Excellent thriller involving dual timelines. I loved it! I read it basically all in one sitting, I didn't want to put my Kindle down. Don't start this one before bed.

Such a fascinating concept that executed so well. Also using this as a place to show my support for the Harper Collins union. Thank you to Harper for the gifted ARC my honest review.

Working at a bar, UK law student Sara Bhaduris takes a ride share home with a very drunk Sarah Ellis. Each gets off at the other's stop and Sarah is murdered - but who was the target?

Readers gradually learn of a dark secret in Sara's past. Fortunately she is very smart and very tough when she needs to be. She sorts her own problem and finds out who killed Sarah and why.

This is an absorbing read, with a final, powerful twist in the ending.

This was quite a really dark read and I was surprised at where the story went. I wasn't a huge fan of Sara, but I did enjoy watching her try to figure out if she had been the target of the murder, and the twists were great. This book would make a perfect book club read.

I did this one on audio, I planned to read it, but the audio was fairly short so I ended up listening to the whole thing. This was different than I had first expected. I thought this was gonna be a thriller centered on being trapped by an Uber driver, but instead it was more an alternating timeline/POV mystery.

For the audio version, there are two main narrators. They sounded different enough that it was easy to keep them apart. I got a little lost in the story, I felt like there was a lot of layers/details to the story. For the most part though I really enjoyed this one!

Thank you to @harperaudio @williammorrowbooks for my copies!

Unfortunately, I have been locked out of my netgalley account for a few months and was not able to see which books I had on my list or even know to check if they downloaded properly, in order to properly read and review. I do apologize and am doing a 3 for neutral. Will update once I’m able to obtain a copy and read!

Are You Sara? is a story about two women named Sara/h whose lives become tragically intertwined after a chance meeting. Sara (Saraswati) Bhaduri is working at a bar at closing time when her manager orders her to check on a girl, Sarah Ellis, who has passed out in a drunken stupor in the rest room. The two Saras hit it off, get a little high, and talk a bit before they both call rideshares to take them to their respective homes. Sara B. falls asleep on her ride home, and when she wakes she realizes she is in the wrong neighborhood. She must have gotten in the wrong rideshare. When she makes it back to her own apartment, she discovers it lit up by police and Sarah E. dead on her doorstep. So is it a case of mistaken identity or was Sarah E. the intended victim? They both have some shady back stories so it could go either way.

The story is told from alternating timelines that fill the reader in on the two girls’ personalities. It’s well written, but it reminded me of something that would be made into a Lifetime movie. It’s a bit YA. The author though does a good job of keeping you guessing which Sara was the intended target that kept me turning pages.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing me an eGalley.

Are You Sara? explores social class, mistaken identity, expectations, and revenge. I liked the premise of this book. Oddly enough, I liked the unlikable characters. Sara “Saraswarti”’s perspective is dangerous and the choices she makes make the reader want to shake her. Sarah Ellis’s perspective surprised me on how YA her side is leading up to her murder (not a spoiler since it literally says in the summary). I kept switching from the physical book and the audiobook. The only thing that annoyed me with the audiobook narrator was that she was mispronouncing some of the Indian names which drove me nuts. Overall, I’d rate this 3.5 but rounded up to 4 stars on GoodReads. I’d recommend picking this one up!

A fast paced read that preyed on a lot of my biggest fears! Two women get in rideshares, but one gets killed and it looks like it was not by accident. There were some fun reveals-and some plot twists I saw coming- but overall entertaining and I would try this author again.

Thanks to Scene of the Crime for an advanced copy of Are you Sara? This book started out very intriguing for me but as it went on it started to fizzle out and I kind of lost interest in it. I appreciate the copy to read and i would for sure pick up something else from this author in the future.

Are You Sara?

I am going to start out with a PSA...

You need to read this book slowly. This is not the kind of book you can rush through or not pay attention or you will miss something.

S.C. Lilli has put together a very intricate and detailed storyline that will have you thinking the entire time.

The plot is told from dual points of view as well as dual time lines, flashing from past to present. There is no way you will be able to figure out if it was an intentional murder or a case of mistaken identity. The twist was one I did not see coming and I am usually pretty good at figuring things out around the midpoint. I enjoyed the sense of mystery and following along with Sara and her amateur detective skills.

All in all this is a nail biting thriller that will have you thinking about what actually happened long after concluding. I am interested to see what S.C. Lalli comes out with in the future and would recommend Are You Sara to anyone who enjoys a thrilling murder mystery.

