I had high hopes for Claire Darling when I first started reading it. The obvious conclusion was so glaringly clear that I assumed it couldn’t possibly be the twist—yet it was. I kept holding out hope that the author would take the story in a different direction, one that would make the ending more rewarding, but unfortunately, that never happened. I was left disappointed by the lack of a fresh conclusion—just the same tired storyline I’ve seen over and over.

The story might have been more enjoyable if there was at least one character to root for, but unfortunately, they were all so unlikable. I powered through, hoping for something new, but ultimately, it just felt like more of the same.

Enjoyed this book. Quick read. Kept me guessing. Is it real or not?!? Even til the end I wasn’t sure if it was real. The court case was quite interesting.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, for my copy of Claire, Darling by Callie Kazumi! Debut novel?! Are we being serious right now?! Mind blown! It was so hard not to connect to Claire's character and feel so bad for her, both for Noah's double life and for her b**** of a mother! If you know me, you know I love dual timeline, and this one was done seamlessly. As we got to the end of part one, I'll be honest, I had my doubts about what all could possibly go into a part two, but I was pleasantly surprised. And, the twist, I'm still trying to pick my jaw up off the floor. Lastly, a friend told me the other day that she never used to read eilogues, PSA - ALWAYS READ THE EPILOGUE, this one absolutely killed it! 4.5/5

Callie Kazumi’s CLAIRE, DARLING should be in everyone’s beach bag this summer. This one had me scratching my head from the first page and my scalp was raw by the last.

CLAIRE, DARLING is excited to celebrate her one year anniversary with the love of her life, Noah. When she takes lunch to his office as a surprise, she’s told he does not work there. WHAT? How can that be? CLAIRE, DARLING begins calling and texting Noah to find out what is going on. Was she ghosted or is Noah a ghost? Then she finds out that Noah has a beautiful girlfriend and lives in a lovely home and she basically begins to stalk him in the hopes of learning just what is happening. When she confronts Noah in a restaurant, she does little more than give weight to Noah’s argument that she’s crazy. With the help of her BFF. Sukhi, CLAIRE, DARLING begins to put the pieces together about Noah’s past and how and why she fit into it.

This one was an edge of your seat thrill ride as Claire tried to figure out what was going on. I felt her embarrassment and shame as she missed the red flags and cheered her on as she uncovered more of Noah’s manipulations and lies. I saw that this was a debut, and thoroughly look forward to where Callie Kazumi takes me next. I can’t wait.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

This was a wonderful debut! It was definitely a page Turner that I could not put down. I wanted to know what was gonna happen so I just kept reading. The only thing that I will say is when someone leaves you, let them go!! I kept saying that out loud as I was reading. I was thinking of Taylor Swift lyrics that go “sometimes giving up is the strong thing.” I was like Clare girl be strong. All in all it was a good book. Thank you to NetGalley, Callie Kazumi, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC!

Claire, Darling by Callie Kazumi is an interesting suspense novel, Claire and Noah are celebrating their one year anniversary and are engaged, Claire decides to surprise Noah and drop by with his favorite lunch, her co-worker joins her as well.

When she arrives at her fiancée’s job, she finds out he’s not there and hasn’t worked there for awhile. Rather shocking news seeing as they live together and he’s never mentioned it,

She begins a journey of trying to track Noah down, and the farther she goes into her search for answers the more her life starts to unravel.

I felt this was well written and went in a direction I did not at all see coming. The genre seems to be a mesh of literary fiction, suspense and a dash of legal suspense.

Claire, Darling by Callie Kazumi keeps you hooked till the very end.
A well written suspense filled with twists that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
A quick and fun read that I finished in a few hours.
The characterization was superb, the writing pacey and flowing, and the tension delivered in a series of shocks and twists along the way.
This is a tightly written story, with well developed characters and enough suspense to keep you reading.

I’m not sure what I just read, I thought that I was reading a thriller but it’s not really that. It seems it’s more of a literary fiction read. The writing was good and it moved somewhat quickly. I’m just a little disappointed that half way through it kind of switched gears and became a courtroom drama. It’s not bad but I was expecting more of a thriller.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for a honest review.
3⭐️

Oh what a twisted, twisted story!!

Claire has found the man of her dreams in Noah. She’s engaged and so anxious to get married and even start the family she has dreamed of! One day while dropping off lunch for Noah at his work she’s stunned because the receptionist informs her he no longer works there. This can’t be true because he never mentioned to he changed jobs. When she calla Noah he doesn’t answer Claire’s calls…or even answer her texts. Is being ghosted?
But you see Claire isn’t going away quietly she’s demanding answers. With her friend Sukhi’s help and some social media sleuthing, they uncovers Noah’s secret social median accounts, which of course he lblocked her, and she soon learns that he works at a different company and may be cheating on her with a beautiful wealthy blonde. The more she digs , the more Claire soon realizes Noah is about to marry this other woman, Lilah!!They even live together in a house in the most upscale part of town.

