3.5 stars for a story that kept my interest until the end. Jake is a performer and Molly is a spectator in the crowd who catches his eye. She's been unhappy lately and it was that one night out that changed her life and his, for better and for worse.
Performers are known for being moody and that carries over into this story. How much of Jake's moodiness can she balance with her need to be creative in the writing field? As the years go by, they go their separate ways, but of course there is Sabrina who has not forgiven Jake for putting her aside for Molly. Actually, it is more so that Sabrina really has not forgiven Molly for taking Jake away from her and is intent on making Molly pay.
I enjoyed the wondering which way it was going to go and who was going to come out unscathed.
Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

Molly Diamond is a twenty-three-year-old aspiring writer when she reluctantly agrees to go out with friends and sees the lead singer of a band, Jake Danner, up on stage. It's love at first sight and before she knows it, the two are locked in a sweeping but sometimes tumultuous romance. Ten years later, Molly finds herself married and raising her daughter, Stella, in the wealthy suburb of Flynn Cove... and married to someone who is not Jake. Lonely, she befriends a woman, Sabrina, who attends one of Molly's yoga classes. But she'll soon learn Sabrina has a reason for showing up at Molly's class--and it all has to do with Jake.

First of all, I'm not sure this book should be marketed as a mystery/thriller. There are some dramatic pieces as we try to unravel Sabrina's role, but very little is left for the reader to figure out. This is almost a romance, or at least a story of people trying to find their way and find themselves. Don't go in expecting some grand mystery and a bunch of twists and turns (there are a few, but they are more character-driven).

AWAY reads like a weird soap opera and, honestly, it's hard to turn away from its pages. In that way, it's strangely captivating, even if a little melodramatic at times. I flew through it, because I was fascinated to find out exactly what went down with Molly, Jake, and Sabrina. The characters aren't exactly endearing (besides Molly's new husband and her cute daughter). Molly comes across as a bit self-absorbed and unable to stand up for herself. Jake takes selfish to a new level. And Sabrina... well she's just special, let's say that. But they do make for some crazy reading! The book also honestly looks at infertility (trigger warning for miscarriage discussions).

There is a lot of angst and pining for Jake (who, as stated above, is not worthy of any of this) in this book. If that's not your thing, I would skip this one. If you enjoy some romantic suspense, it's a quick read, though probably easily forgotten once finished.

This was a quick, fun read. Part thriller, part domestic drama, Can’t Look Away explores how that all-consuming love you feel in your early 20’s morphs into something more sustainable.

Although I enjoyed this book, it wasn’t really a thriller (those elements are dropped at the end with little more than a shoulder shrug), and it doesn’t really explore the emotion or effects of the characters’ actions enough to be a domestic drama. I would have liked the book to go in one direction or the other. The ending wraps up very neatly considering all of the drama that went on between these people.

A Rockstar.
First Love.
Big Dreams.
Sinister ex-girlfriend.
Deceit.
Suspense.
Regrets.

Can't Look Away is an obsessive story. I was immersed in the young love story, and how the present was blending with the past. It is a gripping thriller within a love story. The ending was highly satisfying.

Lovering is definitely an author on my always read list as Too Good to Be True was one of my favorite novels of 2021.

Thank you St. Martins Press for the complimentary copy of this novel.

Well, what a juicy little guilty pleasure - totally improbable, but definitely readable, especially for a beach vacation.
Carola Lovering's novel has all the ingredients for a light read: a nice girl, handsome bad boy rock star, a rich, beautiful, yet psychotically manipulative villain, a bunch of good friends and a hero without a selfish bone in his body.
The setting is in New York City and an affluent suburb. There always seem to be at least a few people in novels lately who are obsessed with fertility and it gets a fair amount of play in this book as well. Otherwise, the action moves along. The dialog is good and the character's emotions are sure to cause an empathetic reaction by the reader.

This author is a drop everything author for me so I read this back in December the second I got my hands on a copy thank you to @stmartinspress for my copy!

For the most part I loved this one especially the beginning, my problem with this one was I thought it was a thriller so I was expecting some big twist, but never got it.

Lots of drama and obsession, just was hoping for more of a bang. Regardless she’s a great writer and her writing is super engaging. Back to anxiously awaiting for her next one. I hope she keeps them coming!

If you been waiting to read this one it’s out now, so definitely pick it up!

A captivating and unique narrative that easily engages readers. Carola Lovering has created a dynamic cast of characters in this moderately paced story about life, friendships, love, and the secrets that bind them all together. Loved it.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #CantLookAway which was read and reviewed voluntarily.

#stmartinspress #bookfluence #bookreviews

Jake and Molly...Molly and Jake. Can't Look Away delves deep into their love story, while still retaining some suspense elements. I fully went into this book expecting a thriller, and instead got a domestic drama that I ended up liking much more. The character development was much deeper than what you typically get in a thriller and I felt there was also a lot more development to the plot.

There were some things I was convinced I saw coming, and while I sort-of did, they didn't happen in the way I expected, so it still felt as if there were twists. Even though I found nearly every character unlikable at some point (with a few exceptions), I still really enjoyed this book. In fact, it impresses me more when I enjoy a book in which I don't necessarily like the main characters.

The characters felt real and flawed, and I prefer that so much more than a book in which everyone comes across as perfect. While I didn't agree with some of the decisions the characters made, I did understand the thoughts and motivations behind those decisions.

If you are someone who is looking for a true thriller, this book may not be what you are after. But if you are open to a more-developed story with a light suspense element, then I think you will really enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Carola Lovering is absolutely an auto-buy author for me. I loved Too Good To Be True and this one did not disappoint!!

