I don't think this book should be under the romance genre, as it is more a subplot to the family saga and the main characters OCD. The chemistry was just NOT there for this to be a believable romance, and the spicy scene was cringe.

Thank you, Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley

I liked this but didn’t love it. It took me a really long time to get invested in the characters, and by the time I did, the book was more than halfway done. I wanted to connect earlier on. I definitely enjoyed this author’s style of writing. I would like to read more of her books. I feel like she can joke about topics while skirting around difficult topics.

This was a very interesting book that is a very bracing view on mental illness and the impact it can have on someone. I’m not sure I would agree that this book is a romance, yes there is some romance but it’s more a bump in the road than the plot of the story. Eliot hasn’t been home since she left at 18 to move to New York on her own. She has barely talked to her family and she completely cut off her best friend. Eliot has OCD, but it isn’t the type of OCD that is all over the media she gets these thoughts or worries as she calls them that she cannot make go away no matter how many facts disprove them. She’s never shared the full extent of her struggling with anyone and coming home to her entire family for her brother’s wedding makes it hard to continue to hide her struggles. This book was raw and open and honest and it was even more powerful after reading the author’s note in the beginning about their struggles.

first and foremost, I absolutely love this author’s storytelling!! her writing is so raw and open, and I about cried after reading her author’s note and knowing the baseline of this story is based on personal experience 🥺🫶🏼

the story is very character forward and surrounding eliot, the youngest in a very large family suffering from PTSD of her brother’s death when they were young as well as chronic OCD. the stereotypical OCD that you see in movies and books is not what’s featured here, and I applaud every sentence written, allowing the readers the privilege of being in eliot’s head ❤️

and as sad, beautiful, and tragic as eliot’s story was, I wished there was more to hold the entire plot together. I wanted more from eliot’s family, I wanted chapters from manuel’s POV, I wanted a deep insight into how the family felt when eliot left them all high and dry… and as much as I loved eliot alone, there needed to be more than just her telling the story…

friends to lovers normally isn’t my favorite, but I absolutely loved how manuel and eliot’s dynamic was perfect for each other 🩷 again, I just wanted more from manuel’s side because from eliot’s POV only, it was hard to tell what occasions were warped due to her own trauma and OCD.

a huge thank you to berkley and berkley romance for the advanced copy of this one in exchange for an honest review!! I’m glad I took my time with this one!

rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: niagara-on-the-lake sparkling vidal

I was hooked on this book from the opening scene. Returning home to Cradle Island for her brother's wedding, Eliot Beck is forced her to confront some unresolved situations with her family and with Manuel, her former best friend she abandoned and someone she has deep feelings for.

The opening brought back my own memories of returning home after years away and how much things can change and yet remain the same. I was immediately engaged with Eliot's voice. This is a very emotional book, and it had me choked up a few times.

Eliot has OCD. She deals with intrusive thoughts on a daily basis and finds it easier to do that away from her family. Going back home was a big lift for her, but thinking she can handle four days, she drives herself home to find her former best friend waiting for her. She has much to deal between Manuel and her family.

There are some difficult themes here that are handled with sensitivity and realism. Mental health, particularly OCD which surprised me as I thought I knew about this disorder, the death of a family member, and family dynamics in a large family unit -- There's lots to unpack here and the story is rich with situations that I found familiar in my own life, which made the book relatable. Everyone's grown up and has adult problems, not just Eliot.

Like most family drama, this story can be hard to read at times because there is quite a bit of realistic family drama going on here. I actually liked that about it as it was central to my connection with this story. I appreciated the realism of both the family dynamics and the mental health issues.

Overall, I liked this #ownvoices story, especially the tough parts. Learning new aspects of OCD was a surprise, as was finding out just how much the author was connected to this material. There's a nice bit of romance too, but I felt the ending was a bit rushed.

I would definitely call this one a romance+ book. This definitely falls into the romance category, but I wouldn’t classify it as a rom-com; This is as much about family dynamics, mental health, and grief, as it was about a second-chance romance. It was MUCH heavier than I thought it would be but I enjoyed it all the same! I’ll be thinking about these characters for a while.

At first, I was frustrated with Eliot’s choices, but as I spent more time with her, I began to understand the way her brain works. I’m so grateful to the author for sharing the way her brain works with Eliot - she really addressed some of the common assumptions people have about those with OCD.

I loved the flashback style of the writing, and getting to know Eliot’s entire dysfunctional family in the process. I was a big fan of Manuel - he seemed to be so patient with Eliot but also held her accountable for her actions.

