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Woven
Bound by a devastating secret, childhood friends David, Josh, and Kate take on home renovation as a means of healing from a dark, shared past.
Their only promise? Friendship first—no hookups.
Only several months after moving into their Baltimore fixer, the aptly nicknamed Canton Catastrophe, walls are crumbling, sparks are flying, and promises are getting ignored.
Josh, a paramedic, is plagued with panic attacks, haunted by the past, and sharing a room with David, who he is definitely not attracted to. And then there's Kate. She's having a job crisis, popping pills, and pretending she doesn’t notice how distant the boys have grown. And David? The eternally calm, blue-eyed beauty’s health is deteriorating and he’s mysteriously blacking out.
But when they learn someone may have discovered their darkest secret and is now stalking them--and blackmailing Josh's father, a conservative media personality with secrets of his own, renovation and relationship woes take a back seat. Suddenly, their past is unraveling, and the shocking truths unearthed will have them questioning everything from family ties and friendships to love, loss, and the lengths they’re willing to go for each other.
Their only promise? Friendship first—no hookups.
Only several months after moving into their Baltimore fixer, the aptly nicknamed Canton Catastrophe, walls are crumbling, sparks are flying, and promises are getting ignored.
Josh, a paramedic, is plagued with panic attacks, haunted by the past, and sharing a room with David, who he is definitely not attracted to. And then there's Kate. She's having a job crisis, popping pills, and pretending she doesn’t notice how distant the boys have grown. And David? The eternally calm, blue-eyed beauty’s health is deteriorating and he’s mysteriously blacking out.
But when they learn someone may have discovered their darkest secret and is now stalking them--and blackmailing Josh's father, a conservative media personality with secrets of his own, renovation and relationship woes take a back seat. Suddenly, their past is unraveling, and the shocking truths unearthed will have them questioning everything from family ties and friendships to love, loss, and the lengths they’re willing to go for each other.
500 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 28, 2022
5 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
About the author
Stephania Thompson
7 books53 followersStephania Thompson is the award winning author of Woven, Book One in the Charm City Threads Series. A poet and full-time novelist, she received her bachelor of arts in accounting from the University of Maryland, then went on to earn her CPA license and work in both the public and private sectors before pursuing her passion to write.
A Maryland native, she and her husband are living the dream in their modern-day money pit with four children, a spoiled aussiedoodle, and one not-so-fire-breathing dragon. When not writing, working, or wrangling pets, she can be found hiking local trails or escaping in a book at her favorite café, iced latte in hand.
She’s a sucker for quirky romance, is addicted to audiobooks, and finds herself most drawn to flawed characters, raw honesty, and life’s cringiest moments.
You can visit her online at www.stephaniathompson.com
A Maryland native, she and her husband are living the dream in their modern-day money pit with four children, a spoiled aussiedoodle, and one not-so-fire-breathing dragon. When not writing, working, or wrangling pets, she can be found hiking local trails or escaping in a book at her favorite café, iced latte in hand.
She’s a sucker for quirky romance, is addicted to audiobooks, and finds herself most drawn to flawed characters, raw honesty, and life’s cringiest moments.
You can visit her online at www.stephaniathompson.com
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 27, 2022
From the cover to the witty, renovation themed chapter titles, I loved this book! The characters were relatable, their struggles felt real, and the balance between dialogue and plot kept the story moving. There was definitely an element of suspense, but what I enjoyed most was the interaction between David, Kate, and Josh. I like a book that makes me laugh out loud, and I found myself doing just that on a number of occasions. This story is tender and humorous and heartwarming, and will appeal to a lot of people. I highly recommend (I received an ARC of Woven from NetGalley)
June 29, 2022
I rarely read romance novels but when I heard the premise of this book I had to give it a try.
Woven is about three people who are renovating a row house in Baltimore. At the start of the novel, you get the impression that their relationship is complicated but they are linked together by something in their past that they can't get over.
Here's the thing: I don't want to give too much away about the premise because part of what I loved about this book is the mystery that kept me turning pages well past my bedtime. I had to know what happened.
