I really just couldn't get into this one. The story was a bit too slow burn for me. There was only one real character that we got to here from throughout and I couldn't connect with him or get him at all.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Digital for a copy of the eARC in exchange for a fair review.

Jacob is running a successful business and building another when he gets a rather strange guest at his cottage. She remind him of a girl he used to know. But it can't be because he knows he that she is dead... After the guest leaves things begin to go wrong and Jacob begins to think he might be losing his mind.

As his life is falling apart around him, he relives the memories of what happened to Laura and starts looking into the things he didn't know about her to figure out what is happening to him now...

So vague I know, but there is a lot going on in this book and I am not giving things away at all. I was sucked in, although I will say it was confusing go back to the past and then being in the present, because it wasn't always clear. In fact I will say it took me longer than I am willing to admit for me to figure out what was the past. I fully admit at times I though it was just an abrupt change of scene.

Jacob was interesting character even by the end I am not sure how I fully feel about him, one the one hand he is likable and engaging. That being said he has some skeletons in his closet that make me question if I should like him. Plus that ending..... I want to know what was going to happen. I am not normally a fan of a open to interpretation ending, but this one was well done. I look forward to seeing what this author does next. This was a great debut.

Jacob Reese lives a simple life with his dog, Murphy in Vermont. He owns a coffee shop in town and rents out the guest house as sort of an exclusive AirBnB to make some extra money.

One night, however, a guest arrives that stirs up trouble in Jacobs simple life. She is the spitting image of Jake’s former girlfriend Laura. Only Laura is dead.

This suspenseful mystery definitely gives the reader a slow burn. Is Laura really alive? And if so, will Jacob’s world come crashing down because of it?

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for allowing me to read this ARC. This is the first book I have read in a long time that is written in the first person and it was really effective. In the beginning I was put off by how the different timeline was introduced because sometimes it was clumsy, but I got used to it. Jacob is a great character, but the star for me was Murphy. This was a great story. It unfolded slowly, but once it got going it really got going! The ending was a complete surprise to me and it kept me reading. (I started it this morning and didn't stop reading until the end.) I'm not sure how I feel about the last sentence though!

I've read a number of books with this basic premise--someone's past coming back. However, when the big reveal happens, it's usually pretty unsatisfying for me. It's like, you get through all the torment the main character has endured, after all the references to the past they can't speak about, and you find out that it's happening because they didn't return a library book on time or whatever.

This book, thankfully, had a much more compelling backstory. And while the development of the present time story is admittedly a little far-fetched, it's still interesting enough to keep you going. I also really enjoyed the world-building. That is to say, I liked the small town in which the bulk of the story is set. It felt like a real place. I kinda want to go to there. Anyway, this was my first book by this author, but I can bet it won't be my last.

Thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for this review copy.

Enjoy a book that will have you hooked and at times leave your mouth hanging open?! Look no further this is the one!!

Amazingggg is ALL I can say!! Make this your next book to read!

Thank you for an ARC of Dark Hollows in exchange for an honest review.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I really enjoyed the book Dark Hollows by Steve French. Jacob is living his best life living in a quiet cabin and running a successful and busy shop shop. That idealistic dream is quickly shattered when his past comes back to haunt him.... but who knows his secret?

Solid, compelling, entangled story! Kept me on the edge of my seat late at night continually asking..."Who Is It"??
A shocking ending!!

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to review this book.

Twisty, compelling, and a definite page turner, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat in anticipation.

I was a bit hesitant at the very beginning though. Along with my initial intrigue, I was also a bit apprehensive when I first delved into this novel because of its long chapters, as I am admittedly not a fan of long chapters. But that apprehension quickly melted into the good kind of apprehension, as I was soon drawn into the dark suspense and mystery of this story! So if you too are turned off by long chapters, give this book a chance because you won’t be disappointed!

While this story admittedly isn’t the most original, nor the first of its kind, there is still a certain something about it and appeal to it. Steve French’s writing is darkly alluring and easily draws you in, making it so that you get sucked into the story and everything that is taking place in the plot and it’s surroundings. The story moves at a very steady pace, making it so that it never lags or leaving room for any instance of boredom.

