Jace Montgomery’s wife Tessa is missing and he’s the prime suspect. There are signs of a struggle, blood, hair, and broken glass. He seems to be the only one who thinks Tessa is alive, the police and nearly everyone else think he killed her. It seems like he is the only one interested in Finding Tessa.

The story follows two narratives but Jaime Lynn Hendricks takes great pains to make sure we do not know if Jace and Tessa’s narratives are concurrent or consecutive. We can be almost certain Jace didn’t kill Tessa because his narrative is very much about how much he needs to find her. But unreliable narrators are de rigueur nowadays, so you never know, do you? Tessa’s narrative is about running from an abusive husband, but is that Jace or someone else?

I was disappointed in Finding Tessa. I think the story had great potential. The plot was intricate enough with some plausible red herrings, but it was too much tell and not enough show. We were too thoroughly embedded in Jace and Tessa’s worldview, so a lot of potential for suspense was lost. The characters were too simplistic as well. So many self-serving jerks without redeeming qualities. The best part of the story was the plot, the characters were too shallow and we knew them too well. I will credit Hendricks for creating a good sense of place, you could feel yourself in the setting. This gives me hope that in future books she will focus more on showing us what happens without telegraphing what it means.

I received an e-galley of Finding Tessa from NetGalley.

Finding Tessa at Scarlet | Penzler Publishers
Jaime Lynn Hendricks on Twitter

‘Finding Tessa’ has more twists and turns than ‘Gone Girl’ and is a thriller unlike anything I have read in a long time.
The story starts with Jace Montgomery coming home and finding a crime scene and no sign as to where his missing wife has gone. The police and tabloids instantly peg him as suspect number one in Tessa’s disappearance and he quickly realises that knows very little about his wife’s past. The young couple had a whirlwind romance but not everything was as perfect as it all seemed; both of them have their own secrets just waiting to be uncovered.
This book is fast paced and definitely keeps you on your toes throughout although the stories of Tessa’s previous abusive relationships were difficult to read at times. Hendricks really did an amazing job of creating these multi-layered characters who add so much to the meandering narrative and questioning what makes a person’s actions right or wrong?
I really enjoyed this novel and cannot wait to see what Hendricks writes next.

Fast-paced and hard to put down, Finding Tessa had me on the edge of my seat all the way through! A few of the characters were really really cool and the dog was just adorable. Twists and turns throughout too which is always super fun. The very first twist was just crazy and hooked me in for good!
A huge unfortunate was that I figured out the end before I reached it! I was so sad that my presumptions were correct!
In books like domestic thrillers, triggers for some people are going to be brought up. I understand the author truly wanted to drive the point home about Tessa’s abuse her whole life, but even 75% of the way through the book we are still being told of her past abuse stories. It’s awful, it’s horrendous, it’s devastating of course, but after reading so far through the book, it almost seemed a distraction to once again bring it up.
All in all, a great great story and I would definitely read more from this author if and when she writes a new book!

A popcorn thriller at it's finest - a propulsive, quick read. I enjoyed this one & would recommend, but I thought it wrapped up a little too quickly/neatly for my taste. Overall, a bingeworthy story! 3.5 stars rounded up

Overall, I felt kinda meh about this book. Not necessarily bad, but not particularly memorable either. Giving it 2.5/5 Stars.

This book was a fun and fast paced read. It was a page turner that I couldn't put down. The mystery of what happened to Tessa had me hooked and I just wanted to find out what happened. The book tries to mislead you in the beginning and then reveals the first twist which I did see coming. But there are other twists to be revealed and plenty of action to keep the story moving forward. I enjoyed reading from Tessa and Jace's point of views. Overall this is a fun binge worthy read that I would recommend.

I can't believe this is a debut book. What a superb book that had my mouth open and turning the pages to find out how the story panned out.

There are many books that have different POVs and one expects the story to go in a certain direction but early on this book sent me spiralling in a different direction with a twist which I did not see coming at all.
I love when that happens.

The author with her clever storytelling had me guessing constantly. I don't want to reveal more because believe me, you should just read the book and be prepared to love it.

Loved this book and can't wait to see what the author has in store for us in the future.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book!! I thought the alternating POVs were both interesting and I loved how the fed into each other. I was surprised by twist after twist and I really just could not stop reading. I felt the story was imaginative and original. I felt for the characters and was constantly guessing and trying to figure out what was going on. I really cannot believe this is a debut novel because the intricacy of the plot felt like something an experienced writer crafted. I enjoyed every part of this book and cannot wait to read more from this author!

