This book was really easy to get into and I thought I was going to thoroughly enjoy it. However it got unbelievable and very repetitive so I completely lost interest in it. I struggled to finish it but hoped I would get back into it but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me. I can’t say much without spoilers but the final day in court made me mad.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced reading copy, I wish I could have rated it higher.

Just wow!! I wasn't expecting the twist at the end!

A gripping psychological thriller. Clare goes to surprise her fiancé Noah at work to find he hasn't been working there for months.

Noah isn't answering her calls, and then she finds out he has a whole different life with someone else.

Clare is confused and lost, and soon, her life completely spirals out of control!

Rounding to 3.5
I was so happy to be able to read this as an ARC. I really enjoyed it from the very beginning.

It’s written from the POV of Claire who we meet and is engaged to her true love Noah. Until one day on their anniversary she turns up at his work to find out he no longer works there. We then follow the journey uncovering the many twists and turns creating suspense and questions.

As thrillers go I wasn’t jaw dropped but the twists but as a debut novel I was kept engaged throughout.

Claire is enjoying the perfect relationship with her fiancé Noah, when suddenly he cuts contact with her.
Her attempts to track him down lead her to find that he has another girlfriend and has been leading a double life.
As her life starts to unravel, we learn about Claire's abusive relationship with her mother and her fragile mental state.
The twist in this book was fairly obvious from about half way through, but it's still a worthwhile read and a good new author to follow.

Great debut from an author with lots of potential. The twist was a little obvious, but I'll definitely be checking out further books by this author, as I do think she has a talent for characterisation and plotting.

What a wild ride this book is!

From the off, Claire was a character you really feel for. Her love for Noah could be felt through the pages, and her devastation when he went left was palpable. How could he have done this to the person he loves?

As Claire searches for Noah, the truth starts to unravel. Flashbacks to Claire’s childhood, and diary entries from her dates with Noah, really helped paint a full picture of her character. I also felt that the female relationships, both with her mum and her best friend, had a real depth to them.

The need to find out the truth kept me gripped throughout. I knew something was off, but I wasn’t sure what!

this was a great debut novel and such a fast and gripping read. I really liked the writing style with the back and forth of Claire’s past and present. the detail to the characters especially the relationship between Claire and her mom was really well written and I liked how it added to the story, we weren’t just given additional information for no reason. now were some things a little predictable? yes but nonetheless this book had my whole attention throughout and I was satisfied with the ending. Although I do think I would’ve liked a little more as the epilogue felt a bit rushed but overall it was still an enjoyable read. If you like and are looking for a new psychological thriller, I’d definitely recommend this one!
thank you NetGalley for the arc.

The premise was intriguing and I felt that had it continued with a lying fiance it would have held more substance.

The 'twist' becomes quite obvious and sympathy for the main character is lost.

I struggled with the contrast of the woman who apparently was unaware of her very serious mental condition but ultimately is complete aware of what she did.

I loved this book! It gripped me and held me throughout. It was written so well that I found it so easy to read; I absolutely flew through it. This is one of those books that you don't want to put down because you just cannot wait to find out what happened, but also don't want to keep reading because you don't want it to end. Speaking of the end, I sort of saw it coming but feel like I was thrown back and forth between different theories throughout that it was still a shock. A brilliant psychological thriller.

Entertaining book but I'm not sure I'd really call it a thriller? The "twist" was pretty obvious from quite early on and I actually think it would have been more interesting for everything to have been caused by something else, would have subverted my expectations more. The diary entries also read really strangely, like there was so much exposition in them that they felt really unnatural. I was just super aware I was reading a book rather than feeling like I was reading someone's diary. Still an entertaining read overall and I did enjoy the ride, I just think the premise was more interesting than the execution of the idea ended up being.

If you want a fast paced, can’t put down, psychological thriller then you have to pick this up when it’s finally released. I’m actually going to buy a few copies to gift to friends and family, that’s how much I enjoyed this.

I was gripped from the start and loved the characterisation that the author built up. Firstly, the toxic relationship between mother and daughter which had me wondering what the twist at the end was going to be and how they were going to link this to the plot. Secondly, the female main character herself, Claire. I loved her and I’ll not spoil the ending or give anything away but throughout I was like ‘did she? Didn’t she? Has she made this up? Did she do what they say she did?’

I also loved how you knew exactly when the author was talking about current day and then dipping into the past with her mother. Normally it would take me a minute to realise we were in a past or present setting but the author had it perfectly set out for you.

Towards the ending I was getting that standard feeling I get when reading thrillers, feeling that it was a bit anticlimactic and feeling like the author had rushed the ending and I didn’t get what I wanted from the book… until the very last chapter and then I was sat gobsmacked and wanting more.

