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Just One More
A librarian investigates her husband’s dark past and winds up dead. Now it’s up to her best friend to uncover the truth. Becca’s life is turned upside down when she finds Jenn dead in the bathtub. Soon she begins to unspool the secrets Jenn kept in life, including a troubled marriage to Rick and two dead wives in his past. The more Becca learns, the more determined she becomes to get justice for Jenn, even if the clues surrounding her death aren’t quite adding up.… Over a year before her death, Jenn begins to notice her husband acting strangely. Using her skills as a librarian, she digs into Rick’s past―and falls down a rabbit hole far deeper and darker than she bargained for. She’s already beaten the odds by living longer than his other dead wives. But now she fears her time is up. This page-turning story of marriage, friendship, and motherhood is a first foray into thriller by USA Today bestseller Annette Lyon.
280 pages, Hardcover
First published March 21, 2023
About the author
Annette Lyon
81 books310 followersAnnette Lyon is a USA Today bestselling author, an 9-time recipient of Utah’s Best in State medal for fiction (three times for novel-length works and five times for short fiction), and a Whitney Award winner for BAND OF SISTERS. She's the author of over a dozen novels, at least that many novellas, a cookbook, a popular grammar guide, and over a hundred magazine articles.
She’s a founder and regular contributor of the Timeless Romance Anthologies line of sweet romance stories, which she served as editor for its first three years. She's also one of the four co-authors of The Newport Ladies Book Club series. She graduated cum laude from BYU with a degree in English.
Annette is represented by Jill Marsal of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.
Her first suspense novel, Just One More, releases 2023 through Scarlet Suspense.
She’s a founder and regular contributor of the Timeless Romance Anthologies line of sweet romance stories, which she served as editor for its first three years. She's also one of the four co-authors of The Newport Ladies Book Club series. She graduated cum laude from BYU with a degree in English.
Annette is represented by Jill Marsal of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.
Her first suspense novel, Just One More, releases 2023 through Scarlet Suspense.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
December 29, 2023
Jenn has always wanted a family. Raised in foster care, it’s the one thing she longs for. So when she meets Rick Banks, she falls hard and fast. In the blink of an eye, she’s Mrs. Banks and life seems perfect. But after the wedding, Jenn discovers her husband isn’t quite what he’d seemed. Instead of kind and adoring, he turns into someone she needs to stay on the right side of—or else face his anger. Worse still, there are things that just don’t seem to add up about her new husband. Things that make her question herself as well as the stories about his past that he’s told her throughout their brief courtship.
Determined to figure out the truth about her new husband, Jenn starts digging into Rick’s life story. Before she knows it, however, startling facts are exposed, including that there are a couple of dead wives in his past. While Jenn knows that this doesn’t bode well for her either, she can’t stop herself from looking deeper and darker. If she isn’t careful, however, she’s afraid she’ll face the same ultimate fate. For all she knows, her death is already guaranteed.
Just over a year later, Becca Kalos is watching Jenn’s five-month-old daughter for the morning. So close that they could be sisters, Becca is suddenly overcome with a strange feeling that something is wrong. Arriving at Jenn’s house, she looks all over until she reaches the master bathroom. Inside, just as she’d feared, Becca finds her best friend fully clothed and dead in the bathtub.
Heartbroken and reeling, Becca tries to put the pieces together. Everyone loved Jenn, so who could’ve wanted her dead? Working as fast as she can, Becca starts to unearth her best friend’s well hidden secrets including a difficult marriage and Rick’s two very dead prior wives. No matter what she learns, however, Becca will not give up. After all, someone has to pay for what happened to Jenn. The further she digs, though, the less sense the whole thing seems to make. What happened in that bathroom? And how far will Becca have to go to get justice for Jenn?
To my regular readers, you may have noticed that when I review a truly great book, I normally start with an emphatic phrase. You know, like “Holy guacamole!” or “Oh my God!” Well, after finishing Just One More, I honestly couldn’t think of any that would do this one justice. I perused my normal arsenal, but came up empty handed. No joke, but the thrills and chills of this novel were simply that good.
Starting off with a bang, the touching depiction of indomitable friendship and motherhood were something to behold. From the depths of grief to the typical mama bear act, the emotion rang loud and clear with each additional word. At the same time, however, the suspense felt all too real and as the page count grew, so too did the foreboding and unease. So much so, that my adrenaline spiked and I raced to learn what would become of this dynamite cast.
Speaking of the characters, they felt wholly genuine in more ways than one. With true-to-life dialogue and two easy to follow alternating POVs, both Jenn and Becca felt as real as could be. Add in the monster in sheep’s clothing and these personalities were pure perfection. So much so that I’m positive they’d play out beautifully on the silver screen, making the reader both empathize and detest in equal measure.
It was the plot, however, that nailed this in one. Filled with unguessable twists and an utterly original premise, I fell in love with it more and more as I inhaled every page. Include the creep factor and unending tension and this was quite the doozy of a domestic thriller. What really got me in the end, however, was the unexpected climax which was followed up with an equally brilliant conclusion. Both created a story that was anything but commonplace, and instead left me thinking long and hard after closing the cover—something few thrillers can muster.
