I knew this book was heavy going into it but I didn't expect it to be so heavy. There was some scenes that were out of nowhere and not exactly explained that left me in a weird headspace. I really enjoy books that dive into family dynamics, especially when they are chaotic and dysfunctional. The family aspects were really interesting. But the overall pacing of the book was slow which is always a struggle for me. I recognize that this is a good book but it's unfortunately just not a good book for me.

How to Hide in Plain Sight is a powerful story about a young woman's struggle to come to terms with her mental illness, her family, and the boy she once ran far away from to save him from herself. OCD is a disorder of obsession. It's not always something you can see - endlessly washing your hands, locking locks, or counting things - but patterns of thinking. Often invisible. Constant. Torturous. This novel brings thoughtful clarity to a disorder that can be largely misunderstood, filtering it through the lens of a young woman plagued by her endless Worries.

Eliot is the youngest of her large, ungodly rich family. Her oldest brother is thirty years older than her and she often felt like the odd man out. Henry, on the other hand, was her Irish twin, only a year older than her. They were inseparable - until he died. His death sent a shockwave through their family, and left Eliot even more disconnected than ever before. Not long after, she developed obsessive compulsive disorder which manifested in intrusive thought patterns she could not escape from. The story begins with Eliot returning to the family's private island at Lake Huron for her brother's wedding. She hasn't seen and has barely spoken to any of them for the three years she's been off in New York, developing routines to keep her Worries at bay. She's terrified to see them again, afraid that they'll trigger the Worries. She was prepared to see them, she had a spiel to placate them and everything (mostly the truth), but then she sees Manual, her childhood best friend - another someone she pushed away three years ago and hadn't spoken to since.

This book is incredible. The kind of book I know I'll be thinking about for years to come. It is a stunning representation of what OCD might look like for someone who manifests the disorder mostly through thoughts, trapped in their own brain by thought spirals Emma Noyes illustrates in a way that makes perfect sense. The author herself has the same disorder and wanted to write a story that captured her experience.

Eliot is constantly caught up in her thoughts, which are mostly horrifying, terrible, and untrue, but outside of that struggle, life is happening around her. I thought making her the youngest child of a family with children spaced out so much was another unique aspect of humanity to include. How strange it must be to have siblings you never lived in the same home with because they were grown adults, even married, by the time you were born. Eliot has many thoughts about that dynamic, and her voice is so strong and the prose so beautiful that I found myself highlighting passages everywhere.

Manny and Eliot were the kind of best friends everyone dreams of having. Bosom buddies, practically siblings. She latched onto him in the absence of Henry, and so did her mother Wendy, allowing him to sleep over and come on vacations with them when the other siblings never had that option with their friends. His own parents were distant and often absent, and it worked for them. They know each other better than any other souls on Earth. He even knows her Worries. Through the narrative, we're shown snapshots of their relationship through the years, right up until the moment she makes her decision to leave everything she's known behind and strike out to New York alone.

I liked Manual. He didn't coddle her. He showed anger and frustration when he wasn't heard or given a chance, which felt authentic to the kind of relationship they had. A shorthand sort of connection, where they didn't always have to say things out loud to understand one another. He always told her to never lie to him about her disorder - a true friend. He's wonderful, and their relationship was handled so well and with great care by the author.

By the end, I was in tears. Realizations Eliot had, the long-overdue conversations, and the things she allowed herself to feel...it was a beautiful ending to a tension ridden story that was so skillfully and wonderfully written. I was lucky enough to receive this book as an advanced reader's copy from Netgalley & the publisher, but I've also preordered a paperback copy. I already know this is going to become a well-weathered volume in my home library. Please read it.

This book was so heavy but in such a beautiful way. It makes you feel the full range of emotions and deals with so many sensitive topics, and was so delightfully well-written. I love the way the family dynamics were handled and the mental health awareness was represented. It was profound and touching, and I can’t wait to see what Emma comes up with next.

You need to read the "Dear Reader" note at the beginning of this book before you read it. I found it touching and interesting. It added a layer of appreciation for the character, Eliot, and her mental health issues.

Eliot is part of a huge, dysfunctional but seemingly pretty happy family. She however is different. After her brother is killed the family all deal or don't deal in different ways. Eliot haas never cried. She's not sure why. She does however now suffer from OCD. Her version of OCD is different from anything I had heard of and I was so interested in learning about it. The story was deep, with lots of interesting aspects among the many characters. I really hurt for Manuel. He's obviously such a good guy and is so perfect for Eliot. She's doing her best to drive him away though. Why? Well you have to wade through her history to the present. And the journey is very interesting.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

⭐️: 4/5

I went in to this one not really knowing what genre it was going to be, and came out equally unsure. Was it a romance? Contemporary fiction? Family drama? Coming of age story? Maybe a little bit of all of the above? Definitely the last one.

