I’m normally a huge wimp when it comes to horror novels, but I still wanted to give this one a try. And I’m so glad I did! The setting was perfectly creepy and I loved how the characters were all stuck together at a hotel. The strangeness of the hotel definitely spiked the creepy level! I don’t think I’ll be having nightmares about this one (thank goodness) but I was thoroughly creeped out and enjoyed the suspense! I would highly recommend this one for a reader who is trying out the horror genre (like me)! Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for sending a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book!

I know this book hasn't been getting the best reviews but I actually really I loved this book. I was looking for a good chill and feels that I use to get in the 80's and this did it for me. The atmosphere was everything I wanted it to be. I loved the plot and storyline in the book. I loved the characters in this story. It gave me all the feels I was looking for when I started reading this. I highly recommend this author. I loved the writing. I will be looking for other works in the future from this author.

Whew. This one was a doozy. The first good chunk of it was absolutely boring me to tears. The ladies did a bunch of nothing except chatting. Also, the creepiness of the hotel played no part in anything.

A strange, haunting thriller taking place in an even stranger haunting hotel. A girls weekend reunion culminating from the return of Julie, who disappeared while hiking for two years and then reappeared with no memory of where she was. Meeting at a boutique hotel with little to no other guests, strange things begin to happen to the staff, and the four reunited friends who are staying there. With supernatural elements and disturbing descriptions, this book was a unique tale. Although I was very excited to receive an e-galley, it is hard for me to not feel let down by the twist and end. The amount of mystery behind the plot kept me so invested and I couldn't wait for the big reveal only to be disappointed.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this book. Unfortunately this book was not for me. The premise is interesting but it could have been better. It was creepy but not scary. I wish there was more background story pertaining to Julie's disappearance instead of focusing more on Elise's past which I really find so irrelevant.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Pub for sending me the free copy of 'The Return' in exchange for an honest review. Rachel Harrison's debut novel is going to haunt you with eerie atmospheric and creepy hotel details.

'The Return' is a mysterious, tense, and supernatural horror story of four friends. One of them, Julie, disappears for almost two years and suddenly reappears one day without having any memory of where she had been and what happened to her. All four of them decide to reunite in a hotel for a weekend and that's when the creepy incidents or rather accidents start happening.

First of all, I loved the plot. A woman disappearing and then reappearing after two years is a well-thought plot. I kept turning pages to know what happened to Julie when she was missing. The author did an amazing job to keep the reader intrigued till the end.

All the characters are well-conceived. The friendship between Julie, Elise, Mae, and Molly is devised well. It is a mix of highs and lows which seems relative. The story is narrated by one of the friends Elise who is closest to Julie.

This book reminds me of 'The Shining' by Stephen King. An isolated, eerie, and creepily-detailed hotel which is a character in itself. The author used all the possible structural details to entail the horror factor. The supernatural element is also assimilated well and the creepy details of the "supernatural element" is not overwhelming at all.

I like the end and it is not rushed at all. The author takes her time to let the supernatural element sink in. Short chapters and non-complex language make this a quick read. I have read a few horror books so it was not "too creepy" for me, I would rate it a "4-star read".

I would recommend it to those who love reading horror genre with a dash of friendship drama.

I love a good, chilling horror – especially when monsters are involved. I love it when an author introduces me to some new monster that makes my goosebumps rise, but Harrison gives us a new layer of depth when it comes to the main monster in her book, “The Return.”
Julie went missing two years ago. Everyone thought she was dead after she went hiking by herself and never came back. But her best friend, Elise, never stopped believing Julie was alive. She just refused to believe, even though everyone tried to convince her otherwise.
Turns out, Elise was right about Julie. Julie shows up on her front porch two years later, not remembering anything about what happened the last two years. Some say she is lying, that it was all a scheme so she could get on national news, but Elise doesn’t believe that either. All she wants is to see Julie again after so long.
Her wish comes true, for Elise, Julie, and two of their other friends plan a girl’s trip to the Red Honey Inn. The setting is perfect, picturesque, but something is not right, and it has to do with Julie. The once vegetarian is now eating meat raw. Her skin is flaking, her hair is greasy, and she needs some desperate dental work done. Something weird happened to Julie in the two years she was gone, and Elise cannot believe that Julie doesn’t remember anything. When things start going awry in the inn, Elise and her friends just may not believe what they’ve gotten themselves into, or just what happened to their friend Julie.
This is more than an awesome monster story – it’s also a story of friendship. It was nice to see the friendship of their whole group blossom as they opened up more to each other than they ever had before. This book was a refreshing horror. Highly recommended!