Reading Between the Wines book review #60/115 for 2021:
Rating: 4 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 📱: Finding Tessa
Author: Jaime Lynn Hendricks
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers
RELEASED on May 11, 2021!!! GRAB YOUR COPY TODAY!!
Recommended to readers who would love a real good mystery thriller that you think you have figured out but you have no clue.

Sipping thoughts: This is a story that you think you know what is going to happen and boy will you be so wrong. Once I started to realize that what I thought was going on was not what was going on, I just couldn’t read fast enough. I loved the twists and turns and just the storyline behind it. I felt for Tessa with my whole heart and just wanted her to be happy and get revenge. This is a book that you will want to read and read fast before someone spoils it for you!

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley, @jaimelynnhendricksauthor and @PenzlerPublishers for an advanced copy of @FindingTessa

#JaimeLynnHendricks #FindingTessa #PenzlerPublishers #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #generaladultfiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThriller

So, this reminded me of a boot-legged Gone Girl a little bit. The editing of the ARC was also a bit all over the place but usually if the book keeps one's attention, it is forgiven. The writing style was not top-notch but if you like quick moving storylines, this was a good one.

Jace comes home one day to his wife missing and the remains of what looks like a fight in their home. He contacts the police to report the possible crime. Told between the voices of Tessa and her husband Jace, it weaves the story of Tessa outrunning her abusive past and the love story of their whirlwind marriage.

A fast paced and twisty thriller! This book starts off on page 1 and literally doesn’t stop until the end. Just when you think you can see where the story is going and who the bad guy is, new information comes to light and you’re back to square 1.
I thought this was a classic domestic - unreliable narrator of a wife and abusive, a$&hole of a husband. Tessa is missing and likely dead when Jace comes home. He needs to call the police, but first he has to get rid of his shirt with blood on it. It becomes clear that Jace has some things he’s hiding - like a gun. It seems from Tessa’s perspective that she’s running away from her latest a$&hole husband. But is she talking about Jace? Around page 100 it quickly becomes clear that not everyone is who they seem.
If you like a mystery with twist after twist then this one is for you. Literally no one is who they seem in this novel. Be suspicious of everyone! There were questions right up until the end. However, I felt everything got the explanation it deserved and I finished the story feeling completely satisfied with the ending.
The one thing I didn’t like is that I didn’t feel a connection to any of the characters on a personal level and wasn’t sure I even liked any of them until halfway through the book. I know this leads to the buildup of who everyone really is, but despite it being a fast paced novel I still had a hard time getting hooked until halfway through.

This taut psychological thriller kept me on the edge of my seat. I would definitely recommend this debut novel!

Tessa has had a rough life and seems to attract men who are no good for her. She’s fed up and plotting her revenge.

Now she’s missing. Her husband Jace arrives home late after work to discover a broken window, blood, and clumps of her hair. What dark secrets is her husband hiding?

The story feeds us bits and pieces of their lives in alternating chapters and just when I though I had things figured out, a big twist caught me by surprise.

Things start to look really bad for Jace and Tessa is still missing. I wasn’t sure how this one would turn out, but I loved the journey and kept turning the pages!

Can’t wait to see what this author writes next.

I liked this one, although I can totally understand why people are divided about it. I agree a little bit with both the great and less-great reviews, although this was a good read overall.

THE GOOD: Actual page-turning, pulse pounding suspense on every page. Very well-written profile of a battered woman planning and executing her escape from an abuser (or A***hole, as she not so fondly calls him). The character development, particularly of Tessa, was great, as she examines the reasons why she tended to pick so many jerks over the course of her life. Semi-jumbled timelines and a great sense of mystery have you wondering if Tessa finally found another nice guy, or yet another A**hole, when she disappears again after meeting the seemingly great Jace Montgomery. There was never a minute I wasn’t interested in this story.

WHAT I LIKED LESS: The “twist” was not particularly surprising, and also required that you rely on some pretty unlikely coincidences, motivations and events for it to work. Having heard so much about the twist in this one, my expectations were probably too high. It’s nothing like the twist in Goodnight Beautiful, for example, and more just your usual kind of outlandish thriller twist. And yet, despite the not-too-shocking nature of it, it was still a pretty satisfying and fun ending, although there was an aspect of it I really didn’t like that I won’t spoil.

Overall a very fun thriller from a talented writer. I’ll pick up her next book for sure. Many thanks to Penzler Publishing, NetGalley and the author for the ARC of this truly thrilling thriller.

