Such an addictive read. I enjoyed this immensely and hope to read more of this author. Quite the page turner

This was a fast and easy read. I liked how devious the last chapter was and I wasn't expecting it but I enjoyed it. It fell a bit flat in the dark and atmospheric story telling, sadly.

Colleen was in awe at her first sight of Ravenwood, the grand estate where she would be living with her boyfriend, Michael. Intimidated, Colleen soon learned that Michael was still grieving the disappearance of his first wife, Joanna, while the household staff seemed resentful of Colleen’s presence, especially since she had recently been employed as Michael’s secretary and was now five months pregnant. When a woman’s body was discovered buried in the park across the street, the neighborhood was both stunned and terrified at the fact that their upscale neighborhood near Half Moon Bay could be the target of such an act. 

Living in Joanna’s house, in a castle with locked doors and household staff, Colleen didn’t know how to fill her days. She unpacked the few boxes of her possessions and tried to make Ravenwood her home, but both Michael and the staff were insistent about keeping things exactly the same as before, even keeping to the meals Joanna had planned. The discovery of the body across the street bothered Colleen, and when the body had been officially identified as that of Joanna, Colleen was horrified at the possibility that Michael could have been involved. 

I really enjoyed this journey with Colleen, surprised that she would agree to move into a place she’d never seen, knowing Michael’s wife had disappeared only six months before. I felt sorry for her, essentially trapped, with Michael’s friend/co-worker right next door. In Her Shadow is told through alternating characters’ voices, and in that way, the reader learns about the real Joanna, not the polished trophy wife image she presented. I almost hate to admit it, but I didn’t suspect who the murderer was until the last chapter.  Kristin Miller has written an intriguing mystery with plenty of surprises that easily held my interest.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

We know it's coming, from the ominous beginning to the chapter titles telling us how long until Colleen's murder, but how will it all play out?  Colleen is the new pregnant girlfriend to Michael, who's pregnant wife Joanne just left him six months ago.  However, Joanne's body is found next to the home property and we find wasn't even pregnant.   Now there is a murder to solve with many suspects on the radar.   Colleen doesn't know who to trust and begins to wonder if she is now in danger.  Lots of great twist and turns and it really is a last minute reveal of who was responsible.  And boy what an ending it is.

This book was a pretty decent gothic mystery. I don’t read those hardly at all so it was a nice change of pace. My biggest issue was the numerous POVs. I like when it’s between the two main characters, but more than that for no real reason it just gets on my nerves. Would try this author again though.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

I was inspired most to read this book because it was advertised as a modern-day Rebecca. I am a big fan of the Alfred Hitchcock movie. I don't think I liked the characters as much in this book as I did in the movie, but the twists and turns in this book were totally worth it. I highly recommend this entertaining read!

Such a cool premise - and the author delivered! This book was eerie while still holding your attention and leaving you wanting more. Would definitely recommend!

I hate to DNF a book that received such high reviews and praise, but this just wasn't for me. I felt like it was too slow for a thriller and the multiple narratives, though necessary, were too sloppy at times. 

For many readers, this will be a huge hit. I just wasn't a fan. 

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for the ARC ebook in return for my honest review.

FINALLY! A psych thriller worth reading. Miller did a wonderful job with this book. From the beginning I was captivated with the story and did not want to put the book down. The characters throughout the book were made vivid in my mind. Joanna, Colleen and Michael are the main characters within the book, but there are several more that play important roles within the book, and they are easily separated and not easily forgotten. A tumultuous marriage on the rocks, a girlfriend, pregnancy, murder, lies and secrets dwell within the chapters of this book. Who committed the murder and why? So many twists in this book, and I did not see the ending coming. Thank you to Miller for keeping it clean and free of cursing. That's hard to find these days. I cannot wait to read more from this author!

I was convinced I knew what happened. I was wrong!

Given the opportunity to live in a house with your soulmate is divine, right? But what if all around you is staff and items that continuously remind you that you're an interloper and don't belong here? What if you're soulmate is suddenly accused of murder? Can you continue to remain there? Can you remain unwavering by his side?

This story makes you ask these questions and many more. Is the perfect life really attainable? Is it actually perfect?

Colleen and Michael have finally found each other, they finally feel whole, but what happened to Michael's first wife, Joanna? Where is she and why did she leave?

