If You're Reading This...

by Kiersten Modglin

The day of their dreams was nothing short of a nightmare.

On the one-year anniversary of her wedding, Colbie Moore's life looks nothing like it should.
Still grieving the loss of the man she meant to spend her life with, Colbie prepares for a weekend away to take her mind off her heartache, but the simple plan results in much more than she bargained for.

A box of letters, meant for the bride and groom to open on their anniversary, is instead opened by Colbie and her three best friends—Miles, James, and Eric.
And what it holds could ruin everything.

A mysterious note from a surprising sender shocks Colbie, propelling her down a dark path to discover the truth about the man she loved—his life and his death—before it's too late.

Soon, Colbie begins to question everyone around her as the mystery unravels.
What was Phil hiding from her when he died?
What secrets are still hidden?

The closer she gets to answers, the clearer it becomes that someone has gone to great lengths to protect their lies.
And if she pushes any more, everything she has left could be exactly what she stands to lose.

Is it worth risking everything to truly know the man she's already lost?
After all, she's been warned…she might not be able to handle what she finds.

A heart-wrenching domestic suspense about love, loss, and deception from bestselling author Kiersten Modglin.

Genres: Audiobook, Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Romance

258 pages, Paperback

First published August 26, 2014

About the author

KIERSTEN MODGLIN is a #1 bestselling author of psychological thrillers. Her books have sold over two million copies and been translated into multiple languages. Kiersten is a member of International Thriller Writers, Novelists, Inc., and the Alliance of Independent Authors. She is a KDP Select All-Star and a recipient of ThrillerFix's Best Psychological Thriller Award, Suspense Magazine's Best Book of 2021 Award, a 2022 Silver Falchion for Best Suspense, and a 2022 Silver Falchion for Best Overall Book of 2021. Kiersten grew up in rural western Kentucky and later relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, where she now lives with her family. Kiersten's readers across the world lovingly refer to her as "KMod." A binge-watching expert, psychology fanatic, and indoor enthusiast, Kiersten enjoys rainy days spent with her favorite people and evenings with her nose in a book.

CONNECT WITH KIERSTEN:

➜ WEBSITE: kierstenmodglinauthor.com
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Kiersten Modglin may be coming to a city near you! Check out her “events” tab to see all the signings she’s attending in the near future:

➜ kierstenmodglinauthor.com/events

Reviews

[Melissa (Hiatus due to Death in Family) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Generally, Kiersten Modglin's books are entertaining. I listened to this as an audiobook, and the narrator does a great job at keeping the story moving.

I just found this one to be more unbelievable than most of her books. It's about Colbie, whose husband-to-be, Phil, dies on their wedding day. Now, one year later, she and three male friends: James, her "best friend", Eric, Phil's best friend and now a close friend of hers, and Miles, who played in the band at their wedding but has also become a good friend, all go on a trip together. She is planning to open a box of letters that they received at the wedding and dun dun dun! there's a letter from Phil saying that if she was reading it, he was dead. Was his death more than it appeared on the surface?

There were just way too many plot holes in this book for it to flow well and make sense to me. Colbie grated on me throughout the book. I know she was in love with Phil and was heartbroken when he died, but seriously, she's still so broken up about it that she can't sleep at night. Still deeply mourning him? I didn't pick up on how long they had actually been together before the wedding, but I got the impression that it wasn't all that long.

It was so laughable--they get to this AirBnB and there are three bedrooms, each with two beds in them, for four people. I assumed two of the guys would end up rooming together so that Colbie could have her own room. But NO! Each guy has a room and she sleeps in a different one each night so as "not to play favorites". Say what? The entire weekend was for her to grieve and mourn, and they knew ahead of time how many rooms there were, why didn't they work it out before arrival?

Here are some other questions I have:
Who in their right mind would sit in the bridal room, by herself/with her stepdad, for an hour or two past the wedding start time waiting for the ceremony to start? That's right, NO ONE. I'd be out there chasing down the wedding planner asking what the heck was up.

Why would Colbie just assume that she could stay in the house? Wouldn't she ask questions and wonder who was paying for the house as she is living there for a YEAR?

There are so many other things. She just absolutely grated on my last nerve with her whining and flipping out over everything.

The solution to "what exactly happened to Phil" was also totally laughable and the reasons behind it were just...head shakingly silly.

I'm only giving this 2 stars instead of 1 because it was entertaining enough to distract me when I was grocery shopping. Super fast paced and short enough that I didn't get bored before I finished.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ever since I listened to Kiersten Modglin's Our Little Secret last year, all her novels have become my must-read. They are addictive and full of suspense.

