Definitely NOT a thriller, mystery & not even really suspenseful either. It was still a good, well rounded story though.

Can’t Look Away
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (Rounded to 4 for rating)
Genre: Thriller
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 6/14/22
Author: Carola Lovering
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 320
Goodreads Rating: 3.91

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing a digital copy of the book for me to read in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: Molly Diamond is at a concert in East Williamsburg, when she locks eyes with the lead singer, Jake Danner, and can’t look away. Molly and Jake fall quickly and deeply in love, especially after he writes a hit song about her that puts his band on the map. Nearly a decade later, Molly is living in Flynn Cove, Connecticut with her young daughter and her husband Hunter—who is decidedly not Jake Danner. Sabrina has her own reasons for moving to Flynn Cove and befriending Molly. And as Sabrina’s secrets are slowly unspooled, her connection to Molly becomes clearer––as do secrets of Molly's own, which she’s worked hard to keep buried. What happens when life turns out nothing like we thought it would, when we were young and dreaming big? Does growing up mean choosing with your head, rather than your heart? And do we ever truly get over our first love?

My Thoughts: First, I want to say this really is not a thriller, as it is classified. I would say more romantic suspense or domestic suspense. The story is narrated by Molly, Jake and Sabrina and is broken into two frames, in 2013 when Molly was with the rock star (Jake Danner) and then currently in 2022. This was told in a third person perspective, which was different than what I am used to. The book was true to Lovering’s style of mastery of the heart and suspense around the corner, especially with Sabrina stalking abilities. I typically gravitate towards fast pace thrillers or Rom-Com’s more, however, this was a nice change up. There were some twists throughout, but not what you typically expect in a thriller. Some of the plot and/or twists were a bit stretched, but since this is a work of fiction, it does work for this book. Overall, I thought the book was good.

This was an interesting mash-up of romance and thriller - I'm not sure I've read many books quite like it. I was engaged with the characters and enjoyed the relationships, but the thriller piece was just OK for me as I didn't really feel like the suspense was maintained throughout the book. I flew through this one - definitely a recommended read!

An utterly engaging novel about the allure--and sometimes dangerous pull--of love, particularly young love, and the lengths we go to in order to protect and pursue such love. This is a page turner with compelling characters whose lives intersect at many unexpected points . I'll be thinking about Molly, Jake, Sabrina and Hunter for a while. Highly recommend.

2.5 stars

After enjoying Lovering's _Too Good to Be True_, I was really anticipating this new one. This more recent experience left a lot to be desired, unfortunately.

Molly, the main character, is somehow both a writer and the world's least observant person...except for her ex-partner, Jake. Because these two are so ridiculous and then are surrounded by other outrageous characters, this situation somehow evolves. If there is a mystery component to this novel (more on this in a minute), it's here: how some of these characters can ask so few questions about the people in their lives and fail to pay attention to obviously disturbing 'coincidences.'

The story is told in the present and past by Molly, Jake, and Sabrina, the latter of whom is Jake's current wife and Molly's current "friend." In the past, Molly and Jake were together. Their relationship IS NOT GOOD. Think of one of those yikes relationships from your 20s. This is that for them. Unlike healthy folks who recognize those "learning experiences" for what they were, there is still - in many ways inexplicably - an incredible draw between them when they bizarrely reconnect six years later. MOVE ON. Sabrina is a whole other problem. She's been around for a really long time, but somehow there are EXTREMELY IMPORTANT DETAILS that no one really bothers to figure out about her...for like a decade. I'm not going to say that folks deserve bad things to happen to them. Sometimes, though, the characters are so clueless (despite some practical signs that suggest they shouldn't be) that it's hard to find sympathy when their situations fall apart.

This is getting tagged as mystery/thriller, and the cover image reinforces this vibe, but for me, this is a not stellar example of the worst of women's fiction: romanticizing of bad former relationships, obsession/possession on the part of a jealous woman, conniving women, and way more that I won't spoil. There's a highlight reel of bad behavior and unhealthy ideas, and strangely, there's little mystery or thrill because unlike the characters, the readers can figure out what's what almost immediately.

While this is not the follow-up novel I anticipated from this author, I'm going to take a page out of some of these characters' books and sort of eternal sunshine this one from my brain in hopes that the next one is a little more like this one's predecessor. Oof. It hurts to write, but this was a challenge.

