* I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own *

This is the story of Corinne Cabot, ER physician and married to Jude a hardworking psychologist. But it seems that Corinne is being haunted by her past, having nightmares of the night her father killed the children she was babysitting years before. Problem is she has holes in her memory and starts to feel paranoid about what is really real, suspecting her husband, that he maybe not be who she thinks he is and that he maybe having an affair.

This was a good suspense thriller, with maybe abit too much erotic sex in it, but other than that it does keep you on your toes and keeps you guessing right up to the end .

Oh how I love my thrillers! Twists through out this story had me planted on the couch, eyes glued to every word! Marriage is hard, especially when one works non stop and the other eats alone. I couldn’t even imagine what this story was about to enthrall. How I felt for both these characters! The emotions were on overload!
I went in blind on this one, I highly recommend readers to do that. I honestly do not want to give anything away, this is a very vague review. Wonderfully deep characters, story set up to blow your mind and an ending that wraps this story up as unforgettable and a must read!
If you like thrills, suspense and shock this is def for you!

I'm a little speechless right now!! No review I write will do this book justice!  None... zero.... zilch!  Courtney Evan Tate brought us a twisted tell that had me sucked in from the beginning into the very end! Such Dark Things was just written so masterfully!  I really thing Ms Tate is an evil genius! The twists and turns were something I didn't expect and I loved how the story unfolded.  It was like piecing a large puzzle together.  The story alternating point of views from the two main characters but it also went from past to present but you didn't know if it was the past or present!  It was so clever and it just added another element to the story!!  This was a HUGE 5 star read for me and one I'll be adding to my Best of 2018 List!!

Such Dark Things is a story of Corinne and Jude.  They are both busy professionals who worked long hours.  Going on fifteen years of marriage they have everything a married couple could want.  They were still very much in love after all this time.  It seems like nothing would interfere with their marriage, until it did.

I don't want to spoil this book because it took me on a journey of highs and lows.  How a tragic event so many years ago will come back and effect someone in the present.  The mind is a powerful thing and does what it can to protect us from trauma.  When memories come flooding back,  what else will it reveal??  You'll need to read Such Dark Things to find out!!  This is one that NEEDS TO BE READ!!

This book kept me up at night. I couldn't stop thinking about it. It is such a twisted, dark, psychological thrill ride. For me, it seemed the book almost took on two faces....one of Corinne and Jude's imploding marriage and one of Corinne's past that appears to be taking her sanity. The way they are intertwined I can only describe as...delectably twisted. It is told in both past and present tense so the reader gets every layer of the plot. The story has these sultry dark undertones mixed with the inner turmoil of a woman who on the surface, has it all. This is the type of book that when you put it down, it stays in your head. It makes you wonder about those with the "perfect" life, and are things are great as they appear, or is the truth as twisted as our imagination? I am loving Courtney Evan Tate's dark side and cannot read more from her.

Such Dark Things is the perfect title for Corinne and Jude’s story because it hints at the very nature of the story line, and in doing so, it leaves readers anxiously anticipating the messed up world they’re about to enter as they begin page one.

And let me tell you, Courtney Evan Tate places her readers in an extremely precarious position because as Tate’s main and secondary characters fully develop and ‘show’ their true colors, readers must delve through the uncovered information and determine what incidences are based in reality and which ones are more fantastical than anything else, which is not an easy task due to the very nature of the plot line and the number of players involved in the chaos that has become of Corinne and Jude’s marriage as well as the Corinne’s every vanishing sanity due to a chain of events that she has no recollection of except minute details that continue to lead her astray.

The most important question that I was desperate to answer was about how Corinne’s past and present align…I desperately needed Tate to fill in the holes of Corinne’s memory and in providing those facts/details, I believed that everything would make sense…that there would likely be reasons for all actions taken, and while to some degree, the clues do provide a sense of enlightenment; it’s not until everything has been laid bare that readers will truly be able to understand all characters’ true nature and why they played the role that they did in the storyline.