I want to start out with what I really liked about this book before diving into what irked me about it. The writing style was really easily readable and followable, and the voice made me care about the main character of Eliot. The representation of OCD, especially in a form that isn’t what the general public thinks of when they hear the term OCD, was well done and provided good representation of a neurodivergent MC, which I always laud. For the most part, the rest of the cast of characters were also interesting, and I felt myself wanting to know more about them and their relationships with Eliot, and I was definitely rooting for them to find a way to support her and see her.

Now for what stopped this book from being a hit for me. 21 feels young for a protagonist of a book like this. This wasn’t a YA book so for Eliot to be 21, having left home at 18, was just a little bit of an odd choice to me. I think back to how much I didn’t have figured out at 21 and it’s just…difficult to believe I guess. The plot itself relied on some big ~event~ that happened to drive Eliot and Manny apart three years ago, and books that take this form almost inevitably are a let down because the big fight/misunderstanding/secret is never as big as it’s hyped up to be, or it’s just so predictable that it feels unnecessary to make such a big thing of it. I also found Manny’s behavior a little inconsistent with where the story eventually goes, which bugged me. The story through the middle felt long winded and unfocused, with little plot to drive it forward or keep the reader invested and eager to come back to read more.

I did like the structure of the book with the current time period and the past time period working its way to meet up with the present. I struggled to rate this one too, because while some things were done really well, it’s ultimately a bit of a forgettable book.

Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleypub for this free eARC in exchange for my review!!

This is a tough one to rate because I think so many people will love this book, but it just wasn't for me. I was expecting a second chance romance with some family wedding drama from the description, but this book is very heavy. It was slow and hard to follow at times. The main character has OCD and it was exhausting being in her head.. which is probably the point. I have a whole new understanding of people dealing with OCD. I really appreciate that the author shared her experience through Eliot and represented some tough topics in such a real way. Thank you to Berkley Publishing & Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Eliot suffers from OCD, but it doesn't look the way it's usually portrayed in the media. For her it's extremely disturbing thoughts. They begin when she's ten and her beloved brother, Henry, has just died. Her family is consumed with grief so they don't notice her needs.

When there is a physical health problem it's easy to see and get treatment. When it's a mental health issue it's harder to notice and difficult for people to notice. The thoughts Eliot experiences are frightening and she doesn't know how to tell anyone about them. I think a lot of people will relate to this story. Hopefully it will allow readers who experience thoughts like Eliot's to see they're not alone.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

When I received my monthly Berkley offering and saw this story about a big family reuniting for a wedding my instant reaction was I WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT PLEASE!

I am always down for some "maybe you can go home again" family drama which is totally what I was expecting to receive here. What I got instead was a pretty comprehensive explanation of OCD that presents itself in the form of intrusive thoughts, along with the story of the Beck family who were always fairly dysfunctional, but who truly haven’t been the same in over a decade when Henry died. Told through the voice of youngest daughter Eliot, this is a story of first love, of family, of grieving, and of The Worries that plague her mind.

I don’t know that this will be for everyone. I understand “Boose’s” brain could be triggering for some and potentially exhausting for others. But I hope people give it a chance.

4 Stars

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Berkley for an advanced copy of How to Hide in Plain Sight by Emma Noyes.

I'm struggling to put into words my thoughts on this book - this was so different and not quite what I expected from the synopsis. Emma Noyes writing is extremely real, raw and vulnerable. I feet the same way after reading Guy's Girl with her powerful writing and not shying away from her experiences.

The main character Eliot has OCD and that and her dysfunctional family can be a little hard to read. This book is heavy and lots of spiraling of Eliot's thoughts both currently and going back to different points in her childhood.

I liked this book a lot, but it dragged at the same time. I feel like I learned a lot about OCD.

I do recommend reading it, just know that it is a lot. And I appreciate the author sharing her own experiences with OCD.

A contemporary romance that explores the ties of family and love. A thoughtful discussion of mental health issues deepens the storyline.

How to Hide in Plain Sight by Emma Noyes, is something I truly wasn’t expecting when I requested to read. To be honest, it was quite heavy and due that I was not able to continue reading it. It’s has topics and situations I’m just not in the right mindset to handle. With that being said, I’m not sure how to rate it or that my feedback would matter much.

I think if you’re wanting something very thought provoking, heartbreaking and extremely realistic , this is the novel for you. Give it a try!

This is definitely a novel I’d love to return to in the future, the authors way of telling a story is really great! For that, I’ll give this novel a 3.75 out of 5.

Thanks so much NetGalley and the publishers for giving me this arc to review.

3.5,
How to Hide in Plain Sight is seriously heavy. There’s a lot in here - OCD, depression, death of a family member, grief, disability, a very dysfunctional family.

There’s also hope and love. The mental health rep is terrific.

But then it draaaaaaagggggggged but the ending was painfully rushed.

But it’s a really good story and I do recommend it.



Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the DRC

5 Stars Wow, I wasn't expecting this one. How to Hide in Plain Sight is a raw and emotional look into the different sides of OCD. It's women's fiction with a touch of romance. The dual timeline is interesting and moves the plot along nicely. It's a profound and thought provoking read. Thank you Berkley for the ARC!

