The Cost of What I Wasn't

by Heather Terrill Stotts

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 27, 2026

Reviews

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m incredibly proud of my friend for writing and publishing this novel. The Cost of What I Wasn’t was full of suspense, tension, and twists that kept me guessing and wondering what was going to happen next. Knowing Heather personally and seeing how she included pieces of her own life and her background in education made the book even more special to me. She created a story that kept me turning the pages and made me think. What an incredible accomplishment, Heather, you should be so proud!

[Erica Serstad · Rating 5 out of 5]

When your friend and colleague writes a book and you get to be the first Goodreads review 🙌🏻🙌🏻

This book explores what happens when systems that are designed to provide comfort and care instead start to crave control. Heather did a great job using the prose of the book to convey the not only the grief that Neve was feeling, but also the calm and controlled system response. I absolutely loved the ending; it gave me chills! Knowing the author personally, I loved the ways her humor came through, like saying a sweater made Indigo look like a depressed lighthouse keeper.

[Mark J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cost of What I Wasn’t kept me in suspense from beginning to end. The story had me constantly wondering what was coming next, and, as it turned out, some real-life circumstances made the experience even more chilling. While I was reading the book, I had an actual security issue involving my work computer. The timing was almost too perfect, and it made some of the book’s themes feel a little too close to home.

As someone who has written and published a novel, I also have a tremendous appreciation for what it takes to go from an idea to a finished, published book. And for a first novel, Heather Terrill Stotts has created a story that is genuinely suspenseful, engaging, and hard to put down. She should be very proud of what she accomplished with her debut.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author used amazing descriptive language to make you feel like you are a part of the story. This book brought forth so many feelings and thoughts… intrigue, confusion, grief, hope, paranoia, persistence.

The characters take you on the world’s craziest treasure hunt, similar to a very challenging escape room, not knowing what you’re looking for. Everything is a clue. It keeps you speculating until the end!

[Big Valley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This profound and poetic meditation on grief, reluctant empowerment, artistic persistence, and corporate malfeasance is also a first class thriller. The suspense and anticipation builds from the very first page and culminates in a triumph of sorts, which is what victory looks like in our fragmented world. An excellent debut novel that begs for more from this author.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My friend wrote this book. I still can't believe it. I cannot imagine writing a whole book. And she edited and re-edited multiple times. I was truthful with her in the draft I read. I didn't get it. But I am often the person who would search for a camera in an escape room and beg for help. I got it this time around. And it was satisfying. I am so, so proud of her.