By the end, the intricate plot and richly layered characters had me falling head over heels for this book. Between the devastating countdown to Jenn’s death in one POV and Becca’s search for the truth in the other, the storyline was both well-plotted and a delicious slow burn. All the while, it led up to a visceral, explosive finale that quite literally left my jaw on the floor. Trust me when I say that this is one majorly underhyped book. So take it from me and run out and grab a copy today. It’s simply not one to be missed. Reading of 5+ stars.
Thank you to Annette Lyon and Scarlet Suspense/Penzler Publishing for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: Out now!
👉 Be sure to head to my Amazon Storefront to order. I get a small commission and would love your support!
Trigger warning: gaslighting, death of a friend, drowning, controlling relationship, mention of: foster care, abortion
Determined to figure out the truth about her new husband, Jenn starts digging into Rick’s life story. Before she knows it, however, startling facts are exposed, including that there are a couple of dead wives in his past. While Jenn knows that this doesn’t bode well for her either, she can’t stop herself from looking deeper and darker. If she isn’t careful, however, she’s afraid she’ll face the same ultimate fate. For all she knows, her death is already guaranteed.
Just over a year later, Becca Kalos is watching Jenn’s five-month-old daughter for the morning. So close that they could be sisters, Becca is suddenly overcome with a strange feeling that something is wrong. Arriving at Jenn’s house, she looks all over until she reaches the master bathroom. Inside, just as she’d feared, Becca finds her best friend fully clothed and dead in the bathtub.
Heartbroken and reeling, Becca tries to put the pieces together. Everyone loved Jenn, so who could’ve wanted her dead? Working as fast as she can, Becca starts to unearth her best friend’s well hidden secrets including a difficult marriage and Rick’s two very dead prior wives. No matter what she learns, however, Becca will not give up. After all, someone has to pay for what happened to Jenn. The further she digs, though, the less sense the whole thing seems to make. What happened in that bathroom? And how far will Becca have to go to get justice for Jenn?
To my regular readers, you may have noticed that when I review a truly great book, I normally start with an emphatic phrase. You know, like “Holy guacamole!” or “Oh my God!” Well, after finishing Just One More, I honestly couldn’t think of any that would do this one justice. I perused my normal arsenal, but came up empty handed. No joke, but the thrills and chills of this novel were simply that good.
Starting off with a bang, the touching depiction of indomitable friendship and motherhood were something to behold. From the depths of grief to the typical mama bear act, the emotion rang loud and clear with each additional word. At the same time, however, the suspense felt all too real and as the page count grew, so too did the foreboding and unease. So much so, that my adrenaline spiked and I raced to learn what would become of this dynamite cast.
Speaking of the characters, they felt wholly genuine in more ways than one. With true-to-life dialogue and two easy to follow alternating POVs, both Jenn and Becca felt as real as could be. Add in the monster in sheep’s clothing and these personalities were pure perfection. So much so that I’m positive they’d play out beautifully on the silver screen, making the reader both empathize and detest in equal measure.
It was the plot, however, that nailed this in one. Filled with unguessable twists and an utterly original premise, I fell in love with it more and more as I inhaled every page. Include the creep factor and unending tension and this was quite the doozy of a domestic thriller. What really got me in the end, however, was the unexpected climax which was followed up with an equally brilliant conclusion. Both created a story that was anything but commonplace, and instead left me thinking long and hard after closing the cover—something few thrillers can muster.
By the end, the intricate plot and richly layered characters had me falling head over heels for this book. Between the devastating countdown to Jenn’s death in one POV and Becca’s search for the truth in the other, the storyline was both well-plotted and a delicious slow burn. All the while, it led up to a visceral, explosive finale that quite literally left my jaw on the floor. Trust me when I say that this is one majorly underhyped book. So take it from me and run out and grab a copy today. It’s simply not one to be missed. Reading of 5+ stars.
Thank you to Annette Lyon and Scarlet Suspense/Penzler Publishing for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: Out now!
👉 Be sure to head to my Amazon Storefront to order. I get a small commission and would love your support!
Trigger warning: gaslighting, death of a friend, drowning, controlling relationship, mention of: foster care, abortion
December 10, 2022
This husband gets the award for "The Darkest Past Ever"!!!
Becca's husband, Rick, has some scary skeletons in his closet. Becca is getting some suspicious vibes and starts googling him from work. She is a librarian, so she can sneak in some research time.
She takes bizarre and desperate measures. So much so that I found her actions hard to comprehend. It seems very far-fetched.
I haven't disliked a husband character this much since Jack from Behind Closed Doors (B.A. Paris). I felt so bad for Becca and couldn't wrap my head around how she could let Rick manipulate their marriage.
You probably have the picture here. The ending wasn't predictable, but made me feel very conflicted.
Thanks to Edelweiss + for my advanced copy. OUT March 21, 2023
Becca's husband, Rick, has some scary skeletons in his closet. Becca is getting some suspicious vibes and starts googling him from work. She is a librarian, so she can sneak in some research time.
