Member Reviews
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.
Becca is a mother with teenage children, her best friend Jenn has a newborn, Ivy, who Becca helps her with. One morning Jenn drops Ivy with Becca and something seems wrong. Later, when Jenn doesn't turn up, Becca goes to her house and makes a terrible discovery.
What follows is an interesting, tense, intelligent thriller that kept me turning the pages in one sitting.
I requested this book based upon the author's credentials and I wasn't disappointed.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for the opportunity to preview.
This was my first read by author Annette Lyon, and I really enjoyed it.
The characters were quite relatable for me and I enjoyed reading this thriller of a novel.
We meet main character Becca who has a best friend Jenn, Jenn is married to the almost despicable Rick. Becca has her doubts of her friend's husband and we learn that so does Jenn and was actually conducting research into him before Jenn is found dead in the bath tub by her friend, Becca. This throws up so many questions for Becca, and she starts to look into what Jenn has found out about her husband.
This book was brilliant, I read quickly and I was immersed in the world of Becca and Jenn and what they discover about the hideous Rick. The characters are really well rounded and I warmed to both of them, but really felt for Jenn as a woman and what she discovers about her husband.
Thanks to Annette Lyon, Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
This book really makes you wonder if you really know who you date or marry. The descriptions in the book are so good that you feel wrapped up into it very easily. Right down to grieving with Becca over the loss of her best friend. You feel her pain and go through her ups and down to try and find the truth out about Jenny’s death. There are several OMG moments and even times I wanted to wack Rick knowing this is just a book. Then you get closer and closer to the day of the drowning and as a parent my the last few chapters of Jenn’s story were very hard to get through however it was the only option and we Moms will do anything for our babies. And have best friends who will be there and do anything for us.
DNF. I couldn't get engaged with the plot or characters. The portion that I read felt predictable, and I wasn't left needing to know more.
Just One Book is a domestic thriller. It is told from two points of views, Jenn in the past and Becca in the present.
Jenn loves her husband but lately he seems different. She repeats things he has said to her only he says he never said them. Over time things get more heated and Jenn becomes wary for herself and her daughter Ivy. She is determined to keep Ivy safe.
Becca doesn’t think twice about babysitting Jenn’s baby, Ivy. Jenn promises to pick up Ivy around 11 o'clock but it is now 11:30. Jenn might be a few minutes late but never this much. Jenn fails to answer her phone, so Becca decides to go to Jenn’s to check on her. Becca finds Jenn dead in the bathtub. The police arrive and immediately say her death is suspicious. They bring Becca and Jenn's husband, Rick in for questioning. Both are released and Rick asks Becca to care for Ivy until he is no longer a person of interest.
Becca is struggling to care for her twins and continue working while she cares for Ivy and grieves for Jenn. Rick is repeatedly asked to return for more questions, Becca believes Rick had nothing to do with Jenn's death. rick is arrested for the murder of Jenn.
Becca receives a call from Rick's attorney asking her to go to the gym where Jenn had a membership and pick up the items from Jenn's locker and bring them to him. Becca opens the bag with Jenn's belongings and discovers a large pen and a notebook. The pen is a recording device and Jenn has recorded conversations she had with Rick. As Becca listens to the recordings and reads the information Jenn has collected Becca realizes she was living in fear, her marriage was filled with secrets and Rick isn’t who he says he is. But is he responsible for Jenn's death.
This was a riveting story that did not let me down. Each chapter gets more intense as Jenn does her best to find out more about her husband. As the chapters alternate between Becca and Jenn you can feel the fear that Jenn has and Becca's determination to get to the bottom of what happened. But there is a huge twist at the end that is such a surprise I didn't see it coming. I really enjoyed this book and it's my first by this author. I hope to read many more.
Jenn and Becca are best friends. When Jenn asks Becca to watch her baby Becca eagerly agrees as Ivy is a member of the family. When Jenn doesn’t show up to pick Ivy up, Becca is extremely concerned and her intuition was spot on! Jenn’s husband, Rick, has some major skeletons in his closet and when Jenn discovers one, she goes into full fledged detective mode to see if there’s more. What she discovers leaves her reeling. Figuring out that her life is in danger, Jenn makes plans, plans that might just stop Rick in his tracks. This book was an enjoyable rainy day read, but Jenn’s choices are difficult to understand and left me wondering why she didn’t just ask for help🤷♀️ Thank you to National Geographic Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.
Interesting premise, but the big twist was kind of a let down. People compared the husband in this story to the husband in B.A. Paris's book Behind Closed Doors, but I didn't get that. Rick was tame compared to that husband! I'm not sure if I will remember this enough to be able to describe it to convince someone to read it, but on the flip side it wasn't terrible.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you Penzler Publishers, Scarlet and Netgalley for this alc. It was a great book told in defferent points id views and timelines. A great suspance and the claver story. Once agaun nothing is like it seems or the other way round....
I'm surprised I finished this. It was way more hand wringing, repeating things over and over than I care for. I also thought the ending was dumb.
Jenn is married to a guy who the more she finds out about him, doesn't seem to be what he says he is and is not really where he says he was from. Stories he has told in the past are denied later by him so she starts to investigate when she learns she is pregnant. He never said he didn't want kids so why is he so outraged now that she is?
She leaves her baby with a friend and goes home to get ready for a new boat christening ride, though she doesn't want to go. Her friend pays the consequences. Told in varying present, back then style, I wanted to get some sense into her and into her friend. Such stupid choices they make over and over!
Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.
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.
Just One More was a very interesting book. I liked both female characters and both of their narratives. Even though I really enjoyed this book so much, the ending wasn’t my favorite. I kept thinking of what I would do if I were Jenn, and while her situation wasn’t easy, I would have done things differently than she did. Having said that, the book was still a very good one. I will absolutely look for more of this authors work in the future.
Thank you to the Publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC.
What a great read. I’ve not read this author before. I liked the dual POVs and timelines. Loved the ending.
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!
Solid and satisfying bad-man thriller. Breezy writing moves along the narrative and the female protagonists are likeable- definitely a quick and fun read for a Spring afternoon. If you like domestic thrillers you will love this one!
Alrighty then - this husband is NOT going to be winning any Husband of the Year awards anytime soon!! In fact, his gaslighting, sociopathy, and demeanor are downright chilling. This was a very taut thriller which frayed my nerves trying to figure out what really went down. It is pretty straightforward, but captivating nonetheless. I will say that since this was an ARC, I'm hoping a huge editing is still yet to be done because there are a lot of missing words, corrections where you can see both the original wording and the edited wording, and even instances of the wrong character being referenced. That just completely takes my OCD brain out of the story like running into a bookmark. One star comes off simply because I think I've had my fill of bad psycho husbands and wives who willingly overlook the warning signs because they had a difficult start in life and think they can fix their men by loving them better.
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
Thanks to W.W. Norton and Net Galley for the ARC. Although the plot was not a bad one, the wordiness of the whole book makes this just a two star read.
“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 way 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. 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…
Thank you NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for the ARC of Just One More.
A tense thriller that even though did have elements of other reads I had enjoyed in it was good enough to hold its in,keep my interest and have twists