Sitting here in disbelief of this amazing unexpected five star book.

Lit fic with a side order of romance. Except our female main character has the best representation of OCD I’ve ever read.

This book exemplifies the broad range of OCD. The side of OCD that isn’t depicted in movies or books (until now).

The characters are so well developed and endearing.

It’s a heavier romance book. But don’t worry because the witty familial dialogue will make you laugh.

But it’s beautiful. Raw. Profound. Thought provoking. Emotional.

Read if you like:
🧠Mental health rep
🤔Dysfunctional family
💔Grief
2️⃣Dual timeline
👆🏻Single POV
💍Wedding weekends
🌊Island living
💞Childhood friends to lovers
💕2nd chance romance

I dove into How to Hide in Plain Sight with high hopes, and while it has its moments, the experience was a bit of a mixed bag. The story centers on Kate, who’s living under the radar due to a mysterious past. Her journey to stay hidden while unraveling secrets about her surroundings had a lot of potential. Kate’s internal struggles were gripping, and her interactions with characters like her cryptic neighbor Daniel and the persistent journalist Laura added some real intrigue.

However, the book didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The pacing lagged in parts, especially when Kate was digging into Daniel’s past or Laura’s probing into her secrets. These sections felt repetitive and could have used more momentum. The resolution, while neat, didn’t offer many surprises, which was a bit of a letdown.

Also, I wished for more depth in the supporting characters. Daniel and Laura’s backstories felt skimmed over, leaving their roles feeling a bit underdeveloped. Overall, it’s a decent read if you’re into suspense and mystery, but it didn’t completely capture my interest as I’d hoped.

Emma Noyes writes about mental health so beautifully and in a way that makes her stories relatable to anyone who has experienced something similar. I really adored this book and Emma's writing.

Eliot Beck arrives in Canada for her brother’s wedding and reconnects with her family. She fled to Manhattan years ago and never talked about the reason. She thinks the wedding extravaganza will be fine, until she sees her best friend, Manuel, waiting for her. She has tried hard to not fall for him and to avoid him.

An apt title, we get a close look at the inner mind of Eliot Beck, who struggles to stand out in a large dysfunctional family. There are very real and serious topics within this story, and they are done sensitively. A lot of the story dragged for me and I felt it could have been much shorter. It’s an important read as it shows an unfamiliar side of OCD.

“I believed I already knew our family tree, with all its many branches and blossoms and bark. I believed I saw the whole story. But in fact, I saw only a small portion. None of its roots. None of its rings.”

How to Hide in Plain Sight comes out 9/10.

Thank you NetGalley, Emma Noyes, and Berkley Publishing Group for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

What an exceptionally powerful, deeply emotional, and profoundly heartbreaking story-beautifully written and truly raw, real, and honest. It courageously addresses numerous sensitive topics, including the death of a family member, grief, mental health struggles, and an exceptionally accurate portrayal of living with OCD. I am blown away by how masterfully the author navigates these heavy topics, effortlessly balancing them with moments of humor and lightness. If you're looking for a story filled with love, forgiveness, hope, all wrapped in a touch of romance, then this is the perfect book for you! I wholeheartedly recommend this book and it deserves ALL the stars!!!🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Eliot Beck is the youngest sibling of a large, dysfunctional family. She leaves the comfort of the routine she has built for herself in New York City for her family's private island in Canada to attend her older brother Ted's wedding. She hasn't seen her family for over three years, not because she doesn't love them, but rather because she does not want to tell them about the OCD that has consumed her life for a very long time.

I was really interested in the very beginning of this book. It quickly grabbed my attention and I settled in for a fast-paced, fun read, but that is not where this story led. The book is incredibly interesting, but it is not the typical romance many readers are accustomed to. This book requires a lot of attention to detail, and is full of very complex ideas and issues. I had to take breaks throughout the story to be able to stay focused, because a LOT was happening in this story.

I applaud the author for sharing her own OCD diagnosis, and using her experiences as a basis for some of the things Eliot goes through from childhood into her adult life. I am just not sure I would call this book a romance. That may mislead readers into thinking they are getting one kind of story, when what they are getting is a much more complex family drama.

Thank you to NetGalley, Emma Noyes, and Berkley Publishing Group for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.


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review scheduled to post on blog and socials on September 4, 2024.

This was entirely not what I was expecting.

Eliot is back on her family’s private island for her brother’s wedding after basically running away after high school. She’s pretty much broken all ties to her family, which include those with her childhood best friend. She wants to keep her distance, but obviously that’s harder than she thought it would be.

This book is heavyyyyy. Eliot has OCD (written accurately and painfully), grief, depression, family illness, and challenging family dynamics. I applaud Emma’s writing because wow was this painful to read.

The dysfunctional family and OCD play the central role in this book. Eliot had a loooot of work to do to feel safe and in control of her life.

I recommend this if you want an angsty, painful read with the back drop of a childhood friends to power/second chance set up.

Thank you NetGalley and berkley romance for the arc!