This book is emotionally heavy we are following Eliot as she returns to her favorite place for one of her older brothers' wedding. She hasn't seen her family in years believing the only way to hold her OCD at bay is to stick to a rigid work schedule leaving no time for her thoughts to start cycling down the dark never never-ending spiral.

While I really loved the OCD rep and thought it was handled in a great way, the way the story was told made it hard for me to connect with Eliot. Although I could definitely relate to her trying to just be okay for her family even though she is anything but. Every time I started to get interested in what was happening the story would switch to the past, and by the time we got back to the present I had lost the feeling that was drawing me in. I
I did like Manual a lot but didn't really buy their romance, I thought they made great friends, but the chemistry was lacking between them for me.
I liked how real this felt, and while this is a diversion from what I consider my normal reading material I did overall enjoy it and would recommend this if it sounds even remotely like something you would like.

How to Hide in Plain Sight by Emma Noyes is a beautiful and heart wrenching story of Eliot and Manuel. This author knows how to tug at the heartstrings in wreck a reader. The topics are heaving with Eliot having OCD and intrusive thoughts following the loss of her brother. Manuel is always there for her but she tends to push him away. This is not your typical love story but it is written in a way where readers will relate and can learn from these characters. I really enjoyed this book as it was not at all what I was expecting going in.

Thanks for the free audiobook @PRHAudio #PRHAudioPartner and to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

“I know what you’re thinking. 𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙩, you’re thinking, 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙧. 𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙄 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙖𝙮?
It’s a valid question. And I’ve got the answer for you.
We addicts don’t just lie; we believe, too. If you aim to deceive others, the first person you convince is yourself.” 🥺

Oh my. I now feel so much more informed and educated on the different forms of OCD, and just how debilitating it can be. And boy oh boy did I love Eliot! I wanted to jump inside these pages and squeeze her tight.

The last few chapters of this book I felt viscerally. Like literal chills. I am so moved and overwhelmed I am not even sure I have proper words. Thank you, @emmanoyes, for laying your most personal thoughts and feelings bare and for making those that suffer, AND the ones that love them, feel a little less alone. I tip my hat to you. I cannot possibly give this book enough praise.

The audiobook is absolute superb. I could feel Eliot’s angst and fear through the narration. I felt the wind whipping though her hair as she frequently ran away. Wow. I wish I could listen to this again for the first time.

What a title for a character's inner struggle reveal of OCD. When Eliot leaves her family behind in Canada years ago and moves to Manhattan, instead of sharing her dilemma in her mind, she protects them by leaving. Now she is back for her brother's wedding. Her family is a large dysfunctional and complicated bunch with a lot of love, but also loss, as they have suffered the death of Eliot's brother. This 4 day wedding extravaganza will be filled with a powerful, emotional delivery of Eliot's inner struggles. Her best friend Manuel resurfaces as she feels regret for walking out of his life as their friendship had deepened into a deeply felt romance. What she doesn't want now, is to expose her complex mental health condition...the same reason she walked away from everyone.
This book is an eye opener for her condition written as a light to the author's condition. The voices will not stop and the "Worries" are a constant in a string of serious thoughts. You can't help but love the complex dialogue that is heart wrenching, but a much needed perspective on this topic.

Amazing! I encourage you to consider this book. It is a heavy view, but not overwhelming, but finding the perspective on someone else's condition.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my review.

5/5 stars!

Thank you Berkley Pub for the advanced reading copy!

Ugh, I LOVED this book. I'll start with my one and only complaint -- I wanted the representation of Eliot's therapy to be better. Whether that was through an epilogue or what was shown captured differently, as a therapist it was clear to me that her therapist had NO idea what he was doing with OCD and was probably making it worse for her. I'm wondering how much of that was intentional by Emma Noyes -- how much was her own experience or artist choice. While this topic is so near and dear to me, it didn't take away from the book. More of a *reviewer's note* that I feel compelled to include.

That being said -- what amazing, harrowing and accurate representation of OCD and grief -- wow. I'm so impressed at Noyes' ability to weave these complicated, intrusive and obsessive thoughts into the story without it feeling forced or consuming. The Beck family was incredible -- so well-developed and had such believable dynamics, they were so fun to read. Manuel was a great addition to the story, both as a member of the family and as a love interest. I was moved to tears throughout this book for various reasons -- Manuel's kindness, Eliot's struggles, Speedy's grief. It's not often that I LOVE both the plot and the writing style of a book, but here we are! Captivating story that read quickly and with so much depth. The ending was satisfying, if not slightly abrupt, and left me wanting more of these darling characters.

