Was a really good read. Scott's wife and Abbie's mum, Kate, just vanishes one day, she turns up 11 years later with a baby. Where has she been?
The story jumps between past and present as it unravels. I enjoyed this book, however felt the ending came too soon.
Thank you for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, but it wasn’t really thrilling. The mystery was there, and I enjoyed the slow exposing of the past to the present. The characters were good, but I would have liked more of their story wrapped up at the end. The ending wasn’t really a surprise.

When She Returned by Lucinda Berry was quite the thriller that I could not read fast enough because I had to know what was going to happen. Eleven years ago, Kate Bennett vanished. She left behind a husband and daughter who had to make sense of life after. Eleven years later, her daughter Abbi is sixteen, and her husband Scott has remarried Meredith, a widow he met in a support group. And then, Kate returns. Where has she been? Who is she now? And what does everyone do with this development? Y'all, this one is a ride. Told through the now of Meredith and Abbi's perspective, as well as the then of Kate's, this story pieces together what each of these women feels and has felt, and how they all are trying to move forward (and/or in the past). I don't want to give too many plot details, as the thrills come from the way the pieces of the puzzle start to come together, and y'all, those pieces come up until a big ol' twist at the end! That said, I do want y'all to know that Kate's disappearance does have some connections to a cult. You'll see that hinted at in the description, and the way the author tells this part of the story builds a unique psychological story. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me peak at this page turner due out in October.

OMG... what can I say that will do justice to this page turner! If you are looking for a superb psychological thriller that will keep you reading until the small hours then look no further! Such an insight into cult organisations with superb characters and plot twists.

A great concept which started off brilliantly but fell a bit flat towards the middle. The pacing of the story stalled and practically stopped and I had questions which weren’t touched on until near the end. Thankfully the ending redeemed the book but I really wish that I liked it more. Still a pick but with reservations.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Scott’s wife Katie returns with a new baby after leaving Scott and their daughter mysteriously 11 years ago. Scott has since remarried and the family has to work through Katie reappearance.

This book was ok for me. It didn’t have a lot of twists and turns it was really just the characters in present day trying to make sense of Katie’s return and then flashbacks about what actually caused her to leave and where she was for the past 11 years. I would have liked more surprises.

I loved this book! The plot was unique as it gave a bit of a peep into a secret world. And you got to see the long lasting effects of psychological abuse in a group setting. The characters were very relatable, the story pacing was good, and I felt the conclusion interesting and satisfying. A good weekend read! // Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early review copy. This is my honest opinion, and I'm not afraid to say a book sucked if it did!

Review#56 WHEN SHE RETURNED by Lucinda Berry and reviewing for Netgalley. Fantastic story of what could happen when you get mixed up with a cult. A normal woman with an idealistic life gets more involved with a religious cult than she bargained for when she is sent to interview them and write about their lifestyle. ⭐⭐⭐⭐Four stars.

It’s been eleven years since Kate Bennett disappeared from a parking lot without trace. Her husband, Scott, has finally remarried. Her daughter, Abbi, is sixteen years old and has almost no memories of her mother. So when Kate turns up at a gas station clutching an infant and screaming for help, the Bennett family is thrown into disarray. Kate, it seems, was brainwashed by a cult, and we find out in flashbacks just what she has endured since her disappearance. Can Kate ever have a normal life again? Will Abbi learn to reconnect with her mother? And just who are the mysterious Love International? And will they let Kate escape once and for all?

I loved this book. It was so well written, and the characters beautifully drawn (though I did want to give Scott’s head a wobble more than once). I really felt like I’d been uprooted from my comfortable daily life right along with the characters, and I was rooting for Kate in those flashbacks.

I won’t say much more (because spoilers!) but I wasn’t prepared for where the story went in the end, and I loved the twist the story took.

An exceptional thriller that got me right in the gut. Can’t wait to read more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley, who provided me with a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Nothing is as it seems? Where has Kate been all of these years? This one kept me glued to my seat. Fabulous!
Many thanks to Thomas Mercer and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Another fabulous read from this author love her books all so different yet all gripping!! Thankyou for the arc!!

It was a good story. I was surprised by the ending. It always amazes me how people get sucked into these cults.

All I can say is wow wow wow!! This book! I was hooked from page one and couldn't put it down! This is my first book by this Author, but it definitely won't be my last! This read was definitely a messed up mind game book! Cults and psychos in abundance!

Wow, just wow! Thanks NetGalley for my chance to read this page turning book! Ma. Berry is a fantastic author who kept me reading all day.

4 - 4.5 stars. This book was certainly suspenseful. I saw the ending coming, but it was still interesting to read. I recommend giving this author a try!

Interesting book with a twist I wasn’t expecting. I love the shorter chapters. Both elements made this book bingeworthy.

Wow! I really enjoyed this book.

First off, the writing style is fantastic. Short chapters made it especially readable, though I devoured it in a day.

This is the story of Kate, who disappears, and leaves behind her husband, Scott, and young daughter Abbi. We hear about how they have moved on, reluctantly. Scott is now married to Meredith.

Then suddenly, Kate is found. She has a seven week old baby.

It’s hard to say much else without giving away any spoilers. Where Kate has been, how she got back. It’s an incredible story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for the ARC of this book!!

So good! I could not put When She Returned down! It had a twist in the end that I actually did not see coming. Well done, Ms Berry! If you’re looking for a fast-paced read that keeps you guessing, this is the book for you. It has a true crime feel too.

This book started off great and I couldn’t turn pages fast enough. As soon as the cult aspect was introduced I lost interest. I skimmed a lot of the “then” chapters from Kate’s perspective. The ending was too quick and I wish more had been written on WHY Kate joined this weird group in the first place. Just didn’t make sense. This is my second book by this author (The Perfect Child was the first) and I can’t stand how idiotic Berry’s male characters are. The husbands in both books were literally the same irritating, delusional character.

When She Returned by Lucinda Berry was another book that I want to recommend. Like I always say, I like books with storylines that I haven’t seen a million times before. I enjoy an interesting plot with characters who can move the story forward.

Synopsis:

Kate Bennett vanished from a parking lot eleven years ago, leaving behind her husband and young daughter. When she shows up at a Montana gas station, clutching an infant and screaming for help, investigators believe she may have been abducted by a cult.

Kate’s return flips her family’s world upside down–her husband is remarried, and her daughter barely remembers her. Kate herself doesn’t look or act like she did before.

While the family tries to help Kate reintegrate into society, they discover truths they’ve been hiding from each other about their own relationships. But they aren’t the only ones with secrets. As the family unravels what happened to Kate, a series of shocking revelations shows that Kate’s return is more sinister than any of them could have imagined.

I think this book is going to be getting a lot of great reviews. You really want to know what happened to Kate, and how is her family going to deal with her reappearance? This one would make a really good series.

Due out October 15.