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Every Step She Takes
A gripping new thriller by the author of the instant bestseller Wherever She Goes.
Sometimes there's no use running from your past. . . .
Genevieve has secrets that no one knows. In Rome she can be whoever she wants to be. Her neighbours aren't nosy; her Italian is passable; the shopkeepers and restaurant owners now see her as a local, and they let her be. It's exactly what she wants.
One morning, after getting groceries, she returns to her 500-year-old Trastevere apartment. She climbs to the very top of the staircase, the stairs narrowing the higher she goes. When she gets to her door, she puts down her bags and pushes the key into the lock . . .
. . . and the door swings open.
It's unlocked. Sometimes she doesn't lock it because break-ins aren't common in Rome. But Genevieve knows she locked the door behind her this morning. She has no doubt.
She should leave, call the police. What if someone is in her apartment, waiting for her? But she doesn't.
The apartment is empty, and exactly as she left it, perfectly tidy and not a thing out of place . . . except for the small box on her kitchen table. A box that definitely wasn't there this morning. A box postmarked from the US. A box that is addressed to "Lucy Callahan."
A name that she hasn't used in ten years.
Edge-of-your-seat riveting, K.L. Armstrong's new book will keep you turning the pages until the very end.
Sometimes there's no use running from your past. . . .
Genevieve has secrets that no one knows. In Rome she can be whoever she wants to be. Her neighbours aren't nosy; her Italian is passable; the shopkeepers and restaurant owners now see her as a local, and they let her be. It's exactly what she wants.
One morning, after getting groceries, she returns to her 500-year-old Trastevere apartment. She climbs to the very top of the staircase, the stairs narrowing the higher she goes. When she gets to her door, she puts down her bags and pushes the key into the lock . . .
. . . and the door swings open.
It's unlocked. Sometimes she doesn't lock it because break-ins aren't common in Rome. But Genevieve knows she locked the door behind her this morning. She has no doubt.
She should leave, call the police. What if someone is in her apartment, waiting for her? But she doesn't.
The apartment is empty, and exactly as she left it, perfectly tidy and not a thing out of place . . . except for the small box on her kitchen table. A box that definitely wasn't there this morning. A box postmarked from the US. A box that is addressed to "Lucy Callahan."
A name that she hasn't used in ten years.
Edge-of-your-seat riveting, K.L. Armstrong's new book will keep you turning the pages until the very end.
320 pages, Paperback
First published June 30, 2020
491 people are currently reading
2604 people want to read
About the author
K.L. Armstrong
7 books479 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Pen name of author Kelley Armstrong.
Pen name of author Kelley Armstrong.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 322 reviews
April 13, 2024
2.5🌟
I’m a big Kelley Armstrong fan. Love both her Rockton and Haven's Rock series.
After seeing this offering titled under a slightly different pen name, I was instantly intrigued. The cover art drew me in even further.
The premise sounded great:
Genevieve is busy putting the past behind her, after she became famous for all the wrong reasons. First start was changing her name. Basically, creating an entirely new life for herself in Italy.
But after someone from her past asks her to come home and set things straight, Genevieve agrees, but has no idea what’s waiting for her.
Unfortunately it just didn’t live up to her series reads.
Truth is, if I wasn’t such a fan of this author it would have been a DNF for me. The premise that originally captured my attention ended up being extremely weak.
Most of the story is primarily Genevieve just running amok, not trusting anyone. Her behavior actually became annoying. The wrap up was predictable and equally lacking.
So…I think I’m best off sticking to her series books going forward.
Others enjoyed this book a lot more than I did. So please take a look at all the positive reviews.
I listened to the audio and the narrator did a good job but not enough to save the read for me.
I’m a big Kelley Armstrong fan. Love both her Rockton and Haven's Rock series.
After seeing this offering titled under a slightly different pen name, I was instantly intrigued. The cover art drew me in even further.
The premise sounded great:
Genevieve is busy putting the past behind her, after she became famous for all the wrong reasons. First start was changing her name. Basically, creating an entirely new life for herself in Italy.
But after someone from her past asks her to come home and set things straight, Genevieve agrees, but has no idea what’s waiting for her.
Unfortunately it just didn’t live up to her series reads.
Truth is, if I wasn’t such a fan of this author it would have been a DNF for me. The premise that originally captured my attention ended up being extremely weak.
Most of the story is primarily Genevieve just running amok, not trusting anyone. Her behavior actually became annoying. The wrap up was predictable and equally lacking.
So…I think I’m best off sticking to her series books going forward.
Others enjoyed this book a lot more than I did. So please take a look at all the positive reviews.
I listened to the audio and the narrator did a good job but not enough to save the read for me.
July 11, 2020
Let me start by saying that Kelley Armstrong is one of my favorite authors. Her Cainsville and Rockton series are fantastic, and I have enjoyed her other books that I have read. So it pains me to say that I rounded this one up to three stars for my review. This was a decent enough book to pass the time, but no where near the caliber of most of her books.