I was a bit apprehensive about how Tate would be able to provide readers all of the clues and necessary information required for the story to make sense, but Tate’s method for dispensing information, moving between the past and the present and offering both Corinne and Jude’s perspectives, actually worked quite well, and while I didn’t necessarily need Jude’s conflicted thoughts, it did lay some necessary groundwork because without Jude’s point of view, I’m not sure if readers would be able to accept Corinne’s decisions towards the end of the book.

It’s clear pretty early on that nothing and no-one is what it/they seem, and that’s what adds to the intrigue of the story. In order to truly understand all of the characters’ motives, readers need to be able to look at the big picture of events and use the clues to sort through the information because that is the only way that they will be able to unravel all of the chaotic events of the past and the present and reach some sort of cohesive resolution.

Such Dark Things is definitely a change of pace from my usual reading choices, but in some ways, it still has most of the attributes that I’m used to…they’re just a bit more suspenseful and thrilling. In other reviews that I’ve read, some reviewers bring up the fact that there is quite a bit of sex throughout the story line, which they feel doesn’t belong in a story of this kind…I don’t necessarily agree or disagree with them…how I see it is that any author has a poetic license to alter technical devices of his/her storytelling as s/he sees fit, and as long as its addition to the story line makes sense, it’s not really the readers call when it comes to what’s done; they, of course, can have expectations, but it’s still left to the writer’s discretion each and every time.

Corinne and Jude’s story will definitely challenge readers on a number of levels; it’s one wild ride that twists and turns in the unlikeliest spots, but once the resolution is clear, all of the sneaky maneuvers and foreshadowed information falls into place and the reality of the story becomes quite understandable, which helps to keep readers sane after the up and down experience of reading such a dark and highly erotic and suspenseful story.

4 Poison Apples

Well shit comrades, I am absolutely speechless right now. Seriously - Such Dark Things have rendered me in such a dubious stupor. It has been a good while since any thriller or psychological fiction has laid across my lap and left me completely bewildered, I am almost in shock at what I just read I am still trying to wrap my mind around it all.

Comparing this to Girl on the Train is not even close to the whirlwind of suspense, in all honesty as I started diving into the novel, turning page by page I really got a Poison Ivy movie feel. For those who have seen this iconic 90's movie is definitely picking up the vibes I am putting down, because comrades it is bone chilling. This is DEFINITELY the comparison I would go with, if any and honestly it is on an entire different spectrum of fucked up.

Whew - there I said that. I had to get that out of the way before I really dived deep into this review... because it is a cluster fuck of emotions and I am still reeling from it!

For starters, this is told from two different time frames from two perspectives all leading up to the truth. Ultimately we are leading up to one fateful day - Halloween. Both from Jude and Corinne's POVs of the events they experienced both at one time to the present. I don't know why, but I feel that this is always the best set up for the building of the atmosphere for a goosebumps effect type suspense. It really sets the tone. Getting a glimpse, unlocking the story as they do, definitely no person is as they appear...

Corinne is definitely troubled, though she is stable on her exterior personality, obviously in charge, goal oriented with her job (she is perfection... on the outside) yet she is slowly crumbling on the inside. A lot of which has to do with her past, her father being the biggest problem. Covering up her past, building this seemingly perfect life is rushing towards her like a deer in headlights. Things really started to escalate as she notices things changing around her, the panic sets in that people are there but really 'are they there' kind of factors all the while Jude is pulling away. She is completely in love with Jude, yet realizes the faults in their marriage at this point are manly her being so neglectful...

Obviously you see where this could be going, so just know that I did adore Jude. Even as the story really unfolds of what he is hiding verses protecting, it is down right surreal. You want to trust him, hate him, love him; he isn't completely at fault yet he is a problem. But I adored his character. By the end, I was bawling for his character, out right tears flooded my eyes for him.

