At first I trusted no one and was really concerned who was surrounding Shorie and Erin. When Erin went to the island that was crazy with a capital C. About halfway through I didn't want to stop reading and then the ending came fast and unbelievable. I mean Shorie is a very capable 18 year old but seriously it was a bit much. I keep thinking about the island. The nightmare is haunting me.

I won an ARC of this book from @netgalley, below is my honest review:

This book receives solid marks, but doesn't top my thriller charts. I liked that the story alternated between the voices of Erin and her daughter Shorie to at first cast doubt on Erin's sanity and to later add credibility to her concerns. This book had a laundry list of characters, arguably too many for me to keep them all straight in my head, but there was never a lack of people to suspect and I do love to be kept guessing in a thriller.

The thing about thrillers is that I like is for my anxiety to build throughout, but I agree with a lot of other Goodreads reviews that I've seen about this one: that it read like fiction for most of the first half because we had to wait for the suspense to ramp up. I also felt like the book was so far-fetched that it was hard to connect to. Despite those critiques, I did enjoy guessing who would float to the top of the suspect pool and figure out who was behind what was happening both in Birmingham and in the Caribbean. I would rate this book 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 stars).

Melodramatic, imaginative & a rocky ride!

First off I really need to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed this author’s previous books and will continue to read her books regardless of not enjoying this one as much as I would of liked to.

UNTIL THE DAY I DIE by EMILY CARPENTER is a slow-moving, sinister and suspenseful novel that was a quick and easy read. Although, I wouldn’t necessarily say that I was totally engaged but I was entertained and interested enough throughout this book to keep me turning those pages but I was never truly invested in this story though.

It took me on a rocky ride that definitely had me a little excited to start reading but then the slow climb up stayed on a steady slow incline for most of this novel and never really picked up the pace for me. There was one point in the novel that did have me a little excited and I was enjoying the ride but then it just mellowed out again and I was just along for the ride waiting for the end.

I love an imaginative storyline and totally embrace an unrealistic or far-fetched angle to it but I have to totally believe what the author is selling though and I’m not exactly sure that I “believed” it with this one though.

Expected Publication Date: March 12, 2019

* Traveling Sisters read *

Norma’s Stats:
Cover: Intriguing, eye-catching, appealing, ominous and a fitting representation to storyline.
Title: Intriguing and like how it played into one part of the storyline but unsure how it fits into the whole storyline in general though.
Writing/Prose: Well-written, engaging and readable.
Plot: Slow-building with an interesting and imaginative premise.
Ending: Lackluster, over-the-top and a little disappointing.
Overall: Even though I feel like I wasn’t quite the right reader for this one, I still recommend giving it a try!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Emily Carpenter for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I think Emily Carpenter is the first author to keep me in an extreme state of trepidation through at least half of a book. A slow burn at first, this book truly takes off as soon as Erin arrives at the “restoration” facility. I couldn’t read fast enough and the anxiety just continued to build. I was suspicious of everyone and everything; I was ready to accuse Ben’s dog, Tiger, by the last quarter of the book.

I had a bit of trouble with the timeline at the beginning due to the changes in POV between Erin and Shorie but eventually, I was able to settle into Carpenter’s story-telling. I was in awe over how authentic Erin and Shorie’s voices were. Subtle changes in vocabulary and tone made such a difference that I wouldn’t have needed the chapter headings to let me know which POV we were reading. The emotions, particularly the anxiety felt by Erin and Shorie’s angst and frustration, were brilliantly written and relatable. I would love to listen to this as an audiobook!

This thriller had me hooked. I don’t necessarily enjoy being held up in suspense for the entirety of a book so I tend not to read many thrillers but I am so glad I made an exception for this book. I would love to listen to this as an audiobook!

I really enjoyed this book . It is a good fast paced mystery that has enough twists and turn to keep you guessing till the end.
Thanks for letting me review this book to the publisher and Netgalley

Such a great book! I absolutely loved the character of Shorie and how she never stopped trying to prove something was going on. She was a great character!

Emily Carpenter did a great job moving this story along, making me wonder who/what/why about a character and then changing it up just a little so that I started to wonder if the "bad guy" was another character. There was plenty of suspicion to go around, that's for sure.

