High expectations accompanied my venture into the pages of a recent mystery novel, fueled by an intriguing premise that hinted at an enthralling journey. However, as the story unfolded, my enthusiasm gradually waned, and the narrative failed to live up to the anticipation I had fostered.

A notable divergence from my preferences emerged in the pervasive theme of revenge that permeated the plot. Personally averse to such storylines, this element overshadowed the mystery I had hoped to unravel. Despite my reservations, I pressed on, holding onto the prospect of a satisfying resolution.

Choosing the audiobook format added a unique layer to my experience. While the narrator's voice was engaging, it couldn't fully compensate for the narrative's shortcomings. It became evident that the overarching theme diminished the subtleties of the mystery, leaving me yearning for a more nuanced and immersive storyline.

Amidst the disappointment, there were fleeting moments of intrigue that briefly captured my attention. The author showcased skill in weaving elements of mystery, but the persistent focus on revenge eclipsed the potential brilliance of the narrative.

In retrospect, the novel could have been a captivating tale, but the thematic choices proved divisive. While some readers may appreciate the exploration of revenge, it unfortunately overshadowed the core mystery, leaving me with a sense of unfulfilled expectations. Despite the engaging audiobook narration, the narrative missteps ultimately hindered the overall enjoyment of the story.

Miranda Rijk’s books are absolutely gripping and this was no different. Will the heroine get away with her dark secret? How many people are surrounding her out to mess up her “perfect” life? So many questions even though since the dual narrators are identified from the beginning there was less of a “twist” at the end.

The audiobook narrators also did a great job, making this one of my favs from this author.

Make Her Pay had a lot of potential but overall I felt like it didn’t really deliver.
There were some great twists but most were pretty obvious.
The pacing was slow but I did enjoy the storyline.
The narrator was excellent and gave a great voice to the characters.
Thank you NetGalley for this audio book

Leonie stole her mother’s car at 16 to go see her boyfriend and hit someone as her father chased after her. Thinking the person was dead, her father told her to stay quiet and then covered up the accident. Years later, Leonie runs a small portion of her father’s company and meets the man of her dreams. Everything is falling into place for her despite her guilt for the accident a decade earlier. But weird things start happening as they plan their wedding.

This story was very interesting. I hated Leonor’s father! What a terrible person. A story of revenge and how it’s not always the right path.

Thank you for the ALC for my honest review.

DNF. Narrator voice bothered me and it wasn't what I expected. I wouldn't say the book was horrible. Just not my kind of book that I like reading.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ALC. The narrator was good on this audiobook but that's about all that was good. It started out ok but just got dumb to me.

"Revenge is a dish best served cold."

Author Miranda Rijks takes revenge to "chilling" new levels in this fast-paced, twisty, and gripping tale of "payback" that asks "How far would you go to get revenge?"

Characterizations were strong and ultra-compelling.

Unfolding from the POVs of two deeply flawed female protagonists, the book was well-plotted and unputdownable.

Yes, there were a few eye-rolling moments but talented author Miranda Rijks made them work.

I listened to the audiobook and a special shoutout to narrators Charlie Albers and Ella Lynch for their Oscar-worthy performances.

I am a huge Miranda Rijks fan and always eagerly await her new releases.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up.

You can’t be wrong with Miranda’s books ! I love all of them ! This is also one of the novels you can never have enough ! Just when Leony thought that her life is perfect … with coming wedding and beautiful life with Markus , the past is greeting her and the terrible secret of her might come out …. #grippingthriller #amazingthrillers #bookstagram #netgalleybooks #bookstagrammer #germanybookstagram #bookstoberead #thrillerreads @mirandarijksauthor @netgalley #superread 💙

Thank you Netgalley, Miranda Rijks and Dreamscape Media for the audio Arc of Make her Pay.
Narrated by Charlie Albers; Ella Lynch

I really enjoyed listening to this audio after reading the blurb which intrigued me. The linkage between Leonie and the unknown person who is trying to sabotage her life becomes clear fairly quickly within the narrative. I love the 2 perspectives of the main characters. One being manipulated and controlled and the other a victim. These traits do make a good revenge story.

Charlie Albers; Ella Lynch do a very good job in creating different voices for the main characters and with the writing, they both have very different personalities. Make Her Pay, is a slow burn story which gathers momentum, predictable in places and also has some great twists .

3.75 rounded to 4

This is my first audiobook from Miranda Rijks (read by Charlie Albers and Ella Lynch) and it blew me away. Rich kid drives without a licence and causes a fatal accident, then has it all covered up by their parents. A rarely used trope, but one that is out there. However, Rijks turns it on its head, flips it round and sends the narrative into orbit!

