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sausome's review against another edition
2.0
This is your typical before/after-time-line mystery with the rich vs. poor, etc. Nothing new, but an enjoyable mystery definitely doesn't need to be new, just have an engaging story. This was somewhat engaging, but I can't say I was eager to get back to the book - it was actually more of a chore than not, so I guess I found the whole plot a little dull. I was actually much more interested in the current timeline than the past one, finding myself not really connecting to Maureen in any meaningful way. The current timeline character, Allison, seemed much more fleshed out to me than the past characters, and no one else really filled their outlines, unfortunately.
All in all, it'll do what you need a flash-in-the-pan mystery to do to get you through some hours. But I can't say it will be memorable.
All in all, it'll do what you need a flash-in-the-pan mystery to do to get you through some hours. But I can't say it will be memorable.
readingwithmygoldens's review against another edition
2.0
When I saw this title come up on Netgalley, I wasn't sure about it, but I thought I would give it a try. I was happy to be approved rather quickly and initially the book started out good enough where I liked it and wanted to keep reading. At around the 75 page mark, I thought about stopping, but I wanted to give the book a chance (so many of my book friends liked it, I try to push through more when it's an arc), but I honestly should have given up.
Even though this was an almost DNF for me, I don't think this would be a low rated or DNF for most. The story is intriguing enough - we have Maureen, a carnival worker in a beach town in 1985. She is young, has a troubled past and gets mixed up with the rich kids in town, but she can certainly hold her own. Then we have Allison, the present day perspective from a former television meteorologist who is retreating to previously mentioned beach town after an embarrassing and ultimately job ending, on-air rant against her cheating husband. Allison meets Maureen's best friend, Tammy, who now runs the local coffee shop and they become friends. Once she learns about the disappearance of Maureen, she increasingly becomes more interested to the point of not being able to let it go.
I think it was a good book enough debut, but it just wasn't for me. I found Allison kind of annoying and didn't quite understand her motivation for becoming so invested in the mystery of Maureen. While reading Maureen's perspective, it felt kind of like I've read this all before. I didn't connect well with her plight either. When you find yourself not caring for both characters or their outcome, it's hard to provide a glowing review. Those feelings are purely personal and many others find themselves feeling the opposite of what I did. The book is good at keeping you guessing, my problem was that I just didn't care that much. If you find yourself stumbling on this review and wonder what to do - I would read it. I am clearly in the minority.
Thanks to Netgalley, Harlequin and Tara Laskowski for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.
Review Date: 10/11/19
Publication Date: 10/1/19
Even though this was an almost DNF for me, I don't think this would be a low rated or DNF for most. The story is intriguing enough - we have Maureen, a carnival worker in a beach town in 1985. She is young, has a troubled past and gets mixed up with the rich kids in town, but she can certainly hold her own. Then we have Allison, the present day perspective from a former television meteorologist who is retreating to previously mentioned beach town after an embarrassing and ultimately job ending, on-air rant against her cheating husband. Allison meets Maureen's best friend, Tammy, who now runs the local coffee shop and they become friends. Once she learns about the disappearance of Maureen, she increasingly becomes more interested to the point of not being able to let it go.
I think it was a good book enough debut, but it just wasn't for me. I found Allison kind of annoying and didn't quite understand her motivation for becoming so invested in the mystery of Maureen. While reading Maureen's perspective, it felt kind of like I've read this all before. I didn't connect well with her plight either. When you find yourself not caring for both characters or their outcome, it's hard to provide a glowing review. Those feelings are purely personal and many others find themselves feeling the opposite of what I did. The book is good at keeping you guessing, my problem was that I just didn't care that much. If you find yourself stumbling on this review and wonder what to do - I would read it. I am clearly in the minority.
Thanks to Netgalley, Harlequin and Tara Laskowski for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.
Review Date: 10/11/19
Publication Date: 10/1/19
jennrobyn's review against another edition
3.0
This was fine. It held my attention but was pretty predictable. I feel like it’s a plot line that has been done before and so I was able to guess how it was going to go.
orangejasmine's review against another edition
2.0
This book started out well: I liked the characters, they were all flawed, but real, and the mystery was intriguing. Unfortunately, as the story went on, I found Maureen to be kind of annoying and flighty. The story took too many directions and things on and didn't flesh them out - there were so many loose ends that I found frustrating.
shellysbookcorner's review against another edition
3.0
*NetGalley Review*
The cover caught my attention and the blurb made me want to read this book. The book started off okay but I had a hard time connecting to Maureen and Allison. I felt both Maureen and Allison had the same personality at times. The story did become a bit predictable and for the most part I was correct. The twist/reveal really didn't much for me and it ended up being just an okay read.
The cover caught my attention and the blurb made me want to read this book. The book started off okay but I had a hard time connecting to Maureen and Allison. I felt both Maureen and Allison had the same personality at times. The story did become a bit predictable and for the most part I was correct. The twist/reveal really didn't much for me and it ended up being just an okay read.
akf_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
pearlagcalo's review against another edition
4.0
That was crazy good! I'm not really a big fan of thriller, but this pulled me in quickly. I could see it all unfolding, but when it finally came together it was a still a shocker. Well written!
srah617's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
beccers's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The only reason I'm rating this one so high is because of a few characters, but mostly Tammy
kimthroughbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0