This was a good read and I loved the added relationship between Jacob and his dog Murphy. My only issue was that it read more like a diary and that sometimes felt like I was reading an essay versus a book.

This is a pretty good thriller with an interesting plot and an OK ending. It is mostly engaging and shows that the author has talent. Probably not for mystery connoisseurs (who have very high standards). 3.5 stars

I really appreciate the review copy!!

The thing that got me most interested in the novel to begin with is that it is told from the male perspective through the entire book. That hardly ever happens in the thriller genre and I really loved that about this book. The twist is the only thing I am unsure of! I just don't know if its real or believable but I know that crazy has no bounds and I did really enjoy this one. It was a fun, fast paced novel with very vivid imagery. I would love to go visit a town like The Hollows because of how quaint it sounds. I love that the plot kept you on your toes and I couldn't have guessed the ending even if I tried!! It was a read that helps to get you out of a slump because of how quickly it moves. I read it in one day! I ended up empathizing with the main character and trying to guess the full picture. In the process, I missed major details. 3 star read from me!

The cover and synopsis for this book caught my attention, but sadly this one fell flat for me.

We meet Jacob Reese, a man who is enjoying a quiet life in the Hollows with his dog Murphy. He owns a coffee shop and rents out a little cottage on his property. When a guest shows up that looks like his ex-girlfriend it completely shatters his peaceful life he’s created. His ex-girlfriend Laura is dead, he knows this to be true. But whoever this guest is, she’s completely messing with his head and his life. Jacob has secrets of his own from his time with Laura, things he hoped would never surface, but someone must know something.

This book started off strong, the quaint setting was intriguing and it had some suspense building that held my interest. However, the storyline just became so far fetched and the big reveal didn’t have any shock value. I was hoping for more suspense and more of a satisfying ending.

Thank you Netgalley and HQ digital for this advance reading copy. This book will be published 12/6/19.

This was a quick and entertaining read. I read it in one sitting while on a plane and the hours just flew by. I liked how the book concentrated on the story without too many bypasses and subplots. The author goes straight to the point from the beginning and it stays that way until the end.

Jacob lives with his dog Murphy in The Hollows, a small town in Vermont. He runs a coffee shop and rents out a little cottage to tourists. Things are going well for him but there is something in his past that’s gives him nightmares and makes him supercarefull about other people. Usually he is very picky to which he rents out his cottage. But out of curiosity he gives in to the request of a woman who just wants to stay for one night although she does not fulfill his criteria. But something disturbs him about her. She reminds him of his ex-girlfriend. The next day the woman is gone without a word but she leaves a disturbing note in his guestbook. Jacob is already haunted by the things that happened in his past and to his ex. But it gets worse by the minute and his quiet life goes south.

The book draw me in immediately and I liked how focused this story is told. This is a highly entertaining and easy read. I liked Jacob. He is a good guy but he is also flawed and you can see how quickly your morals disappear when your own life is at the stake. I also loved his relationship to his dog Murphy. Steve Frech can write in an easy and unpretentious way which I really enjoyed.

Jacob Reese lives in a small town called The Hollows, Vermont with his dog, Murphy. He leads a quiet life with his canine companion. He owns a cottage that faces his home that he rents out to holidaymakers as well as running the local coffee shop.

Jacob is normally very picky when it comes to his cottage guests, choosing to only go with ones who have been previously stayed at other homes on the tourism website ‘Be Our Guest’ he rents through. When a young woman with no previous rentals asks for a one night stay at his cottage there is something about her that makes him say yes. However, when she arrives he’s not sure he was right to allow her to stay as she is giving off a serious vibe.

The next morning the woman is gone, but the cottage has been left open wide and nothing inside has been used or touched except for the guest book where there is a written note stating ‘Laura Aisling’. That is the name of his girlfriend who is dead. He knows it can’t be her, meaning that someone knows his secret.

Dark Hollows is a suspenseful, mystery novel that I flew through it a couple of days. The book moves along at a steady pace, never slow, never fast but keeping you hooked to the pages.

The plot is dark and creepy, what with the name of the place, The Hollows, the setting which is just Before Halloween and a possible dead girl come back to haunt her previous lover – Or has she?

We get to read all about Jacob’s present life as well as his past, in which we find out about his previous occupation and his relationship with Laura. There is also the reoccurring vivid nightmare he keeps on having to decipher.

There was plenty of tension within the pages and well as some unexpected moments as you try to figure out whether this is a supernatural story or a thriller. If you are not a fan of books with many characters then you will be happy that there are not many secondary characters in the book which keeps the main focus on Jacob.

I was a little apprehensive when I began as I realised early on that the book had very long chapters, given the copy I had, had only 17 chapters and 384 pages and that long chapters are one of my bugbears about books, however, I can honestly say I didn’t notice as I was so engrossed.

If you like books that are exciting, climatic, and keep you on your toes then this is a must-read for you. My tiny disappointment was that I wanted the book to keep on going as I wanted to know what Jacob had decided!

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read that kept my attention.
Jacob has a decent life now after a tough patch in college. Now the past has come back to haunt him. Lots of mystery going on and I love trying to figure out the who done its I did not figure this one out.
I was a little disappointed with the ending though.
A big thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

This was a very interesting read. The setting, The Hollows, was quite vivid, the writing was very descriptive. However, the mystery itself could have been improved.

