Claire, Darling is one of the most physiologically twisted books I've ever read.
I was blown away by the protagonist, Claire, and her mentally twisted mind.
Never did I guess the ending, and I'm usually great at figuring out things out.
Callie Kazumi is brilliant with the unbelievable Claire, Darling. I can't wait to read more from her.
#ClaireDarling
#CallieKazumi
#RandomHouse
#NetGalley

Oh Claire, bless your heart. We start with a dead body and then we find out how we got there. When Claire decides to take her fiancée lunch, it turns her world upside down when she discovers he no longer works there. As she tries to find out answers, she realizes he’s living a whole separate life and she has essentially been ghosted. The first half of the book is Claire spiraling and the second half is a trial where the reader starts to find answers. Interspersed are diary entries and anecdotes about Claire’s childhood with her abusive mother. A little slow at some points, but overall a good psychological thriller.

This was a solid debut and I will look forward to more books from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy and a chance to read this early. All opinions are my own.

This is a very enjoyable debut novel, and I cannot wait to read more from this author in the future. This was a twisty tale and a super quick read. If you are looking for a book to get you out of your reading slump, this is the way to go. Buy this one on publication day. The characters were well developed, and you would find yourself not wanting to put the book down, because it felt like you were also Claire's friend and wanted to know more about this the 'man of her dreams". Enjoyed this a ton. Thanks NetGalley.

Claire, Darling presents a compelling premise right from the start. Claire is determined to surprise her fiancé Noah on their anniversary, only to discover he doesn't even work at his supposed job. The initial setup hooks you, promising a journey filled with suspense and emotional depth. As Claire grapples with the shock of Noah's betrayal, the narrative delves into her past, particularly her tumultuous relationship with her manipulative mother.

However, there are times when the pacing feels off, especially in the second half of the book, where the story lingers too long on Claire's internal struggles without much forward momentum. The plot sometimes dips into predictable territory, with twists that, while engaging, felt somewhat routine.

Overall, Claire, Darling is an intriguing exploration of love, betrayal, and the search for identity. It has its strengths in character exploration but some weaknesses in pacing and predictability.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars for me.

#ClaireDarling #NetGalley @atrandom

A young woman grows up under narcissistic parenting. She is Unaware of her own distorted thinking and ends up facing a trial for murder.

Wow!!! This is a debut novel that will knock your socks off. Callie Kazumi. I can't wait for you to write more. The ending of this book might lead to another making this a series, not sure but maybe? I can't say anything about the storyline because it would give too much away but I will say that the book started me thinking one way and then by the end of the book I was 180 degrees thinking in a different direction. Thinking back on some of the things that happened I guess I should have understood more of what was to come but it is so well written that you just focus on the storyline. If I were to reread it I would know what to look for and maybe see more but what fun is that? I loved this book! Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC.

𝘊𝘓𝘈𝘐𝘙𝘌,𝘋𝘈𝘙𝘓𝘐𝘕𝘎
𝘉𝘠 𝘊𝘈𝘓𝘓𝘐𝘌 𝘒𝘈𝘡𝘜𝘔𝘐
𝘙𝘌𝘓𝘌𝘈𝘚𝘌 𝘋𝘈𝘛𝘌 03/11/2025

#clairedarling #calliekazumi #randomhouse #bantambooks #netgalleyreviewer #netgalley #debutauthor2025 #debutthriller #cuckoo🐥#crazyasafootballbat #thrillmemore

Prepare for a thrilling ride with Claire, a young woman whose life is a rollercoaster of heartache and surprises! Haunted by the shadows of her past, Claire emerged from a tumultuous childhood raised by a mother battling bipolar disorder, narcissism, and alcoholism. Now, she’s determined to forge her destiny.

Just when she thinks life is looking up, Claire gets engaged to Noah, the man of her dreams. But post-anniversary bliss takes a shocking turn when Noah leaves for work one fateful day. Driven by love, Claire surprises him with a lunch visit, only to stumble upon a staggering truth: Noah's life is not what he claims. He doesn’t work where he says he does, avoids her calls, mysteriously goes missing, and vanishes from social media—how could this be happening?!

As Claire embarks on a desperate quest to find Noah, she prepares to uncover secrets that will unravel their very world. Buckle up; things are about to get intense! Will Claire's resolve be enough to face the storm that awaits? All hell is about to break loose!

This was an awesome book for a debut novel! It has all the suspense and mystery of a great psychological thriller! There were many twists and turns that I never saw coming. The ending, wow!! I highly recommend this book!

Absolutely fantastic plot, I read it in one day! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

This is a pretty good debut novel. The storyline jumped a little bit but wasn't too hard to follow. I guessed the ending about halfway through the book though, so it was pretty predictable in my opinion. Some typos are present so hopefully are cleaned up before publication date. This isn't an on the edge of your seat thriller, but it kept me interested enough to want to keep reading. Thank you too Netgalley the publisher and author for the ARC. I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

I unfortunately did not like this book. Claire was insufferable and something felt off for the entire story. I didn’t want to read her excessive flashbacks or diary entries and I didn’t feel a ton of sympathy for her.

For a debut novel this is outstanding. I'm am truly looking forward to more books by Callie Kazumi. Throughout the book, I sympathized with Claire. She had a horrible childhood and was having an equally horrible adulthood. I had no idea it would end the way it did. But looking back I saw that there were hints. It almost makes me want to reread it with the new perspective.

This psychological thriller is entertaining, fast paced and kind of creepy.

When Claire goes to her boyfriend’s work, she is told that he doesn’t work there. What? Yes, weird right?

