I first want to thank NetGally and Dutton Books for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I want to start off by saying how astonished that this is @t.marievandelly first novel 😱 This book has easily become one of my favorite books EVER. Her writing was captivating and memorable. I finished this book over a week ago and it is all I think about even after reading a whole other book after it. I already want to reread it; it’s THAT GOOD.

I’m not going to lie, I really don’t know how to put my thoughts of this book into a review without saying how much I loved it a million times. It is dark, dark, DARK. Which is right up my ally. There is so much cynical sarcasm through out the book that not only had me scared but had me laughing so hard. Yes, this book is very gory so ⚠️ warning for those that don’t like gore or extremely graphic books. Me, on the other hand, LOVED the darkness and gore in this book. It was so beautifully written; I can only hope I’m become half the writer @t.marievandelly is. It captured my attention write from the prologue - I actually took a picture of the first page and posted it to my insta story saying this was the best intro to any book I’ve ever read. There is NO fluff; everything written in this book has a meaning. If you are a thriller or horror fan, do yourself a favor and READ THIS BOOK. I cannot stress enough how much I loved this book, if you haven’t already got that impression early on in this review.

I’ve read a fare share of books, but this one has completely stolen my heart. Maybe it’s just my dark sense of humor but this author wrote something that I didn’t even realize I needed to read in my life.

Rate: Can I give all the stars??? No? Okay then I’m going with the maximum of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (totally deserves more)

My review can be found on my book instagram under the handle @bookswithsummer

This is a exceptionally well written suspense story. The book starts off with a very tragic gory beginning and the story just progresses into a very interesting ending. I do not recommend reading this book at night, or if you are at home alone. While reading this book every noise in my house is freaking me out, I had to keep the lights on, but I could not put it down.

Theme Music fit right in with my theme of books I wanted to read for October. It is a psychological thriller filled with horror and some very descriptive gory scenes. It has the twists and turns that I love because it keeps you guessing until the end.

Some scary sh💀t⁣⁣⁣
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Thank you @duttonbooks for the review copy.⁣⁣
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How do you rate a book that was really good but also scared the 💩 out of you?! Wow, Theme Music was intense! I had been saving it for a Halloween read and it brought all the haunted house of horrors vibes I could ever need. In fact, I think my spooky cup is full and now I’m only reading about ponies and flowers and cute babies until the end of the month.⁣⁣⁣
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Dixie Wheeler moves back into the home where her entire family was slaughtered by her father on Thanksgiving day. Hoping to find a connection to the family she lost she recreates the macabre decor from her family’s salvaged furniture. Things begin happening in the house because duh, it’s haunted as sh*t. Dix questions her sanity and wonders if the evil forces tormenting her are her father or a demon of her own making.⁣⁣⁣
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I couldn’t stop turning the pages on this one but I will warn you the pages are full of some very graphic imagery. If you can’t stand a little blood and guts this is not the book for you. I will say that the way it is written is haunting and beautiful while also being nightmare inducing. For someone who still refuses to go into a haunted house because honestly why would I pay someone to get scared I really enjoyed this book and gave it 5 ⭐️s. Now I’ll be sleeping with the lights on until the end of time.⁣⁣⁣
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Oh my goodness! So I’m kind of a baby when it comes to scary books, but I have been hearing about Theme Music from friends so decided to give it a read with some support. And I am so glad that I did. This book was everything I wanted from a scary book! And it is so perfect for fall. Dixie Wheeler moves into the house that was the scene of the murder of her family 25 years ago. I spent most of the book wondering if she was going crazy, if she was going to snap, and if the house was haunted. Be prepared this book is a bit gory. But it was totally worth the ride. And now I have been recommending it to everyone who loves scary stories. Can’t believer this is a debut. I cannot wait to see what the author comes up with next.

Absolutely the best thriller I’ve read in a long, long time.

Creepy, compelling, and smarter than your average suspense novel, Theme Music gets in your head so deeply that you find yourself having trouble distinguishing what’s real and what’s imagined right along with the protagonist.

Though some of the twists are predictable, there are so many of them that you won’t guess them all. My jaw hit the floor at least 10 times while reading this. I’ll warn that I did figure out who the villain was fairly early on (a bit before halfway through the story) as well as what one of the major clues meant, but there were so many complications beyond just whodunit that followed that it didn’t in any way diminish my enjoyment of the book.

One caveat for more squeamish readers: This book contains many, many very gruesome descriptions of the murder of a family (including small children). The gallows humor and the tone of the narrative help make it more palatable, but it might be upsetting for some readers.

I was drawn to this book due to the premise and a few of my reader friends had recommended it. I picked up this book a while ago. It actually took my two and a half times before I finished it. The first time I was not feeling the book. The second time was better but slow going. I walked away for a while and recently came back to the book.

