Beatrice Wicker seems to have the perfect life. She is married to a wealthy architect and the couple live in beautiful Cape Morgan, Maine. Her work spearheading the development of a former insane asylum into an artists’ retreat is going well and according to plan. But Beatrice and her husband both have secrets… she is aware of his affair with a younger woman and it is only when his child from the affair disappears that everything begins to unravel. Because, Beatrice isn’t really who she says she is and somehow the kidnapping seems to be linked to her past. This was an entertaining read that had a major twist that I did not see coming. The writing dragged a little, but over all I enjoyed this novel. This was a 3.5 star read for me.

Leave the Lights On by Liv Anderson is a suspenseful novel that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat until the very end. The story follows Beatrice Wicker, a woman living in Cape Morgan, Maine, with her architect husband, Josh. Although their life seems idyllic, with a luxurious home on the sea coast and joint bank accounts, secrets lurk beneath the surface.

As Beatrice uncovers Josh's double life, she is forced to confront her own secrets and the consequences of keeping them hidden. When a child is abducted and Josh's other son is the victim, Beatrice must choose between revealing the truth and protecting her perfect life.

The author does an excellent job of building tension throughout the story and revealing information at just the right pace to keep the reader engaged. The characters are complex, and their motivations are revealed slowly, adding depth to the narrative. The setting of Cape Morgan is vividly described, and the contrast between its beauty and the darkness that lies beneath is striking.

Overall, Leave the Lights On is a gripping and suspenseful novel that explores the consequences of secrets and the lengths to which people will go to protect their idyllic lives. Fans of domestic thrillers will enjoy this book, and it will keep readers guessing until the very end.

This is one of my favourite books that I've ever read. Thank you so much to Crooked Lane Books for access to the ebook for an honest review!

I was initially intrigued by the description of this book, as I love a good mystery. However, I was sceptical that it might differ from some of the other books and TV shows that I have seen before - typical suburban family turn out to have a secret. However, the plot and characters were so refreshing, it feels like something completely new.

The characters were so well-rounded and I liked those I should like and got angry with others I should feel angry with.

The story also shows how we can be naïve to the actions and intentions of others and can stand as an example for those likely to fall into traps like our main character Beatrice.

I would recommend this book to anyone as it can apply to fans of many different genres, however this book has drama, mystery and a bit of psychological thriller.

Fantastic thriller that kept me guessing! First of all, I loved the setting for this story. There were some gasp-worthy secrets that twisted this tale. I mean, do we ever truly know the people in our daily lives? Heck no! Some great red herrings in this mystery.

Leave the lights centres around a couple whose relationship is built on lies.
One has a secret family, one is not who they say they are.
Good for fans of books with a twist.

Unfortunately this wasn’t for me. It was just a whole big jumbled mess. I almost DNF half way through but wanted to see how things tied together.

This book was okay! It didnt really do it for me personally though I loved the premise of the story. Overall a 3 star read for me!

Beatrice Wicker has a charmed life. With a wealthy husband and a house on the sea coast. While she doesn't like the fact her husband, Josh, has a second life and family, they both have their secrets and she plays along. That is until Josh's son to his mistress goes missing, kidnapped from a playground and Beatrice can't help but know who may be involved. 

This was such a cat and mouse suspense, with Beatrice and Josh both trying to keep their secrets hidden and deceive one another, along with their friends and family. I did have some suspicion on another character early but it didn't ruin the story. While I enjoyed the present tense, rather than the past outlined, it was still a page turner and I loved the twists. 

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this gifted review copy.

Can a marriage survive a traumatic event if the relationship is built on secrets and lies? And just how far would you go to keep those secrets hidden where they belong? Afterall maintaining a picture perfect life is what's most important isn't it?

This was an interesting read, I enjoyed the twisty plot points and time jumps.

If you enjoy domestic thrillers, this book is worth checking out!

Thank you Liv Andersson, Crooked Lane Books, and Netgalley for an ARC of Leave The Lights On.

Cape Morgan, Maine, is the utopian ideal for a charmed life, and Beatrice Wicker knows it. She and Josh have a wealthy bankroll and a wealth of secrets. Everyone seems to know more than the Capre is sharing. A big, story a good domestic thriller ! How much does anyone REALLY know the people close to them? They were plenty of suspects and so many lies. I really enjoyed the book, the ending was wild as a big dammmmn.

I truly love a good domestic thriller (everyone that knows me knows that), and I foresee this one being added to my favorites list for this year for sure. The time jumps within the story were difficult to grasp initially, but once I adjusted they became my favorite part of the book actually. I don’t want to give too much away, so all I’ll say is this book really made me wonder, “Do we really know anyone at all?”

I have to say it was a captivating book. The story did a great job of creating a vivid atmosphere with descriptions of the gloomy weather, the rain, the cold, and the smell of saltwater air. I felt like I was there with the characters, experiencing their emotions and struggles. The story was also intriguing and kept me hooked until the end. The only thing that bothered me a bit was jumping in time from certain chapters. It threw me off a few times and I had to go back and check what was going on. But after a while, I got used to the flow of the story and it didn't bother me as much. Overall, I would recommend this book for a summer or fall read on a rainy day.

Can any relationship, no matter how seemingly perfect, survive if it's based on lies? This is just one question -albeit the biggest one - at the heart of Leave the Lights On by Liv Andersson.