The author has a wonderful way with descriptions. I felt like I was actually visiting the rehab place because the area was described so well and so beautifully.

This is a very well done psychological thriller that I never wanted to end. Pick this up and have fun figuring out who done it and why!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for a review copy. My thoughts in this review are my own.

I have been meaning to try more of Emily Carpenter's work ever since I read The Weight Of Lies. It took me longer than expected, but between the gorgeous cover and the intriguing blurb I found the perfect excuse to read her newest upcoming title Until The Day I Die. I bet Caribbean paradise and death are not exactly the first association you will make, but the cover and title fit this story perfectly. Until The Day I Die is a very unconventional read and I'm still trying to wrap my head around what I actually think of this story. The plot is very original and it is one of those stories that is really hard to place in just one genre. College experience? Grief and moving on? Family focused? Mental health? Geeky elements? Conspiracy? Crime? Dystopian feel? Survival? International setting? Somehow all of these elements and more are squeezed into one story, and somehow they all seem to fit together. I do have to say that this was a slowburner for me and the first half tended to drag a bit in parts. The second half was a lot faster, mostly because we get more island scenes and the college location is mostly put in the background. I liked Erin's POV better than Shorie's, mostly because I wasn't expecting a YA/college feel POV in this story and the college cliches distracted from the more interesting parts of the plot. The lack of connection to the characters didn't help either... But I can't deny the part set in the Caribbean and the whole conspiracy plot is fascinating. I can definitely understand the Lord Of The Flies inspiration! This has been a difficult review to write, especially since even after a few days I have still been unable to pinpoint exactly why I wasn't as blown away with this story as I thought I would. If you are looking for something different to read, a story that mixes women's fiction with a good and honest crime thriller with a tropical setting, Until The Day I Die would be a perfect fit.

After her husband’s sudden death and the runaway success of the tech company they built with their best friends, Erin Gaines’ world has become overwhelming. She’s overworked, her daughter is pulling away, and her friends are becoming worried. Erin decides that maybe everyone is right & a few weeks at an exclusive Caribbean resort is exactly what she needs. But her daughter is beginning to have doubts about how the company is being run & Erin is beginning to think that someone wants her out of the way.

Emily Carpenter’s latest mystery/thriller starts off slowly, but quickly picks up the pace once Erin’s mental decline becomes evident & Shorie begins to have serious doubts about the company’s app. I was so impressed by the amount of time that Carpenter spends developing the tech company and its signature app, Jax. The story would not have flowed nearly as smoothly if I could not have envisioned the app as well as I did. Because the story alternated between Erin & Shorie’s perspectives, the reader is able to follow Erin’s journey to survive on the island, as well as Shorie’s investigation into how her parents’ app was being misused. Each alternating chapter provided information that fit together but still left me guessing until the end. The relationship between mother & daughter was well-developed. While parts of the plot were not necessarily realistic, I didn’t think that the unbelievableness of some aspects of the retreat took away from the twists & turns of the plot. I could not put this book down.

Ms. Carpenter is seriously becoming one of my favorite authors. I've now read all of her books and each one is better than the last.

Until The Day I Die follows Erin, a recently widowed mother and her daughter Shorie. Both are struggling with grief and trying to figure out how to carry on without their loving husband and father respectively. Erin wants Shorie to go on to college but Shorie wants to stay home and continue to work at Jax, the very successful app company that was developed by her parents and their best friends Ben and Sabine. Erin is grief stricken without her husband and ready to sell Jax so she can move on. The friends made a pact that when one was ready to sell, then they all would sell. We quickly find out that not everyone is ready to sell.

After an incident while moving Shorie into her dorm, Erin's 'friends' decide it's time to intervene. Erin is stretched way to thin and needs a rest, they say. They present her with this remote facility on an island in the Caribbean. It's not conventional rehab, just a place to unwind and take some time for herself. Reluctantly, Erin agrees to go.

It doesn't take long for Erin and Shorie both to realize something just isn't right. Shorie notices some unusual activity behind the scenes of Jax and Erin finds that this luxury spa is more malevolent than just a relaxing getaway. Someone wants her to stay away.

