Member Reviews
Definitely one that you will just devour. So many things going on and pulls you right into the characters and storyline. Best one I've read in a little while.
Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.
“There are rules to survival:
Always agree with him.
Never stop smiling.
Don’t mention anyone you care about—anyone—because they might become his next victim.
Noelle, a nurse, that has already escaped one abusive relationship, finds herself falling for Dr. Daniel Ashcroft, an anesthesiologist, that is not only handsome and romantic but also protective, extremely protective. She has found the cameras he has hidden in her apartment and the phone tracking app on her cell phone but continues to play her role as she struggles to find a way to escape. Escaping won’t come easy though as Noelle begins to question why his ex vanished without a trace and if he played a role in her aunt’s death. Fearful that he could come for her pregnant cousin next if she broke things off with him, Noelle comes up with a plan to have herself kidnapped. The day she is kidnapped though, things don’t go as planned and what ensues leaves Noelle with nobody to trust, not even her cousin she was trying to protect, that is until she learns who her captor is. Can she trust him to help her escape Daniel once and for all, will she get answers to the questions that have plagued her about Daniel for so long, and the closure she seeks for her aunt’s death while keeping herself and her cousin safe?
“But soon, I’ll be able to forget these rules. Soon, I’ll have my life back. I’ll be free.”
Make Me Disappear consists of dual timelines, the past and the present which are told from dual perspectives: Noelle’s and Daniel’s. Each timeline helps to create a deeper plot and ensures there is great character development. I felt that the author was able to weave the timelines together seamlessly which lead to a shocking ending that some may not see coming. I did find that some of the flashbacks carried more information than necessary and, at times, felt repetitive. The repetitiveness is what enabled me to figure out what was really happening all along. Although I figured it out, that did not take away from the great ending.
What I really liked about this book is how Daniel was portrayed; loved by everyone but secretly controlling and manipulative of the ones he loves. It paints a picture of the realities that so many face when in an abusive relationship like this one. The victim is too scared to leave, in fear of what their abuser may do to not only them but also to those they love. I saw some reviews where people felt it was unbelievable and far-fetched but I disagree and most likely because I’ve been there before. I felt for Noelle on a level that not every reader will be able to. I spent years trying to get people to believe me instead of my abuser so reading how those close to Noelle were falling for Daniel’s lies was all too real.
Overall, I recommend Make Me Disappear and give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars. It is a fun cat and mouse type thriller that will have you yelling at characters, laughing at times, and forever unsure of who to trust.
Make Me Disappear will be available for purchase on May 16, 2022, and can be pre-ordered via Amazon now. It will be available for free via Kindle Unlimited.
This is an honest review of an advance reader copy of Make Me Disappear by Jessica Payne. I would like to thank Bookouture, Jessica Payne, and Netgalley for this ARC.
A slow burner to start with but really grabs the readers attention as the story progresses In an abusive relationship Noelle comes up with a startling plan for her escape but all is not as it seems with a totally unexpected twist at the end thoroughly recommended superb read .
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC
3 stars! Ooooooo I was so close to giving this a 4 or even 4.5 as the start of the story and the whole idea of needing to get out and away from someone so toxic and manipulative is to fake your own kidnapping sounded so good and started off soooo well, even though I would have loved more of Jack in the story and more interaction between him and Noelle.
Daniel had such a big ego from the starts that it made you despise him from the get go, I was really excited to see how it would turn out but sadly towards the end everything just starting spiraling and it became one thing after the other but made the story take an even more unbelievable turn. I felt Daniels chapters were also nearly the same it would be him going on about their love and how much he has done for her, him getting angry at people, then closing the chapter with I will get you back, you are mine, which is great as it makes us hate him even more but this happened multiple times which became repetitive.
Despite this and the ending I really enjoy3d the idea behind the story and would love to see more from Jessica Payne in the future.
This book!
Noelle left an abusive relationship behind and thought she found the perfect man when she met Daniel. But he has a rather twisted view of what it means to be his girlfriend or wife, and Noelle finds herself terrified of what he will do next. She comes up with a crazy plan to get away from him and keep everyone she cares about safe(really cray cray), but nothing that follows is part of her plan. This is one of those I don't want to lead you to shark-infested waters, but to me, it was very different and hard to put down.
Full of mystery and never quite knowing what’s around the next corner. Some of the twists really surprised me, and even though I had a guess about the ultimate bad guy that was right, I kept flipping the pages to see how this would end. Daniel’s POV left me gasping at the end of all of his chapters. A very good debut and with a May publication date, I’ll be looking for readers with Make Me Disappear on the beach! 4.5 stars.
