I wasn’t able to finish this book. It started off well but the more I read, the more I disliked the characters and just couldn’t get into it.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC of Twenty Seven Minutes. I liked this book, but did not love. I probably won’t remember the plot a year from now. It was intriguing during the read though, and a good read but just not memorable.

Rating: 3/5 Stars
Genre: Thriller/Mystery

Twenty-Seven Minutes follows four individuals, Grant, Becca, Wyatt, and June ten years after the death of Phoebe, Grant's sister, in a car accident on a local bridge. Grant was driving the car and did not call 911 for 27 minutes after the accident, no one knows why, but the general consensus is Phoebe could have been saved if aide had been administered immediately. Becca was also a passenger in the car and while injured, survived. Wyatt and June are siblings, and Wyatt ran away from his family that same night after not getting along with his father, but has returned to be with June after the death of their mother. A second accident on the same bridge and Phoebe and Grant's mother is finally hosting a memorial for Phoebe has the whole town talking about the accident again. This brings up a lot of feelings for those involved. But what really happened that night is what the reader will try to find out while reading this book.

Ashley Tate understands grief. And writes it very well. Grief is messy, exhausting, springs up at unexpected times and places, repetitive, and everyone grieves a little differently. It's hard to sometimes sit with other people's grief, but that was what I, as the reader, had to do at times! I have no problem listening to a friend or a loved one who is grieving... Unfortunately, I just didn't like the characters that much. They all seemed so selfish and plain mean to each other, even the other people in town. I wanted to like SOMEONE. I enjoyed the Pretty Little Liars vibes, but I still needed a character to like. I did not see the twist coming until the very end, but I also have thoughts and feelings about that, which I won't spoil!

I liked the author's writing style (some of those scenes will HAUNT me they were so descriptive and transport you) and would definitely try another book by her in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A decade ago, Phoebe died in a car crash with her brother at the wheel and her best friend Becca in the backseat. Since her death, Phoebe’s mother has practically stopped functioning and her brother carries around so much guilt. Not only guilt about the accident, but guilt about the secret he has been keeping. Why did it take him twenty seven minutes to call for help? And could those twenty seven minutes have made a difference in her living or dying? Now, in present day, a memorial service is being held for Phoebe.

This was a unique story that I as really looking forward to. The plot was a little bit slower than I like, and because of that, it was hard for me to get into the story. I appreciate that it showed how grief can affect different people in different ways and manifest itself differently, but overall this wasn’t one for me.

“Twenty Seven Minutes” releases January 30, 2024. This book will be shared on my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly.

Thank you to the publishers for allowing me to read this early digital copy and I can’t wait for it to be released!

I was kept reading by the suspense in this book, but I can’t say that I felt that it paid off by the end. I will say that I struggle to leave any book a critical review because I know that I couldn’t write a book, so I always admire anyone who was able to do so! Having said all that I don’t think I can recommend this book to others. I will say, the suspense kept me reading and wondering what was the secret between Wyatt and Grant. There was a lot that I was surprised about by the end of the book so that is a positive. I definitely enjoyed June's strength and seeing her come out of the shell that she’s been living in for 10 years. I also enjoyed the character of Becca- wow she’s an interesting character and one who really really needs help! Grant is a selfish piece of garbage overall- I really didn't want any good things to happen for him. I just didn’t feel like the book paid off at the end with the whole premise of the book- the wondering over the 27 minutes and what happened and why. I am sure someone else will read this book and enjoy it. It has positives, but overall it wasn't for me. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this novel as an ARC.

Twenty-seven mins?? Really what took him so long. Read this book and see why. I loved the length of this book. Are you ready to read a book you can't put down? Well this is the one.

DNF @ 50%

Thank you so much for NetGalley for the ARC of Twenty-Seven Minutes. I feel horrible leaving my first DNF review but this book just couldn't keep me. I LOVED the premise and the first chapter hooked me right away, but I lost interest after several chapters because the story started to feel repetitive. The writing is good and simple to follow. I know people who would really like this book, but it just wasn't for me. I may try to finish it one day.

Ten years ago, life changed for Grant, Becca, and June: Grant and Becca were involved in a car accident that killed Grant's sister, Pheobe, and June's brother disappeared after a fight with their dad. As the ten-year anniversary approaches, Grant begins to feel suffocated by the secrets he's keeping - just why he waited the fateful 27 minutes before getting help for his sister. Becca's patience with Grant is unraveling, and June, reeling from her mom's recent death, encounters someone who might know what happened to her brother.