Supporting characters were also a key element in the thriller build. Everyone to the restaurant with Zoe, then to the church with Jude's twin brother Michel, Lucy who is Corinne's co-worker - everyone had a placement. As the webs of each relationship started unwinding it was beyond bone crippling to see if all unfold. All aiding in the suspense of the truth - what really happened when Corinne was a child, and why is it affecting her now?

Bottom line, I have seen many individuals say this is a love story, or this is a suspenseful thriller, psychological fiction or it even as a spice of erotica... honestly it is all of that and so much more. Scary how it is so much more than this. It was a trippy whirlwind of webs that cannot be described enough without giving away the end play, and even though I had my hunches, holy shit I did not see that coming around full circle in the way that it did, not in the least. Absolutely phenomenal, hair standing up, chills down my spine delicious. It was a heart pounding page turner, once I got started I could not put it down.

Highly recommend giving this book a go - Courtney did a stunning job with beguiling me in this thriller that left me conflicted, disturbed, chilled beyond reason and above all satisfied.

"People like to think that death is peaceful, that it's calm, that it's beautiful. But from my experience, it's not."

Corinne Cabot is very familiar with death - she and death have formed an intimate, ill fated relationship. She has witnessed death seeping from a body in her job as and ER physician as well as in her own personal life at the hands of her very own flesh and blood, her father.

At sixteen, while babysitting on Halloween night, Corinne watched her father brutally murder his mistress and her husband. Plagued with the memories of that night etched forever in her brain, Corinne thinks she can hide from her past - hide from fate. Silly girl, doesn't she realize that fate is much like it's evil stepsister Karma - fate has it's own way of catching up to you. You can run but you can't hide.

Such Dark Things is a sickly, twisted - yet very much tantalizing tale that is reminiscent of the movie, Fatal Attraction (and no worries, my friends - no bunnies were hurt within the lines of this tale!)

Such Dark Things, is a psychological, mind f~ck (sorry had to use potty mouth but it's the truth) that leaves you chaotic. This book, was one I couldn't put down and yet - yes, you guessed it friends yet another "must read for 2018!" 100 stars for this one!❤️Another read getting added to my favorite list!

Once again, thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this read and opportunity to provide my unbiased yet highly credible review!

On to the next one, my friends!!

Once I picked up this story, I couldn't look away. I have never read this author's work before and after reading the blurb, I immediately placed it on my TBR list. I am so glad I was able to pick it up so soon. This story is like a wreck that you just can't seem to look away from.

Corinne and Jude have been married for over a decade. She works a an ER doctor and he as a therapist. Lately, their marriage has taken some hits. They aren't getting along with each other as well as in the past and Corrine's crazy schedule is making things worse. Jude finds Corrine with both of her wrists slit and they make the decision for her to live in a mental hospital. Will this help her? Will they be able to salvage their marriage?

This story is fast paced and told by going back in time as well as in the present. I love that it was told in both Jude and Corrine's point of views. It may seem like this would be confusing, changing the time and point of view every chapter, but it was not at all confusing. It was easy to follow along. This was very different than other psychological thrillers that I have read lately and it was a very nice change. It helped me get reinvested in the genre when I felt like I was slipping away.

I enjoyed the whole cast of characters in this story as well.

Don't be afraid to pick this story up! It was a wonderful psychological thriller with a hint of romance thrown in. The romance doesn't over power the story in any way. It helps to connect on a higher level to the story and the characters.

Corinne is battling her past and also trying to figure out exactly how she ended up in a hospital after a suicide attempt she doesn't remember.
Jude is also in a battle. A battle of his strained marriage, why his wife attempted suicide and the looming Halloween holiday that puts his wife on edge.

Waiting for the "dark things" to surface made this a page flipper. I loved the combo of suspense and romance elements and the twists and turns had me devouring the chapters.