She takes bizarre and desperate measures. So much so that I found her actions hard to comprehend. It seems very far-fetched.
I haven't disliked a husband character this much since Jack from Behind Closed Doors (B.A. Paris). I felt so bad for Becca and couldn't wrap my head around how she could let Rick manipulate their marriage.
You probably have the picture here. The ending wasn't predictable, but made me feel very conflicted.
Thanks to Edelweiss + for my advanced copy. OUT March 21, 2023
June 11, 2023
I can't remember what initially motivated me to pick up Just One More by Annette Lyon but I am most certainly glad I did! I was a little surprised to see it has such a high average on Goodreads since it was pretty predictable in my eyes, but never mind that because the ride was totally worth it. The story alternates between Becca's and Jenn's viewpoints with Becca's being present-day after Jenn's death and Jenn's being the time leading up to when she died. Through the two we have a great mix of what led to Jenn's death and her friend trying to figure out why she died and if it was murder. In this case, I do think the synopsis gives WAY too much away and I was really glad I went in fully blind, so nothing was ruined for me. Even though what happened was what I had predicted, since I hadn't read the synopsis beforehand, it was at least able to keep me guessing a bit more.
I would also highly recommend going the audiobook route for consumption here because the narrators Jennifer Pickens & Renée Chambliss were positively wonderful. They fully embodied their characters and did a great job of getting their characterizations for them spot on. It made this a great listening experience, and I found myself even more lost in the story than if I had just been reading it. I would categorize Just One More as a domestic drama with a dash of mystery and I thought the conclusion was immensely satisfying. It actually might be one of the best I have read, and had other parts not been so predictable I would have most certainly rated this book higher. Be that as it may, I was quite lost (good) in Lyon's writing style, and despite the slow pacing, I will be reading her again for sure.
I would also highly recommend going the audiobook route for consumption here because the narrators Jennifer Pickens & Renée Chambliss were positively wonderful. They fully embodied their characters and did a great job of getting their characterizations for them spot on. It made this a great listening experience, and I found myself even more lost in the story than if I had just been reading it. I would categorize Just One More as a domestic drama with a dash of mystery and I thought the conclusion was immensely satisfying. It actually might be one of the best I have read, and had other parts not been so predictable I would have most certainly rated this book higher. Be that as it may, I was quite lost (good) in Lyon's writing style, and despite the slow pacing, I will be reading her again for sure.
March 27, 2023
suspense, death, friendship, and motherhood. i didn't know this was going to be sad. i figured out the twist pretty early on before the reveal, but it was worth it for the emotional moment between jenn, becca and ivy 😢
February 4, 2023
Jenn and Becca are best friends. One day Jenn asks Becca to watch her daughter as she prepares for a trip she is taking with her husband. When Jenn never shows up later that day to get her daughter, Ivy, Becca goes to her house and finds Jenn in the bathtub unresponsive. Her husband, Rick, is placed under arrest for her death. When Becca cleans out Jenn's gym locker she finds evidence that Jenn has been investigating her husband and that Rick is not who he says he is. He has a history of being married before and that both of his wives have died. Becca does what she thinks is right by Jenn. Did Rick really cause Jenn's death?
My goodness, this was a really good book. JUST ONE MORE kept me up reading late into the night and into the early morning hours. I felt for Jenn as she tried to figure out what to do with her current situation. I loved the different points of view between Becca and Jenn and the alternating timelines. This always makes for an interesting book and holds my attention. I was looking at the author's backlog and I believe this is her first suspense novel. Overall, I think Annette Lyon wrote an outstanding story and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next, because I will definitely read it!! I highly recommend this one.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Penzler Publishers for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.review) in the near future!
My goodness, this was a really good book. JUST ONE MORE kept me up reading late into the night and into the early morning hours. I felt for Jenn as she tried to figure out what to do with her current situation. I loved the different points of view between Becca and Jenn and the alternating timelines. This always makes for an interesting book and holds my attention. I was looking at the author's backlog and I believe this is her first suspense novel. Overall, I think Annette Lyon wrote an outstanding story and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next, because I will definitely read it!! I highly recommend this one.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Penzler Publishers for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.review) in the near future!
March 21, 2023
Jenn & Becca have been best friends for years. Their friendship has kept them going through Becca's marriage, subsequent divorce, & life as a single mum to twins. Jenn has recently given birth to her first child, Ivy, with husband, Rick. Jenn asks Becca to watch Ivy for her whilst Jenn packs ready for a trip to the lake with her husband & baby, & drops Ivy at Becca's house. When she hasn't heard from Jenn after a couple of hours, Becca texts her & tries to call her but gets no reply. Having a strange feeling about this, Becca takes Ivy home but when she gets there the house is eerily silent. Checking the property over, Becca finally finds Jenn drowned in the bath. She pulls her out & rings 911 but when the police get there, there is nothing to be done.