This book had so may brilliant twists along the way and I loved how the action started almost immediately. No slow build up to tension. It has a sort of Lord of the Flies feel that sets it apart from the usual who done it suspense novel. I would definitely recommend it to anyone that loves suspense.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a chance to read and review prior to release.

An okay thriller. Not very realistic and there were some very convenient plot points. Ultimately, this is a forgettable book except for the volcano where they stashed all the dead bodies.

4 shining stars!!
“Until The Day I Die” was my first, but definitely not last, book from Emily Carpenter. At first I though I was in for another domestic fiction novel but it quickly turned into this brilliant mystery/suspense story, that I simply could not put down (thank goodness for the snow day, today!). The book was a slow burn at the beginning with a hint, here and there, of something sinister beneath the surface ☺…and finally somewhere in the middle of the story, the “sitting-at-the-edge of my seat” suspense erupted and from there on…I was sold! The mother/daughter duo, Erin and Shorie, got my attention from the beginning. Both characters were well developed and likeable, and I really rooted for both of them. I was anxious at times for their wellbeing, and I distrusted almost every single person around them. I kept switching my suspicions from one person to another and I did not know who should be trusted, which I think made this story so much more thrilling. I also loved the atmospheric, tropical island resort setting with all of its sinister going-ons, which doesn’t surprise me since “Lord of the Flies” book by William Golding is one of my all time favorites.
The author did a superb job with the alternating POVs, and her writing was engaging and never tedious. I would undeniably recommend this book to all mystery/suspense fans.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Emily Carpenter, and Lake Union Publishing for giving me an opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

UNTIL THE DAY I DIE is another winner from talented writer Emily Carpenter. Fans of domestic suspense and thrillers should love this story about a mother/daughter duo caught up in a crazy situation even while grieving the death of their husband/father. I enjoyed the chapters from both Erin's and Shorie's perspectives and they provide a nice contrast to each other, both in terms of demeanor and setting, especially once Erin goes to the island "resort." The computer/app stuff is pretty fascinating too. Also, Carpenter definitely kept me guessing as to who was responsible for what was going on.

Thank you NetGalley, Emily Carpenter and Lake Union Publishing for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Erin is struggling through her grief after her husband dies suddenly in an accident, leaving her with their teenage daughter and control of their company. Her nerves are frayed and her daughter is frustrated and pulling away from her. Maybe her friends and family are right and she could use a week away at the spa to try to reset herself. Shorie is worried about her mother’s mental state and the future of the company they all built together. She begins to notice strange things going on and wonders if there is a reason to not trust all her mother’s colleagues. Someone is pulling the strings and causing everyone in her family to be in danger and she may be the only one who can do anything about it.

YOU GUYS! Carpenter has done it again, another book that I couldn’t put down because I just needed to know who the bad guys were! I adored this novel and the atmosphere of the novel that gets more intense with every page you turn! I loved the characters and I really couldn’t stop reading from both Erin and Shorie’s points of views because they see things so differently, but yet so similarly that you really get to see what is going on in each place. I also loved seeing the story through the eyes of a mother and daughter team, it’s not one I’ve seen very often. I loved that you get little pieces of the mystery throughout the story so that you believe you know what is going on and what is going to happen next, and then you’re shocked with the next revelation. I really enjoyed the idea of a retreat on a far away island that ends up being as dangerous as it is beautiful! I can’t say enough great things about the novel, but I also don’t want to give anything away, so just READ IT! It was an amazing ride that featured an emotional rollercoaster and I can’t wait to hear what you guys think!

Out March 12th!

Great writing and characters in this one. It didn’t quickly capture my attention though, but of a slow start. After it did pick up I was completely along for the ride.

I liked Erin, but I was highly entertained by Shorie. these characters are very well developed. This has plenty of twists and surprises. The company and its work is quite detailed, almost distractingly so. A lot of side characters are introduced as well.

I didn’t see where this one was heading which is always fun. It was a bit crazy, but I’m ok with crazy. Overall an entertaining read with very good writing. I would recommend and read more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Lake Union Publishing for a copy in exchange for a review.