This wasn't really much of a suspenseful book for me. There's a reason the blurb on this one is brief and, quite frankly, misleading. There are flashbacks in this book from 14 years prior that have to do with the events in the present "mystery" (for lack of a better word). I don't want to give away any spoilers or ruin the premise, but I will say that I found what happened in the past pretty flimsy to still be as relevant as it should be to support the present day storyline. I mean, it was 14 years ago and wasn't really that dramatic enough to substantiate it for this reader.
I also struggled with some of the decisions that Lucy made in this book, and that is coming from a place of the kick-ass characters from Kelley Armstrong's books and the type of characters I have come to expect from her. In comparison, Lucy just didn't cut it.
I don't want my review to sound like this book was all bad. I did find it interesting enough to want to see the outcome, and it did have me guessing at a few plot points. Like I said, it was okay...but definitely not among my favorites from this typically amazing author.
This wasn't really much of a suspenseful book for me. There's a reason the blurb on this one is brief and, quite frankly, misleading. There are flashbacks in this book from 14 years prior that have to do with the events in the present "mystery" (for lack of a better word). I don't want to give away any spoilers or ruin the premise, but I will say that I found what happened in the past pretty flimsy to still be as relevant as it should be to support the present day storyline. I mean, it was 14 years ago and wasn't really that dramatic enough to substantiate it for this reader.
I also struggled with some of the decisions that Lucy made in this book, and that is coming from a place of the kick-ass characters from Kelley Armstrong's books and the type of characters I have come to expect from her. In comparison, Lucy just didn't cut it.
I don't want my review to sound like this book was all bad. I did find it interesting enough to want to see the outcome, and it did have me guessing at a few plot points. Like I said, it was okay...but definitely not among my favorites from this typically amazing author.
July 3, 2020
4.5/ 5 stars
Kelley Armstrong is one of my absolute favorite authors. I am excited whenever she writes a new book. I loved her suspense/thriller from last summer. So I absolutely could not wait to read her newest book, Every Step She Takes. And it did not disappoint.
This book is a suspense/thriller. The thriller part is not apparent right away. But this was such a good book!
The book blurb does not give a synopsis telling us exactly what the book is about. But IMO too many book blurbs give away the entire story. So in a way I am glad that the story wasn't completely spoiled for me.
The narrator is Genevieve, an American woman living in Rome, Italy (1st person POV).
She plays the viola. And has spent the last 10 years trying to keep a low profile. I was very curious to know what happened in her past. The story goes back and forth for the first part of the book between the past and the present.
The past was New York 2005. Usually I am not a big fan of past/present storylines with alternating chapters. However, in this case the past was very interesting.
In 2005 she was an 18 year old girl working as a music tutor/studying at Juilliard. In 2020 she is 33 years old living in Rome.
The mystery/thriller part of the book did not start right away. But once it did the book got so exciting.
By the halfway point I was so curious to know how this book would end. There were definitely lots of unexpected revelations. And I was anxious to find out who was guilty.
The mystery was so strong. The thriller part was so exciting. Overall this was a great book.
Thanks to netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada/Doubleday Canada for allowing me to read this book.
Kelley Armstrong is one of my absolute favorite authors. I am excited whenever she writes a new book. I loved her suspense/thriller from last summer. So I absolutely could not wait to read her newest book, Every Step She Takes. And it did not disappoint.
This book is a suspense/thriller. The thriller part is not apparent right away. But this was such a good book!
The book blurb does not give a synopsis telling us exactly what the book is about. But IMO too many book blurbs give away the entire story. So in a way I am glad that the story wasn't completely spoiled for me.
The narrator is Genevieve, an American woman living in Rome, Italy (1st person POV).
She plays the viola. And has spent the last 10 years trying to keep a low profile. I was very curious to know what happened in her past. The story goes back and forth for the first part of the book between the past and the present.
The past was New York 2005. Usually I am not a big fan of past/present storylines with alternating chapters. However, in this case the past was very interesting.
In 2005 she was an 18 year old girl working as a music tutor/studying at Juilliard. In 2020 she is 33 years old living in Rome.
The mystery/thriller part of the book did not start right away. But once it did the book got so exciting.
By the halfway point I was so curious to know how this book would end. There were definitely lots of unexpected revelations. And I was anxious to find out who was guilty.
The mystery was so strong. The thriller part was so exciting. Overall this was a great book.
Thanks to netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada/Doubleday Canada for allowing me to read this book.
July 6, 2020
A good read.👍Was not a thriller type story from the getgo but once the thriller/ suspense vibe kicked in there were some surprising twists.☺
January 27, 2022
Interesting twists. I loved this book and the twists it had. I completely had my own assumptions of who did what, but they panned out to be completely wrong. Liked this story!
