In a Quiet Town was so propulsive and had edge-of -your-seat suspense. I loved the dual timelines and different points of views. The twist was not surprising, but managed to still be super interesting. I can’t wait to read more of her work! Thank you to NetGalley and Mira Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

“A woman discovers that her estranged daughter is missing, but no one believes her, until she meets a man claiming to be her daughter’s fiancé.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Pub date: August 8, 2023

Tatum hasn’t seen her daughter Adrienne in years, mainly due to her husband and Adrienne’s dad Shane. Tatum finally gets the chance to reconnect with her daughter and everything is going well, until one day when her daughter goes missing. Adrienne has a a history of bad decisions, so no one in the town believes that’s she’s actually missing, including her own dad, which means it’s up to Tatum to find her.

While looking for clues for her daughter, a man claiming to be Adrienne’s fiancé shows up, also trying to look for her. The two team up to figure out who might have taken Adrienne or where she may have gone, but is it too good to be true?

Amber 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Bravo, such a good book! This story is told in three POVs: The Mother, The Daughter, and The Fiancé. Let’s just say, this frames the story so well, and the author got me with a twist there! It’s also told between past and present, which again is another fav over here!

This was a pretty quick read, with shorter chapters, so you’re always saying “just one more.” I think an epilogue or another POV from Shane, the dad, would’ve been interesting as he was very different from Tatum in this process. Overall it was a solid thriller that kept me on my toes.

Thank you @netgalley, @ambergarzaauthor, and @harlequinbooks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#InaQuietTown #NetGalley

A missing daughter…

Adrienne is cutting the aprons strings and moving out of her family home, away from her controlling parents. She craves a taste of freedom and independence, which means leaving her highly religious and extremely conservative parents behind.

But her mother Tatum wants to mend fences. The first step is her weekly outing to the bar Adrienne tends. But after arriving for her latest visit, Adrienne isn’t there. The bar owner says she was a “no-call, no-show.”

Well, that’s not like Adrienne! Sure, her daughter is a bit rebellious these days but she’s always been responsible and considerate of others.

When the police and Adrienne’s father won’t listen, Tatum takes matters into her own hands to locate her daughter! She begins by talking to a man who claims to be Adrienne’s fiancé. Gee…that’s odd, Adrienne never mentioned dating anyone! Things that make you go, hmmm.🤨

This was a fast thriller that I found hard to put down. Told from multiple perspectives and timelines. But no worries, it’s easy to keep it all straight!

Are there twists you ask? Plenty! In fact, one block-buster one that stopped me in my tracks!

Looking for a fun thriller that will hold your attention this summer, then this is the one for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing

Tatum hasn’t seen her daughter Adrienne for a while, their relationship strained due to her husband’s job – town preacher. Just when Adrienne has decided to get in contact with her mom again, she goes missing and Tatum is thrown for a loop. Tatum tried desperately to get anyone, police or others, to help her find her daughter, but they aren’t worried. When a man appears and says he is Adrienne’s fiancé, Tatum can’t help but trust him to help….but did she make a grave mistake in doing so?

This was an interesting domestic suspense novel. I really enjoyed the religious aspect of this book; it added an extra layer of fun. I liked how Adrienne, and her mother had a rocky relationship, but they were working on getting it in a better place. The religious trauma that Adrienne and her mom both went through helped bring them back together. I did find it a little confusing how the characters switched as well as the past and present – at times it was a bit much for me. This one also fell a little flat for me in the thriller aspect, I didn’t really find it thrilling which was disappointing.

If you are looking for a religious suspense novel, then check this one out.

Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing – MIRA, and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Kept me on my toes! Some many twists and turns! Definitely looking forward to reading more books by Amber Garza

Tatum has a strained relationship with her daughter Adrienne. They are starting to reconcile when Adrienne disappears. Suddenly, a man shows up claiming to be Adrienne's fiancé but Tatum is not sure she can trust him.
There were some things about this book I really enjoyed, and some that drove me crazy. It is told from multiple POVs and the pacing is ok, but it did drag at times. I couldn't stand any of the characters and the dialogue seemed strange and unnatural. The story is set in a small religious town and there are a LOT of minor characters to keep track of. The ending of this story is wild and very unrealistic, and there were some character disputes left unresolved.
I will give credit to a twist that I did not see coming, and an interesting take on the unreliable narrator (Tatum is unreliable in this narrow-minded town simply because she is a woman).
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
#bookstagram #books #booklover #NetGalley #thrillerbooks

In a Quiet Town is another binge worthy domestic thriller from Amber Garza and I gobbled this one up! I love the short, choppy chapters and the dual timelines in this one. It all made for a great reading experience! I highly recommend it for those looking for a thriller!

Adrianne's father has always been controlling and has always kept a close eye on her.

Her father, Shane, was a preacher and demanded she act appropriately and date the correct man.

Her mother, Tatum, couldn't do anything to ease his control because he did the same to her.

Adrienne finally grew up and got out of the house, but her father still didn't approve of her life, and he didn't allow her mother to see her.

Tatum would sneak out on Wednesday nights when Shane was at his meetings. Adrienne was thrilled to see her mother after all these years.

One day Adrienne didn't show up at work and wasn't at her apartment or anywhere in town.

Tatum was worried, but Shane said it was probably flighty Adrienne taking off for a few days.

The few days spread into a longer period of time with no sign of her.

