Six strangers are on a retreat at a remote lake house with a storied past; what could possibly go wrong?

For Polly, the artist retreat at Lakeside House is a perfect “kill two birds with one stone” situation. Spending time at the lake house will allow her to explore a family mystery she’s hoping to solve while also escaping the stalker who has been terrorizing Polly and her best friend – two completely standard problems to have simultaneously.

Of course, it’s never that simple, and between disturbing threats and the disappearance of another guest, Polly is left even more stressed than when she arrived.

This book includes separate timelines, which help connect the dots of how the plot points tie together. The timelines add to the buildup of the mystery surrounding Polly’s family, as well as the lake house itself. Author Amanda Brittany creates an intriguing puzzle using this method.

Brittany also does a good job of taking the plot to unexpected places; there is one twist I did not see coming, and it adds depth to the story. The bait-and-switch component made me want to go back and reread certain, and it was cleverly handled.

For those reading this and expecting more of an intense thriller feel, they might be disappointed, as this is more of a slow burn. However, for fans of figuring out puzzles in mysteries, this will be up their alley.

What a fantastic book I love Amanda's novels and this one was no different

Thank you for the opportunity to review

Polly signs up for an art retreat, along with five strangers, at a remote house where the previous owners reportedly committed suicide. Polly hopes to discretely learn more about her birth mother who clearly had some connection to the house, but she also is trying to escape a stalker. The other five strangers at the retreat are an odd assortment of people who also have secrets, as do the home's owners. When one of them disappears and Polly receives several threats, she would like to leave but finds that heavy rain and flash flooding make her escape impossible. When the house's owner turns up dead, no one knows who is safe, who is a threat, and who has a secret that caused them to commit murder.

This is a book that will keep the reader awake into the wee hours. No one is who they seem to be and their interest in attending the retreat may or may not be art related. The relentless, pounding rain adds to the drama, making the reader wish for sunshine, and ultimately, a happy ending for Polly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

What a thrill!
Now You Are Mine drew me in with a unique and mysterious setting, along with characters that have intertwined pasts. Protagonist Polly is looking for information about her birth mother when she signs up for an art retreat at an eerie lakeside manor. Other guests arrive who have strange attributes and personalities, and Polly is still trying to get away from everyday life and the unknown stalker. Mysterious things start happening around the manor, and when Polly starts to be threatened, she knows that she needs to get away. Will she find out about her family, and escape the doom lurking at the lakeside manor?
There were so many mysteries that were solved in the end of this story, and I loved how it all came full circle. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves good twists and a resolution at the end.

I thought I was going to start this one at bedtime.....boy was I wrong! There was no bedtime in my near future! Started and finished in the same night! Fast paced thrills from the very beginning. Just when I thought I had it figured out, I was thrown another curve ball!

Thank you so much for letting me be an earlier reading of this book, it’s the first book I’ve read by this author and didn’t disappoint! Quick and easy read, very well written and loved the plot. I would definitely read more books from this author and I’ll be recommending to all my friends.

★ ★ ★ ★

Thank you, NetGalley, Amanda Brittany, and Boldwood Books, for providing an early copy of ‘Now You’re Mine’ in exchange for an unbiased review.

This book starts with a bang! A mysterious narrator, enigmatic circumstances, and unsettling events pull you in. Fast forward to the present day, and we meet Polly, our protagonist, who is attending an exclusive artist retreat at Lakeside House, though she is not exactly an artist. Polly is joined by a group of eccentric and aspiring artists, each with their own hidden agendas that seem unrelated to learning new skills and expanding their portfolios…

As the story unfolds, we navigate three different timelines, all centered around Lakeside House and its current and former residents. Keeping track of all the characters was sometimes challenging, as there were quite a few. However, I enjoyed this aspect; it added to the mystery and kept me guessing. As the drama progresses, characters continually form new groups based on shifting circumstances, altering the dynamics and making everyone seem guilty, at least to me.