April 15, 2020
thank you to the publisher for providing me with an arc.
as a fan of armstrong's other works, i feel bad for being so critical but every step she takes just wasn't good. i went in with high hopes, i was so, so excited to have this book, but i was left disappointed. the main plot doesn't kick in until page 91. up until this point i kept asking myself, what is the point of this book? who is it for? why is a thriller? by then, however, i didn't care.
we're not given time to get to know the characters or witness the relationship development between them, instead we're told. we're told everything. it reads as if our protagonist is recounting events, "this happened and then this happened and then i was sad". and, unfortunately, our protagonist is not likeable.
also, categorizing this as a thriller is a bit of a stretch. the cards are all laid out in the first chapters.
my biggest gripe though, is the synopsis. it's misleading. the parcel is just a plot device. (not spoilers) four years prior, genevieve was hired as a music tutor for the children of two famous actors, colt & isabella. genevieve and colt are caught in a compromising situation which leaves genevieve's life in shambles. she flees to italy. in present day, isabelle reaches out to genevieve to discuss that night and to extend an olive branch. isabella, shortly thereafter, is murdered and genevieve is framed. the past she's running from are tabloid stories and crazed fans. and again, we're almost a third of the way through the novel before the actual plot kicks in. i hope the synopsis is changed before publication.
as a fan of armstrong's other works, i feel bad for being so critical but every step she takes just wasn't good. i went in with high hopes, i was so, so excited to have this book, but i was left disappointed. the main plot doesn't kick in until page 91. up until this point i kept asking myself, what is the point of this book? who is it for? why is a thriller? by then, however, i didn't care.
we're not given time to get to know the characters or witness the relationship development between them, instead we're told. we're told everything. it reads as if our protagonist is recounting events, "this happened and then this happened and then i was sad". and, unfortunately, our protagonist is not likeable.
also, categorizing this as a thriller is a bit of a stretch. the cards are all laid out in the first chapters.
my biggest gripe though, is the synopsis. it's misleading. the parcel is just a plot device. (not spoilers) four years prior, genevieve was hired as a music tutor for the children of two famous actors, colt & isabella. genevieve and colt are caught in a compromising situation which leaves genevieve's life in shambles. she flees to italy. in present day, isabelle reaches out to genevieve to discuss that night and to extend an olive branch. isabella, shortly thereafter, is murdered and genevieve is framed. the past she's running from are tabloid stories and crazed fans. and again, we're almost a third of the way through the novel before the actual plot kicks in. i hope the synopsis is changed before publication.
May 25, 2020
Fantastic book, really enjoyed this story, these characters and the way it was written! Excellent book and I'm so glad that I read it on my birthday!
July 16, 2020
I apologize for grammar mistakes. I'm not bothering to edit this, I'm just writing down stream-of-conscious thoughts.
I am being generous with my rating. The second star is only because I really like the author's other works. This book don't come close to matching the author's ability to develop plots, build characters, and provide details to build a story. This stand-alone book feels like either an apprentice wrote it or the author wrote a first edition and someone decided to self-publish it without continued editing.
My thoughts on the book:
I kept hoping that the end of the book would have the main character wake up from a dream or in a psych facility.
The premise for this is weak (I'm being generous) -an incident that happened 14 years ago (and was WILDLY overplayed) caused this person to flee and create a new identify. The entire story is based on essentially high school drama. Calling this a mystery is stretching the genre.
It is impossible to like the protagonist because while the author attempts to demonstrate the protagonist's strength and maturity (by describing her ability to talk forcefully to someone), the author only shows what an idiot the character is with the actions of the character. It is frustrating because there is no balance. The discrepancy doesn't show the character is just flawed, the character lacks adult decision making skills and hasn't grown at all in 14 years. In addition to those complaints, there is no depth to the protagonist. We learn what she likes to eat and drink but really never see anything other than this TINY incident that happened 14 years ago has controlled her life.
The plot and story line were too underdeveloped. The book is set in modern times so no world building was required. The premise of the book is so mild that it is unbelievable from the start. It makes moving forward more difficult because it is hard to believe or even buy in that it would happen like that.
The ending was fairly predictable but didn't add insult to injury.
When I reached somewhere near page 100 or so, I didn't want to finish because the plot started becoming more ridiculous. I read some reviews and most were incredibly favorable. I really wish I had liked this because I enjoy this author's work.
I am being generous with my rating. The second star is only because I really like the author's other works. This book don't come close to matching the author's ability to develop plots, build characters, and provide details to build a story. This stand-alone book feels like either an apprentice wrote it or the author wrote a first edition and someone decided to self-publish it without continued editing.
My thoughts on the book:
I kept hoping that the end of the book would have the main character wake up from a dream or in a psych facility.
The premise for this is weak (I'm being generous) -an incident that happened 14 years ago (and was WILDLY overplayed) caused this person to flee and create a new identify. The entire story is based on essentially high school drama. Calling this a mystery is stretching the genre.
