Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC and offer my unbiased review!

You Shouldn't Be Here is a unique read if you enjoy thrillers and whodunits. It follows two women on their path to solve their own, individual mysteries. Angie, a high school student, tries to investigate a ghost haunting her house, while Madelyn, a middle school choir teacher, takes a job in the very same town of East Henderson to find out what happened to her missing cousin. Neither are aware their fates are very much linked!

With time skips and a melding of the past and present, this book offers a lot of unexpected turns that I didn't see coming, and the joy was really in the relationships and journey. The romance doesn't overwhelm the plot, and though some things might stand out as obvious, the intrigue is rooted in how it all happens and the thrill of an action-packed resolution.

Overall, this is a fast paced read that anyone could get through start to finish in one sitting!

Oh, I loved this!

It’s mysterious. It’s suspenseful. It’s got the sweetest romance, fabulous friendships, diversity, thrills and a villain who is just the villainy-ist villain to ever villain.

The writing is clever and one reveal had my jaw dropping. I definitely didn’t see it coming.

I was all in on our main characters, but also loved the side characters – and I didn’t want the book to end.

I would happily read the author again!

• ARC via Publisher

Following the two strangers is very exciting especially as you find out more about them and the connections between them.

This was an amazing book. I highly recommend it to everyone. Great characters and a great plot. I will be looking for more books by this author. The book is superbly written. Lots of twists, turns and shocking turns of events. Quickly becoming a go to author for me!!!!

Two strangers in very different life circumstances begin to investigate a set of unexplained events in the town of East Henderson, Pennsylvania. What they are not aware of yet is the manner in which their interests are about to collide...

While teenager Angie Stewart is a hometown girl, longing for some excitement and delighted at the prospect of finding out whether or not it is a ghost whose voice she hears, teacher Madeline Zhao has secretly come to East Henderson to root out answers related to the unexplained disappearance of her cousin in this town.

Thoman has delivered an intriguing story full of twists and turns. Events move at a fine pace and the reader remains engaged throughout, fully invested in finding out what lies behind the mystery(ies). Worth a read.

You Shouldn't Be Here was a page turner! You start off by following 2 characters that you keep wondering how they are connected. And once you find out, the story gets better and better.

I was going to knock a star off for all the Wawa references (I'm a Sheetz girl) but decided the authors taste in gas station food wasn't THAT big of a deal. 🤣😂

You Shouldn't Be Here by L. Thoman, published by Thomas & Mercer, is a full length, stand alone thriller.
A story full of unexpected twists and turns, that had me guessing til the last page. Action packed and unputdownable.
Blurb:
Two strangers search for the truth behind bizarre occurrences no one else dares to discuss—only to discover that they’re connected by secrets that could destroy them both. A thrilling and twisty novel by the acclaimed author of the Mindy’s Book Studio pick I’ll Stop the World.

When sixteen-year-old Angie Stewart starts hearing a mysterious voice in her house, she’s thrilled at the possibility of a ghost. Finally, something interesting is happening in her boring hometown of East Henderson, Pennsylvania. But why is she the only one who can hear it? And what does it want from her?

Meanwhile, first-year teacher Madelyn Zhao just got the keys to her new home, which is located close to her job, within walking distance of a dog park—and, most importantly, in the town where her cousin went missing several years ago. No one in East Henderson wants to talk about what happened, but Madelyn is determined to find answers.

As the two strangers search for clues, their investigations begin to point toward the same dark place. But by the time they realize that the truth could be deadly, it’s too late to turn back. And someone out there will stop at nothing to make sure their secrets stay buried.

Thank you Netgalley for my copy.

I hate to do this for an ARC but I am required to give an unbiased and honest opinion on this book. I didn't like it. Despite not being all that long, it dragged. Most of the characters were annoying and just silly half of the time. The villain was almost a caricature of a marvel supervillain. I hated them all, except Syzygy and Potato, they were pretty cool.

It wasn't bady written, I just didn't enjoy the story.

Apologies to the author, would happily try something else by them in the future though.

Teenager Angie is investigating a ghost in her house. Madelyn is searching for her missing cousin. Both are strangers to one another, but through the course of this twisty and tense story their worlds become inextricably linked.

I loved this book, it’s an easy five stars, as I devoured it in a single setting. The characters were endearing and interesting, and I really enjoyed the unique premise. I thought it was really clever the way the author built the character of Raymond through brief chapter intros, leaving the reader to rely on his reputation when learning of his character.

The pacing of the first half was a little drawn out, but the tension was built masterfully. The second half was faced paced and exciting, and the payoff was well worth it. I’m looking forward to picking up the authors first book now.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

I really, really enjoyed You Shouldn't Be Here. It has a unique premise and is one of the rare examples where a dual perspective pays off.

I do think there are some things that could be smoothed out. It feels a bit like YA, probably because one narrator is in high school and the other feels very childish at times (sorry, Madelyn). Parts of the story really dragged out, which I think is a combination of the length and a lot of filler to the narrative. If it was about 25% shorter, the pacing might be more suspenseful and the plot more focused.

Overall, it was a book I was excited to come back to, and I'll be watching for whatever Lauren Thoman writes next.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I’d never read this author before, but I really enjoyed her writing style, and the plot kept me intrigued. While the main arc didn’t have as many plot twists or surprises as one might expect, there were a lot of little reveals that were surprising and shocking. I felt connected to the characters, and even though I’m not into paranormal type books, this book included it in a way that didn’t feel over the top.

Well this was quite the read and not in a bday way. I was fully immersed into the story I couldn’t tell reality for fiction apart. What a masterful writing. It was throughly engaging and had me curling my toes. Would 100% recommend to anyone who loves thrillers and mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

When you think you have the plot figured out, you get absolutely back handed. There were time jumps but it all played a critical role in the plot. Beautifully written and foreshadowed with exquisite perfection. It gives off “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal” with the idea of money can buy you anything, everything and effectively sweep crime under the rug. Instead of Alex Murdaugh, it’s Douglas Raymond.

this was written simply in the sense of the plot was very easy to follow and keep up with. there was suspense, a little slow burn and some comedic relief.

I cannot wait to have a physical copy of this.

You really get so far in You Shouldn't Be Here before the plot starts to unravel and reveal itself, I was impressed! And had such a fun time reading this. I read a lot of thrillers and can almost immediately figure out the twists and endings, but not here. Was a little thrown off by the characters in the beginning and the different POVs, it was almost like too much information being thrown, but I was able to get into the groove of the story quickly, as the two main characters do have very different (and age appropriate) styles of speech. One part of the story confused me and they wrapped it up a bit at the end but it's one of those things that really remains a mystery. Still not sure how I feel about that part, but I can't say more without spoilers. Overall, a very satisfying and spooky thriller!

I liked this book but didn't love it. I thought the idea of it was grand and wanted to be invested in the characters. I just didn't find a strong connection with them. Overall, the writing is solid and I like the title and cover. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I thought this was an interesting read. I ended up really enjoying it, but I did have a difficult time in the beginning connecting with the characters.