Easily one of the best books I've read, especially in this genre. Ashley Tate, I can't wait to read more from you!

These characters became a part of me. The ending hurt. I thought I pegged the ending early on - second guessed myself as the book unfurled - and ended up being correct the first time, but desperately wishing I hadn't been (in the best way).

Each character felt 3D - flawed, imperfect, and with good bits and bad bits. I wanted to hug each of them at different times. I wanted to yell at them, too, at times. Your goal was to have your readers feel grief and loss? I felt them. The loss of every one of these characters as they were unearthed and transformed into different people. I felt them.

100% recommend. And this is a DEBUT book?!

Okay, so at first I was struggling to keep wanting to read this because of a few characters in the book, they were driving me nuts! But I’m glad I stuck it out because the ending was everything! The plot twist in this was absolutely written beautifully, I gasped, I sat here shook and I even started to cry a little at the end!

This book was definitely amazing!

Thank you netgalley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book!

27 minutes
A small town mourns the death of a young girl. For 10 years , the town folks wonder why it took her brother 27 minutes to call for help. The secret he kept for those 10 years have tortured this young man. Finally , the truth comes out during the twists and turns of this thriller!

Synopsis sounded great and I was excited to read it. It started out slow and going back and forth to past and present got confusing. I honestly could not figure out how June fit into the story! Wasn’t a fan of the writing style, it just seemed to drag with too many descriptive words. Ending was better but I expected more. Was a decent book but not my favorite. Thank you to NetGalley, Ashley Tate and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Wow I was blown away by this book, from the first page till the last I couldn’t put it down. A small town is bracing its self for the ten year anniversary of a horrific accident that killed a young girl and that has haunted the two that survived. The town has many questions such as what caused the accident and why it took twenty seven minutes to call for help. I highly recommend this book if you like a great mystery. Thanks to Netgalley for this arc.

Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
*********************************************************

THE QUESTION
For the last ten years, the small town of West Wilmer has been struggling to answer one question: On the night of the car accident that killed his sister, why did it take Grant Dean twenty-seven minutes to call for help? If he'd called sooner, Phoebe might still be alive.

THE SECRET
As the anniversary of Phoebe's death approaches, Grant is consumed by his memories and the secret that's been suffocating him for years. But he and Phoebe weren't the only ones in the car that night. Becca was there too - she's the only other person who knows what really happened. Or is she?

THE TRUTH
Everyone in West Wilmer remembers Phoebe, but only June remembers that another person was lost that night. Her brother Wyatt has been missing for ten years and, now that her mother is dead, June has no one left - no family, no friends. Until someone appears at her door.

Someone who may know where Wyatt went all those years ago.
Someone who knows what really happened on the bridge that night.
Someone who is ready to tell the truth.

Oooooh what a creepy read --- the story of Phoebe and Grant will consume you for hours, as will the weirdness of West Wilmer as there is so much at play here. Once you think that you might have it figured out, it goes somewhere else. Definitely worth picking up and I will recommend it far and wide to family, friends and book clubs alike – it’s a must-read kinda book. #shortbutsweetreviews
4
PS - of all the covers, I like the hourglass one the most.

Twenty-Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate
Rating- 3⭐️
Release date- 30/01/24

It took twenty-seven minutes for Grant Dean to call an ambulance whilst his sister Phoebe lay dying at the side of the road after a horrific accident. The delay in getting her help was possibly the difference between life and death.
Ten years later the town of West Wilmer still mourn Phoebes death, and with the anniversary coming up and a petition to knock down the bridge she died on dividing the town, someone is starting to ask questions.
Why did Grant Dean wait twenty-seven minute?

This books started with a gripping epilogue and was fast paced. It took a little while to get to know the characters as we follow four POV’s but after a few chapters it was easy to take in each characters individual personality, but my god were these characters THE WORST. If unlikable and unreliable characters are your thing then this is definitely the book for you.

I guessed the twist at the end just before it was revealed and whilst I prefer not to get the twist I still liked it although it was slightly underwhelming.

