Claire has been ghosted by her fiancé. He won’t answer her calls, no longer works where she thought he did and has a new woman on his arm. What could have possibly gone wrong? Why is he doing this to her? All she has ever done is love him, but Noah has a completely different life, one Claire was unaware of until he ghosted her. As Claire tries to uncover Noah’s lies a tragedy occurs and now Claire is behind bars. Will Noah’s life of lies come out in court or is Claire forever doomed. While I knew where this was going, it didn’t take away from the book at all. Great read! Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Claire had a rough childhood; a mother who made her feel like no one in the world would love her the way she does even though she was horrible to her. When she meets Noah she cannot believe that she has found someone to share her life with; it seems surreal. So is it really too good to be true? Why is Noah avoiding her and who is the blonde she sees him with in the club? Claire thinks mother must have been right all along but she must get to the bottom of all of this.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC!

Um hi, @callieuntitled are you ok? 😂 this book was traumatizing in the BEST WAY! You get an inside look at Claire’s awful mother through diary entries - and when Claire’s fiancé disappears you don’t know what is actually going on, I was completely SUCKED into this book!

When I wasn’t reading it, I switched to audiobook cause I had to know what was going on (the audiobook is great btw) all that to say, this books conclusion was perfection and I can not recommend this book enough if you are looking for a fantastic debut psychological thriller! PUB DATE: OUT TODAY!

Thank you to the publisher @penguinrandomhouse for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Naturally Disturbing.

Claire, Darling is a disturbing, psychological thriller/mystery. Told from Claire's point of view, Claire, Darling is a mix of past journal entries, flashbacks, present day adventures, and future consequences. Little by little the truth is revealed until reality catches up and bringing Claire the shock of her life.

This book is addictive, twisty, and…disturbing. When the outcome is revealed, it was as expected but no less shocking. I thought about Claire more often than not, falling asleep thinking about all of the possibilities, asking myself if Claire was indeed an unreliable narrator or if Noah, her fiancé, was unfaithful and guilty of ghosting his fiancé for another.

The characters felt real. Their strengths and flaws notable. Each believable when it was their turn to tell their sides to Claire and Noah’s story. This is where “naturally disturbing” comes to play, as that is the best way I can describe the plot. The slow reveal felt natural, as if I was witnessing the unfolding of a developing breaking news segment.

I loved the flashbacks to Claire’s time with her mother. They were heartbreaking and often left me feeling sorry for Claire – which in and of itself was hard to do, all things considered.

If it wasn’t already clear, I loved Claire, Darling. I want this in movie/show form. I want a physical copy. I want a collector’s edition. I want an audiobook with a full cast. I want it all! Kudos to Callie Kazumi on her fantastic debut. Cannot way to read more books from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing a free e-ARC copy of Claire, Darling in exchange for an honest review!

Now I'm not going to say that the story of Callie Kazumi’s debut novel Claire, Darling is completely original, but I still enjoyed the heck out of it. The night after they celebrate their anniversary, Claire arrives at her fiancé’s work with a surprise lunch only to discover that not only does he no longer work there, he hasn’t for quite some time. So where has gone everyday when he claimed to be working, and where is he now because he isn’t answering his phone or responding to her texts. Now Claire with the help of a work friend, Sukhi, set out down one heck of a rabbit hole to discover the truth about Noah. While I’ve read similar stories I have to say great characters and an engaging, well paced story made this an impressive debut. I’d like to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Claire, Darling.

https://www.amazon.com/review/RK2XDD9K7S5V8/ref=pe_123899240_1043597390_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Claire, Darling is a fabulous, well written debut novel. Full of drama and suspense. This story gave me such a rush!
The interactions between the characters were so well written by the author and the characters very developed.
Looking forward to more from Callie.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

This book was exactly how I was hoping it was going to be.

I love an unreliable main character and Claire was about as unreliable as they come!! While I did figure the ending out quickly, it was still enjoyable how it got there. The ending did go by fairly quick and I wish it would have spent more time in the "after". Also, Claire's mom, hate that lady!!! It's so sad that a mother could be like that.

I would recommend this book to friends, with the detail that it is a "solvable" book.

This was a fun read. I enjoyed trying to figure out who was lying between Noah and Claire. The suspense is well done and will keep you turning the pages. The second half plays out in the courtroom and really made the story for me. I loved seeing the trial play out and how different events came to light. The ending really up the ante and made this a stronger read. I listened and read this one and would recommend either format!

I discovered this debut and decided it looked like it would be right up my alley and I was correct. Interesting characters, twists and intrigue. It was an excellent story of a woman who's fiance ghosts her out of the blue and she is left to figure out what happened. I definitely recommend this one for thriller readers!

Thank you netgalley and to the publishers . I really enjoyed this arc copy. It’s a little bit different from what I normally read so it’s nice to read something different for a change , I don’t think I’ve read anything like this one yet? I will be reading more from this author in the future

Claire, Darling is an absolutely gripping psychological thriller! Callie Kazumi's debut into the literary world is a fantastic exploration of obsession and betrayal.

