Sadly North of Nowhere was a DNF for me. I just never got invested in the characters enough to understand who was who and how they all tied together.

This book was such a strong start and had my attention right away. I lost momentum after the first 30% and had a hard time getting back into it. I suspect it is less about the writing and more about my non-interest in this running from the mafia plotline. I imagine this will be a great read for those who enjoy this type of book, but unfortunately it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to St. Martin' Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the chance to read this book - I appreciate you!

I am big fan of Allison Brennan's books but this one is by far one of best! This story starts out grabbing my attention and making me realize that this book was one I would not be able to put down. I carried my Kindle everywhere I went reading a line or two and sometimes a page while waiting on hold, at the drs office, waiting at a red light and on and on. The suspense in this story wound tighter and tighter as the story evolved. The characters and the environment felt real to me and had me gasping more than once. Loved this book!

4 stars

This wintery thriller added a welcome to chill to a blisteringly hot summer day. Humans? Nature? Human nature? Who or what will win and lose?!

Kristin and Ryan are already in the thick of the action when readers join them on an ill-fated flight. These kids have a family background that would've raised even Jerry Springer's eyebrows, and that's precisely why they are on the run (and why they anticipate needing to stay on the go for a while, at least). Kristin, as the older sibling, has been much more aware of the hard truths about her family, and this has caused her to grow up way too fast. That added maturity comes in quite handy as she attempts to shepherd her brother and herself to safety, determine who to trust, and find independence in a permanent way.

These characters are facing an array of challenges that are exacerbated by their permanent connections to each other. Will the weather take them out? Will they take each other out? Can they manage to redeem themselves in any way, or will they drag others down with them? Readers get to explore the answers to all of these questions and more in this compelling, unusual family drama.

I recommend the audio version when and where accessible.

A thrilling story about a family on the run. It is action packed from start to finish! I love how the author send us on a tailspin of nerve racking action and revealed a little bit of information at each turn, keeping the reader wholly invested. Very well done!

I wanted to LOVE North of Nowhere by Allison Brennan however; I feel that this genre isn't the one for me at the moment. I did enjoy the first thirty percent but quickly lost the will to want to read on after wards. I do feel this book will hit the right audiences however.

I have been reading Allison Brennan’s books since the beginning and have enjoyed all of them. This one, however, is definitely the best book she has ever written! So tense and exciting. I read it in 2 sittings. The storyline was great, the setting, in the snowy Wyoming mountains, sounds breathtaking. I just loved it. I look forward to more stand-alones like this in the future from her.

This action packed thrill ride is set in the mountains of Montana. A mob family, a father searching for his children, a "father" trying to protect his children and a rancher who will help those in need. A snow storm and bloodthirsty mobsters keep the pace of this story moving along. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Tony Reed has kept Kristen and Ryan McIntyre safe for five years. But the morning he has always feared has arrived. Their father Boyd has found them, and he will do whatever it takes to get his children back.
In the wilderness of Montana, the plane Tony borrowed for their escape, is shot at and goes down. Tony has been wounded, and Kristen must figure out how to keep her and her brother safe. Tony’s boss, Nick(one of the good guys) calls their aunt Ruby, and with her help, they try desperately to flee from the people looking for them, and to survive a massive winter storm.
I really liked the tight timeframe. This doesn’t happen over weeks, actually very few days pass. Not everyone I was rooting for has a happy ending, but unfortunately, evil people do not care how much blood they shed. The setting was perfect and the tension just kept mounting. I thought, Nick, Ruby, and Kristen were the best characters, but even the secondary ones were very well(even if I didn’t like them, I’m looking at you, Frankie!).
A very enjoyable read.

3.5 ⭐

This is my first introduction to Allison Brennan’s work. I was drawn in by the cover and the premise of a wilderness thriller set in Montana’s Rocky Mountains.