Even though there are time shifts to the past and the voice of the narrator changes, I was never lost. The writing is solid and not only did I follow the story well, but the mystery and romance were linked together in a way that felt natural, not forced. Sometimes in books like these, the mystery feels extra or the romance is overdone. Thompson literally weaves these two genres together so the plot flows naturally between genres.
I read Woven over the course of a few hot summer days. This is how I'd recommend you read it too. It's the perfect beach read and bonus points if you're on the east coast as the author mentions a few beaches on the coast of Maryland and North Carolina. Also, if you're looking to armchair travel to Baltimore then this is the perfect book. The sense of place in Baltimore, where most of the action takes place, is brilliant and I felt like I was in the city...traffic and all!
This book would be great to take to the pool or the beach. But don't say I didn't warn you about the late nights. I'm telling you...you will need to know how this story resolves once you start!
Woven is about three people who are renovating a row house in Baltimore. At the start of the novel, you get the impression that their relationship is complicated but they are linked together by something in their past that they can't get over.
Here's the thing: I don't want to give too much away about the premise because part of what I loved about this book is the mystery that kept me turning pages well past my bedtime. I had to know what happened.
Even though there are time shifts to the past and the voice of the narrator changes, I was never lost. The writing is solid and not only did I follow the story well, but the mystery and romance were linked together in a way that felt natural, not forced. Sometimes in books like these, the mystery feels extra or the romance is overdone. Thompson literally weaves these two genres together so the plot flows naturally between genres.
I read Woven over the course of a few hot summer days. This is how I'd recommend you read it too. It's the perfect beach read and bonus points if you're on the east coast as the author mentions a few beaches on the coast of Maryland and North Carolina. Also, if you're looking to armchair travel to Baltimore then this is the perfect book. The sense of place in Baltimore, where most of the action takes place, is brilliant and I felt like I was in the city...traffic and all!
This book would be great to take to the pool or the beach. But don't say I didn't warn you about the late nights. I'm telling you...you will need to know how this story resolves once you start!
June 27, 2022
Woven by Stephania Thompson is an amazing, heartwarming story. It captured my heart immediately. The main characters are Kate, Josh and David. I came to love them as they bared their souls to each other and struggled to overcome a dreadful past.
The story takes so many surprising twists and turns that it kept me on the edge of my seat. I laughed and cried and felt their sorrows, regrets and fears. So real is this book, that I would know Kate, Josh and David anywhere if I met them on the street. I love how the author wove the flavor of Baltimore throughout the story. “Woven” would make an outstanding movie. It is full of suspense, surprise, hilarious moments, and so much more. I highly recommend this book.
The story takes so many surprising twists and turns that it kept me on the edge of my seat. I laughed and cried and felt their sorrows, regrets and fears. So real is this book, that I would know Kate, Josh and David anywhere if I met them on the street. I love how the author wove the flavor of Baltimore throughout the story. “Woven” would make an outstanding movie. It is full of suspense, surprise, hilarious moments, and so much more. I highly recommend this book.
June 30, 2022
Thank you to netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I will say this book is not what I expected. I wasn't 100% into the writing style but I feel a lot of people will love it. I was quite confused as well because in the description it talks about no hookups (most of the time that gets broken) and right in the beginning the go into complicated relationships and how they snuggle. I was so confused in the beginning.
Do recommend a read though as I enjoyed my time reading this book.
I will say this book is not what I expected. I wasn't 100% into the writing style but I feel a lot of people will love it. I was quite confused as well because in the description it talks about no hookups (most of the time that gets broken) and right in the beginning the go into complicated relationships and how they snuggle. I was so confused in the beginning.
Do recommend a read though as I enjoyed my time reading this book.
