ear, steer your choices, and convince you they’re telling the truth.
This book is for anyone who has ever watched emotion distort reality.
For anyone who has loved someone they couldn’t save.
For anyone who has looked back and wondered what, if anything, could have gone differently.
Kill the Thing You Love contains rabbits, questionable psychiatric ethics, dangerous old loves, complicated marriages, bad decisions, worse coping mechanisms, and people trying very hard to survive themselves.
It is deeply personal to me and is dedicated to my sister, Michelle, whose life and struggles planted the earliest seed of this book. Some stories come from imagination, and some come from the tender, terrible places we carry forever.
At its heart, this is a book about the mind. The lies it tells. The monsters it makes. The way love can turn into possession, and fear can start to feel like wisdom.
Proceed accordingly.
Ethan, Faith, Finn, Gillian, and, of course, Sigmund await you.
Much sanity,
M. R.
This book started with a question: What happens when the thing consuming you begins to feel more real than anything else?
Fear. Grief. Love. Guilt. Longing. Obsession.
We talk about these things like they’re feelings, but sometimes they become something bigger. Sometimes they take over the room. Sometimes they whisper in your ear, steer your choices, and convince you they’re telling the truth.
This book is for anyone who has ever watched emotion distort reality.
For anyone who has loved someone they couldn’t save.
For anyone who has looked back and wondered what, if anything, could have gone differently.
Kill the Thing You Love contains rabbits, questionable psychiatric ethics, dangerous old loves, complicated marriages, bad decisions, worse coping mechanisms, and people trying very hard to survive themselves.
It is deeply personal to me and is dedicated to my sister, Michelle, whose life and struggles planted the earliest seed of this book. Some stories come from imagination, and some come from the tender, terrible places we carry forever.
At its heart, this is a book about the mind. The lies it tells. The monsters it makes. The way love can turn into possession, and fear can start to feel like wisdom.
Proceed accordingly.
Ethan, Faith, Finn, Gillian, and, of course, Sigmund await you.
Much sanity,
M. R.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Kill the Thing You Love completely pulled me in from the very first chapter. It had me questioning everything, and I honestly never knew what to believe. If you love psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators that keep you guessing until the very end, this one absolutely delivers.
The premise hooked me immediately. Ethan, a successful husband and father, suddenly sees his first love at a coffee shop…except she’s been dead for nearly twenty years. From that moment on, I couldn’t stop reading. I kept going back and forth between wondering if there was some huge conspiracy happening or if Ethan was completely losing his grip on reality.
One of my favorite things about this book was how well M.R. Collings handled the unreliable narrator. I felt just as confused and unsettled as Ethan did. Every time I thought I had things figured out, something would happen that made me question everything all over again. That’s exactly what I want from a psychological thriller.
I also really enjoyed the multiple points of view and dual timeline. Sometimes books with different perspectives can lose my attention, but this one never did. Each chapter added another piece of the puzzle, and slowly seeing both Ethan’s present life and his past unfold made the suspense even stronger.
The atmosphere was another standout for me. You could really feel Ethan’s obsession taking over every part of his life, and watching his world slowly unravel made the story feel tense, unsettling, and impossible to put down.
If I had one tiny criticism, it’s that the middle slowed down just a little while Ethan became more consumed by his obsession. But honestly, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment because the suspense kept building, and once the story picked back up, I flew through the rest of the book.
Overall, I absolutely loved this one. It was clever, twisty, suspenseful, and had me turning pages way later than I should have. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers, unreliable narrators, buried secrets, and stories that constantly make you question what’s real, I definitely recommend adding Kill the Thing You Love to your TBR. This is an easy 5-star read for me.
The premise hooked me immediately. Ethan, a successful husband and father, suddenly sees his first love at a coffee shop…except she’s been dead for nearly twenty years. From that moment on, I couldn’t stop reading. I kept going back and forth between wondering if there was some huge conspiracy happening or if Ethan was completely losing his grip on reality.
One of my favorite things about this book was how well M.R. Collings handled the unreliable narrator. I felt just as confused and unsettled as Ethan did. Every time I thought I had things figured out, something would happen that made me question everything all over again. That’s exactly what I want from a psychological thriller.
I also really enjoyed the multiple points of view and dual timeline. Sometimes books with different perspectives can lose my attention, but this one never did. Each chapter added another piece of the puzzle, and slowly seeing both Ethan’s present life and his past unfold made the suspense even stronger.
The atmosphere was another standout for me. You could really feel Ethan’s obsession taking over every part of his life, and watching his world slowly unravel made the story feel tense, unsettling, and impossible to put down.
If I had one tiny criticism, it’s that the middle slowed down just a little while Ethan became more consumed by his obsession. But honestly, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment because the suspense kept building, and once the story picked back up, I flew through the rest of the book.