It is impossible to like the protagonist because while the author attempts to demonstrate the protagonist's strength and maturity (by describing her ability to talk forcefully to someone), the author only shows what an idiot the character is with the actions of the character. It is frustrating because there is no balance. The discrepancy doesn't show the character is just flawed, the character lacks adult decision making skills and hasn't grown at all in 14 years. In addition to those complaints, there is no depth to the protagonist. We learn what she likes to eat and drink but really never see anything other than this TINY incident that happened 14 years ago has controlled her life.
The plot and story line were too underdeveloped. The book is set in modern times so no world building was required. The premise of the book is so mild that it is unbelievable from the start. It makes moving forward more difficult because it is hard to believe or even buy in that it would happen like that.
The ending was fairly predictable but didn't add insult to injury.
When I reached somewhere near page 100 or so, I didn't want to finish because the plot started becoming more ridiculous. I read some reviews and most were incredibly favorable. I really wish I had liked this because I enjoy this author's work.
August 4, 2020
This standalone thriller by Kelley Armstrong is a real page turner. Genevieve Callahan is on the run from something. She has spent the last few years in Italy where she is building a new life. She teaches music and plays in a number of musical groups. She has a great boyfriend named Marco but she isn't ready to commit to him. Life is happy and satisfying.
But that all changes when a package is delivered to her apartment that indicates that someone knows about her past. The past where she was accused of sleeping with a married movie star Colt Gordon. The online furor painted her as the villain of the piece and hounded her almost to the point of suicide.
What happened was pretty simple. Lucy, as she was known then, got a job as the summer music tutor for Colt Gordon and Isabella Morales' children. She took the job because she admired Isabella who has a career as a star of telenovellas before she married Colt. Lucy looked up to her as a hero. She wasn't interested in Colt and, in fact, didn't even recognize his name when a music professor of hers at Julliard proposed her for the job.
But Colt was going through a mid-life crisis. At his anniversary party, he plied her with champagne and took her to a neighbor's hot tub where he came on to her. A mistimed photo by a paparazzi made her seem like a home wrecker. She wrote a letter of apology to Isabella and received a letter filled with vitriol in return.
Now, fourteen years later, Isabella wants to meet and offers her a paid vacation to New York to talk with her. Seems Isabella wants to tell the real story of what happened all those years ago. Genevieve doesn't want to bring all those horrible memories back but says she'll think about it. When she goes to Isabella's hotel the next morning, she finds her dead with the police knocking on the door.
She panics and goes on the run. She knows she's being framed for killing Isobella and doesn't want to trust the police and bring on all the new publicity. She has no one she can trust. The lawyer her mother steers her to has set up with the police and reporters to turn her in. When she gets a text from someone using the name PCTracy who offers to help, she thinks it is someone connected to the lawyer. She doesn't trust him but she needs his help.
But someone wants her frightened or dead and they aren't going to stop harassing her.
This was an excellent and fast-paced story. I couldn't put it down! I loved Gen and totally understood why she felt she couldn't go to the police. Her sense of helplessness and total confusion about who would want to do that to her came through well.
I completely recommend this to anyone who likes a good thriller.
But that all changes when a package is delivered to her apartment that indicates that someone knows about her past. The past where she was accused of sleeping with a married movie star Colt Gordon. The online furor painted her as the villain of the piece and hounded her almost to the point of suicide.
What happened was pretty simple. Lucy, as she was known then, got a job as the summer music tutor for Colt Gordon and Isabella Morales' children. She took the job because she admired Isabella who has a career as a star of telenovellas before she married Colt. Lucy looked up to her as a hero. She wasn't interested in Colt and, in fact, didn't even recognize his name when a music professor of hers at Julliard proposed her for the job.
But Colt was going through a mid-life crisis. At his anniversary party, he plied her with champagne and took her to a neighbor's hot tub where he came on to her. A mistimed photo by a paparazzi made her seem like a home wrecker. She wrote a letter of apology to Isabella and received a letter filled with vitriol in return.
Now, fourteen years later, Isabella wants to meet and offers her a paid vacation to New York to talk with her. Seems Isabella wants to tell the real story of what happened all those years ago. Genevieve doesn't want to bring all those horrible memories back but says she'll think about it. When she goes to Isabella's hotel the next morning, she finds her dead with the police knocking on the door.
She panics and goes on the run. She knows she's being framed for killing Isobella and doesn't want to trust the police and bring on all the new publicity. She has no one she can trust. The lawyer her mother steers her to has set up with the police and reporters to turn her in. When she gets a text from someone using the name PCTracy who offers to help, she thinks it is someone connected to the lawyer. She doesn't trust him but she needs his help.
But someone wants her frightened or dead and they aren't going to stop harassing her.
This was an excellent and fast-paced story. I couldn't put it down! I loved Gen and totally understood why she felt she couldn't go to the police. Her sense of helplessness and total confusion about who would want to do that to her came through well.