Brennan’s first stand-alone thriller is a compelling, race against time read about two kids on the run in the mountains as a storm approaches. As I got pulled in I was reading about hired killers, a remote wilderness location, a crime family, a plane crash, and a death. The introduction had my heart pounding and I was eagerly flipping pages. However, as the mid-point approached, I found myself bogged down with the full cast of characters, each with a substantial backstory. I became frustrated as the focus shifted, causing my emotional response to the pace to wane.

Please don’t zero in on my frustration; this was an unpredictable read with an excellent premise and had a spectacular sense of place.

I won’t forget Frankie in a hurry!

I was gifted this copy by St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Tony has done everything he can to protect the 2 children in his care, on the run for 5 years. Now they have caught up with him and they will do anything to get the children back. This book grabs you from the first page and won’t let go. It is definitely a page turner! Full of suspense, twists, and a blizzard that complicates their plans, this is a life or death run to see who can survive. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

This is my first time reading an Allison Brennan book, North of Nowhere releases on August 8, I was lucky enough to be granted both a digital and audio arc from the publishers.

The story begins at a breakneck pace and doesn't let up for the over 350 pages. We follow Kristen, Ryan and Tony as they flee from Kristen and Ryan's father, who they've been hiding from for the past five years. It is a cat and mouse chase through a snowstorm involving a plane, ATVs, and snowmobiles in the mountains. It doesn't take long to realize that they're not just being chased by their father but by someone else entirely.

The plot is multi-layered and expertly weaves back in time to reveal a complex story about a powerful mafia type family. There are plenty of red herrings and unreliable characters that kept me guessing. The story is told from a wide lens, but the focus is on Kristen, her aunt Ruby, and the local sheriff.

North of Nowhere is a well-written and engaging story that I found to put down. The audiobook definitely helped me get through it faster, but I enjoyed listening (the narrator did a great job). It's a story of family, even when one is not blood related, revenge and strength. Very entertaining, I will be on the lookout for more books by Allison Brennan.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio (via Netgalley) for advanced copies in exchange for honest review.

The entire story takes place over a couple of days, in a blizzard in Montana. In that time, there is a discovery, an escape attempt, a plane crash, a search and rescue attempt, and so much more. It’s definitely action-packed with a unique setting. It was summer when I read it, but it would be the perfect hide-under-a-blanket-and-wait-out-a-snowstorm kind of book. Enjoyable read!

Family, survival, Montana wilderness, action and thriller are what Allison Brennan brings to her latest novel North of Nowhere. Tony Reed left his job with crime mob boss Boyd McIntyre 5 years earlier taking with him Boyd’s daughter Kristen and deaf son Ryan to protect them from the life they would be forced to lead in the future let alone the life Kristen was leading after witnessing her father kill a man. Now they find Boyd has discovered their location and is heading for their Montana home, supplied by rancher Nick Lorenzo, and they must leave immediately. Tony, Kristen (16) and Ryan (11) take off in a small airplane that goes down by a lake in the deep woods. Kristen and Ryan are forced to continue their original escape plans while a blizzard is forming that could lead to serious problems. Soon everyone is looking for them and the story becomes packed with individuals, both good and bad, seeking them out while around them the storm deepens and trouble abounds for both the good guys and the bad guys. Among those to the rescue is their Aunt Ruby who left them several years before, leading to hard feelings on the part of Kristen. Now knowing the seriousness of the discovery by her brother Boyd, Ruby is out to save them from the storm. She is also out to save them from their father and grandmother. Keeping characters straight, marveling at the action all taking place in the period of one day, living through their survival chances in the Montana wilderness will keep you wondering how in the heck can it all end and will Kristen and Ryan have a life to live. Highly recommended.

I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. Wow! As usual, Allison Brennan came storming out of the page and created a creepy psychological thriller. The characters are all imperfect and even the huge Montana blizzard is an unpredictable member of the cast. This standalone is hard to put down but the story is unusual and will keep the reader guessing. The Queen of twists and turns maintains her record in this one. I totally recommend this book to readers who enjoy physical and psychological thrillers.