Overall this was engaging, had short chapters and I’d definitely recommend if you’re looking for a quick read with interesting but unreliable characters.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Wow please allow me to pick my jaw up off the ground from this one. I can not even begin to express the love I had for this story as I continued to read it page by page. I couldnt put this story down for anything. The twists and turns and the plot behind this amazing story kept you on your toes and guessing for the who dun it all the way to the very end and then bam it smacks you in the face like a ton of bricks and whether or not you guessed correctly will determine by the end whether you guessed it correctly throughout the story. I have to say that I honestly thought I had it but then it would change and by the end I was picking my jaw up off the floor because I was so completely off. I can not wait to see what more Ashley comes out with next and I can say that I will be first in line to gobble the story up in just a few short hours like I did for 27 minutes. I can only give it 5 stars but in my honest opinion I would give it 100/10. The fast paced, edge of your seat, guessing page turning excitement she has packed into this book is over the top and amazing and hope all her books are just like this,
Jessica
Thank you for allowing me to read an ARC copy of this book

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review. I found it really, really hard to get into this book. I finished it, but found that there was nothing that really pulled me in and engaged me with the characters. I didn't really seem to like any of the characters. The prologue is what pulled me in the most, and I didn't feel that connection with the rest of the book.

Twenty-Seven Minutes is intriguing, but it's a little predictable and hard to root for many of the characters.

However, I still gave it 4 stars because I wasn't positive of the ending, and I wanted to get there. As far as not having characters to root for, I did admire that Tate made so many of them unlikable and/or annoying. I would imagine it's hard to write a book and know that the characters are pretty awful.

Overall, this is a mystery, but it's neither suspenseful nor thrilling. It's a drama that looks at people 10 years after a tragic accident in a small town.

Ok, I liked the idea of this and the story was interesting I just wasn't gripped. I struggled to read parts. The twist was excellent though. Didn't see it coming.

A small town drama with lots of secrets. The book was okay, but overall I was pretty bored with it. The writing was good, I just felt like the story was pretty drawn out.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I was really struggling to get through this one. As I was telling my partner all about it and how it had great potential but nothing was happening even though I was 48% through it already. I came here and decided to see what others were thinking about it. After a few reviews that spoke of an amazing twist on the last 10% or so of the book, I decided instead of DNF-ing the book entirely I would just skip through it stopping at all of the “ten years ago” chapters until the last 30 or so pages. I do not feel like I missed anything at all by doing that. The twist is ok. But I was so bored and didn’t care about a single character by the time I got there it just didn’t do it for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc to read and review for free.

This one was not my favorite but it was okay because I had my hopes adjusted before picking it up. It was well executed but the story was just not for me unfortunately.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

* small town drama
* loaded secrets
* multiple points of view
* slow start
* plot twist ending
* more drama/suspense than thriller

An overall great read, although it was a lot to keep up with with the dual time frames and multiple character POV. I love a good small town drama read! There’s always a bit of truth in small town rumors and gossip, and always way more details than anyone knows! I will definitely keep an eye out for further work from this writer and would recommend 27 Minutes to anyone who enjoys dual time lines and multiple POV!

I found this one was a bit of a slow start for me. I wasn’t a huge fan of the characters, but their unlikability made sense as the plot went on. The characters wove together creating a suspenseful wild gritty tale that sucks you in. You keep reading because while you suspect some truths you can’t possibly see what’s coming.
A dark dark tale.
Creepy and twisted!

Over the past decade, residents of West Wilmer have grappled with a haunting question: Why did it take Grant Dean twenty-seven minutes to call for help on the night of the tragic car accident that claimed his sister's life? If only he had dialed sooner, Phoebe might have had a chance to survive.

As the anniversary of Phoebe's passing draws near, Grant finds himself overwhelmed by the weight of his memories and a long-held secret that has been eating away at him. However, Grant and Phoebe were not the only ones present in the car on that fateful night. Becca was also there, and she is the sole other individual who knows the truth about what truly transpired. Or does she?

