Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Call Me Elizabeth Lark by Melissa Colasanti is a gripping thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. The story revolves around Myra Barkley, a mother who has been waiting for her daughter to return for the last twenty years. When Elizabeth Lark walks into her family's inn, Myra is convinced that she is her long lost daughter.

Elizabeth, who is on the run from her abusive husband, decides to go along with the charade in order to keep herself and her son safe. However, as she becomes more involved with the Barkley family, she realizes that the truth must come out, even if it means putting herself and her son in danger.

The author does an excellent job of building suspense and keeping the reader guessing until the very end. The characters are well-developed and the plot is full of twists and turns. The themes of family, identity, and the lengths a mother will go to protect her child are explored in a thought-provoking way.

Overall, Call Me Elizabeth Lark is a fast-paced and engaging read that is sure to satisfy fans of psychological thrillers. The story is both heart-wrenching and thrilling, and the ending is both satisfying and unexpected.

I really enjoyed this! More like 3.5 stars, but I rounded down because I don’t think it’s 4 stars for me.

I enjoyed Call Me Elizabeth Lark! I thought it was a pretty straightforward thriller/murder mystery that still managed to keep me guessing and surprise me with the ending. I wasn’t the hugest fan of all the twists in the ending but it didn’t ruin the book for me. I liked the world building and the characters and their relationships, especially Myra and her daughters.

I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a quick and easy thriller read!

Twenty years ago, Myra’s daughter went missing. One rainy afternoon, she returns, now with a child of her own. Myra’s husband doesn’t believe it’s her, but Myra just knows it is. Isn’t it? This book was twisty and captivating, full of tragedy and lies.

Soooo apparently I read this book months ago, but instead of changing my status to “finished,” I marked it as “want to read.” So that’s cool.

ANYWAY. This book was so good, it was interesting to see things from the different perspectives throughout. It added layers and layers of tension as the truth of that night comes out. Elizabeth’s story is particularly interesting.

If you’re looking for a family drama meets thriller, this is a must read. I gave it 4 stars in the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I was expecting a run of the mill, everyday, ho hum thriller. I wasn't expecting it to be so well done, or so many twists and turns. 4 stars, and will definitely read more by this author!!

I’m a sucker for missing people books when they turn up years later? Obviously the missing years change the person especially considering traumatic circumstances but are we fundamentally the same person or someone forever changed. On the run, Elizabeth is mistaken for a missing woman and sees the opportunity for a new life, safe from the one she escaped. Odd characters, odd behaviors, exciting premise leads to a satisfying climax.

Parents' worst nightmare has come upon the Barkley family. Their young daughter has gone missing from the beach, minutes away from their home. Twenty years have passed, people gave up the home for the missing girl to come home. One night, a mother with a small son entered Baekley's Inn, and that's when Myra knew... her daughter finally came home.

This novel was like no other. At first, I thought I had it all figured out. But the imposter card was very well played here. The twists behind the story are phenomenal. Strong plot, loved how all characters were thoroughly connected. It was a fast read. There were times that the novel slowed down, but it picked up the pace fast with many many many shocking turns. I absolutelyly recommend this read to any psychological mystery lovers.

*Thank you to Melissa Colasanti, NetGalley, and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Melissa Colasanti has written an excellent mystery about a missing girl who returns to her parents' inn after 20 years, but is she who she claims to be? While the reader knows almost instantly that the woman claiming to be Charlotte is not her, Myra and Herb, Charlotte's parents believe she is, despite many claiming to come back as Charlotte over the years. But who is Elizabeth Lark?

"Call Me Elizabeth Lark" takes you on a journey to find out who Elizabeth is, and how far Charlotte's parents will go to prove that she is Charlotte. There are so many good twists and turns to get to the truth, but I felt the ending was too simple. Myra, in particular, was over the top, and I found her a less desirable character as the grieving mother, who has obsessed over Charlotte for years, ignoring her other two growing children. Gwen and Jimi, were outstandingly written as the brother and sister of Charlotte, left to fend for themselves after she disappeared. The story alternated between Myra's, Elizabeth's, and Gwen's point of view, but I found Gwen the most believable character in how she parented her own two girls, after growing up the way she did.

Another thing I loved about this book is that it took place in the Pacific NorthWest. Colasanti did a great job describing the rain and rugged landscape and it really made the story much more atmospheric and creepy. This is a good one!

This is a Suspense Mystery/Thriller, and I have to say that the cover of this book is so beautiful. The cover is way I wanted to read this book, but I have to say I loved the book so much as well. The twists and turns in this book made me say what the H***. I loved this book because the twists and turns in this book I did not see coming. The characters in this book slowly developed through out this book which is what you want in thrillers like this book. This book as so many secrets in families that comes out which is what makes this book so great. This book is a very well-written thriller. I loved this book so much. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Crooked Lane Books) or author (Melissa Colasanti) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

This was a fast-paced thriller. It was an easy read and I will be looking forward to reading more from this author!
I loved this book. READ IT if you love a mystery but hate predictability!

I thoroughly enjoyed the story line of this book. The twists had me in the dark, and I had no idea until they were revealed. It was a well put together novel. Many of the sentences were choppy and didn’t flow but the catchy storyline made up for that.

Review was posted on my bookstagram
While I am continuing to post my regular content, the BLM movement is still going on. Please keep referring to my story and linktree to find ways to help out.✊🏻‼️
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Hiiii! Getting those netgalley reviews done while I avoid all my school work. Living the best life.😆
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Call Me Elisabeth Lark is a thriller that follows Myra Barkley, whose life ended the day her daughter disappeared, so it is quite the shock when her daughter shows up, with a child in her arms, at her family-owned inn some 20 years later. Elizabeth Lark is on the run. She killed her abusive ex-husband, which means she’s in desperate need of a new life. The perfect opportunity strikes when she shows up at an inn, and the owner thinks that Elizabeth is her long list abducted daughter. As Elizabeth gets closer to the Barkley family, more secrets get exposed, showing that no place is truly safe.😨
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This book had a really good premise. It also had a really good first 20 pages, but then, it just got long. Yes, the book only caps around 300 pages or so, but it felt endless. The thrilling parts of the story were extremely drawn out for us to get unnecessary family drama, as well as useless background info. I even thought of, in my opinion a better twist than what the author came up with..Overall, it was an average thriller, but nothing special. It honestly could have been a lot better, and I’m still debating whether or not to drop another full star.🤭
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Have you ever read a thriller where you could come up with a better twist than what actually happened? Let me know!💋
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Dm me to talk about all things book or writing related! I’ll be looking forward to it! —Em😌

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A girl goes missing, and then she comes back and her family is thrilled. Or does she.....or are they? While I did sort of feel like this book was all over the place at times, when it was at it strongest, it was working for me. I liked the premise and liked most of the characters. I also liked how the whole situation of a missing person was handled. The ending was good too.

3/5 Stars

I had high hopes for this book since the premise sounded intriguing. However, I struggled to get into the story. I thought the characters were odd which made them hard to like. I found it a bit unbelievable that Myra instantly, without question, believes Elizabeth Lark is her long-missing daughter. Overall, the story held some surprises which kept me reading but, unfortunately, I was not a huge fan of Call Me Elizabeth Lark.

The story begins with Elizabeth escaping her abusive husband along with her son Theo. She returns to rocky shore only to be mistaken as Charlotte, a missing girl. Myra, Charlotte's mother is convinced that Elizabeth is her long lost daughter, though her family is still skeptical. What unfolds is a family drama laced with secrets and twists told from the povs of Myra, Gwen and Elizabeth. I liked the how the story started developed, slowly revealing the suspense. But the ending was abrupt and rushed. The book fell flat after so much build up. There were a few plot holes which also made for a disappointing read.

Pretty average thriller for me. It had a really interesting premise but ended up being a little too predictable for my taste. It would be a good choice for readers who are new to the thriller genre.

A suspenseful story about the loss and dysfunction that happens when a child goes missing. Lots of twists!

I received an advanced digital review copy of this book

2.5 stars.

A very middle of the road thriller for me. I loved the premise, but it lacked that *thing* that I’ve come to love about a good thriller. So it just didn’t really click with me as much as I hoped. And I’m not entirely sure if that was more because of the dialogue or the characters themselves. Even though I didn’t love this one, it was still a fun read at times.

Thank you, nonetheless, to Crooked Lane Books & NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the e-book in exchange for review.

This is a solid debut from a new author. I think the author was on the right track here but it just didn't play out as well as I'd have hoped. It's a unique storyline in that an abused wife acts as a couple's daughter who disappeared 20 years ago. However, there are way too many coincidences in here. You find out right away who she is, so this isn't a spoiler. But, Elizabeth grew up in the same town as the Barkley's and was there on the day Charlotte disappeared. Everything else aligned up so perfectly that it was so unbelievable.

I think the most interesting part of the story was Elizabeth and her son, Theo, who had escaped from an abusive marriage. They really had never left their home. It was thrilling as she was looking behind her back all the time. But, this got resolved way too quickly too.

Didn't completely work for me but considering this is a debut, I will try to read the author's next book.

The premise of this book is very intriguing. Your daughter goes missing then suddenly appears out of nowhere 20 years later. Is she really your daughter or is she an imposter playing a game? The first half had me hooked. The pacing was perfect and pulled me in. The second half slowed down the pace and many situations were slightly over the top. All in all I enjoyed the reading experience. I wished the entire book would have been as entertaining as the first 50%.
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my ARC.