At first, Becca wonders if it was a home invasion gone wrong, but the police won't tell her anything. When Rick,. Jenna's husband arrives home, they are both taken to the station for questioning. Becca is soon dismissed but Rick is kept for hours & has to return the next day for further questioning, & he is weirdly reticent to take care of Ivy, so Becca ends up keeping her for now. After being asked to collect some of Jenn's belongings from her gym locker, Becca finds a notebook & is shocked by what she reads. It seems that a year or so before her death, her friend had started to look into Rick's past, & had discovered that not only was Rick not his real name, but that he had been married twice before, & that both of his previous wives had drowned.
A few chapters into this, I foresaw two possibilities as to how this was going to pan out, & it turns out option 2 was correct. Although it wasn't difficult to work how it was going to go, I found that it kept my attention well & I felt invested enough in the two leads to want to know what happened. As for Rick, he's a complete Rick with a capital D: gaslighter, liar, conman, but is he a murderer? Although you're shouting at Jenn in your mind to just leave at the first behavioural red flags, you can kind of understand why she feels she has to stay & try to make it work. Whilst you are reading about Jenn's version of what leads up to her demise, it's always in your mind that she's running out of time - her final hours were movingly written. Overall, it's a good read but its strength is the two main characters rather than the story line. 3.5 stars (rounded up)
TW: gaslighting, toxic relationship, death of a pet (very brief)
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Penzler Publishers/Scarlet, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
At first, Becca wonders if it was a home invasion gone wrong, but the police won't tell her anything. When Rick,. Jenna's husband arrives home, they are both taken to the station for questioning. Becca is soon dismissed but Rick is kept for hours & has to return the next day for further questioning, & he is weirdly reticent to take care of Ivy, so Becca ends up keeping her for now. After being asked to collect some of Jenn's belongings from her gym locker, Becca finds a notebook & is shocked by what she reads. It seems that a year or so before her death, her friend had started to look into Rick's past, & had discovered that not only was Rick not his real name, but that he had been married twice before, & that both of his previous wives had drowned.
A few chapters into this, I foresaw two possibilities as to how this was going to pan out, & it turns out option 2 was correct. Although it wasn't difficult to work how it was going to go, I found that it kept my attention well & I felt invested enough in the two leads to want to know what happened. As for Rick, he's a complete Rick with a capital D: gaslighter, liar, conman, but is he a murderer? Although you're shouting at Jenn in your mind to just leave at the first behavioural red flags, you can kind of understand why she feels she has to stay & try to make it work. Whilst you are reading about Jenn's version of what leads up to her demise, it's always in your mind that she's running out of time - her final hours were movingly written. Overall, it's a good read but its strength is the two main characters rather than the story line. 3.5 stars (rounded up)
TW: gaslighting, toxic relationship, death of a pet (very brief)
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Penzler Publishers/Scarlet, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
December 15, 2022
Thank you NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for the copy of Just One More. What a great start! Becca is babysitting for her best friend Jenna, then finds her dead in the bathtub at home! How can you NOT love this opening chapter? I liked where the title came from and the friendship between Jenn and Becca. The momentum slows down quite a bit when we start learning more about Jenn and Rick, and Jenn starts uncovering Rick’s secrets. I admired her librarian research skills and how she tried to cover up her location and actions. I didn’t understand why she stayed with him, especially since he was not a nice guy even before she learned about his past. Why didn’t she use her librarian skills to find help? At the very least why didn’t she tell Becca she was worried and if anything happened to her to find the evidence in her locker? It was just beyond belief for me. Then the story gets even MORE unbelievable. If you like shocking twists, you will probably love this book, but for me a twist is secondary to the whole story and this one made no sense at all. I can’t say why without spoilers, but I will say the book had a great premise even when Jenn kept everything to herself, but the resolution was too much. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 because the story had great promise at first for what the book could have been and I liked how it was written for the most part.
November 10, 2022
Sheer perfection! This is such a cleverly written book with layered characters and such a tension filled atmosphere. The whole book you can feel that something is off but you just don't know what it is exactly until the end. There are twists and turns and I just loved how real the whole story felt. It's written in such a way that the plot is always moving forward and that you can see it all playing out so clearly that it's like watching a netflix series. This has all the elements you'd want in a thriller with absolutely none if the clichés or same old characters and twists throw in. It's completely original and just such a good book to get lost in. I ciuldnt recommend it highly enough
April 28, 2023
This book was a real nail-biter. The structure of it, switching back and forth between Becca's point of view in the current action of the story and Jenn's point of view in the year leading up to the murder, is unique and works marvelously. Gripping and startling.
March 21, 2023
I couldn't read the pages of this creepy thriller fast enough. While the reader comes to figure out the most likely culprit fairly quickly, the sinister backstory is gradually revealed through alternating chapters between past and present and Jenn's and Becca's points of view.
When Jenn's best friend, Becca, finds her dead in the bathtub, in what is obviously a murder, she is determined to bring justice to her friend. I loved the twists that I didn't see coming and really enjoyed learning the bits and pieces of clues along the way, trying to make sense of what happened and most importantly, why. It made me stop for a second and ponder on how well we really know people, especially in today's day and age.
I admired Becca and her strength and tenacity. I loved the friendship and family she and Jenn had with each other. I loved reading about their jobs and hopes and dreams, but through it all, I was thoroughly creeped out. Lyon does an amazing job of bringing this story to life.
