I feel that this author is talented, and have enjoyed her other books. However I DNF’d this book.

I found both MC’s extremely unlikeable. I also found that the plot was both slow paced and predictable at times. My lack of connection with the MC’s made me not want to continue slogging through this book to find out what secrets they were hiding.

Other readers might really enjoy this psychological suspense novel. However, it just wasn’t my cups of tea!

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for providing me with a ARC of this book to read and review.

This was my favorite by the author so far! The writing was solid, the characters engaging and the story moved along at a good pace. A great weekend read!

Ruth was just a teenager when she was turned out by her family and rejected by her boyfriend. Pregnant and alone, Ruth did everything to shield her daughter from the harsh realities of her past.
Her daughter Catherine, desperate to find out all she can about her mother starts digging, and what she finds will shatter the house of cards her mother has built.

The twists just kept on coming and I was hooked from beginning to end.
The alternating POV / dual timeline chapters gave enough information that it was fast paced but kept enough hidden that you kept going back for more.

I could not put this book down! It was superb, suspenseful, and gripping. The story and history of the characters flows effortlessly, and I couldn't get enough. I'm already looking forward to Pekkanen's next book, and I highly recommend this one.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for a widget of the ARC through NetGalley. Now available.

How far will you go to protect the person you love the most?

Gone Tonight is a slow-burn thriller following a relationship between mother and daughter and the outcome of what can happen when you try to hide your past. In the last month, Ruth has been showing signs of early alzheimers. She has lost her keys, money, her way home and even put eggs inside of the cabinet.

Her 24 year old daughter Catherine, is moving to Baltimore to begin her journey as a nurse at John Hopkins. She currently works at Sunrise where she takes care of patients who have alzheimer’s and dementia. Being aware of her mother’s symptoms, Catherine is willing to stay at home to take care of her mother.

Now that Ruth’s memory begins to fade, Catherine wants to dig into her mother’s past to get to know her more. What Catherine doesn’t know is that Ruth is willing to do anything to keep her daughter home and away from her past because there is someone out there waiting for her.

I have been a huge fan of the amazing duo of Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks. My favorite novel from these two amazing authors is: An Anonymous Girl. I was at the edge of my seat reading this book. My heart was pumping! I always recommend this book to anyone wanting to dive into the thriller genre.

When I came across Gone Tonight and realized it was written only by Sarah Pekkanen, I was astounded. I already knew that this book was going to be chef’s kiss and juicy!

I've rated Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen, 3.5 stars.

Unfortunately, this book was way too slow for my preference. I prefer to read thrillers that are more fast paced than this. I had to skip a few pages while reading because there were a lot of things that could have been left out.

What I did enjoy about this book is that it is filled with secrets, distrust, deceit and betrayal. I have this love/hate relationship with Ruth. I understand why she ran away from her family and the police. But, I believe that her outcome would’ve been better than she thought if she would’ve told the police what the Coach did to her.

I wasn’t expecting the ending with Catherine. That was a shocker for me. But, I do want to mention that the ending was still lacking in a few areas. The ending could’ve been wrapped up a little neater.

Overall, Gone Tonight is a really nice domestic thriller for readers that love the mother/daughter trope. Even though I have a few issues with this story, it is really good and I know that other readers will enjoy this book more than I did.

Ms. Pekkanen certainly knows how to keep this reader turning the pages far longer than I should have and this one is a gem. It is a slow burn as the mystery unravels bit by bit but so worth it in the end.

Gone Tonight was the first book I have read by Sarah Pekkanen and WOW! This book hooked me from the very first chapter and after finishing it I NEED more! I love the style of writing where you get both points of view from the characters and the plot of how far a mother is willing to go for their child and all the twists and turns along the way had me on the edge of my seat at certain points as I was reading. This is definitely a must read!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen. In exchange for an honest review.

Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen is a riveting exploration of the relationship between a mother and daughter, delving into the conflicts between love, control, and personal aspirations. Deception and hidden truths, are expertly navigated between the perspectives of the two protagonists, as they grapple with their intertwined pasts and uncertain futures. With richly developed characters, a suspenseful narrative, and thought-provoking themes, the novel captivates readers from start to finish.

This was a good mystery to enjoy by the pool. The dual narrators of mother and daughter are constantly at odds while we as the reader ate learning more and more about why Ruth (or Ava) and her daughter live a life moving often and devoid of other friends and families. When her daughter is 24, Ruth's carefully constructed world begins to unravel and the story has many twists and turns. As a mom, Ruth's unwavering dedication to keeping her daughter safe really resonated with me, especially when her daughter begins to push back as all children do. It is an exciting face paced book perfect for losing yourself in someone else's drama.

