Brought to Light

by Allie Lewis

*Brought to Light is currently being remastered and will be re-released at a later date. Visit Allie's website for more information!*
Three things Whitney is obsessed with: true crime podcasts, sticky notes, and coffee.
Two things Whitney knows for certain: she needs to focus on her future and she doesn’t want a relationship her senior year of college.
One thing Whitney never saw coming: Derek Mitchell.

When a dead body is found in the middle of Stratford University’s campus, Whitney Snow feels like she’s been dropped straight into one of the true crime podcasts she listens to every morning. She’s determined to help solve the case by whatever means necessary, but when Stratford’s golden boy, Derek Mitchell, offers to help with the investigation, Whitney isn’t so sure. Her one experience with Derek freshman year left her with a bad taste in her mouth from the guy every girl on campus seems to be obsessed with.

After Whitney reluctantly agrees to let Derek help her investigate the murder, things get even worse when rumors start spreading that the two are dating. Not wanting to rouse suspicion about what they’re really up to—especially with a potential murderer on campus—Derek and Whitney go along with this fake dating scenario. But as they work closely together to solve the case, the investigation isn’t the only thing that starts heating up. And as it turns out, the secrets buried deep within Stratford University may not be the only secrets that are brought to light.

Brought to Light is a new adult romance novel perfect for those who love a sizzling romance (without explicit sexual content) with a dash of murder mystery.

Genres: Romance, Mystery, Fake Dating, Mystery Thriller, New Adult, Rom Com, Murder Mystery

360 pages, Paperback

Published August 5, 2022

About the author

Allie Lewis has been obsessed with books since she saw the movie Matilda as a little girl. After many years spent browsing the aisles of Barnes & Noble dreaming about what it would be like to be an author, she finally decided to just make it happen. Allie is a native Houstonian and graduate of the University of Oklahoma who currently lives in the Houston suburbs with her husband and two dogs. She is an advocate for individuals with intellectual & developmental disabilities, and when she's not reading, writing, or guzzling coffee at her favorite coffee shop, you can find her whipping up baked goods in the kitchen, lifting weights, and obsessively listening to true crime podcasts. **Find me on Instagram at @authorallielewis

Reviews

[Lex · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️- full review coming soon, but thank you to allie lewis for the arc!

[Christina Marino · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

[Lauren (thebookscript) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brought to Light is an easily bingeable college romance with a mystery sub plot. Allie Lewis is a debut author who has established a wonderful voice and I was so happy to have been entrusted with her book baby!

Also shout out to Whitney for setting this book in OK! She even did a shout out to tornado sirens which filled my heart with joy haha

This book captures all those nostalgic feeling of being on a college campus. The feeling of crisp fall leaves beneath your boots, eyeing that cute boy at the library, hanging with your best friends and solving a murder in between finals? Well not quite my experience… but this book made me think this was something that could happen in real life.

When a classmate is found dead, as a true crime podcast junkie…Whitney Mitchell decides to take the investigation into her own hands. What she doesn’t expect is the proximity the case will give her to campus golden boy Derek Mitchell.

This is a fake dating, sweet romance. Derek Mitchell is the ultimate college heart throb. What he has in looks he also has in chivalry and just plain goodness. I loved the sweet chemistry between the characters and how they interacted with each other on “dates” and in the case as well!

I loved that this was “sweet romance”, had some great side characters representation and would be a book I could recommend to so many different readers.

My only critique would be is that I wanted more sleuthing and detective work between our main couple. The parts that involved them snooping were super cute and I just wanted more of that!

I am so impressed with this debut. This would make the perfect back to school fall read, and I can’t wait to see what Whitney does next!

[Maya · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was more of a romance book than a mystery one when I actually expected a murder mystery story with just a little romance side.
The romance and writing felt like I was reading a wattpad story.
The only thing I liked about this book was the very last plot that was actually not expected.