The reveal and the story leading up to it were absolutely captivating! Amanda Brittany masterfully creates a suspenseful atmosphere throughout, often infusing it with a chilling vibe. I could never have anticipated the fantastic twists she had in store!

This story is told from the point of view of Polly Ashton who is on the journey to find her birth mother. Polly also is a victim of a recent stalker that violated her life and her home so when a new art retreat is built and opened at lakeside, the house where her birth mother stood and took a picture she decides it’s the perfect place to relax and also find out about her mother and where she came from.
There’s also a haunted story about the couple who owned lakeside property, it was said they took their own lives and no one knows what happened so the story involving the past of lakeside is also told from the view of past characters. So it has a past and present storyline

This book was so easy to follow even if all my guesses were wrong. we also get multiple povs from other characters in the retreat which helped me get all the pieces of the puzzle. The plot twist, I didn’t even see it coming I was glad to be surprised.

Now I am hooked with thrillers!

Thank you so much for a copy of this book Netgalley

This is the first book ive read by this author and it most certainly wont be the last. Polly is searching for her birth mother, with only a single photograph showing her mother at the dark and forboding...
Long held family secrets and twists a plenty. Highly recommended xx

Polly heads to an art retreat at the Lakeside House in the Lake District. But Polly is not really interested in art. She's here to find out more about her biological mother, who she believes once lived at the house. She's also looking for a break, after a stalker preyed on her and her friend.

Polly finds out that the previous owners supposedly took their lives at the house many years ago. And the new owners are receiving threats from an unknown person. The five other guests at the retreat all seem to be hiding something as well. Polly's suspicions ramp up when someone destroys her artwork. Then, one of the other guests goes missing. Polly is worried that her stalker may have followed her to the retreat. Or, perhaps whatever is going on has to do with her unknown family...

I honestly found this book to be a bit of a drag and super unmemorable. It doesn't really pick up until the end. Either way, I found the majority of the book quite boring. I found myself skimming parts, waiting for some exciting action. Not really my cup of tea and not really a "thriller". I almost decided to give up at around 45%, but pushed through. I was glad when it was done, lol!

Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of Now You Are Mine by Amanda Brittany due to be published September 9, 2024.
Polly signs up for an art retreat at Lakeside House for two reasons – to get away from her stalker and to investigate her family history to see if her mother once lived there. But something sinister is happening. Everyone seems to be hiding something, things are damaged, and someone is missing. Is Polly in danger?
This was an exciting book – trying to figure out all the ins and outs of the house where they were staying. There were lots of twists and turns and trying to discover everyone’s secrets! Murders, missing people, secrets – all the great makings of a thriller!
This is my first book by Amanda Brittany – it was great – I look forward to reading more of her books.
#NetGalley #AmandaBrittany #BoldwoodBooks #NowYouAreMine

Brilliant characters! Brilliant plot and full of twists and turns that even I didn’t see coming! You think you’ve figured it out and then you’re hit with another plot twist! Very eerie and atmospheric! Fabulously written! I breezed through this in 2 sittings!
Big thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC I’m very grateful, Highly recommended!

This was an okay read, but didn't quite hit the spot for me. I found it hard to get invested in it, the characters didn't grab me. Hope others enjoy it more.

A remote lakeside house. Six strangers with something to hide. Who's out for revenge? Who will survive? When Polly signs up to an art retreat in the Lake District, it's an escape from the stress of recent months, when a stalker preyed on her and her friend! Good book! This book had intrigue, suspense, murder, great mystery, and a few crazy twists and turns! The story was interesting! I definitely recommend reading this one! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this story with me!

Are you ready for your new favorite thriller? Now You Are Mine should be removed up to the top of your to be read list. This was a great psychological thriller that kept me guessing until the very end.

