Oh boy, this book...spoilery rant incoming.

I went in with high hopes, having absolutely loved Jane Doe last year. Sadly, this very, very much did not meet my expectations. This was one of the worst books I've read in a while.

Let's start with the main character: Veronica is an idiot. Plain and simple, she's a moron. Her motivations for doing everything that she does are stupid, she can't see the obvious truths right in front of her, and she's a grade-A hypocrite. As far as I can tell, the woman has the personality of a doormat and no redeeming qualities (except, I guess, if you're a criminal, in which case the fact that she can be manipulated and blinded by the D might be a redeeming feature?). She's also a grown-ass woman with some intense daddy issues, and she acts like a petulant child whenever her parents' divorce is mentioned. Veronica's choices and her total inability to see how she was being played made me roll my eyes so goddamn hard, I think I may have sprained something.

The writing is also just...not good. At all. The author repeatedly bashes the reader over the head with the fact that Veronica can't leave Johnny because it would devastate their kid. Not a super strong motivator in my (kid-free) opinion, but whatever, it would have been an okay, if not very interesting, plot driver. Except that it gets mentioned. every. fucking. chapter. Seriously I don't think there's a single ten page stretch in this book where no one brings up that divorce is off the table. And not just in one line. Oh no. There was a several paragraph monologue at one point in which her lover reminds her, in detail, about why she can't get divorced. WE GET IT. There's also a truly bizarre amount of panting, barking, and growling happening in this book. It could be a drinking game, but I take no responsibility for any ensuing alcohol poisoning. The mystery? thriller? whatever? element of the novel is also eyeroll worthy. As soon as it's revealed that there was a kidnapping involved, I had the plot (including Veronica's dumbass responses) 90% of the way figured out. It was not in any way thrilling or exciting, it was predictable and once again, the characters all behaved like the meathead morons that they are.

Really the only reason this book is getting two stars instead of one is that I had fun hate-reading it. It was sort of entertaining, just...probably not in the way the author intended. Woof.

This book is probably more of a three star book, but I love Stone so much that I just probably was a bit more forgiving and I’m just being upfront about it now. The characters were so annoying to me because I just wanted them to be more and I wanted less predictability. The style of writing is still that which I love from her, but this book wasn’t what I’d hoped.

Having loved Evelyn After , my expectations were high for False Step. I read it quickly as the style of writing just hooked me and kept reeling me in. Early on I figured out who kidnapped the young three year old boy and was just waiting for the main character, Victoria, to come to her senses. She and her husband are both dysfunctional and living in a shell of a marriage. Neither are likable. My heart went out to their daughter, Sydney, especially at the end of the book. Although an enjoyable read, I definitely preferred Evelyn After.. Many thanks to Victoria Helen Stone, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read this arc of a recently published book.

Thanks to reality TV, Instagram, YouTube, etc., it seems that everyone is looking for fame that lasts much longer than the promised fifteen minutes. Even those of us whose only public display is Facebook carefully curate what we post in order to put forth the most flattering portrait of ourselves as possible. But sometimes people end up as a supporting character in someone else’s movie, and that’s when we can’t control the narrative any longer.

In Victoria Helen Stone’s latest thriller, False Step, occupational therapist Veronica Bradley is stuck in a dead marriage to personal trainer Johnny, staying only because of their daughter Sydney. But when Johnny finds a missing child, suddenly he’s a hero to their Denver, Colorado town… and everyone wants to know about him and his family. As Veronica is having an affair with Johnny’s best friend, Micah, she wants nothing to do with the press coverage, the fawning fake friends, or the police. And as Johnny’s behavior grows more strange, she’s forced to wonder if her husband is hiding something big.
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I want to thank NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Victoria Helen Stone for the ARC of false step. I read her previous book Jane Doe and absolutely loved it. It was one of my top reads of the year. It really sucked you in. When I saw she had a new book coming out I was so excited and got even more excited when I saw it on NetGalley.
This book ended up being really good but I have to say it definitely didn't live up to Jane Doe. This book did have a good amount of thrills and secrets to unravel but i didn't get sucked into the characters as much. That being said I do still recommend this book if you were a fan of Jane Doe. It was a really good read.

Things may not always be as they seem ... This was a fast paced novel that kept me up at night wanting to know the ending. Secrets, lies. Everything may come to light. This author has me hooked on her story.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

THIS BOOK! This book started off strong and just kept going! A story that can draw anyone in-this is the type of story that captures a nation. A young boy missing in Colorado-and then a few days later he’s found alive and unharmed?! A storybook ending…right?

Veronica is at work and it’s a regular day-until someone shows her a video on their phone-wait, what is she seeing-is that her HUSBAND? What? He’s carrying the missing boy! What’s happening? How? What? Oh, my gosh?! Johnny and Old Man, their dog, found the missing boy! He’s safe. Johnny is the town hero!

