3.5 stars. Not sure if I’ve read anything by the author before. This book started slow, but got pretty interesting near the end.

But before that, we have Penelope of now and yesterday, alternating timelines, where Penelope of today is dealing with family life and her old friend Willa has asked to stay with them for awhile. Penelope of yesterday recounts how their group is friends came to be “The Spires”, moving into an old church with each other after college for a sort of gap year. Today Penelope doesn’t want to think of what happened then. Yesterday’s Penelope is leading us up to it. And Willa of today is really getting on her nerves.

Things get really interesting when Penelope starts checking things on her own. And discovers that all this leads back to the Spires.

Was a bit detached from Penelope. And we’ve seen this before, the paranoid-wife-suspecting-things-aren’t-all-right. So I knew there was something up and it had to do with…the Spires. And I did guess it right, The Who but not the motive. Though the motive was a ph yeah kind of moment. Hahaha. Still, it was interesting.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the arc of this book.

This insane psychological thriller has had me up two nights in a row, near finishing it and sleep deprived the next day because I. Just. Can’t. Get. Enough.

Not since reading anything Tarryn Fisher or Verity by Colleen Hoover have I been this shocked by the events in a book. I can’t even begin to express into words how mind boggling this book is.. with unreliable narrators, this book has you questioning everything & everyone. Told from the points of view of two women both in the past and the present, this book is one that you do not want to miss!

Penelope Cox, our main narrator (a woman in a failing marriage with two kids & the sole bread winner) takes in an old friend when she comes to her doorstep all of a sudden. Willa, the old friend who is seemingly running from an abusive relationship has no where else to turn after coming to Penelope. After the events of “the fire” twenty years prior when these two women among others had been roommates, these two had not talked or reached out to one another. But when Willa arrives.. Things start to go wrong all of a sudden leaving the reader to wonder if Willa really is a friend to Penelope. & just what happened in the fire that left someone deceased? And who is this “charming” Jack that had seemingly brought everyone together in that church house so long ago?

If like me, you’re just dying to find out the answers to these questions then make sure you pick up this book!

“There were many different kinds of prisons, she knew. And sometimes the ones you made yourself could be the most brutal of all” The Spires by Kate Moretti

Penelope gets a knock on her door from a long lost friend, Willa from 20 years prior that she had blocked from her life. Willa and Penelope had been part of a group of 5 who lived together and sorta were each other’s family and called themselves the Spires. They fell apart one fateful night when their house caught fire. Now Willas has stirred the past back up and why and who is she now interfering in Penelope’s charade of a perfect life.

There were some twist along the way that I didn’t necessarily see coming. I also maybe wasn’t curious enough as I struggled to connect to the Spires, or care what happened to them as they were mean to Penelope in my opinion. The story bounces from past to present and left you want to get to what happened the night of the fire the whole way through so you had to turn the page to find out.

#julesbookshelf #thespires #arc #netgalley #bookstagram #outnow #twistybooks

I’m always a fan of a slow burn thriller so this one was a really entertaining read. It took me a little while to really get into it but then it took off a little over 1/3 in. I thought the characters were great and it kept me up late to finish! Thank you netgalley for me copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a Thriller/Mystery. I loved this book so much, and the ending was so good. This book I guessed some of the twist, but I did not guess some of them. I have to say I loved how this book was read, and I loved that this book kept me wanting to keep reading it. This book did flash backs of the group of friends while they where in college and right after college, but Most of this book is written several years after the friends stop talking to each other because of a big event that happen. I loved the characters in this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Thomas & Mercer) or author (Kate Moretti) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

3.5 stars

Have we seen this premise before??? Friends in the past, a secret they carry and the past coming back to haunt them? hmmm...I kept think of the Simple Minds song" Don't you (forget about me) while I read this book. Because the past has a way of showing up and knocking on your door!

Penelope (Pip) Cox is married with two children. She has a lot on her plate. Her husband is unemployed but has a love of going to the gym and "me" time. She has a career and a past that she would rather forget. But that is hard when her past comes knocking on her door. Willa, her old roommate needs a place to stay - she is hiding from an abusive husband. Two weeks is all she needs.

Twenty years ago, Penelope, Willa, Jack, Bree, and Flynn lived together. They called themselves "The Spires” They partied and did drugs which became the breeding ground to jealousy, love, obsession, and longing. After one night of debauchery, things went horribly wrong, and the Spires went their separate ways.

But now Willa is back as Penelope's houseguest, but things just don't seem to be going so great...

The book is mainly told through Penelope's POV but here and there we get Willa's POV which made things more interesting. The book also goes back and forth between the present and twenty years ago when the Spires all lived together. This helps to move the book along and keep readers on their toes.

Overall, this was a quick read which did not disappoint. Things go from bad to worse as secrets begin to see the light of day. Will you predict the ending???? I had no clue how it was going to end and was shocked at a few things.

