Samantha Downing's My Lovely Wife was one of the most original thrillers I'd ever read, making it one of my favorite books of 2019. When I heard she was coming out with something new, I was quite excited, but also a little skeptical of her ability to craft something I'd love as much as last year's release. Fortunately, Ms. Downing has proven herself to be quite adept at creating twisty stories with truly surprising twists and characters who will remain with the reader long after the final page is turned.

Siblings Beth, Portia and Eddie Morgan don't get along all that well, and that's been the case since they were kids. Now that they're adults, they see each other as little as possible, each sibling going his or her own way without much regard for the way their actions might affect the rest of the family.

Everything changes when their grandfather, an extremely wealthy man, passes away, leaving his estate to be divided equally among his three grandchildren. However, as you might expect, the inheritance comes with conditions, designed to bring the siblings together for a cross-country road-trip that mirrors one they took many years ago. All three must complete the trip, and no one is allowed to end up in jail. Failure to follow these rules means giving up the money, so Beth, older brother Eddie, and younger sister Portia are determined to see it through to the end, no matter how unpleasant the trip turns out to be.

So the three of them set out on their way, reluctantly joined by Eddie's wife and Beth's husband, and the tension between them is almost instantly felt by the reader. These people don't trust each other in the slightest, and although the reasons why aren't fully revealed until close to the novel's end, trust me when I tell you every single one of them is keeping secrets. These are people who look out for their own interests, regardless of how those interests affect the rest of the group.

The story is mostly told from Beth's point of view, but there are some journal entries sprinkled throughout the book that add an extra layer of suspense to the already complex plot. You'll be pretty confused at times, but that seems to be what the author intends, and it really does pay off in a big way at the end, so hang in there, even when you think you can't stand to read about these characters for another minute!

The characters aren't meant to be liked or trusted. It takes immense skill to write about such emotionally damaged people without managing to permanently alienate the reader, and Ms. Downing possesses this skill in abundance. I often struggle to connect with characters who come off as irredeemable, but my need to see how things would turn out kept me glued to my iPad for hours.

This is an extremely dark novel with a lot of subject matter that could prove distressing to readers who have trouble reading about themes of abuse, both physical and emotional. It's not that the author is overly graphic in her descriptions, but the dynamics between Beth and her siblings hark back to their troubled childhoods, and watching all of that play out on the page isn't always easy. I read a lot of dark books, so I had very little difficulty, but everyone's tolerance for such things is different.

The ending is on the ambiguous side, but I honestly can't imagine the story wrapping up in any other way. Neat and tidy endings are nice sometimes, but anything other than a messy conclusion would have been an enormous let-down in the case of this book. Still, if you need to have all of your questions answered when you reach the final page, you might want to give this a pass.

He Started It takes everything you thought you knew about domestic suspense and turns it completely on its head. It's unlike anything I've read before, and I'm doubtful I'll come across anything like it in the future. Samantha Downing has become an auto-buy author for me, and I'm beyond excited to see what she has in store for us next.

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Samantha Downing has done it again, in her sophomore novel and follow up to My Lovely Wife. This time, we've got murderous siblings and an epic road trip where nothing - and no one - is as they seem. An epic twist ending, which seems to be Downing's signature, completes this fast-paced page turner.

Another fantastic, TWISTED story by Samantha Downing! I loved My Lovely Wife with its wonderfully horrible, effed up, murder-tastic characters. And the cast in He Started It is quite different (no copycat characters here), but somehow, they're JUST AS MESSED UP.

Seriously, Samantha Downing has a gift. No, wait, she is a gift to the world of thriller readers who eat up nasty characters and twisted families. (Ooh yes that's me 100%. *Raises hand.*)

The premise for He Started It was an excellent one. Like, Knives Out meets a family roadtrip. Granted, I'm usually not big on travel stories, but throw in an inheritance, a missing person, at least one killer, and a body in the trunk, and I'm in. (This review paints me in an interesting light, doesn't it?)

And... it lived up! Downing leaves the reader delicious morsels of breadcrumbs along the way. Every time I wasn't sure where the story was going, a hint would be dropped. A little clue. Sometimes a big clue. Sometimes a damn bombshell of a clue. And I'd be hooked again, torn between going back and rereading what I'd already read, with a new perspective, and reading the next chapter, desperate to know what happens next. This book was a lesson in suspense (for writers like myself)!

