This was my first book by Alex Lake and probably my last. It had the potential to be really good, but unfortunately I guessed the kidnapper pretty early on, and there was no grand finale or shocking twist at the end to redeem the book. 2 stars.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It's an ARC, so I know there is still editing to be done. The writing in the first half was choppy. I don't feel like the characters were well developed enough for me to care much. Even though children had been kidnapped and the mother has to make the choice to take their place as ransom, I couldn't get into the book until after some pivotal moments occured. The second half of the book had me reading quickly to find out what was going to happen. I figured out the twists, but the character development in the second half of the book was much better and so I was hooked into reading until the end. The ideas and plotline were good, the book just wasn't as developed as I'd hoped for.
Thank you to #AlexLake and #NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC of #TheChoice.
#AlexLake#TheChoice#NetGalley#ARC#suspense#thriller#whatwouldyoudoifyourchildrenwerekidnappedandyouweretheransom

This is my first book by this author and the description interested me so much that I was excited to read this book. From page one I was captivated by Matt and his wife Annabelle. The author did a great job of mixing the kidnapping with the back story to Matt and Annabelle’s relationship. Every time I thought I figured it out I was wrong. I also liked that the author let us know who it was and the story just continued to be interesting.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

Imagine leaving the kids in the car to grab a quick item and coming back to no car and no kids. Heart pounding action packed thriller that will have you panting to the end. Highly addictive style and well written

The Choice by Alex Lake is an edge of your seat thriller that will keep you guessing and guessing!! What a heartbreaking choice for any parent! Your children have been kidnapped and their mother is the ransom!! A unique take on a typical kidnapping story and I loved every minute of it. Highly recommend!

#netgalley #thechoice #alexlake #bookstagram #netgalleyreads what happens when your three young children are taken and all that the person wants is your wife? Do you as husband and wife agree? Would you exchange your spouse for your children? Or are you willing to let something happen to your children? Find out when you pick up this page turner. Will you guess correctly? #bookstagrammer #booknerdlife #netgalleybooks

Almost all moms can attest to the fact that they’d do anything for their kids including take their place in a kidnapping. Overall, I enjoyed “The Choice” by Alex Lake. It was my first time reading a book by him. I enjoyed the author’s writing style, the premise of the book, and the story line, but the ending fell a bit flat for me. There was all this build up and then it just ended.

What would you do if you suddenly realized that your vehicle that had your children inside was gone. Vanished and you then receive a text message from a stranger who informs you that he has your children. If you want them back you must give your wife up as ransom. Could you decide? If you think that you know what you would do, then you need to read this book. It is full of twists and turns that will make you want to read without stopping. Trying to figure out what you would do if you were in the same situation. Do you have what it takes? Let’s see.....


Thanks to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Choice by Alex Lake was a twist on the typical kidnapping thriller. Matt is a young, married father of three. His children are his world. One day, when his wife Annabelle, asks him to pick some things up from the grocery on the way home he makes a horrible mistake. Because of the new virus that is out, he leaves his sleeping children in the car while he runs in the grocery store quickly. He takes the keys with him and he has parked right in front of the door. When he comes back out the car is gone! He thinks either his kids somehow moved the car or someone is pulling a prank on him. He becomes more frantic when he realizes the car is nowhere to be seen. He rushes back into the grocery asking them to call 911. He suddenly gets a text on his phone that says do not call the police. He makes an excuse about the kids to the shopkeeper and leaves. More texts come on the way home. By the time he gets home and lets Annabelle know what has happened it is clear what the kidnapper wants. The ransom is Annabelle. She must exchange herself for the kids. Who would do such a thing? The answer lies in their past. From here the book alternates between present day and the kidnapping, and when Matt and Annabelle met in college. This book was hard to put down. I kept saying “one more chapter!” and then reading many more. By the time it was revealed what happened, I thought everyone in the book was guilty at one time or another. I enjoyed all the red herrings. The way the mystery was slowly revealed in the past was a great storytelling method. It added to the tension and suspense of the overall book. I will definitely read more of this author’s books. I think everybody should read this if you like a fast-paced thriller. Thank you to the publisher and net galley for the advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The Choice by Alex Lake is an amazing read. It is a psychological thriller that you won't be able to put down. This book involves a kidnapping, a choice, and an amazing story of twists and turns. You won't be able to predict the ending and it will leave you on the edge of your seat. The father, Matthew Westbrook leaves his children unattended for minutes, and the unthinkable happens. The novel explores current relationships, past relationships and the secrets that people may have in order to solve this heinous crime. This book had a ton of amazing qualities that embody a psychological thriller including: having a gripping opening and thoroughly exploring the characters lives (past and present). Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book for review. I highly recommend it.

Thank you Harper Collins, Netgalley, and Alex Lake for this book in exchange for an honest review. This book will keep you on edge throughout the whole story. Fast paced, will keep you up past your bedtime kind of book! 🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2 rounded to five for good reads!