Such Dark Things by Courtney Evan Tate. Not the psychological suspense book I was expecting. Far too many sexual scenes and not enough of a thriller.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

This book stopped my lungs from working. I am on the edge of my seat constantly. Stopping for some reprieve. My heart is beating out of my chest. It’s tearing my heart apart. And yet it made me believe in the power of love and healing. Of hope and redemption. SUCH DARK THINGS is hauntingly beautiful.

Dr. Corrine Cabot is a successful doctor. She has an amazing husband, a great job and big house in the suburbs. The only catch is, everything is not perfect. Because behind closed doors, she is a mess. Her past is still haunting here, and now, it seems that she sees things or hear things that aren’t there. She wasn’t sure if it’s real or she’s losing her mind.

Now she feels that her supposedly perfect marriage has secrets too. The growing distance between her and her husband Jude is almost palpable, and still she liked to think that her suspicions and feelings are just due to fatigue and overworking.

I loved how the story progressed. The things I figure out, and the surprises that was left along the way. I loved COurtney Cole ever since, and reading a different version of her writing this genre is refreshing. I must say that if you loved her writing all those romantic read, you’d love this as well. But just a fair warning that this book does have cheating in the story. But nevertheless, if you’re a huge fan of thriller, suspense and a bit of romance -you have to get this book!

I have finished this book in one sitting, luckily with my heart and sanity intact. Courtney Evans Tate wrote a gripping thriller that will consume you.

3.75 Majorly Messed Up Stars 🌟🌟🌟.75

I think the best thing to do with this review is to start out with how it has been marketed.... I would classify this book as Dark Erotica not as a psychological thriller..... there is a lot of graphic sex in this book, and if you do not read erotica you will not appreciate this book.... I read a few reviews from my Goodread’s friends and that was their main complaint... too much sex.... additionally let’s look at what this book was compared to... the movie Fatal Attraction.... OK I can see this Zoe definitely the rabbit boiling type of girl.... but the other comparison is the book TGOTT a book I didn’t even necessarily like... but there is nothing and I mean nothing.... other than the fact that there are female characters in both books that these books have in common.... I think 9 times out of 10 the comparisons to other books or movies don’t do any good for the book... because the expectation is never quite lived up to....

Now onto this book, I actually liked 90% of this book quite a bit....Corrine was a likable character and I really was curious as to what memories she was blocking from her past.... Zoe was the perfect crazy stalker character..... Jude quite frankly was just a weak man.... I believe everyone has the right to forgive somebody for cheating.... but in my book cheating is cheating is cheating is cheating....

I also liked the structure of this book.... told from both Corrine and Jude’s point of view.... we found out about the holes in Corrine’s memory right along with her.... there are some definite twists and turns I did not see coming, and a twist I was expecting that never happened.... probably would have even rated this book a bit higher if it weren’t for the ending... the ending frustrated and nauseated me just a little....

Would recommend to fans of Dark erotica....

*** thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book ***

The premise of this book is what intrigued me. I just had to check it out. Ok, it seems that I am not the only one that felt a bit cheated. For my however, I did not stick with this book as long as others. I got to chapter six and stopped reading.

There was nothing interesting about the main characters. Corinne was too much into psycho analyzing herself and others. Than there is her husband. He didn't seem very caring or supportive of Corinne. Yet, I might have been able to get past all of this if the book had not taken a turn into a sex book. I agree that there was a lot of sex and cussing that didn't see like it was necessary or wanted. I have no urge to finish reading this book.