Overall, I absolutely loved this one. It was clever, twisty, suspenseful, and had me turning pages way later than I should have. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers, unreliable narrators, buried secrets, and stories that constantly make you question what’s real, I definitely recommend adding Kill the Thing You Love to your TBR. This is an easy 5-star read for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A brilliantly disorienting, claustrophobic ride. A solid 4 stars!
As a massive psychological thriller reader, I am always on the hunt for a book that can genuinely make me question the narrator’s sanity without losing the plot completely. Kill the Thing You Love delivered exactly that.
The premise hooked me immediately: Ethan, a successful family man, spots his first love at a coffee shop—the exact same girl who supposedly died in a tragic accident eighteen years ago. What follows is a slow-burn descent into obsession and total paranoia.
What I absolutely loved:
The unreliable narrator execution: M.R. Collings does a fantastic job of making you feel just as unhinged as Ethan. When his former psychiatrist steps in and questions whether Fawn is even real, the tension skyrockets. You are constantly pivoting between "is this a massive, elaborate conspiracy?" and "has Ethan entirely lost his mind?"
The structural pacing: The story is told through multiple POVs and a dual timeline. Usually, shifting perspectives can slow down a thriller, but here, seeing the cracks form in Ethan’s perfect suburban life from the outside added a brilliant layer of dread. The past timeline filled in just enough gaps to keep me guessing about what really happened twenty years ago.
The claustrophobic atmosphere: It perfectly captures how a single obsession can completely unravel a person's career, marriage, and reality brick by brick.
My only real gripe:
While the build-up was incredibly suspenseful, the middle portion dragged just a touch as Ethan spun his wheels in the obsession phase. I wanted the pace to keep the breathless momentum of the opening chapters, but it did slow down slightly before ramping back up for the finale.
That minor pacing issue aside, this is a clever, twisty, and highly addictive psychological thriller that kept me turning the pages late into the night. If you love stories about buried secrets and unreliable minds, definitely add this to your TBR list.
As a massive psychological thriller reader, I am always on the hunt for a book that can genuinely make me question the narrator’s sanity without losing the plot completely. Kill the Thing You Love delivered exactly that.
The premise hooked me immediately: Ethan, a successful family man, spots his first love at a coffee shop—the exact same girl who supposedly died in a tragic accident eighteen years ago. What follows is a slow-burn descent into obsession and total paranoia.
What I absolutely loved:
The unreliable narrator execution: M.R. Collings does a fantastic job of making you feel just as unhinged as Ethan. When his former psychiatrist steps in and questions whether Fawn is even real, the tension skyrockets. You are constantly pivoting between "is this a massive, elaborate conspiracy?" and "has Ethan entirely lost his mind?"
The structural pacing: The story is told through multiple POVs and a dual timeline. Usually, shifting perspectives can slow down a thriller, but here, seeing the cracks form in Ethan’s perfect suburban life from the outside added a brilliant layer of dread. The past timeline filled in just enough gaps to keep me guessing about what really happened twenty years ago.
The claustrophobic atmosphere: It perfectly captures how a single obsession can completely unravel a person's career, marriage, and reality brick by brick.
My only real gripe:
While the build-up was incredibly suspenseful, the middle portion dragged just a touch as Ethan spun his wheels in the obsession phase. I wanted the pace to keep the breathless momentum of the opening chapters, but it did slow down slightly before ramping back up for the finale.
That minor pacing issue aside, this is a clever, twisty, and highly addictive psychological thriller that kept me turning the pages late into the night. If you love stories about buried secrets and unreliable minds, definitely add this to your TBR list.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⤷ 3/5 stars ── .✦
it's raining cheaters.
this was a pretty solid read. i enjoyed the author's writing style, it's right up my alley. the alternating character POVs kept the book fun instead of letting it drag on. however, the switch between past and present often felt like whiplash, and the transition was rather clunky.
going into the characters, i rather liked dr. rein. he was a bad man who did bad things but i was able to sympathize with him. this might be an unpopular opinion, but there's nothing more romantic than a man who's willing to go... the extra mile for his (ungrateful) lover.
fawn/faith was an interesting character. did i like her? not in the least. but i liked what she brought to the story.
ethan was pathetic. he was constantly making excuses for himself. "yes, i cheated on my wife, but you have to understand it was because of this and this and this..." and so on and so forth. i disliked it immensely. many attempts were made to justify his behavior, and all of them fell flat so spectacularly. i hated his character, and i believe that he got away with everything far too easily. he deserved a worse punishment than the slap on the wrist he got. selfish, insecure, and extremely stupid, there is not a single redeeming quality about this man. no amount of character development will change that.
