Member Reviews
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
The book starts as Ella is told her father has died, and her new boyfriend thinks it could be a good idea to benefit from inheriting her family home. Ella clearly has a background full of unhappiness and secrets and from the moment she and Dan move to Bittersweet Acres suspense is built so that I felt Ella's terror through every page. I was riveted from the start and this short book kept me enthralled right to the end, I've signed up to follow this author.
A short and entertaining read with a perfectly timed ending. I would have liked to hear more about Ella’s past earlier on in the book, but I thought overall that the book offisolid pacing. A fun thriller with a great ending.
Ella’s estranged father has recently died and left her their family home in his will. Unwilling to even go there let alone live in it but is persuaded by newish boyfriend Dan. Strange things begin happening and Ella doesn’t know who or what to believe. It was ok but not great with not a lot of depth plus not much of a backstory either. The good thing was that it was very short! Disappointing as it did sound as if it was going to be an excellent yarn.
*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review*
A great thriller - I would recommend it!
Overall, I really enjoyed this dark, chilling, well-plotted story. It was intense and fast paced and I raced through this in a few hours, frantically turning the pages, desperate to find out how it was all going to be resolved. With that dramatic ending, I wasn’t disappointed! I’m already looking forward to the author’s next book.
Exciting suspenseful and hard to put down. Enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading more by this author.
A captivating psychological thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats with its engaging plot and characters. 'Gaslight' delves into the complex dynamics of manipulation and trust.
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.
Ella receives word she has been waiting for - her father has died. He left everything to her, including her childhood home which holds a lot of bad memories. She considers selling it; however, her partner (Dan) encourages her to keep it and live there. It is a chance to have a home, no rent payments, and then decide if she should sell it.
Moving back into Bittersweet Acres, the childhood estate, is overwhelming for Ella - so many memories in every corner of the house. Her childhood was not happy and the memories of her mom overwhelm her. In addition, strange noises and then notes start appearing, causing Ella to turn on Dan. She becomes convinced that he is trying to kill her and tries to escape. Then next turn in this story, you do not see coming.
Well, good thing this one was short.
I kept waiting for some twists and turns to happen, but nothing did until the very end. And that "twist" - do we even call it a twist? It fell completely flat. Also thought the book would get better as I went along, but nope.
It was really unfortunate that Ella's back story was never fully explained. The reader learns that she has quite the past, but this is never fully explained. Why, I do not know.
This story had a lot of potential, but it just did not do it for me. The ending also felt a bit rushed in my opinion. It's too bad, because this author definitely has the capabilities based on their author books.
If this book doesn't leave you paranoid I don't know what will.
I was constantly looking behind me and it really messes with your head.
All the marks of a page turning physcological thriller.
This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it! I am giving this book three stars, as I don't want to give it a good or bad rating, since I did not get to it and we have to leave a star rating.
I really liked this book, as you read it you think one thing and then the twist comes and it completely turns what you thought you were reading about on it's head. I love books like this, ones that keep you guessing, wondering what is going to happen. The author really did a great job with the characters, they are relateable and defined, you can really relate to what is happening in the plot. It had me hating one character, loving one and then at the end my feelings changed and I was blown away. It was a great book and I can't wait to see what this author puts out next
This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.
I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.
Ella is living a happy and content life away from Bittersweet Acres. A place she could care less to ever return to. The memories and trauma from her childhood linger within the walls of her childhood home.
When she receives a call about her father's death, she is torn by whether or not to return to the place that haunts her. If only to clean up and sell it. However, Dan is convinced they should stay.
Returning to Bittersweet Acres proves to be the wrong decision. Shortly after arriving, strange and dangerous events surface. Including long forgotten memories of the past. Some of these are making Ella erratic and feel like she is losing control. She starts to pay more intense attention to what is happening and becomes convinced that Dan has set her up. She believes he knows more about her past than he lets on and is determined to destroy her.
Will Ella find out the truth and escape Bittersweet Acres once again?
Gaslight was a pleasant surprise in the Thriller genre. I was not expecting as many turns of events or twists.
The book was very well written and descriptive. Giving readers the ability to put themselves there, within the story itself.
Readers will enjoy trying to piece together the storyline and find out if the truth/culprit is who they actually believe it to be, or will they be surprised by the ending?
This book was very entertaining, my only complaint is it ended too fast. The ending felt rushed but I still enjoyed it and would recommend. A solid 3🌟 for me!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This one was a bit of a struggle to get through. The summary made it sound a lot better than it actually was.
This was very average for me. The witting was very basic and nothing thrilling happened until almost the 70% mark. I'm a little disappointed as I expected more storyline and character development.
Gaslight by J.E. Rowney is a psychological thriller about a young woman returning to her childhood home.
First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher BooksGoSocial and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Ella Jackson swore she would never go back to her childhood home, which she left at age 18. Her mother had killed herself there, the only way she could escape an abusive husband.
Now, 10 years later, her father has passed away, and Ella has inherited Bittersweet Acres. She doesn't want it, but her rather new boyfriend Dan, convinces her that the two of them should move in to the place, and they can renovate. It will be worth a small fortune at some point down the road.
But it doesn't take Ella long to realize she made a mistake. Between the strange noises outside her bedroom door, the notes that she starts finding, her missing lunches, she feels like she may be going crazy. She also no long trusts Dan. Dan keeps saying she needs help, but she isn't sure if she needs psychiatric help, or help to get away from Dan.
My Opinions:
This was a really fast and entertaining read. It wasn't great though.
The premise was good, and I liked how we learned about Ella's past a little bit at a time. That worked well.
I couldn't really get into the characters. Ella was just another weak woman -- and that's before she got sucked into giving the house another shot by a domineering boyfriend.
I liked the creepiness, and yes, the tension built well, but the ending was a bust. It just seemed wrong.
I've read a couple of this author's books, and they are hit and miss...One was a five star for me, and the other a three, so here is another three. I won't give up reading her books though....I'm waiting for another five star!
This is an absolutely gripping read that had me on the edge of my seat and not knowing what to believe or who to trust. I loved it
Son of a Gobstopper!! 😳😯🤯😳
⊰ 𝐆𝐚𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐉. 𝐄. 𝐑𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐲 ⊱
I beg your pardon!?! What was this insanity I read! Talk about an absolute mind blowing crazy psychological thriller. A quick read, that doesn't hold back on the mind-twists. The whole time you're on the edge of your seat, trying to figure out where Rowney is going with this and then BAM-thank you ma'am! That ending is unbelievable and still leaves you wondering IF it really is what it is. Rowney knows how to cause such uncertainty and doubt in a plot that even you start to wonder what's true or real. I still wonder if that ending was the real answer. And those are my favourite types that still leave me guessing & wondering. This was one mind fluffer upper I adored! Can the answer be so simple? I'll let you decide that. 😉
Thank you to NetGalley & BooksGoSocial for this ARC!
Release Date: Out Now!
𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭: 4 / 5 Full Moons! 🌕