The ending STILL has my mind blown. Okay, okay, I read it just a few days ago. But I tend to forget books fast, and this one still has me reeling.

I think the only thing I could say I didn't *love* about the book is that the main character's voice was very hard for me to get into. I thought she was fascinating and her voice did match her personality. She's just not someone that's easy to connect to. So I found that a bit jarring.

Overall, this is an excellent, riveting thriller that DOES NOT HOLD BACK. I would highly recommend it for anyone ready for a wild ride full of awful humans and mind-blowing twists! Thank you Berkley Pub for sending me a free advanced copy of the book.

Great family drama with a crazy ending. I like the idea of a road trip which made this book different from the typical thriller book. In order to inherit money after grandfather’s death; siblings Ed, Beth and Portia have to go on the road trip and finish it without any problems which is not so easy.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair review.

This book was fantastic—like a book you want to sit down and read all in one sitting! Well done to Samantha Downing—this is even better than My Lovely Wife. Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the advanced copy ❤️

I LOVED the family drama aspect of this book. That combined with a murder mystery/twisted history is a perfect combo for a thriller lover!

The book follows siblings who have to take a final road trip together, making specific stops along the way, in order to access their grandfathers $8M inheritance that they all split. The book flip flops from the present road trip back to the same road trip they made 20 years earlier with their grandpa as kids—and it was WILD! Just goes to show you that you truly can’t trust anyone but yourself—not even your own family.

Also can we talk about this ending?! The biggest cliffhanger ever. Can’t wait to discuss this as more people read it!

REVIEW PROVIDED BY: Kelly
NUMBER OF HEARTS: 4 1/2
He Started It is a wild ride of three siblings fulfilling their late grandfather's final wish to revisit the family road trip that they went on 20 years earlier. What lays ahead for the Morgan siblings is a lot of memories, questions, lies and betrayals.

*Staring at the final sentence in the book wondering what the heck just happened*
I think it took me a whole 5 minutes to realize that the story was over. Wow, just wow!!!
Family road trips will never be the same after reading He Started it. This was a great follow up novel by Samantha Downing. I really enjoyed My Lovely Wife and was excited to pick up He Started It for review.
The story has a few slow parts but I could not put the book down because I had no clue what was going to be next. And boy was I surprised multiple times.

I am already looking forward to whatever Samantha has in store for us next!!!

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

This thriller takes you on an adventure through the U.S. Three siblings are required to reenact a road trip when from when they were younger in order to get their inheritance from their grandpa. When they are in Alabama they discover a black truck following them after they were forced off of the road. They continue to see the truck throughout their trip and along with other mishaps that keep you on your toes and make you want to finish the book in one sitting.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the early digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

I read 250 pages of this book in one day. I couldn't put it down for more than an hour at a time. The ending basically punched me in the face. Needless to say, I LOVED this.

The writing is very vague so the reader doesn't get attached to the characters, which was a very smart move on the author's part. I ended up hating pretty much all of them just because they are worth hating. I think the only one I felt SLIGHTLY bad for was Portia. They all had incredibly unique and creepy secrets. They reminded me of psychopaths. I loved it.
I usually don't like character-driven novels, but this one had me on my toes the entire time I was reading it. The road trip aspect of the novel was a lot of fun. I think it added so much more to the story. They had to stay in sketchy hotels/motels and eat at rundown restaurants. It added some plot to the novel that wouldn't have been there otherwise.

I would highly recommend giving this book a try. It does start out a little weird, and even I was hesitant at first. Once I hit the 30% mark it did a complete 180. This was a great example of smart storytelling. I will definitely pick up future novels by Samantha Downing. She has become an auto-read/buy author for me.

Thank You Berkley Publishing for the Gifted EArc of He Started It.
I am a huge fan of Samantha Downing. My Lovely Wife was a favorite of mine last year and this one is going to end up a Favorite this year.
While I was getting alittle confused on where this book was going at first, The ending made it all come together. The author tells a story of 3 siblings that have to go on a road trip with each other to get their inheritance that their Grandfather left them. This isn't an ordinary road trip though, they are recreating a road trip that that went on with their grandfather when they were young. The Story goes back and forth between Past and Present. The twist and the turns lead you all up to the big Finale. You will not be disappointed reading this book.
If you are going in looking for a Thriller don't, this is more of a Family Drama/ Suspense.

This book was just as crazy as My Lovely Wife in a totally different way! Thank you so much to Berkley Press, Samantha Downing, and Netgalley for this advanced review copy. This book was truly insane and my heart was pounding from start to finish!