I honestly couldn’t recommend this thriller more. If you’re fans of ‘The Silent Patient’ and ‘None of This is True’, you will love this.

Side note; if you’re single and dating this book will put you off and you will trust nobody!! 😂

Finally, thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this arc.

It's genre is thriller, but I will agree to disagree that it was more of a contemporary book. It had elements of a thriller, but it's not entirely that. There were mystery elements too. The premise was different from what I expected, but in a good, unpredictable way. Honestly, I couldn't predict the plot twist, but I did see it coming.

The thing I was most curious about was how the name of the book correlates with the story. And it actually makes sense, and honestly, it kind of gives away the big twist too, so I'll suggest not paying it much mind.

The depth to her character and her relationship with her mother was so interesting—it was so well-written in a creepy and disgusting way. I was taken aback when we transitioned in the second part, but it was interesting nonetheless. It definitely added a different take to the plot. 

Thank you Net Galley, Random House UK and Callie Kazumi for a copy of this arc.

First note to make is that Cuckoo is going by the title “Claire, Darling” in the USA!

Claire and Noah have been together for one year, to celebrate their anniversary Claire decides to take a surprise lunch to Noah’s work, only to find out he hasn’t worked there for months now, however, he’s been going to “work” every day as normal… now he won’t answer his texts or his phone! As Claire starts to investigate she finds out more and more about Noah’s life and it doesn’t seem to be exactly what he told her. Who really is Noah?

We also learn a lot of Claire’s childhood, raised by her mother, it wasn’t the greatest of upbringings where Claire wasn’t allowed friends or to call her mum. This relationship is toxic and abusive and really had me feeling sorry for Claire, knowing this kind of parental abuse exists in the real world!

This is told as a dual POV, which I love, we’ve got the story from Claire’s side with flashbacks to her childhood and then Claire’s diary entries from when she first met Noah!

If there’s a book to read in 2025, this is it! It had me hooked right from the start, it was relatable in all sorts of ways, quick paced with an ending I didn’t see coming. I couldn’t put it down, I even cancelled plans to keep reading! Well written and I look forward to Callie’s next book!

I highly recommend this thriller if you enjoy shocking twists and turn throughout your novel. The ending had me shook

I bloody loved this book! I had everything needed. I found Claire so believable that i didn't see the ending coming at all! She was a great character and i really felt for her. This book was such a ride, a really great read! I can't wait to read more by this author one day!

I absolutely loved this book!
I was hooked from the start and the more I read the harder it was to put down!
So many twists and turns and it really kept me guessing.
I enjoyed it so much that one feel sad it’s over!

I didn't like this book. Not because it was bad, it was because it was advertised as a thriller and it really isn't of that genre. I don't like to give spoilers in reviews but its a very different type of book that I thought I was going to be reading. Its interspersed with flashbacks to the main characters sad childhood that I just hated. Its not the type of book I enjoy or read normally and I feel bad giving it two stars but its just not for me.

Thank you to netgalley, author and publisher for this advanced copy.

Oh my goodness! I read Cuckoo by Callie Kazumi in one sitting! It’s an unputdownable book! I absolutely loved reading it!

The dramatic opening makes you want to read on. Then comes the story of Claire moving between her childhood past and discovering that her fiancé Noah is cheating on her.

I got completely sucked into Claire’s story, which was so compelling, and I just really wanted to know what was going on and wondered how could Noah could possibly treat her like that.

It’s a book that would be ruined by any accidental spoilers. It’s a book sneaks up on you and takes you in different directions. It’s a must-read and an excellent first book by Callie Kazumi. She’s a talent to look out for. I can’t wait to read other books she’ll write in the future.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Random House UK, Cornerstone | Penguin, for making this e-ARC available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review.

For Claire, her life is perfect. She has a job she enjoys and she has Noah, the love of her life, her soulmate but everything comes crashing down when she delivers lunch to his building to discover he doesn’t work there anymore. Instinctively, she panics but she presumes Noah can explain everything but he doesn’t come home and he doesn’t answer her calls. Where is Noah?

The book took twists and turns I was not expecting. I was completely hooked once I started reading Cuckoo, I finished the book in a weekend and I know when it’s released, I’ll be recommending it to a lot of people.

An enthralling, twisty turny read that feels genuinely fresh and original. Great pace and very suspenseful, the twists keep on coming whilst you strat to get an inkling all may not be what it seems. Complex subjects are dealt with very well and the history of her relationship with her mother gives you an insight into Claire's psyche. A deliciously dark read!