You REALLY can't go wrong with Sarah Pekkanen. Whether it's her early, sweet "relationship" books, or her wild and crazy thrillers with Greer Hendricks, she really doesn't miss. And Gone Tonight did not disappoint.

Catherine Sterling thinks she knows her mom, Ruth. But she truly has NO IDEA.

I really enjoyed the alternating viewpoints, and the journal entries that gradually gave us a peek into Ruth's backstory. Overall, this was a fun, fast read and I would absolutely recommend it.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book has duel POVs, journal style entries, and the premise of lots of mystery and intrigue.

Synopsis:
Catherine Sterling thinks she knows her mother. Ruth Sterling is quiet, hardworking, and lives for her daughter. All her life, it's been just the two of them against the world. But now, Catherine is ready to spread her wings, move from home, and begin a new career. And Ruth Sterling will do anything to prevent that from happening.
Ruth Sterling thinks she knows her daughter. Catherine would never rebel, would never question anything about her mother's past or background. But when Ruth's desperate quest to keep her daughter by her side begins to reveal cracks in Ruth's carefully-constructed world, both mother and daughter begin a dance of deception.

Overall this one was good. I had a lot of hope for a good mystery going into this one but ultimately felt like I didn't get much of it. This is the type of book where each character has their own secrets and plot twists, but overall it wasn't anything surprising. It was quick read and I enjoyed it for the most part.

This book was absolutely unputdownable - and was everything I'd like to read in a thriller! I was deeply engrossed in figuring out all the secrets and interplay between Ruth and her daughter Catherine. The story constantly kept me guessing and intrigued with little breadcrumbs that the author slowly dropped along the narrative. Hands down, this was a great thriller! But what really pushed it over the edge for me was the unexpected emotional impact of the ending. (If you know, you know!) For me, a thriller that also makes me cry is a 5-star read for sure.

Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen was a fast, solid thriller. The characters were flawed and conflicted and I liked the mother-daughter element to the story. I’ve read a couple by Sarah Pekkanen and her others with her writing partner and she always delivers an interesting twist that I can’t usually figure out.

Recommend!

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publishers for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was quite good - I was on the edge of my seat a few times.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very enjoyable read. I wouldn’t say it was very thrilling, but it was a good mystery / family drama. I liked alternating between both the mother Ruth and the daughter Catherine’s point of views. I am very fond of this author’s writing.

How well do you know your mother? Imagine learning that everything you thought you knew was a complete fabrication. Even more shocking would be learning the reason why!

This book was hard to put down and its unique premise really pulls you in. You think it’s one thing and then it goes a whole different direction. It’s sad and shocking and completely riveting. It reminded me a bit of Pieces of Her, which I also loved, but not so much as to take away from its originality. Mother/daughter relationship complexity, dark secrets, lies and revelation await! Thriller fans will love it. ❤️

Thank you to NetGalley and StMartinsPress for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a wild ride. So many secrets and twists and turns. It was kind of slow for the first half but the second half was intense and a true page turner!! The story was very very similar to Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter.

Sarah Pekkanen has outdone herself with this new book!!!!!!! This book is an amazing read and I sped right through it. It is definitely a need to read for thriller fans.

It has always been just the two of them, Ruth Sterling and her daughter Catherine.
When the time comes for Catherine to leave home and begin a life on her own Ruth will do anything so that doesn't happen. Catherine begins to detect deception and begins delving into her Mom's past while Ruth tries desperately to keep her secrets hidden.
Told in the alternating points of view of mother and daughter this story will have you questioning everything as you enjoy a thrilling ride.
Kate Mara's narration is fantastic!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an arc of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

3.5/5 ⭐️

Massive thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC copy! Out now!!

So I definitely did enjoy this read, but it wasn't a blow me out of the water read.
There were a few things that didn't quite sit right with me and seemed a little unrealistic in regard to the actions of the characters making it a little less than great for me personally.

This one is for sure a slow burn. However, I did appreciate the Dual POV and think that helped the story progress and keep my interest. I would've liked to see a little more character development for the male involved.

Without giving away anything, I'll just say that I didn't quite agree with how the mother decided to do things nor the daughter. The ending felt a bit rushed, but seeing everything come together was nice.

You should absolutely read the Epilogue. That was a great addition to the story and gave it the additional .5 star for me! I'd be interested to see where that leads.

As always, I recommend you read a book for yourself! It may work out better for you than me! :)