This one was not a good fit for me. I didn’t connect with any of the characters and found them generally unlikeable. The pace of the book made it easy to put down. I also found the ending repulsive. I’m sure this one will have an audience but it wasn’t for me.

This book felt quite disjointed to me. While the two timelines did influence each other, the transitions between them were not seamless. The past, told from the perspective of the two brothers, lingered uncomfortably long, failing to capture my interest. The present day timeline with Anneliese had more potential and would have been more compelling if explored in greater depth. I also found the way Anneliese pursued her birth mother, potentially finding her and the family she married into, only to fall for one of her stepbrothers, felt awkward and uncomfortable. The situation becomes even more tense when she uncovers the truth about her biological mother. That said, I did appreciate the unexpected twist at the end and the revelation behind all the dark secrets.

*Thank you to Barbara Gayle Austin, Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the Audio copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

A well narrated story but it still didn’t really grab me. I wasn’t a huge fan of the characters but the book itself was ok.

This was a wild ride and I did not see those twists coming! This was my 1st book by Barbara Gayle Austin but will not be my last, I am adding her books to my TBR!

#WhatYouMadeMeDo
#NetGalley

A brilliant performance and a great storyline, I just couldn't quite connect with the characters, they were just too perfect

I listened to the audio version of this one, and I felt that it was a bit hard to follow. The transition definitely needed to be smoother. It is a decent story. But because the transitions were off, it was not nearly as enjoyable for me.

This is not the book I was hoping for when I read the description. Foremost I think it is important to highlight a trigger warning for incest and child abuse. I could have gone with the messed up family/incest plot line if it weren’t for the ending. It didn’t help that even before that not a single character in this book was likable. Characters that should have been likable fell flat and seemed less than. The mystery itself was ok I guess but it wasn’t very twisty. The foreshadowing to the ending was not subtle and I knew where the book was going. There were a lot of characters and timelines and it was hard to follow at times, especially since I did the audiobook. I’m not going to summarize this one, I think I would slip into giving things away but the book flap description is good. I honestly haven’t disliked a book so much in a long time, I seriously considered giving it one star, but I did like the narrator for the audiobook and some of the descriptions. I also didn’t so strongly dislike it until about the last third so I went with 1.5 stars rounded up.

Oh, this was such a fantastic book! The mystery with this family, as well as Anneliese and her past, it was all so intriguing, and I had to keep reading, and find out what was going to happen next! And boy, was it a shocking story!

We know right away that there's something wrong with the family, because we start when Willem is a kid, and the way his mom acted-including throwing something at his head. So we know she's not a good person, she's obsessed with her own music, and the public's perception of her, and how her family reflects on her, that's not great!

This story was told through various perspectives, at various points of time, in the present with Anneliese and Willem in the present, and then in the past, both Anneliese's past, and Willem's, and Louisa (which is weird to write since that's my name and I hardly ever see it! Though it sucks to see it on an awful character.) To wonder what happened to her, the mystery was really intriguing!

I wasn't expecting all the directions that this story went! I guessed the one, but then another twist came, and then another, and it was just so thrilling and illicit and I loved it! I really wasn't expecting it to go in either of those big directions, and I just had to see how it was going to end!

Loved reading this book and I'd love to read more by Barbara Gayle Austin!

This was.... All over the place. Parts of this were really intriguing, while others were simply disturbing, gross, and unrealistic. The characters weren't developed enough and the relationships between them were just plain weird. The incest plot alone was too much for me. That's not even mentioning all of the other weird relationship narratives. There were so many parts that were confusing and simply didn't make sense. There were several plot holes. Overall I just found a lot of problems with this. The narration was pretty good but that was the only positive take away.

WHAT YOU MADE ME DO is a DOOZY!!!
Barbara Gayle Austin’s debut work is a configuration of a crime novel with domestic drama and psychological thriller elements coupled with wild, unanticipated twist after twist…
More than once, I had to stop and remind myself of what I had just heard. Listening to the audio version likely helped keep the characters and their respective roles in order. It also helped when the storyline became intricately complex.
Slow-burn domestic thriller!
At its core, WHAT YOU MADE ME DO was a bit out of sync with my own personal experiences. Therefore, it didn’t necessarily resonate with me in a profound way...
However, it DID peak my curiosity. I felt like I was watching watching a train wreck at times. Despite having an unrelenting sense that something terrible was going to happen, I still wanted to see what the outcome would be.
Ultimately, the author’s reference to royal family traditions did help me make sense of what I eventually read.
Audiobook EXPERTLY presented by the ultra-talented, Andi Arndt.
Arndt brings books alive from nearly every genre… and that made her the perfect fit for this audiobook.
The book itself encompasses so much!!! Is it a love story? A mystery? A thriller? Romantic suspense? Historical fiction? With AA voice-acting—-it could be all of the above!!!
#WhatYouMadeMeDo #womensfiction #newnovel #mystery #toberead @barbaragayleaustin @offmicandi @bookshell_f