This was a fun, dramatic book that kept me on my toes and entertained at the same time.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am a fan of Kate Moretti so when I heard she had a new book coming out I knew that I needed to get my hands on it. The way she writes pulls me in and keeps my guessing as I turn page after page looking for the answers to all my questions.

The Spires seemed different than her others to me. I am not exactly sure what was different, but I just was not quite as pulled in as I usually am. I struggled to connect with the characters. I HATED Penelope’s husband. I doubted that Penelope had any clue what was going on with anything or anyone, even though much of the story was happening in her house. Willa, ugh… that’s all I can say.

I will say that the BIG twist was one that I did not quite have figured out. When it was revealed, I looked back and saw many clues that would have given it away had I caught on when I first read them. I liked that I did not have it all figured out. I liked that I was kept wondering and hoping for the ending I wanted.

If you are looking for a mystery thriller that will keep you guessing I would suggest checking out Kate Moretti’s The Spires.

Thank you to the author, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This psychological thriller starts off slow, but picks up speed and will have you guessing until almost the satisfying ending. Told in two timelines, it follows the story of a group of college friends who separate after a traumatic event and each go their own way. The narrator is one of this circle of friends, who is carrying around a considerable load of guilt over her actions during said traumatic event. The author does a great job of bringing the characters to life, and I will be looking out for her other books.

A group of friends live in and old church after graduation. Years later one resident cannot forget what happened that summer.

The story is set mostly in the present with flashbacks to fill in background. You know early on there was a fire at the church but don’t know why. I loved everything about this book from the beautiful cover, the title, and how the writing kept me engaged in the book. It’s a must read!

Penelope is married with two teenage children when a former college roommate shows up asking for help. She hasn't spoken to any of their group in over twenty years. She let's her in and strange things begin to occur. Is she going crazy or is it her guilt about the past causing her mental breakdown?

I loved this addictive domestic thriller centered around a group of college friends who spent the summer together. Told in two timelines, the past has a locked room mystery feel. Each character is expertly designed and their interactions make them feel so real. The current timeline has more of a psychological thriller angle. I loved the two together and makes for a really great story.

Some people have one event that changes their trajectory in life and then. This is the case for a group of friends: Jack, Flynn, Bree, Penelope and Willa. 20 years later that event comes roaring back to Penelope causing her to question herself and the safe life she’s created.

I really thought this was well executed by Ms. Moretti and definitely didn’t see that twist coming

I love supporting authors, especially those local to me. Kate never disappoints. This thriller, told in an alternating time-line, was full of twists, turns, secrets, lies, and characters you'll love and hate. I love when a book keeps me guessing, but this one had a jaw dropping ending I never saw coming!!

Author Kate Moretti hooked me at page one. A long-lost friend shows up in need, but there was a reason Penelope disappeared and did not keep in contact. Should she be worried?

The slow peeling of the onion that reveals the intricate details of Penelope’s past is delicious. As the chapters toggle between past and present, readers get a birds-eye view of the five newly graduated friends living in an abandoned church who dub themselves The Spires. Their banter and conviviality was easy when they came and went from classes and dorm rooms, but relationships and nerves are frayed when the group lives together with little outside-world contact. In the present, with the mysterious visit from Willa, one of The Spires, Penelope seems to be falling apart. Just when I thought I had the story figured out, author Kate Moretti throws in a chapter from Willa’s point of view. That was a game changer!

The story of the five friends paints them as ethereal in thought but rather juvenile in their actions. The college partying continues as the group has a gap year between school and adult life. They each have some familial issues and their band of friends has become a pseudo (and dysfunctional) family. As a group and individually, their occasional poor choices eventually catch up with them as the past and present collide.

Once I started The Spires, I was glued to my seat reading. There is an underlying tension that keeps building throughout the book. I enjoyed the twists, and the seemingly throwaway clues that ended up being tantamount to the story’s denouement. The Spires is a spellbinding mystery/thriller.

The Spires by Kate Moretti is a psychological thriller that is about the past never staying in the past. Penelope is a harried wife and working mother when Willa shows up looking for refuge from an abusive husband. Years ago these friends calling themselves The Spires rented a converted church for a year of debauchery. It ended in fire and tragedy. Now there are consequences. There are WTF moments but the final reveal for me was more huh? than OMG! Still enjoyed it.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via #Netgalley for a fair and honest reviews. All opinions are my own.

The Spires is my first book from Kate Moretti.

"An old friend, Willa, from college shows up on Penelope's doorstep, asking for help. Penelope hasn;t seen her since the fire that they never talked about. The one where someone died. Penelope offers her home as a refuge. But when Willa starts taking liberties with Penelope's children, she's not sure what her friend is doing. Things appear and disappear and Penelope feels overwhelmed. Will someone find out about that night twenty years ago?"

This book started out slowly, because it felt like a familiar thriller trope - 'Something happened years ago. It's been kept a secret. Now someone wants a reckoning' Dual timelines - But Moretti kind of takes that and gives us some wild characters and situations. And a fire in a converted church. And the old friend who is messing with Penelope but you're unsure why until the end. And a husband with secrets.