gillian. get up. you can't be serious.
only the final plot twist left me pleasantly surprised. as for the others, it was rather easy to see them coming from a mile away. i also think that using the same plot device for both dr. rein and ethan was an extremely lazy move. surely, the author could have come up with something better than that.
shoutout to sigmund though. mvp of the book.
it's raining cheaters.
this was a pretty solid read. i enjoyed the author's writing style, it's right up my alley. the alternating character POVs kept the book fun instead of letting it drag on. however, the switch between past and present often felt like whiplash, and the transition was rather clunky.
going into the characters, i rather liked dr. rein. he was a bad man who did bad things but i was able to sympathize with him. this might be an unpopular opinion, but there's nothing more romantic than a man who's willing to go... the extra mile for his (ungrateful) lover.
fawn/faith was an interesting character. did i like her? not in the least. but i liked what she brought to the story.
ethan was pathetic. he was constantly making excuses for himself. "yes, i cheated on my wife, but you have to understand it was because of this and this and this..." and so on and so forth. i disliked it immensely. many attempts were made to justify his behavior, and all of them fell flat so spectacularly. i hated his character, and i believe that he got away with everything far too easily. he deserved a worse punishment than the slap on the wrist he got. selfish, insecure, and extremely stupid, there is not a single redeeming quality about this man. no amount of character development will change that.
gillian. get up. you can't be serious.
only the final plot twist left me pleasantly surprised. as for the others, it was rather easy to see them coming from a mile away. i also think that using the same plot device for both dr. rein and ethan was an extremely lazy move. surely, the author could have come up with something better than that.
shoutout to sigmund though. mvp of the book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
"There is no act so heinous that someone, given the right story, wouldn't find a way to justify it."
An intense page-turner gasp-inducing twisty thriller that I basically read in one night, because I couldn't put it down and I just had to know the outcome ASAP.
Thrillers are my favorite genre and I've read more than I care to count, so very little can surprise me at this point, but this was just... chef's kiss ! You can't see any plot twist coming because they're all mind blowing and insane and the characters are so wrapped up in their own narrative and delusions that you start to doubt and question everything along with them. Gillian was my favorite character, a down-to-earth no-nonsense woman whose only fault is loving Ethan to a fault. I definitely don't approve of her way of handling things in the end, but I can understand and respect her level of commitment.
I felt sorry for Finn, although he seemed like a bad guy and made some horrible things. I somehow had more empathy for him than for Ethan, who was just weak all-around.
The idea that trauma shapes the way we see the world and our inner demons can turn into a physical presence that we need to eliminate (metaphorically or not), sometimes repeatedly, in order to find peace, was a fascinating psychological idea and I almost wanted as much as Finn for his theory to prove correct.
The narrative felt just a bit rushed towards the end, lacking the abundance of details that the rest of the book had, but I enjoyed it very much and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants an awesome thriller with a hefty dose of psychology!
An intense page-turner gasp-inducing twisty thriller that I basically read in one night, because I couldn't put it down and I just had to know the outcome ASAP.
Thrillers are my favorite genre and I've read more than I care to count, so very little can surprise me at this point, but this was just... chef's kiss ! You can't see any plot twist coming because they're all mind blowing and insane and the characters are so wrapped up in their own narrative and delusions that you start to doubt and question everything along with them. Gillian was my favorite character, a down-to-earth no-nonsense woman whose only fault is loving Ethan to a fault. I definitely don't approve of her way of handling things in the end, but I can understand and respect her level of commitment.
I felt sorry for Finn, although he seemed like a bad guy and made some horrible things. I somehow had more empathy for him than for Ethan, who was just weak all-around.
The idea that trauma shapes the way we see the world and our inner demons can turn into a physical presence that we need to eliminate (metaphorically or not), sometimes repeatedly, in order to find peace, was a fascinating psychological idea and I almost wanted as much as Finn for his theory to prove correct.
The narrative felt just a bit rushed towards the end, lacking the abundance of details that the rest of the book had, but I enjoyed it very much and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants an awesome thriller with a hefty dose of psychology!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I'd say this is probably closer to a 3.5 for me, but with the lack of a half star option, 4 it is!
ARC (I think) Review: Kill The Thing You Love
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of Kill The Thing You Love immediately drew me in, and I was curious to see where the story would go. Overall, I found it to be an interesting and unique read .
One of the strongest aspects of the novel was the use of multiple POVs. I'm generally a fan of dual POV storytelling, and the author does a good job of giving Ethan, Finn, and Her distinct perspectives. There were moments where the narration seemed to shift between first and third person, which occasionally caught me off guard, but it didn't stop me from following the story.