I completely recommend this to anyone who likes a good thriller.
November 7, 2023
I've been a lifelong Kelley Armstrong fan for quite some time. I got into her YA fantasy series back in my teens and I have tried to grab every book of hers since. Her pen name, K.L. Armstrong, is used for this book, but do you think that stopped me? No. I found another book by my old author pal! And a thriller?! I'm in.
Genevieve has secrets. She's moved to Rome to escape a life that ruined her and all seems to be well. Then one day, she comes home and there's a box. This box threatens her entire future... And is truly going to mess her up. But, with every step she takes... She is determined to not be caught.
This book IS SO GOOD. I was glued to this book and binging it. No surprise, Kelley always pulls me in and hooks me to her books. I'm thrilled to see what other books I can grab by her soon.
Five out of five stars.
Genevieve has secrets. She's moved to Rome to escape a life that ruined her and all seems to be well. Then one day, she comes home and there's a box. This box threatens her entire future... And is truly going to mess her up. But, with every step she takes... She is determined to not be caught.
This book IS SO GOOD. I was glued to this book and binging it. No surprise, Kelley always pulls me in and hooks me to her books. I'm thrilled to see what other books I can grab by her soon.
Five out of five stars.
August 13, 2020
Overall rating for the book: 3.33/5
The first 1/3 of the book was only 2-stars for me. It started off really slow, with the narrative constantly alternating between past and present (which I'm not really a fan of). I even debated DNF'ing this audiobook, but once I made it past Chapter 14 (out of 39 chapters), things really started to pick up.
The rest of the book was a solid 4-stars and was fast-paced and thrilling.
Non-Spoilery Summary:
Genevieve (Lucy) Callahan has been living in Rome for the past 10 years trying to escape a past scandal. But when someone from her past life suddenly reaches out to reconnect with her, her life gets tossed upside down once again.
The story wasn't entirely unpredictable but there were a few unexpected developments that happened along the way.
The first 1/3 of the book was only 2-stars for me. It started off really slow, with the narrative constantly alternating between past and present (which I'm not really a fan of). I even debated DNF'ing this audiobook, but once I made it past Chapter 14 (out of 39 chapters), things really started to pick up.
The rest of the book was a solid 4-stars and was fast-paced and thrilling.
Non-Spoilery Summary:
Genevieve (Lucy) Callahan has been living in Rome for the past 10 years trying to escape a past scandal. But when someone from her past life suddenly reaches out to reconnect with her, her life gets tossed upside down once again.
The story wasn't entirely unpredictable but there were a few unexpected developments that happened along the way.
August 12, 2020
In a word... Disappointed. I LOVE all the other books by Kelley Armstrong (ok I haven't read her other mystery - ish book either, but all the others, yes), they are typically finished in a single sitting normally, even if that means I'm going into work with only 3 hours of sleep. This book took me 5 days to get through and I only finished it because I was on vacation and had nothing better to do.
Normally Ms Armstrong writes awesome smart female leads. This one is a twit who continuously makes stupid decisions/assumptions.
The plot is kinda lame.
I'm sorry Ms Armstrong but this one was a big old fail in my eyes. I wish I'd borrowed it from the library instead of purchasing it.
Normally Ms Armstrong writes awesome smart female leads. This one is a twit who continuously makes stupid decisions/assumptions.
The plot is kinda lame.
I'm sorry Ms Armstrong but this one was a big old fail in my eyes. I wish I'd borrowed it from the library instead of purchasing it.
October 19, 2020
I love Kelly Armstrong’s Otherworld series so thought I’d try her new standalone. It’s okay but nowhere near the same league as her series books. This one takes a little while to really get going. Gwen is a secretive young woman with a hoped for life in Italy with her boyfriend Marco but as the story opens…her life is about to fall apart because someone knows her secret and they’ve left evidence on her kitchen table. Our heroine…Genevieve is not a very likable or a very smart person and her actions…or sometimes lack of actions… brings the story down from what it could have been. For most of the book she is just plain stupid making it really hard to feel anything for her but exasperation. I do have to give the book and extra half star for a fairly strong mystery. Like I said…not a bad book or story…just not a good heroine.
August 6, 2021
I must admit that the reason for a woman to go into hiding for 14 years in this novel is the weakest I have heard especially in our world ripe with horrific scandals.
Anyway, a talented musician returns to New York to resolves some personal issues and confronts murder. This is one of those books that is good to read on a curl-up-a-blanket day.
Anyway, a talented musician returns to New York to resolves some personal issues and confronts murder. This is one of those books that is good to read on a curl-up-a-blanket day.
Read
June 30, 2020I really enjoyed K.L Armstrong's summer novel last year and was excited to see she was releasing a new book - today in fact is the day for Every Step She Takes.
Genevieve has a life she likes living in Italy - a home, a job and a boyfriend. Until the day she comes home and finds her door unlocked. And inside is a parcel from the US addressed to Lucy Callahan - a name Genevieve hasn't used in ten years.