In the small town of Cape Morgan, Maine, Beatrice and Josh Wicker are the perfect power couple. Influential, wealthy, and integral to the life of the town. On the surface, Beatrice has it all including the opportunity to bring to life her ambitious plan of creating the perfect artist retreat from the remains of a long abandoned asylum. But there are secrets in Beatrice's past and present that are about to collide and tear apart the life she's worked so hard to have.

Liv Andersson, has created a complex character in Beatrice Wicker. She is a woman hiding from her past with complicated feelings about her present. It is easy to root for her but not as easy to like her particularly as it takes her far too long to take even the simplest action.

Leave the Lights On is beautifully atmospheric. Andersson does a wonderful job establishing the feeling of wonder in Maine's coastline beauty. The writing also does a great job of connecting the past and present of the story through Beatrice's inner monologues. The novel's timeline; moving from Beatrice's life before Cape Morgan and the present day are also effective in keeping the story moving forward. Unfortunately, the last third of the novel becomes repetitive as Beatrice's emotional disconnect and actions make it difficult to care about what happens next.

Early on I was certain that this novel would be a four star read, despite it not being the mystery I anticipated. There were a few red herrings but I knew early on "who done it and why". However, the biggest issue with the novel for me was the lack of a connection with Beatrice or any of the other characters. Everyone seemed flat and thus their actions/reactions to the big moments in the novel also fell flat.

I will keep an eye out for future novels by Liv Andersson as Leave the Lights On is very well-written though not entirely satisfying.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Pub. Date: October 16, 2023

Leave the Lights On was so much better than I anticipated!

Beatrice and Josh seemingly live a picture perfect life overlooking the ocean in Maine. The only problem is they’re both lying and hiding their deepest truths from each other. When explosions and kidnappings start happening, Beatrice really has to dig into her past to answer for the present.

The character development in this book was very well done and nicely executed. There weren’t a whole bunch of characters bogging down the storyline with unnecessary smoke and mirrors. It’s also a very well written and intelligently thought out book.

My only real complaint is the beginning few chapters (not for the writing or storyline, just for the orientation more so.) Since the chapters aren’t labeled for their specific POV I didn’t quite realize who was who and what perspective I was reading at first. Maybe I was just a little distracted when starting, or maybe my kids have officially destroyed my brain 🙃, but either way I was definitely confused starting out but after a few chapters I settled in and it all became clear.

Overall, this is a well-written original story that I would not hesitate to recommend to thriller lovers!

Thank to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Finishing this book my thoughts to myself how well do you really truly know someone? This read totally engulfed me leaving me having to read the next chapter and then the next. Josh and Beatrice live in a million-dollar house on the coast on Maine. Both live their idyllic lives while they both are holding onto massive secrets that they want to keep in the dark from each other. Can they really do just that when Josh's secret 2-year-old son is abducted? I loved this book even more because it was a lengthy read.

Enjoyed the setting of this book, Cape Morgan, Maine and Ross Island, scenic, beautiful places for this story to unfold. A wealthy couple, both with secrets they are keeping from each other, find themselves involved in a series of kidnappings. Definitely did not 'guess' the ending!

Leave the Lights On, by Liv Andersson, is a book about secrets. Beatrice and Josh are married, and seem to live an idyllic life in a massive home in Cape Morgan, Maine. Josh has a secret girlfriend and son. He is unaware Beatrice knows about it and she has decided to look away. Beatrice is afraid that revealing her knowledge would lead to an exposure of her complicated background. However, there is an explosion in a schoolyard and Josh’s toddler son from his other life is kidnapped. Beatrice senses a dangerous connection to her past and the possible unraveling that she might not be who she says she is. Told through multiple POVs and different decades, the author provides an atmosphere of foreboding and tension. The characters are complex and intertwined. Highly recommend this gripping novel!

With thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC. The opinions are my own.

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Beatrice lives the perfect life, or so others think. She knows her husband’s secrets..or does she? Why isn’t she happier? Why can’t she be content? She has it all. What more does she need? This talented author has written a cannot put down novel. Intrigue and mystery…this book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher and the author. Enjoy this innovative novel.

Thank you Liv Andersson, Crooked Lane Books, and Netgalley for an ARC of Leave The Lights On.

This is one of those books that makes you truly question how well do you actually know someone?

I got wrapped up in this book and kept wanting to know more. I loved the twists and turns from the beginning. Josh and Beatrice live in a million dollar house on the coast on Maine. Both live their idyllic lives while they both are holding onto massive secrets that they want to keep in the dark from each other. Can they really do just that when Josh's secret 2 year old son is abducted?

I had a hard time trying to decide whether or not to rate this 3 stars or 4. I ultimately rated it a 3 because the book was extremely wordy throughout the entirety of the book like sometimes the dialogue just didn't seem remotely close to be what would be said in a scenario in real life. However, it was a great book and storyline that I really enjoyed. 4 stars for the story but dropped to a 3 overall.

The time jumps in this one are a bit much, difficult to clearly follow. I didn’t find many redeeming qualities in these characters, so I didn’t have anyone to root for. I found some of the dialogue got pretty repetitive. Some aspects I think weren’t fully tied together, we’d explore an idea and it wouldn’t go anywhere. It was just a bit disconnected. The end result was predictable and didn’t surprise me. Overall I wasn’t a fan.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.