After reading the description I was so excited to check out Twenty-Seven Minutes. I’m a huge fan of thrillers and I knew there would be a twist at the end! Unfortunately, while the storyline had a lot of promise and I wanted to love this book so much, it was just okay. It was a bit confusing in the beginning, even though I’m used to reading books with alternating POV’s and timelines. Once it got going it was much better, but I just found every character so unlikeable. I thought the writing was well done, but there just seemed to be something missing. However, the twist was interesting and I didn’t really see it coming!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review. While Twenty-Seven Minutes wasn’t my favorite book, if you like twisty thrillers, it might just be yours!

Written from the perspective of 5 different individuals, Twenty-Seven Minutes flips between present day and a decade prior. This book sounded like so much promise, but I was underwhelmed and just wanted to put the book down. Even with the ONE plot twist at the very end, this book was a complete flop for me. I will withhold from sharing this review elsewhere, as this is my personal opinion, and I HOPE not one of the masses, for the books' sake.

The author should consider making it a bit less creepy between Grant and Pheobe. it seemed like a very Freudian love between them (GROSS!) and not relatable at all to anyone that has ever had a sibling. Not to mention, June and Wyatt's weird dynamic. What is with the weird sibling love?!?! I think this book needs a lot of work before it goes to publish, I guarantee none of my friends would be reading and recommending this.

✨ARC Review ✨

Twenty - Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate
Releases 01/30/2024

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Town grieves the loss of a young girl - but some fight to keep the truth about her dearth a secret. Many question why her brother waited 27 minutes to call for help?

A gripping story that will keep you guessing with every twist & turn as information people are trying to keep hidden comes to light!

My mind is still over here like what?! 🤯

Thank you NetGalley and Ashley Tate for the opportunity to receive an early copy!

“𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡, 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭. 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝; 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐥 𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟, 𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐞. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞—𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐝𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧.”

𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛
Twenty-seven minutes follows the death of Phoebe Dean. For the past ten years, the town has grieved the death of Phoebe but there is only one question that needs to be answered.. “why did it take Grant Dean twenty-seven minutes to call for help?”

𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
See this started out good and the prologue was intense and grotesque, and I loved the vivid images of death and gore it made me see.

It was a pretty fast-paced book with a captivating plot and writing that keeps you hooked. This was the reason I couldn’t DNF it because the curiosity was still intact even though nothing was happening..

With multiple POVs, it took me a while just to get to know different characters. The plot gave each and every single character a back story, grief and trauma that made things very complicated and profound.

There were timeline jumps to fill in the gaps, which didn’t bother me. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝-𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡! How come nothing happens for the whole 90% of the book and in the last 10% only one thing happens?

Even though that twist at the end was unpredictable and amazing, I had lost the zeal for anything at that point. So it was not that impactful but it was well-thought and unpredictable, at least by me!

And the plot was very grief heavy! Each character was dealing with grief and trauma, and the instances were very well-written, and for that, I want to applaud the author.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
Overall, even though the plot was captivating, the end was unpredictable and the characters were written with depth, the slow build-up of suspense dragged the story and nothing happens till the very end.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲, 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫, 𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞-𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰.

Twenty-Seven Minutes is the name of the novel. It is the amount of time it took Grant to call for help on the night of a car accident ten years ago. It is what probably cost his younger sister Phoebe her life. As the ten-year anniversary of Phoebe's death approaches, pressure builds on Grant to come clean about those lost twenty-seven minutes and on Becca who was in the car that night too. It also builds on June. Her mother has just died, and June has nobody left as her brother Wyatt went missing the night of the car accident. The truth about what happened that night is about to come out…
Twenty-Seven Minutes is narrated in multiple points of view and timelines, making it a very slow burn with a reliance on the continual hook: soon, soon, all will be revealed... But overall, its themes of secrets and grief and its intriguing premise will appeal to many readers of the psychological suspense sub-genre.
3.5-4.0 stars

This book hooked me from the very beginning starting out with the ‘incident’ that the book revolves around. I did find, though, after that moment, things moved a bit slower. Written from multiple perspectives made it an intriguing read and I am so glad that I saw it through to the end. Ashley’s debut novel was a success and I will be looking out for any of her following books!