This is full of suspense and intrigue from beginning to end. I had a suspicion about what was really going on, but was still completely entertained, and that epilogue was one of the most surprising I've read in quite some time.

Although the pacing was a bit slow initially, once it gained momentum, I was hooked! The combination of flashbacks, diary entries, and present day kept the plot moving along nicely. All at once, you're finding out more about her past with her abusive mother,
learning about her relationship with Noah and seeing how everything is playing out in the current timeline.

This was one of those books that will totally mess with your mind and have you trusting absolutely no one. The lines between reality and delusion blur, making this a tense read. I definitely recommend this book for psychological thriller fans. It's a bingeworthy unputdownable book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Claire can't believe it when her sweet and perfect husband has ghosted her. Not only that, she learns that he's been living an alternate life, he has a girlfriend living across town. But Claire has never been one to give in so easily. She will fight for her husband, get him back, forgive him and pick up where they left off. She will do this at all costs, the gloves are off now.
So why is it that as she investigates her husband's story, no one seems to believe her? Welcome to Claire's psyche, a sick and misguided reality that encompasses you to the last page.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is March 11, 2025.

Claire, Darling by Callie Kazumi is an absolute five star debut psychological thriller! This novel has a great plot and explores the themes of identity, obsession, and what could happen after a betrayal.

Claire is engaged to Noah who is perfect for her in every way. He is charming, kind, handsome and loves to leave little origami love notes for Claire around their house. When Claire decides to bring lunch to Noah at his office, she is thoroughly confused when the receptionist says he hasn't worked at that office in months. Immediately reaching out to Noah she gets no response. With the help of her friend Sukhi, Claire starts to figure out where Noah has gone and why he has ghosted her. But when Claire finds out that Noah has been in a relationship with the stunning Lilah since before Claire and Noah even met, Claire's perfectly constructed world starts to fall apart.

I was hooked immediately and could not put this book down! I really loved the diary entries and flashbacks throughout the story, it all created a delicious sense of unease throughout. All of the characters are very well written even if you don't necessarily like some of them. Definitely surprised that this is Callie Kazumi's debut! I am absolutely going to be keeping an eye out for more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley, Callie Kazumi, and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine- Bantam for this ARC. Expected publication day is March 11th 2025.

When Claire goes to drop lunch off for her fiance, she finds he moved jobs without telling her. Now he isn’t answering the phone and apparently has a beautiful home and girlfriend she didn’t know about. As Claire tries to unpack his lies and their life together, she plunges into a journey of obsession.

This is the perfect thriller for me. It hooked me immediately and I couldn’t put it down. A lot of it takes place in the court room, which was exciting as so much was revealed. There were several twists, especially the last that truly shocked me. You have a creepy feeling the entire time you’re reading that something is just not quite right…

“I’m so exhausted by being everyone’s obedient little puppet. I’m sick of being Claire, darling.”

Claire, Darling comes out 3/11.

Wow. What a fantastic debut psychologic thriller! This is the first one in awhile where all of my predictions were wrong and I am not mad about it. Claire is….interesting. I wouldn’t say she was a very likable FMC (atleast not to me), but the girl deserved some answers and work be damned, I was not stopping until she got some! I won't say much more than that as I highly recommend going in blind for this one!

I had a hard time connecting to this one. The bones were there, but I found Claire to be a difficult protagonist to enjoy, and the interstitials with her mother didnt quite add up to me. Overall, the concept worked, but the execution for me didnt quite hit the mark.

A warning before you start reading - you’ll quickly become hooked, and between the past and present, you begin to wonder where exactly the real truth lies in this twisted psychological thriller. The opening scene grabs you with powerful, and a bit bloody, imagery, from there the story continues at a good pace, switching between Claire’s past and present, and her quest for answers, and maybe a little vengeance. The fact that part of the story is told through Claire’s diary entries adds a nice additional layer to it, along with adding a bit of intrigue and mystery to it all. The characters have plenty of depth, and some of them you’ll love, some you’ll hate. At times, you’ll find your heart going out to them, and shortly after you might question if they truly deserve your compassion. Cannot recommend enough for anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers!

I enjoyed the basic concept of this book but the execution left me wanting. The first half of the book set the scene in a deliberate manner and was a slow read until a critical event halfway through the book. The second half has a much quicker pace and a couple of twists, however I think it could have been more exciting. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advance cop in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantine for the book #ClaireDarling by #CallieKazumi. This book is about desperation and lies and I read it in one sitting. Claire and Noah have been dating a year and are celebrating together. The next day she takes him lunch and he isn’t there. He won’t answer her and he doesn’t work where he said he was working. Claire is devastated and goes looking for answers. She is desperate not to be like her mother. Can she figure out what is going on and fix it?

This was a solid debut novel from Callie Kazumi (3.5, rounded up to 4). Claire, Darling was a quick, easy, and enjoyable read. I thought I had everything figured out, but I was happy when I realized that I did not. I'd enjoy a story about Claire's childhood or one from mother's POV.