Wow! This is a rollercoaster of a book! Twists and turns and just having no idea what will come next. I’ll admit. , The writing is fantastic, and you really don’t know just what will happen from start to finish. I liked most of the characters, one is absolutely horrible, but really ties in with everything happening in this book. Thank you for the opportunity to red nd rate. I look forward to the author’s next book.

A great read …. We are introduced to Claire who is engaged to the love of her life Noah, on the day of their anniversary Claire turns up at Noah’s work only to find he no longer works there … the life that she thought she was living is not so for many reasons . I loved the way this book was written a mixture of dusty entries from Claire which gives the reader background around her troubled upbringing and toxic relationship with her mother as well as telling the love story of her and Noah. We then get real time that unfolds a great story that captures the reader

4* Not what I thought, in a pretty shocking way. Sad, creepy, shocking and what a twist.

Well, this tale starts off with a seemingly happy engaged couple, before he does the dirty on her and she discovers his litany of lies, and goes on a mission to track him down and make him admit he's done her wrong, and try to win him back, though he's no prize. Right? Wrong!! To say more would give the tale away. I didn't suspect the outcome, thinking a scorned woman whose actions resulted in something very sad would actually get a decent outcome (desperately trying not to Spoiler here) but the author turned the tables pretty much at 95% of the tale gone. Totally did not see that coming. Uhuh.

I was attracted to the premise of this book, although it ended up being slightly different from what I expected -in a good way! I read this book twice and edited my review on second read.

The book is told via the POV of Claire's journal and her present storyline around her issues with her Mother. She is living a happy life with her fiancé Noah, but when she goes to visit him at work with her coworker Shuki, she is told he hasn't worked there for almost a year.

The book is worth 5 stars in my opinion. I read it twice and got better the second time. I honestly believe this book is going to be huge on booktok.

This was a really engrossing read which I got into very quickly however there was a constant feeling of unease as I was trying to figure out what was going on and was never quite sure of the reliability of the protagonist. The details of her childhood were painful and the impact on her very apparent. I like how this was split into two parts, that worked really well in explaining the relationship and the ending was in parts expected yet in other ways shocking. Overall though I found this a real page turner with an intriguing protagonist especially as her life gradually disintegrated as she tried to find out the truth about her fiancé resulting in her taking increasingly desperate actions.

I enjoyed this book. I read it very quickly and found it easy to get into. The “Mother” character I absolutely detested - so well done to the author for creating such a challenging person. The plot revolves around Claire discovering her fiancé having another life she knows nothing about and it spurs Claire on to try and find out what happened. I didn’t see the plot twist coming at the end. I liked the book’s take on the psychological aspects very much. Will recommend to others to read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reading copy.

I absolutely flew through this book! I enjoyed it so much! An absolutely stonking debut! Just brilliant! Think everyone will be talking about this one when it releases next year. Feel very privileged to have read it so early so thank you for the advanced copy!

Cuckoo was an addictive read, I can’t believe that it’s a debut!

I read this book in one go, and I found myself trusting Claire less and less throughout the book, and Noah seemed shady as hell throughout. It’s rare that ai don’t trust any characters in a book, but that’s what made this book so much more interesting! I do like an unreliable narrator, and Claire was very much one.

I found the story really interesting from the start, I felt so many emotions ranging from anger to sympathy to shock. For the first half I felt like I really wanted ti find out what happened and get Claire the information she needed, why did he leave? And then the second half happened. That second half was such a difference, and it explained a lot, but it was so well written, and so well paced throughout.

I’m trying really hard to avoid spoilers, but Cuckoo was honestly so addictive, and if you like psychology in your books definitely check this one out. Overall, I absolutely loved this book, it is so good and so well written! I am giving Cuckoo 4.5 stars.

This is so compelling! A killer premise and intriguing protagonist means that you just can’t stop reading this dark as night thriller. Very satisfying conclusion too.

WOW what an absolutely astoundng debut thriller Cuckoo by Callie Kazumi was she will go far.

Claire takes Noah her fiance lunch at his work place in order to surprise him for their anniversary but she is devastated that his boss had told her that he had left nine months ago.

Noah has blocked her on his phone and she is so worried that something terrible has happened to him. Her only friend Sukhi helps to track him down to his new place of work.

Unfortunately they find that Noah did use social media but his posts proved he lied to Claire at the time they got together he told Claire that he would never entertain it.

As they dig deeper the secrets unravel into an exciting twist of events which I never would have guessed. I do hope there is a sequel.

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.

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 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!

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.

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!

I really enjoyed Cuckoo; it was such a gripping and intriguing read! I couldn’t put it down as I was so keen to find out what was going on. I couldn’t work out why Noah was pretending not to know Claire, his own fiancée!

