I will read anything from Alessandra Torre she is my absolute favorite and this book was no different. I was hooked from the first chapter and devoured it in a day. Love the twist, the setting, the characters...so good! I HIGHLY recommend this book! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

Wow! What a ride that book was! I had recently read another book by A.R. Torre and was a huge fan, so I was excited when I saw this on NetGalley. First, I loved the different perspectives. I felt like I never quite knew what exactly was going on and which character to trust. I also loved the countdown aspect- you saw everything leading up to the event and got to see the aftermath. I read this book in about a day. I can’t wait to recommend this book to my fellow readers. Thanks again to NetGalley for this ARC!

This was an okay book, but it definitely wasn’t a great work of thrilling fiction which is what I prefer. The book started off okay and I was super interested in what was going on but unfortunately that didn’t last. The characters were underdeveloped, and the plot seemed all over the place. Even though it tied together in the end, the route it took to get there didn’t hold my interest at all.

Fans of A. R. Torre will enjoy this #fastpacedthriller. I can’t reveal much without spoiling anything, but there are lots of twists and surprises. It’s a gripping story with multiple layers and interesting characters. No one is who they seem. It had a noir #mysterythriller flair at times, and I liked how different the second half of the book felt. This would make a fantastic film or TV adaptation. 3.5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Thanks to @netgalley and @amazonpublishing for the #arc #advancedreaderscopy. It comes out on 27 September 2022 and can be pre-ordered on Amazon now.

At first, there’s nothing unusual about the plot of A Familiar Stranger. It’s sad but all too common. Lillian Smith has learned to accept her loveless marriage. She’s sure her husband Mike is having an affair, her teenage son Jacob lives in a world of his own and reckless behavior has cost her her job as a celebrity obituary writer. Her only friends are gay realtor Sam and Lenny, a former cop turned cemetery groundskeeper. Enter David. A chance coffee shop meeting with the charismatic David Laurent awakens Lillian’s creative nature. She introduces herself as Taylor and begins a passionate affair. Of course, we know this will not end well.

It doesn’t. Full of well described characters, especially vulnerable Lillian, with a faced paced plot that ends in a satisfying but surprising conclusion, A Familiar Stranger is impossible to put down! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and A.R. Torre for this ARC.

I was so excited for this book and let me tell you it did not disappoint one bit. Every chapter alternates between all the characters. And this book was definitely filled with twists and turns and in the end it all gets tied up perfectly with no questions left. I didn’t get bored at all through the book I just wanted to keep going I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with this plot before. I’ve loved all the books I’ve read by A.R. Torre. Highly recommend this if your into domestic thrillers. Thank you netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for allowing me to read this early!

An addictive thriller that kept me on edge most of the way through. A few twists that took me by surprise and I really enjoyed the overall structure of this story. My second book by A.R Torre, but definitely not the last I'll read.

🤯🤯🤯🤯

Reading this one was like biting into a piece of chocolate and discovering there is a surprise peanut butter filling in the middle which is my favorite. 😍 (or whatever flavor you like for non peanut butter lovers 😂) I knew I was going to like the book within the few chapters but it just kept getting better to the point, I devoured it in one sitting.

Y’all get ready, because there are a couple twists that will make you say WTF at least 5 times. 🤣🤣

It’s a wild ride!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of A Familiar Stranger.

I'm a big fan of Ms. Torre's books. She always creates compelling, intricate female main characters who are both relatable and interesting to the reader.

In A Familiar Stranger, readers are introduced to Lillian Smith.

She's no one special, in her mind; she writes obits and has been married for 15 years to a man she suspects is having an affair.

After a chance meeting with David, a handsome stranger, she is enticed and energized by an affair, creating a new name and persona, becoming the person she wished she was, instead of who she really is.

But, when her adulterous affair is exposed on social media, threatening her family, their reputation and standing, Lillian will discover actions have consequences, all of them deadly.