The premise of this book was good, as was the prologue. The majority of the book was very slow with unlikeable characters. I did want to read to the end and see what the outcome was, but it was slow-going for me. Most of the action happens in the last 10% of the book.

Decent debut, but not a gripping one.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

I am a big fan of suspenseful books that have lots of twists and turns and this book has it all.

The entire town of West Wilmer knows the story of Phoebe's disappearance but there are also secrets that have been hidden for years. What really happened at the bridge that night? The truth is bound to come out and will the family members be able to handle it? Grant lost his little sister that night and he has been keeping secrets that haunt him. June's brother Wyatt also disappeared.

This book is fast paced as the plot covers just 3 days. It will keep you reading right through the night.

Murder Mystery
This story is about a group of people who were affected by a car accident 10 years ago. Phoebe lost her life and a boy went missing, and the whole town morns her loss but has completely forgotten about him. Phoebe’s brother Grant was driving that night and is eaten up with guilt. We all know that there is more to the story than was told.

Grant is really not a nice person, but we can’t tell is that is part of his grief from losing his sister who he was so close to or if that is who he really is.

Becca was in the car last night but she is constantly upset by the fact that the whole town seems to have forgotten about her. She is delusional and a stalker.

The ending didnt flow as well as it should have. I feel that the flashback of what happened that night should have been moved up at least 1 chapter. I had a bit of difficulty following the ending.

Twenty-Seven Minutes, by Ashley Tate

Short Take: In a book, there are twists, and there are TWISTS. This is the second one.

(*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*)

Duckies, where did the year go?? One minute I’m floating in the pool, soaking up the sun and a yummy book, and now I have to put away the Christmas tree (no worries on the cookie front however, I put those away first thing). I will never understand the tricks that time plays. It speeds up, it slows down, and when you’re not paying attention, it might slip a few extra hours into your day. And if you’re really not looking, time will take away some days and then be all “Surprise! It’s Tuesday!”

Stupid time.

Time, however, is also the theme of this week’s book. In Twenty-Seven Minutes, the lives of three young people (and by extension, all the people closest to them) are destroyed in an instant: In a horrific car crash, following a drunken party, Phoebe is killed, her brother Grant (the driver) becomes the town pariah, and Becky, who was in the backseat, is alive but most definitely not OK.

But it’s not the split second of impact that the town of West Wilmer is fixated on, rather, it’s the twenty-seven minutes that elapsed between the crash and Grant’s 911 call. Nobody knows for sure why he waited so long to call, but everyone has their own ideas.

Another family was forever changed that same night. June’s older brother Wyatt, a troubled and troublemaking young man, also disappeared the night of the crash, and has not been heard from since. Because of Wyatt’s bad reputation, nobody really paid much attention, assuming he’d skipped out for greener pastures.

But now it’s the tenth anniversary of the crash, and someone is finally ready to tell the truth. No matter who it destroys.

Well, my nerdlings, I’m just gonna come out & say it. This twist shocked me. Like, I had to close my kindle and pace for a few minutes to digest it. I thought for sure that I had figured out the big shocker, but I wasn’t even close. Not in the same state, not in the same country. My gob was most thoroughly smacked, and so on, and so forth, and [insert clever euphemisms for very surprised here].

So I was genuinely impressed with this one. Ms. Tate knocked me for a loop in a way that not many authors do anymore, and I must give her loads of credit for that.

My only issue is that the leadup to that astonishing revelation was, at times, a bit of a forced march. Obviously, a book about a beautiful, brilliant young woman who died prematurely, and all the survivors who are dealing with their own ruined lives isn’t going to have a lot of joy or fun in it. But sometimes, it all just felt too heavy. The misery is unrelenting, the settings are uniformly bleak, the entire cast of main and supporting characters are all doing nothing but suffering.

It’s true to life, but it’s also numbing after a while. I did get a kick out of Becca’s histrionics, however, she was so out there that at times she nearly circled around to entertaining.

Overall, I would still recommend this book, because although it can be a little rough to get there, the end is absolutely worth it.

The Nerd’s Rating: FOUR HAPPY NEURONS (and a few extra days on the weekend, please?)