[I got this book with Netgalley, so I was gifted a free copy in exchange for a honest review]

Lately I have been a little bit hesitant with the mystery/thriller books. Yes I'm enjoying them, but they are being so predictable lately. This book takes places in a remote lakeside house, with six strangers coming together for a art retreat. We follow our main character Polly, who signed up for the retreat to escape the stress of the past few months, due to a stalker preying on her and her roommate. But there is a reason Polly wanted to go to this specific house. She believes her biological mother once lived here.
However, things are turning south rather quickly. The previous owners of the house have taken their own lives, or so the story goes. And the new owners are receiving disturbing threats. Someone is sabotaging Polly's artwork. The five other guests on the retreat all seem to be hiding something.
Then one of them goes missing.
Is someone trying to scare Polly? Do the creepy goings-on have anything to do with the family she never knew? Or has the stalker followed her to Lakeside House, and is now hiding in plain sight?

So as said before, I struggle a bit with thrillers, especially finding good ones that aren't predictable, and this one surprised me on so many levels! I did not expect anything really. I was guessing, and a few things were guessed correctly, but the "big reveal" was super unexpected for me.
The writing style of Amanda Brittany is really fitting with the whole thriller. She created an amazing image in my head. The picture of the house and its surroundings were written so so good. This was the first thriller in ages that pleasantly surprised me and that I really enjoyed. I loved the twists, and this is definitely a thriller to put on your anticipated releases list for September!

This book was creepy! But I did find it to be a little slow. After Polly and her roommate are stalked, she decides to go on a retreat. It happens that the retreat is where her biological may have lived. Polly wants to find out more about her family so this retreat is perfect for her. Things start getting weird and Polly wonders if her stalker has found her. Could it be someone in the house? Who can she trust? The book definitely gets more interesting and I just had to finish it. The ending was great. It has me guessing the entire time which I love. This is the first book I’ve read by Amanda and I really enjoyed it! I’m looking forward to reading more of her books! Thank you NetGalley, Amanda and Boldwood Books for the ARC!

"Now You Are Mine" by Amanda Brittany is an engaging psychological thriller written from multiple perspectives and in dual timelines, alternating between third and first person. This is just the kind of book I enjoy, so I happily dived in.

The book starts with a bang, featuring murders, and then jumps forward 26 years. The story follows Polly, a young woman who escaped a stalker only to walk out of the frying pan into the fire. She attends an art retreat in the Lake District to decompress from her ordeal and to learn more about her birth family who used to live there, and finds more than she can handle.

The Lakeside House has a horrid history; its previous owners supposedly took their own lives there, but no bodies were ever found. Pretty soon, Polly finds that her troubles have followed her. The new owners are receiving disturbing threats, someone is sabotaging her artwork, and the place has a creepy undercurrent. The plot takes a sinister turn when disturbing incidents keep occurring, one of the guests goes missing, and the worsening weather conditions trap them there.

I loved the book, and the plot kept me guessing right up until the end. The story moves at a good pace with plenty of twists and turns to build suspense. While I suspected one twist, the others caught me by surprise. I liked Polly, was anxious about what happened to her, and rooted for her.

Moving between past and present, what unfolds is a tale of abuse, control, environmental concerns, fallible human nature, and love. The writing is taut and suspenseful, and the author expertly builds tension and atmosphere throughout the book. The characters are well-drawn, each with their own distinct personality.

The author has crafted an engrossing mystery that keeps you interested from beginning to end. I liked the writing and the way the story unfolded before my very eyes. The author doesn't give us all the information at once. Bit by bit, she uncovers more pieces from the past and connects the dots.

To sum up, I enjoyed the book very much and found it original and intriguing. It kept me excited and interested throughout the novel. It was well-written, with good, interesting characters, a compelling premise, and suspense. If you enjoy stories with complex plots and vacations gone awry, this is the book for you.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

An enjoyable read. I liked how all the characters had motives or suspicion cast on them for doing bad deeds. I particularly liked the linkd to the past owners of the house and how they link to the present.
The ending was pitched just right. I liked how it still posed some questions but concluded in a satisfying way.

Oooh, this was juicyyyy! Very entertaining thriller and totally engaging from beginning to end. Amanda Brittany knows how to grip her reader by the throat and keep them hooked!