3.5/5

Are You Sara? by S.C. Lalli had a very strong start, and overall, it was a book I was really into. I loved that it began with murder because frankly, those are my favorite types of books, and I really enjoyed the switches between Saraswati “Sara” Bhaduri and Sarah Ellis' viewpoints. The characters aren't likable, but that didn't stop me from finishing the book in one sitting. I loved the way Lalli's writing pulled the reader in, and I was anxious to learn which Sara(h) had been the real target of the murder. I think the biggest thing that really deterred me from loving the book was Sara and how one minute she was making incredibly stupid decisions, and the next she was trying to be some sort of hero.

This was actually a really dark read at its core, and I ended up being quite surprised at where the story went. One especially great thing about Are You Sara? was the audiobook which is narrated by Shiromi Arserio & Kristen Sieh. I thought they did an excellent job with their respective characters and really got across both of their personalities. Even though I wasn't a huge fan of Sara, I did enjoy watching her try to figure out if she had been the target of the murder, and the twists were great if not a little sad as well. It also helped that this was a true thriller unlike the last couple of books I have read recently and there was plenty going on to keep me interested. This is also a great book to use as a discussion read for a book club and believe me when I say it will give you plenty to talk about!

Thank you to the publishers for my complimentary listening and reader copies of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I liked this one! I wasn’t as invested in the characters, but still really enjoyed it! I enjoyed the twists and turns too!

Sara works in a bar, one night Sarah if found passed out in the bathroom. Sara wakes her and gets her outside. They hit it off. They both call for a ride share but as luck would have it, they end up in the others ride. In the morning Sarah is found dead on the doorstep of Sara's apartment. It was an interesting read and little slow at times, but I found it interesting enough to keep reading. The story alternates between the current time and the history of both girls.

4 1/2 stars

Are You Sara? is a fast paced, easy to read mystery-thriller. It’s intricately plotted and includes a major twist that came totally unexpected. It kept me guessing to the end, as it provided so many realistic possibilities for the person who could be the perpetrator. The chapters are short, which adds to the sense of urgency in the story. The characters are interesting, varied, and well developed. I can’t say that I liked any of them, but they fit the story very well.

This wrong place at the wrong time tale is thought provoking. It touches on class differences, quid pro quo partnerships, and family. I found it intriguing, and it kept me turning pages.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I thank all involved for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.

This was an interesting and different type of read. It's about two women both named Sara that meet one night at the bar that Sara works at and then they both get rides to go back to their homes. The thing is that they end up getting into the wrong cars and Sara ends up at the other Sarah's place, which is a nicer, fancier neighborhood, and has to walk back to her place. When Sara gets back to her place, she finds the police and the other Sarah dead on her front doorstep.
In this suspense story, you follow the past POV of Sarah and the present POV of Sara and it weaves things together to discover and reveal the answer of who killed Sarah and what happened. It was tricky in places to keep track of things, but after figuring it out and piecing together the events - the story of what really happened and who the real killer was - it was written really well.
If you like intricate plots, mystery/thrillers, and suspense, then check this one out. Thanks so much to NetGalley and William Morrow for letting me read and review this intriguing mystery. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to the author and William Morrow Publishers for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book quickly became my top read for the year. I was hooked from the first page and didn't want to put the book down. I thought I had this one figured out early, but by the time we hit the last few chapters....EVERYONE became a suspect. lol

Are you Sara? is a fast-paced thriller you won't want to put down! 5 stars!!!

Thank you to William Morrow, Netgalley, and S.C. Lalli for an advance copy of Are You Sara? in exchange for an honest review. I very much enjoyed this suspense filled novel and loved how it was told in multiple point of views. I found myself constantly judging and be weary of all the characters while we tried to figure out what happened to Sara. I was satisfied with how and when we found out who the killer was and while the ending wasnt what I was expecting, it seemed to tie everything up nicely. This one is available now so get your hands on it soon!

This was my first time reading S.C. Lalli and what a great surprise! I really enjoyed this book. The storyline of the two Sara's was excellent. I really enjoyed the main character had a darker side to her.

Two women named Sara each get into a rideshare. . . but only one makes it home alive. Which Sara was the real target? And that’s really all you need to know about this book. It takes off from there and at times meanders rather than gallops to the finish. This is one of the more original plots I’ve read in a while and I’ll think twice before getting in a ride-share. Some good twists at the end but it was hard to like anyone in this book. Not. One. Person. Not even the victim. I did have to make myself finish this but I was glad I did at the very end. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.