As always, the writing is good, but A Familiar Stranger is my least favorite of Ms. Torre's books.

The plot wasn't bad, though predictable, and I called nearly every 'twist' as it occurred.

There was something very rushed about the narrative; the sparse character development, the hurried introduction of each character, and who they are in Lillian's life.

Lillian wasn't a memorable or interesting character and even though something happens to her, her voice and perspective disappears entirely at the end of the novel.

This was a huge disappointment because I wanted to know what happens to her, how she feels at that particular point in her life.

I even flipped back and forth through the pages to make sure I hadn't missed her final chapter.

The only person I did end up liking was the former detective turned cemetery groundskeeper.

He's flawed but relatable, and his loyalty to Lillian and his strong moral code made him an engaging and likable character.

I'm still a fan of the author and look forward to her next book.

To say I loved this book is a huge understatement! I stayed up until 5am to finish it in one sitting! I absolutely love the writing style and am going to run and read the authors other books when I finish this review. The story was so unique and captivating and the plot twist threw me! It wasn’t meant to be a heartwarming story but one thing about the ending had me cheering. A.R. Torre you have a new fan in me!

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review - Lillian's husband is leading a double life - unknown to her - but she is beginning to suspect he maybe having an affair - but who with? Lillian has her own troubles as she writes obituaries but when her boss gives her a bad review - she is fired for keying her car - - She meets David and their hot affair begins until pictures of this appear on the web. Can she save her marriage or will it all fall apart as her secrets and her husbands secrets are revealed?

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy to review, all opinions are my own.

Holy cow, that was quite the ride! I thought I had it figured out early on where this story was headed. Nope! From the twist on I was on the edge of my seat and determined to keep going to see what happened! Well done!

Woo-eee am I happy to have had the chance to read A.R. Torre’s latest domestic thriller early! Just…wow.

This was a quick read, but the perfect length to binge in 1-2 sittings. Told in first person with alternating POVs, A Familiar Stranger is fast-paced, utterly original, and satisfyingly sinful. I just KNEW she had something in store for an explosive ending, and this one absolutely delivered.

Torre’s method of storytelling and prose continues to surprise me, and I truly cannot get enough of her books.

Also, this cover? Umm, gorgeous! 😍

Thank you kindly to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the gifted eARC! A Familiar Stranger hits shelves 9/27!

Lillian can remember a time when her husband Mike would have brought her flowers, just because. When her teenage son hung on her every word. When her celebrity obituary column was must-read news.
Now though, she thinks her husband is having an affair, can’t get more than a word from her son, and has been demoted at work. What else could go wrong? Maybe, just maybe a chance encounter with a stranger at a coffee shop will be the catalyst she needs to make something go right.
Lillian, oh Lillian, who at one time or another hasn't felt trapped and abandoned when suddenly their picture-perfect life doesn't look quite so perfect. Told mostly from her perspective, chapters from Mike raised more questions than answers and it was pretty hard to find one redeeming quality in him. Her best friend Sam and a former cop, Lenny, now a cemetery caretaker chime in as well, and I was as wrong as a reader could be over who would wind up dead.

Well, holy crazy plot! This doesn’t publish until September, but I pushed aside the 20(yep 20?) ARCs I have to read for May planning to just read the first few chapters and didn’t put it down until I was done. Told as a countdown to death, I kept flipping the pages to find out who and why. I did not come close to figuring it out! 4.5 stars.


My first read by this author and not my last.

The premise of this was intriguing and I have not yet read a book by A.R. Torre. However, I found it impossible to connect or care for any of the book's characters. I also found the plot to be too slow-moving for not much of a payoff at the end, but one that screamed "Shock Value." Because I would not recommend this book I will not post a written review on on review sites or social media, but I will give it three stars. Thanks for the ARC!

This book started off so well but somewhere it took a weird turn. I was not a fan of the direction it took. I like the writing style and the short chapters.