Content: death/murder (not overly graphic); mild+ language (2-3 words used several times); suicide; talk of emotional abuse/gaslighting/etc
*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*
When Jenn's best friend, Becca, finds her dead in the bathtub, in what is obviously a murder, she is determined to bring justice to her friend. I loved the twists that I didn't see coming and really enjoyed learning the bits and pieces of clues along the way, trying to make sense of what happened and most importantly, why. It made me stop for a second and ponder on how well we really know people, especially in today's day and age.
I admired Becca and her strength and tenacity. I loved the friendship and family she and Jenn had with each other. I loved reading about their jobs and hopes and dreams, but through it all, I was thoroughly creeped out. Lyon does an amazing job of bringing this story to life.
Content: death/murder (not overly graphic); mild+ language (2-3 words used several times); suicide; talk of emotional abuse/gaslighting/etc
*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*
May 30, 2023
Audiobook update:
I really enjoyed the audiobook and especially liked that the author had two narrators--one for Jen and one for Becca. They both did a wonderful job getting the emotions of their character across, but I found I preferred one more than the other. Even though I had already read the book I was completely invested in the story. I highly recommend this one as a great one to listen to.
Holy cow what a mind-blowing story!! I couldn't stop thinking about it once I finished reading it. I've read books by Annette Lyon for years but she's never written anything like this before and I really hope she plans to write another suspense book.
When Becca finds her best friend, Jenn, dead in the bathtub she knows it has to be a murder and is determined to help find the person responsible. The story unfolds in a dual-timeline and dual perspective which alternate with each chapter. Jenn's viewpoint is in the past leading up the day she dies, and Becca's viewpoint is in the present day. I love dual point of view and really liked how this gave the reader information about Jenn, her husband Rick, and their marriage.
Everyone should have a friend like Becca. I loved how protective and caring she was with Jenn's baby girl Ivy, and that she was so tenacious in searching for the truth of what happened to her best friend all while still trying to work and take care of her children.
I loved how the story slowly unfolds and the clues are revealed. This book kept me up late into the night and not much was accomplished until I read the last page. I had so many emotions while reading this book--shock and surprise being the main two especially when I figured out the ending. I think my mouth literally dropped open! If you love mystery and suspense I highly recommend this book but be prepared to order pizza for dinner and stay up late because you're not going to be able to put it down.
Content: death/murder (not overly graphic); mild+ language (2-3 words used several times); suicide; talk of emotional abuse/gaslighting. I received a complimentary copy from the author. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I really enjoyed the audiobook and especially liked that the author had two narrators--one for Jen and one for Becca. They both did a wonderful job getting the emotions of their character across, but I found I preferred one more than the other. Even though I had already read the book I was completely invested in the story. I highly recommend this one as a great one to listen to.
Holy cow what a mind-blowing story!! I couldn't stop thinking about it once I finished reading it. I've read books by Annette Lyon for years but she's never written anything like this before and I really hope she plans to write another suspense book.
When Becca finds her best friend, Jenn, dead in the bathtub she knows it has to be a murder and is determined to help find the person responsible. The story unfolds in a dual-timeline and dual perspective which alternate with each chapter. Jenn's viewpoint is in the past leading up the day she dies, and Becca's viewpoint is in the present day. I love dual point of view and really liked how this gave the reader information about Jenn, her husband Rick, and their marriage.
Everyone should have a friend like Becca. I loved how protective and caring she was with Jenn's baby girl Ivy, and that she was so tenacious in searching for the truth of what happened to her best friend all while still trying to work and take care of her children.
I loved how the story slowly unfolds and the clues are revealed. This book kept me up late into the night and not much was accomplished until I read the last page. I had so many emotions while reading this book--shock and surprise being the main two especially when I figured out the ending. I think my mouth literally dropped open! If you love mystery and suspense I highly recommend this book but be prepared to order pizza for dinner and stay up late because you're not going to be able to put it down.
Content: death/murder (not overly graphic); mild+ language (2-3 words used several times); suicide; talk of emotional abuse/gaslighting. I received a complimentary copy from the author. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
August 10, 2023
I could not put this book down. The story bounces back and forth in time, half the time told from the point of view of a woman who died, and half the time from the point of view of her best friend who is trying to find out who killed her. The book had me on the edge of my seat for a good chunk of it.
January 10, 2025
Becca is watching her best friend’s (Jenn) baby and can’t seem to get ahold of her. When she goes to her house to check in, Jenn is lying in the bath tub, dead. As the story unravels, you have alternating viewpoints of Becca (now) and Jenn (a year or so ago).
Great audiobook, except the ending sucked.
Great audiobook, except the ending sucked.
May 19, 2023
This book will send shivers up your spine, and have you asking how well do you know your spouse?
Jenn is a librarian , and when she meets Rick ,she feels like she found her soulmate he seems perfect for her. They get married and begin their new life together.
Present- Becca is Jenn’s best friend and she doesn’t think twice about babysitting Jenn’s new baby. When Jenn fails to answer her phone or pickup her daughter, Becca worries and heads to Jenn’s home, to her horror she finds Jenn dead in the bathtub. The police arrive and immediately say her death is suspicious. They bring Rick in for questioning.