This book wasn't for me. I normally really like this author but felt that they wrote a bit choppy. I disliked the main characters. Reading became a chore and I felt that the writer seemed to view writing this as a chore. I will continue to read this authors books. The previous books were great. The premise of this book WAS interesting. What would you do if your children had been kidnapped and to get them back safely, the mom would need to take their place? Any Mother would definitely trade themselves but this Mother needed to think about it! LOL

Could. Not. Put. Down.
First I’ve read by the author; won’t be the last. Hint: Don’t start at bedtime or you’ll be up all night reading.

Thank you #netgalley and #harpercollins #harper360 for this eARC.

I really enjoyed this book. When I read the synopsis, I was skeptical but it was handled nicely. The author presents many options for people to have committed the crime but in the end , it the journey that you will enjoy.
Thanks t NetGalley and the publisher for the NRC. I would happily try other books by this author.

If the choice is your kids or your wife, how do you choose? When Matt leaves his kids in the car to run into a grocery store, his worst nightmare begins. The children have been kidnapped, and the ransom is loving wife Annabelle. Clearly the kidnapper is someone who knows them - but it turns out there's more than one person who's obsessed with Annabelle.

This book reminded me of The Chain - another book that poses an impossible choice to a couple. Lake's writing is quick and no-frills - perfect for a page-turner you can read in one sitting. I enjoyed getting the history of Annabelle and Matt's relationship, and the resolution of the kidnapping plot was also satisfying. This is a good psychological thriller for a rainy day - you might end up checking to see if your doors are locked...

Thank you to Harper 360 for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A break neck thriller with immersive chills. I read in a sitting over an easy Saturday morning. Had to have the spouse read the next day to verify how much I liked it. Great suspense.

Thoroughly enjoyed this thriller! Fast-paced and exciting, I couldn’t put this book down! Matt and Annabelle are happily married when disaster strikes their family. Difficult choices must be made. Will their family survive? What a great story, and I loved the ending!

Matt Westbrook stopped at the store on his way home to pick up a few things for his wife, Annabelle. He parked right in front and left his 3 children locked in the car. He quickly got what he needed and walked out toward where he had parked his car. Strangely enough his car was not there. How can that be? He looked up and down the street as lots of crazy thoughts, went through his mind. He decided he had better call the police before more time had passed and looked down at his phone. A message popped up telling him not to call the police or he would never see the children again! He hurriedly walked home sobbing and shaking to explain to his wife what had happened. She too was devastated and her first thought was they should call the police immediately. He proceeded to tell her about the text message he had received when a second message came in. This one warned that this was a kidnapping and they would receive a ransom call later. This call did finally come, but the ransom is the unthinkable! Exchange the children for Annabelle!
Get ready for a psychological thriller that will make you feel like you are on a roller coaster ride of emotions and an ending that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The Choice is the first book I have read by Alex Lake but it certainly will not be my last. If you want a fast paced thriller that is hard to put down, this is the book for you!

Someone has kidnapped Matt and Annabelle’s kids. The ransom? Annabelle.

This was an entertaining and engaging story for the first half of the book. And then the perpetrator is revealed, and it went downhill from there. It just lost a lot of its thriller aspect and it lost some of its urgency and tension. There were also just too many red herrings, to the point of being ridiculous. Even so, I called the kidnapper pretty early on before they were revealed. Which, to me, if you have an abundance of red herrings and the reader can still figure out who the perp is then maybe there should’ve been more focus on fewer possible suspects rather than just overloading the pool. The villain themselves was also a little OTT and not really super believable.

ARC received via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

A thousand apologies before I begin. I really hate writing review like this, but I'm going to just come out and say it:

A-list premise with D-list execution.

Now that I have that out of the way, a little bit by way of the summary: Matt Westbrook's three kids are kidnapped and then the ransom note comes in: he must exchange them for his beloved wife, Annabelle.

A concept so simple, but I was immediately intrigued. Unfortunately, the writing was so clunky, dialogue so flat, and the "bad guy" so laughably ridiculous, I can't recommend this nor would I seek out other books by this author. Consider a riveting exchange such as this:

No, that can't be right. She's the ransom. "You're the ransom."
"I'm the ransom? How can I be the ransom?"
"I don't know why you're the ransom. But you're the ransom."
"But I don't want to be the ransom."
"I know. But you're the ransom."

I'm exaggerating a little bit and not actually quoting from the text, but this is how the entire thing read: like it's some first draft of a kid's first attempt at writing a book. And it's as though the old adage is flipped on its head in terms of the writing style: this is all "tell, don't show."

If that isn't enough, consider the abrupt POV changes that will leave your head spinning and will give you no chance to connect with anyone. Especially a line of (I lost track of the number) of police officers who don't really serve anything except advancing the plot in the most simple way. Giving them all separate perspectives (and the kid who sees the SOS!) is incredibly distracting.

I flew through it because it's really not that deep and not much of the backstory and narrative adds to anything of note. And quite frankly, not much was done to make me feel anything for any of the characters, so I really didn't care what the outcome was going to be at about 40% of the way through. The ending was neatly tied up, but simplistic and unsatisfying.

Very appreciative for NetGalley and Harper Collins for giving me the opportunity to review this copy; I'm just sorry it didn't connect with me more.