June 9, 2022
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I knew nothing about it except that I'm a huge fan of the author's poetry so I knew the writing would be good. I love a character-driven novel but I'm a bit of a snarky reader, so the fact that the writer got me to root for all three characters is impressive! This book does a beautiful job of bringing complicated relationships to life as well as an intriguing mystery and backstory. What really made this book so refreshing was how all three relationships were so entwined you could see it going so many different ways. And you could feel the love in all three. Every night I threw on some PJs and opened this book and got lost in the story. I know my heart was hoping for a certain ending but I just found out there's a book two in the works! So I'll keep my hopes a secret until I read what the author has in store next;)
May 14, 2022
Before you read this review, I would just like to say that while I did not personally enjoy this book, I think it has a huge audience that would love it, and I think that it could very well be you, my dear review reader. Go check out the book!
I didn't love this book. I think it was good and the characters were nicely written and the plot idea was wonderful but something about the book just didn't really connect with me nor me with it. I just kind of felt myself constantly stopping reading and I don't know if it was me or the writing style but I didn't love it overall. Despite this, I think the book was very clever and still very, very well written, just not for me.
3.5 stars overall, and despite my review, you should check it out ASAICO (AKA, as soon as it comes out, which is the 28th of June!!!). I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Woven by Stephania Thompson through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
I didn't love this book. I think it was good and the characters were nicely written and the plot idea was wonderful but something about the book just didn't really connect with me nor me with it. I just kind of felt myself constantly stopping reading and I don't know if it was me or the writing style but I didn't love it overall. Despite this, I think the book was very clever and still very, very well written, just not for me.
3.5 stars overall, and despite my review, you should check it out ASAICO (AKA, as soon as it comes out, which is the 28th of June!!!). I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Woven by Stephania Thompson through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
May 17, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Woven by Stephania Thompson. This book was the perfect mix between contemporary romance and suspense, it was an automatic page turner. Kate, Josh, and David are three young adults working on restoring their home while battling with personal struggles and their relationships, The characters didn’t feel flat and the author did a great job with pacing and I didn’t feel that the story was drawn out. Overall I would highly recommend.
June 29, 2022
Is it wrong to rate your own book? I'm going to error on the side of I-don't-think-so :) I loved everything about writing Woven. The characters, the way their stories wove together, the joy of getting to know David, Josh, and Kate. We spent a lot of time together, the four of us. It is with great joy and hope, that I send them into the world. Joy, at being able to finally share their story, and hope that their lives will touch your heart and remain with you. Thank you for reading!
April 13, 2025
"Woven" is a magnificent accomplishment by first-time novelist Stephania Thompson. Set mostly in contemporary Baltimore, it is the story of three lifelong friends in their early twenties that share a past with dark secrets.
David, Josh and Kate, are housemates trying to maintain a semblance of normalcy in their relationships, but as the narrative unfolds, we learn about the unimaginable things that occurred on their journey. The book's intrigue derives from the skillful way Thompson, through alternating first-person narration, methodically reveals the events that shape the characters. It's a slow burn that piles on one sad event after another. Each time the narration switches from one character to another, we learn about more traumatic events as well as the thoughts of each person. Given that much of the novel deals deeply with the thoughts of these characters, Thompson does an excellent job juggling their observations to form a very well-rounded story. And, despite the darkness that cradles each character, there is plenty of room for humorous dialogue and warmth in many scenes.
While "Woven" is well written, the last 30+ pages are particularly deep, insightful and touching. It's also a cliff-hanger, which means that I'll be looking forward to the sequel that is due out in the coming weeks.
David, Josh and Kate, are housemates trying to maintain a semblance of normalcy in their relationships, but as the narrative unfolds, we learn about the unimaginable things that occurred on their journey. The book's intrigue derives from the skillful way Thompson, through alternating first-person narration, methodically reveals the events that shape the characters. It's a slow burn that piles on one sad event after another. Each time the narration switches from one character to another, we learn about more traumatic events as well as the thoughts of each person. Given that much of the novel deals deeply with the thoughts of these characters, Thompson does an excellent job juggling their observations to form a very well-rounded story. And, despite the darkness that cradles each character, there is plenty of room for humorous dialogue and warmth in many scenes.
While "Woven" is well written, the last 30+ pages are particularly deep, insightful and touching. It's also a cliff-hanger, which means that I'll be looking forward to the sequel that is due out in the coming weeks.