Becca is determined to uncover what happened to Jenn, she soon uncovers secrets, Jenn was living in fear, her marriage was filled with secrets and Rick isn’t who he says he is. Becca is determined to get justice for Jenn.
Past- We follow Jenn a year before her death, she begins to notice that her new husband Rick is acting odd once they got married , his stories don’t add up anymore and once she is pregnant she fears for her life. As she uses her librarian skills she digs into his past and what she uncovers shakes her to the core , he has a trail of dead wives, and she already has lived longer than the previous two. Is it to late?
This book brought tears to my eyes at times and the ending shocked me. The author did incredible job making the characters seem so real and the storyline was amazing!!
Jenn is a librarian , and when she meets Rick ,she feels like she found her soulmate he seems perfect for her. They get married and begin their new life together.
Present- Becca is Jenn’s best friend and she doesn’t think twice about babysitting Jenn’s new baby. When Jenn fails to answer her phone or pickup her daughter, Becca worries and heads to Jenn’s home, to her horror she finds Jenn dead in the bathtub. The police arrive and immediately say her death is suspicious. They bring Rick in for questioning.
Becca is determined to uncover what happened to Jenn, she soon uncovers secrets, Jenn was living in fear, her marriage was filled with secrets and Rick isn’t who he says he is. Becca is determined to get justice for Jenn.
Past- We follow Jenn a year before her death, she begins to notice that her new husband Rick is acting odd once they got married , his stories don’t add up anymore and once she is pregnant she fears for her life. As she uses her librarian skills she digs into his past and what she uncovers shakes her to the core , he has a trail of dead wives, and she already has lived longer than the previous two. Is it to late?
This book brought tears to my eyes at times and the ending shocked me. The author did incredible job making the characters seem so real and the storyline was amazing!!
March 25, 2023
Nope.
Jenn is in an abusive marriage, discovers her husband is a serial killer, and figures he is going to kill her & their baby daughter soon. So to take control of the situation, she unalives herself and frames him.
He goes to jail for it and Jenns friend Becca adopts the baby.
I’m sorry. What the fuck?
Jenn is in an abusive marriage, discovers her husband is a serial killer, and figures he is going to kill her & their baby daughter soon. So to take control of the situation, she unalives herself and frames him.
He goes to jail for it and Jenns friend Becca adopts the baby.
I’m sorry. What the fuck?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2023
Just One More is a white-knuckle dual point of view domestic thriller which drips with suspense. I practically gnawed on my tongue and held my breath to get to the end, yet utterly savoured it.
Librarian Jenn sees red flags in her husband Rick's behaviour so decides to dig into his past, relying on her researching skills. Not only does Rick have two dead wives but his lies build and build. More than anything Jenn needs to protect her young daughter, Ivy.
One fateful day her best friend Becca discovers her dearest friend dead in her bathtub and it's no accident. Reeling, Becca must take time off work (divorced with kids) and struggles to find answers. Her life changes in many ways forever. But her determination pays off.
Descriptions of raw emotions including grief are thoughtfully portrayed. One of my favourites aspects is that the story is not laden with complexities and as such my focus was on the emotional rollercoaster ride. Some character are likeable, others not. I really, really enjoyed the balance.
Domestic Thriller fans, do sink your teeth into this one. Well worth your time.
My sincere thank you to Penzler Publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this anxiety-inducing novel. I enjoyed it inside out and upside down. Every second of it.
Librarian Jenn sees red flags in her husband Rick's behaviour so decides to dig into his past, relying on her researching skills. Not only does Rick have two dead wives but his lies build and build. More than anything Jenn needs to protect her young daughter, Ivy.
One fateful day her best friend Becca discovers her dearest friend dead in her bathtub and it's no accident. Reeling, Becca must take time off work (divorced with kids) and struggles to find answers. Her life changes in many ways forever. But her determination pays off.
Descriptions of raw emotions including grief are thoughtfully portrayed. One of my favourites aspects is that the story is not laden with complexities and as such my focus was on the emotional rollercoaster ride. Some character are likeable, others not. I really, really enjoyed the balance.
Domestic Thriller fans, do sink your teeth into this one. Well worth your time.
My sincere thank you to Penzler Publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this anxiety-inducing novel. I enjoyed it inside out and upside down. Every second of it.
January 30, 2023
Book Title: Just One More
Author: Annette Lyon
Publisher: Penzier Publishers - Scarlet
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: March 21, 2023
My Rating: 3 Stars!
This is told from the POV of Jenn and Becca
Jenn is a librarian and has been investigates her husband’s dark past it appears he has some skeletons in his closet. Now she is found dead in the bathtub.
Jenn and Becca are best friend and Becca is determined to find out what happened.
She soon uncovers secrets Jenn was keeping, including a troubled marriage and two dead wives in Rick’s past.
I was rather sure there was nothing mysterious about Jenn’s death.
Hmmm
Turned out better than I thought!
