I read this as an arc through NetGalley. I really liked this book. It follows a story of a boy that becomes a suspect of his teachers murder and he has to prove his innocence.
It was a mystery thriller, fast paced and a 5 star read.

I loved this, one action causing a series of consequences for everyone involved and more. One action. I enjoyed this alot more then I thought I would. I received this as an ARC from Netgallery and voluntarily choose to reveiw.

I am so sad to give the rating on this book that I am. I have never given a Shannon Hollinger book a rating lower than 4 stars before. This book hooked me right away from the first page and I was like Yes another great book! After about a 1/4 of the way in it just slowed to an abrupt stop it seemed. It seemed to just jump around and tell the story of a few people that didn't really relate to anything at the beginning of the book. I really lost interest but knew it all had to mean something. I continued on. It all did wrap up and things did sort of make sense. I am glad I finished it but was still disappointed in it. It had a twist that I sort of saw coming but still had some items that surprised me. Overall I just didn't get the Shannon Hollinger vibe from this book and can't wait for more of her Chief Maggie Riley books.

Would You Rather by Shannon Hollinger is an exciting thriller full of twists you will not see coming. The twist left my jaw on the floor. The storyline was great, and the characters had me emotionally invested as the characters' deception slowly unraveled. What would you do for a loved one. The ending was brilliantly executed. It is a great blend of character building, pace, and unexpected twists.

I didn’t mind this story but as always I find the portrayal of such severe whole town homophobia to seem exaggerated…losing a job, a s olarship rtc seems out of date. The flip ending was interesting but to have to change so much to just live is way over the top.

Would You Rather by Shannon Hollinger

Dark twisted twisty tale that drew me in on page one and kept me captivated till the very end ~ Couldn’t put it down.

What I liked:
* Oliver Sager: healthy, strong, athletic, attractive, intelligent, hard working, caring, good brother and friend, protective, has secrets, has a lot to deal with before the story ends
* Emanuel “Manny” Hernandez: bullied often, father died when he was young, raised by his clingy overprotective detective mother, stronger than he thinks he is
* Jasper: one person that gave Oliver a chance and the strong friendship that developed between them as they worked on Jasper’s shrimp boat
* The Plot, pacing, setting, and writing
* The twists and turns and big surprises at the end
* That it was believable
* That I cared about the outcome
* Being glad that my own high school days were NOT like those of Manny, Oliver, and Rachel
* That it made me think, question, and contemplate my past and what it might be like for those in high school now
* The title and what it referred to
* The ending and contemplating what will happen to the characters in the future

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about bullies, abusers, predators, and their deviant entitled behavior that damages and destroys
* The town’s little mindedness

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Books Go Social for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

4 stars
While this started off a bit slow, my interest was definitely piqued the more I read on. There were moments here and there that made me think there was more to the story being portrayed, foreshadowing to what I believed the ending to be. Which I was right about the way! I enjoyed the book as a whole and I definitely enjoyed the ending. It felt complete.

Shannon Hollinger did a great job in portraying the serious issues in her book through the characters and storyline.

I loved the diversity of the characters and how they had their own stories along with their stories being intertwined together. This was a really solid book! I cannot wait until she releases more work! Job well done Shannon!

Reading Between the Wines book review #7/130 for 2024:
Rating: 4 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: Would You Rather
Author: Shannon Hollinger
Available now!

Sipping thoughts: I was not expecting the emotions that I felt as I read this book. It reads like a YA book but was still very interesting for anyone not in that age range. I really enjoyed the themes and storyline that Hollinger used as it was very relevant to what is happening in the real world. I knew a huge part of the ending was going to happen but I did not expect the journey it took to get that. There are so many characters that were so unlikable, I was wishing ill to happen to them. There might be triggers in this book for some but I think if you push on you will think it is worth it. I can’t wait to read another release from Hollinger.

Cheers and thank you to @BooksGoSocial and @Netgalley for an advanced copy of @WouldYouRather.

#WouldYouRather #ShannonHollinger #BooksGoSocial #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

This is a solid thriller I enjoyed! It's well written and is perfectly paced. I liked how I wasn't sure how it was gonna end as I was reading. I would recommend it! Special Thank You to Shannon Hollinger, books Go Social and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun read, and it made me laugh out loud a good couple of times. And that's because both Oliver and Manny have a sense of humor. The problem is they're the only ones in the book with a sense of humor, all the other characters competing for the title of 'Boredom King/Queen'. And not only are they the only ones with a sense of humor, they have pretty much the same kind of humor. While that would be fitting in a romance novel, the two of them mirroring each other and highlighting their intimacy, it takes the thrill out of the thriller as it makes it obvious from the get go that they're up to something together. At least refrain from having both of them talk about the preparations for the day when they won't be around their families.
Also, I find the solicitor problematic, as I can't imagine someone like Teddy Lewis Jr. agreeing with Oliver's plan without making sure someone loyal to him, Teddy, not to Oliver, is taking care of business. And that doesn't seem to be the case in the book.

"Would You Rather" by Shannon Hollinger is a captivating journey that secured a 4-star rating from me. Narrated by four characters, including local authority Detective Hernandez, the detective's son Manny, Oliver the star football player, and his girlfriend Rachel, the book provides a unique glimpse into the town's dynamics.