Never have I read a story that captures its title like Can’t Look Away by Carola Lovering. I couldn’t look away. The love stories between Jake, Molly, Hunter and Sabrina are raw, emotional and intoxicating. The twists and turns of this story made it unpredictable and rooting for different characters. This story is a romantic drama with hints of a thriller. Fans of Colleen Hoover will devour this story. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Can’t Look Away was a great book that kept my attention and had me quickly turning pages to see what unfolded next. I wouldn’t call it a suspense novel like the description says but there were tons of unexpected twists and turns that keep the reader engaged throughout. I kept thinking that I had the story figured out but then something would change or a new detail revealed that made me realize I didn’t know how the story unfolded.

This was such a great book! I loved all the suspense and the drama that went along with it. I would read this Authors books over and over

Talk about drama!!!
This book was very intriguing from start to finish. I loved the dual timelines and multiple POVs, it really added to the layers of this story. I would like readers to go into this knowing it is NOT a thriller. Which is okay, as long as you know that it makes the story more enjoyable. It reads more like a domestic (romantic) drama. And dramatic it was. I'm a sucker for a love story involving a famous musician, is it because I've been in love with a famous musician for the last eleven years and fantasize about our lives together? Probably. This is a story of falling in and out of love, growing together and growing apart, secrets, betrayal, hope, and understanding. It hit me a bit in the feels as someone who wants to extend her family but struggles a bit to do so. I think its great that this sort of situation is being talked about so openly, as painful as it is to read about while in the thick of it, its also so nice to not feel alone. Overall, I really enjoyed this story.

Molly's life changes one night when she decides to go to a small bar show and locks eyes with the lead singer of the group performing. Thrust into a magical romance, it's everything she could hope for and a future she is eager to experience. But not everything goes how we want it to. Fast forward, now Molly lives in an uppity neighborhood surrounded by women she doesn't relate to but is thankful she has her husband and young child with her. When she meets Sabrina, a like-minded woman going through similar battles, it is a breath of fresh air. But soon her past starts to catch up to her and she isn't sure she is willing to face it or the pain she tried to leave behind. Her future doesn't seem so clear anymore. Now she has to decide whether to follow her head or her heart.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for early access to Can't Look Away!






TW: miscarriage, infertility, cheating

I'm not entirely sure why I dove into this one thinking it was a suspenseful thriller. Perhaps it was because of the way it's marketed, or because the author's previous book was an amazing thriller with an outstanding twist. Well... it isn't! It is however quite the engaging and captivating domestic drama.

I love Lovering's writing style and her character development. I love the way she weaves relationships together.

Overall, I very much enjoyed Can't Look Away and look forward to reading more from Carola Lovering.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.75 stars rounded up

If you want to enjoy this book, read it for the story. This is not a thriller or a mystery book. But it is a well written, good story about life, love, relationships, people. In some way it reminds me of Liane Moriarty's books.

We have the story of a couple that started seeing each other when they were young and they were trying to find themselves and their way in life. When carriers were pulling them in different directions and they were trying to figure out life in a relationship in the same time.

The characters are very relatable. We have the sweet and loving boyfriend who is also selfish, self-centred and nasty at times. We have Maggie, the kind, honest, nice girl who can be infatuated and quite the spoiled princess. They love each other but they mess up and they prove that love is not enough to keep a long term relationship.

The ending was a bit strange, not my favourite choice but over all a good read!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this book!

A whole bunch of craziness! Imagine being so obsessed with your ex, that you will do anything (real crazy stuff) to get them back. Even though this is fiction, I can actually imagine this happening in real life, especially how the world is now.

'Can't Look Away' involves a romance, a love triangle, a square and then back to romance. Plus, a whole lot of a craziness, I mean CRAZINESS!!!

I wouldn't really consider it a psychological thriller. To me, it was more of a drama. It did keep my attention all the way through. I did figure one thing out mid way through, but I still wanted to find out what was going to happen.

'Can't Look Away' publishes on June 14, 2022. I think you will enjoy it.

Thanks to Netgalley, St Martin's Press and Lovering for the Kindle Version of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is an awesome read and it is so good!!!! Molly Diamond, an aspiring write, goes to a Danner Lane concert and locks eye with the lead singer, Jack Danner, which changes everything for both of them. They begin dating and move in together after a few months. He is a handsome rock star and being on the road touring for lengthy stretches begins to take its toll on their relationship, plus add a psycho ex-girlfriend to the mix and lots of things happen!!! I could not put this book down!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this unputdownable book that I absolutely loved!

