This was my first book by Miranda Rijks and I thoroughly enjoyed this popcorn thriller. Some elements were predictable, but it had twists and turns that still made it an enjoyable read. This one is full of drama and suspense that keeps you interested throughout. The audiobook was clear and engaging. Charlie Albers and Ella Lynch did a great job of making the characters come to life. I'd label this as a nice pallet cleanser from the more intense thrillers I typically read. If you enjoy reading books with flawed characters, juicy drama, suspense, dual POVs, and twists, then add "Make Her Pay" to your must-read list. 3.8 stars rounded up to 4!

Leonie’s life feels almost perfect – she’s got her own business, she’s well off, and she just met the man of her dreams. But a secret from almost 10 years ago is always on the back of her mind, and she owes her father her life, something he willingly takes advantage of. While her relationship with Markus takes off and seems to be heading towards marriage, things begin to go awry. It isn’t long before Leonie finds herself wondering who is out to get her, and why.

This popcorn thriller was relatively predictable. It wasn’t hard to know where it was going and who the characters were as well as their motivations. That being said, there were a few surprises, and it was written well enough that the predictability didn’t majorly detract from my enjoyment.

The characters were decently written. I enjoyed how the past haunted the MCs in different ways, and how it affected their motivations differently. There were certainly many cases of plot-induced stupidity when it came to Leonie’s actions, but as long as you don’t think about it too much it’s still enjoyable.

This was a decent drama-filled suspense that was a good way to help pass the weekend’s chores as long as you don’t think critically about it. My thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This audiobook was well performed and I did enjoy it, though at times it was way too over the top for me. My biggest struggle honestly was Markus. There just wasn’t any part of Leonie’s relationship with him that felt real to me. I didn’t like any of the characters which is okay I guess, but it’s hard to fully enjoy a book if you don’t relate to anyone. However, I continued it and while it wasn’t an overly gripping novel it also wasn’t awful. I’m ok with a mediocre read now and then.

4.4 ⭐️
A psychological thriller that provokes thought on the moments and actions that define us. And how easy it is to place blame on others, when it’s really us that decides what defines us and holds us hostage.

For the Leonie, one mistake in the past, followed by life-long guilt, and the consequences of keeping such secrets. We all are the owners of our actions, and it’s not until the very end that the MC realizes she really DID have a choice.

For Carrie, she placed lifelong blame on one moment, and let that define her and justify retaliation. The revenge plot wasn’t hard to figure out, but was an interesting tale to the end.

The characters had a lot of flaws, a lot were unlikeable, but in a very fitting way for the story. Overall, it made for a very juicy read. I listened to the audio and enjoyed the narration.

Thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Miranda Rijks for providing me with a complimentary audio ARC to review!

Leonie is living her best life. She’s successful and about to marry the man of her dreams. Weighing her down is a terrible mistake she made when she was only sixteen. As things start going wrong, she cant help but wonder if her past is catching up with her …

It’s a very cleverly plotted, twisty tale with characters you love to hate.

If you’re looking for a compelling thriller, pick this up! The audio narration by Charlie Albers and Ella Lynch was fantastic.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape media and Inkubator Books for an ARC and ALC.

Make Her Pay by Miranda Rijks was my first book by this author but definitely not my last. Narrated by Charlie Albers and Ella Lynch, they truly brought Leonie and Carrie to life for me. We meet Leonie when she is sixteen and makes a choice that would derail her life. Ten years later she is riddled with guilt, but maybe finally she can be happy and move forward with her life. She meets Markus and though she believes this could be the turning point in her life, what if it is finally going to come crashing down? At the same time, we meet Carrie. A woman who is bitter and angry because of what has happened to her. But what is her connection?

I was intrigued with this story right from the start. The narrators were amazing and I could not stop listening wanting to know what would happen next. Leonie is happy since she met Markus and ready to move on from the past. Things could not be better. But what is Markus hiding? And what does Carrie want? Neither of them were characters you rooted for, but you could see where Leonie was coming from. She wanted to change, but was afraid to leave the protection her family offered. Carrie lost so much, but she was angry and could not put it aside. I wanted all the answers and was at the edge of my seat waiting to see how it would all end.

Happy reading!

Look, the entire book was good and all, but THE MOTHER AND BEST FRIEND THING OVERSHADOWED EVERYTHING. But, I somehow guessed that was the situation, so I shouldn't have been surprised... YET, I WAS. Anyways, it's a good thriller, you should read it 😂

Whoa, whoa, and whoa! This is a book that worked for me in almost every way! This one was intense from the beginning and is full of lies, secrets, deceit, and revenge. All of which makes for a thrilling story! And it goes in some different turns too!

This also has dual povs and you know how I feel about multiple povs! YES!

Leonie is just 16 and has killed someone in a car accident. Her father insists on it being a secret but still all these years later it haunts Leonie. And you know what they say about secrets… They have a way of coming back to you.

She thinks her life has turned around when she meets Markus and begins an unexpected whirlwind romance. but as it progresses then it starts to seem as though someone is out to get her and things begin to slowly unravel bit by bit.