Hollinger masterfully stirs up disdain for certain characters and their town, and surprisingly, I found myself disliking one of the main characters. However, Oliver emerged as my favourite. His heartbreaking story unfolds with resilience, portraying strength amid challenges while supporting his family.

The story's outset, marked by the disappearance of teacher Teddy Lewis and Oliver being the main suspect, sets the stage for scandal after scandal. The middle left me uncertain about the fate of the characters in this unwelcoming town. Yet, Hollinger skillfully weaved everything together in a surprising ending, making the journey truly worthwhile. "Would You Rather" is a thought-provoking book that challenges expectations and delivers an unexpected, satisfying conclusion.

The summary was intriguing, and the book delivered. This is a great example of how people can still be small-minded and the consequences of that.

This was a great read! I enjoy the YA genre. It touched on some triggering topic and handled them well. There were some twists in the book I did not anticipate which was great! I loved the integrity of the main character, he was so easy to root for. I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery-no spoilers. The cover and title caught my eye first and I read it on one sitting!

The choices we make can affect much more than just ourselves. When a high school teacher goes missing, the arrest of a student sets off a chain of events that reveals many secrets.

Captivating! I did not want to put it down.

Shannon Hollinger is an auto-read author and I absolutely love all of her books. Would You Rather is her debut into the YA thriller genre and it is such a terrific book that is told from multiple POVs. The character development is fantastic and I felt real emotions towards the characters.

The story is fast paced and deals with the dynamics of high school and a small, southern town. It explores how secrets and lies can trickle down to effect a whole community. The layers and twists involved in the telling of this story lead up to a shocking ending.

I highly recommend reading this book! I really enjoyed it and will probably be thinking about this story for awhile.

Thank you @booksgosocialgroup for allowing me to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

Overall, I enjoyed Shannon Hollinger’s “Would You Rather” and found it to be a quick read. I had never heard of Shannon Hollinger before I saw this book and had never read any of her previous novels. I found the blurb to be a bit misleading because the storyline is not much of a “cat-and-mouse” game, but it is about “a teacher, a student, a scandal.”

I appreciated the author had a section at the beginning that captured the trigger warnings. I don’t really have any trigger warnings, but I know there are some readers out there with them. I imagine those readers will find the section helpful for them when deciding whether to read the book or not.

The main jumping off point for the book involves Mr. Lewis’s perceived disappearance. Set in a small Florida town, Teddy Lewis is a high school history teacher who got his position because of his father. Oliver Sager is a popular student and the quarterback of the high school football team. Oliver quickly becomes law enforcement’s primary suspect in Teddy Lewis’s disappearance.

There were multiple narrators and the chapters were short. Besides Oliver as one of the narrators, the reader also gets to hear from Emanuel “Manny” Hernandez, Detective Lorena Hernandez, and Rachel Harris. Manny is a classmate of Oliver’s, as well as Lorena’s son. Rachel is also a fellow classmate and she is also Oliver’s girlfriend.

There were not a lot of twists in the book, but I found the ending to be one of the more surprising ones I’ve read. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC of this book for an honest review.
The story is about a small town school involving a history teacher and a quarterback. Mr Lewis goes missing and Oliver, the quarterback is arrested. He is a really good person who stands up for the kids that get bullied. This is a good YA book but it wasn’t really written for a senior citizen like me. Shannon Hollinger is a good author and she writes an appealing book for the young readers.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

I ADORED this book, you may feel the reactions of the small town citizens unbelievable or extreme, unfortunately, I can assure you that even in 2024, they are definitely NOT. In conservative towns, you are likely to be chased out of town (or at least the subject of hate-filled gossip) for merely being a Democrat, so I can assure you that being gay would leave someone bullied and despised by "God fearing" bullies.

I am SO EXCITED TO have discovered this wonderful, amazingly imaginative and clever author, and although this is the first I have read by her, it will be the first of MANY.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough, it has so many great qualities, and I was AMAZED by the ultra-clever plot twists.

I am rating this a delightfully enthusiastic five stars, it is a WINNER, and one of the most clever books I have read in years.

This was a little different type of story for Shannon Hollinger than I ordinarily read, but it had the same sense of urgency and cloak and dagger than you see in her stories. What is the truth? Lies and deception are at the forefront of this plotline. Some of the deception was felt to be necessary in order to protect others.

Oliver Sager is the star quarterback and golden child at his high school. All the boys want to be him, and all of the girls want to date him. When he is arrested as a suspect in the disappearance of one of the teachers from his high school, you will see just how quickly supposed friends will turn on him. His fall from glory is quick and devastating. Shallow relationships seem to be the norm in the characters in this story. I do not want to share too much and give this story away, but suffice it to say that shocking reveals and twists will definitely leave you reeling as the blurb indicates. There are some very unlikable characters that will twist your gut and show relationships that are about self. There are some very self-absorbed characters in this story. By the time the story was finished, I really did not like any of them.

The Prologue immediately intrigued me as you have mystery characters, and you will not understand this part of the story until the shocking ending. I had to find out what happened in this convoluted mystery, so even though this is not my favorite book by Shannon Hollinger, the story kept me glued to the pages.

Thank you to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.