Love Fail Repeat : Part I - Not Safe

by Alice Bohane

163 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 9, 2026

Reviews

[Terry Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this via an ARC from the author, for Rosie Amber's Book Review Team. The fact that it was free has not affected this honest review

What an excellent piece of writing this is - I was engrossed throughout. It concerns Genna and her husband Melchior, and their five month old baby, Jim. It begins with a tragic scene that doesn't immediately connect to the rest of the story. I love a prologue/first chapter that's a snapshot of an event in past or one to come; done well, it means that the reader will keep turning the pages, eager to find out more, and this was executed very well indeed.

We realise early on that Genna is deeply affected by something in her past, to the extent that many of her security habits verge on OCD, but she's aware of her idiosyncrasies, and tries to keep a hold of herself. Her fear and anxiety is so very cleverly drawn. Intricate domestic details run through the whole book, but it's never boring, because the undercurrent of fear and possible danger is forever present. And just when you think she's imagining it...

Events take a turn for the worrying around halfway through, and it's real edge-of-your-seat stuff. Gripping. By the time the story was nearing its close, I suspected everyone of everything.

This is not a long book, it's either a long novella or a short novel, but it works perfectly for the length. It's part one of a continuing story that will be told in three books, and as such it does not wrap up neatly at the end. Suffice to say I'll be first in the queue for Book 2.

A great read, I highly recommend.

[Trust No Chapter · Rating 4 out of 5]

So yes I did finish this in less than a day.

I've just finished an ARC I received from Alice Bohane, it's part 1 of a 3 part series of a psychological domestic thriller.

So this book is written a little differently to what I am used to reading. It's fast, quick dialogue, almost poetic in a sense, there isn't TOO deep of character exploration... But at the same time you can't stop thinking about what the heck is going on with the characters we meet. Just when you think you know what's happening, you learn you're actually wrong. It's actually quite abit of a mind f***!

The way I imagined this book being read - was like how the people talk in the movie "the strangers"
I literally felt that vibe the entire time - extremely unsettling and I will definitely be reading the rest as I already have a theory 🤣

Thankyou to Alice Bohane for the ARC and I look forward to part 2!

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story here is good, as far as it goes. This book is the first of a planned three book series. This first installment builds the suspense, ultimately leading us to know, or at least think we know, whether there is a potential threat and even where that threat is coming from. And then it leaves us hanging with no real resolution.
This first installment of the three book series is short enough that if the other two books are roughly the same size then combining it into a single book would have resulted in a book that is well within a reasonable length for a single novel. Based on how this book leaves the reader hanging, I wonder why the author didn’t do that. I’m glad I read this first part, but also wish I had the other two parts available to see how this ends.


**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **