Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

"Before She Finds Me" by Heather Chavez is a riveting thriller that delves into the lives of two mothers, Julia Bennett and Ren Petrovic, whose paths cross under the most harrowing circumstances. Chavez weaves a tale of suspense and intrigue that explores the lengths to which a mother will go to protect her family.

Julia Bennett's life is thrown into chaos when her daughter, Cora, survives a sniper attack on her college campus. The incident forces Julia to confront her dark past and the secrets she has fought to keep buried. Her instincts tell her the attack was not random, and she embarks on a desperate quest for the truth, even as it threatens to unravel the life she has carefully constructed.

Ren Petrovic, a professional assassin with a strict moral code, finds herself at odds with her husband, Nolan, when she discovers he was involved in the campus attack. Pregnant and protective of her unborn child, Ren seeks to understand Nolan's motives and the identity of the person who hired him. Her investigation leads her to Julia, and the two women find themselves in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

Chavez's narrative is masterful, with a pace that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. The characters are well-developed, each with their own complexities and moral ambiguities. The story is a compelling examination of the duality of human nature and the unforeseen consequences of our choices.

The novel's strength lies in its ability to maintain tension while slowly unraveling the mystery at its core. The alternating perspectives of Julia and Ren provide a balanced view of the unfolding drama, allowing readers to empathize with both women despite their vastly different lives.

"Before She Finds Me" is a testament to Heather Chavez's skill as a storyteller. It is a thought-provoking thriller that not only entertains but also challenges the reader to consider the gray areas of morality and the power of maternal love.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review*

Great psychological thriller - highly recommended!

#BeforeSheFindsMe #NetGalley
Julia Bennett has worked hard to create a stable life for her daughter, Cora, in Southern California. So when Cora leaves for college, the worst thing Julia expects on move-in day is an argument with her ex-husband and his new wife. But a sudden attack leaves the campus stunned—and only Julia’s quick actions save Cora’s life. Shaken in the aftermath, and haunted by a dark secret, Julia starts to wonder: What if the attack wasn’t as random as everyone believes?
Newly pregnant Ren Petrovic has an unusual career—she’s a trained assassin, operating under a strict moral code. Ren wasn’t on campus that day, but she knows who was: her husband, Nolan. What she doesn’t know is why Nolan has broken their rules by not telling her about the job in advance. The more Ren looks into the attack, the more she begins to question: Who really hired Nolan? And why did one woman in the crowd respond so differently from all the rest?
Julia and Ren each want answers, but their searches quickly pit them against each other. One woman is a hired killer, but the other is a determined survivor. And both mothers will defend their families to the bitter end.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for giving me an advance copy.

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope There is more to come from this author! I am totally hooked!

This knocked it out of the park for me! There's your review. This had me glued to the pages needing to know what happened, and I loved every bit of it! So much fun!

I did not appreciate this book as much as her other novels. It took me a while to get engaged, but once captured I enjoyed.

Fabulous book! Like "The Last Thing He Told Me," the twists, the characters, the relationships, the visuals... it deserves to be an Apple+ miniseries starring Jennifer Garner.

𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The worst thing Julia Bennett expects on her daughter Cora’s college move-in day is an argument with her ex-husband and his new wife. But a sudden attack leaves the campus stunned—and only Julia’s quick actions save Cora’s life.

Shaken in the aftermath, and haunted by a dark secret, Julia starts to wonder: What if the attack wasn’t as random as everyone believes?

Newly pregnant Ren Petrovic has an unusual career—she’s a trained assassin, operating under a strict moral code. Ren wasn’t on campus that day, but the job sounds like one done by her husband, Nolan. What she doesn’t know is why Nolan has broken their rules by not telling her about the job in advance.

The more Ren looks into the attack, the more she begins to question: Who really hired Nolan? And why did one woman in the crowd respond so differently from all the rest?

Julia and Ren each want answers, but their searches quickly pit them against each other. One woman is a hired killer, but the other is a determined survivor. And both mothers will defend their families to the bitter end.

While it had a strong start and I certainly have been loving the lady killer genre lately this one fell a little flat for me at the end.