A couple of stylistic choices didn't quite work for me. Early on, seeing the word "seggsy" was unexpected and pulled me out of the story a little, as it felt more like internet slang than something I'd expect to find in a novel. I also found myself confused by the occasional crossed-out words that appeared throughout the different POVs.
That said, the story itself kept me invested. There were several twists and reveals that helped maintain the suspense and kept me wanting to know what would happen next. The plot felt fresh and different.
And I have to give a special mention to Sigmund, who was absolutely the MVP of the book. Truly the standout character for me.
Also, Gillian? Girl, get it.
ARC (I think) Review: Kill The Thing You Love
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of Kill The Thing You Love immediately drew me in, and I was curious to see where the story would go. Overall, I found it to be an interesting and unique read .
One of the strongest aspects of the novel was the use of multiple POVs. I'm generally a fan of dual POV storytelling, and the author does a good job of giving Ethan, Finn, and Her distinct perspectives. There were moments where the narration seemed to shift between first and third person, which occasionally caught me off guard, but it didn't stop me from following the story.
A couple of stylistic choices didn't quite work for me. Early on, seeing the word "seggsy" was unexpected and pulled me out of the story a little, as it felt more like internet slang than something I'd expect to find in a novel. I also found myself confused by the occasional crossed-out words that appeared throughout the different POVs.
That said, the story itself kept me invested. There were several twists and reveals that helped maintain the suspense and kept me wanting to know what would happen next. The plot felt fresh and different.
And I have to give a special mention to Sigmund, who was absolutely the MVP of the book. Truly the standout character for me.
Also, Gillian? Girl, get it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Kill the Thing You Love is a clever, unsettling exploration of memory, obsession, and the lies we tell ourselves to survive.
Ethan Bell is such a compelling narrator—successful, settled, and outwardly content, yet carrying a grief that never quite let go. When Fawn, his first love who died nearly two decades ago, suddenly appears in front of him, the story shifts into a tense, spiralling descent that’s as fascinating as it is disturbing. Watching Ethan’s perfect life fracture piece by piece is both heartbreaking and impossible to look away from.
The author does a brilliant job blurring the line between reality and delusion. Every encounter with Fawn feels charged with uncertainty, and the creeping dread of not knowing what’s real kept me fully hooked. The tension builds quietly at first, then tightens until you’re racing through chapters, needing to know whether Ethan is being haunted—or unraveling.
It’s atmospheric, twisty, and emotionally sharp, with a final act that lands beautifully. A gripping psychological thriller that lingers long after you finish, perfect for readers who enjoy character‑driven suspense with a haunting edge.
With thanks to M R Collings, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
Ethan Bell is such a compelling narrator—successful, settled, and outwardly content, yet carrying a grief that never quite let go. When Fawn, his first love who died nearly two decades ago, suddenly appears in front of him, the story shifts into a tense, spiralling descent that’s as fascinating as it is disturbing. Watching Ethan’s perfect life fracture piece by piece is both heartbreaking and impossible to look away from.
The author does a brilliant job blurring the line between reality and delusion. Every encounter with Fawn feels charged with uncertainty, and the creeping dread of not knowing what’s real kept me fully hooked. The tension builds quietly at first, then tightens until you’re racing through chapters, needing to know whether Ethan is being haunted—or unraveling.
It’s atmospheric, twisty, and emotionally sharp, with a final act that lands beautifully. A gripping psychological thriller that lingers long after you finish, perfect for readers who enjoy character‑driven suspense with a haunting edge.
With thanks to M R Collings, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I couldn't put this one down.
Ethan is married with kids and a great job, content with his life, when his high school girlfriend and first love shows up. The problem is that she died in high school - or did she? What follows is told from three POVs as Ethan wrestles with his past and future life choices and seeks advice from his old psychiatrist, who is dealing with his own life stresses.
One of the things that makes this book so unique is that none of the characters are particularly likable, nor do they easily garner sympathy or empathy from the reader. This is an impressive feat on the part of the author. Most of why I couldn't put it down is because the story is one of those that feels like a train wreck you can't look away from (and I'm honestly a sucker for those stories). There were some solid twists I didn't see coming. I also personally enjoyed the psychology aspect of looking at the effects of trauma. The book gets 4 stars from me because I loved it but some of the characters' intensity felt a little forced off and on.
Overall a great time to read, would recommend especially if you like psychological thrillers and stories that feel like a train wreck you can't stop watching!
Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Thomas & Mercer for the advanced copy.
Ethan is married with kids and a great job, content with his life, when his high school girlfriend and first love shows up. The problem is that she died in high school - or did she? What follows is told from three POVs as Ethan wrestles with his past and future life choices and seeks advice from his old psychiatrist, who is dealing with his own life stresses.