Claire’s diary entries make for fascinating reading, as well as the flashbacks to comments from her mother, who sounds like an awful woman.

Overall, this was an entertaining read, which kept me hooked to the end!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Penguin Random House & Callie Kazumi for allowing me to read Cuckoo in exchange for honest feedback!

This was a brilliant book & very aptly named!! It gripped me from page 1 and 'Cuckoo' came into my head A LOT throughout the story!

I've read a lot of thrillers over the years, but this felt different, in a good way!

The pace was great, keeping enough suspense & 'wtf' moments throughout to keep you engrossed. I was fully immersed in the storyline & felt the emotions Claire was describing when she found out her husband left his job 9 months earlier & she knew nothing about it! Then, the tables started to turn....

I had an inkling about the turn that the story was going to take quite early on, but it's a thriller that completely messes with your head & makes you doubt what's real and what isn't, so it still kept me guessing!

The journal entries really make you feel like you're inside Claire's head & immersed me into the story. Her history with her mother is very dark & explains a lot as the story develops.

The ending though?! When Cuckoo is released on 13th March 2025, you NEED to add it to you library! 😍

This was a good read. Some classic twists that were enjoyable. Thanks for the opportunity to rate and review.

Firstly thank you to the publishers for my early access in exchange for a review.
I flew through this fantastic debut which I predict will be huge next year when it’s published.
This has you hooked straight away and you really sympathising with the main character and what she’s going through.
As the story unravels truths are revealed and all is not what it seems in every way possible!
Riveting , addictive and compelling.
Unpredictable and unsettling this will get under your skin.
A incredibly written and layered suspense thriller .
I can’t wait to read more from this author and wish her every successs with this book.

This book, Cuckoo, is a total page-turner. I couldn't put it down! It's about Claire, whose fiancé suddenly vanishes without a trace. She's desperate to find him and unravel the mystery.

I loved Claire's character and the way the story unfolds. It's full of twists and turns, and I was always guessing what would happen next. If you enjoy thrillers with strong female characters, this is a must-read!

A wow of a read. This being Callie Kazumi's debut novel I cannot wait to read her next one.
It was gripping, I cannot imaging being engaged to someone only to find them living with someone else and having your life scrutinised so people around you think you are deranged. This is a great phycological thriller, with twists you do not see coming. Characters are so believable. Well done Callie for writing a very suspenseful and scary novel.

Claire decides to surprise her hardworking fiancé with lunch one day when she finds that he has disappeared. With a past and present dual timeline this book was one that I couldn’t put down. Claire has not had a good past and with mental health problems which have gotten worse she is struggling. The relationship with her mother was toxic and I resonate with this so much, she is a victim of her own families doing,

This novel was FANTASTIC. I cannot recommend this book wholly enough. I read Callie’s elevator pitch on Twitter many moons back and I looooved it even then so actually getting to read the book was even better.

Cuckoo tells the story of Claire, who is in an amazing relationship with Noah - they’re engaged and life is good … until Noah disappears. Claire decides to take lunch to Noah one day only to find he hasn’t worked there for 9 months and didn’t tell her. Claire is frantic, desperate to know what’s going on and why Noah didn’t tell her, but he won’t answer her calls and her texts go unanswered and soon Claire has to take more drastic measures to try and find Noah.

This novel was amazing. Genuinely amazing; so very fast-paced and I was hooked from the very start. I loved Claire as a character, I found her so relatable and she has such a unique voice. The diary entries relating to her relationship with Noah were fascinating and the flashbacks to her childhood were sad, and I applauded how she’d come back from such a terrible childhood and had managed to find the love of her life - or so she thought!

This book had absolutely everything - it was thrilling, it had me on the edge of my seat, I never knew what was coming next and I was constantly surprised. I don’t want to give masses away as I feel like you need to read this novel blind to fully appreciate it.

Callie is a fantastic new writing talent, I am so incredibly excited to see what she does next and this blew my socks off!

Thank you Netgalley for my copy.

I liked this book. I felt compelled to finish it even though it went exactly where I thought it was going. That's fine though, I love being proven right with my first assumptions, it's part of the fun for me.

I hated Claire, she was juvenile and it like I was reading the thoughts of a teenager who had very little social interaction with real humans. However, I suppose some of the story does explain why it felt like this.

Looking forward to reading more by Kazumi.

Once this got going, I really enjoyed it. It has some unexpected twists and turns, and keeps you guessing until the very end. It is well written, it’s got good pace, and the short chapters leave you wanting more, and you’ll find yourself immediately reading on, even when you promised yourself, ‘just one more chapter’.
Not only would I recommend, it’s also made me want to read more books by this author.