June 26, 2022
Woven is Stephania Thompson’s debut novel and all I can say is WOW! I am impressed. The multi-person point of view, along with the well written prose allows you to delve into each character’s mind and really feel what they are thinking. This book has a little romance, a little suspense and a lot of twists and turns that keep the reader turning page after page. Once I started reading, I was on a roller coaster ride of emotions and didn’t want to put the book down.
David, Kate and Josh’s complicated relationships with family, friends and each other is intricately explored throughout the book. The author does a fantastic job of weaving relationships together in ways that constantly surprise the reader. I found myself rooting for each character and wanting to see them succeed and find that inner peace they each seem to be searching for.
Woven will give you all the feels. You will laugh, you will cry, you will cringe and you will love it. I would highly recommend this book.
David, Kate and Josh’s complicated relationships with family, friends and each other is intricately explored throughout the book. The author does a fantastic job of weaving relationships together in ways that constantly surprise the reader. I found myself rooting for each character and wanting to see them succeed and find that inner peace they each seem to be searching for.
Woven will give you all the feels. You will laugh, you will cry, you will cringe and you will love it. I would highly recommend this book.
January 18, 2023
I had to think for awhile on what I wanted to say about this book. I didn’t particularly enjoy it, but I also didn’t loathe it. I think there is an audience for this book, but that audience is not readers like me. The plot is original, but the pacing and writing style was not for me. It is a book that although interesting, it did not make me want to hurry back and keep reading to find out what was going to happen next.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of “Woven” by Stephania Thompson in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of “Woven” by Stephania Thompson in exchange for an honest review.
September 3, 2022
Wow! Woven is one of those books you can’t put down, but also don’t want it to ever end! It’s a mixture of suspense and friendship and love beautifully WOVEN into a masterpiece that is BRILLIANTLY written! Can’t wait for Book #2!
August 6, 2024
Fun story with characters you will fall in love with! I loved all the local Baltimore locations in the book. For me this read like sitcom in the best way, I couldn't wait to grab my kindle and see what Josh, Kate, and David were up to each night. It does have a heavy topic, but it really shows how people deal with and work through trauma of the past. This was a book club pick, and the book club reached out to Stephania Thompson who graciously zoomed in our book club meeting and let us dive deeper into the book with her and her writing process! Can't wait for book number 2!
August 10, 2024
I liked the Baltimore references and setting. But I couldn't get past the triangle relationship between the characters.
July 5, 2022
What a ride! I enjoyed the twists and turns "woven" throughout this story. It evoked a lot of feelings for me, but mostly sadness for the three main characters - Josh, David, and Kate. Frustration because they all have such stubborn streaks and keep secrets from one another.
These three characters are bound together by a secret from their youth. This secret keeps them wanting to live under the radar and out of the public eye. Not easy when one of their parents is a public figure. The plan? Buy a fixer upper together as a project for them to work on.
This book was entertaining enough. The characters weren't exceptionally memorable. This is the first book in the Charm City Threads series. I'd likely pick up the next book just to see who it's about and if I'm more drawn to those characters.
These three characters are bound together by a secret from their youth. This secret keeps them wanting to live under the radar and out of the public eye. Not easy when one of their parents is a public figure. The plan? Buy a fixer upper together as a project for them to work on.
This book was entertaining enough. The characters weren't exceptionally memorable. This is the first book in the Charm City Threads series. I'd likely pick up the next book just to see who it's about and if I'm more drawn to those characters.
February 24, 2023
I had mixed feelings about this book, and I had to take some time to gather my thoughts. It took me a while to get into, and even then I was a little skeptical of the whole situation. I think what would have helped me personally was a little more lead-in for me to guess about what had happened in the past, versus a reveal in the last few chapters. Looking back, I think the reveal made me understand the characters a bit better, but I still feel like something (I can’t think of what “something” is) is missing, and whatever that piece is, I think would have brought this book up a full star in my opinion. It didn’t feel like a standard romance book, which was a good thing in this case, but definitely altered my view coming in. I got to read this as an ARC through NetGalley.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews