I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. This book was not for me as I do not enjoy reading about cults and the crazy things that they do. I love this author and this is the first book by this author that I can honestly say I did not finish.

I love Steena Holmes’ books. She has written some of my very favorite books over the years. This one, unfortunately, fell short for me. I’m a huge fan of books about cults, so I was excited about that aspect of the book. I figured out the cannibalism part of the story very early on and I really tried to not let it deter me. But, I couldn’t help it. It really grossed me out. I think that I would have enjoyed the book so much more without that. The beginning was kind of slow and kind of rehashing the same things over and over. Overall, I think it has a good plot. There weren’t any earth shattering twists, but the ending was good. I did end up just skimming a lot to make it there tho. It just wasn’t my cup of tea.

'Deliciously Dark' Sounds Apt But Becomes Problematic. Without going into spoiler territory, I can't find a better title for this review than "Deliciously Dark", and yet... well, read the damn book to find out why I have problems using that title. :D

But seriously, this is one *dark* book - and while I just can't bring myself to spoil anything... think whatever you feel would be the darkest a book could possibly go. Then go darker. Darker. Darker again. And again. Ok, now add a dying candle into that. Because that's about as light as this book gets. (Though I *will* note some things that you may imagine that *don't* happen here: no dog dies. No kids are sexually assaulted. And yet... the rest of this paragraph applies. Better to be prepared and have it be lighter than you expect, with this kind of tale.)

Holmes manages almost a Poe level of storytelling, where it isn't necessarily what is on the page, but what is clearly just *off* the page that is so intense... and, eventually, those things come onto the page in stunning fashion.

If you like dark yet not necessarily "heavy" books, you're going to love this one. If you're looking for something lighter... come back to this when you're ready for *dark*. :)

Very much recommended.

If the synopsis for this book had revealed more about its dark and disturbing themes, I'm not sure I would have chosen to read it. I have followed several cult-related tragedies during my lifetime which has always made me cautious about the signs of cult activity. The author did show some of the ways cult leaders are able to attract and control their followers. It was also interesting that the main characters were albinos since I personally know a family whose children have this genetic disorder. The ending of the book seemed a bit rushed and left me with unanswered questions. Thanks to NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author for an advanced copy to read and review.

2.5 STARS - This story is set around Bryce and Brynn, albino twins who run their family's funeral home. With sinister vibes, this slow burn story shows the complicated bond between the siblings and their creepy connection to a nefarious group that has long had a hold on the family.

I liked the concept of the story but not the execution. My main issues stem from Brynn's inconsistent behaviours. She ardently hates the cultish group known as The Family but if she hated them so much, why did it only take simple invitations for her to repeatedly visit them? Appeasing her increasingly controlling brother didn't seem like enough of a reason to me. This back-and-forth issue for Brynn was repetitive and became frustrating when I wish time would have been spent adding more to the story.

I am a fan of Holmes' previous work, including The Forgotten Ones, The Perfect Secret and The Patient but while this small-town, dark thriller had good concepts, it relies too heavily on the creepiness to pull readers through a simple story that may have fared better as a short story.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Joffe Books for the complimentary digital copy of this book which was given in exchange for my honest review.

While suspenseful at times, there were also slow parts that removed me from the building tension of the story. This is listed as book 2 in the Bervie Springs series, but can definitely be read as a standalone novel. This book has a clear conclusion, but there is also the opportunity for a sequel to this book. If one is ever released I'd absolutely love to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Release date 8/29/24

I was immediately gripped by this book, the pace and suspense was so well done and kept me reading until the end.

3.5 ⭐️'s for me.
You don't see many books with albino characters so that was a nice change and made it tie in nice with the cult aspect. I am personally not a huge fan of reading things with cults in them unless it is a true story but I was able to get through this fairly quickly with how nice the writing flowed and it will keep you on your toes with trying to guess what is going on with the main characters twin brother.... I do wish the ending had more information about what happened with other characters and places within the story. I felt like I wanted a little more info with how it all went down. But over all a very easy read.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for this eCopy to review

As I read The Twin, I found myself torn between fascination and frustration. Holmes crafts a psychological thriller exploring the complexities of twin relationships

Bryce and Brynn had very different relationships with their father and The Final Family (a cult their parents founded)

Can Brynn escape their clutches and will Bryce help her or will he support the family?