[kyla o’flaherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

blushing, kicking my feet, giggling 🥰

[Cj ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

OML! What a book!
This book had everything I needed from a fake relationship to a murder mystery. It had me in tears at some points, shocked at others and smiling ear to ear as I read through this fabulous book!
The plot twists were crazy! Once I’d gotten over one another came and bashed me on the head. 😂

This has been honestly such a delightful read and I’d definitely recommend this book! It was AMAZING 🥰

[Avery Burrage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Usually just a love story gal, but LOVED the murder mystery aspect as well. Even as a scaredy-cat! I was on my toes the whole time and obviously fell in love with Derek Mitchell🥰🤍🌈✨

Also her tribute…😍 “To Kyle, You’re better than any fictional character I could ever write”— like🤧🤧

**and a clean read**:))

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW
Thank you Allie Lewis for sending me an advanced copy of your upcoming debut Brought to Light in exchange for an honest review✨

If you love true crime and romance, you’ll definitely love this one as much as I did! I finished Brought to Light on two days and have half a mind to start over and read it again! I loved it🥰

This story had so many of my favorite things:
💜Fake Dating
💜College town setting
💜Cozy Fall Vibes
💜Disability representation
💜Flirty banter
💜Coffee dates
💜Tension😍

Derek Mitchell will steal your heart! Definitely book boyfriend material! He and Whitney’s flirty banter was so cute!

I would say if you’re a romance fan that likes a bit of mystery and sleuthing, you should grab this book when it comes out! Think Gilmore Girls meets Nancy Drew

Steam Rating:🔥🔥 (a few kissing scenes but nothing explicit)
CW: murder, violence/assault

[Rivka · Rating 1 out of 5]

why would you write this… why would you write this book

I was gonna give this 2 stars because Derek was cool but then I remembered how terrible the writing was and went back down to 1

[Jillian | pining_for_paperbacks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow this books was amazing! I was addicted to the story. Not only the murder investigation but also the romance! Who knew I’d like a little romance with crime 😂

Derek Mitchell is being added as another book boyfriend 🥵 he is swoon-worthy!

I absolutely loved the dynamic between all of the friends. They’re the most supportive friends. Alex IS THE BEST FRIEND YOU WANT. She’s hilarious and knows how to nudge a friend when it comes to loooove 😂🫶🏼

Overall this story was so well done. It’s unlike a lot of romances I’ve read. The added murder mystery really set it apart and I highly recommend this to anyone who loves college romances and crime podcasts 🥰

Thank you Allie Lewis for sending me an ARC of your new book!!

[Audrey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Came in with high hopes but was ultimately underwhelmed by this book. The premise really sold me, but the writing sadly didn’t deliver.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brought to Light-book review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This book was so easily to love and binge read. It is a college romance this a murder mystery element. This was Allie’s debut novel and she CRUSHED IT!!!

This book made me feel like I was back at my college campus, with crips fall leaves, studying at the library, seeing the cute boy from your English class walking on campus BUT add solving a murder in between finals.

A classmate is found dead, and our FMC true crime loving Whitney jumps into action. She takes the investigation into her own hands, but what she didn’t know would happen is that it would bring her in cohorts with campus star Derek Mitchell.

If this book couldn’t get any better just add in that fake dating sweet romance troupe and I was a goner. I loved the representation and perspective the side characters gave. I can not recommend this book more. I think I discovered my new favorite troupe…romance murder mystery 🕵🏼‍♀️

[Hannah June · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved that this was clean and sweet but also with the twist of a murder! This checked all the boxes for me and I would definitely recommend!

[Mani's Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have just finished this book and I’m thinking what the hell was that about?

Firstly - if the writing was of a better standard this book would’ve been half its size. Too slow, too many unnecessary details, too much.

Secondly - only got interesting around like 80%, for a chapter. For one second I thought ohhhh shoot here we go, this book’s going to go from zero to hero! Nope. Plot twist died disgracefully.

Thirdly- what the actual heck was that epilogue?

I am astounded I actually finished this book but in all honesty, it was just shambles.

[Sana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very wattpady, full of cliches nothing really special about it
This ranks the lowest of all the (fake dating trope) books I’ve read..
The only unique thing was that derek is considered the golden boy in his kindnesses not ONLY towards her.