"Too much time has passed, and I'm the only person who still cares what happened to me. Yet it takes only this unlocked door to slam me back to that life."
Okay, that's in the first five pages.....and I needed to know...who is Lucy, why is she hiding and what happened to her?
Every Step She Takes is told in first person, so the reader is along for the ride as Genevieve returns to the US to confront both the past and the present. The story unfolds in alternating chapters from ten years ago to present day. I always enjoy this story telling method, finding how the pieces fit together.
Although she thought she was putting the past to rest by going back to the US, someone else has other plans and Gen is in trouble - again. Determined to prove her innocence, she runs. Armstrong gives many us suspects to choose from as Gen tries to find the real culprit.
Armstrong adds some twists and turns along the way to the final whodunit. I appreciated not having a final answer until almost to the end. A few of the plot developments will require a grain of salt, but didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book.
I started Every Step She Takes with my morning tea on the back porch and finished up just before dinner. Armstrong writes many series (can't get enough Rockton), but I enjoyed having a stand alone to spend the day with. Armstrong's writing is very 'readable', moves along at a good clip and is entertaining.
Genevieve has a life she likes living in Italy - a home, a job and a boyfriend. Until the day she comes home and finds her door unlocked. And inside is a parcel from the US addressed to Lucy Callahan - a name Genevieve hasn't used in ten years.
"Too much time has passed, and I'm the only person who still cares what happened to me. Yet it takes only this unlocked door to slam me back to that life."
Okay, that's in the first five pages.....and I needed to know...who is Lucy, why is she hiding and what happened to her?
Every Step She Takes is told in first person, so the reader is along for the ride as Genevieve returns to the US to confront both the past and the present. The story unfolds in alternating chapters from ten years ago to present day. I always enjoy this story telling method, finding how the pieces fit together.
Although she thought she was putting the past to rest by going back to the US, someone else has other plans and Gen is in trouble - again. Determined to prove her innocence, she runs. Armstrong gives many us suspects to choose from as Gen tries to find the real culprit.
Armstrong adds some twists and turns along the way to the final whodunit. I appreciated not having a final answer until almost to the end. A few of the plot developments will require a grain of salt, but didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book.
I started Every Step She Takes with my morning tea on the back porch and finished up just before dinner. Armstrong writes many series (can't get enough Rockton), but I enjoyed having a stand alone to spend the day with. Armstrong's writing is very 'readable', moves along at a good clip and is entertaining.
July 3, 2020
I find it difficult to write my review for “Every Step She Takes” because there was so much to recommend this book;yet, I struggled with it. If you are looking for a recap of the storyline, this is not that kind of review.
In the past I been enamored with the paranormal writing of Kelly Armstrong. I knew going in that this was not that kind of read but I was unclear as to exactly what it was. For those of you who are also struggling to determine whether this is a “type” of storyline you might be interested in, it is a thriller.
From the moment I began reading this story Ms. Armstrong held my attention. There was something mysterious and suspenseful with each page. However, I am probably one of the few readers who is not overly thrilled by flashbacks as a literary device. Yes, it can be quite useful when tempered with moderation but that is not the case here. The story is continuously flipping from present to past. I would have preferred a much more straightforward approach.
As I indicated earlier this read was suspenseful with the perfect amount of action. You will find yourself hanging on every word in fear that if you overlook even one you might miss something critical to the plot. So, if I enjoyed this read so much why did I confess that I am struggling with a review. Well, my biggest reason was I didn’t really like many of the characters. Most were pretty loathsome. The main character was just okay for me but I did like her boyfriend, Marco; but, even he was trivialize as a boy toy.
All in all, this was just an okay read for me. It was good but not incredibly good. As always read it for yourself and decide.
In the past I been enamored with the paranormal writing of Kelly Armstrong. I knew going in that this was not that kind of read but I was unclear as to exactly what it was. For those of you who are also struggling to determine whether this is a “type” of storyline you might be interested in, it is a thriller.
From the moment I began reading this story Ms. Armstrong held my attention. There was something mysterious and suspenseful with each page. However, I am probably one of the few readers who is not overly thrilled by flashbacks as a literary device. Yes, it can be quite useful when tempered with moderation but that is not the case here. The story is continuously flipping from present to past. I would have preferred a much more straightforward approach.
As I indicated earlier this read was suspenseful with the perfect amount of action. You will find yourself hanging on every word in fear that if you overlook even one you might miss something critical to the plot. So, if I enjoyed this read so much why did I confess that I am struggling with a review. Well, my biggest reason was I didn’t really like many of the characters. Most were pretty loathsome. The main character was just okay for me but I did like her boyfriend, Marco; but, even he was trivialize as a boy toy.
All in all, this was just an okay read for me. It was good but not incredibly good. As always read it for yourself and decide.
