Molly, an aspiring writer, is in love with Jake, a talented musician who was previously involved with Sabrina. It’s a classic love triangle that produces a psychological thriller about love and obsession. The back stories that reveal the characters’ struggles and triumphs are well-done and the story itself is well-paced. The storyline moves easily between 2013 and 2022, using several points of view. As the characters and the story develop, the first loves morph into a longer-lasting love, and then descend into destructive obsession. It’s a slow process that is mesmerizing.

The author has produced a tightly woven tale that is emotional, with enough twists to keep the reader turning the pages long into the night. I enjoyed this latest book by Carola Lovering.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

I was really hoping for a big moment in the book. It was a really good idea of a story, but did not play out. I give this book 3 stars. Thanks to the author, publishers, and Netgalley for an advanced reading.

This one was hard to put down. You literally can't look away! Molly Diamond sees Jake Danner singing at a bar, their eyes lock and the connection is undeniable. They love each other fiercely and as his band Danner Lane rises, things get rocky. Molly has some separation issues because of her father leaving her when she was little and Jake is not always responsible in keeping in touch with Molly when he is on the road. There is also SiSi, the women Jake broke up with before Molly who has not gotten over it or the miscarriage she suffered.

Molly is now married to Hunter, a man she was friends with when she was living with Jake and has a almost 6 year old daughter Stella. She meets Sabrina at her yoga class and is so happy to have a friend in the snooty town she lives in. Little does she know that Sabrina has been watching her with her own agenda. jake comes back in the picture and life turns upside down. So many things happen that I will not spoil here. I do have to say that I think most of the readers will figure a lot of it out before any reveals.

This is a fun twisty book with great characters that make you engage in a variety of feelings.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's for an advance copy for review.

I was really looking forward to this story because of all the hype. I found it a very slow burn not a thriller. There really is not much going on than I thought. It’s sort of like a hallmark story.

I enjoyed this suspenseful story. This is a new author for me which I look forward to seeing what is next for them. This is a well written story where the characters bring the story to life on each page. It is a fast paced, action filled story that is hard to put down. I enjoyed how the author used details to pull me into the story. The characters are strong, relateable, and supoortive of each other. This is a story about realizing you may not be over your first love and everything that goes along with it. This is a story that you don't want to miss. I highly recommend this book. Find out what happens when life just doesn't turn out the way we want.

It’s the year 2013 and Molly Diamond is a twenty-three year old barista and aspiring novelist. One night at concert, she locks eyes with the lead singer, Jake Danner…and cant look away. Molly & Jake fall quickly and deeply in love. Molly is the inspiration of a hit song that puts Jake’s band: Danner Lane on the map.

Nearly a decade later, Molly has given up her writing and is living in Connecticut with her young daughter and husband, Hunter. Their life is picture perfect, but Molly is beyond lonely. She feels like she sticks out like a sore thumb among other women in their wealthy suburb. She is also struggling to conceive their second child, and has no one to turn to.

When Sabrina, a newcomer to Flynn Cove walks into Molly’s yoga studio, they become fast friends. Their infertility struggles bond them - and Molly believes she has FINALLY found a true friend.

Sabrina has her own reasons for moving to Flynn Cove and befriending Molly. As Sabrina’s secrets slowly unravel, her past connection to Molly becomes crystal clear - so do secrets of Molly’s own which she has worked hard to keep under wraps.

Meanwhile, a new version of Jake’s hit song about Molly is hot on the radio waves - forcing Molly is confront her past and ask the ultimate question: what happens when your life turns on nothing like thought it would?

______

I thought the beginning go this book was GREAT and I loved the ‘YOU’ female stalker vibes - but then as this book progressed, it became too repetitive and way too much of a slow burn. The martial issues in this book were beyond unrealistic and for me that made it hard to give this book more than 3 stars. This book also was more of a romantic suspense than a thriller. While all issues get resolved, and ending is tied up in a pretty no plot holes bow…this book was just meh.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

Can't Look Away was a great title for this book because I literally didn't want to stop reading it or look away from it for even a minute. Given the opportunity, I think I would've read this in a day. Unfortunately, life gets in the way. I will say that I feel this book was marketed to be a thriller/mystery, but it definitely wasn't that to me. For me, this book was more of a drama, and I was swept up in the lives of the characters. I loved the different points of view and different timelines, and I never found them confusing. I also loved the music/art aspect, and I wish Danner Lane was a real band so I could hear their music. The end of the story came together in a super satisfying, dramatic way. I would recommend this book to anyone, just because I enjoyed it so much. However, there are trigger warnings so make sure to check before reading if you're concerned.

Obsession is the name of the game for Carola Lovering's newest book, Can't Look Away. Desperately in love with Jake Danner, a singer in a band, the two have an intense relationship. At some point in their relationship, they have a bad breakup, but Jake's love for Molly was so powerful that he wrote a song about her and that song has never stopped being played everywhere. But, the pair end things for good and don't see one another for nearly ten years.