This book started out strong with an intense start with a person dying on a bridge from a motor vehicle accident and of course dying after 27 minutes.

The story continued with tough to relate to characters that made you want to punch them in the face. I was not a fan of grant and how helpless Becca was. The characters were irritating but the story was interesting and it kept my attention. The characters were bizarre.
This book was tough to follow with bouncing back from present to 10 years prior. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Book : Twenty-Seven Minutes
Author : Ashley Tate
Pub Date : 30 Jan 2024

Thank you NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press & the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I obsessed with this book! This book was small town mysterious page turner with twists and thrilling adventure that has you bracing for what is going to happen next.

Each character in this book was well developed and played their own part/a perfectly. I love a ‘who-did-it’ that holds me on the edge of my seat and this fulfilled that for me. The storyline was fabulous and kept your attention and kept you guessing and turning pages until the very last page. 🤯

I love Ashley Tates writing and will continue to watch for her releases. I need more! I can’t wait to recommend this book for my book friends who love this kind of genre 🤌🏻.

A town has been grappling with the death of a young girl years ago, and has always wondered why it took so long for her brother, Grant, to call for help. Years later, Grant is still haunted by the car accident that took his sister, but no one knows that another person was in the car; this person is Becca, who is the only other person who knows the truth of what happens. Or so they think. Then we are introduced to June, who has a brother named Wyatt who has been missing for ten years, and someone then appears at her door who knows what really happened to Wyatt.

There were a lot of characters and it kind of got to be too much, even if it did provide a lot of surprising twists. There were so many surprises that at times it felt difficult to weave together, but that also allowed me to enjoy not knowing what was coming next; it just seemed to need a little better execution in writing. I also did not really like any of the characters, so it was hard to connect with the overall story.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.

I received this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

The town is still reeling after the tragic death of Phoebe Dean who was killed in a tragic accident. Secrets are now being stirred up because of the ten-year anniversary. I loved how we got multiple POVs from Grant, Wyatt, June and Becca. It helps tell the story and get readers the answers to their questions. I loved the ending, I thought it was well written and just the right amount of shock. I just felt like the book was a little too slow to begin with and I had a hard time getting into the story.

Twenty-seven minutes. That's how long grant waited to call for help for his sister, Phoebe, when he'd had a wreck in his truck with three passengers - Phoebe, Grant, and Becca.
The same night as the wreck on Wilber Bridge June Delroy's brother, Wyatt, disappeared after a fight with his father.
Twenty-seven minutes tells the stories of June, Wyatt, Grant, Phoebe, and Becca from two points in time - 10 years ago at the time of the wreck and today - a few days before the 10-year memorial for Phoebe.
What really happened on the bridge that night? Where has Wyatt been for the last 10 years?
The answers to these questions and more are beautifully answered throughout the rest of the book with lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing until the end!
This was a debut book for Ashley Tate, and I hope it will not be her last! I highly recommend it!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Twenty Seven Minutes is a Thriller story set in a small town in West Wilmer. The character Grant Dean took 27 minutes to call for the help when his sister's life had been taken in the truck crash that night. After ten years, three days before the ten year anniversary, someone came to share the truth as to what actually happened that night. I disliked some characters but every character has their own POV which I liked.

💭 My Thoughts 💭
I liked the story telling of Ashley and she had great potential. I expected more intrigue but it disappointed me with the repetitive. She is a well talented debut author with an excellent gripping twisted plot. I would definitely read this author's books.

I extend my gratitude to @ashleytate for sharing this compelling story with me.

This was a really interesting read.
I loved the writing style, the pacing was perfect, and the whole story was incredibly atmospheric.
What I didn't like was the characters. We have 4 POVs, Grant, Becca, June and Wyatt, but unfortunately I couldn't really relate to any of them.
Overall it is a dark, twisty thriller full of surprises, and a shocking ending, so I would definitely recommend it, and looking forward to the release date.
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

If you like Holly Jackson then you will enjoy this book! A phenomenal teen mystery that I could not put down. I highly enjoyed it and will recommend to teens and adult patrons. Will be ordering a copy for the library.