"If You're Reading This..." follows Colbie, a bride-to-be who didn't have a chance to say I DO when the groom died on their wedding day. On her supposedly one-year anniversary, Colbie will open a box of letters that were meant for the couple. The task is too painful, and she couldn't go through it alone so she invited her three closest friends - Miles, James, and Eric- to be with her on a mini holiday. When the moment arrives, one of the letters changes everything she thought she knew!

Kiersten Modglin consistently delivers entertaining fast pace domestic suspense. However, "If You're Reading This..." lacks the heart-pounding suspense and multiple twists that I've come to expect from the author. KMod spoiled us!! There are also a few unrealistic, eye-rolling, and sappy moments. My main disappointment is probably Colbie who I didn't really connect with. Even though this one didn't become my new favorite, the audiobook was still enjoyable.

Thank you Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for this ALC.
Audiobook out Nov 15, 2022.

[Sheri · Rating 2 out of 5]

The positive here is also the book's negative. It's a quick, dialogue-based read with just enough possibilities to keep you interested without leading you astray, but that also means you're never fully suspense-filled and you're always waiting to turn the page into major action. After much eye rolling over the insipid Colbie, her devoted man friends, and the many unbelievable moments, the answers and final resolution come in the last 10%. Thankfully the quick read got me there fast and the ending wasn't drawn out because the whole thing just left me feeling ugh. Generally speaking, it's a decent enough read where I had only had to suspend disbelief over minor things, until the end where all logic was thrown out the window. Despite this, I would read more by this author.

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sign me up for the KMod fan club. She puts the "pop" in popcorn thrillers. After reading the Arrangement Trilogy, I was quite confident this 2022 release would be a captivating and compelling read. Opened this one up this morning and I'm already finished before bed. Titles by this author do tend to be shorter than some others in the genre, but they pack a punch. In this one there is a good amount of angst from the death of a groom who died on his wedding day a year ago. The almost bride (Colbie) has a box of letters to read on what would have been their first anniversary. Accompanying her for the weekend are the best man, her "man of honor," and the wedding singer. What could possibly go wrong? You will have to read it yourself and find out. It's a barnburner of a book.

[Nina (ninjasbooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like always, Modglin’s books don’t go into details too much. It was not very bad, but not very good either. One of those books where I just felt like I’ve heard it all before. The twist didn’t sit well with me either, and there was something about all these boys fawning over the main characters that made me want to roll my eyes.

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25⭐ for the audiobook

Featuring ~ single 1st person POV, dual timeline, death of fiancé, secrets

Our main characters are:
Colbie ~ surviving fiance
Phil ~ deceased fiance
James ~ Colbie's BFF
Eric ~ Phil's BFF
Miles ~ a close friend

One year after the wedding day death of Phil, Colbie goes away for the weekend with James, Eric and Miles in order to open letters written to the bride and groom. There's one letter in there that opens up a whole can of worms.

I did like the plot and the dual timeline of the present and a year before on the wedding day. I wouldn't say it was super suspenseful, but it kept me intrigued and patiently waiting to know how Phil died and what his secret was. The secret was on the meh side for me. For the most part I didn't really mind any of the main characters. I hated the characters I was supposed to ~ Phil's parents and Colbie's sister. I was surprised about the ending, not the death part but the end end, and I'm not sure I liked it.

Narrated by Subhadra Newton for 6 hours on the dot, easy to follow at 2x. She did a lovely job and I didn't mind her male voices.

*Thanks to Dreamscape Media, the author and NetGalley for an audiobook copy. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*

Follow me here ➡ Blog ~ Facebook

[Nazanin · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

A bride on her wedding day, still dressed in white but tattered, torn, and bloody sitting in the waiting room of the emergency room. On the day that was supposed to be her happiest day, everything was ripped away from her, everything has been ruined. For the whys and hows, you should read the book but I wouldn't recommend it.

Told in single POV, 1st person, it can be read as a standalone. I loved my previous read by this author and that’s why I decided to read this one but it was a mistake. First of all, it was so predictable. Second, I wouldn’t count it as a thriller. No excitement during reading it. Overall, it was a disappointment but I hope you enjoy it more than me!

[Tonya · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just an okay audiobook. It was slightly entertaining, but failed to hook me. It’s definitely not a thriller, but more of a mystery. The narrator does a good job bringing the story to life, but I still never felt completely engaged. This wasn’t necessarily a “bad” book, but just wasn’t for me. Thank you NetGalley for my audiobook.