Five months after Perry's accident, his wife Erin and 18 year old daughter Shorie, are struggling to cope with his loss. Perry and Erin created an app/company called Jax, with their best friends Ben and Sabine and although their plans had been to sell the company after five years, with Perry's death, Erin wants to sell it now. Just mentioning this starts some sinister behind the scenes events that lead to trouble for Erin.

The night Erin and Ben help Shorie move into her freshman dorm room, Erin has some type of mental break that leads to driving while intoxicated and causing a scene at a frat house where Shorie was partying. Erin has already been overworking and not properly dealing with the death of her husband so there is an intervention and Erin is sent off to a mysterious island for "restoration". Things turn dangerous there very quickly and it's a matter of survival for Erin.

At the same time, Shorie notices some strange glitches with the Jax app and attempts to investigate what is going on without losing access to the information she's not even supposed to be accessing. She's met Rhys, a 20 year old computer expert who she suspects could be spying on her but who she also likes a lot. Pretty much everyone is suspect and Shorie has no idea who she can trust.

It's hard to believe half the things that take place in the book but still, setting aside my skepticism, I enjoyed the twist and turns as Erin and Shorie each deal with their struggles to figure out what is going on and who is behind what is happening. I felt that the characters were well written although I do think that the book could have done without the prologue, which just seemed tacked without adding anything to the book. I would rate the book 3.5 stars, which I rounded up to 4 stars.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

This book is described as a mystery/thriller, but it takes forever for any real mystery to get underway. It reads like women’s fiction until halfway through the book.

Erin is adrift since her husband died five months ago. She sees her daughter, Shorie, off to college, but then seems to drive drunk and behave erratically, so her family ships her off to a remote island to rest and regroup—she’s been either working constantly or sleeping, and her family and friends claim they are concerned. Shorie doesn’t want to go to school; she wants to keep working at the company her parents founded. Once Shorie is at school and Erin is on the island, strange things happen.

The thing about suspense novels is that you usually feel anxious about the characters’ well being almost right away. A little backstory, and then you should be thinking, uh-oh, how is she going to prevail from this dilemma? In Until the Day I Die, you don’t feel that until the halfway point, so it’s an OK novel, but it’s not nearly as well done as the other books by Emily Carpenter that I’ve read.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book, which RELEASES MARCH 12, 2019.

** spoiler alert ** Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.75 stars rounding up

Erin Gaines and her daughter, Shorie, are struggling with the death of husband/father, Perry.
Erin and Perry along with their friends Ben and Sabine started a budget app called Jax that is very popular. Erin decides she wants to sell now that her husband is gone. She hasn't been herself since his death and everyone has noticed.
After an incident at the college Shorie has just moved to, Erin's friends and family hold an intervention and decide to send Erin away to a resort for rest and relaxation. It's not your normal resort, though, and Erin must fight for survival.

I enjoyed this book--the alternating chapters between Shorie and Erin, each showing their strengths. I loved how Shorie was portrayed as a smart, young woman. She knew she couldn't trust everyone and was very cautious.
What I didn't enjoy was the ending--especially the prologue. I felt it was unnecessary and unbelievable. I think the author was going for shock factor, but it left me confused. I had to go back into my kindle and search for what I was missing. An insignificant character that I couldn't even remember!
My first Emily Carpenter read and I enjoyed it, but just not the ending.

This book grabbed my attention from the very beginning! I really liked that the author alternated between Erin's perspective and her daughter, Shorie's (with a smattering of Erin's deceased husband's journal entries mixed in). The back-and-forth really kept my attention as mother and daughter were each dealing with their own issues and coping with the loss of their husband and father.

I also really liked how the author set the scene for the tropical island "resort" where Erin was sent to rest and rehabilitate. The island was only one of the MANY things in this book that were not as they seemed on the surface - the island is gorgeous...and pretty much cut off from the rest of the world.

I had many "didn't see THAT coming" moments while reading this book, which I loved. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.

This book started out a little slow but soon picked up and towards the end I could not put it down. This was the first book I have read by Emily Carpenter and hope to read more. Highly recommend!

This book was good. Great concept, good writing. Nice twists. Definitely kept me entertained. I’d recommend it for sure.