I was sucked into this story right away! Having the story set during a road trip was so fresh and creative, and what happened on the road trip was engaging from start to finish. I picked up this book only wanting to start it, and before I knew it I had finished the whole thing!

I loved the characters in this book even though they were deeply flawed. The narrator had an inner narration that was especially enjoyable and made you relate to her. I love a good unreliable narrator and this was one of the best. I didn’t know where the story was going even for a second and the ending of the book COMPLETELY BLEW MY MIND. I still have no idea what to think about the insane cliffhanger ending and I loved every second of it.

Samantha Downing is one of my new favorite authors, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next! This book was for sure an easy 5-stars from me!

Three sibling must take a road trip together in order receive the inheritance their late grandfather left them. The same “road trip” they took as children with said grandfather.

He Started It, in my opinion, surpassed My Lovely Wife. It had a wonderfully creepy vibe. I loved the narrator, Beth, and her snarky personality. Her sarcasm had me laughing out loud on several occasions and I was constantly wondering who I could trust. Such a great read. Don’t pass this one up when it comes out in July.

Beth and her siblings, in an attempt to collect their inheritance from the grandfather, must relive a prior “road trip” he’d taken them on 20 years prior.

Samantha Downing has returned with her sophomore effort, He Started It. Although her latest doesn’t quite reach her debut masterpiece, He started it deftly avoids a slump.

Downing writes thrillers with dysfunctional family relationships and she does this as well as anyone I’ve read. Beth is a great narrator for the story and her perspective keeps the pages flowing. There’s always a bit more of a carrot dangling in front of the reader as the chapters conclude. As with her previous effort, it appears Downing has no problem sticking the landings and the book ends in a satisfying way.

Fans of My Lovely Wife will enjoy this one, so long as they don’t go in expecting it to reach the same heights. Solid 4 stars

He Started It by Samantha Downing
Berkley

Ummmmm, if this book isn’t on your radar it needs to be.

Not gonna lie. It did take me a week to get through. But I think that’s mostly on me and my weird reading. Despite being in ‘shelter in place’ and reading more. I have instead decided to rot my brain with TV. I really need to go outside. I need some nature in my life. Not to mention in my book pictures.

But I digress.

THIS ENDING WAS INSANE. I promise you, you won’t see it coming. Even if you read her previous book, My Lovely Wife. You still won’t see it coming!

The writing is same as before. It’s like the thoughts of someone as they think. Idk how to describe it, but it’s a different kind of style and probably something you’ll have to get used to as you continue to read. Last time the writing threw me off, and apparently it did again. But it was still good!

I still can’t get over the ending. I’m really glad I read this as a buddy read so I can say all my thoughts of confusion to them 🤣

I know I’m hyping this book up and if you read it, stick out to the end. That’s what makes it so great!

It was ok. I loved Samantha Downing's last book. This book felt super strange to me. I'm left thinking - what the heck did I just read? A story of a super dysfunctional family, for sure. Not too much thrill in it for me. Just... strange. Writing was good, though; thus: 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this twisted, cleverly written book!
I absolutely loved My Lovely Wife by this author and although this story plays out at a slower pace, it did not disappoint!
Beth, the main character, is on a strange but necessary road trip with her older brother and younger sister-siblings she hasn't exactly been close to over the past several years.
You can read the synopsis to find out the guts of the story. I'm here to tell you to pay attention since the pace may seem languid. It isn't. The author drops one-liner story-changing sentences at random times! Sentences that make you think, "Wow! I did not see that one coming!" And they completely change the direction of the story.
The dominos fall at a rapid pace at the end when Beth and her siblings finally reach their destination. It will keep you guessing right up to the last sentence!

Ever since reading Samantha Downing’s debut, My Lovely Wife, I have been looking forward to her next book. I have to say that He Started It wasn’t really at all what I was expecting. But that’s ok, because I found it completely addicting.

Siblings Beth, Eddie, and Portia, along with Beth’s husband Felix and Eddie’s wife Krista, have to replicate a cross-country road trip they took when they were kids in order to receive their inheritance from their grandfather. As they progress in the present, we learn what happened on the original trip, which was a little messed up, to say the least. Along the way, lies are told and secrets are revealed and you’re never quite sure who you can trust.