Claire and Noah have the perfect relationship. After celebrating their one-year anniversary, Claire decides to surprise Noah with lunch at his office. But when she arrives, she’s hit with a bombshell: he no longer works there. Worse, he’s vanished without a trace—ignoring her texts, blocking her on social media, and leaving her completely ghosted.

That’s all I’ll say because this is a book you need to go in blind for. From the moment I started, I couldn’t stop. It’s that bingeable. A fast-paced, twisty thriller packed with obsession, deception, and murder, it keeps you guessing until the very last page.

Unreliable characters? Check. Toxic relationships? Check. Deep, unsettling trauma? Double check. The flashbacks through Claire’s diary entries add an extra layer of suspense, making the unraveling of this story even more chilling. And just when you think you have it all figured out—trust me, you don’t. If you pick this one up, be prepared to question everything and everyone.

This was an average read, certainly not the "taut psychological thriller" as advertised. Follow along with Claire as she hunts down her missing boyfriend, and wait until the final 5 percent for the "big twist"! Here's the problem: there is no twist. This storyline is predictable. It is so boring any savvy reader knows what's coming, otherwise the book wouldn't be marketed as a "taut psychological thriller. "

Thank you to NetGalley, Callie Kazumi, and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for the eARC. This novel truly embodies the 'psychological' aspect of a psychological thriller. I love when a thriller delves deep into real psychological elements! With its fast pace and countless twists and turns, this is an absolute must-read.

This was a fun psychological thriller!

While I was able to guess some plot points, it was still an enjoyable debut read. My favorite part was the MC, Claire, and how far she was willing to get the truth about Noah even when it exposed her own secrets. I would read more by this author.

TYSM for the e-arc!

What a debut novel! This story follows Claire whose fiancé Noah ghosts her and she ends up on trial for the murder of his girlfriend. Sounds wild but there’s enough twists and layers to the story that kept me hooked until the end!

Wow, what a fantastic debut novel. I absolutely loved this psychological thriller! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Claire has decided to bring her fiancé Noah a surprise lunch at his office. When her and her coworker Sukhi arrive they are told by the receptionist that Noah does not work here anymore. Claire immediately tries to call and text Noah, but he does not respond. He has totally ghosted her and now she must find out where he has went. You can’t even imagine the road this story takes you down and I can’t tell you. This book was just published March 11th. Make sure you add it to your TBR and find out where Noah went.

This book is a really, slow burn book. In my opinion, it could have done without all the diary entries and been shorter. I skimmed through most of it and kept thinking "get back to the good parts". I'm sorry but this book was just not for me.

Claire’s fiancé is ghosting her, which leads her to obsession and stalking. But the truth may not be what it appears. With flashbacks to her abusive childhood we start to piece together the past of Claire and how she got here.

First book i've read by this author and wow it did not disappoint. Claire seems to have this wonderful relationship with her boyfriend/ fiancee. It all seems normal except, when she decides to surprise him with lunch at his employment and finds out it was all a lie! Noah doesn't work there , but he goes to work every day. Her world goes upside down and she does not back down. She has to know, where is he? Why won't he answer her texts? Why won't he talk to her? Her friend Sukhi helps her to unweave this mystery. The ending is not what you think! Excellent book.

3.5/5

Claire has been ghosted by her fiancée and she needs to know why! Turns out he’s not the man she thought he was.

Claire’s dysfunctional childhood with her narcissistic mother, along with other childhood trauma, is described in flashbacks. Claire is shy, quirky, needy. She falls in love with Noah and they move in together. This relationship is explored thru journal entries. Claire, along with her friend Sukhi, decides to surprise Noah with lunch on their anniversary, only to find out she’s been ghosted. The first part of this book has all the background. The second part throws you into a different direction. To say anything more, will give too much away. I didn’t find the plot very original, but I flew thru this book and totally enjoyed the twists and turns. Yes, there were plot holes, but it didn’t take much away from the book. Claire was a totally unreliable narrator…easy to feel sorry for but also difficult to fully like. Such a fun debut novel, I recommend for anyone fairly new to the genre. A fast paced, quick read that I flew threw. I look forward to reading this author again. Thanks to the cover and blurb for grabbing my attention.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House, Ballantine for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

Callie Kazumi’s Claire, Darling is a gripping psychological thriller that masterfully explores themes of trauma, love, and betrayal. The novel follows Claire, a young woman who has endured relentless bullying and abuse from those around her. Just when she begins to lose hope, she meets Noah, who introduces her to what love truly feels like—only to disappear without a trace.

Kazumi’s writing is both haunting and immersive, pulling readers into Claire’s emotional turmoil. The novel’s pacing is impeccable, with suspense building in a way that makes it impossible to put down. The psychological depth of Claire’s journey is both heartbreaking and compelling, making her a protagonist readers will root for despite the darkness surrounding her.

The book’s twists and turns keep the reader engaged until the very last page. Kazumi does an excellent job of balancing raw emotion with a sense of eerie unpredictability, making Claire, Darling a standout in the psychological thriller genre.

For fans of intense, emotionally charged thrillers, this novel is a must-read. Kazumi’s ability to blend psychological depth with a fast-paced narrative makes Claire, Darling an unforgettable experience.