This story is atmospheric, mysterious, and utterly compelling. I flew through it in less than a day, as I was gripped, needing to know what was going to happen next ASAP.

The plot of this story is deliciously ominous and creepy, takes places in a small Vermont town with a sinister sounding name, The Hollows. The story takes place shortly before Halloween (awesome! The Best holiday ammirite?) and is centered around a character named Jacob Reese.

Jacob leads a quiet life in his small town with his dog, Murphy. He rents out a cottage near his home to vacationers, as well as running a coffee shop.

Although Jacob is usually very picky and thorough about who he chooses to rent out his cottage to, he finds himself unable to say no to a young woman asking for a one night stay with no previous rental history, despite strange vibes that she is giving off.

The next morning she is gone, and this is when all of the creepy, ominous happenings begin to go down.

Everything in the cottage has remained untouched and unused after she vacates, with the exception of the guestbook, where there is a written note with a name on it “Laura Aisling” aka the name of his deceased girlfriend. Which obviously couldn’t have been her, seeing as how she’s, you know, dead. But this is also sinister because it also means that this woman knows his secret. But wait what secret? What is exactly is happening here? Who was his mysterious boarder? And how is she tied to his dead girlfriend?

Um, can you say creepy?

This story is suspenseful, creepy, and nail bitingly gripping. The tension was definitely thick in this one, and there were some supernatural elements present as well as you try and figure out whether or not a dead girl has come back to haunt her previous lover.

I flew through the pages of this book in no time at all, despite the fact that it is a bit of a hefty book.

Definitely a solid, enjoyable thriller!

Wow! A mystery wrapped up in suspense and even a little bit of gothic horror. All in the perfect small town. Loved it and can't wait to read more by Steve Frech.

Steve Frech has blown me away again! This was another book I could not put down. It was the exact type of book that I enjoy reading but unlike any other book I had read lately, there was no predictability. It continued to give you new twists and turns as it went through a story telling of flashbacks and present day. I thought the characters and plot were well written giving just enough detail to help create the feel of being there watching. I highly recommend this author and I can't wait for his next book.

Wow! I really loved this book. I was expecting paranormal but received a good old fashioned mystery! It kinda gave me early Nancy Drew vibes and I definitely mean that as a complement!! I was drawn right into the book and could not put it down. I really enjoyed how Steve Fench made the transitions from past to present time, it was genius. If you are looking for a suspense/mystery I highly recommend this book.

**2.5 stars**

I was intrigued by the cover and synopsis and really wanted to love this book. The plot started off strong but then fell so flat with minimal depth to the characters. It was hard to empathize with Jacob Reese because he seemed like an idiot. He made stupid decisions and was chasing after this guilt he had over a girl he had dated for a hot minute who also had this “big” secret.

Laura, his ex girlfriend, died and he knows it to be true. Jacob has a cottage he rents out and one of his guests shows up and looks just like her and it startles him. Little notes are left and creepy incidents that entice him to try and make him believe Laura isn’t really dead. Then the absolute far fetched plot began. The scenarios played out were ridiculous and not even the fun kind. The end was predictable but yet seemed to want to be a cliffhanger as well? What?

Murphy, the dog who belongs to the main character and means absolutely everything to him, is honestly the most relatable and lovable character in the book. The. Dog.

Unfortunately this just wasn’t a big win for me.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Jacob Reese runs/owns a coffee shop and rents out his cottage in the Hollows. He lives a quiet life and makes enough money that he doesn't have to worry about paying the bills.

The only problem Jacob has ... he keeps seeing his ex-girlfriend everywhere he goes. But it surely can't be Laura .... Laura is dead. So who is the woman who looks eerily like Laura and like bad penny keeps turning up.

Things of Laura's keeps showing up ... a music box left outside his house .... a gift of a twig doll he gave her years before is hanging in the trees.. a mysterious note left in the guest book. And who sabotaged his coffee shop with roaches?

He knows it's not really Laura .... Laura is dead. Jacob saw her die. But someone knows his secret ... and they are out for revenge.

It's a well-written and developed plot amid intriguing characters. There are twists and turns that will leave one's head spinning. Small villages have unique residents ... but not all of them are without secrets.