#thriller #psycholgicalthriller #mystery #assassin #ladykiller #suspense #newrelease #bookstagram

This was a thrilling "whodunit" that had me hooked from the beginning. I enjoyed the story being told through two POVs, and loved how it all connects by the end. The plot twists were surprising, and the ending was satisfying. Definitely recommend!

“Shield the innocent. Kill the guilty. Defend the family.”

Julia Bennett is a good mother. She has raised her daughter, Cora the best way she can. Cora is moving to college and Julia is terrified of letting her go but she knows she must. When the moving date occurs, Julia is also dreading the interaction between Cora and her ex-husband Eric, and his new wife, Brie. Then, the unimaginable happens, a sniper is shooting people down. Julia jumps in to protect her daughter from the attack. The shooter leaves fatalities behind. Julia starts doubting that the attack was random but who were the targets?

Ren Petrovic is an assassin married to Nolan who is also an assassin. Ren is pregnant and is looking forward to motherhood. She believes in a code of conduct and in her book only evil people should be eliminated. Getting paid while doing it is only a plus. Ren prefers poison to firearms but she can shoot if needed. When she learns of the attack, she immediately believes her husband is the shooter but why did he take a job without telling her?

Before She Finds Me was a riveting story that had me glued to the pages up to the very end! I love both female characters. Tough women in their own way. I was hoping for both to survive what was definitely coming for them.

Cliffhanger: No

5/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Mulholland Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Heather Chavez is one of my auto-buy authors and this did not disappoint. Weirdly I guessed the main twist BUT because Heather is so good at twists and turns I still had a lot of surprises in store.
This one follows assassin Ren and her life as she is navigating her most recent job while also being pregnant and Julia, a witness at a botched job Ren is looking into.
The back and forth between the two has great chemistry and the interactions between the two were some of my favorite parts of the book.
So glad I read this one, which renewed my interest in plants surprisingly!
Great thriller! I can’t wait to see what Heather Chavez does next.

This book was so much fun! I binge read it in one sitting. Loved the dual POVs and how entertaining the characters were. I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author.

4.5 stars rounded up

Summary from Goodreads: "In this shocking thriller, two unlikely mothers race to uncover the truth behind a horrific attack - even after it becomes clear that the truth will destroy one of their families."

I feel like that summary is perfect because it doesn't give too much away but gives you just enough to want to know more. And I definitely recommend picking this book up to find out more because what a page turner this was! When I tell you that I was utterly hooked - this book pulled me in and just didn't let me go. I was completely invested in how everything was going to turn out. The thing is that you have these two women with completely different lives but there is an attack that happens which puts them on a collision course. And the story goes back and forth between their two viewpoints with tension and suspense filling the pages. It was a ride let me tell you. My only complaint was the ending lacked a little something for me but I can't really put into words exactly what. I can say that this book left me super eager to read more by this author. 4.5 stars.

Readers who enjoy books filled with suspense, thrillers with a bit more to them (in this case a look at motherhood), and books that you just can't stop reading should pick this book up.

CW - School shooting

Disclosure - I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher. Honest thoughts are my own.

I enjoyed but it took me 2 weeks to read so it won’t be a book a rave about or really remember. The twist wasn’t jaw dropping. Overall just an ok read.

Unfortunately this book didn’t work for me and was a DNF but I am sure other readers will feel differently! Thank you for the ARC!

The first half of the book pulled me in, but I found that about three quarters of the way through I began to lose interest. Maybe it just wasn't the book for me. .

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Before She Finds Me" is not just a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase; it's a story that explores themes of survival, trust, and the lengths people will go to protect themselves and those they love.

Julia's character was developed very well and you find yourself rooting for ther every step of the way.

From the beginning of this book, it was a RIDE. Lots of different pieces of the puzzle slowly slipped into place, and the slow burn between Ren and Julia's stories was really interesting.

Thank you Netgalley and Mulholland Books for the ARC!

An exciting thriller with an outstanding plot and amazing characters. The drama and thrills grabs the reader’s attention right from the start. The plot is exceptionally written and keeps the story flowing nicely. In my honest opinion, this is one of the best thrillers I’ve read this year.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Mulholland Books for this review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was a wild ride and Heather Chavez is an incredibly talented writer. It’s the kind of book I wish I could jump into!