I am currently sick from a bug I caught, and this book is the perfect sick day read! This was one wild ride.
Let me first start this review by stating: domestic abuse happens in all forms. Not all abuse is physical. Controlling behavior is abusive. If you are in an abusive relationship or situation, I urge you to please reach out for help. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is open 24/7. Please call or text them for help. Or reach out a trusted individual. Leaving is hard but staying isn’t worth it. But please know people are here, and we believe you.
Whoa, the start of this book had me instantly hooked. I felt Noelle’s pain, and panic. I felt the urge to want to leave, and flee. Boy,
did I want to reach through this book and snatch her away. I hated her situation and I didn’t blame her for wanting to disappear. Trying to figure out her plan kept me going chapter to chapter. Although her idea to disappear may sound far fetched, I applaud her for trying to get out of a horrid situation. Plus her side games were amusing!
We do get Daniel’s POV and it gives me the chills. He gives me total Joe from You vibes. The control is terrifying, and feels very real/accurate to situations like this. I couldn’t stand Daniel, and I just wanted to toss him out of a window.
Things I loved:
- Noelle. I thought she was a strong female lead. I enjoyed her perseverance on trying to get out of an abusive relationship.
- How frickin realistic it was on portraying Daniel the abuser. Everything was accurate on how a smart abuser gets away with what they do.
-Noelle and Jack’s plotting
- The twists! My oh my did I enjoy those twists. One major one definitely caught me by surprise. Okay maybe two major ones.
- There is a few more things I loved. But I don’t want to give away too much.
This book wrapped up so nicely at the end. 4.5 stars out of 5. Rounded to 5 stars.
Thank you so much to Netgalley for the ARC!
Even though parts of this book were predictable I really enjoyed it. 2 days done and dusted. Lots of twist and turns with a very strong ending.Really enjoyed the characters, even the dislikable ones. Easy read. Thank you for my copy, will definitely look out for more from this author.
Wow wow wow!
Definitely a 5 star read!
This book does not disappoint, it kept me hooked from beginning to end! I hated to put it down.
Loved this book so much! One of my favorite books!
I’ll definitely be reading more from this author!
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
I enjoyed Make Me Disappear. The first half was really good, well written and set up the storyline well. The second half lacked for me. Maybe it’s because I read many thrillers but I predicted the outcome early on. I found it a tad anticlimactic because it was predictable. However, the writing was good and I would consider other books by this author again.
Woah, what A staggering debut novel!
My very first Jessica Payne read and I'm here to say its a total bombshell!
This is a binge-worthy, unputdownable, grab you by the throat and hold on tight kinda of story.
Payne's remarkable writing is just outstanding. I was sucked in from that very first page and couldn't stop the pages from the ing quick enough.
I didn't want to slow down. I had to have more.
Such a riveting and unique thriller read I enjoyed!
Go read it! This was pure fun!
“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”
Bookouture,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.
Have you ever started reading a book and you couldn't put it down? You know you have stuff to do but the book is so good that you keep thinking about it and have no choice but to go back and finish it. This is that book! I'm amazed that this is a debut because the author does such a good job of keeping you captivated! I don't want to say to much about the actual storyline because I don't want to give spoilers this book speaks for itself once you start reading it. I would give this book more stars if I could. You will not be disappointed this book is great! I will be definitely reading Jessica Payne's next book. Great book!!!
A nerve-wracking, frenetic thrill ride! This was fantastic. Suspend your disbelief and enjoy the ride. Noelle is a nurse with a seemingly perfect, good-looking, successful anesthesiologist boyfriend. But he's a controlling psychopath with a checkered dating history who monitors Noelle and who resorts to vaguely menacing threats to keep Noelle in line. Noelle concocts an insane plan to get away from him and the plan of course goes awry. A whopper of an ending I did not see coming!
This book was everything I love in thrillers. It had twists and turns everywhere! I loved the main character and just how amazing she was. I could not put this book down. I stayed up pretty late reading it and I don't regret that decision one bit. Will definitely pick up more from this author,.
3.5 ⭐
“I have the perfect future in mind for you. Carefully sculpted and planned. I just need to find you, and then— then, we will be perfect. You’ll remember how much you need me.”
For a debut, this was quite good. Make Me Disappear is a fun thriller that follows a desperate woman trying to get away from an abusive relationship. But things go unexpectedly wrong.
The plot was original, and the writing was quite good. There were many things I enjoyed about this read. However, there were also a few things that were bugging me the whole time. But they are spoilers, so I won't mention them here.