This was a fantastic psychological thriller debut set in Amsterdam where a new wife and expectant mother moves into her husband's family mansion where things are not as idyllic as they seem. The tension and danger builds as she discovers a creepy shrine in the basement devoted to her husband's revered mother, a famous Dutch pianist. Good on audio and a perfect spooky season read. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Unique and suspenseful mystery! Although I just didn’t love it, I really appreciated how different it is from most thrillers that I read. My heart went out to Williem and I was quickly pulled into the story. Something was just missing for me though, and I really think I was just not the right reader for this book,

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Willem’s mother, Louisa, was a world renowned pianist who disappeared when he was a teenager. His mother was not who the world thought she was and his traumatic home life as a child lead him to be a therapist. That and his twin brother, who is mentally challenged, that he is fiercely protective of even in adulthood has kept him tied closely to his family. Including moving back home with his ailing dad. When he meets Anneliese he can't believe his luck and believes his life is finally about to progress forward. Little does he know Anneliese suspects she is the long lost daughter of Louisa's stepsister who was adopted at birth. Quickly long buried secrets from their pasts begin to surface, including who murdered Louisa.

This started out as a strong domestic family thriller with deep dark secrets bleeding into their current life but evolves into a twisted, ick filled, revelation of the past. I liked Austin's writing style as it kept me guessing through out and I was never sure if I had figured out the plot twist. (Only some of it I was right about). There are a lot of characters and back story to keep track of with multiple character POVs and shifting timelines it gets muddled if you do not pay close attention. None of the characters are all that likeable, maybe Jurriaan, so caring about them took effort. I usually don't squirm when there is a dark theme but this one just seemed to go too far too many times and I truly disliked the ending and it made me cringe. I would like to read more of Austin's work but this one won't be a favorite read for me.

I had the audio version read by Andi Arndt who was enjoyable to listen to. I liked her pace and she did an excellent job handling so many characters. I would definitely listen to more of her work.

Reader beware this story deals with incest.

Barbara Gayle Austin’s What You Made Me Do is a captivating listen from start to finish. The audiobook brings the story to life with excellent narration that captures the tension and emotion of the plot. The pacing is perfect, keeping you hooked as the suspense builds, while the characters are rich and well-developed. Austin weaves a complex tale of relationships, secrets, and consequences, leaving listeners eager to know what happens next. The audio format adds an extra layer of intensity, making it a highly engaging and enjoyable experience. Highly recommended!

This was a mediocre read. I don't like posting reviews like this, but I also want to be honest.

This was a far-fetched story, which I realize most thrillers don't exactly keep within the lines of reality, but this is even more so. The plot twists I saw coming, so it wasn't really a twist in my mind, but I can understand why some people would enjoy this book. There is more drama to this than actual suspense of mystery. I would call it more intrigue/drama with a bit of mystery mixed in more than anything.

I don't like doing recaps/synopses of the books because I know that all of you can read that on your own. But I do also want to warn some of those who read this that there could be some triggers in this book for some of you, so be warned upfront to look into that a little more before you dive in.

I would also suggest reading this book. I don't often listen to my audiobooks on any speed higher than 1.25, but I needed to listen to this at 1.5, because I just wanted to finish it. I do appreciate the time and effort a majority of authors put into their work, so I don't want to dimmish that effort in this review.

The book went for major shockers.... Those were the only good parts. Everything in between was just ok. It was like a slow rumble then a quick BOOM and back to a rumble. It didn't work for me. I need a build up.

The characters were well written and I the premise was decent, I just didn't connect as well with this one as I normally would.

The book was loaded with family dysfunction, dark secrets and a ton of abuse. Normally these books pack a punch but this one... was just OK.

3 stars

Good Listen too!!

dysfunctional family.
dark secrets
buried lies
twists and turns were plentiful
Abuse
Sadness
Heartbreak
Has it all and more!!


Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape

Yes indeed, look what you made me do. The long con. A work of deception and revenge. I enjoyed the story and twisty plot. It was not what I originally expected but was entertaining and I am glad I was granted the opportunity to read it here. Thank you.

If you’re looking for a read that makes you think you know what has and will happen but then second guess yourself and repeat, then this is for you. And I mean that in a good way. I thought I had it all figured out early on but turns out, I wasn’t entirely right. I enjoyed the back and forth but did not enjoy the slight dragging and sometimes felt confused about who was who (which could’ve been from listening to this as an audiobook or from the multiple characters). I also enjoyed the reveals even though some of it made me a little weirded out. Overall, I enjoyed this and would recommend this to other readers.

I mostly enjoyed the book, but thought the Joseph Andrew’s twist would be handled more like the original, where incest isn’t actually what is happening.