I am a sucker for books about cults so I was thrilled when I got approved for this one! I loved this story soooo much. The pacing was amazing and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. The characters were all well developed and I thought that the emotions Rebecca and Danny experienced were relatable and easy to connect with. This is a very raw story about cults, and there are many references to cult mentalities, so if any of that is triggering, this won’t be a good book for you. Additionally, I thought that the narration was fabulous!

This book is all about cult life and secrets that people keep. It’s about gaslighting, but not all that much. The authors delve quite a bit into the cult life and it seems very accurate; from what I know of them.

Rebecca has a new life: husband, children and home. Danny shows up and upends it all, as Rebecca has done a good job of keeping her past undisclosed. Danny was her friend back when they were into things she wishes would have stayed in the past.

There are several characters and the story has a few timelines to keep track of. It took me a little while to begin to remember who everyone was. After that, it flows nicely. This is a good book to listen to. I liked the narrator, Julia Atwood. She has a pleasant voice and did a good job of keeping my interest in listening.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this book.

When a book mention cults, you know I’m gonna read it. This book was a wild ride and I’m not sure if it knew where it was going. I like the characters of Rebecca and Tom and the life they created, however I feel like they could’ve been a little more flushed out. I didn’t feel a deep connection to either. Danny was a fun addition since you didn’t know if she was trying to get out of the cult, recruit Rebecca back or what the heck was going on with her. The cult drew a lot of comparisons to NXIVM, or at least that’s what it reminded me of, and that was super interesting. You got to see how members were sucked into this cult. I enjoyed this listen and it was super quick, but it was kinda just meh for me. I wanted more

This was an excellent audiobook. From the first page I was hooked. The storyline of the cult was very interesting and if you like stories on. cults, I would definitely recommend reading this.

Sure! Here’s a reworded version:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had the gripping pace I've come to expect from Sara Shepard's thrillers, along with some delightful and unexpected twists. Like much of Shepard's work, a central theme is the complexities of female friendship, including the tensions and jealousies that can arise alongside genuine affection. As someone who has indulged in countless documentaries and podcasts about cults, I found the portrayal in this book to be quite authentic. The way characters were drawn in by personal attention and seemingly rational teachings felt very believable, as did the gradual increase in the cult's control over their lives. I would highly recommend this to anyone seeking an entertaining thriller, especially those intrigued by cult dynamics. Thank you Netgalley for the read!

Rebecca never speaks neither about her past nor who the father of her child is. Her husband Tom is curious, but as he knows only well what it is to fight his own demons, he never pushes for the answers.
Until that strange friend comes. Thin, fragile, with uncertain motives...and the secrets of his wife might never not be that unimportant again.
Because these two women have had been the cult members together. Victims, even if they hate that word.

I loved the 2/3 of the novel with all the uncertainties and revelations. The cult atmosphere with all that brainwashing is portrayed well and one can only ask why the police or other services have never been interested in the goings-on there.
But then the novel changes into the feminist romp and the brilliance goes away with the very unwise choices of somebody who should be the manipulative mastermind.

The last chapter is interesting, though - I actually believe that this character would behave exactly this way!

While this is not such a smart novel as it aspires to be, it still offers a too realustic view into the abusive atmosphere of the traps of the manipulation and preying on people.

The premise of this drew me in right away. The twin flames meets NXVM cult and seeing how it functions was fascinating. The characters were a bit frustrating and flat, and the ending happened a bit quick. Overall a fun read.

I almost requested this book several times, drawn each time to the clever cover and the concept. Something held me back though, and when I finally decided to give it a go and started listening, I realized that it was a misconception that almost led me to miss this one... I think the title and my expectations were just incongruent, and once I dug into the story I realized this was not gaslighting in the sense I've come to expect, with an emphasis on someone (usually a man) making someone else (usually a woman) believe one thing while actually doing/being/presenting another.

There are elements of that in the cult backstory, and even in a number of the interpersonal relationships throughout, but the book is about a lot more than that and that's where I really found it intriguing. This is a story about the complicated nature of who we are, what our past means, and if/how we can ever really run from who we were/what happened to us or if it inevitably follows in our wake. It's about coming to terms with your own choices - even when there wasn't much choice available when you made them - and learning to let go of what you need to in order to move yourself forward.

It was fascinating and horrifying and at so many points I found myself literally yelling out loud that I couldn't believe *anyone* could fall for the lines being fed to these young women - and then I realized that cult escape wouldn't be a trope if it didn't happen often, and that freaked me out more than I could say... It's a compelling tale and the narration really sold it for me. This was a really intense and wild ride and I quite enjoyed it (dark and horrifying though much of it was).