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kiersten Modglin writes an insane number of books a year and somehow they are all great! This book has a bit of a different vibe, but it was still excellent. She writes in a way that you have devour the whole thing immediately to figure out what happened. This wasn’t her most suspenseful book, but I liked it and the way the story was told with so much honesty about grief as well. Kiersten’s characters are always alive and full of realistic emotion. Colbie and Phil were supposed to be wed but tragedy struck. On what would have been their first anniversary Colbie opens a box of letters and finds one that makes her realize there were things she didn’t know about her fiancé and she becomes determined to figure it out with the help of her three best friends.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are not many authors who are able to release ten plus books per year but somehow KMod does this and she makes it look easy. Not only is she releasing a ton of books each year, she’s also still maintaining a really high quality with her books AND she somehow manages to come up with really original ideas for her books. I swear the concepts she writes about are always interesting and this was no exception. Actually, I even found it to have a slightly different feel to her other books and I mean that in a good way. This was emotionally charged and while it still felt very much like a suspenseful story, it didn’t have the usual twists and turns throughout. But of course there was a shocking turn in the end, it is KMod after all, I just wanted to point out that this one felt unique compared to some of her other books. Colbie was a character you can’t help rooting for, she’s been through so much and while she knows finding answers may help her with closure, she also knows it’ll be painful. I’m gonna stop with details there but if you like thrillers with an emotional component that are still very fast paced, give this one a try!

[Eric · Rating 1 out of 5]

I normally love all kmod books but unfortunately this one just didn’t do it for me. I was still entertained and and somewhat enjoyed it but it just wasn’t as captivating as all of her others. I was a little bored until about 80% of the book where it finally got interesting. The book didn’t really even read like a thriller until the last few chapters. Maybe it’s because I’ve set such a high bar for kmod in my head that I expect to be blown away and this book just wasn’t for me.

*I got kicked and blocked from a Facebook review group from this author for giving an honest review. So the reviews for her books may be artificially high*

[Jodie | GeauxGetLit · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 salacious stars to the latest release from the formidable Queen of Twists

If You’re Reading This, is a fast, one sitting read that will keep you flipping pages. This was a fun read by KMod spinning her famous domestic thrillers into joy.

This one book has a little bit more heart than most of her other books, so if you’ve been waiting on a way to ease yourself into her twisty reads…start with this one!!


Many thanks to Kiersten Modglin for the Earc for my honest opinion.

[Brianna Hart · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really into this book for a bit. Honestly, the plot kept me hooked and I was intrigued until the end when the final details came out. The ending was super anticlimactic and, honestly, kind of boring. I also didn’t like how the family acted, they were a step beyond horrible.

🌀Synopsis
It’s been one year since Colbie’s fiancé passed away on their wedding day. They didn’t even get to the ceremony as he died of a heart attack before they could be married.

Now, one year later, she’s headed kn a trip with the three guys that have gotten her through since that day. They are going to open the letter that we’re left for them to open on their 1 year anniversary as a couple. It’s heartbreaking but Colbie knows she has to do it. Then she finds a note her fiancé wrote indicating he may have known he was about to die. Which is impossible since it was a heart attack…right?

Colbie decides to dig in and find out what really happened. After a visit to her late fiancé’s family someone slashes her tires and starts following her around. She is even more certain something bad happened to cause the death and then she overhears a conversation that will change her life forever and answer some questions.

[Robin Loves Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Colbie Moore is about to celebrate the most unusual of wedding anniversaries. It is one year after she was to say I do to a husband that died unexpectedly just before she got the chance. Together with her three best friends, Miles, James, and Eric, Colbie is ready to open a box of letters, letters meant to be opened by her and her husband Phil on their precious first anniversary. Thankfully, she is not alone, and with the help of her friends, she should be able to get through this difficult endeavor.

Opening the letters gets harder and harder. Especially as one of the letters contains just enough evidence to indicate that Phil might not have been the man she thought he was. Who was the man that she was just about to marry? Furthermore, why are his parents being so hateful towards her? Then, as if she doesn’t have enough to concern herself with, Colbie is forced to examine each of her friendships, with no guarantee that she will like what she finds. As the story unfolds, it flips between past and present, thus building a very intriguing story.

Kiersten Modglin is a prolific author who has recently landed on my radar. Now I have a challenge to read every single book this incredibly talented author has written. I love that I learned about her writing while reading several of her psychological thriller novels. This book is a very well-written domestic suspense, which I found to be quite a pleasant turn. For a page-turning book that is sure to capture the reader’s attention, one with a few twists and a surprising ending, If You’re Reading This comes strongly recommended.