This was an intense ride and there is no likeable character or anyone to trust! I had no idea how this one was going to go and was taken by surprise by the end twist.

The narrators did a good job, but I wasn’t able to speed up the narration due to the English accents.

This is my first novel by Rijks and I plan to look into her work more! Many thanks to the publisher for granting me a copy to listen to and review!

Past and present collide in this twisted tale of deception, betrayal, and revenge. Is revenge a dish best served cold? That is the lingering question posed by the shocking and devious attempts at retribution. The roles of victim and villain are ever-changing as the plot unfolds and lives are changed forever. Throughout this thriller, I was entertained and on the edge of my seat anticipating the surprising conclusion. The narrators masterfully brought the characters to life with a sinister chill. Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my audiobook. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

#MakeHerPay #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the early copy of this audiobook. It took me some time to finish this.

The narrator was fine. I was just unsure about the fight scene between the two POVs we follow here. The other girl's voice changed into a funny one, and I couldn't stop giggling while listening to it.

As to the story itself, Leony was really naive, and there was no character development at all except at the end of the book. I pitied her and all her circumstances. The author was able to write about believable circumstances. I realized then that maturity does not come with age but with one's experiences.

I would recommend this to my fellow thriller readers who like family drama, revenge, and plotting scenes.

I enjoyed this book, I have never read anything from this author but I will be looking for some more books by her. I will recommend for our library to buy this book,

Reading Between the Wines book review #23/130 for 2024:
Rating: 3 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: Make Her Pay
Author: Miranda Rijks
Available now!

Sipping thoughts: I love Miranda Rijks and there isn’t a book that she has written that I have not enjoyed. This book full of revenge, lies, secrets and deceit took a few turns that I did not anticipate. I’ve heard revenge is best served cold but in this book the revenge is set from the depths of hell. I wished there was more time spent on the ending as I think it was a little rushed. I was also hoping for a different turn but enjoyed it all the same.

Cheers and thank you to @DreamscapeMedia and @Netgalley for an advanced copy of @MakeHerPay.

#MakeHerPay #MirandaRijks #DreamscapeMedia #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version.
I enjoyed the book a lot. I couldn't stop listening to it. The characters and plot was very engaging and I was not really sure where it was going to go. The ending was good. The narrators did a good job. I think that the narrator for Leonie was a little to older sounding for a 26 year old. Maybe if the character was in her 30's/40's. The narrator that played Carrie sounds younger and more youthful. I think they should have switched them. But all and all they did a good job. Highly recommend.

This book started off strong, but then kinda fell off. I was disappointed by the ending. Overall I think it was just okay.

I really like Miranda Rijks' writing style and this one was similar to others she has written in the format. I really enjoyed the back and forth between the characters POVs and found both POVs to be equally compelling. I was surprised when such a major character was taken out of the story half way through but it led to even more suspense afterwards. I thought this was fast but evenly paced and that the conclusion was perfect.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Have ya'll seen WTFDIM on tiktok?!?!? 👀👀👀
That's all i have to say, read it!

Publisher's summary
Leonie is living her best life. Still in her twenties, she’s beautiful and successful and has just met Markus, the man of her dreams. But Leonie has a secret.
Ten years ago, she was involved in an accident in which another driver died. Leonie shouldn’t have been behind the wheel that night—no license, no insurance—so she fled the scene. And ever since, she’s been struggling to deal with the terrible guilt.
Now, as her wedding to Markus draws near, it seems someone is out to get her. It’s little things at first—botched work appointments, a canceled bridal dress—but it soon escalates into a terrifying campaign that threatens her business, her family, and even her life.
Caught up in a relentless nightmare, Leonie has no idea why anyone would set out to destroy her—until she realizes there’s a link to the accident that happened all those years ago.
Someone knows what she did. Someone is determined to make her pay.

Thanks NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for the ALC of this book!

Make Her Pay
By: Miranda Rijks
Narrated by: Charlie Albers, Ella Lynch
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Release date: 03-12-24

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a wild ride. I did not anticipate that ending. This was a good thriller that had a lot of interesting things going on. Miranda Rijkas is becoming a must read author of mine because her books are so gripping and engrossing.

This book was a wild ride from the start to finish. I will need to read more work by the author! The narrator also made things interesting and kept my attention for the whole book.

Story of revenge. Kerry/Denise does not take ownership of her part in the accident that changed her life forever. The only thing she can think about is making the person who was at the scene of the accident pay. Deception, lies, and control fill this story, Some of the characters could have been a little more developed.

This audiobook was entertaining enough, but for me, it didn’t have many twists that you didn’t see coming, hence the 3 stars.

It did keep me engaged enough to keep listening, and I finished it in a few days. I listened at 2x and it was the perfect speed for Leonie but not for the Carrie POV, she spoke a lot faster, so it felt like I had to go back and forth.

Some of the parts felt so random, like the relationship with Markus. I thought something much more sinister would come from that.

All in all, a decent listen.