One of the things that makes this book so unique is that none of the characters are particularly likable, nor do they easily garner sympathy or empathy from the reader. This is an impressive feat on the part of the author. Most of why I couldn't put it down is because the story is one of those that feels like a train wreck you can't look away from (and I'm honestly a sucker for those stories). There were some solid twists I didn't see coming. I also personally enjoyed the psychology aspect of looking at the effects of trauma. The book gets 4 stars from me because I loved it but some of the characters' intensity felt a little forced off and on.
Overall a great time to read, would recommend especially if you like psychological thrillers and stories that feel like a train wreck you can't stop watching!
Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Thomas & Mercer for the advanced copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book completely exceeded every expectation I had. From the very first chapters, I thought I had things figured out… and I couldn’t have been more wrong. Every time I settled on a theory, the story pulled the rug out from under me. I was still second-guessing everything right up until the final pages.
What I loved most was the pacing. It never let up. The tension kept building, the twists felt earned, and I found myself saying, “Just one more chapter,” until I realized I’d practically finished the book. It’s rare for me to reach the end of a novel and genuinely wish there were more pages left, but that’s exactly how I felt here.
This was an emotional, suspenseful, and wildly unpredictable ride that kept me completely invested from beginning to end. M. R. Collings has absolutely earned a spot on my list of must-read authors, and I’ll be picking up future releases without hesitation.
An easy five stars. I can’t wait for everyone else to experience this one, it’s a journey worth taking.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book completely exceeded every expectation I had. From the very first chapters, I thought I had things figured out… and I couldn’t have been more wrong. Every time I settled on a theory, the story pulled the rug out from under me. I was still second-guessing everything right up until the final pages.
What I loved most was the pacing. It never let up. The tension kept building, the twists felt earned, and I found myself saying, “Just one more chapter,” until I realized I’d practically finished the book. It’s rare for me to reach the end of a novel and genuinely wish there were more pages left, but that’s exactly how I felt here.
This was an emotional, suspenseful, and wildly unpredictable ride that kept me completely invested from beginning to end. M. R. Collings has absolutely earned a spot on my list of must-read authors, and I’ll be picking up future releases without hesitation.
An easy five stars. I can’t wait for everyone else to experience this one, it’s a journey worth taking.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
So I questioned reality for most of this story because it was just that twisted and disturbing. Kill The Thing You Love is about Ethan, whose family man life derails when his first love, who is supposed to be dead, resurfaces and tries to bring him back into a relationship with her. Ethan was committed to a psychiatric institution when Fawn died and has never really gotten over her loss, though he has spent the ensuing years grieving her. His wife, Gillian, helped him put the pieces back together and they have built a life for themselves and their children. There were so many times in this book that I asked myself what in the world is happening, but in such a good way. The line between fact and fiction is blurred constantly and it's hard to know who or what is real and what is a figment of people's imaginations. Once I hit about 2/3 of the way through the book I just could not put it down because I had to know how it all worked out. There were some fantastic twists that I absolutely did not see coming, though there was one thing at the end that I was pretty sure was going to happen. Overall, a fantastic and twisted and disturbing story.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Kill the Thing You Love is replete with everything you could want in a mystery/thriller. There are unreliable narrators with ambiguous intentions. The reader is challenged on how much they are willing to suspend disbelief.
The first few pages were propitious that the book was a page turner. When his dead first love reappears in his life, family man Ethan is reminded of the halcyon days of his teenage romance. He seeks the help of the psychiatrist who initially helped him through his grief. However, Ethan is confounded when presented with the idea that his returned love may not be real.
I thought I had the mystery solved, only to find that there was so much more to unpack. Upon finishing the story, I found that there were a few unanswered questions which I won’t list due to spoilers. Overall, a great mystery and a solid four stars.
Thanks to Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for the eARC.
The first few pages were propitious that the book was a page turner. When his dead first love reappears in his life, family man Ethan is reminded of the halcyon days of his teenage romance. He seeks the help of the psychiatrist who initially helped him through his grief. However, Ethan is confounded when presented with the idea that his returned love may not be real.
I thought I had the mystery solved, only to find that there was so much more to unpack. Upon finishing the story, I found that there were a few unanswered questions which I won’t list due to spoilers. Overall, a great mystery and a solid four stars.
Thanks to Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for the eARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
As a young teenager, Ethan fell in love with a classmate, Fawn. Her tragic death moves him in such a way that he is never the same. Not after marrying the woman who helped him through his grief, or his two children. When Fawn seemingly comes back from the dead, Ethan then has to choose just how much a love cut short is worth pursuing when he has already moved on. His psychiatrist, Finn, also has an interesting backstory that motivates him in his study just as much as longing moves Ethan.
