I read this teen suspense/romance title from the perspective of a longtime middle school teacher and grandparent to a young teen. While it’s a short book, under 200 pages, the author packs in a lot of action, perhaps a little more than needed to tell the story- and some implausible events. But the crime angles, varied locales, and developing teen drama and romance all kept me reading. Thirty Seconds at a Time should appeal to teen and middle school girls through about age 15, in my opinion. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

First of all , I want to say thank you for such a beautiful book. I have been going through a hard time in my life, so this book couldn't have come at a better time. The story starts with heartache but slowly, it makes it's way through healing, resilience, friendship, love and most importantly, closure. The book kept me hooked because I was desperate to know if the lead characters got the ending they very much deserved. And it didn't disappoint. The story ended on such a satisfying note. Thank you 💜.

What is it like to see someone you love die and then be left with so many unanswered questions and secrets to keep? Kate has to deal with that and more in this page turner of a mystery that keeps you guessing. After her father's death, Kate and her mother move to Vermont where Kate thinks things will get better only to have her father's past follow her. A great read that I will be sure to include in our library collection. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This engaging YA novel offers a whirlwind of excitement and suspense, perfect for a quick read in just one sitting. Following the gripping story of young Kate, who witnesses her father's tragic death and is thrust into a world of secrets and danger, the narrative keeps you hooked from start to finish.

As Kate navigates through grief and newfound romance with Ryan at a prestigious ski academy in Vermont, the stakes only continue to rise. The blend of romance, suspense, and mystery creates a captivating atmosphere that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

While the storyline may stretch the bounds of reality, it delivers an immersive and thrilling experience that YA fans will thoroughly enjoy. With a clear heroine and a rollercoaster of emotions, this novel earns a solid four stars for its gripping narrative and compelling characters.

I love a good romance + suspense story! I was honestly surprised when this story turned from focusing on the romance of two teenagers at a boarding school to focusing on a somewhat complex crime. I think so many teenagers would love this story -- a little bit of "true crime" feeling, with the added bonus of high school love and drama.

If this isn’t the beginning of a great series, I don’t know what is!! I would love to see this story told from all points of view from each of the main characters. There is such great character development for Kate and Ryan and I’m dying to know his story. Please give us more on this plot line!!!!

Thanks to BHC press , NetGalley and Tracey Bilen for this ARC Of Thirty Seconds at a time.

This book had me hooked from page 1 the plot is basically about a young girl Kate who sees her father being killed in their home.

But if that wasn’t enough, before his death- she learns of a secret he tells her… and then the plot just thickens….

I’m not exactly a YA, but omg, loved this book and had to finish it in one sitting. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone !

Thank you NetGalley for approving me to read this arc.

The story starts when our main characters - Kate - dad who works as a cop is shot and he leaves his daughter with a lot of hidden in her guitar case money and the promise to not tell anyone about this and burn all things. The girl and her mother move to another city after his death to start a new life but the incident is following them since Kate didn't listen to her father and she is keeping this secret alone.

To be honest it felt like a typical Wattpad story. We have teenagers dealing with police corruption which is completely ridiculous and for the majority of this book we don't even focus on this whole secret of Kate's dad because there is a teenage romance going on. I mean it was a fast read, and I didn't feel a lot of cringe but I will forget this book next week and there are so many better options to choose instead of this book.

A fast-paced mystery/thriller that will really appeal to YA readers. The writer creates immediate suspense and then steadily increases it until the very explosive end. The romance between Kate and Ryan nicely offsets the shocking discovery of clues and constant action, Ryan is a fabulous book boyfriend, respecting, helping, and loving Kate in a way that will make readers swoon, and Kate is a character made of strong ideals, good intentions, and a good amount of bravery. A strong story overall!

While this book certainly has elements of mystery, intrigue and romance, which are hugely appealing to middle school readers, it falls short in many ways. I find the plot to be predictable; the character, Kate, to be implausible and her reaction to several crucial plot points stilted and unnatural.. Her internal thoughts are frequent and distracting; her reaction to her father's murder cavalier and unsettling. The setting changes rapidly from her kitchen to the nurse's office at school leaving the reader to wonder how she gets there and whether Kate actually believes that her father is murdered or whether her memory distortion is due to the effects of formaldehyde from science class. The character Sean is brought into the plot without any real context. It isn't until later that the reader learns that Sean is her dad's best friend. Where is her mother when her father is shot? How does her mother get the box from Captain Ross which holds the necklace, a Christmas gift from her father? Why would Kate so easily believe that her father is corrupt once she finds the hidden money in her guitar case? It leaves too many unanswered questions.

As Kate begins her new life at a boarding school in Vermont, she strikes up a friendship with Ryan which soon turns into a romance. The two of them begin to experience unexplained events which leads them on an adventure to solve her father's murder. When Joe is murdered by Captain Ross, Kate and Ryan become fugitives on the run because Ryan is framed for Joe's murder. Ryan is a willing participant and doesn't ask questions again bringing implausibility into the plot. Their escapades take them to an address in Canada, but not before they get fake IDs, sell their belongings and car, and Ryan gets snatched. While all of this is unfolding, Kate's mother is lying unresponsive in the hospital. In the end, the mystery is solved, Kate and Ryan are forgiven for their indiscretions, and all is well again. Too many times I find myself having to suspend my disbelief. The characters are underdeveloped yet the romance between Ryan and Kate engaging. I wish this book did it for me, but I have to say it left me wanting more.