I always love reading the Author’s Notes and/or acknowledgements. In this case Ms. Lyon thanks her daughter Samantha Lyon Prinster for her inspiration in a certain plot in this story. I won’t tell you that way you will read her comments!
Want to thank NetGalley and Penzier Publishers-Scarlet for granted me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for March 21, 2023
Author: Annette Lyon
Publisher: Penzier Publishers - Scarlet
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: March 21, 2023
My Rating: 3 Stars!
This is told from the POV of Jenn and Becca
Jenn is a librarian and has been investigates her husband’s dark past it appears he has some skeletons in his closet. Now she is found dead in the bathtub.
Jenn and Becca are best friend and Becca is determined to find out what happened.
She soon uncovers secrets Jenn was keeping, including a troubled marriage and two dead wives in Rick’s past.
I was rather sure there was nothing mysterious about Jenn’s death.
Hmmm
Turned out better than I thought!
I always love reading the Author’s Notes and/or acknowledgements. In this case Ms. Lyon thanks her daughter Samantha Lyon Prinster for her inspiration in a certain plot in this story. I won’t tell you that way you will read her comments!
Want to thank NetGalley and Penzier Publishers-Scarlet for granted me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for March 21, 2023
March 21, 2023
Jenn has finally met the person she wants to spend the rest of her life with. They marry and then things start to slowly fall apart. Jenn is a librarian and she begins to do research on her husband. She soon discovers that he is not the man she thought. He has a horrible past and now she must protect herself and her newborn baby.
This novel kept me intrigued from start to finish. I had no idea at first what actually happened. But, as the story unfolded, I had so many emotions! I wanted to beat up her husband so badly. I also wanted to grab Jenn and shake her and say “Stand up for yourself!” So, I will say this, the ending is a bit out of character for Jenn. This just didn’t sit too well with me. She is not the same someone portrayed throughout this book! But, you read this and let me know your thoughts.
Need a good family, suspense drama…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
This novel kept me intrigued from start to finish. I had no idea at first what actually happened. But, as the story unfolded, I had so many emotions! I wanted to beat up her husband so badly. I also wanted to grab Jenn and shake her and say “Stand up for yourself!” So, I will say this, the ending is a bit out of character for Jenn. This just didn’t sit too well with me. She is not the same someone portrayed throughout this book! But, you read this and let me know your thoughts.
Need a good family, suspense drama…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
September 5, 2023
I liked how this mystery unfolded in two perspectives; the friend trying to piece together the death of her best friend while she took over the care of her child, and the flashbacks of the murdered women as she unfolds the mystery of her husband’s past. Just One More definitely kept my attention, but it was also sad. I did figure out one of the big reveals about halfway through the book, so that took away some of the suspense, but it was still very good.
January 24, 2023
“A librarian investigates her husband’s dark past and winds up dead. Now it’s up to her best friend to uncover the truth.”
Basic domestic thriller with a manipulative relationship filled with gaslighting, love bombing and lies. A clever plot with a “twist” novice readers may not see coming. Personally, I felt there was too much foreshadowing/red herrings and drawn out paragraphs with unnecessary details. The writing was a bit closed caption- I really dislike when authors explain everything like the reader can’t put things together.
I didn’t love any of the characters and Jenn was particularly insufferable. Example:"This was a fish. Just a fish. I didn’t even know if he’d been a he. Maybe Edward should’ve been Edwina." Her search to find answers about her husband felt like an episode of Catfish complete with a reverse image search. I didn’t hate it…if you enjoyed The Last Mrs Parrish, I'd recommend it.
Thank you NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for the ARC of Just One More.
Basic domestic thriller with a manipulative relationship filled with gaslighting, love bombing and lies. A clever plot with a “twist” novice readers may not see coming. Personally, I felt there was too much foreshadowing/red herrings and drawn out paragraphs with unnecessary details. The writing was a bit closed caption- I really dislike when authors explain everything like the reader can’t put things together.
I didn’t love any of the characters and Jenn was particularly insufferable. Example:"This was a fish. Just a fish. I didn’t even know if he’d been a he. Maybe Edward should’ve been Edwina." Her search to find answers about her husband felt like an episode of Catfish complete with a reverse image search. I didn’t hate it…if you enjoyed The Last Mrs Parrish, I'd recommend it.
Thank you NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for the ARC of Just One More.
April 1, 2023
If you’re looking for a domestic suspense that will give you all the emotions, look no further. This book made me sad, pissed me off, and encouraged me to be grateful for my own husband. Grateful that he is nothing like Rick. I’m sad and pissed off because there ARE men like Rick out there (and women too) who gaslight, verbally abuse, and drag their spouses to their lowest — making them feel inadequate at every moment.
This is one of those books that gets all the stars but weighs heavy on your soul. I flew through this book because I just had to know what happened! Rick is a character you’re supposed to hate so kudos to the author for that! I clearly despise this man and am SO glad he’s fictional! The friendship between Jenn and Becca MORE than makes up for how terrible Rick is. They have a truly unshakable bond which shines light on the darkness surrounding them.
Definitely add this one to your list if you’re looking for a quick and suspenseful read with a main character who will do anything to make sure the truth is discovered.