If you want to see my much more in depth review, you can check it out on my book blog NovelOnMyMind.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Make Me Disappear by Jessica Payne in exchange for an honest review.
Jessica Payne has written a delicious thriller that is horrifyingly awesome with Make Me Disappear.
Starting out slowly and drawing you into this spider web on intrigue and complicated relationships, where mother doesn’t always know what’s best.
I kept seeing this book float all over Bookstagram, and as per always, the fear of missing out kicked in.
I requested the book, received my approval, and stayed up WAY TOO LATE reading last night.
I wont lie to you, this book freaked me out. The main reason why is that it is so believable! This could happen! As a woman (thankfully not single) , we need to be more guarded now, than ever. When it comes to technology now a days, we are constantly being watched. The amount of cyber software and video software out there now is unlike any time before.
People are sick!
This is a story of obsession and also the will to escape the red flags.
Poor Noelle, she just cant catch a break. When she falls into the arms of Daniel, a prominent physician, Noelle can't help but feel like she may finally get the life she longed for.
BUT, Noelle is dead wrong.
The amount of twists and turns this book held was unreal. Every time I thought I had it figured out another twist came flying at me.
This was a fast paced book that deserves all of the attention it has been getting. I have instantly become a fan of Jessica Payne and I can not wait to see what she comes out with next!
A great book! I really enjoyed this! Jessica Payne does a wonderful job writing and telling this story. It was an awesome psychological thriller. It had an original plot and suspenseful packed chapters.
Totally bonkers!
Sometimes you read a read a book that is over the top, implausible and that requires your disbelief suspenders and it just set doesn’t work for you. At other times you read a book that is over the top, implausible and that requires your disbelief suspenders and you love it - that was this book! It was insane but it was so much fun I loved fed every minute of it.
Noelle Thomas is a nurse and her boyfriend, Daniel Ashcroft is an anaesthetist working at the same hospital. He is urbane, stunningly good looking and very well off. Perfect boyfriend material, yes? Not quite! He is also very controlling and thinks nothing of gaslighting Noelle. He is also keen to get a ring on her finger so she can produce a child as soon as possible. Why? Wait until you meet mother!
Noelle is starting to have doubts about the relationship and has resisted moving into Daniel’s stupendous home. Naturally Daniel is not impressed. Not one bit! Noelle realises that it is not going to be so easy to break out of this relationship. When her beloved aunt dies after routine bypass surgery, and she knows Daniel was in the vicinity of her room at the time, Noelle becomes really afraid. She is aware that Daniel has installed cameras in her home. She also knows his previous girlfriend disappeared without a trace before she, Noelle, came on the scene. Her cousin, Kari, is pregnant and when Daniel talks about her pregnancy being high risk she takes that as a veiled threat. She is now petrified and doesn’t know what to do. Then she hears about a Kidnap For Hire service available online. Could this be her way out? For $1,000 she could be hopefully free of Daniel.
Of course things don’t go according to plan and the result is a hilarious cat and mouse chase around the country. It was bonkers and totally entertaining. Poor Noelle she didn’t know who to trust for a while there but when the real villain of the piece was exposed it all made sense. If you like a bit of a revenge plot, cat and mouse chases, dastardly deeds and karma coming to those who deserve it you will most likely enjoy this book. Just don’t expect it to be plausible, but strap in and enjoy the ride! Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
On the whole this is a fairly good read. However at times it feels slightly unbelievable and a bit cliched. I did enjoy it overall.
Imagine being so desperate to be free of your partner, that you decide to fake your own kidnapping?? Well that's exactly what Noelle does in Make Me Disappear. She's trying to get away from, her once perfect partner, Daniel...a doctor who only wants her by his side. All the Time. After being lucky in love, Noelle starts questioning Daniel and his intentions....She believes he is trying to control her, and he may even be dangerous!
Once her fake kidnapping plan has been executed, it's a cat and mouse game between Noelle, Daniel and a few other role players.... The book is narrated by Noelle, present day and in the past, from her meeting Daniel to where she is today, and then also by Daniel, who gives off very Joe from 'You' vibes!
The plot is really interesting, but i did feel that as the book went on, it became pretty unbelievable, and also the level of crazy and diabolical on Daniel's part was just a bit too much. I did not see the plot twist coming though, so that was great!
You can't help but feel for Noelle though, she doesn't know who to trust and she's so alone. it shows the EXTREME/UNBELIEVABLE lengths women have to go to, to escape men like this on a daily basis.