Phoebe's memory is etched into the minds of everyone in West Wilmer, but June holds an additional, often forgotten, recollection of that tragic night: the disappearance of her brother, Wyatt, a decade ago. With her mother's passing, June finds herself utterly alone, devoid of both family and friends. That is until an unexpected visitor arrives at her doorstep.

The decision to begin the story from Phoebe's perspective was a fantastic choice, and it immediately drew me into the narrative. I was captivated from the very beginning.

The pacing of the plot is skillfully handled, maintaining a steady rhythm as the story progresses toward the anniversary of the accident. The author effectively generates suspense by skillfully weaving between past and present, gradually unveiling the events leading up to the fateful night. Although there are occasional instances where the pacing feels slightly uneven, with some sections moving slower than others, the overall momentum of the narrative remains strong and engaging. The novel accurately portrays the stifling nature of small-town life.

This book had me hooked and on the edge of my seat. It was hard to put down and easy to read. The multiple points of view kept things unpredictable, and it was fascinating to see how each character dealt with the aftermath of the accident. The dual timeline worked perfectly for the story, and the well-developed characters kept me guessing. Overall, it's a great book that I highly recommend.


Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing the ARC, Ashley Tate's debut novel releases on January 30th, 2024.

4.5/5 stars! One of my most anticipated thrillers of 2024 and I could not put it down. I paused the other book I was currently reading and tore through this in one sitting. With each chapter you get more and more invested.

Tragedy hit the small town of West Wilmer a decade ago involving three teenagers, one who didn't make it out alive. Now, we are alternating between past and present and different people involved in the event POVs to get the truth about that fateful night.

WHY DID IT TAKE HER BROTHER 27 minutes to call for help? It likely would have saved her life.

I bet this an excellent audiobook, but I just couldn't wait to devour every single last page. I can't wait to read more books by Ashley Tate!

Thank you #AshleyTate #NetGalley and #PoisonedPenPress for proving me with an #ARC of this book!

Ten years ago Phoebe, a high school student, died in a tragic car accident. The details of this accident have never been fully determined. Her brother Grant was driving and he was likely drunk. The accepted version of the accident is that he hit a deer. A passenger in the car, Becca, upholds Grant's version of the story. On the same day of the accident, a man disappears. The story is told in two timelines - the present and ten years ago. The narrative is divided between four primary narrators - Grant, Becca, June, and Wyatt.

Grant was the driver of the car that night that Phoebe died. The community wonders why he waited twenty-seven minutes to dial 911. He had been a star football player, scouted by universities but he lost his chance to leave his small town on the night of the accident because his leg was badly injured. He is filled with remorse and guilt, drowning his sorrows in sex and alcohol.

I enjoyed this thriller and read it quickly. I didn't appreciate that so much of the story was repeated, as if I couldn't remember what transpired. It is well-written, twisty, and the ending is a shock.

•Dual Timeline
•Alternating POV
•Small town Mystery
•Psychological Thriller
•Mystery and suspense

Such a gripping narrative and the book is mysterious, reminiscing, and unputdownable. It has dual timeline and three pov. The ending was so unpredictable. There are some twists in book. Author has created such a mysterious and secretive characters. The backstories of characters are so poignant. So Phoene Dean died in an accident and Wyatt is missing since ten years. While June is trying to find him. There are many unanswered questions, unsolved mysteries, suspense and revelations.

Phoebe Dean died in an accident but no one knows anything about how it happened. And another mysterious character is Wyatt. The story has been narrated in dual timeline; ten years later and ten years before. June is living her life in delusion and grieving the loss of her mother and trying to figure out her brother. While Grant and Becca are harbouring a secret and when secrets unveils, it not only breaks the delusions but also brings out the truth. The book was so unpredictable and twists and revelations kept me at edge of my seat. The mystery is grave, secret is deep and truth is twisted. It’s a multilayered story.

Thank you Netgalley, Author and Publisher