I wanted so badly to love this book, but after starting and stopping several times, it was clear that I wasn't. Just based on the synopsis, it had everything I love in a thriller, but the execution was just off and the pacing was far too slow for my liking.

However, the writing itself held promise, so I"ll definitely keep an eye out for the next book this author writes.

Many thanks to Thriller Book Lover Promotions for this early read. TWENTY-SEVEN MINUTES will publish January 30, 2024.

Amazing! I was never sure what was going to happen next and it was build up after build up. The characters are rich and story just hits you right in the feels. To go through grief, pain, denial, and sorrow is something that is unique to everyone and to see it come out in different ways through different characters was SO good. I'm exhausted with emotion.

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.

Told in a dual time line this book initially had me turning the pages quickly as the premise of the story intrigued me. When I requested it I thought it would be good but it was a bit of a slow burn The main players Grant, Becca, June and Wyatt all have their own agendas as to why they are keeping secrets but as the story progresses we are slowly informed as to why but it does take quite a while to get this information. I really didn't like a lot of these characters, normally this enhances the story for me but not in this case. It seems to take an incredibly long time to find out what actually did happen in those 27 minutes and we are at the end of the book by then. I just don't think this one was for me, I went in with my expectations too high and found myself a little disappointed. It is not a bad book, I just think it could have been structured differently to make the best of the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions are my own.

I just finished reading the book "Twenty-Seven Minutes" by Ashley Tate. I chose to read this book because it was recommended by one of my favourite authors, Ashley Audrain. Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Canada for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

First of all the title is great...Right away you feel as though something really important happened in or after 27 minutes to someone that had disastrous effects. In this case it was Phoebe... who is one of the main characters, who we find is struggling to stay alive and had an ambulance been call 27 minutes earlier, she may have survived. What a great beginnig, because I wanted to know shy her brother Grant waited so long.

In order to find out we read many different sides of the story 10 years into the future, when Pheobe's death still has implications on the lives of the people involved in a small twon where nobody minds their own business.
The main characters are Pheobe's brother Grant, who is hiding some major secrets and has a hard time coping with reality, Becca who is a complete nutjob, and June, who seems to be a side character, but who is written in a way that makes her very compelling. The key to finding the truth is June's brother Wyatt, who disappeared ont he same night as Phoebe died tragically.

The story shifts from present to past, but it is easy to folllow because the font changes everytime the story reverts to the past. There are some psychological hallucinations that require alot of attention when reading because the reader is not sure if the character talking is real ora figment of someone's imagination.

There are side characters which add to the drama and help to tell the story of what really happened those ten years ago to Phoebe and Grant and Becca and Wyatt. Unfortunately, the reader finds out in the last few pages which is alright but there is not consequence to the revelation...but, mayber, that is the point of the story.

It is slightly wordy in some parts, but I truly felt the crazy of both Grant and Becca and June. They were very well written. The only problem I had was understanding why Phoebe wanted to control her brother Grant so much. It felt kind of weird...their connection. And the answer to the twent seven minutes was not what I was expecting, although it was alright.

I enjoyed this book...but I didn't love it. It was entertaining enough, but didn't really stick with me. A good summer read, is what I would call this book by Ashley Tate.

Happy Reading

I enjoyed this mystery, and I did not guess what happened in those 27 minutes until it was revealed at the end. The chapters are told between 4 character perspectives, and it did get confusing to keep straight which character and the truth and opinions of the characters. Overall, I enjoyed this page turner.

i found this book really slow, which meant for a thriller, it didn't really thrill me. maybe if we found out how each of the characters we hear from were involved in the accident sooner, the book may have made a bit more sense to me, and might have even helped to build the tension or suspense that i didn't feel. i see what the author was trying to do with both becca and june being unreliable narrators, but until the twist in the last chapter, they both came off as unlikeable and unrelatable. the twist was good - it just needed a more dramatic reveal i think.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.