[mer · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love betrayals, they feed my trust issues :D

onto the book!! as a NOT regular mystery reader (really i read mystery like every five years so) i can't tell you much about the mystery part, starting with the fact that i suspect everyone and then say "i knew it" when the mystery is solved. i know im a cutie. it was good, fun, short and mysterious +the romance subplot was cute too. i never felt bored while reading it. whitney had a good reason to want to investigate the murder and honestly? me too girl (with the difference that if it ever happened i would never have the confidence to actually investigate). was it predictable? umm idk as i said i even suspected the two close best friends. i liked the partnership with derek but even more that whitney seemed very independent herself. the fake dating part was obviously not a focus since the romance was a subplot but it still was fun to read. would definitely recommend to people who either don't read much mystery or want a light mystery read

[Izzie Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay. I don’t even know where to start with this book but here’s a quick synopsis-
Whitney is a senior at Stratford University with only one commitment for her senior year—not getting into a relationship. When suddenly a student is murdered on campus, her plans are turned upside down. Whitney commits to bringing justice to the victim and her family and when Derek Mitchell, a fellow student and fraternity president, decides to join her in her efforts, things get a little hectic. In order to keep their objectives in spending time together a secret, they allow the rumor to spread that they are dating. In the small town of Sunnyside Oklahoma, Wit knows the extremely small and underfunded police department is unlikely to solve the case. But with her crime podcast obsession, she thinks she might be able to scrape something together to help with the solvency of the case.
This book had the autumn setting of my dreams. With falling leaves and cramming for finals i relished this setting and enjoyed how incredibly relatable it was for me as a student.
This fake dating book swept me off my feet as i went into it with zero knowledge of what the book was about. Let’s just say I wasn’t disappointed 🤪 I will be reading anything Allie Lewis writes!

[Lily Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Derek is like the Superman character, great hair, perfect smile, and washboard abs (there must be voice emphasis when reading the last part)…. But unlike that Superman character it’s not a superficial act that he puts on, he has the integrity and humility of a saint which makes him one of the best characters (even if he is an unrealistic perfection) but regardless…what is unrealistic perfection that I’m so happy exists in the world is Derek and Whitney together! What cuties! (I did slightly cringe while writing that last line) also, my favorite character…..ALEX!! What an amazing friend! She is so kind, supportive, and lovable! Overall just a freaking babe!! I will say it was kind of a shocker how much Whitney says “oh my stars” because I have never heard someone say that unironically in my life, but it adds a whole new aspect of Whitney… rather, it “brought to light” a whole new aspect of Whitney *HAHA* overall a super sweet book that left me feeling great! Definitely recommend too!!

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a lot I really liked about this book. I can tell the authors writing style is definitely for me and I loved the romance element. The characters were so likeable and I did feel the chemistry between the main character & Derek. I also really liked the setting and got lots of autumn vibes with this book.

The only thing it lacked was more of the mystery. I think in the bigger middle of the book it became a bit forgotten and focused way more on the romance. I also think it jumped through time a bit quickly and it seemed like not much happened in those gaps of a week or two etc. I would’ve really loved if it delved into the mystery more because the couple scenes that focused on it added a lot of suspense and were really fun. Overall though it was a really good book, just needed more mystery.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a light young adult read. I enjoyed the romance, but felt like the mystery was an afterthought. I had moments of forgetting about the mystery all together.

I liked Derek’s character, although too perfect at times, but Whitney bothered me a bit. She was pretty insecure. She mentioned often how Derek couldn’t possibly like her because he was so wonderful, which got on my nerves after the first few times. At one point, she says that him walking in and then out of the room she was studying alone in, without saying anything after she spoke to him ruined her confidence for an entire year. Haha, seriously?!

Overall worth a read if you’re in the mood for something to distract you from the real world for a bit and don’t take it too seriously.