Reviewed by Bailey Day, author of “The Amazing Imagination Machine” by Suspense Publishing, an imprint of Suspense Magazine.

This book was so unnerving. I found myself checking around to see if there were other people nearby while reading it because the descriptions freaked me out so much. Her vivid details made this story for me. It was much creepier than I anticipated, and I really enjoyed that aspect. There were a few things that felt open-ended and unnecessary, but overall did not deter from the book for me.

I will eventually feature this on my IG and blog. I've been on a break from posting because of the racial tension in the US. I feel at this point it's more important for POC and BIPOC authors to have the spotlight than it is for my own content.

A group of close girlfriends is shocked when one of them suddenly and mysteriously disappears. What happened to her? Was she abducted? Did she decide she just wanted to escape from her life? Elise is the only one who believes Julie is still alive. Two years later, Julie suddenly reappears, with seemingly no memory of what happened during the time she was gone.

The girlfriends reunite for a weekend at an eerie, isolated hotel. Julie's behavior and appearance are strange; is this because of what happened to her when she was missing? Is she still the same friend they remember?

'The Return' has a lot of great elements. Complicated friendships and relationships, a spooky setting, and plenty of things to make you question what is going on. The twist at the end was so strange, I never would have seen it coming.

This is quite an enjoyable read, with plenty of appeal for fans of the mystery, suspense, and horror genres.

Rachel Harrison seems to be an up and coming star on the horror genre scene. I’m here for it! Loved this book and can’t wait for more.

Unfortunately this book didn't keep my attention and I DNF'ed it. I appreciate the opportunity to get an advanced copy of it but this particular one wasn't for me.

When their friend Julie suddenly returns from a two year disappearance, the group of friends are determined to find a way back to the way things were. They head out for a girls' weekend at a mysterious inn, but as things start quickly turning dark, the friends are forced to reckon with the idea that it might not be the real Julie who came back.

This book is so terrifying, and takes a really crazy turn at the end that left me not entirely sure how I felt about it. I couldn't put the book down, and it made me think afterwards, which is a positive for sure, but it's not a book I would automatically recommend to everyone. Fans of the supernatural and horror will definitely want to give this book a try though.

Included in my "Top Five New Horror" video, link attached below and book discussed extensively and enthusiastically.

This was just too strange for me. It started off fine but then just got too unbelievable. The characters also seemed to be stuck in their college selves. Not a title I’ll recommend.

This book was interesting, i like mystery and horror novels but i just couldn't get into this one at first.

The middle of the novel was better but then the ending was rushed and just didn't do it for me.

The writing itself was really good, i would give another novel by Rachel Harrison a try due to the writing. However, just need a little more.

At first glance, The Return checked all my boxes. An odd and creepy hotel (I love single setting mysteries!), a missing woman, school friendships and a gothic/ atmospheric vibe. Ultimately, though, this one didn't come together for me, particularly at the ending.

I loved the writing- it's witty and cutting. I also loved the setting and the detail put together to create the hotel atmosphere and those wild rooms! and I enjoyed the overall plot and topic.

The ending is where I struggled. It felt rushed and left me wanting more. It felt like it couldn't decide whether it wanted to end as a thriller, horror or a paranormal read and it lost impact by trying to do too much.

I will definitely read more from Rachel Harrison and still think this is worth a read for the quality of the writing and overall plot.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the eARC and exchange for my honest review.

Entertaining horror-thriller hybrid. Might be a hit with fans of Riley Sager who don’t mind the gore of a Nick Cutter.

This book was way too frightening for me. I do not know why I would have picked a horror story to review. To review this would be unfair to those who don't have nightmares after reading books like this.

The premise of this book was interesting and I found the story to be engaging. I read it rather quickly because it was hard to put down. For my taste the end was a bit too mystical for me. Give it a try and see what you think.

The Return by Rachel Harrison is a horror-suspense and I’m not sure if its too scary for me! If you like to jump at every noise you hear after reading a scary book, and if you love having the hair on the back of your neck stand up when you’re alone in the house, give this book a whirl!

Julie is missing, and no one believes she will ever return—except Elise. Elise knows Julie better than anyone, and feels it in her bones that her best friend is out there and that one day Julie will come back. She’s right. Two years to the day that Julie went missing, she reappears with no memory of where she’s been or what happened to her.

Along with Molly and Mae, their two close friends from college, the women decide to reunite at a remote inn. But the second Elise sees Julie, she knows something is wrong—she’s emaciated, with sallow skin and odd appetites. And as the weekend unfurls, it becomes impossible to deny that the Julie who vanished two years ago is not the same Julie who came back. But then who—or what—is she?

The Return is due out on March 24, 2020