This is one of those books that gets all the stars but weighs heavy on your soul. I flew through this book because I just had to know what happened! Rick is a character you’re supposed to hate so kudos to the author for that! I clearly despise this man and am SO glad he’s fictional! The friendship between Jenn and Becca MORE than makes up for how terrible Rick is. They have a truly unshakable bond which shines light on the darkness surrounding them.
Definitely add this one to your list if you’re looking for a quick and suspenseful read with a main character who will do anything to make sure the truth is discovered.
May 4, 2023
3.5 ⭐️!
I appreciated the clever plot and shocking ending with this book—Well done!!
Unfortunately, I found it to be SLOW…almost more appropriate for a YA community. Around page 80, I began skimming certain chapters. I was still able to continue without having missed any pertinent deets.
I would recommend for those that are new to reading psych thrillers…this ‘ol vet was unimpressed. 😂
I appreciated the clever plot and shocking ending with this book—Well done!!
Unfortunately, I found it to be SLOW…almost more appropriate for a YA community. Around page 80, I began skimming certain chapters. I was still able to continue without having missed any pertinent deets.
I would recommend for those that are new to reading psych thrillers…this ‘ol vet was unimpressed. 😂
June 5, 2023
Fantastic book! Incredible and unexpected plot twist.
June 11, 2023
This was a great book. I was pulled in immediately and was turning pages very fast to find out what would happen next …but the time line was off and confusing
August 26, 2023
Entertaining enough read with the most implausible and dumb characters :)
October 10, 2025
I thought the way it was written was very unique, with one point of view in the present and the other from the past. I was hooked from the beginning!
November 25, 2022
This was most definitely a novel of suspense. It really was like watching a car wreck that you couldn’t look away from. You see the carnage about to happen but you can’t stop it and you just watch it happen. That’s what reading this book was like. I found myself cringing at the way Jenn’s husband would speak to her. I didn’t start off on the edge of my seat, but I started to sit up a little and scoot to the edge of my seat as the book got further along because I needed to see how it would all come together. This was not a debut for Annette Lyon but it was a debut in this genre and I have to say kudos! This was very much a job well done. Thank you to netgalley and the publish r do this ARC!
December 21, 2022
Fairly run of the mill domestic thriller with a "twist".
These are coming pretttttty standard if you read enough of them. This one had a different sort of angle but I had just read "All The Dangerous Things" by Stacy Willingham which does the suspense building and ...bad husband better than anyone.
Still, this is good to read on a cold night when nothing is on tv.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
These are coming pretttttty standard if you read enough of them. This one had a different sort of angle but I had just read "All The Dangerous Things" by Stacy Willingham which does the suspense building and ...bad husband better than anyone.
Still, this is good to read on a cold night when nothing is on tv.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
August 7, 2023
This was a good story, with a surprising twist I did not see coming. It was well done, and hard to put down as the story progressed. (Although, it took me several chapters to get to that point.)
There were some serious editing problems in this book. Some were story inconsistencies, some were confusing phrasing of things. I suspect that in the latter, things got garbled in editing. Maybe. For the first, well, I can’t say much without spoiling, but one is a chapter title. Chapter 16 says April 25-56 / One Month before Drowning … um, no. That doesn’t fit the timetable at all, and should have been caught at some point in the editing process. Another thing is a reference to drug use. The first reference mentions cocaine and meth; the second (referring to the same incident) mentions meth and Xanax; a third time it mentions cocaine, meth, and an unnamed prescription anxiety medication. Another bad edit is a chapter in Becca’s perspective, she’s remembering a conversation she had, and at one point says that she looked at Becca … she was Becca. Should be looking at Jenn. All of these were distractions to me. I might’ve rated it higher, and liked it more, if these problems weren’t present.
There were some serious editing problems in this book. Some were story inconsistencies, some were confusing phrasing of things. I suspect that in the latter, things got garbled in editing. Maybe. For the first, well, I can’t say much without spoiling, but one is a chapter title. Chapter 16 says April 25-56 / One Month before Drowning … um, no. That doesn’t fit the timetable at all, and should have been caught at some point in the editing process. Another thing is a reference to drug use. The first reference mentions cocaine and meth; the second (referring to the same incident) mentions meth and Xanax; a third time it mentions cocaine, meth, and an unnamed prescription anxiety medication. Another bad edit is a chapter in Becca’s perspective, she’s remembering a conversation she had, and at one point says that she looked at Becca … she was Becca. Should be looking at Jenn. All of these were distractions to me. I might’ve rated it higher, and liked it more, if these problems weren’t present.
March 20, 2023
I liked this book until the end.
I wondered what information would be unearthed about Rick, who is slimy and creepy.
I applaud Becca for being a loyal friend, but when she got close to Rick my skin crawled.
I didn’t like the ending because I don’t think it fits the character of Jenn.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for the early read.
I wondered what information would be unearthed about Rick, who is slimy and creepy.
I applaud Becca for being a loyal friend, but when she got close to Rick my skin crawled.
I didn’t like the ending because I don’t think it fits the character of Jenn.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for the early read.
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