This time around it was a much better experience. Although, I will admit that it was not until about the midway point where this story really found the groove for me. It did have the elements of being haunting. Dixie's story had my attention. The things that were happening to her within the house made for good reading. Plus, the ending was really good. I do look forward to reading more books form this author. Theme Music played a spell bounding tune of chills, a intriguing female lead, and a well written storyline.

Dixie Wheeler is the only survivor in her family when her father kills her mother and 3 brothers with an axe and then slits his own throat. As a baby at the time, Dixie witnessed the massacre but has no memory of it. Years later, Dixie decides to move into the same house where the tragedy occurred. What ensues is sheer pandemonium.

I’m not quite sure where to start with this one. I really wanted to like this and was excited by the premise. I was not turned off by the graphic violence as others may be. I was enjoying this until about 60% in when it took a weird turn and just became completely far fetched and confusing for me. There were way too many murders, too many characters and too much going on and I felt that the author was wordy at times. I also felt that I never got to know or understand Dixie’s character. Why did she actually move into the house? What was she hoping to accomplish? Her personality was all over the place and not plausible. With that said, Vandelly offers some magnificent descriptions and is obviously a gifted writer. This one just wasn’t for me.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Dutton Books and T. Marie Vandelly for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I just LOVED this book! I remember reading the description for this book and just knew I had to read it! Such great storytelling and imagery. Highly recommend this book and the author!

This novel was a pleasant super for how well written it was and how much i enjoyed this novel.

I had heard great things about this one before deciding to pick it up and i'm glad i did.

25 years ago, Dixie was the only survivor of her whole family being murdered by her own father. After being brought up by her aunt, being in a loving relationship with her boyfriend; Garrett, and living her life, she finds out that the very house where her family lived and was murdered in has gone up for sale. She couldn't pass up the opportunity to see the house for herself. After viewing the house she decides to live in it and unravel the truth of what happened that day where she lost her family.

I enjoyed this novel a lot. I thought it was well written and overall a well developed story. Vandelly explaining the murder was very well done, one of the best written murders i've seen (as weird as that is).

The only part i didn't like was how long it took Dixie to figure everything out. Truthfully, i saw the ending coming and i thought Dixie would figure it out sooner. Dixie as a character was likable most of the time. The ending was not surprising but overall, this novel was very well done!

This is T. Marie Vandelly's first novel and i think it was a great start to her novelist career, i would read more of Vandelly's novels in the future.

I would give this novel ⭐⭐⭐⭐ review. It lost one star for the ending as I wasn't surprised and guessing the outcome only a few chapters in.

#ThemeMusic #NetGalley

Theme Music is the first novel by T. Marie Vandelly
Released July 23, 2019

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Dutton and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this novel!

There are some things that just naturally go together: Peanut butter and jelly. Ham and cheese. Crabs and beer (that last one might just be a Maryland thing). Other things don’t seem to go together at all, but once you try them, they work. Like pineapple on pizza. Who would have thought that would work?

Similarly, books are an almost non-detectable melding of voice and genre. A writer’s use of language creates an atmosphere that creates humor, suspense, dread, or other emotion. Depending on which words are used, the same setting could create anticipation or fear.

That’s how it usually works, anyway.

Maryland author T. Marie Vandelly turns this rule on its head in her debut, Theme Music. While the book is a psychological thriller, it’s written in the tone of chick lit. By playing against expectation in this way, Vandelly actually amplifies the horror. It’s an interesting choice that might annoy horror fans while attracting fans in other genres. Click on the link below to read the complete review.

Fans of thrillers and horror pay attention! Theme Music is awesome. It's brutal and it's unreliable, and it's so much fun.

Theme Music is a perfect example of the power of the bookish community. I never would have picked it up on my own, but it was highly recommended by Emily (book.happy). Now I'm highly recommending it to you!

Really dark and gruesome thriller. Anyone who liked Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore would enjoy this. I was disappointed by some lack of depth in characters and inconsistency in writing, but ultimately enjoyed this.

Wow! Just wow! From the first chapter to the last, “Theme Music” will have you on the edge of your seat! I was not expecting this kind of story and honestlywent in pretty blind for the most part. I had such a hard time putting this book down, it was fantastic! “Theme Music” is a horror story with plenty of gore, suspense and paranormal activity for anyone who loves this genre. The entire time I kept thinking this needs to be a movie! I can’t wait to read more books by T. Marie Vandelly in the future. Five stars for “Theme Music”!
*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was sucked in right from the very first page! This is way beyond what I was expecting from this book. This book deserves all of the rave reviews and hype it has been getting! A serious page turner! The gore, detail, and insane acts of violence had me cringing, yet waiting for more. This would make a killer horror film!

What an interesting take on a horror book. Partly a ghost story, partly focusing on mental health issues. What it did really well was the descriptive, detailed, graphic scenes. It might not be for everyone, but for me it made the story better. However, it took me a good part of the book to finally get into it, and like it.