April 23, 2024
Was a decently paced and engaging story. I appreciated the feminist touch to it around the whole scandal and focusing on the female stories. But I figured out who did it like a third into the story...
October 28, 2020
3.5 stars! I found the beginning slow but the story kept my interest!
did-not-finish
February 15, 2021Just was not feeling it, my current book mood requires binge reading and this was not getting me there.
December 10, 2021
Just an OK read.
May 6, 2021
Something happened to Genevieve that made he flee the US and start a new life in Italy but now someone has tracked her down and knows who she used to be.
November 20, 2020
Did not mean to read this in one sitting, but couldn't put it down. Pacy, breathless, and more than a little disturbing in its intimacy and portrayal of the media, technology, and the horrific ways human nature twists things sideways. The unexpected twists kept me guessing until 2 am lol.
April 20, 2020
I always go into Kelley Armstrong books with high hopes and I have never been disappointed before and this one lived up to all of the hype that I had for it in my mind. A thriller by my favourite author there wasn't much that could go wrong in this book. I found the writing in this book to be really good and it flowed together nicely. The author really pulled the reader into the story without overwhelming them with a lot of useless information. What I didn't like however was reading the blurb I got a very different feel to what the book would actually be about. It actually wasn't until about half way through the book that I really started to get a feel on what the story was about. The time changes in this story were a little jarring but I'm not a fan of that in any story so I didn't expect to like it. Very fascinating read once you get into it while the first half took me a while to get through the second half I just flew through. I wasn't able to put it down.
July 14, 2020
This was a fun one to read. I liked the back and forth between the past and the present, liked how we got to see how Lucy in the present, fairly happy in her life, versus how devastated she was in the past and how she got to that point.
I really felt for Lucy in the past. It seemed she got played and then bore the brunt of the consequences, when really she was the most innocent of them. Even when at the end you saw things weren't quite what you thought, there was one person involved that really should have known better.
I was happy that Lucy was able to have a chat with a pivotal person, another one hurt by the past, and for them to realize who the person to blame was. The forgiveness might have been a long time coming, but it came.
By the end of the book I was happy for Lucy, she could live her life out in the open, be reunited with people she cared about from her past and go forward in her life with no secrets left.
I really felt for Lucy in the past. It seemed she got played and then bore the brunt of the consequences, when really she was the most innocent of them. Even when at the end you saw things weren't quite what you thought, there was one person involved that really should have known better.
I was happy that Lucy was able to have a chat with a pivotal person, another one hurt by the past, and for them to realize who the person to blame was. The forgiveness might have been a long time coming, but it came.
By the end of the book I was happy for Lucy, she could live her life out in the open, be reunited with people she cared about from her past and go forward in her life with no secrets left.
August 11, 2020
Armstrong is a clear, clean and strong writer. She described Gen’s-Lucy’s emotional dilemmas well. The twist re the murder’s identity is great. Plausible and emotionally riveting. Armstrong’s use of social media and internet-email is noteworthy, too. I was quite disappointed in the Rome setting. It was minimal, reduced to cliches and contributed scant to the story. The precipitating incident that caused Gen’s trauma was acceptable but should have been developed more to increase its impact on everyone concerned. Still, a good read.
dnf
March 1, 2021DNF @15%
2020; Doubleday Canada/Random House Penguin Canada
I am a fan of Kelley Armstrong (aka K.L. Armstrong), as I enjoy her writing. There are a few novels that I have not liked or been able to finish, but I find it is more my interest in the subject matter. There are a few reasons this book may not have worked for me and one of them being Covid-19. I find that my interest in books have gotten even more pickier.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
2020; Doubleday Canada/Random House Penguin Canada
I am a fan of Kelley Armstrong (aka K.L. Armstrong), as I enjoy her writing. There are a few novels that I have not liked or been able to finish, but I find it is more my interest in the subject matter. There are a few reasons this book may not have worked for me and one of them being Covid-19. I find that my interest in books have gotten even more pickier.
***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
September 15, 2020
What do you do when mock exams have just finished and you pick up a bunch of highly anticipated books from the library but can only read one at a time and can't bear to wait? Why, of course, you take Kelley Armstrong and consume it within one night/morning. This book was such a whirlwind ride and I'm almost not ready to leave it so soon.
I fell in love with Marco when I read the excerpt many months ago, and reading this book my love was absolutely confirmed and solidified. He's exactly what Gen needs and I'm glad she has him. As for Gen, she's strong but has gone through a lot which as always Kelley Armstrong manages to convey with nuance. We also get a range of other interesting characters, shoutout to Jamie and Tiana in particular for being complex and messy but nonetheless likeable.
This book certainly was fast-paced and I hit the ground running with my guesses. I have to say that it takes a while for the story to truly get going, and it might not be for you if you prefer action from the start; for me, I appreciated the time we had to settle into the story, and right when I thought it was a nice story but wasn't going anywhere, it happened. We began with a woman running from her past who stops running, and then story develops into so much more. The story outcomes amused me, but that's something firmly lodged in the spoiler section.