This book had so many twists and turns. I appreciate that everything was wrapped up nicely at the end and the little hints all throughout the book. Overall, this book really made me think. I felt like it was a genuine journey into the what-ifs of life and Ethan felt real to me. I also thought that Dr. Finn's experiment and what led him to conduct it was thought provoking as well.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for providing this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book had so many twists and turns. I appreciate that everything was wrapped up nicely at the end and the little hints all throughout the book. Overall, this book really made me think. I felt like it was a genuine journey into the what-ifs of life and Ethan felt real to me. I also thought that Dr. Finn's experiment and what led him to conduct it was thought provoking as well.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for providing this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 24, 2026
Kill the Thing You Love is told through the point of view of three connected characters: Ethan, Finn, and Her, each exploring the past and what it means for their present.
The story is well-planned and felt intentional without being obvious. Collings feeds you pieces of information throughout the novel, dangling key details right in front of you without drawing your attention to them. As a result, when the importance of those details is revealed, I was surprised, but also thought “Why didn’t I catch that?”
Having said that, I don’t think I was ever invested. It was hard to cheer for characters that I didn’t find likeable or ethical, and the question I kept returning to was, “Are any of them sane?”
If you like a mystery where even the narrators are hiding something from you and you question what is real, Kill the Thing You Love is a good option.
Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The story is well-planned and felt intentional without being obvious. Collings feeds you pieces of information throughout the novel, dangling key details right in front of you without drawing your attention to them. As a result, when the importance of those details is revealed, I was surprised, but also thought “Why didn’t I catch that?”
Having said that, I don’t think I was ever invested. It was hard to cheer for characters that I didn’t find likeable or ethical, and the question I kept returning to was, “Are any of them sane?”
If you like a mystery where even the narrators are hiding something from you and you question what is real, Kill the Thing You Love is a good option.
Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 8, 2026
★★★★☆
Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and M.R. Collings for this Advanced Reader Copy.
I really enjoyed this one. It had the kind of psychological suspense that keeps you questioning everyone and second-guessing what’s actually going on. Every time I thought I had things figured out, the story made me rethink everything.
The atmosphere was tense, and I liked how the suspense built instead of relying on constant action. The characters were complicated and believable, which made it even easier to get pulled into the story. There were a few slower moments in the middle, but they helped build the tension, and the payoff at the end was worth it.
Overall, this was a really entertaining psychological suspense novel that kept me guessing until the end. It wasn’t quite a five-star read for me, but I’d definitely read more from M. R. Collings.
Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and M.R. Collings for this Advanced Reader Copy.
I really enjoyed this one. It had the kind of psychological suspense that keeps you questioning everyone and second-guessing what’s actually going on. Every time I thought I had things figured out, the story made me rethink everything.
The atmosphere was tense, and I liked how the suspense built instead of relying on constant action. The characters were complicated and believable, which made it even easier to get pulled into the story. There were a few slower moments in the middle, but they helped build the tension, and the payoff at the end was worth it.
Overall, this was a really entertaining psychological suspense novel that kept me guessing until the end. It wasn’t quite a five-star read for me, but I’d definitely read more from M. R. Collings.
July 22, 2026
Review from Advanced Copy received from NetGalley
4.75 ⭐️I love a thriller that keeps me from wanting to put a book down and this one I couldn’t stop reading. It had me guessing and confused (in a good way) all the way through. I would think I had it figured out and then I would start doubting myself. This is what makes for a great thriller. It had me hooked and intrigued from the very beginning.
Ethan, a successful husband and father sees his dead first love suddenly and his obsession with her became out of control.
Finn, the psychiatrist had me guessing what was going on with him the whole way through.
Fawn/Faith, the dead girlfriend and her manipulation was very convincing.
This was a great suspenseful story that I just could not put down. I would definitely recommend this book but be prepared for a wild ride.
4.75 ⭐️I love a thriller that keeps me from wanting to put a book down and this one I couldn’t stop reading. It had me guessing and confused (in a good way) all the way through. I would think I had it figured out and then I would start doubting myself. This is what makes for a great thriller. It had me hooked and intrigued from the very beginning.
Ethan, a successful husband and father sees his dead first love suddenly and his obsession with her became out of control.
Finn, the psychiatrist had me guessing what was going on with him the whole way through.
Fawn/Faith, the dead girlfriend and her manipulation was very convincing.
This was a great suspenseful story that I just could not put down. I would definitely recommend this book but be prepared for a wild ride.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First of all, a big thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Kill the Thing You Love is told through three different narrators across two timelines. The story gradually pieces itself together, and the shifting perspectives kept things interesting and fresh throughout. The unreliable narratives meant I was constantly questioning what was real and what wasn't, which added to the unsettling atmosphere.
