"We found love in a hopeless place..." whether that hopeless place was the Pig Out Place or a creepy cult house. I enjoyed this book so much and could not put it down!

Dalice is a single mother who ends up taking on a second job to support her son, Cash, who is in desperate need of a heart transplant. Through her part-time job, Dalice meets Shane, a recruiter for a myterious group (cult) whose leader claims to be able to heal any disease or injury. Out of desperation, Dalice joins the group, especially after witnessing first-hand someone's broken arm be completely healed before her eyes.

This story had so many fun elements to it - magical realism, a budding romance, and towards the 75% mark, much more horror and thriller chaos. Come find out if Cash is healed or if Dalice even makes it out alive...you won't be sorry you picked up this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dark Matter Ink for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

This author isn't for me. This is my second attempt to read a book from them, but the style doesn't flow.

Sadly this was another disappointing book by this author me. It was wild and very creative but I really didn't care for it. Compared to The Final Scene and Sawtooth it lacked a lot of horror and thrills that I love from this author. I especially didn't care for the fantastical and religious elements that this book had. I would have been happy if it just had extreme horror and more romance to be honest.

This dark and suspenseful novel will appeal to readers who crave psychological thrillers with a supernatural twist. It delves into the moral complexities of parental desperation, exploring the lengths to which parents will go to protect their children. The sinister allure of cults is a central theme, drawing readers into a world of manipulation and deception. With its chilling atmosphere and heart-pounding suspense, this book will keep readers on the edge of their seats, questioning the boundaries between good and evil. As the story unfolds, the lines between reality and the supernatural blur, leaving readers to grapple with the terrifying possibilities that lie within the human psyche.

Overall was a decent read.
Characters were interesting.
Kinda guessed the plot so that kinda brings down my enjoyment and makes it hard for me to push through sometimes.

Overall good book would recommend

Thank you NetGalley for the copy

Thank you so much for the ARC! I love a thriller and I love cults. This book caught my attention from the start. The epilogue was a bit predictable but it’s nice to know that after having the transplant, Cash will likely live a long life because his half-sister would be able to heal him.

I thought this was a very interesting read. The theme of joining a cult and becoming a healer to be able to heal her child that need a heart transplant is definitely not a plot I have read before. I found it to be interesting, and I would like to read more from this author.

Thank you Net Galley, Dark Matter Ink, and Steph Nelson

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC.

This one wasn't bad, but it didn't really work for me. I love the idea of cults in horror/thrillers, but this cult just seemed stupid. The FMC's name is Dalice (pronounced Dallas) and her son's name is Cash. That alone made me kind of hate this book.

Dalice was way too trusting with near strangers around her son, and I kept getting caught up on how she takes her son this cult and lets strangers watch him upstairs.

Anyway, wasn't terrible but likely not something I would recommend.

Was not in a place to read this when it was on my shelf. HOWEVER, I never sleep on Steph Nelson and I WILL BE BACK to adjust my review. She's the QUEEN.

Desperate to get life saving healthcare for her son, a woman becomes embroiled in a cult, where she is led to believe that there is a healer who can cure her toddler.

Of course, it is not that simple. It never is. But the story is quite compelling, even if the protagonist is not always likeable.

Worth a read, especially if you are interested in cults and suchlike.

I sure do enjoy a cult story - this one definitely had a way of sucking me in to a point and questioning how the heck the healing was occurring and in the back of my mind I knew it was BS, but that little bit of “what if” enters the mind easily with their manipulating ways.

Here we have Dalice, who is a single mum to toddler Cash and he is in desperate need of a heart transplant - she can’t afford the procedure and he will most likely die before a donor comes along. She soon meets Shane, who’s part of a mysterious group, which includes a woman who states she can heal any disease or injury. The question is, how far will Dalice go to save her son?

I really wanted to have more compassion for Dalice, but I found her so selfish at times, with choices she made and honestly, I did judge her for some of her actions, especially during times that her son was so unwell and during his time in hospital - her priorities just seemed all wrong. I can easily understand how she became sucked in though, with this cult and I could understand with doing whatever you needed to do to want to save your child.

After reading the authors note, I feel for the author and the reason behind her writing this story and I hope part of this story helped her heal ❤️

This was a fantastic book. I really enjoyed every second I spent reading it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! This book officially publishes on 11/11/24!

This author continues to be on my must-read list after this book! I knew very little about this before requesting the book, just knowing it had something to do with a “cult”. While reading, it was interesting to see how the many POVs and dual timelines came together, and how the FMC rationalized/justified her actions and how things can get muddy when trying to act in another’s best interest. I will say that it did take me a bit to be invested in the characters to understand their motivations, but the book both started and ended at roller-coaster fast pace. Definitely recommend giving this one a read!

Why did I pick a book about a single mother with a baby who needs a heart transplant? Oh that is right? I wanted to feel something. Let me tell you, I definately felt something with this one. The writing in this book is absolutely perfection. I love Dalice. I love her little mean girl thoughts and opinions. I even love the fights and love she has with her sister.
I love how I felt for Reva and Shane at first too. I really felt for little Shane.
I could not put this down at all. It was so bad that I sat there with a painful full bladder for over an hour because I just could not look away.
And 90% on is like the most intense book!
This is likely one of the best books I have ever read. I may never recover.

I too have a child with a severe heart defect but but after reading this book I am just glad she doesn't have gold hands.

Rated 4.5 ⭐️

A story of how far a parent will go to save their child. Dalice goes through life with so many obstacles, but the one that's the hardest is waiting for a heart transplant for her son. When she thinks she finds the best course for her and her son, she doesn't realize it at first, but she joins a cult that offers magical healing. Dalice will do anything to help her son, but at what cost?