@netgalley came through for me on this gem. Again I went in blind but I LOVE that cover so much!!!! For me this book was just ok...I really wanted to love it but I felt like I was ease dropping on my daughter conversation the entire time and found myself being annoyed. It was well written though!

I love a good cult book and the premise and cover of this one were very promising. It's a much slower burn than I expected or hoped but did still pull me in enough to make me need to finish it. This is suspenseful but I would not classify it as a thriller if that's what you are looking for. Rebecca and Danny's dynamic was interesting and believable, as was the premise of ISB itself. I think it could have been edited down a bit to make it a little faster-paced and more suspenseful. The climax was satisfying but was left wanting something more by the end.

The narrator did a great job if you listed to the audio! Didn't detract from the plot and captured the emotions and intonations well.

3.5/5

Heart-pounding, eerie, and such a fun read.

Bex and Dani were fascinating to read about. Ben definitely felt reminiscent of Keith from NXIIM. This was a thrilling read, and I loved the way the discoveries unfolded as the story went on. There were a lot of heartwrenching moments as the narrative went on, and I think that the emotional component of recovering from trauma really made this book stick in my mind. I would love to see more from these authors working together.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While this book did seem to take inspiration directly from NEXIUM, it was still compelling and creative in its telling. Would recommend.

For fans of mystery and suspense, those intrigued by cults and brainwashing, this story raises the stakes of escaping a terrible situation when the main character isn't sure she wants to leave. Think NXIVM meets Heaven's Gate, a charismatic and revolutionary (but obviously mediocre) leader claiming to "heal sickness" sinks his claws into young, vulnerable women. "Gaslight" follows the story of two key players in his cultic group escaping his grasp forever. I devoured this book! It was everything I want in a cult documentary or memoir but with the added stakes of fiction. If your attention is captured by this type of docu-series, this is the novel for you!

I found this book riveting! It is such an engrossing tale about how a cult can suck someone in and remake them until the real person barely exists. The part about Danielle in particular was so interesting because she had a loving mother and a clear path forward, she was just dealing with pressure and depression. Then she gets sucked into this cult that ultimately has her committing some serious felonies.
The narrator was fantastic, did an awesome job of conveying feeling from the characters
Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and the author for my copy of this audiobook

This book is far from perfect but it keeps you on your toes, following many tropes associated with cult novels however, unlike most of them, this one actually is an engaging read.

There is clear research into cult behaviours done by the authors and as a result it feels more authentic than the standard copy and paste books we see time and again.

I would say however that the narration isn’t the best and would recommend picking this up in text format.

This psychological thriller was full of slow suspense as we follow present-day Rebekah trying to live a quiet and normal life with her husband and two children, then jump back to learn of her cult-involved past. With the arrival of an old friend, the past and present collide and secrets begin pouring out, putting everyone in danger. The change of multiple POV in different periods of time really gives for a good in-depth look at the characters. It was an engaging, albeit creepy read, and my only complaint is that things seemed to end a bit up-in-the-air for some. Overall still I good 4 star read, made even better with good audiobook narration. Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Nerve-wracking story of the lives of cult members. The story kept me captivated, although sometimes it felt like believability was being stretched to move the plot along more quickly. Overall, an entertaining read.

I love a good cult story! This one was especially fun because it was a past life that is catching back up with our FMC. This was a little bit dragged out for me through the beginning, but I think it was intentional to understand where Rebecca is in her current life and her past. However, it definitely starts to pick up and keeps the pages turning! This was really fun and the ending was wild!

Love a good cult book. I don’t know why I love the unraveling of these master manipulators so much. I’m just fascinated with the control these people have over others. Like how?! I’m always rooting for our protagonists. This was an entertaining read for my. Fast pace. Great narration. Would recommend. Thank you NetGalley!

If you like stories centered around cults, you’ll want to read this book! I could not stop listening to this audiobook. It had everything I wanted from perfect pacing to complex characters.
The authors did a really good job at showing the way cult leaders market themselves as life coaches or spiritual healers to target and draw in people who may be more susceptible to their tactics. They also did a decent job exploring the conflicting thoughts and emotions that victims of these systems experience.
But the real star of the show here is the story between Becs, the seemingly perfect housewife, and Danny, the unexpected visitor who causes reality to come crashing down around them.
Without giving too much away, I thought the progression of the women’s stories was true to what their experiences had been and I was pretty satisfied with the ending.

I also really enjoyed the narrator, Julia Atwood, for this book. Her voice matched perfectly with the characters and kept me easily invested in the story.

*Huge thanks to Miles Joris-Peyrafitte & Sara Sheperd, Blackstone Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced audiobook of this novel in exchange for honest review.*