SYNOPSIS -- Eliot Beck hasn't seen her family in three years by very careful design. When she returns her to her family's private island in Canada -- yes, they're THAT wealthy -- for her older brother's wedding, she's terrified that by doing so she will re-awaken the obsessive-compulsive symptoms she fled to Manhattan to bury. Eliot is barely ready to get through the weekend with her family, but when her best friend, Manuel, shows up, all hope is lost. While Eliot reacquaints herself with her family and Manuel, their history and that of the island come flooding back, leaving her overwhelmed with feeling and so, so quickly losing grip on the tightly-wound yarn of her mind.

How to Hide in Plain Sight is a contemporary coming-of-age novel that explores both a young woman’s struggle with mental health and a romance.

Eliot has been living away from her large blended family and best friend, Manuel, for three years. But with her older brother’s wedding taking place at the family’s lakeside vacation home, she must return and face everyone she left behind.

This is not your typical romance novel. Eliot has struggled with symptoms of OCD and anxiety since she was a child, following the heartbreaking loss of her brother. Her intrusive thoughts and “worries” send her spiraling in unexpected ways, and for readers unfamiliar with OCD, it’s incredibly eye-opening. Often, authors rely on unrealistic roadblocks and misunderstandings to delay true love, but in Eliot’s case, her disorder makes it genuinely difficult for her to trust reality, leading her to reject and push Manuel away.

I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy complicated family drama, mental health representation, and slow-burn friends-to-lovers romance.

Synopsis in a sentence (or two):
Eliot Beck has been living a life separated from her best friend and family ever since she moved to New York. All that changes when she must attend her brother’s wedding. Here, she must reunite with her family and try to hide from all of them in full view.

Overall Thoughts:
This is the second book I’ve read by Noyes, and she is quickly becoming a favorite. Emma Noyes knows how to write emotions. Her characters are
raw and authentic. It’s the way she builds relatable characters which immediately engages me in her storylines and whatever problem unfolds. How to Hide in Plain Sight features Eliot Beck, a twenty something woman, who attempts to hide her OCD from her family. This was the first portrayal of OCD that I’d seen that actually helped me to understand the inner workings of it versus what it looked like from a bystanders point of view. While I understand no two cases of OCD are alike I appreciated Noyes’ candid perspective and wish there were more books like hers.

Recommended to readers who:
📚have a loved one with OCD
📚Jodi Picoult, JoJo Moyes, Abby Jimenez
📚Romance family dramas

Rating: 4⭐️

Disclosure:
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the Digital Review Copy of How to Hide in Plain Sight. All opinions are my own.

One thing I love most about the bookish world is that, through writing, an author is able to present a unique viewpoint, a real and raw account of what it's like to live with xyz.... You can fill this blank with so many things, obviously. Author Emma Noyes, in How to Hide in Plain Sight, gives a voice to those who live with OCD. Because she herself lives with the condition, she is able to depict it with utmost truth, shedding those stereotypes of cutesy, quirky, endearing OCD that we too often see presented in mainstream media. ⁣⁣
⁣
Reading this, I was gutted at the internal battle that Eliot endures through her intrusive thoughts. The feelings of isolation, worthlessness, and fear she experiences were heartbreaking; and even more devastating is the fact that this is all internal, so others don't see it. I also had a huge soft spot for Eliot's best friend Manuel. His support, his heart, his drive to learn about OCD and dig deep to see and understand Eliot's struggles...absolute perfection. The only thing I personally had a hard time with with was the ending. I was so deeply invested in this story, and the ending felt quite abrupt. I would have loved to see it fleshed out more or for there to be an epilogue. All in all, however, I very much enjoyed this book and am thankful to have read it as I feel like it enabled me to better understand what it can be like to live life with OCD and better support those in my life who struggle with it.

How to Hide in Plain Sight by Emma Noyes was such a heart wrenching read. I didn't really know what to expect when I started reading this and I'm so glad I was given the opportunity to read it. It's a tear-jerker for sure but I thought it did a fantastic job of approaching some very sensitive subjects. It's a well developed story that is written so well. I highly recommend this!

Synopsis: Eliot, the youngest child of a big, dysfunctional family, reunites with them after three years for her brother’s wedding.

Thoughts: This book was so well done! It is rare to find such a realistic and honest portrayal of mental health in books, and Emma really nailed that aspect here. I really felt for Eliot and her struggles with OCD. While this book dealt with some very heavy topics (grief, mental illness, cancer), there were also a lot of fun family moments and a sweet childhood best friends to lovers romance plot that I really loved. Emma did a great job with both the lighthearted portions as well as the deeper aspects, and the overall message I took away from this story is one of healing and forgiveness. Highly recommend!