This book was rated as a horror. I didn't find it scary, but it definitely had some creepy sinister aspects to it, such as cults and some religious components. I felt empathy for the main character, in her need to fix her son. You could feel exactly what she was feeling throughout the book. I enjoyed the multiple POVs to get the whole story, including the background of how these healing started happening to the rituals and ceremony that currently take place. I'm not sure I could handle a Threshing myself.

Thank you to Netgalley, Steph Nelson, and the publishers for this free ebook. This review is 100% my own and honest opinion.

Proof positive that you do not need to like a main character to like a book.

I hated Dalice. I hated her name (pronounced like Dallas but spelled fancy). I hated how entitled she seemed. I hated how she treated her sister WHO WAS A SAINT.

While I understood the heartbreak and challenges she faced as the mother of a child who would most likely not survive long in the world, she honestly seemed to expect that the entire world should stop turning to give her what she wanted.

But I really liked the book! The plot was fascinating and took an interesting and unexpected turn toward unrestrained horror. I liked *most* of our characters, with the exception of our tragically named main character and her oddly unrealized love interest. I even loved/hated our villain.

It's a good book. Suspenseful, surprising and, at times, heartbreaking.

Just never, ever, name your child that way. Please???

A fun popcorn thriller weaving some of the authors personal experiences (I really appreciate the afterword) with more sinister elements. Very easy to read and would be great for someone wanting to explore the grief horror genre

I was a wee bit afraid when I started The Threshing Floor, because mostly I was worried that the "baby needing a heart transplant" part would be too hard to read. But it did not turn out to be! Sure, you had the Feelings™ because of it, but it was not too overwhelming that I could not enjoy the story. And what a ride it was! Now, first let me tell you my one qualm about the story: The premise that Dalice has to pay the hospital bills is just not accurate. I mean, it probably will be come January (thanks, half of America), but right now, any child with a medical condition, especially in progressive Washington, would be covered under Medical Assistance, regardless of the parent's income (and Dalice definitely doesn't make enough for it to matter). So I had to get over that, but once I did, and just pretended the story was set in 2025, I was fine. (Also, I hate it here.)

Anyway, Dalice is doing everything she can for her son, who was born with a very serious heart condition. She meets Shane, who not only provides the potential for a little romance, he provides a potential way to fix Cash's heart. But Shane doesn't want Dalice involved in his sister's shenanigans, and soon we see why. Reva, Shane's sister, has a literal cult following for her ability to cure people's medical conditions. But nothing is free, is it?

I enjoyed Dalice struggling with these brutal decisions, I enjoyed Shane struggling with his own decisions surrounding both Dalice, who he cares for, and Reva, who he has loyalty toward, and I enjoyed learning more about how Reva (and by extension, the group) morphed into what they did. I also enjoyed all the relationships, and how the characters had to work through them all, even the more minor relationships that were featured. Plus, because the outcome involved a lot of people's lives (including an innocent child's), I obviously was invested in the story and could not put it down.

Bottom Line: It was high stakes and high adventure, and I loved the story and the characters.

Right off the bat, this gave me such a fucking ick.

But, let me explain why.


So, I absolutely HATE the “insta-love” trope. It’s dumb. It’s not real. And I never would choose to read a book that has it.
That is my ick.
Well, that and the way that Dalice in the first 1/3 of the story seems to have NO care in the world for her kid. Did not like.

Buuuuuuut.


This wasn’t awful after that.

I enjoyed the “speaking in tongues”, “gods healing” and the whole Cult-y vibes going on. And, I feel like it was written pretty accurately for how those cults are formed and grown.

The twist of blame onto Shane was also super interesting. But, as soon as that chapter happened, I already knew how that was going to play out. But I wasn’t disappointed.

So while the first portion of the book was almost DNF material, I stuck it out and was surprised by this.

3/5⭐️

The Threshing Floor by Steph Nelson, Dallas‘s son Cash has a heart problem and although he is on a list to get a new heart he is very low on that list but this isn’t her only stressor her sister who has no kids always seems to think she knows what’s best for older sister Dallas and doesn’t mind telling her what that is. One day at her second job at The Pig Out Barn restaurant she waits on what her coworker calls the church crowd who doesn’t tip well but in this group of people is high school classmate Mickey and another guy who Dallas cannot stop leering at whose name is Shane. When the group leaves leaving a small tip he waits behind to give her a more suitable tip and acts if he likes her but is hesitant to talk to her. When Mickey comes back in the restaurant to get Dallas’s number it causes Shane to act even more awkward. When Dallas and Mickey start hanging around and she starts taking her and little cash to the events at the “church.“ I although Shane ex-husband and to get close to Dallas on one hand but on the other ask is if he likes her to keep things from her that one would tell someone they’re getting to know Dallas is confused. She soon learns Nikki‘s daughter used to have a chronic illness but was given a miracle by Reva the church leader. Dallas knows she would do anything to have this for her poor sick little boy with his blue lips and bad heart. Even after she sees some strange goings-on in almost 2nd guesses her attending the “church“ she still goes back wanting to help her son. If the summary wouldn’t have got me the prologue definitely did this book was good with the exception of Dallas acting like a boy crazy middle school girl it seem to just get better. The only thing I didn’t get was how could this young shy little girl turn in to this charismatic church leader who everyone just adored? In the beginning I kept wondering how could anyone performing miracles turn into a horror story and Steph Nelson definitely had the that answer because OMG this was a pretty good read.