Every Step She Takes is filled with fragments of our world that are threaded together into Genevieve's story, the ultimate "what could go wrong if x and x and x happened". Kelley Armstrong is very much in control of the narrative and we go on a wild journey between past and present, facing demons and mending scars. This might just be my favourite of her stand-alone thrillers yet.
I fell in love with Marco when I read the excerpt many months ago, and reading this book my love was absolutely confirmed and solidified. He's exactly what Gen needs and I'm glad she has him. As for Gen, she's strong but has gone through a lot which as always Kelley Armstrong manages to convey with nuance. We also get a range of other interesting characters, shoutout to Jamie and Tiana in particular for being complex and messy but nonetheless likeable.
This book certainly was fast-paced and I hit the ground running with my guesses. I have to say that it takes a while for the story to truly get going, and it might not be for you if you prefer action from the start; for me, I appreciated the time we had to settle into the story, and right when I thought it was a nice story but wasn't going anywhere, it happened. We began with a woman running from her past who stops running, and then story develops into so much more. The story outcomes amused me, but that's something firmly lodged in the spoiler section.
Every Step She Takes is filled with fragments of our world that are threaded together into Genevieve's story, the ultimate "what could go wrong if x and x and x happened". Kelley Armstrong is very much in control of the narrative and we go on a wild journey between past and present, facing demons and mending scars. This might just be my favourite of her stand-alone thrillers yet.
November 8, 2020
For the past ten years, Genevieve has been living in France as she was part of a celebrity scandal in the States and though she was the innocent party, she was blamed for everything and her reputation was shredded - she needed to escape from the spotlight and keep a low profile. Here in France, she could be whoever she wanted and no-one was judging her for her past. Now ten years later she has arrived home and sat on her kitchen table as a parcel addressed to Lucy Callahan. A name that she has not used or spoken of since she left the states ten years ago. It turns out the parcel is from celebrity Isabella Morales and she wants to meet Lucy back in the States and talk about the scandal and apologize and hear Lucy's side finally. Lucy is reluctant but she goes as Isabella is persistent. She turns up and Lucy is transported back to the Summer of 2005 when she became a music tutor for Isabella Morales and Action star Colt Gordon's two children. During that time, Colt tried to seduce her and they were snapped in a compromising position. Lucy was painted as the bad girl trying to break up the celebrity couple even though she was a virgin. Fast forward back to the present time and Lucy has turned up to have breakfast with Isabella but she is dead and someone has set Lucy up to take the fall. Is this related to the incident that happened ten years ago or does someone want Lucy to go down as they are tying up loose ends? Find out in Kelley Armstrong's mystery thriller Every Step She Takes - a different direction than her usual fantasy/paranormal stories but just as good as a read.
August 7, 2020
Genevieve walks into her Rome apartment one day to find a package addressed to Lucy, the name she used to go by when she lived in the U.S. The package leads her back to New York, the place where she was part of a celebrity scandal. Lucy was caught naked with an action star, whose children she tutored in music. Lucy became Genevieve and had escaped that scandal, only to be drawn back into the famous family when she returns to New York.
This was such a suspenseful thriller. I couldn’t put it down. It took a little while for the suspense to start. The real triggering event didn’t happen until almost a third of the way through. I was actually wondering where the suspense was until then. However, once it started, I had to keep reading.
An issue I had with the book wasn’t really a problem with the story, but the synopsis didn’t match what happened. It told the events of the first couple of chapters, but the real plot didn’t start until later. The synopsis should have given a better overview of the plot, so it actually explained what would happen beyond the first chapter.
I loved the ending of the book. I suspected all the different characters at some point. There were some surprising twists that were revealed at just the right moments. There were a couple of loose ends that weren’t cleared up, but they may have been clear in the final version.
My ARC was actually missing some pages, which may have been due to piracy protection or a glitch. That was frustrating, but I still enjoyed the story regardless of the missing passages.
I really enjoyed this suspenseful thriller.
Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a suspenseful thriller. I couldn’t put it down. It took a little while for the suspense to start. The real triggering event didn’t happen until almost a third of the way through. I was actually wondering where the suspense was until then. However, once it started, I had to keep reading.
An issue I had with the book wasn’t really a problem with the story, but the synopsis didn’t match what happened. It told the events of the first couple of chapters, but the real plot didn’t start until later. The synopsis should have given a better overview of the plot, so it actually explained what would happen beyond the first chapter.
I loved the ending of the book. I suspected all the different characters at some point. There were some surprising twists that were revealed at just the right moments. There were a couple of loose ends that weren’t cleared up, but they may have been clear in the final version.
My ARC was actually missing some pages, which may have been due to piracy protection or a glitch. That was frustrating, but I still enjoyed the story regardless of the missing passages.
I really enjoyed this suspenseful thriller.
Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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