Many thanks to Kiersten Modglin for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

[donna backshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I flew through this one in an afternoon, and it was pretty good. Not fantastic, but pretty darned good, just as you'd expect from Kiersten Modglin.

Is time simply flying, or is Ms. Modglin writing books faster than I can read them? I feel like every time I turn around, someone's announcing "new from Kiersten Modglin" and I'm like, "Didn't I just read her latest last week?" Regardless, I'm always first to jump up and yell, "Gimme, gimme!"

This time around, we have a super effed-up situation with an almost-bride, Colbie, who lost her husband-to-be just minutes before they were to be wed. A year later, she gathers three close friends and takes an anniversary tribute trip for closure, and BOY DOES SHE GET IT. No spoilers here, but I will say that this is a firm lesson on being careful what you wish for, since actually getting it may suck in ways you can't imagine.

[Kristina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yikes

I’m only giving this 2 stars because it’s K-Mod. I have read all of her books and loved them. This one, honestly I hated it. I feel bad about that, but I did.
Colbie’s character was annoying. The entire plot was annoying. Phil dies after a two hour delay in the start of their nuptials. What bride is waiting two hours without leaving the room to see what’s up? Then her male BFF, Phil’s BFF & the band guy spend the next year consoling her? Ugh, yuck. All to “protect” her from the truth and more or less fight for her love. Just yuck.

[🌹Natasha🌹 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gosh damn I hate doing this, especially to an author I adore but this one did not grab my attention. It was just a lot of dialogue that I felt unnecessary. I was kind of bored with the characters. I didn’t find it very captivating.

I guess I’m more used to KMod books being packed with twists and turns & has me asking lots and lots of questions throughout the story but not this one. I did know that going in because it was said that this was not your normal KMod story. But still, I don’t really know what I was expecting but it wasn’t this I guess.

On to the next KMod book because like I’ve said before…I will read them all:)

[Courtney (caffeinereadrepeat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cover Me In Chocolate & Roll Me In Sprinkles! 😳😯🤯😳😯

Okay seriously! Can we just acknowledge first and foremost how K-Mod seems to never be short on ideas, especially original ones?! I just LOVE her freakin' crazy mind with writing. Now as for this new humdinger of a book coming soon to KU / Paperback near you, have a baseball bat handy for all the freakin' curveballs This Queen will throw at you throughout!

Mყ 𝐒ყɴ𝐨ρѕιѕ: A year ago was the best and worst day of Colbie's life when her soon-to-be-husband, Phil, died unexpectedly. With her three best male friends, that have become her anchor through the past year, they all agree to embark on a getaway for a weekend of what was meant to be the one year wedding anniversary for Colbie and open the box of wedding letters from the wedding. But what was hopeful to be comforting and impart some closure, quickly turns after a mysterious letter that will set in motion anything and everything she knew about Phil. And the more she tries to unearth and uncover, the more lies and questions she's left with. But can she accept the answers to come?

This was an absolute mind-boggle game of deception, uncertainty, suspense mixed with one heckuva creative-ending crafted by the great thriller queen! The ending is like biting into the most scrumptious brownie to realize it's full of your favourite filling centre as a surprise. And it will make you realize how friendship can run deeper than even family. So how far would you go, for the ones you love?

Thank you to Kiersten Modglin & her team for this ARC.
Release Date: September 1, 2022

𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭: 4 / 5 Beach Waves! 🌊

[January · Rating 1 out of 5]

If You're Reading This... by Kiersten Modglin
6h narrated by Subhadra Newton, 258 pages

Genre: Suspense, Thriller > Mystery Thriller; Contemporary, Romance

Featuring: Wedding Day, Vacation, Paint Drying, Naïveté

Rating as a movie: R

Artists for the soundtrack: Taylor Swift, Ed Sheridan, Adele

My rating: ⭐️🥱

My thoughts: 📱24% 1:26:55 Ch. 9 - This is tedious. I'm going to have to have other books to get me through this. My nonfiction sleep book had more action, not a joke.
📱74% 4:28:47 Ch. 20 - Nothing much has changed. I think this may be my new lowest-rated Kiersten Modglin book.

This was the stupidest book! It was not a thriller nor a mystery, just a lot of whining mixed with flashbacks and reveals that were pretty obvious. This story was wearisome from start to finish. I don't know if it's the worst book of the year for me, but it's in my top 5.