One of the book's strengths is how it explores the power of the mind, particularly in the face of love and loss, and how easily perception can become distorted by grief, longing, and obsession. It's an intriguing psychological thread that runs throughout the novel without feeling overly heavy-handed.
Overall, it's a thoughtful psychological read with an intriguing structure and an effective sense of unease.
Kill the Thing You Love is told through three different narrators across two timelines. The story gradually pieces itself together, and the shifting perspectives kept things interesting and fresh throughout. The unreliable narratives meant I was constantly questioning what was real and what wasn't, which added to the unsettling atmosphere.
One of the book's strengths is how it explores the power of the mind, particularly in the face of love and loss, and how easily perception can become distorted by grief, longing, and obsession. It's an intriguing psychological thread that runs throughout the novel without feeling overly heavy-handed.
Overall, it's a thoughtful psychological read with an intriguing structure and an effective sense of unease.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the prepublication digital copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel, it had me hooked within the first few pages and that’s always a great sign. There are many times where one is unsure what is real and what is in the damaged minds of the main characters, there are very many plot twists and U-turns which kept me guessing and wanting to get through the story quickly to see how it ends. I worked out a couple of them and a couple of others not, which I enjoy in a thriller. I really disliked Ethan and his psychiatrist Finn, and Fawn/Faith is just creepy. The novel is quite fast paced and had me racing to the end, I recommend to others.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel, it had me hooked within the first few pages and that’s always a great sign. There are many times where one is unsure what is real and what is in the damaged minds of the main characters, there are very many plot twists and U-turns which kept me guessing and wanting to get through the story quickly to see how it ends. I worked out a couple of them and a couple of others not, which I enjoy in a thriller. I really disliked Ethan and his psychiatrist Finn, and Fawn/Faith is just creepy. The novel is quite fast paced and had me racing to the end, I recommend to others.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
ARC received through Netgalley.
This is a book that perfectly blurs the lines of reality and imagination. We spend time with the narratives of 3 characters, Ethan who has been struggling to recover after losing the love of his life as a child, Dr Rein who is running a psychiatry practice and juggling personal life and work ambition, and Her whose narrative gradually provides additional context throughout the story. I find it fascinating to learn the reasoning behind the advice given.
This was very much a gripping thriller and at no point did I see what was coming next. Throughout the whole book I was analysing the information given to work out who was going to do what and yet the twists still surprised me.
This is a book that perfectly blurs the lines of reality and imagination. We spend time with the narratives of 3 characters, Ethan who has been struggling to recover after losing the love of his life as a child, Dr Rein who is running a psychiatry practice and juggling personal life and work ambition, and Her whose narrative gradually provides additional context throughout the story. I find it fascinating to learn the reasoning behind the advice given.
This was very much a gripping thriller and at no point did I see what was coming next. Throughout the whole book I was analysing the information given to work out who was going to do what and yet the twists still surprised me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer, and the author, M.R. Collings for this ARC!
I LOVE this book -- it's a page-turner and read it whenever I could! It's one of those books that made me want to take a day off from work so I could finish it. I love this book because of the way it made me so angry at the characters -- the author has done a great job with making everyone just so unbelievably insane that I'd definitely slap them in the face if I could. At some point, you can kind of see where everything is going but the part that makes me turn the page is just how incredibly bewildering everything is from a third-person point of view. It's like watching an accident in slow motion -- you can't shield yourself from it even if you know what's going to happen.
There were a few things I did figure out about 30-50% in but the way my suspicions were confirmed were also written beautifully. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a great thriller to read.
I LOVE this book -- it's a page-turner and read it whenever I could! It's one of those books that made me want to take a day off from work so I could finish it. I love this book because of the way it made me so angry at the characters -- the author has done a great job with making everyone just so unbelievably insane that I'd definitely slap them in the face if I could. At some point, you can kind of see where everything is going but the part that makes me turn the page is just how incredibly bewildering everything is from a third-person point of view. It's like watching an accident in slow motion -- you can't shield yourself from it even if you know what's going to happen.
There were a few things I did figure out about 30-50% in but the way my suspicions were confirmed were also written beautifully. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a great thriller to read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Ethan Bell is living his best life. He has a wife and two kids that he loves and is successful in every way, that is, until he sees his high school sweetheart Fawn, who died 18 years ago. This is the moment Ethan's mind starts falling apart. How can Fawn be alive after all these years? Did she fake her death? With the help of a psychiatrist, Ethan has to decide if he wants to throw his current life away and be with Fawn, or continue to be with his wife and let Fawn go. Collings' writing is vivid, and the pacing is tight, with several surprising twists and an ending that made my heart pound. I was sad for this ride to come to an end, and I cannot wait until someone options it for a movie!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
i was genuinely impressed with the twists in the book, and did not see them coming. picking this up as someone who works in a hospital and tends to shy from books that are “medical” or “hospital” based. I don’t want to leave a spoilery, review but I was on the edge of my seat when I was reading to the point my friend asked me “are you okay?” because she saw my face. definitely worth a read, especially if you love psychological thrillers. it did not disappoint in the least with the twists and the reveals. again, i am doing my best not to give anything away but i kind of want to scream about it because it was that kind of a read.