A really fast paced, gripping story. It was shorter than most, but that doesn't take away from the story. It leaves you guessing all the way through. I loved it.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a decent YA novel. It was short and snappy with a good pace and several plot twists which kept the intrigue going.

Kate’s dad was killed in a seemingly random shooting in their hometown. He left her with a message and an oath of secrecy which Kate is determined to uphold. As she and her mum move across the country, Kate’s promise follows her, starting as a shadow of unease and grows unrelentingly.

The characters were likeable and felt sufficiently well-rounded. Parts of the story were entirely unrealistic but that added to the drama of the plot and it remained enjoyable.

This book was amazing! It started going right away and went full speed until the end! It was super intense and I could not put it down! I also really liked seeing how the main character's relationship with her friends and Ryan grew!

Wow! This book had me sucked in from the first chapter. I thought I would read a few chapters before bed… well that wasn’t smart because I ended tossing and turning thinking about the book until I finally got up and continued reading.

I couldn’t put it down until it was finished. The story was emotional and captivating. I felt like I was on a roller coaster, a nice moment followed by an oh no what’s next?! I loved it!

Also love me a nice big twist near the end to really give you that well rounded feel. I’m so excited to have this book as my first ARC and can’t wait to read more of Tracy Bilen.
I highly recommend it. Definite five stars from me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

A multilayered mystery with tons of intrigue and a delightful young romance (which even I enjoyed, and I am not a romance fan.

The suspense throughout this story is taught as a violin string throughout the entire story, and yet, despite numerous murders, betrayals and close calls, it is a bit of a romp with an undercurrent of positivity and youth that makes it all bearable.

A wonderful book, and although the focus audience is young adults, this older adult couldn't put this book down.

An utterly fascinating thriller, by a uniquely talented author.

This is a YA novel that was a quick read and finished in one day. This story follows a young Kate, who watches her detective father die from a drive by shooting. In his last breath, he left her with a breadcrumb of information, but without context. In the days following the funeral, Kate finds more a substantial amount of money hiding in a crawl space while packing to move to Vermont. Following her dying fathers wish, she keeps the secrets- that is until the secrets start to leave a trail of death leading right back to her. Meanwhile, Kate is falling in love with Ryan, while attending a prestigious private ski academy in Vermont. Everything is going according to plan, until more people close to Kate end up dead. Kate and Ryan set out on a road trip to put an end to the threats and save her mom’s life.

This crazy story is unrealistic, but perfect for a YA thriller. Romance, suspense, independence, and thriller all in one book. There’s the excitement of new love, but without crossing boundaries; escapades of young love, dealing with grief and death, and a clear heroine.

Thank you to NetGalley and BHC Press for the eARC. The review and opinions are mine and are unbiased.

I got through this book very quickly. I was invested in the story from the very first couple of pages as it starts off with a POW! There are a number of twists which kept me guessing. I do think that the romance development was pretty fast given the timeline. This is a YA thriller so I needed to remind myself of that a couple of times when I thought that it was unrealistic that teens would be solving the case. Overall it was a fun read.

I read this book in just a few hours and I enjoyed it for the most part.

Positives:
I was entertained almost the entire time and once I was involved with the story, I found it easy to read.
The romance bit was fun and unexpected and I liked how Ryan wasn't a total hero. Sure he helped her get off the ski lift but then he gets kidnapped in Canada. Like he is just a kid wouldn't be some superman at that point.

Critiques:
The chapters in the beginning were a bit harder to get through and I had a hard time getting engaged but once I was there weren't other dips.
I felt like the whole story was there, including necessary details, but sometimes they felt more like an after thought that had to be thrown in to keep the story moving forward, like Kate knew how to use a gun, which only comes up when she's asking for a gun. Her dad was a cop, so it does totally makes sense that he taught her, but that could've been a story she had a flashback of, or something like that and not just thrown in randomly.

I have not recorded my reviews for online yet but I will and they will be available in about a week :)

This book immediately grabs your attention at the beginning, when Kate sees her father being killed in their home. Before his death, he tells her a secret that leaves you wondering what he means. This story keeps building the secret with clues, as Kate and her mother try to rebuild their lives in a new place. Kate keeps getting threats to keep quiet on what she knows. This story will keep you intrigued the entire time.

This is a decent YA novel. There are certainly moments that get your heart rate going, and those were great. However, to me, it read a little younger…not quite middle grade, but not quite all the way up to YA. Also, everything got explained a little too neatly and easily at the end. In my opinion, a really great YA book will make you forget that it’s YA…it’s just a fantastic story that happens to have a teen main character. Or at least those books are what I prefer when I read YA.

I’m just not the target audience here. I’d much rather have more jump scares, mysteries and thrills than a slow burn romance, although I do appreciate that the author kept it clean. However, if you’re into teen romance with a little excitement on the side, this will be right up your alley!

Thank you to NetGalley and BHC Press for the eARC. All opinions are mine.