Recommend to others?: Never. I sincerely recommend you skip this book.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you're reading THIS.
Kirsten Modglin.


Another great suspense thriller.
this author is truly the Queen of suspense .


What a great story one that had me hooked from the beginning To that very last page, Things that you never see coming..


what are best friends for if they don't do what they do for you..
Sometimes friends do things things they wouldn't normally do.



There was a wedding, Things didn't go as planned.



One year later.. There is a Box Of letters.. A anniversary of one year.
Now there's things you must know the truth about.

Sometimes you don't know your loved ones like you think...



another absolutely fabulous hit.. Phenomenal psychological Thriller this author is the Queen of suspense and she's got what it takes to keep writing those books and giving us more . I really liked this author her work is fabulous.

Thank you Kiersten Modglin.

[Brittany Becker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The queen of suspense is at it again. I literally look forward each month to get an arc copy of her next book! This was such a wild ride.

Colbie’s husband dies the night of their wedding, then a year later, she opens the box of letters meant for their one year anniversary. A shocking letter inside changes everything for Colbie.

The twist at the end had me shook! I did not see that coming at all. Great job as usual Kiersten!

[Jamele (BookswithJams) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a little different from what I’m used to reading by this author, and by that I mean we had some romance throughout this one! However, KMod has done it again with a twisty domestic suspense that was a bit on the tame side but equally as good as others that I have read by her. It is the one-year anniversary of Colbie Moore’s wedding and what should be a happy time in her life is nothing but, as she is still grieving her soulmate. She is getting ready to head out on a weekend getaway to take her mind off of everything but her plan evolves into so much more. She has a box of letters the wedding attendees wrote for the couple to open on their one year anniversary, but instead, she is set to open them with her three bff’s - Miles, James, and Eric. And we can easily assume the weekend won’t be the same once she reads them.

One of the letters is from a surprising sender, and this one is a game changer, causing Colbie to question everything about what happened at the wedding. What was Phil hiding when he died? What else is still hidden that needs to come to light? The more she questions, the more she finds, and she may not like what she learns.

This is a quick, one-setting read, which is what I love about this author, as well as the fact that you never really quite figure out what is going to happen or how the story is going to end up. You may guess a couple of things but not all of them and she always ends the story in the most satisfying way. As I noted, this one has a bit of a romance side to it, which means it isn’t as dark as I like her books to be but overall I loved this one and am already looking forward to the next book!

Thank you to Kiersten Modglin for the ARC to review. Pub date is 9/1, make sure this one is on your list!!

[Brittany Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another addictive read by KMod. It’s no secret that I love her writing style and fly through every book I read by this author. I really enjoyed this one and found myself reading for hours at a time, as per the usual when KMod hooks me. This book pulls at your heart strings as you experience the grief of Colbie after her “almost” husband died on their wedding day. After a year, Colbie finds a letter from him that makes her suspicious of his death and causes her to dig deeper. The end result is so shocking and leaves the reader unsure of what could possibly happen next. While I was kind of expecting Colbie’s final reaction to be a little different than it played out, I loved the ending! Another great read by Kiersten Modglin!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this storyline and the narration is fantastic! The plot itself had very few twists that weren’t predictable for me but I was surprised with how it ended. I’ve read a few of this authors other books and they’re well written and have deep characters. I would definitely recommend for anyone who likes domestic thrillers, and I look forward to reading what she releases next!

[Jennifer Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If You’re Reading This….
Kiersten Modglin
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Well from the beginning I was invested….I might learn my lesson and try not to guess what is going to in Kierstens books because well I was totally wrong! However she does it again with that twist at the end! I would love to be in Kierstens mind, because she knocked it out of the park again!

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to suspend every morsel of disbelief but I loved every moment of it. One of my new favorites from her!

[Katie T]

Dnf 55% absolutely nothing is happening!

[EmG ReadsDaily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thrilling story of grief, guilt and hidden motives.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

One and a half stars. Terribly written. ‘She puffed out a breath’, ‘tucked a strand of chocolate brown hair’ and ‘understatement of the century’ are the kinds of phrases that are used repeatedly.

[Zoe Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this one in two sittings (unfortunately I had to go to work :/ ) it’s a fast based thriller from KMod.

The story kicks off in the hospital on Colbies wedding day where her husband to be Phil is pronounced dead. Her three best friends - James , Eric and Miles help her get through the next year of her life. However after discovering a letter wrote from Phil before his death, questions start arising about his murky past and who is keeping secrets.