•North of Nowhere 🏔️•

📚Genre: crime fiction/suspense
🤔Rating: 🍺🍺🍺.5(3.5/5)
#️⃣ of pages: 368
👯‍♀️ read if you like: No Exit, books about gangs, brutal violence & action packed books or movies
Publishing Date: August 8, 2023

👍🏼:
•this one definitely read like a movie, IMO & I think it would make a great one!
•love stories that have short timelines, like this one all taking place over the course of one evening
•loved the setting! It was a COLD one but I loved reading about Montana.

👎🏼:
•not my normal cup of tea as far as the type of book, but I didn’t dislike it!
•some of the details were a little much, which slowed the book down for me

Overall…
This was not my usual read! I will admit, I wanted to DNF in the beginning but I am glad I kept going. The snowy Montana setting was one I’m not used to but it was described so well. I enjoyed getting to know most of the main characters & have so many questions about what happens next!!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review!

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What a fast moving ride of a story…I had this on my shelf for awhile…and finally found the perfect time to read it. Good thing, since I couldn’t put it down.
Fast paced, family drama, heart wrenching secrets….it has it all!

Hold on because this story starts off strong and does not stop. It is full of very interesting, very different characters.

I really enjoyed this page turning thriller.

Thank you to Ms. Brennan, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Everything he'd done for the last five years was to protect the children, and he couldn't change his mission now.

Wow! What a adrenaline rush! It was like hiking the mountains. You keep going higher and higher, all your senses in high alert. Your visual - seeing the vistas, the beating up of your body, the teamwork of your co-hikers. It read like a steady climb and I kept hoping that going down was not going to be a disappointment. I will keep my personal feelings to myself of the decent because I truly enjoyed the "climb". The cast of characters had grit and each other's back.

Kristin and Ryan McIntyre are brother and sister who ran away after Kristin witnessed the murder of her mother. She will never forget that face. Kristin was 11 and her brother Ryan was 5. Kristin is protective of her brother Ryan who is deaf added to the climax of this thriller. Escaping their father and their grandmother, they runaway with Tony a trusted friend of the family. Tony knew that the Kristin and Ryan were no longer safe and took them to Montana. The kids had called him father and trusted him with their lives. The day came when Tony saw a few strangers in town that alarmed him. They had to run again. They had a great set up in the small mountain town in Montana. A job with Nick Lorenzo who owned a large lodge that was a working ranch. Stealing his employer's plane to escape from the McIntyre family sent everything into motion. A shoot out occurred with plane ultimating crashing in the mountains. Kristin and Ryan's father wants his kids back and he will kill to get them back. Nick Lorenzo having known the kids for 5 years wants answers and wants to make sure the kids are safe. Finding a clue to Tony's past, he calls in the kid's aunt who escaped the family herself.

A clash is sure to ensure and who will come out of the mountains alive during a white blizzard makes for adrenaline rush. Many moving parts with the characters however, it did come together nicely. You get to know each character's background. What makes them tick, what motivates them, and what they fear. Overcoming such fears is an added bonus. Several of the characters had to face their own fears for the people that they loved. Enjoyed it! Could not put it down.

A special thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

This is the first book by this author. I loved the beginning as Tony is protecting Kristin and Ryan and has been for five years. He is afraid that their murderous father has finally found them. Tony loves these kids as if they were his own and he promised Maggie that he would keep them safe. He realizes he needs to act fast to get the kids to safety. Your heart is pumping wondering if they will escape.

They had a plan to escape by plane and then go to cabin. Someone was shooting at the plane as they try and take off and as hard as Tony tries he knows he isn't going to make it. Kristin now must step up to protect her brother.

This is a crazy cat and mouse chase that keeps you hoping good will win over evil. Frankie is one grandma who wants total obedience and control. She hasn't been in charge of the crime family because she is soft. She is one cold, calculated, heartless woman who doesn't care who she hurts along the way to get what she wants.