Make Her Pay by Miranda Rijks
Narrated by Charlie Albers; Ella Lynch

Back when Leonie was a very spoiled sixteen year old, deep into rebellion against her parents and the world, she stole a car despite not even having a license, and she had an accident. Everything was covered over quickly, the fact that someone had died, that Leonie was even there, that she was whisked away and told to never speak of what happened that night. It's like none of it ever happened. But Leonie cannot forget that someone died and it was her fault.

Ten years of focusing solely on school, no more having fun for Leonie, and then working for her dad, the ever present ruler of her life, Leonie never drinks, never sleeps over with a man, never does anything where she might lose control and reveal her past. But then Leonie falls in love with Markus. Some strange things happen all the way up to her marriage day, things that can't be explained. Who is out to destroy her chance to be happy? Surely the things happening now can't have something to do with the accident...or could they?

We meet two women, Leonie, who hasn't gotten away with what she did completely since her guilty conscious won't let her relax, and Carrie, whose life has been ruined, destroyed in so many ways. There are two narrators for the story, one for Leonie's POV and one for Carrie's POV and going back and forth between the two characters works out well. I especially liked the ending of this story, lots of little revelations that made me snicker. There are some folks around Leonie that are very good at keeping secrets.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ARC.

3.5 stars rounded down.

Let me start by saying I hated every single character in this book. There was no redeeming trait to any of them- I wanted to shake Leonie for being so stupid and slap Carrie for being so whiny.

It did catch my attention from the very beginning and is a good psychological thriller that twists and turns and you mostly know where you're going but the revenge plot is INTENSE.

The narrator does an excellent job at capturing a lot of small details, like the frailness of Leonie's mom, the condescending nature of Markus, and changing her voice when she does things like "talks through doors."

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of the audiobook.

5 stars for Make Her Pay by Miranda Rijks. Thank you, Dreamscape Audio, for this audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review. I was hooked from the beginning of this read! The voice as narration was done quite well. Her accent was enjoyable to listen to. I found the storyline to be perfect with the perfect amounts of details and twists and turns. It was an easy listen domestic thriller. I have recommended this read to many others now after finishing. I found the characters names to be a little funny or hard to read, but that is a personal preference. I rated this story 5 stars on Goodreads and Netgalley, and 4.75 stars on my social media book account.

3.5⭐️

This was a quick listen, I love a good revenge story. I was instantly invested in Leonie and Carrie and couldn’t wait to see how it unfolded. I think parts of it were pretty predictable and I wasn’t a huge fan of how it ended, but overall it was an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Loved the two narrators, they did a nice job of bringing the characters to life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

4⭐
Genre ~ psychological thriller
Setting ~ UK
Publication date ~ book ~ December 10, 2023, audio ~ March 12, 2024
Est page Count ~ 282 (p+ 31 chapters)
Audio length ~ 8 hours 20 minutes
Narrators ~ Charlie Albers, Ella Lynch
POV ~ dual 1st, present tense
Featuring ~ secrets, lies, revenge

Leonie made a terrible mistake when she was 16. A mistake that she'll feel guilty about for years to come. Not so guilty that she won't make a wonderful life for herself with a flourishing career though, and now she has a handsome fiance to make her life complete.

Carrie is down on her luck at a dead end job and living with people she hates. Will a new job help her to get back on track with what she truly wants to do?

No one is particularly likable, especially Leonie's father, who was so annoyingly awful. He's the one that should feel the most guilt IMO.

It's no secret where the plot is taking us, but the journey of revenge is a pretty intense ride towards the end. Overall, another great read by Rijks with a surprise or two you won't see coming.

Narration notes:
Both narrators were fine overall. I didn't care for their male parts, as they gave them a sort of condescending tone. I guess maybe that does work well the more I think about it.

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!