July 25, 2026
This book has such great potential. I am a huge sucker for multiple povs. However I did notice that some of the chapters were in 3rd person vs their normal 1st person. It did throw me off a tad. I think the plot was phenomenal. I love a good question your sanity book! I look forward to more books like this from this author. Gillian’s character could use more umph. For her to be a supportive in the shadow housewife to murder for her husband is a huge jump. A few altercations with her husband or even a pop up chapter while Ethan is in his slump to give us a little more light of Gillian would be nice. Overall phenomenal job
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2026
** Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for this ARC. **
Kill the Thing You Love is a psychological ride that grapples with mental health, love, moral greyness, and obsession. I was pulled in right from the start because I love a good psychological thriller, and one of my favorite tropes is the unreliable narrator. I like to see if I can guess where the story is headed and this one really kept my brain busy. I was contstantly questioning what was even real.
I would recommend this if you like twisty turny suspense and questioning absolutely everything!
Kill the Thing You Love is a psychological ride that grapples with mental health, love, moral greyness, and obsession. I was pulled in right from the start because I love a good psychological thriller, and one of my favorite tropes is the unreliable narrator. I like to see if I can guess where the story is headed and this one really kept my brain busy. I was contstantly questioning what was even real.
I would recommend this if you like twisty turny suspense and questioning absolutely everything!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I love the cover of this book. I think the cover art is eye catching and definitely makes me want to pick it up.
This follows the POV of three of our main characters, I felt like the storylines got misconstrued at times. It wasn't a smooth transition. The characters weren't my favorite, I didn't like the female character at all.
This story just wasn't for me. But I do think there's an audience for it.
This follows the POV of three of our main characters, I felt like the storylines got misconstrued at times. It wasn't a smooth transition. The characters weren't my favorite, I didn't like the female character at all.
This story just wasn't for me. But I do think there's an audience for it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. ✨
This psychological thriller isn’t what i expected it to be, but I guess that’s my own fault. I started reading thrillers this year and love all the plot twists in them, but i had a hard time with the psychological side of the thriller. So maybe it just isn’t my genre.
Besides that, I thought the “plot twist” felt really flat. The characters felt a bit random and so did the switching POV’s. For me it was a bit hard to follow.
This psychological thriller isn’t what i expected it to be, but I guess that’s my own fault. I started reading thrillers this year and love all the plot twists in them, but i had a hard time with the psychological side of the thriller. So maybe it just isn’t my genre.
Besides that, I thought the “plot twist” felt really flat. The characters felt a bit random and so did the switching POV’s. For me it was a bit hard to follow.
Read
June 26, 2026K*** the Thing you Love by debut author M.R. Collings is a stand alone published by Thomas & Mercer.
A psychological thriller that packs a punch. Heartwrenching in the best way, a gripping suspenseful read, literally unputdownable.
I read the blurb and was intrigued. I started reading and soonI ouldn't put the book down anymore. A bingeread in the best way. recommend it, 5 stars.
A psychological thriller that packs a punch. Heartwrenching in the best way, a gripping suspenseful read, literally unputdownable.
I read the blurb and was intrigued. I started reading and soonI ouldn't put the book down anymore. A bingeread in the best way. recommend it, 5 stars.
July 3, 2026
If you’re looking for a story about obsession this is the one for you! When Ethan’s first love shows up many years after her supposed death he is floored and slightly infatuated. What could have been if they hadn’t been separated all of these years?
When I tell you things are not what they seem!! The ending kinda floored me. When you think you’ve got it figured it, think again!
When I tell you things are not what they seem!! The ending kinda floored me. When you think you’ve got it figured it, think again!
July 8, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview to this addicting mystery with love, grief, heart’s muscle memory, and idealization biases as key themes. A dopamine-oxytocin fix full of gripping twists, turns and truly welcome reality checks.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC of this novel to read and review.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked it yet I didn’t. Not sure how to describe my final feelings. I’m giving this 3 stars. There is an audience for this books. It just didn’t grab me like I hope a book will.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked it yet I didn’t. Not sure how to describe my final feelings. I’m giving this 3 stars. There is an audience for this books. It just didn’t grab me like I hope a book will.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book was enjoyable. I did like the characters and the story. It was predictable… the twist was something I figured out early on. I did know who- but I knew it wasn’t the black and white that was written. I did like the different point of views and how it all came together at the end.
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