Can’t Look Away is a gripping, emotional rollercoaster that explores love, obsession, and the passage of time. Carola Lovering weaves a suspenseful and beautifully written story that keeps you hooked from start to finish.

I've read several books by Carola Lovering, and this one may be my favorite. Usually her books tend to have two female MCs with alternating perspectives, and those characters are all fairly demented and absolutely absurd in the worst ways. This book was a nice change of pace because of the two female MCs this time, one was absolutely horrible while the other was fairly normal and reasonably flawed. I usually have a hard time figuring out who I'm rooting for, if either of them, but this one felt very clear pretty immediately. There was certainly a "good guy" and a "bad guy" in this story, which isn't typically the case for other books from Lovering. So this one felt refreshing, while still being suspenseful. I wouldn't necessarily consider this one a thriller in the typical sense, but it was lightly thrilling. It was also very much a love story, while not being a romance.

I will say I saw this big twist coming from very early on, though I never expected it to be revealed in the way it was. I also disliked how understanding and forgiving basically everyone in this book was, with the exception of the main protagonist (who just couldn't let anything go). It felt like the most unrealistic part of the book. Also, not pressing charges? WILD!

This definitely wasn’t the thriller or mystery I was expecting. It was an interesting story with intriguing characters. Once I stopped waiting for the mystery I was able to enjoy the book more.

I could not stop reading this book! Had to better understand the intriguing characters, their development, their complicated motives. Lovering really captures the nature of relationships, the nuances and facets of love, and the irrationality and strength of obsessive love. She also lovingly conveys the nuances and joys of long-term female friendships. Wonderful!

ATTENTION! This is not a thriller!! One of my biggest pet peeves is when a book is falsely categorized or marketed because then it can totally skew and taint your opinion early. Once that’s aside, I did enjoy this domestic suspense that was really a drama with a tiny side of mystery!

This one is a bit of a slow burn but I loved that it was about love and obsession and that it was full of toxic people and relationships. The characters were incredibly multidimensional and I enjoyed the dual timelines and how everything got interwoven!

The romance aspects add an emotional level to this book but the deception, manipulation, secrets and betrayal keep it entertaining as well!

I’m looking forward to reading more from Lovering!

Im torn between a 3 and 4 star rating for this story. Lovering writes such intriguing stories that are so addicting. This story is def not a thriller, and not really a mystery either--more like a romantic suspense or like if you're watching a reality tv show and getting all the tea. The writing was good, which what makes it so easy to read. I will continue to pick up this author's work!


SPOILER: My only complaint is I hated Jake. I wasn't sure if we were really supposed to be rooting for him and the MC, but I def wasn't and wished we got present day Hunter fleshed out more. At the end when they start talking like Sabrina sabotaged them and got in between them I was like um Jake did that on his own just fine!! Another complaint is I wish there was some sort of twist or reveal at the end related to Sabrina and her intentions.

Unfortunately, this audiobook archived before I was able to listen to it. Maybe I'll be able to listen to it in the future.

*Thank you @macmillanaudio for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Review not posted to Amazon/Goodreads because less than 4 stars or DNF.*

I liked this book for gossipy factor. I felt like I was overhearing a tawdry story about my neighbors or colleagues. However, I felt like Molly was to perfect and she had to have some flaws.

Omg. Her writing is just so beautiful. I feel like she really does well with character development and sucking you in to feel so deeply for the characters. At the end i just felt emotional because i felt for them and everything they went through.

And i love how she tackled infertility and MC. As someone who’s struggled with both, i felt it was done well.

Sabrina—- man what a character. Throughout i just did not like her, as you’re not meant to really but i still felt for her and i think that’s Lovering’s gift of writing there.

Just a wonderful story. Thoroughly loved it.

The narration was great as well. I love Karissa Vacker. She was my fav.

Wow the obsession in this one is so toxic. I was kinda in to it! Super involved what these women went through for one guy.

This is a story of a love triangle tale. Molly meets Jake, a budding music star, at one of his concerts and it's love at first sight. Jump forward nearly a decade and we find Molly is married to a very handsome Hunter and raising a sweet 5 year old daughter.
The story alternates between the past and the present with various points of view.

Molly’s life is good, even keel. She is a yoga instructor, and the studio is where she meets her new best friend Sabrina. It’s almost uncanny how much they have in common. Molly is content with her new quiet life and okay to have moved on from Jake and his rocker life. Even the song he wrote for her ten years is in the past. That is until she learns a new version of Molly's Song is about to be released. For this reason she will come face to face with her past.