[Katja J · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

This book was a little more innocent than I usually like but I still enjoyed it. The romance was really cute in fact Derek is a real charmer!! And Whitney is pretty relatable. She’s scared of a relationship since it’s her last year of college and she doesn’t know what comes after so she doesn’t trust herself and somebody else with a relationship but if someone can change that thought it’s definitely Derek. Also extra points for her true crime obsession ehem so relatable!!! The mystery was also good but not the main selling point for me. It was really scary but that’s ok. Also fall is my favorite season so this book was perfect in that way!!! All in all a good and cute book that is perfect for some chilly days🥰

[María · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este libro me ha gustado y me ha decepcionado a partes iguales.
Empieza súper bien y es que la premisa me encanta: chica que adora los podcast de crímenes y el chico más popular de la uni se unen para investigar un asesinato.
Los personajes me han gustado mucho desde el principio y el libro tiene un ritmo muy ágil.
Sin embargo, hacia el 70% la protagonista hace algo que yo no consigo entender 🤷🏻‍♀️ y a partir de ahí creo que el ritmo baja un poco a pesar de ser la parte final y en la que se descubre todo.
Me ha gustado que no fuese el asesino la persona más obvia y me ha sorprendido un montón porque no me lo esperaba.

Un libro cute pero sin mucho más.

[Leah Jubilee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt catered to... Lewis somehow knew what I wanted in a romance mystery, and in a man, and in a story... Let's move on.

The mystery wasn't terribly deep, but it wasn't trying to be! Besides, it was clearly deep enough, because I thought I was smart enough to guess the bad guy by the end, and I was... wrong.

The entire book was delightfully collage. Having lived that life, it rang so true to me and made me laugh so much.

I will say, the writing wasn't very formal. I always prefer writing to be very correct and this one took liberties. It wasn't offensive, just not my favorite.

This book is cuteness with danger swirled in and you should go read it. :)

[Hermione · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

I really loved thissss
I don't know what to say, I didn't adore it, my feeling weren't that strong as let's say Bridgerton 3 but I loved it
I loved the characters, Whitney, Derek, Phoebe, Alex omg I loved Alex
The friendships and the relationships between them felt so real and important and everything was perfect
The perfect amount of mystery and romance and the plot twists in the end were so good, I wasn't expecting them in the least and yeah, so good and shocking and satisfying
Great book

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Look, from the minute Derek entered the scene I was HOOKED!! I absolutely loved the slow burn romance and the build up made them finally getting together so satisfying! Being set in college totally took me back down memory lane, and I never guessed the twist of who did it at the end! My only couple critiques would be that ‘Oklahoma’ was referenced a bit too much and that the beginning chapters for some reason seemed a little slow, but like I said once Derek was introduced I couldn’t put it down!!

[Deanna Gamble · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a debut novel, I am absolutely blown away! This was such a great book. I deeply loved all the characters. I wish there was a little more actual sleuthing written into Whitney and Derek’s journey, because it was such a fun story line, but otherwise i have no complaints. Although I just finished the story, I already miss everyone. I can't wait to read whatever comes next from this author, and I'm secretly hoping for a sequel.

[Isabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of book that you start casually reading, and then suddenly you’re 150 pages in, debating whether you should cancel your evening plans just so you can keep reading.

This book has it all: fantastic plot and pacing, beloved tropes expressed in a new and fun way, characters that you fall in love with immediately, and a plot twist that makes you gasp so loudly that your dog wakes up from her nap. So so good!!!

[Taylor Cantwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can hardly put into words how much I ADORED this book. As if the Pride & Prejudice, Criminal Minds, and true crime podcast references weren’t enough the story is so engaging. My jaw was on the floor by the end. I loved how beautifully the romance and mystery storylines blended together. This book delivered on that cozy feeling of being curled up with a great read on a perfect Fall day. I can’t recommend this enough. Derek Mitchell & Whitney Snow supremacy.

[Klaudia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Whitney, you fucking moron.
The most annoying character of all annoying characters ever. She was so immature and was changing her mind so quickly that I was surprised she didn't suspect herself as a murderer.
As a fan of a true crime podcasts, she should have known more than the most basic info. And also I simply cannot believe that the police in real world would be fine to consult the investigation details with a student? Seriously, no.

[tasha 𓆉 · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute and lighthearted, and it being a ‘clean’ romance was actually quite refreshing. at times I felt like the mystery plot took a backseat to the romance plot, but was satisfied with the way the mystery played out and was wrapped up. I felt like it was done well, not leaving as many loose ends as I had initially expected.

can I just say that I did NOT love the fact that Derek proposed at the end. they had only been dating for like one semester and it just felt too rushed for me.