Officer Cannon is standing at the front door of Jace Montgomery's home in Lovett Road, Valley Lake, New Jersey. Jace had been out at a late business meeting but when he returned home he found Tessa, his wife missing, a trail of blood on the floor and a smashed window. He dialled 911 and Officer Cannon calls for a detective who believes Jace is a suspect. Despite evidence piling up against him, Jace insists he is innocent and then one of his co-workers also vanishes...

Told from alternating viewpoints, Jaime Lynn Hendricks gives the reader calculated snapshots of Jace and Tessa's lives and leaves us to hypothesise about their relationship. The plotting and structure of this book are extremely well done and I devoured Finding Tessa in a single sitting not wanting to put down this compelling thriller for a single second.

Tessa and Jace are both rather unlikeable and flawed. Tessa is judgmental and tends to make poor decision choices. Jace is spontaneous and has a tendency to economise on facts though their traits did not deter me from appreciating the story. Their questionable behaviours added layering, richness and purpose that all contributed to my feelings of apprehension, mistrust, doubt and general unease. All in all, an entertaining psychological thriller début brimming with the unexpected, so grab yourself a copy.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Scarlet via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

This is one of those did I just read what I think I read things that has you re-evaluating everything you have read thus far and trying to re-process information. I enjoy that. This kept me invested. Free advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Yes!! I found a book that kept me reading, eager with suspense! Finding Tessa is an intriguing debut that gets me excited about reading more Jaime Lynn Hendricks books in the future. This story centers around the seemingly happy couple Jace and Tessa. However, we soon learn that there is much more behind that picture perfect facade and are taken on a thrilling ride! Jace comes home to find signs that something very sinister happened to Tessa, and all of the evidence starts stacking up against Jace. Tessa has secrets of her own and has to deal with some of them while she is in hiding after setting Jace up.
There definitely are some major similarities in storyline to Gone Girl as other readers have mentioned, but I found this book to stand on its own. I read it every chance I got & enjoyed the journey!

This book pulled me in from the very beginning and didn’t let go. This compelling story is told from two perspectives: Tessa, and her husband Jace. They are newlyweds when Tessa goes missing. I will not reveal more because of spoilers! Recommended.

This was a decent read, but I felt that the story dragged a bit and left me with some unanswered questions. The story centers on Jace and Tessa, who have been happily married for a few months after having known each other for only a few weeks prior. Tessa goes missing and Jace is outwardly desperate to find her, but the police (and the reader) wonder if there isn't more to the story. The POV alternates back and forth between Tessa and Jace.

As mentioned, I did feel that the pacing was a tad slow, especially in the first half; there was a lot of inner monologue from both Jace and Tessa that I didn't feel was fully necessary. I did like that the author gave us 2 potentially unreliable narrators and we had to figure out who was and wasn't telling the truth. That being said, there were a couple of red herrings thrown out there that didn't make sense to me, and I was unable to tie back those potential misleading thoughts back to what they were referencing when all was said and done.

There were a couple twists in the story, some surprising and others more predictable. The ending is pretty fast paced and did provide a couple of surprises. Most of the loose ends were tied up.

Overall, I thought this was a good read but not sure it stands out in a crowded genre of similar stories. I don't think fans of mysteries and psychological suspense would be sorry they picked it up though. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After reading the synopsis for Finding Tessa I thought this would be right up my alley - I love a good twisty thriller (really, who doesn't though?!). I want to start out by noting that this book is dark and covers multiple subject matters that could be triggering for some readers.

Overview: After a whirlwind romance Tessa and Jace are head over heels in love, but when Jace comes home one night to find blood in the house and Tessa gone their happy facade starts to crumble. Who really is Tessa Smyth? What does Jace really have to hide from the authorities? Nothing is as it seems.

Since I read a lot of thrillers I would have to say my expectations are pretty high for books within this genre. After finishing Finding Tessa I definitely have some thoughts - both on what I liked and did not care for. Finding Tessa jumps right into the meat of the story and the chapters are alternating POV's between Jace and Tessa, which I love in all books - not just thrillers. Right away I was intrigued! There were some good twists scattered throughout; the first twist I did not see coming! Unfortunately, for me the remainder was a bit predictable. Some of the dialogue was a bit choppy and there were details I could have done without. I think condensing some of the inner monologue would have sped up the middle of the book. Overall, I would recommend this to readers who are newer to the thriller genre and want a quick read.

Finding Tessa drew me in with the initial premise of leaving/setting up the abusive husband. Some of the twists and turns took me by complete surprise, even though I felt that Jace's fear and anxiety over Tessa's disappearance were believable. I wanted to keep reading even though it was way past bedtime!