Read this if you like:
🌲 family reunion drama
🌲 weddings
🌲 mental health rep
🌲 outdoorsy settings
🌲 second chance romance
🌲 friends to lovers

Out On: September 10, 2024

I thought this book did a phenomenal job of exploring what one form of OCD can look like in a person. I had never read a book with a main character who struggled with this particular area and I have to say that I thought the author did a great job! To find out that the author struggles with this in her own life only made me want to actively cry, because she did a beautiful job of portraying it throughout her story.

The last few chapters absolutely broke my heart and you could just feel the love of this family oozing off the page! I couldn't help but shed a few tears at the resolution that this family was able to find (I won't say with what because #spoilers) but I was a wreck. Overall, if you need a book that will not only shine a new perspective on just one form of neurodivergence that exists in our world but also have some of the most beautiful family involvement - then this is the book for you!

Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group for this advanced copy on NetGalley! 🤍

Eliot hasn’t dealt with so many issues from her past that almost consume her life.
She is forced to confront those issues and lay down a heavy load of guilt she’d been carrying for most of her life.
The most important thing about this book is the message that living too much in one’s head isn’t healthy and the need to reach and connect with people who are important in your life is a necessity.
You’re never alone.

Emma Noyes pens a deeply personal portrait of grief and OCD in How to Hide in Plain Sight. After losing her brother Henry at a young age, Eliot Beck develops a form of OCD that infiltrates her brain with heinous, unyielding thoughts. The Worries, as she calls them, quickly consume her life and Eliot starts to push away the rest of her large, boisterous family as well as her best friend Manuel. After running away to New York to keep her loved ones and The Worries at bay, Eliot returns to her family’s coastal Canadian island for the wedding of her older brother Taz. There, Eliot faces a reckoning years in the making that forces her to look inward and reflect on her own needs and fears.

This book is breathtaking, difficult at times, but incredibly necessary. Noyes reframes OCD with an acute honesty, describing the barefaced truth of a rarely discussed facet of the disease. We are submerged in the darkest bowels of Eliot’s mind, gaining unfiltered access to her thought process and its debilitating consequences.

“Where logic talks, OCD screams” - How to Hide in Plain Sight, Emma Noyes

As someone with a brain that has a penchant for screaming the illogical at them, I felt like I understood Eliot on a deep level. Living with mental illness is a vast and erratic journey and I thought Noyes did a wonderful job at showing Eliot’s fluctuation between fine and less so. I have seen from social media and read in the book’s acknowledgments how personal these themes are for Noyes, and I want to express my gratitude to her for sharing such a vulnerable part of herself with readers.

I was also taken by how realistic and complex the dynamics between the Beck family were. Much of the joy from this book came from observing their various idiosyncrasies and learning about their shared history. Through Eliot’s lens we are able to see how each member handled grief and how their varying temperaments contribute to a web of intricate relationships. Among these, is Eliot’s friendship and fledgling romance with Manuel who acts as an additional pillar of the Beck brigade. Manuel’s patient affection is exactly the type of solid force Eliot deserves and watching them succumb to decades worth of pining was profoundly satisfying.

How to Hide in Plain Sight will be a book that I think about a lot in the coming weeks and I’m so appreciative that we have these narratives that reflect diverse, lived experiences.

Many thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Berkley Pub and Berkley Romance for the free book and thank you PRH Audio for the #gifted listening copy of How To Hide In Plain Sight! #BerkleyBookstagram #berkleypub #BerkleyIG #berkley #PRHAudioPartner #PRHAInfluencer #HowToHideInPlainSight #EmmaNoyes

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐓𝐨 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐈𝐧 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐄𝐦𝐦𝐚 𝐍𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐬
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐄𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐏𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐭
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

𝟱★

How to Hide in Plain Sight was truly remarkable. From the “Dear Reader” section in the beginning, I had tears in my eyes, and I knew I was going to fall in love with this #ownvoice story of Eliot. Emma Noyes shows the reader what it means to have OCD, but not in the traditional sense. This book was so eye-opening to me and I think the representation in this book has got to be some of the most authentic out there. This book has some super heavy topics, which including the death of a family member, grief, disability, and difficult family dynamics.

→𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐩𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧→

💙Raw & Honest
💙OCD Representation
💙Childhood Best Friends to Lovers
💙Challenging Family Dynamics
💙Unforgettable
💙Dual Timeline

🎧I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Emily Pike Stewart. Let me tell you, this audio performance was FLAWLESS. From start to finish, I loved everything about my listening experience. This book and the audiobook performance were an easy FIVE STARS! You will not be disappointed if you listen to this one on audio!

Posted on Goodreads on September 9, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around September 10, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on September 10, 2024
**-will post on designated date