This book read like a really interesting movie. in my opinion it wasn't as twisty as I wanted it to be.. I wanted it to be more of a thriller but it really wasn't.

Carola Lovering is becoming a bright new voice in thrillers! Each one gets better and better! This had so many unexpected twists and turns. Absolutely un-put downable.

Can’t Look Away by Carola Lovering is a 2022 St. Martin’s Press publication.

Well, I’m at a loss for words here. I do not like to give low ratings, but it is becoming an epidemic in 2022. I loved the first book I read by this author, so I was highly anticipating this one. Sadly, this book was a big letdown.
I don’t see the point in wasting time on the critique- I did finish the book- mainly because I kept waiting for some big reveal or plot twist that never materialized. The conclusion left me wondering what the point of the story was and why I wasted my time with on it.

I normally avoid one-star ratings because I hate the added attention they draw- choosing to either DNF or quietly remove the book from my list- but I did read it from start to finish, and feel obligated to give it a star rating- so to avoid scrutiny or challenges to my rating I’m kindly handing this one a 1.5 star rating.

While I understand that Lovering has created a story that looks at the dynamics between Molly, her friend Sabrina and her ex-boyfriend Jake, both when Molly and Jake were a couple as well as years later when Molly is married with a child, but the execution just doesn’t work for me. It kind of feels like Lovering is trying to make it a thriller, with Sabrina trying to sabotage the relationship and then following Molly’s life years later. But if she’s so incredibly jealous of the relationship that Molly and Jake had, then why in the world does she put Jake right in Molly’s path and expect it to be the solution to her jealousy? Using it as a way for Jake to get Molly out of his “system” just seems problematic. Molly isn’t necessarily perfect, but Lovering does use this character as a way to showcase how Jake was a toxic person in their relationship, without Jake trying to be a bad person. He’s incredibly preoccupied, and while he needs Molly to be successful, he tends to get wrapped up in his career and forget about how his lack of interest and communication hurts the person he cares about the most. Ultimately this leads to Molly walking away and setting up a reunion in the current time. The thoughtful look at why Jake and Molly grew apart is by far the best part of this book, but the weird set-up of Sabrina’s storyline holds this book back. A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

“We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, you and I.”

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT 1: That old proverb “Don’t talk to strangers” still applies when you’re an adult. Is everyone clear on that? This is when you nod your head in compliance. Good job.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT 2: If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it’s a freaking angry duck who is hell bent on revenge against you; therefore, don’t cozy up to the duck. Once again, please nod in compliance.

Moving on…

In this one, we have our main character, Molly. Her story is told in two timelines: One timeline begins in 2013 and tells the story of an intense, yet doomed-to-fail romance with Jake the musician; the second takes place in present day, when we see Molly as a wife to Hunter and mother to Stella, but nostalgia is a beast, so she often thinks of Jake. Simple enough.

But then…we also get the perspective of Sabrina. She may or may not (probably the first one) be stalking Molly, and she seems a wee bit upset about something from the past. As she suggests in that quote at the top of this review. Sabrina and Molly have a lot of ground to cover.

Guys, here I am minding my own business and reading this book, thinking it’s perfectly fine and engaging, BUT THEN, I get to around the 30% mark, and a hand shot out from my inside Kindle and slapped me in the face. I mean, WHAT? Well, from then on, things were just uncomfortable in that mouthwatering way that domestic suspense novels often are.

Grab it, read it, and delight in all the shock and awe. It’s so dang fun and dysfunctional, but there are also surprising moments of tenderness, pain, and emotional growth. It checks all the boxes for an entertaining yet impactful reading experience.

Can’t Look Away ………you can’t put it down! Jake and Molly are destined to be together, or are they? Sabrina, or whatever name you want to refer to her as, certainly has her own agenda. Can’t Look Away is a quick read that flips back and forth between characters and clearly identified dates in the timeline. I read it in one sitting.
Definitely a good summer read!
Thank You to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

First loves can be hard. They can be even harder when you’re first love is a rock star named Jack.

This is a quick read, and would make the perfect storyline for a lifetime suspense or mystery movie. Complete with married couples, a new friend who seems too good to be true, and that rock star ex sprinkled in what would you expect but chaos to ensure. 😉

I enjoyed the book and wanted to stay on the crazy train to see what would happen next.