This is one of those books that was impossible to put down as soon as I started to read. I couldn't help but rooting for Jacob, even while his conscience was definately guilty. I loved how he tried to build up a new life, do it the right way this time. I also fell in love with The Hollows, it sounds like one of those towns I'd want to live. The Hollows did have a kind of Stars Hollow-vibe.

This thriller had some cute qualities, actually, that kept me engaged, like the fact that the protagonist has a coffee shop and a bed and breakfast (I mean, talk about cute). And I loved the fact that the setting was a town that features heavily in another author's favorite haunt. However, the thrilling part of the thriller left something to be desired. And the end of the book ended so abruptly you were left with so many questions - not just the moral ones the author meant to leave you with, but gosh darn it, what happened with the coffee shop and the bed and breakfast. Overall, an entertaining read - kind of a light, fluffy thriller, if that can even exist?

Jacob has a successful business and life, but when a woman who looks just like his dead girlfriend starts showing up, he knows that someone knows his darkest secret. This was pretty good for most of the book, but the ending seemed kind of abrupt compared to the buildup of the rest of the book. I mostly enjoyed it, even though I was unsure for most of the book what was really happening. Was it a horror story and Laura was alive? Was Jacob just crazy and imagining everything because of a guilty conscience? If it wasn't Laura, who could it be? 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

As usual for ARCs, let’s get the particulars out of the way. I was given an Advance Reader’s Copy of Dark Hollows from HQ Digital through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All the opinions are my own. And, boy, do I have them. Originally, I requested this ARC because of the mystery element and the setting. I love me a New England setting.

Things I really enjoyed:
Slice of life opening.–The set up and beginning of the story were very slice of life and I loved it. In this quaint New England town we have a guy who runs a coffee shop and a cottage rental and he and his dog Murphy are just living their life. I really loved that part of the book so much.
A quick read.–The story had enough action elements that the story never dragged and it made for a quick read. Especially in the sections of the book with shorter chapters.
The flashbacks.–This was the thing I enjoyed the most about the book. The flashbacks felt authentic because they would happen in the middle of the main character’s life. It wasn’t a separate chapter or just a dream sequence. The main character would be in the middle of a conversation and have a flashback and it all felt so real.

Things I was disappointed by:
The mystery.–The summary on Goodreads makes this book sound like more of a mystery than it was. Were there mystery elements? Sure, but it felt more like a guy being a detective rather than mysterious things happening.
Characters.–It seemed to me that we spent so much time with the main character that we never got to dive into the other characters in the story. We get a little, but by halfway through we’re on the hunt to figure out this big mystery and they sort of fall away. I think getting a chance to truly care about these characters before the mystery takes over would allow us to be more emotionally invested in their outcomes.
The ending.–I felt like it was a little ambiguous given the main character spending days agonizing over this major decision. I felt like we knew where it was going, but weren’t necessarily given a resolution.

I really recommend this for anyone who’s a fan of action, mystery, a non-police officer trying to get to the bottom of things, and a cute dog who will steal your heart. It was quick read and you do get sucked into the story. I suggest snuggling up to this book with a candle and a comfy blanket on a dark and stormy night.

Wow! I absolutely loved this book! I was hooked from page one and did not want to put this book down. I felt that I was able to connect with all of the characters and even though Jacob made a bad decision in his past I still felt sympathy for him and wanted him to be ok at the end of the book. This was one of those books that I didn't want to end because I was enjoying the story so much but at the same time I flew through the book because I needed to know how it ended. I also totally loved the character of Murphy! I can't wait to see what this author brings us next!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Net galley for the opportunity to preview Dark Hollows by Steve Frech. Jacob Reese is a successful business man - he has a lovely coffee shop, nice home, with a cottage that he rents out. Things couldn't be better - well except the nightmares.
Jacob suffers from terrible nightmares - unspeakable and scary - and they feel real. Jacob has a secret and he has fought long and hard to keep it that way. Until one day, a woman shows up at his cottage and she looks just like his ex-girlfriend - but she's dead - so who's this and what does she want.
Very suspenseful and fast paced.
3.5 stars.

What a gripping read - I read this over two days & did not want to put it down! Jacob is leading a good life in a small town. He has a dog, a good business & friends. However, there's something in his past that's cone back to haunt him & this is where it gets interesting. I found this to be well written & attention getting.

Thank you to HQ Digital & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the ecopy. Jacob has the life. He has a successful business and owns property that he rents out. His past a bit shady. He used to have a job involving drugs to pay for college. One day he rents his cottage to a person who looks so much like his ex girlfriend Laura who is dead. He begins to see Laura everywhere. He starts asking himself Is she really dead?

I really enjoyed this book! I read it in just a day because I didn’t want to put it down. It was fast paced, yet slow enough to keep me guessing. I loved many of the characters, who were very believable and realistic. I kind of wish The Hollows was a real place! I would love to sit by Murphy and sip some coffee. 🥰

A really good and dark thriller with a few elements of paranormal. Very good and nicely written. I really loved the main character and Murphy of course

Dark Hollows by Steve Frech was a quick read for me. I enjoyed the description of his town and wonderful life with his coffee shop, dog, rental place for extra money. It all sounded so wonderful. Picture perfect small town to enjoy life in.

At first I thought he was haunted by some supernatural being from his past. As more details about his past came to light, so many things had to be figured out. The sabotage at his cafe with the cockroaches almost had me freaked totally out. Supernatural or planned, that was intense.

Lots of intense moments, heart rate increasing because of not knowing what to expect next. Is it a ghost, is it a psycho? What has happened to his dog ??

Awesome read. Full of action and suspense.