Leonie (the rich kid) is now an adult and her life is perfect, her misdeeds in the past and now she is about to get married. But things start happening... just little things here and there to begin with, but increasing in severity and volume in a gripping crescendo of terror

The writing is stunning, dark, emotional, chilling. The settings vivid and the character development outstadning. Riijks has a real skill with taking a metaphorical immersion blender to your mind with a spiralling narrative and plot twists just when you think you have everything worked out

Charlie Albers and Ella Lynch were epic. Their performance has to be celebrated as they really did the book justice and I was utterly gripped

Absolutely epic, I cannot recommend this audiobook enough and if you don't like audiobooks, abolutely get the book!

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, the Author Miranda Rijks and the Narrators Charlie Albers and Ella Lynch for this darkly compelling, brilliant ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

This was a very far fetched thriller. Which is fine, as long as I'm endeared to the characters. However, I did not like any of them and it was hard to keep pushing through on this one.

What a wild and twisty ride this was! Rijks has written another great thriller with Make Her Pay. I love how the reader is clued into the intentions behind the characters’ actions before it’s revealed to the others in the book.
The ending included an extra twist that you won’t see coming!

OMG I loved this! My favorite by this author yet. Could not put it down. Had no idea how it was going to shake out and really appreciated the storyline while familiar wasn't the same-ol. Thank you!

4 stars!
I enjoyed this new one by Miranda Rijks. Leonie is a wealthy twenty something, with over-involved parents and a high powered job. She meets Markus, the man of her dreams, and they start a whirlwind romance. Of course, not everything is as it seems. Both parties are hiding something and as we know with other novels, revenge is best served cold.

The narrators do a great job with inflection and sound. They are easy to understand and kept me engaged.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I already read this book before it got released but honestly the audiobook version made me bump it up from 4.5 to 5 stars! I forgot how wild this book played out! Definitely worth the read! Thank you so much to netgalley for this book! I can’t wait to read or listen to more books by this author!

What a ride. Leonie makes a terrible mistake as a teenager and under the pressure of her father she never speaks of it again. Fast forward and that secret has come back to haunt her.
A true thriller. Kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.
Told from dual POV, it was easy to follow and so exciting. Great characters. Great plot.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

Make Her Pay
By: Miranda Rijks
5🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙

Rijks really reels you in right away and keeps you invested in her stories until the mind blowing endings.

Leonie is meets Markus and after a whirlwind courtship they marry. She has been keeping. A secret from him about something in her past, and her father helped her cover it up. As her mother takes over too much control planning their wedding things start happening that Leonie questions.

Markus’s past and hers collide and ways she never saw coming. I don’t want to give away too much because there are so many twists and turns which will have your head spin.

📖 Make Her Pay
✍️Miranda Rijks
🎤 Charlie Albers; Ella Lynch
⏰ 8 h 46 min
🗓️ 12 Mar 2024
📝 Dreamscape Media

Teenager Leonie is enjoying life that her wealthy parents are sponsoring. When they end their cottage vacation earlier than expected, Leonie is upset as she won’t be seeing her unofficial “boyfriend” - who is not her boyfriend. So she decides to take her mother’s car and go for a joyride to see him. Only she never arrives. On her way she is involved in an accident, killing someone. Her father arrives and they leave without reporting it. The victim survives, her life ruined while Leonie goes on to enjoy her life, even though she feels constant guilt. That is, until someone searches for revenge. Weird things start to happen to Leonie when she is planing her dream wedding.

I found the characters a bit flat at times and mostly unlikable. Yet I was able to understand both of their actions and motives. Guilt is an interesting subject here. How guilty is a teenaged Leonie when her father makes the decision to drive away and leave the victim?

The narrative is from Leonie’s and Carrie’s POV. But the story is easy enough to follow and entertaining. Miranda Rijks knows how to spin a good tale. This was very easy to read and kept my attention high at all points.

The narration is enjoyable, but the two narrators sound too similar to each other.

⭐️Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own, I was under no obligation to review.

If you loved White Lotus (TV), or any of the number of books lately featuring wealthy disasters (the Villa, the Heiress, the Fury, etc) this one will be a fun ride!

Premise - a spoiled rich girl runs a woman off of the road while on a joyride in her mother’s car. The girl hit-and-runs, enjoying a picture perfect life, while her victim’s life is completely ruined. Years later, the victim seeks revenge.

There is some suspension of disbelief required to keep the plot moving, but I didn’t mind much because the protagonists are both delightfully awful and the storytelling engaging. It was a lot of fun!

📚 Series or Standalone: thriller
📚 Genre: thriller
📚 Target Age Group: adult
📚 Cliffhanger: no

✨ Will I Reread: maybe
✨ Recommended For: fans of The Heiress, the Villa, the Fury - generally rich people behaving badly stories with murder!

💕 Characters: 4/5
💕 Writing: 4/5
💕 Plot: 4/5
💕 Pacing: 5/5
💕 Unputdownability: 4/5
💕 Enjoyment: 5/5
💕 Book Cover: 5/5

Thanks, NetGalley and Inkubator, for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.