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Twenty-Seven Minutes. The synopsis intriqued me, but unfortunately the book didn't meet my expectations. My one positive note is that the writing was good - easy to read and descriptive. However, I found the tone to be very dark, most of the characters annoying and pathetic, and the relationships between the characters just odd. The relationship among some of them was a bit unclear. Although the premise was that the accident happened ten years ago, there was very little explanation of what happened during those ten years. It was as though people didn't think about it until the anniversary approached. For much of the book I felt like nothing happened and it all felt very repetitive. While the ending was a surprise I felt that there were some things that needed explaining that were not.

Since this was a debut novel and I enjoyed the writing I would give this author another chance.

3.5 stars. It took quite a while to actually get a good investment going in the story. This book is the definition of slow burn. I’m not a DNF kind of girl but sometimes there comes a point when slow is too slow…the last 20% (really 5%) was the saving grace for the entire thing. The characters are trash- but they are suppose to be. The ugly side of human interactions are definitely on full display. While not my favorite read so far of the year, the ending did leave me satisfied

Review will be posted on goodreads,

This story started strong with an engaging beginning and a cast of addictively unlikeable characters. However, it lost its appeal due to repetition and a lack of coherence in the plot. By the midpoint, the introspection from the multiple POVs made the narrative feel unplanned and disjointed.

ARC provided in exchange for honest review of Twenty-Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate. #twentysevenminutes #NetGalley

Twenty-Seven Minutes 🚘🦌😱🚨⏰
by Ashley Tate
4.7/5 ✨

Wow wow wow wow wow. I am very rarely surprised by the ending of a twisty story, but this one had me holding my breath until the very last page. I did NOT see that coming!

This story kept me hooked the entire way through. I really enjoyed the chapters bouncing between characters; it really opened up the storyline so much further. Make sure you have time to set aside once you start this because you’re not going to want to put it down. This story is going to stick with me, and for that I am so grateful!

Thank you so much to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this ARC!! Be sure to grab a copy of Twenty-Seven Minutes on January 30th, 2024!! ❄️

First I want to thank NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Ashley Tate for my ARC of Twenty-Seven Minutes. Wow! I was hooked on this book from the start! Normally I don’t like reading books where each chapter is a different character but this one just flowed smoothly! Right from page one this book draws you in and has you guessing till the end. I couldn’t put it down! I could feel the emotion and trauma of all of the characters. I love that this book really ties all of the characters together. What a crazy ride! This may have been my first book by Ashley Tate but it certainly will not be my last.

First and foremost, as a debut novel I felt this was a decent read. I am always ready to dive into a psychological thriller and unfortunately this one fell flat for me. There were many great components of the book, but I think the plot got lost a few times. I would be interested to read the next novel by Ashley Tate and see what comes next for this author.

3.5 stars
I feel like I have polarizing opinions on this book. I hated the characters, but I also couldn't put it down.
This book is about the 10 year memorial service for Phoebe. When she was 17, her brother got in a car accident that kills her. He waited twenty seven minutes to call for an ambulance. If he had called sooner, it might have saved her life. Most people think he was driving drunk and trying to sober up before the cops came. One other person, Becca was in the car with them and corroborates Grant's story that he hit a deer he couldn't see in the rain.
I honestly didn't like any of the characters. Becca was absolutely obsessed with Grant and their secret relationship, so much so that she totally loses herself despite the fact that Grant goes months without even texting her sometimes. But they are linked and Becca is keeping a secret to protect Grant and herself. Grant is absolutely cruel to Becca even though I didn't like her. He feels guilty for killing his sister and their mother has never had any love for Grant even when Phoebe was still alive. Another character we focus on is June. June's family has always been overlooked. The same night of the crash, June's brother Wyatt (a known runaway) runs away again and this time doesn't come back. But no one looks for him because he is a known runaway and Phoebe's death eclipses it totally. A short while later, June's father leaves, and then at the beginning of this book 10 years later, June's mom dies of cancer. She is alone.
Despite the characters being so unlikable, I couldn't put this book down. I really wanted to know what secrets everyone was hiding. It's immediately alluded to that the official story of hitting the deer isn't 100% truthful especially because of the 27 minutes before an ambulance was called. We slowly learn things but then learn something that may contradict something else and you don't know what's true or not.
I feel like I should have guessed the ending sooner, but I really enjoyed that "oh my god" moment when I did figure it out right before it was revealed.

I was GASPING. The whole time. One twist after another. Set aside time because once you start you won’t want to stop