Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of The Writer.
A brutal attack ends Frankie Moretti’s love affair with New York City, so she trades subways and high-rises for grape vines and rugged Central California shorelines, and speech writing for fiction. The sleepy beach town is the perfect new beginning for Frankie until she spins the drama meant for her pages into real life and has a tumultuous affair with a married man. And when she finds herself in the center of a murder investigation, there’s no turning back, no hitting the delete key.

Amidst spoiled relationships, wine, loneliness, and a battle with PTSD, Frankie loses sight of what’s real and what’s not. In order to survive, she will have to navigate a dangerous situation and conquer her past trauma. But what if she can’t? Will she succumb to impulsive behavior and poor decisions

Loved this book, fast paced and easy to read in a day. I'm looking forward to reading more from Tracy Thorne in the future.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. However, I was hooked right from the start! All of the characters were interesting and the storyline itself had me guessing and trying to figure out where exactly this book was going to go. The little twists and turns and suspense elements were woven into the story without seeming to be far-fetched or over the top. The characters were likable, yet had a mystery about them that had me suspecting and wondering if any of them were who I thought or if there were ulterior motives. There was a lot of dialogue and story building in between the suspense moments but it was done in such a great way I felt it added to the book as opposed to making it feel like it dragged on. I was also very satisfied with the ending and can only hope there’s a sequel!

This book struggled to hold my attention and seemed to drag on forever. I wasn’t a fan of any of the characters. I found Frankie extremely annoying.

What a book!
Once I started I was hardly able to stop reading. The story touches very delicate topics yet in such a tender way!! I am Looping forwqrd to reading more of Tracy Thorne. And there is definately enough wine *wink*
Thanks a lot #Netgalley #Tracy Thorne for this great story

Such a good story that kept me entertained and kept my attention. This story does deal with anxiety and depression and yet was written in such a way that it did not trigger these things in me at all. The authors' way with words is fantastic and I hated to see this story end. There is a some jumping around from past to present throughout the story, but the story flows very well. Will look for more from this author!

What a page turner! What a wild ride! You want an unreliable narrator? Lots of wine? Villainous villains? Red herrings? Coastal scenery? Lots of bad guys (or are they???)? Lots of characters you're not sure about? A pissy cat named Ginger and a rescue dog named Molly? Nosy neighbors? Food snobs? Look no further. You get all that and them some with The Writer by Tracy Thorne.

This was really a compulsive page turner that kept getting crazier and crazier. I couldn't put it down. The description of central California's coastal wine region was spot on. Our main character Frankie was tough and resilient, someone we root for. There's mystery and crazy twists and I think just going along for the ride is the best recommendation I'd make for enjoying this thriller.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was provided to me via Kindle by Tracy Thorne and #NetGalley for my honest opinion.

CW: sexual assault, trauma

The aftermath of your life after sexual assault plays out in The Writer. It’s raw, open and an honest read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tracy Thorne for the Advance Reader Copy of this book. I found that once I started it, I couldn't stop reading and ended up staying up to finish the book! I was invested in how all the pieces of the story tied together. This book had an honest portrayal of someone dealing with anxiety and depression after a sexual assault. At once you feel so bad for Frankie but also confused by her actions and you start to wonder if what she is going through is her imagination or real. I liked the way the book tied together all the characters and by the end, you could see how they all fit together. The con was at times it was difficult to follow because there was a lot of jumping around between narratives and past and present. All in all, I enjoyed this book. It kept me at the edge of my seat!

TW: homicide, sexual assault, and trauma

The writer of this book handled the oh so real trauma factor beautifully. The mother’s humor was fantastic as well!

I was looking for a quick mystery read, and this was definitely it. The plot and idea of the book was great. I just had some trouble with the jumping around in the book. It was hard for me to get fully into the book when I was trying to figure out where I was in the story (past/present) . I liked the idea of the book, but could not fully invest.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an advance copy of Tracy Thorne’s latest novel, The Writer, in exchange for an honest review.

The Writer is a thriller/suspense novel about a thirty-five-year-old woman named, Frankie Moretti, who quits her job as a speechwriter in NYC and moves to Cayucos, CA to pursue her dreams of becoming a fiction writer after a harrowing experience. If you enjoy stories with a garden-variety unreliable narrator, purple prose, and contrived endings that stretch on for pages, then this book is for you.

*Note that readers who are sensitive to the following topics should steer clear: sexual assault, homicide, harassment, and depression/mental health conditions.

Frankie Moretti is the survivor of a brutal sexual assault. Her subsequent struggles with depression and PTSD, along with her preferred coping mechanisms of drugs and alcohol, are starting to make it difficult for her to discern reality from fantasy. The fact that she can’t get her manuscript published only causes her to sink into a deeper depression.

She becomes obsessed with a literary agent named, Meadow Owens, who Frankie whole-heartedly believes is the answer to all her problems. Frankie thinks Meadow is cooler and more laid-back than the pretentious agents in NYC. She also thinks that befriending Meadow may be the key to getting her novel published. Then Frankie receives a rejection email from Meadow, waylaying her plans.

Frankie begins stalking Meadow. While on an excursion to Meadow’s house, Frankie encounters Meadow’s husband, Bryce Owens, and the two end up hitting it off instead. Their meeting is the catalyst that propels the remainder of the story.

Pros: compelling plotline, breakneck pace, use of unconventional imagery, treatment and portrayal of sexual assault survivor and their internal mindset.

Cons: confusing passages, too many random descriptions of weather (though pretty), contrived ending (makes me think this is book one of a future series deal), unexplained/outlandish character motives, and jagged connections between events/characters.

In sum, the story was intriguing enough that I needed to know how it ended; plus, it helped that the chapters were short. However, it could use some editing. Also, not sure if there is a formatting issue with the Kindle version or if this is how the author intentionally wrote it, but some passages are incredibly confusing; especially, some of the character dialogue and breaks between chapters.

I downloaded this and had read it by the next day. With the intention of quickly flicking through to check out the writing style before choosing what to read next, I was quickly sucked in.. I think it might have been the hilarious advice from the main character’s mother to get a dog instead of dating. But the book has a very serious side. Yes, it is a great mystery but the sensitive, insightful and all too accurate portrayal of trauma is the author’s biggest achievement here.