The story is romance filled with heartache for the one that got away, hope for the future and the crazy ex-girlfriend. I found the characters selfish but interesting. The story moved along at a fair pace and I pretty much enjoyed it. The ending was fairly predictable and if you’re in to women’s fiction, it’s a good read.

A big plus for this book are the narrators who voiced the audio version.

I loved the rock and roll aspect of this book. the suspense kept me reading and I loved Molly. she is strong and has a head on her shoulders. I never saw the ending coming.

this was not at all what I was expecting after reading other carola lovering novels! this story follows Molly and Jake’s love story in one timeline and Molly’s present day life with Hunter and her daughter in another. we’re then introduced to Sabrina and we slowly learn her intentions through her own storyline. it contains discussions on first love, obsession, fertility struggles, and general domestic issues. i listened to this on audio and could not put it down. the twists weren’t overtly surprising, but the pacing of the reveals was strong and I continually wanted to know more. don’t go in expecting a thriller; this definitely leans closer to romantic suspense. i enjoyed my time reading this one!

*thank you netgalley & st. Martin’s press for the eARC!

I really enjoyed this! This book is definitely not a thriller. If you go in looking for a twisty thriller you will be extremely disappointed. If you want a soapy drama filled with betrayal, deception, heartache and a dash of suspense, this is for you. I would love to see this play out through an episodic drama on Netflix. I was entertained from beginning to end and was quickly pulled into the lives of the characters and invested in the outcome of their lives. The narrators did an excellent job bringing the characters to life and adding an extra layer of emotion and intrigue. Very addictive! Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my audiobook.

A completely accurate title. This was a quick and easy read that I couldn’t look away from, even having predicted the twists and turns that lie ahead.

This one doesn’t fit neatly in any one genre box. Part suspense, part romance, part women’s fiction, I found it a unique mix that made me ponder the connections we make over time and how we change as we age.

I flew through the audiobook narrated by Caitlin Davies, Karissa Vacker, and Zachary Webber. If you’re looking for a quick listen while you get *all the things* done, I’d recommend this one.

Also of note, this was a @gmabookclub pick in July.

Many thanks to @stmartinspress and macmillan.audio for the #gifted copies

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of Can't Look Away in exchange for an honest review.

Molly was in her twenties, living in New York City with her Rockstar boyfriend, Jake Danner, who she is madly in love with and he has just written a smash hit called "Molly's Song" Fast forward and she is living in Flynn Cove, Connecticut married to a man named Hunter and raising their daughter. She works at a yoga studio where she meets her new best friend Sabrina. She can not believe how much they have in common; its more than she ever suspected. Molly is quite happy with her new quiet life and okay with leaving Jake and his rocker life behind, until a new version of Molly's Song is about to be released and she will come face to face with her past.

I enjoyed Carola Lovering's newest work and the story switching between Molly's current life and her past with Jake. The story is full of heartache for the "one that got away", hope in the future and a crazy ex-girlfriend, sprinkled in. While the characters are not always likeable (and mostly selfish) they do a good job of moving the narrative along and overall I enjoyed it. The ending was predictable but fitting and I do recommend picking it up.
I had the audio version read by Karissa Vacker (one of my favorites); Caitlin Davies; and Zachary Webber who were all incredibly enjoyable to listen to.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this one. I wanted to love this but it was really quite boring. Eventually, the gossipy drama did get my attention, but it just was too full for what I typically look for in a book of this genre.

3.5/4 stars!

After reading quite a few romances this Summer, I was craving a little mystery, and CAN’T LOOK AWAY was the perfect poolside read for me!

While I often start reading mystery/thrillers without much prior knowledge about the plot, I had heard from a few book friends that this fell more in line with a romantic suspense.

It was an enjoyable story with a few unexpected twists, and I loved reading the physical book with the audiobook. I love this style because I can pick up with the audio right where I left off if I’m in the car.

*many thanks to St Martin’s Press/Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy for review

I liked this book. It was definitely more drama than thriller. There were no shocking twists or turns. The plot was pretty predictable. I really liked the ending.

I loved the authors previous book, Too Good To Be True, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one.
The power of your first true love as an adult can make people do all kinds of things and this is what you will find as the centerpiece of this story.
Love can be so many things to different people, but when a person feels that first love was stolen from them…all bets are off.

With some of my favorite narrators this was an awesome read.