Many thanks to the author / HarperCollins Publishers / HQ Digital / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

This had an interesting premise and started out strong, but really the action was all in the last twenty percent of the book. I liked the description of the town and the Halloween costumes, parades, etc.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jacob lives a quiet life – runs a coffee shop and an airbnb type cottage. A guest stays in his cottage who looks eerily like his ex-girlfriend. After that, he sees her everywhere. But it can’t be her because she’s dead. Someone must know Jacob’s secret.

I love the writing in this book. It was beautiful and simple and easy to read. I was sucked in from the beginning. I loved Jacob and his sidekick doggo, Murphy.

The ending is where it kind of fell short for me, but only barely. 4.5 stars

𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐁𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐡

Y'all I think I found my new favorite author ♥
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𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲
Jacob Reese enjoys the quiet life, running a coffee shop and renting out his cottage in The Hollows, Vermont.
But the calm is shattered when a woman who looks eerily similar to his ex-girlfriend Laura turns up to stay in the cottage, and leaves a mysterious note in the guest book.
Now Jacob’s seeing Laura everywhere—a glimpse of her face across the street, her music box left outside his house, a gift he gave her years before hanging from the trees.
But it can’t be Laura. Because Laura's dead.
Someone knows Jacob’s secret—what really happened the night Laura died—and they’re out for revenge…
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𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
Dark Hollows- was a great read! Like Steve Frech's writing in this book was amazing! I loved the style of his writing.
I started this E-book Monday evening & finished around 1am last night. I couldn't stop reading. It had me hooked from the very beginning.
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The story is told by Jacob...
There's snippets of the past throughout the book, induced by either a nightmare or a memory and the author cleverly slots them in with the use of a double word so you soon realise the timeline has changed.
Which I think was very well done... it wasn't confusing as some books I've read in the past.
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Some may have different opinions on the ending.... I liked the ending. I really did but i wished I knew which way Jacob decided to go.
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Overall this was a fabulous book & I enjoyed every second of it.
I had to start his newest book Nightingale House that's how much I love this author ♥
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𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠- ★★★★
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Thank You NetGalley/Publisher & Author for this complimentary e-book
@netgalley @stevefrech

For a book to be suspenseful, I have to care for the main character. And the main character's well being didn't mean much to me.

Jacob rents out his cottage.in a small town. One day, a woman who reminds him of his ex-girlfriend stays and then mysteriously leaves. Things start going wrong in his life and he remembers the events that led to his ex-girlfriend's death. Could his problems be paranormal? Probably not.

This review was based on a copy provided by Netgalley for an honest review.

I recently read and loved Steve Frech’s “Nightingale House,” so I was super excited to read Dark Hollows. While I didn’t love it quite as much as I did Nightingale House, which was just a killer ghost story, it still had the same kind of great writing and plotting I loved from Nightingale House and was a very solid and fast-paced mystery/thriller.

The basic plot of the story is one that has been done before: Jacob, the first-person narrator, has a missing girlfriend who is presumed dead. Suddenly strange things begin happening that remind him of her, and then he begins seeing her. The rest of the story Jacob is trying to find out who might be posing as his ex-girlfriend and why...or if perhaps she is a ghost.

Even though it’s a familiar plot, I liked the way Frech executed it. What I like best about Frech’s books are the warm characters and fun little emotional details he brings to life on the page. In this book, Jacob lives in a quirky little community called the Hollows. He owns a coffee roastery and loves his dog more than anything. He’s the kind of character you want to root for in a book, no matter what else you might find out about him.

This book solidified the fact that I really enjoy Frech’s writing style, and I am going to add him to the list of writers whose books all get put on my TBR list. I liked this one a lot, and based on the growth from this to Nightingale House, I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next!

Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins HQ, and Steve Frech for the copy of this book from one of my favorite new author finds!

A thriller, suspense and horror story that kept me turning the pages long after I was supposed to stop reading. Jacob rents out his cabin in the Hollows out to tourists and one of them looks exactly like his ex, Laura. Only she’s supposed to be dead. Turn on the lights and enjoy the ride.