What a ride!!! Such Dark Things by Courtney Evan Tate ( Courtney Cole ) is a full length, standalone novel. It´s difficult to find a box that fits for this story. It´s a romance, thriller, suspense contemporary novel.
Dr. Corinne Cabot is a successful physician at a ER. She´s married to the love of her life, Jude. Corinne suffered horrible events in the past and at certain times that shows. She believes she gets paranoid and admittes herself into a mental facility.
What Corinne and Jude don´t know, yet; both are in for the fight of their life.
I started reading and was immediatedly sucked in the story and Corinne´s life. I read the book in one sitting because I had to know what happens next; there are twists and turns I never had expected. Jude and Corinne are masterfully manipulated by a sociopatic being.
I don´t want to spoiler here, only so much I despise cheater. And anyone who places time and attention on another woman = cheater. Please, be separated or dicorced and I´m all good but don´t cheat on your wives who are clueless.
Such Dark Things is a book that kept me at the edge of my seat, it´s a nailbiting, nervewracking story. Corinne is a strong heroine and I can´t say how much I love her character. The book is a heartwrenching read that had my heart bleeding and kept me in a emotional roller coaster. I recommend the book and give 5 stars.

4.5 stars

The key to a good psychological thriller (in my opinion) is keeping the reader on their toes, messing with their mind, and hopefully surprising them.
This book nails all three of these requirements.

It has been some time that I've been so hooked to a story, desperate for answers, that I just wanted to leave work and go home and finish. OH THE SWEET AGONY!!!

There are two parts to this story and the mystery within it.
1) Halloween Night – 17 years prior
On this tragic night, something forever changed the heroine. What exactly happened is not entirely clear.
We know that 2 people died.
We know that Corinne's father was convicted for those deaths.
We know that Corinne does not remember the details of that night.
And given that last point, it is a nagging feeling throughout that just maybe, her father was wrongfully convicted.

2) Corinne's suicide attempt
Just like the first mystery, this one is sketchy on details.
We know that Corinne is now in a mental institution for treatment.
And she claims someone else was in the house with her.
Is she lying?
If not, was this actually an attack on her, and not suicide?

SO MANY QUESTIONS?
Seeking those answers is what drove me through this story.

Told in alternative POVs from Corinne and her husband, Jude, we get the days leading up to the suicide attempt and the days following it. But you'll have to wait to find out what happened that fateful day. One thing is clear . . . my deep seeded hatred for Zoe, a waitress at the diner Jude frequented.

Zoe is basically a woman with no moral compass. She's the forbidden fruit and uses her sexuality to weaken men. Sometimes I love this type of character who is confident and aggressive in getting what she wants. That is not the case her. And her main target is Jude.

I won't put all my anger on Zoe, Jude is not innocent here. Without giving away too much, he's not 100% guilty either. But he does enough to piss me off. What's worse is his actions make everything worse for Corinne.

There are twists galore, which I loved. Some I figured out along the way, others I didn't see coming. All I know is that I devoured this story. The only negative, and it's a small one, is how the story rapped up. Some of the tension drained, but I get that the author had to bring a resolution to the events prior.

If you like stories that fuck with your mind, grab a buddy (yes, this is one of those books I wish I had a reading buddy to vent with), and dig in.

I have been on a huge psychological thriller kick lately, so when I saw that Courtney Evan Tate, a.k.a. Courtney Cole, was releasing one, I knew I had to read it as soon as possible. I don't think I could be any further from disappointed. Such Dark Things had me consumed, preoccupied, and totally twisted in knots the entire story and I loved it. More than your run of the mill psychological thriller or even your typical suspense, this book is heartache and angst, love and passion, obsession and deception all wrapped up into one.

Each character that is introduced is more intriguing than the last and with an instant appreciation for, and understanding of, both Corinne and Jude from the insight gained from each of their point of views, it is hard not to get sucked in almost instantly and feel a connection to each of them, their relationship, and their story, both individually and shared. It is also hard not to feel the pain Corinne experiences as a result of that night so long ago, not to feel the rush of new and enticing thoughts and experiences, not to feel the hurt and betrayal, and not to feel the ache, anxiety, and confusion as you struggle to put together all the missing pieces alongside Dr. Cabot.