With thanks to NetGalley, and the publisher, for an e-ARC to read and review.

Wow oh wow this is one of those books where you firstly, stay up all night because you *have* to know what happens and also because you have whiplash from the back and forth of the plot.
It's a first person narrative , taking the perspective of Claire, who narrates her life now, interspersed with diary entries from when she met her partner, Noah, and how her life has skyrocketed beyond anything she could have ever hoped for herself.
Claire does what most people would do without thinking, bringing her fiancé a lunch on their 1 year anniversary.
But, on turning up to his offices, not only does she find out that he hasn't worked there for months, he is not answering any of her calls.
She has such a small and insular life because Noah has made himself the center of her universe, and your sympathies are immediately with Claire, as she reels from the devastating news her perfect life and relationship is far from it.
As she and her friend dig into Noah's past, things become increasingly bizarre, and as a reader, I felt so close to Claire as she shows you what she had in the *then*, the abuse she went through as child, to what she has lost in the *now*.
It is devastating and you want revenge and closer for her.
And then , she is accused of murder.
So this intense relationship between you and Claire suddenly becomes a courtroom drama and the race to the truth of just what has happened begins...
This is a fantastic debut which bodes well for any future books which Callie may write...and which I will be eagerly awaiting!
My thanks to Rachel Quinn and the publisher for my gifted review copy all opinions are my own

Crikey! I just loved Cuckoo. Kept me guessing to about halfway and then I twigged what was going on but the writer made me doubt my conclusions right until the end. Just brilliant. Please write more.

This is Callie's debut novel and I was gripped.
Claire Arundale is engaged to Nathan Coors and live together. One day Claire decides to surprise Nathan with a takeaway lunch. On arriving at the company where he works, she is shocked when the receptionist says no one of that name works here.
She calls him repeatedly and he doesn't answer. That night he doesn't come home. Claire is distraught. She tries to find him checking out old haunts and is shocked even more when he denies knowing her. The story is told from Claire's pov but over 2 timelines, present and her childhood with her brutal, unloving mother. This is a brilliant psychological novel with a shocker of an ending. Unputdownable and I loved it. A must read!!!!

What a storyline and what an ending! I went through a roller coaster of emotions whilst reading this book. I will certainly be looking out for Callie Kazumi in the future. A well deserved 5 stars.

Easy to read, it just flows
Didn't take long to read
I just completely switched off and focused on this book
If you love psychological thrillers this is for you
Completely Unputadownable

Thank you netgalley, Callie Kazumi and Random House

An addictively readable story that I couldn’t put down. Claire has grown up with an unstable abusive mother, always being told she’ll never amount to anything. When she meets handsome wealthy Noah, she can’t believe he’ll be interested in her but the two quickly fall in love and get engaged.

A year after they meet, Claire goes to surprise Noah at work, only to find out that he left months ago and is working elsewhere. When she calls him, Noah ignores her calls, blocks her on social media, the works-and Claire has no idea how he has changed so much in such a short period of time. When she discovers something out about what Noah has been doing, it changes everything.

The story flew by although it wasn’t always as light as I had assumed it might be - the sections of Claire’s childhood are heartbreaking to read, and I wanted to give her a big hug at times.


I’ll definitely be recommending this to friends

Well, I wasn't expecting that! I loved the twist and the unexpected ending. I actually gasped.

I found Cuckoo a captivating read, and raced through the book. I was engrossed in the story throughout, although I didn't connect with the character. I found the flashbacks to Mother a little distracting, although the significance of this made sense as the story progressed. I like how the story unfolds during the second half. For that reason, I was thinking this would be a four-star book for me. However, the way this book ends deserves five stars. It's scary ...

I'd recommend this to fans of twisty, pacy psychological thrillers.

This book was absolutely amazing! I loved the twists and turns. The ending was a proper shocker. Love, love, love!

Claire's world is shattered when she visits her fiancé one day at work only to find he hasn't worked there for several months. Over a short period of time she discovers that he has a partner and an entirely different life to the one they were leading together. I won't say more for fear of spoilers.

I ate up this book in a few hours, it was so readable. You can't help but feel sorry for Claire as more and more secrets are revealed, not least the way she has been treated by her horrible mother.. I love the way psychology is brought into the plot and although it was reminiscent of another book (which I won't name as it gives the game away) this didn't detract from my enjoyment.

If you like book where everything is not as it seems, you'll love this. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

I was so excited to read this one and I was not disappointed! It was fast paced and grabbed me from the first page! I love how the twists unraveled slowly throughout the book and I was left gasping over and over! Brilliant debut novel! I’m totally looking forward to her next book! I’m following this author on Amazon and Goodreads!