Lies, secrets, and relationships, this story takes spirals that will keep you guessing.

I really enjoyed this debut book. Definitely recommend.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, NetGalley and Callie Kazumi for the eARC, opinions are my own.

I must say that I really liked this book. The times of mental health and real life were so interesting to read about. This author made you believe one thing, even though something different was happening. I like how there were many different views throughout this book to make you believe what was going on. I give this 4.5 stars.

Claire is living a good life with a brand new job, a loving fiancé and a soon to be renovated dream home. When she and a coworker friend decide to swing by and bring lunch to her love Noah, her world is turned upside down as she is informed he no longer works there.

Determined to get to the truth, Claire frantically tracks down Noah only to find that he is with another woman and refuses to talk to her or answer her calls.

Claire was raised by a dramatic, often histrionic, single mother partial to anger and punishing Claire for normal childhood behavior. She is often given the silent treatment and forced to do her own cooking when as young as seven or 8. Claire’s sense of self worth is consistently damaged by being told that she is worthless and unlovable—the only one who will ever love her is her mother.

I was rather surprised by the trajectory of this story. Claire, who comes off initially as the victim of bullies and an abusive mother, is initially a character to root for. However, during the progression of the story, she starts to morph into a morally grey individual, and not in a likable way. What follows is an interesting story of a life unraveling, with plenty of twists in store. I rate Claire, Darling 3.75 stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

CLAIRE, DARLING by debut author Callie Kazumi explores a familiar trope found in psychological thrillers but has an interesting execution. Main character Claire is happily engaged to Noah, and when she brings Noah’s lunch to him at work, she learns that he no longer works there. And then Claire can’t find him. She’s been ghosted by her fiance.

And that leads the reader to debate with one’s self whether Claire is unhinged or if she is being played by her fiance. Claire’s deceased mother plays a big part in this novel, hence the title being how Claire’s mother addressed her (“Claire, darling”). I found the mother parts a bit suffocating, but I think that was the point.

What tugged at my heartstrings is that Claire’s first friend in life was her fiercely loyal co-worker Sukhi. Everyone needs a Sukhi in their life.

I must admit that I ate this novel up like it was my favorite chocolate. The second half of the novel features court testimony by a plethora of characters, and I really liked how the author crafted each piece coming together.

While this isn’t high literature, I found it extremely compelling and I didn’t want to put it down. Unlike a lot of psychological thrillers, though, I feel like the author laid a lot of groundwork for the “why.” I did find a few things related to the plot a bit difficult to believe, but I think that’s pretty typical with this genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam/Random House Publishing for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an unbiased review.


It publishes March 11, 2025.

"Claire, Darling" by Callie Kazumi is a gripping debut thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The story follows Claire, a woman who meets the charming Noah, they become engaged, only a year later, he mysteriously abandons her and denies any knowledge of her. As the plot unfolds, the twists and turns will keep you guessing - or at least, they're supposed to. While I found the book to be engaging and well-written, I did find the ending to be somewhat predictable. I was able to piece together the mystery fairly early on, which took away from the surprise factor. However, I still enjoyed reading and it was short and simple which I love. 4/5 ⭐️ thank you netgalley, Callie Kazumi, and BantamRandom House Publishing Group - Ballantine for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I gave this book 5 stars. I believe this is a debut author and I will be looking for more from her in the future. This psychological thriller kept me on my toes! I did not want to put it down once I had picked it up! This book is a job well-done!

Now this is how you write a debut novel!! 👏 I had lots of things I needed to get done (work included), but none of that was happening until I finished reading this book. Oh Claire, Darling…

This story starts off with Claire going with her coworker, Sukhi, to surprise her fiancé at work with lunch. When Claire arrives at her fiancé’s office, she is informed that he no longer works there and he hasn’t worked there in months. Where in the world has her fiancé, Noah, been going every day? And why isn’t Noah answering his phone and returning any of her text messages or phone calls? It seems as if he has totally ghosted Claire after they have spent a loving year together.

After Claire does some investigating of her own, she finds out that Noah might not have been so loyal to her after all. Through this we also get to read some of Claire’s diary entries from when her and Noah met, and also their time together. We even get flashbacks from Claire’s childhood of her time with “Mother”. Because of her mother, Claire was made to feel unlovable, unwanted, and unworthy. But Noah changed all that, and she couldn’t wait to prove to mother that she could be desired too.

I hate to admit that I resonated with a bit too much in this book. Like Sukhi, I wanted to be a friend to Claire as well. There was a twist in the end that I didn’t suspect, and it really threw me for a loop! 🤯 I really enjoyed this debut novel, and could not turn the pages fast enough!! I definitely recommend reading this!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random Publishing House/Ballantine, and the author for a DRC of this book in which I had the pleasure of reading. All opinions are my own.
Publication date: March 11, 2025
Genre~ Women’s Fiction, General Fiction (adult), Mystery &Thrillers

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Bantam and NetGalley for this ARC of Callie Kazumi's 'Claire, Darling.'

A really enjoyable psychological thriller in which your kept guessing and second-guessing throughout as to what the real story is. It's very well-paced and a quick read as we learn about Claire's abusive and frankly horrific childhood and her efforts to find out what exactly is going on with her seemingly perfect fiancée. This is a novel partially populated with some damaged and unlikeable characters but balanced out with some compassion and friendship on the other side.

I can see this making one of those enjoyable Netflix four- or six-part miniseries. It has all the ingredients = great London locations, intrigue, attractive people, plot twists, the whole shebang.