Volleying back and forth between not only past and present, but also Jude and Corinne, Such Dark Things takes you on a true roller coaster ride. While it may, at times, be a bit hard to grasp the events of the story as far as a strict timeline is concerned, it turns out to really be the only way that the story can most effectively be told in order to become privy to all the most important information as readers, as well as see things in the same light as each character does in order to truly understand them and where they are coming from, and, of course, to be thoroughly shocked and appalled when everything finally falls into place and you can see the big picture at long last.

From the beginning, I was hooked on this story, but by at least the halfway point, if not sooner, I could not put it down or stop thinking about it. It has been some time now since I have been so thoroughly consumed by a story that I found myself thinking about it at the most inopportune of times, sneaking a minute here and there whenever possible to get a few more pages in, and even dreaming about it. I had to know what was going to happen next. I had to know where this detail would lead or what would happen after this new piece of information was revealed. I absolutely had to know how it was going to end as quickly as possible.

Taking a hard look at some very serious topics may be hard for some readers, but they are tragedies that many of us may have been faced with and forced to overcome along the way, making this not just a thoroughly engrossing and entertaining novel, but also a very relevant and important one as well. If you are looking for a psychological thriller that will put you through the ringer, have you feeling every moment, and surprise you around every turn, Such Dark Things is just the story for you.

*complimentary copy provided by author for an honest review

Rating: 4.5 Stars

I'm speechless, I didn't expect anything like this!I haven't read this author before and I was intrigued about this book when I start reading it!I literally read it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down!I wanted to see what will happen next!I was reading and I was shocked about some parts of this story!

I'm not going to say anything about what is happening it's better if you go blind with this one!I enjoyed the way the story was told!It was a fast paced story full of suspense that kept me on the edge!

This isn't the type of books I'm enjoying reading but for some reason this book catch my attention and I enjoyed it a lot!I would like to read more books like that!It was so different!

This book had way too much sexting but I had to finish it to see what was going to happen. Again, this is an $16 book and my customers are not willing to pay that price for a paperback book.

Such Dark Things really threw me for a loop. I guessed some things, but I was still shocked with the 20%. I feel like CET has a way with story telling and having such great unreliable narrators that I really start to question whether or not what my hunches are on point or not. Corrine and Jude both irritated me and also had me fascinated. Watching Jude justify his actions was quite interesting because I feel like that how cheaters are, they use what ever works to justify their actions to feel better about themselves. Corrine. Girl we need to talk. I don't even know where to start with you, for real. I really hate issues that arise from lack of communication. Like a simple conversation would've fixed all of this. Especially after 15 years of marriage. Either way they were both selfish and couldn't really see past themselves until the other showed some kind of distain. Zoe was a trainwreck and I hate how much I love-hated her character. Courtney did a great job with her. If you liked Lies She told, I feel like you'll enjoy this one too.

When I saw Courtney was writing a psychological thriller, I knew I had to have it. And WOW! She did not disappoint!

I thought I knew him.
He thought he knew me.
We were both wrong.

I knew this book would hit close to home in some aspects and it truly did. Go in blind, don’t read any spoilers… just read that blurb and you will be captivated from the very first page!

My emotions ran the gamut… I was hurt, I felt betrayed and broken, I felt pissed off then astounded and really f’ing surprised. I can’t tell you why other than to say READ THE BOOK!

Here is what I will say…
1. I was like her asking all the questions
2. He was like him, wanting her to be me, saying and apologizing in all the same ways
3. She was like her… the master manipulator…totally conniving, heartless, and twisted
4. God did it hurt
5. Yes, the easy way out would have been to leave
6. But you stay and in the end, you turn out even BETTER THAN BEFORE and while you always remember, it won’t be as painful because you have moved forward

This will all make sense after you read the book… just WOW! DO IT! It is so damn good, so suspenseful and will keep you on the edge of your seat til the very last page.

Readers who like different stories, that get you all tied up in knots and crazy trying to read quickly to get all the answers will LOVE this book!!! I can’t wait to do a re-read.

Courtney, I am looking forward to reading more psychological thrillers from you—well done!