In fact, Molly is now marries to Hunter and Jake is partnered with Sabrina. Molly and Sabrina become fast friends. Before I continue, I will mention that this book deals with the sensitive issue infertility. For Molly, she and Hunter have a beautiful little girl, and are struggling to get pregnant again. For Sabrina, she is longing to get pregnant with Jake's child. Perhaps it is this shared grief that bond both women together.

Now, this book is about obsession. Who is the one dealing with it? Is it Molly, who not only ended things with Jake, but has married and has a daughter. Or is it, Sabrina, and if she the one obsessed, then who is the object of said obsession? What a conundrum. In fact, page after page in this thrilling book by Carola Lovering, there are multiple layers explored when it comes to the unhealthy subject. So, someone Can't Look Away, and who would that be?

This brilliant book is written from three perspectives, and this brings about the past and present and how the relationships were formed. In dramatic fashion, secrets and lies abound, presenting the reader with a thoroughly intense story. As I listened to the audiobook, with three narrators, each taking on the role of Molly, Sabrina and Jake, this made the book truly impossible to put down.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy the following YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/N_Xtsv9urcU

LOVED! Women's fiction with a sinister undertone - so fun. I love an ill-fated lovers story & this didn't disappoint. This was such.a great novel. I'll read anything that CL writes! 4.5 stars

Another auto buy author for me! I loved this book as much as Too Good to be True! In this dual time line domestic drama, it's a fight for love. Jealousy has consumed Sabrina over her true love Jake. Unfortunately for her, Jake’s heart belongs to Molly. Fast forward a decade, Molly is married to Hunter living in an affluent town with their daughter. When she meets Sabrina in a yoga class they become fast friends but this friendship is one-sided with secrets to destroy lives. Do we really ever forget our first love? This book has all the feels and was unputdownable!

I was approved for an e-arc of this title from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!!) but due to crazy life, I purchased a print copy but listened to over 90% of this book via audio and it was a pleasure!

I am so thankful to early reviewers noting this was more romance/drama with some suspense (vs. mystery/thriller) and I was aware of that going in.

I really loved Can’t Look Away! It was unputdownable and so difficult to pause in the wee early hours of the morning to ensure I would be functional the next day.

I cared for all these characters. There were so many emotions, nothing was black and white. They were all written so well and I am very satisfied with the conclusion. This is a book I will want to read again!

Audio performances by Karissa Vacker, Caitlin Davies, and Zachary Webber were phenomenal. I highly recommend the audio!

Every day Molly Diamond focuses on moving one foot in front of the other in her new life. She has a wonderful attentive husband named Hunter and beautiful little girl Stella. Living in the suburbs can be lonely at times, the small town of Flynn Cove, not that many miles from Manhattan feels a world away. The local women are obsessed with labels, decorating and the local country club. Molly misses her old friends, the noise of the city and she hasn’t been able to write a word since the day she left. Trying to be optimistic, Molly welcomes Sabrina into her life. The two meet at yoga and then again at a fertility clinic. With instant chemistry Molly finally feels like she found a friend. Sabrina invites Molly and Hunter to dinner and when they arrive the door is opened by none other than Jake Danner, the long lost love of her life. Molly has spent every day of the last ten years trying not to think about Jake, a beautiful and talented musician that lit Molly’s heart on fire. Their tumultuous and passionate affair tore their young hearts apart. What a small world, calm cool Sabrina remarks. Filled with pain and confusion, this new adult version of Jake leaves Molly breathless, his appearance quickly turning their lives upside down. As their story unravels flashing back between past and present, it is hard for Molly to believe this was all a coincidence. Fast paced suspenseful romance, I devoured this perfect beach read with a twist!

I would give this book 3 1/2 stars. It was a good read but not a great one. Rock singer Jake Danner sees Molly Diamond at one of his concerts and it was love at first sight. They start dating but he already had a girlfriend, Sabrina who he breaks up with. Sabrina is heart broken. She becomes obsessed with Jake and Molly. She stalks them and tries very hard to break them up. Jake loves Molly deeply but he is obsessed with his music and writing songs. He gets into a low point with Molly and a high point with his band. Molly leaves Jake. A decade later Molly is married to Hunter and has a beautiful daughter. She is a yoga teacher in Flynn Cove and wants desperately to have another baby but after rounds of IVF it doesn't look promising. Sitting in her specialists office she meets a woman who she befriends and they become best friends. When she meets her friend's husband the world falls apart around Molly. So the story delves into the lies and deceptions of all the characters. It is a book that keeps you wanting to find out how it will end but is also a book where you wonder if such an obsession would really make you do such horrendous things.
Thanks to #netgalley, #stmartinspress and @carolatlovering

3.5 rounded up.

I really enjoyed a lot of things about this book. I'd put this in the domestic drama/suspense type of genre- so don't go in expecting a thriller! But I enjoyed all the different POV's.. it helps to better understand the characters feelings and thought processes. It was pretty romantic and tugged at my heartstrings on several occasions. Some parts of the plot were predictable but it was still an enjoyable read and I enjoyed the way the author laid it out, she really built a strong connections to the characters.