Soon, everyone wants to be around Johnny and know Johnny and his fitness trainer job is booming…so why is Veronica feeling so concerned. Everything should be great for them now, right? But, can they handle the sudden fame? Can the secrets they have stay hidden with the media and everyone they know wanting to talk to them?

Then, Veronica finds something that makes her question everything that is happening in her life. Is everything really as Johnny said?

5 star book. Really, really good! It will keep you up late reading!

Thank you NetGalley for the early read of this book!

From the very beginning, it starts off with the reader feeling good - who doesn’t like the rescue of a lost three year old? Then the uneasy feeling of who can you trust, what are we missing, what is the real story kicks in and stays with you right until the end. I enjoyed this book right to the end - even when I stayed up late into the night to finish it because I had to know the ending!

False Step is a very well written thriller. Great plot. My thanks to the publisher for my advance ebook. This is my unbiased review.

An Amazon First Reads pick for June 2019 (for release July 2019) and is definitely in the top contending spots for best summer thrillers for 2019!

Secrets of marriage and lies, come alive in this great read. Just stay calm, keep smiling, and watch your step. In a town in Denver, Colorado, has worried over the fate of a missing child, then a miracle happens.
Entertaining, addictive, and fast paced. I finished this book in one sitting, I loved it so much, I recommend everyone read this book..

False Step by Victoria Helen Stone. I enjoyed this book, I liked that the characters felt real. Veronica was a normal person with an ordinary job, and so was her husband Johnny. This is so refreshing, as most couples in novels today, are either filthy rich with an abusive husband, and the wife is clueless, or the wife has this amazing career. This book was notably different, and felt very real and realistic. I liked that they had their squabbles and their marriage was realistically portrayed. The affairs were a little over the top, especially Veronica's, she was totally smitten, but of course that truly mattered to the suspension of disbelief on her part. The plot was good, and though I figured out the twist, the writing still propelled me to read until the end. Overall, a good book and one that I recommend.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed Victoria Helen Stone's last novel, Jane Doe, so I went into this story with high expectations. I was expecting something much darker and more complex character development. False Step started off one way and veered towards another as it progressed. Ultimately, the ending didn't make sense to me. I have a lot of lingering questions. The motivation behind the "reveal" seems random and wasn't the conclusion I was hoping for. The ending seems kind of thrown together. A decent novel but nothing that will stick with me.

This book started out good from the start and then slowly faded. For me, there wasn't enough about the main plot of the story. It did keep me reading to the end and did have a couple twists but I still wish it had more of the story behind the plot and not so much on the aftermath.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Johnny and Veronica have been mostly happily married for a few years, but there are definitely secrets within this marriage. Those secrets and others get exposed when Johnny becomes a local hero by finding a lost boy while on a hike and this event will change their lives forever.

This book is less about the kidnapping and more about the after affects of a couple becoming somewhat famous. I really had to stop and think about how I would personally react and also how my life could change around me if this happened to me. The likelihood of this actually happening is rare, but really made me stop and think about what reactions I would have.

The book takes an interesting twist and I will of course keep that to myself and it was just ok for me. I was just on the fence about where it ended up going, it was just a pair of shruggie shoulders.

I would read this author again, but would definitely make sure that I was into the plot.

False Step is a tale of subterfuge and secrets. Initially thought to be a local hero for rescuing a lost child, Jonny soon comes under suspicion, both from his wife Veronica, and the police. Without revealing too much of the plot, there are further twists and turns which reveal that we never really know somebody, and what they may be hiding. I also really liked the fact that Veronica was the flawed heroine of this story, and her instinct to protect her child meant she became the victor, not the victim. Illicit affairs, blackmail, murder - this book has it all. It's sexy, fast-paced and I recommend it to anyone who likes a romping good thriller.

Thank you Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing and Victoria Helen Stone.
Fast paced psychological thriller. Lots of twists with well defined characters.
Well written. This is my second book from this author and she did not disappoint. Jane Doe was my first.
4 stars

I typically read mostly crime/suspense novels, and I was sadly disappointed with this one. Even rarer would I give one a 1-star rating. The synopsis was written well, but I cannot say the same for the story itself. Sure it flows, but the plot twist was easy to figure out early on, and the story has been done so many times before in many books and movies. If you've not read stories or seen movies that involve murder, lies, broken marriages and love triangles, it's a good read. I just found it too cliche and unoriginal.

The author can clearly spin a captivating tale, but needs a more original story. If you're looking for a time passer, or an easy read, then this is your book. Otherwise, don't get your hopes up.

False Step is a well-written book for fans of domestic thrillers. Thank you Lake Union Publishing for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own. #FalseStep

Thanks Netgalley for the advanced copy! Thrilling, intense, intriguing and suspenseful all wrapped in to one loved it! Amazing writing! Read this in one sitting did not want to stop.