If you want to feel better about your own relationship with your siblings, this is the book to read. Beth, Eddie, and Portia have very dysfunctional relationships. They are constantly lying to each other and paranoid about being lied to. They shift alliances at a drop of a hat and definitely kept me guessing. While there are some small shocks and surprises, the story really revolved around the Morgan family and how that road trip in their youth affected all of their lives in different ways. The writing was super addicting and I ignored a lot of things I was supposed to be doing so I could keep reading it.

Overall, I really enjoyed He Started It. While it wasn’t what I was expecting, it was still a compelling, addicting story that kept me guessing the whole way through. I loved the writing. My only real complaint was that I was a little underwhelmed with the ending. However, the rest of the book was enough to make up for it and I’m really looking forward to reading more from Samantha Downing in the future.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars

4.5

Well damn! This was a ride and I can safely say that Samantha Downing is now an auto buy author for me.

I recently read My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing and really enjoyed it. I found out she was releasing her second novel in April and took a chance and asked for an e-copy to review. I was honestly nervous that I wouldn’t really enjoy this one just because I liked My Lovely Wife so much, but hot dang! I think this one was better!

In this book we follow three siblings, Eddie, Beth and Portia. They are all on a road trip together after their grandfather dies. After his death the siblings are left with a cryptic message from their grandfather instructing them to go on the road trip. You read that right, not a road trip, but the road trip. The three of them have not been together in years, but come together and set out on a trip across the US. Like any good novel though, things are not what they seem and everyone has secrets that others cannot find out.

I do not want to say much about this at all because I want everyone to go into it as blind as I did. Just trust me.

First, I loved the way this story was told. It was written so well and had one of my favorite narrative styles, the kind where the narrator is talking to you. I have read a lot of books where this was not done right, but it was done right in this one!

The characters were all flawed and awful. You can’t trust any of them and they all have their issues. You just keep guessing and guessing as to what is going to happen and are then shot down.

I really had no idea how this was going to end. When you read as many thrillers as I do, you get pretty good at figuring out the twists because most of them you have seen before. This ending left me so so happy! It was a good 5 layers deep and just excellent!

Why this isn’t a perfect 5 stars for me is it did lag a bit in the middle. I started to get really bummed and feared that this would be a 3 star, then it picked right back up! All in all I am calling it a 4.5!


Publishing on April 28th! You won’t want to skip this one!

Thank you to the publisher, Berkeley, Netgally and the author for this free copy in exchange for an honest review!

My review is posted on Goodreads, but will not be posted on Instagram until the week before pub day as I am part of the blog tour.

Three siblings have to repeat a cross country road trip in order to receive their grandfather's inheritance. All of the characters are unlikeable but it's a tribute to the author that she keeps you turning the pages to find out what happens. The ending felt super rushed but all-in-all I thought it was a pretty darn good read.

What in the world did I just read? Looking back at my review for Samantha Downing’s first book, “My Lovely Wife,” I described it at “Dark. Sick. Twisted.” I would use the exact same description for this book.
Three siblings start out on a road trip (from hell) after their grandfather dies. They aren’t able to collect their inheritance unless they do so, per the grandfather’s will. Apparently their grandfather took them on this same trip when they were younger, stopping at some odd places along the way. With every stop we learn some secret about each person and in the author’s style, there are some doozies! These are not upright, straight-laced citizens.
The story is told by the middle sibling and alternates between the first road trip and the present day. The action is slow to build and stays at a slow simmer for most of the book and them BAM! the last third kept me on the edge of my seat and quickly wrapped up.
Overall, the book sucked me in, but it was a slow start. These characters were just so sick, and I wouldn’t want to know them. I give it a solid 3.5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Take a horrible family and add a big inheritance go on the road and you have a totally twisted road trip that reads like a nightmare soap opera, or rat race. Over the top, you betcha, horrendous unlikeable characters, oh yeh, crazy twists that leave you spinning, nailed it !
I had to take a breather before writing my thoughts, I was left speechless, thoughtless, stunned dumb after all those twists and that ending. Holy Smokes it was a soap opera drama where everyone sucks. I disliked all the characters. I had not one to cheer for, I didn’t care what happened to any of them but I had to know. I had too! This author is the only one that writes books with deplorable characters that I will read. I normally need a star character to rah rah for.
This is a suspense with complete family dysfunction, death, abuse, murder, and cremated remains. Try it, I recommend it for your twisted little darks hearts or it will make you grateful for your not so messed up after all family.LOL
I received a copy of this from the publishers for an honest review