A solid suspense novel, I guessed what was going to happen and found it quite repetitive at times

I don’t read books that involve cults, but this one slipped by my radar. But the time I realized some of the plot, I was hooked! This is a terrifying account of the mentality and practices of a cult. It is so mind boggling to think that a large group can be influenced by an individual or even a small group of people to believe that this is the way life is supposed to be! This was horrific and suspenseful, and I have to say I really enjoyed it! Wow!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this. Another cult thriller, yay!! Bryce and Brinn are twins. After their dad passed, Bryce admits that he’s been keeping a huge secret from her. The more she learns about what he is hiding, the more scared she gets. Very intense thriller! Releases August 29th.

While I was attracted by the premise when I saw this title on NetGalley, I also noticed some less favorable reviews. But there was a reason for that: these came from people who found the themes too dark and creepy, and they believed more details should have been mentioned in the synopsis. Well, I’m not one of them! The fewer details there are and the lower my expectations, the more I tend to enjoy the book.

I was hooked from the beginning by the special relationship between the albino twins, Brynn and Bryce, who manage a funeral parlor. Steena Holmes' writing style is very fluid and engaging, with vivid, straight-to-the-point descriptions, making this a real page-turner. Although I don't think there are any truly surprising twists, the tension builds so nicely that you feel compelled to keep reading to find out what will happen next. I stayed up late a couple of nights because the suspense was torturing me, and I kept anticipating the climax. Overall, it was a very enjoyable read, with a fast pace, interesting characters, and a dark reality that I hope none of you can relate to—but nevertheless, a reality!
4 solid stars!

This book was creepy in the best way. The lies and mysteries the main character faces makes you wonder if anyone is trustworthy and just how far this “family” reaches. A must read for those who are obsessed with cult documentaries.

My twin brother is the person I'm closest to. But now he frightens me. We both have the same white-blonde hair and clear blue eyes. All our lives people have stared at us. So we had to be there for each other. Bryce tried to protect me from our dad. But when he died, I thought I was finally safe. After the funeral, Bryce tells me "Since Dad's passing.... well it's been going on for a few years now. I've been keeping a huge secret from you." Now I'm lying bruised and broken on a cold floor in a dark room. How I got here is the question. And what they want from me is insane.

Brynn and Bryce are twins. Now that their father has passed away, Brynn hopes to run their family funeral parlour. But Brynn has other ideas, as he and his father are members of The Family (a cult).

Part of this book was predictable, the rest was not. It's a horrifyingly dark read. It's also quite twisted. It's an easy book to read due to the author's writing style. Unfortunately, I'm not keen on stories that have cults in them.

Published 29th August 2024

I would like to thank #NetGalley #JoffeBooks and the author #SteenaHolmes for my ARC of #TheTwin in exchange for an honest review.

This book is mainly about a doomsday cult. I wish the book description had mentioned that, and it definitely needs to. I could have saved myself some time and avoided a topic that I do not enjoy reading. I don't like to read of religious zealots, ritualistic ceremonies, animal sacrifices, and cannibalism. Sorry if that's a spoiler, but I feel people need to know what they are getting themselves into with this book. Cannot recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for this eARC.

This book had a very slow start. Then there were lots of talk about cults ( not mentioned in the synopsis) so I wasn’t sure if I wanted to even finish reading this. When the story does pick up it gets better and it ended up being a decent book.

The premise for this one truly is the reason why I requested it sounded so good. Unfortunately, this one was just so slow, nothing was happening to keep my interest. I had to skim some parts just to get through some parts and in the end ended up having to DNF as it did not hold my interest.

3.5 stars

Any thriller with twin in the title I'm going to read. I'm an identical twin myself so I find them fascinating.

Also, the twins in this story are unique as they have albinism. The only reason why I haven't rated this higher is because I'm not a huge fan of cult thrillers.

The writing was fast paced and brilliant but I'm afraid I just don't connect to cults in books.

Recommend to those readers who do though! Very gripping and tense.

I loved the premise of this book but found it super slow to ever get started. I did end up skipping parts just to get on with things and although it does pick it, it all goes a bit.... odd! Like some of the themes just felt like they'd been thrown in for shock value rather than plot progression or character development but each other their own. Wasn't really my cup of tea but it was a quick read, even quicker when you skim half of it just to try and get to the point. And the ending..... meh! A bit, lacking. Especially after what had gone before

Bryce and Brinn are twins, their father has recently died and they have taken over the running of the family funeral home.
Bryce has also taken over the running of the cult that his father had founded.
A psychological thriller with some unbelievable twists and turns.
Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.