Everyone loved Joanna but won't give Colleen a chance to make her own mark. What are Dean and Samara hiding? This story is full of these questions as you continue to feel like Colleen, an interloper.

In Her Shadow by Kristin Miller - A pregnant young woman becomes obsessed with the disappearance of her lover’s wife, only to discover that she may be headed for the same fate. When Colleen Roper becomes pregnant by her boss, Michael, he takes her to luxurious Ravenwood.  There are memories of his former wife, Joanna, who left months ago. In addition, she’s not allowed to enter certain rooms and the staff is nasty. Then, bones are unearthed in the grove across the street and Michael falls under the suspicion of detectives. Colleen finds herself pulled into her lover’s dark past surrounding beautiful Joanna. “As Colleen untangles truth from lies, she discovers that nothing is what it seems, and that some people will kill to keep their secrets as quiet as the dead.“
This book was a good psychological thriller! There were well developed characters and I never would have guessed who the sick killer was. This is the first book of Kristin Miller that I’ve read, however I now want to read another! Good read. Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced reader’s copy.

Loved, loved, loved this book! 

I loved how you know one of the main characters dies right away, but through her chapters, it reveals the murder. The book is extremely suspenseful with lots of twists and turns. 

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a good thriller.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy for my honest review.

There was a lot that I liked about this book. The setting is vivid and the characters are well written. However, I found the pace to be a bit slow and the switching narratives was somewhat confusing (and unnecessary.) Unfortunately, I read an AMAZING book right before this one so I think anything would have been colored somewhat poorly after this.

I've read some excellent thrillers this year, and In Her Shadow fits right in with those. The tone is ominous throughout, and I can see why the book is compared to some of the classic gothic novels. We know Colleen is in danger from the first page, and her story slowly uncovers. She has moved in with her boyfriend Michael, and finds his house is a mansion, with forbidden rooms, hostile servants, and everyone (including Michael) focused on his wife Joanna, who left him a year ago. It sounds as if Joanna was perfect - but was she?

There isn't much more I want to say about the plot, because the fun is in the unfolding. The book switches point of view quite often, so just be aware, especially if that is a device you dislike. Even seeing inside peoples' minds, it is difficult to guess what is happening until towards the end. I'd recommend it for thriller lovers.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for letting me read a copy to review.

Colleen and Michael are expecting a child.  The background leading to this spells trouble:  Michael was her boss; his wife  has been "missing" for several months; Michael moves Colleen into the home that he had built around his wife, Joanna.  When a body is found in the grove across from their home and it is discovered to be Joanna, Michael is the prime suspect.  But the elite neighborhood and the people living in it have all their own secrets they are trying to hide and it is up to the two detectives to sort them all out.   The story is a good thriller with so many facts coming out that one is never sure who is the killer....until it all wraps up in a surprise ending.  The chapter headers are an interesting way to move the story forward.  I found the last one to be especially provocative. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Random House in return for an honest review, which this has been.  #NetGalley #InHerShadow

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

I loved this book. 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.

A twisty, exciting thriller with chapter titles that keep you guessing! A mindfully crafted mystery.

A pregnant young woman, Colleen, moves into the home of her boyfriend, Michael and his ex-wife Joanna and feels burdened with the presence and memory of Joanna.  Shortly after moving in the body of Joanna is discovered in a nearby grove and all of the men in her life, especially Michael become a suspect. The chapter titles are deceiving, as intended, overall a good read.

Hmmm... I have mixed feelings about this book.  I liked it for the most part.  It is a similar story to Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, but definitely not the same story.  Joanna (the first wife in this book) is the same as Rebecca, but the storyline is slightly altered in places and majorly altered in others.  I also did not believe that this book was as atmospheric and creepy as Rebecca.  Samara definitely doesn't compare with Mrs. Danvers.

Anyways, I did enjoy the book up until the end - which I thought took a strange turn that didn't make much sense.  It could have made sense (I guess) and potentially been a fabulous twisty ending, but I felt like I should have been able to look back and think "Oh yeah... That's what they were up to."  But, unfortunately, I can't look back and feel that way - it just felt like one of the characters completely changed who they were on a dime.  And since it was a character that we had been reading their first-person point of view - it seems like in retrospect we should at least think it makes sense...

Anyways, that inconsistency brought this book from a 4 star to 3 for me.  However, it was very readable writing and an entertaining book.

MY RATING:

Characters: 3

Story: 3

Overall: 3 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!