Moretti springs a couple of twists on us in the last couple of scenes.. I did not guess them

Brett Cox is very close to my name. I wish he weren't a character that no one will like. What a jerk!

This book closes with a fast-paced story - lots of things happening and coming together. I will definitely read more of Moretti's books. Fans of domestic thrillers will enjoy this one.

The Spires by Kate Moretti is a highly recommended slow burning thriller featuring dual timelines.

Penelope Cox is shocked when Willa Blaine, an old roommate she hasn't seen for 20 years shows up at her door saying she needs help escaping from an abusive relationship. She says she just needs two weeks to decide what to do next. Penelope has enough stress with an unemployed husband, two teenagers, and a precarious work situation, but she agrees if only because of their past history. Twenty years ago, after graduating from college, Willa and Penelope lived with three other friends, Jack, Bree, and Flynn, in an old church which was converted into a house. We know a fire destroyed the church house and the group of friends. Now Willa is back, seemingly being helpful and grateful for a place to stay but there is an unsettling undercurrent of something nefarious being planned.

The chapters switch between the present day occurrences and that of 20 years ago. Flipping between timelines doesn't always work well in this novel simply because the past isn't quite as compelling as the current situation. A better choice might have been less chapters set in the past with a more condensed and succinct story line. We need to know what happened but perhaps don't need all of the immature angst of the characters. In the present day it takes enough suspension of disbelief that Penelope would put up with some of Willa's actions as long as she does. Most adults under these circumstances would have said, "I'm sorry but this isn't working. You need to leave and find someplace else to stay."

Moretti does keep you reading though, so she gets credit for that feat and for writing reliable thrillers that keep the suspense high. Penelope is a fully realized character in both timelines as this is her story from the past and the present. You will understand why she acquiesced to Willa staying with her after no contact for so long, however you won't understand why she didn't tell Willa to leave. There are a few short chapters set in the present from Willa's point-of-view that are consequential. This is an entertaining novel, but readers may also need to know that most people are going to be able to predict exactly what is going to happen (with the exception of an unrealistic twist) as the premise is not original. 3.5 rounded up

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Thomas & Mercer.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, and Amazon.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

It’s weird to say but I enjoyed this book even though I really did not enjoy Penelope who is the main character of this story.

This story is told with chapters set in past and present. I wasn’t all that interested in “The Spires” when the storyline was in the past. But I thought Willa was a really interesting character in the present. I never warmed up to Penelope and didn’t care about everything going on with her.

Books like this have been written many times over so we aren’t reading a book that is unique but the telling is interesting.

The ending surprised me a bit but mostly it seemed off from the rest of the book. Almost like the author had the ending set and tried (being the key word) to fit the rest of the book to it.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

An excellent psychological thriller with a twist I never saw coming! Kate Moretti has definitely become an auto buy author for me.
Secrets, lies, and murder are the basis of this story, but it is far from predictable.
A group of 5 friends are living together in a former church building, when a horrible fire breaks them apart. Twenty years later, our main character Penelope is visited by Willa, who was there that night and she finds a way to stay in Penelope’s life. Unsettlingly so. Willa seems determined to ruin Penelope’s life, but of course there’s more to the story than we are originally told.
Thoroughly enjoyed this one!

This was a good thriller.. Penelope and 4 other friends from college live together for a year after college. Something terrible happened and they haven't talked since. Now Penelope is married with 2 teenagers. Willa reaches out to Penelope and then shows up on her doorstep. That's when the fun begins! The book is told in the past when they were living together and in the present. I love when books do that so the reader gets the entire story. There were lots of twists and turns and it really picks up about halfway through. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

Fun psychological thriller which gets off to a slow start. It didn't really grab me until about halfway through after which it got much more interesting and picked up some speed though though it continues to be a slow burn. The ending was good and satisfying if not somewhat foreseeable. I didn't guess it 100% but I was definitely in the right ballpark.

Penelope and 5 of her best friends from college decide to live together in an old church for a gap year after college. They form a family that none of them really have anywhere else. But like any family there will be conflict. Fast forward 20 years and Penelope is married with 2 children living a somewhat typical suburban life. Her husband was laid off a year ago and seems to be spending his time finding and bettering himself, spending money they don't really have on wellness retreats, gyms, yoga sessions, and all sorts of various new age treatments. Things have gotten tense between them and then one of Penelope's college friends shows up on her doorstep without a word in the past 20 years looking for a place to hide from her abuser. At first it seems to be the answer everyone needed: Willa gets a place to stay and regroup while the day-to-day care of the children and the household gets some much needed attention. Then things start to get weird.

This story goes back and forth between present day and back to the church house. There is a lot of time spent laying the groundwork for what happens next, most of which seems like overkill and bogs the story down. But when things start getting weird is when you grab your bowl of popcorn and hunker down to find out the truth.

I would like to thank #NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this advanced copy of #TheSpires in exchange for an honest review.