Lillian Smith is your average wife and mother who has a job writing obituaries in a very unique way. She meets David in a coffee shop and begins having an affair.

Lillian creates a whole knew identity; one without rules, free from restrictions and the boundaries created for her by her ordinary life. News of her affair hits her life like a wrecking ball; the consequences of which she could have never imagined.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited to get a chance to read this book by A.R. Torre. Their previous books were some of my favorite reads of last year! Anything by this author is an instant read for me

Right off the bat this book pulled me in. Lillian runs a twitter account that is fun and involves her line of work: writing obituaries. Each tweet involves a mystery of who died. I found myself even puzzling over the mysteries of who died in the tweets. I thought it was a fun touch to a thriller story.

Lillian seems to be the perfect house wife type. She is always cleaning, and making sure dinner is prepared. All while holding down a full time job as an obituary writer for the times. Meanwhile her husband Mike has been distant. Her picture perfect life is starting to crack in multiple places. I won’t lie but at times Lillian really got on my nerves. I wanted to shake some sense into her. I didn’t know if I should be angry at her or give her pity.

We do get multiple POV at times. Mainly between Lillian and her husband Mike. Mike seems to be up to no good. But what exactly? I caught myself running through all the scenarios of what he could be up to. I don’t want to give too many details so I don’t spoil it. But it is never a good sign when your husband GPS tracks you, has listening devices in your home AND checks your phone records!

What I loved:

- the pacing, I was able to finish this book quickly! There wasn’t a point in which I was ever bored. I kept trying to find time to sneak off to read more
- -the death countdown kept me on my toes. I was so curious who it was going to be!
- Lenny. I love and absolutely adore this character! His POVs were some of my favorites!
- A giant twist that I did NOT see coming at all! What?! That is all I have to say. That twist makes the books movement throttle forward at high speed.
- And even more twists! This book is wild in such a good way!


This was a wild trip of a read. I caught myself going back to specific chapters to try to piece together things. I honestly was so shocked at so many different points. The ending was perfect in my opinion. 4 stars out of 5!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

Holy heart-pounding, edge-of-your seat, furious page turning book! This story opens up with one of the most unforgettable scenes in a thriller…
This was very suspenseful. It was a page turner.
The chapters weren’t too long and the story flowed well.
It kept my attention and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.
A. R. Torre wrote a story that keeps you needing to read more.
As our characters' stories progress it becomes impossible to stop.
I thought about the book constantly when I wasn't reading it.
This novel is taut and quietly intense.
Despite not knowing what’s going to happen, a wave of overwhelming inevitability hits you at the end.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Thomas & Mercer,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

I freaking LOVE LOVE LOVE this book!!! Oh my gosh I absolutely inhaled it!!! I loved the first person perspective. I loved the alternating chapters between different characters. I loved my confusion because I just could not see what was coming next! And I loved how the ending was all tied up and wasn’t open ended. Absolutely run to read this one and I promise you won’t regret it!!!

Holy Moly!! This book was just filled with all sorts of twists and turns that I did not see coming! As an avid reader, the element of surprise is so rare that I can usually guess the plot and outcome at some point during the story. Nope! Not this time! I devoured this in less than a day and I'm sad that it's over. I really enjoyed all of the characters, both good and bad, and I didn't want this one to end!

A Familiar Stranger starts out with a countdown to someone's death. And you won't know whose until it smacks you in the face! Lillian Smith, an obituary writer who dazzles in reinventing herself by borrowing some of her dead subjects' personas, finds herself swept up in an exciting affair with a man named David. Not a good idea when you are married to a control freak and have an anxiety-ridden teenage son! This sordid affair sets into motion a whirlwind of events that lead to secrets being revealed and many lives spiraling out of control. Whose life will end as a result? You'll just have to read and find out. And I highly recommend that you do!

Thank you to the author, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for allowing me free access to this eARC in exchange for my honest review!