Things I liked:
- All the different POV’s. I thought all the POV’s were necessary and added a lot to the story
- Alternating timelines. I found the alternating timelines sooo good. It gave just enough information that you were never lost in the story but also always left wanting more. I was invested in both the past and the present in this one

Things I didn’t like:
- I found the ending to be way too romance-y for my liking. The entire novel was thrilling and suspenseful and then the ending almost seemed like a completely different book.

This one does have some pretty serious trigger warnings but they are also spoilers so I won’t be mentioning them here. Please do your research before picking up this book.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this one and will be looking out for Lovering’s next book!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The first thing to say about this book is, despite being marketed as such, this is NOT a thriller. I think it does a huge disservice to a book and its author when readers go in expecting something completely different that what it is.

This book was a rather slow burn about love, lost love, jealousy, revenge and redemption. It was a pretty good book overall, and the writing was very good, but the story never really sucked me in and I didn’t care too much about any of the characters. It seemed to stall out for me about halfway and I had to push through to the end (it did pick up in the last 15%). I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. I do wonder though if I would have liked it more going in without the expectation of a thriller.

Unfortunately this fell flat for me. There was sadly not a single thing about this book I enjoyed. I didn’t find any of the characters to be interesting & have the same feelings about the plot. This was a domestic drama not a thriller as I believed it was going to be.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

In the beginning, Molly (an aspiring writer) and Jake (an aspiring musician) fall fast and hard for each other, but when we revisit their lives almost 10 year later Molly is married to someone who is not Jake. Within the pages we learn about the ups and downs of their relationship, as well as get introduced to a few other characters (Jake’s ex, Sabrina) who will play significant roles in their lives.

Can’t Look Away describes exactly how I felt when reading this book. I didn’t want to put it down. I needed to know how these relationships developed and how their complicated love stories would play out. Nothing was exactly what it seemed to be, but this wasn’t the case of an unreliable narrator. It was simply Lovering’s ability to tell the story without telling the full story, and then filling in the details as we went along.

There were a few places where I felt the story bordered on over the top, but overall this is one I would recommend for a quick, entertaining read.

This book was a wild ride. I loved the dual timelines so you could really get Jake and Molly’s story from before, while figuring out what was happening with Sabrina currently. I figured out all of the twists before they were revealed in the book, but it did not take away from the story at all. I loved every bit of this story and how it wrapped things up for all of the characters in the end.

Can't look away starts out as a typical romance between a musician and a fan. Molly sees Jake up on stage one night and their eyes meet, then in typical romance fashion, they fall madly in love and move in together after only a few months. But, that's where the typical romance ends.

We also have the voice of Sabrina, Jake's ex-girlfriend and she's obviously not over Jake.

Jump to 10 years later and Molly is living in a Connecticut suburb with her husband Hunter and their 5 year old daughter, Sabrina is also in this same town and out to make Molly's live hell, after she befriends her, of course.

Can't Look Away is a good summer read! It must be well done because I really can't stand Sabrina!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for this honest review.

I was very excited through the first half of this book with the obsessive characters and intriguing storyline. However, the ending fell flat for me because I was expecting a major twist. Instead it ended exactly how I expected. I liked it, but I was hoping more for a thriller.

This one fell flat for me after TGTBT. Once the big reveal of who Sabrina/CC is, everything else is drawn out. The book feels too long.




I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

This is a fast paced romantic suspense. It’s a roller coaster ride of mystery, domestic drama, deception and thrills. I really enjoyed the well developed, intriguing plot. The drama kept me engaged in the story. Very enjoyable read. *thanks to NetGalley for the complimentary copy. This is my honest review*

Thought-provoking for sure... It's a giant game of "what if" except with consequences... and secrets... and all the things that make for a fabulous thriller. However, I didn't find the beginning scenario with Molly and Jake all that realistic, but using my imagination, I made it work.

This one just didn't pull me in like the last Carola Lovering book I've read and I sadly gave up before it ended. However, as with all books, I hope you'll still give it a shot because the writing is great and characters are charming!

Twenty-three year old Molly dreams of becoming a writer, while working as a barista. One night at a concert, she locks eyes with a singer, Jake Danner, and can’t look away. She thinks he’s perfect, but in fact he isn’t.
A decade later she is t the writer she dreamed of but is married to Hunter. She’s lonely and feels out of place. When Sabrina shows up, Molly thinks she finally has a friend. But Sabrina has ulterior motives for having moved in.

This thriller was one I didn’t see coming and definitely couldn’t “look away.” It’s a domestic drama with angst romance and felt like a Lifetime movie.. which are my fave. The drama factor is definitely there.

2.5 stars, nothing spectacular here.

Thanks to some trusted GR reviewer friends, I had adjusted my expectations for this one and went in knowing it was a domestic drama, not a thriller. Yet still, I didn't find much to connect with here. I didn't like any of the characters and the plot was kind of been there, done that.

We have three points of view, all of them are selfish in their own ways, and some of them are crazy stalkers. It's a straightforward story overall though, the characters only think about themselves and what they want. It annoyed me to no end that Molly, an intelligent woman with a master's degree, is basically hanging around wanting these men to take care of her and encourage her rather than being strong and pursuing her writing ambitions herself. All of the characters acted like love and being in love with particular people was the ultimate thing in life and without it they were empty shells worth nothing. I just wanted to shake all of them and tell them that they are grown adults and they should act like it and stop wallowing in teenage angst well past the teen years.

I'm not sure this author is for me, I don't get into the sappy melodrama and soap opera-style drama. I listened to part of this as an audiobook and did like the full cast narration. It kept me more invested than reading it on the page.