The only clue was her boyfriend Seth who showed up and was helping Tatum try to piece together what could have happened to Adrienne.

IN A QUIET TOWN was told in past and present and with each chapter being the story of one of the characters.

I had my suspicions about a few of the characters and wondered if they had been the ones who harmed Adrienne.

Amber Garza keeps you on the edge of your seat as she always does.

It was a bit confusing with all the chapter changing of characters, but it is a GOOD one!!

Fans won't want to miss it!! 4/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

This book was great. I like her writing and her writing style. Tatum reconnects with her estranged daughter, she is ready to do this! But...their time together is short lived when Adrienne goes missing. No one seems worried and when her "fiancé" makes himself known, she really needs to know what happened to her daughter. And, if she’s still alive. This story is told between dual POVs and thrilling! A great 4 star read!

Thank you, Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for this advance copy in exchange for my review.

Normally I avoid books with religious plots or undertones but I love Amber’s writing so much that I let it slip for this one.
This was an absolutely incredible book.
From the religious trauma to the beautiful story about a mother and daughter. The twists were fantastic and the ending was perfect.
I also really loved the sly reference to Wayward Pines. (what a great show)
My only issue is I always save Amber’s books for a day floating in the pool and now I won’t have that this year 🤣
4.5 ⭐️ rounding up.

Woah. I couldn't put this book down
All the twist and turns. It was fast paced the entire time I was reading it. I am really impressed with this book and looking forward to what else this authour will be writing!

This is a quick read. There's a lot of shifting between POV's, which was a bit confusing at times, but the twists keep the reader engaged. Some parts of the storyline could've benefitted from a tighter edit, but it's a solid mystery overall.

I didn't realize this was going to be quite so Church/religion focused... Iit's not normally a topic I find particularly compelling or relatable, given my personal experiences, and when you add in a plot that moves along startlingly slowly given the blurb, the result just wasn't a good fit for me. I've had a fine time with Garza books in the past, but I just couldn't connect to this one.

Domestic thriller with a hint of church trauma? Sign me up! 4/5 stars for me.

Adrienne has always lived on the outskirts - outskirts of town, outskirts of her family, outskirts of her school, even outskirts of her friends. She’s gradually finding her way through her job as a bartender, and regularly comes across many men who are immediately smitten with her.

After a string of bad relationships, she finally thinks she’s found the one. With an estranged family and a tremendous amount of debt, she finally begins to find herself and feel secure in her relationship. But this soon changes when she goes missing, and the only people who are looking for her is her mom who she has a surface level relationship with and her fiancé.

This was a fun journey from start to finish. I enjoyed the switch between points of view and the present and past tense - this was well done and kept the story moving forward. Little details became important along the way, so make sure you don’t skip them!

Overall, I enjoyed the book and there was one twist I didn’t predict. I did think it was a bit predictable but still a good read.

Thank you to Net Galley, the author, & the publisher for the ARC!

When I saw @ambergarzaauthor’s TikToks about the toxic church culture she has experienced and how this topic was present in her latest novel, I knew I had to read it right away. This is something that I have also experienced, and when I read about someone healing, it helps me to heal a little, too.

In a Quiet Town is a domestic thriller with tons of suspense as well as twists I didn’t expect. I loved the tension and the way it meshed with the mother/daughter element. The toxic church factor is relatable and authentic as well.

I always enjoy Amber Garza’s books, and this one was no exception.

Book : In a Quiet Town
Author : Amber Garza
Pub Date: 08 Aug 2023

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing & the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I got very excited when I received a copy of this book to review early for my honest opinion. This book setting is in a suburban town where it follows a mother who whose daughter is missing. She ends up meeting a man who says that he is engaged to her and she has never heard of him before. Tatum is the only one who seems to want to find her and now she has to put the pieces together to find her daughter.

This book is told is multiple POV which is of course my favorite and it has a little bit of a religious aspect sprinkled in since Tatum is the wife of a pastor. The chilling and eerie feel to this thriller makes it such a fun fast reading page turner. I loved everything about this book. This was my first Amber Garza book and I can tell you that this will not be my last one either. I loved her writing style, how she built her characters and this storyline just did it for me.

This book will absolutely be one that I put on my shelf as a personal copy to have once publication day comes. If this isn’t on your TBR you should put it on there if you love fun fast thrillers.

This was the first book I’ve read by this author and I’ll definitely read her other book! In a Quiet Town is told from multiple perspectives and is a unique thriller. Fast paced with a twisty ending - I definitely recommend adding this to your TBR stack!

Well this was different. I knew the ending pretty early on but it didn’t stop me from tearing through this book like it was my job. Truly enjoyed!

Tatym hasn't seen her daughter, Adrienne in years because Tatums husband kicked her out. She decides to reconnect with her daughter and starts to see her weekly.  When Adrienne goes missing and no one seems to care except for Tatum.  She will stop at nothing to figure out where Adrienne is. She even invites the man who claims to be Adrienne's soon to be husband but can she trust this person she's never met?

Based on this synopsis it would seem this book is a good one but it fell short for me. I found the characters to be unlikable and a little annoying.  Some of the stuff in the story just didn't seem all that believable which doesn't normally bother me but it did in this story. I wanted to like this one and I am bummed I didn't.

Fast- paced, creepy, chilling…Amber Garza creates a solid thriller with her book In a Quiet Town. The characters are well developed and very tangled in numerous deceits and family issues.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.