One of the main things that turned me off of the book is that the obsessed stalker in this book kind of screwed herself. I didn't fully understand the thought process there, but maybe that means I'm not insane (hahahah).

Overall, I'll be looking for more from this author in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and author for providing me a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Publication Date: 6/14/22.

Well, right off the bat I will say that I’ve read more than a few books with a similar plot as this; however, I didn’t mind. Maybe it was a timing thing. I haven’t been interested in deep, literary fiction lately. I found this to be an enjoyable summer read that didn’t require much concentration or brain power. The description says it’s a thriller but I wouldn’t say that. It’s got some twists but nothing too shocking. I liked the characters. The chapters were short. It wasn’t too dark. I would feel comfortable recommending it for a quick and easy book to throw in your beach bag.

Can’t Look Away is a quick read that flips back and forth between characters and clearly identified dates in the timeline. Definitely a good summer read!
Thank You to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC!

To get some things out of the way first, this is a domestic drama with some suspense but it is not a thriller or a mystery book as it seems to be marketed. It was still an enjoyable book for its genre, but it was not what I thought it would be going in. So just a heads up with that.

It reminds me of one of my dramatic movies that I watch that doesn’t really have any huge twists but it still builds up enough drama that I want to keep going to learn about the characters and find out what happens to them in the end. That being said it’s based upon mollys life in her 20s and then when she’s married and in her 30s. She is taken back to the past when her ex has a hit song on the radio and this all plays into the present. She ends up making a new friend, but maybe this friend has some secrets that Molly doesn’t know about. How this impacts mollys life will have you turning the pages.

A rockstar and a commoner fall in love, but with a grownup twist. That's right, famous singers and regular girls can fall in love outside of new-adult romances and it allows for so much angst and drama. With a thriller undertone, Can't Look Away follows Molly, Jake, and an unknown onlooker through the past and present as Molly and Jake's lives intersect. Through college days and early notoriety for Jake's band, Danner Lane, to their lives today, with families of their own and long-buried heartache. Of course, as a famous bad boy, everyone wants Jake and everyone has eyes on Jake. In particular, one woman has her eyes on Jake and her obsession soon includes Molly. Can't Look Away follows the characters through love, loss, and the impact they have on you for the rest of your life.

I truly enjoyed Molly, she's every girl when they first find real love and every girl when that love gets away, even if it's a decision they make themselves. Sure, it feels a little young at first, but as the story moves forward, so too does Molly grow and mature. Somehow, Lovering manages to capture that feel of young love, the promise of forever, the choices we must make, and the love that we find that grounds us forever. I loved the feel of youthful romance Molly has with Jake, the challenges he sets for himself and changes he makes for her, as well as the heartbreaking reality of what life really can put you through with time. Their lives are separate, yet still so entangled, because that's just how life truly works. You don't forget anything, you carry it with you, and she captures the essence of that emotion, of that knowledge we all have inside us, so incredibly well. Plus, we've got that third character who is looking on with judgement and disdain. It heightens the story a bit, taking it from just love and life to a bit of a domestic thriller.

I loved the premise of Can't Look Away, but it ended up being too predictable very early on. Our secondary voice is revealed too soon and it was easy to connect the dots from there. I flew through this one, Carola Lovering is a great writing with a flair for the dramatic, but I just needed less predictability. The thriller aspect added to the story quite well, but I needed more of it.

Overall, Can't Look Away is a solid, one-go read that I really enjoyed. I think readers will enjoy it, no matter whether they're a romance fan or a thriller fan, because it hits both quite well. I'd love to see a movie of this, just with a bit less spoilers.

This book was so amazing! Such a great mystery with second chance love and twists! Absolutely loved this one!

“He was hers. How was it possible? She often though of Jake’s ex, of the girl who’d tried and failed to make him stay. She couldn’t imagine the pain of living someone like Jake and having him not love her back.”

Molly and Jake fall in love when they lock in a NYC bar—he is on stage with his band and she is in the crowd—and things quickly progress from there. However a decade later Molly is living a small, wealthy town in Connecticut, married to Hunter. She befriends a woman named Sabrina, who may have some ulterior motives in becoming Molly’s friend. Told in alternating storylines and from different povs, this book explores both of Molly’s relationships and what led her to the life she ultimately chose.

So yesterday I was stuck on the couch nursing a sprained ankle. I started a different book, but after 100ish pages I decided it wasn’t for me, so I picked this one up. And that title is 100% accurate because I could not look away from this story. When you start and finish a book in the same day you know it’s a good one. I loved loved Lovering’s last book, Too Good to Be True, and after this one she has cemented herself in my list of favorite authors. I bought her debut book Tell Me Lies after reading TGTBT and I’m contemplating starting it tonight because I honestly cannot get enough of this woman’s writing. So twisty, so insightful, so well-written—this was an easy five stars.