It was very confusing during the first part, when I couldn't distinguish if the main character Dixie was completely mental, if it was being a serious ghost problem, or someone was messing with her. Being lost in Dixie's head wasn't pleasant. It also made the MC very unlikable. If she was bonkers in the head, using her family ghosts seemed lazy - I like my killers smart and logical. I like it when they know what they are doing and why. Dixie wouldn't own up to her evil soul, and it just made her unlikeable.

The way the reality and Dixie's imaginary ghost world was blended together seamlessly was very confusing in parts. It was hard to understand what was happening to Dixie, or who was doing what. It seemed messy.

I really enjoyed the last 30% of the book, when final confrontation happened. I finally was able to see what kind of person Dixie actually is, and understand her struggles with herself better. The last confrontation was intense, and very graphic. Even though the paranormal part was not my personal favorite, and the twist was very predictable, it made sense in the overall story.

Thank you Dutton books and the author for allowing me to read this advanced copy in return for my honest review.

Theme Music was an absolute BLAST to read. It is chilling, gruesome, and even a bit humorous at times. This author did a wonderful job of terrifying the reader and making you feel delusional at times because the actions taking place in the storyline made absolutely no sense!!
Dixie Wheeler is the survivor of a family massacre that took place when she was only a baby. Her father allegedly went crazy and murdered the entire family one morning at breakfast with an axe... all but Dixie. When she was found, the song “baby blue eyes” was blasting throughout the house. Fast forward... and Dixie Wheeler is all grown up and living a normal life... until the day she sees that her family’s old house is for sale.
You will have to read this spooky novel to get the rest of the plot, however you may want to turn all your lights on and have your phone near by for emergencies. Bravo to T. Marie Vandelly for her debut novel! Keep them coming, can’t WAIT for the next one.

How do I write a review for a book that left me speechless? I am tempted to just quote The Good Place and say “holy motherforking shirtballs” - go read this book. But - I will try to give you a little more.

Theme Music drops us into the life of Dixie Wheeler. 25 years ago, when she was less than 2 years old - one morning over breakfast her father violently killed her mother and three brothers before killing himself. That is difficult and dark and told to us in the opening pages of the book - with details. If this feels like too much - this book probably isn’t for you.

Now - as Dixie is looking to move with her boyfriend Garrett - she sees that the house where it all happened is up for sale and is compelled to move there. No one in her life understands why - seeing it as a super creepy choice - but Dixie knows she has to do it anyway. She needs to understand more about what happened to her family on that day. As she moves in - things go from creepy to CREEPY. Is the house haunted? Is Dixie possessed? Is she mentally ill? Is someone messing with her? All of the above or none of the above or????

This book was so good and so creepy and scary and had me all over the place. Within the first 10% - I was messaging a friend asking her to please read it right now too because I knew it would be scary and needed to be able to discuss it. And amazing friend that she was - within hours I had a message that she was 50 pages into it and the next day she had finished. We both absolutely loved it!

In addition to a bonkers storyline that will keep you flipping pages - this book is SO WELL WRITTEN. I was highlighting lines that I loved all through it. I immediately wanted to buy everything else by the author and was dismayed (and blown away) to learn this is her debut author. Consider me first in line for the next book!!!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Dixie Wheelers father spared her life, but butchered the rest of her family then slit his own throat. Over two decades later the family home goes up for sale. And Dixie buys it. This twisted, bone chilling, psychological thriller will creep you right out. The perfect mind bending read!!

I started this book before I had to leave for a weekend upstate to be a part of a wedding. I didn't want to put this book down but I had to so I would read snippets here and there as I found time. One of the reasons I like to binge read is because it's like watching a movie. If you watch a movie in a lot of sections, then we don't get quite the same impact like we would had we watched it all the way through in one fell swoop. I do think that had I read this in one sitting it would've likely been a five star read since I review with my emotions and this book is absolutely bananas and I LOVED IT.

However, since I've had time to stew on it with the traveling and activities, and because I read it in parts as I could.... I feel like there were certain things that kept me from giving this five stars. I know some thriller readers are opposed to bringing in paranormal *things* to these stories. Personally, as a lover of horror, I have absolutely no problem with this and quite frankly, the finer line a thriller book walks to horror, the better!

I couldn't imagine being the only witness to my family's massacre at the hands of my own father. I certainly couldn't imagine being a baby when this happens so the only thing I know about the event is what I've been told about or veered away from. Would I move back into that house once I saw it on the market. I'm pretty sure that's a hell to the NO, but then we wouldn't have this book so thank you Dixie for being so damn curious!

There are certainly some elements where you need to suspend some belief. Strangely enough this is on the living side rather than the dead. Dismiss the legal/law side of the book and concentrate on the paranormal/psychological side and I think avid thriller readers will really enjoy this ride into the absolutely insane... or is it? **wink**