I struggled with this one a little, which is unfortunately because I've really enjoyed some of the author's other novels. The plot was fun (and I think will make a great movie) but I didn't like or connect with any of the characters. I don't think the reader is supposed to like them, but it was far enough for me that it was a little repelling. I would have liked to be able to feel a bit sorrier for the FMC which maybe would have made the whole plot a little more likeable.

I do usually enjoy jumping timelines, but this had so many it was a little jarring.

However, the last few lines of the book were fire!

I was a bit disappointed in this one. It was okay, the reverse chronological was cool, but the "twist" at the end was like "ok, and?

What did I just read? This was incredible!

A murder mystery told in reverse following married couple Thom & Wendy. Visiting significant moments in their lives going back to an explosive secret they’ve carried for decades.

This is going to be a major beach read this summer! I know I’ll be reading again at publication!

Thanks for allowing me to read in advance!

Oh, what a fan I am of Peter Swanson!!

I’ve read everything he’s written and have never been disappointed. He puts out a new book, I don’t put much weight on what it’s even about. I just buy it. While I enjoyed this one - it veered off in a different direction than his usual work. This book was a bit darker. A big cloud hovered over the characters. It was a little emotionally exhausting, yet I couldn’t wait to see what the next page told. I’m not a huge fan of books starting in the present and ending where the story began, but it worked for this book.

I appreciate the ARC from the publisher, NetGalley, and one of my very favorite authors.

I love Peter Swanson! I have devoured everything he has written since reading "The Kind Worth Killing." While this isn't my favorite of his books, it was still very enjoyable, and I look forward to listening to the audio version when released.

I commend Swanson for taking a risk with the layout of this novel. It helped us really get deep into the past psyche of our two main characters and showed us how they got where they are. Sadly, it made it hard to really lose myself in the story. I wanted more from the beginning. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t as fulfilling as I would have liked. Although, the ending was definitely comforting. Their son had a lot more potential as well, especially with his detective phase. It felt like there were some roads that could have taken that felt unexplored. Overall, I am indifferent on this novel. I was entertained throughout, I just didn’t feel it was on par with his previous works.

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧
𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟏𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓
𝟓⭐️

Happy Friday Eve! I’m so early with this one because 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 by @petermswanson is not out until JUNE but I loved this one so much I had to post about it!

𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 follows Thom and Wendy’s toxic, dysfunctional, love story that is filled with secrets, infidelity, and murder. The timeline of this story is brilliant, we go backwards in time, each chapter revealing more and more about this disturbing couple and their relationship. Both characters are complex and shady, both have hidden motives, and both desperately want to be free from each other but this simply can’t happen.

Peter Swanson’s writing style is always on point and his books are never less than 5 stars. I love how he can create an intriguing thriller, that is realistic and not 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐲 dramatic. Also, Swanson always incorporates themes, hints, concepts, based off of classic films and books and he does this so well.

100% reccomend this and ALL of @petermswanson books! Thank you @williammorrowbooks and @netgalley for the early copy of this book.
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#peterswanson#williammorrowbooks
#netgalley#bookreview#bookrec
#5starreads#bookstagrammer
#booksta#bookishlifestyle

Always a fan of Peter Swanson and the interesting way he writes his books - this is no exception - the story is told in a reverse timeline. The concept is good, the characters are truly have messy lives - but this book just wasn’t as suspenseful as his other books.

This was an interesting read, especially because of the unique backwards timeline. It did feel like most of the action was front-loaded, making the later chapters seem a bit slower in comparison, but the final reveal pulled everything together in a satisfying way. The writing was solid, and the story itself kept me engaged, though I did notice a drop in momentum as it progressed—almost as if the author lost some steam along the way. That said, I still found it enjoyable, and I’d recommend it for anyone looking for a different narrative structure. I haven’t come across many books that unfold this way, which made it a refreshing experience.

This was such an interesting premise that I knew I wanted to see what it was like. I was pleasantly surprised with how well it was written and how well everything flowed together. Highly recommend.

Peter Swanson is an auto read author for me but this one wasn't didn't do it for me the same way that his usual books do. Still enjoyable though.

I was feeling in a little thriller slump, and reached deep in my TBR for the new Swanson! His thrillers just don’t miss for me! This format was a departure from his previous novels, and I was getting nervous that it wasn’t going to hit, but in true Swanson style, he nailed the ending twist. This book is told in small snippets in complete backwards order. There are so many secrets between the married couple, Thom and Wendy, that are alluded to and as we move back through their lives, we discover what they have both been hiding. I had to sit with this one for a minute to fully appreciate the talent it takes to execute this type of a twist. Swanson is a master at thrillers and I always look forward to his books!

Kill Your Darlings is a story of revenge told in reverse order.

The Kind Worth Killing is one of my all time favorite thrillers and I think I just continue to compare each of his books to that one.

While it wasn’t bad and it was a quick read, I don’t think this one is for me. I wasn’t really a fan of the story being told as it was. I did enjoy the ending though especially knowing what we know.

Peter Swanson never fails to disappoint with his view into the minds of killers who think themselves above the law. Kill Your Darlings tells the love story of Thom and Wendy Graves - a married couple who grow to resent and suspect each other until Wendy decides she's had enough, and their secrets will be safer with Thom dead and buried. It then moves backwards through their relationship, revealing what led them to the point where two people desperately in love became one person simmering with resentment and one drinking himself to death. Intense and in-depth, this look into the mind of two killers and their life justifying themselves to one another is a twisty and fascinating read. I don't always enjoy the conceit of moving backwards through time - but the viewpoints of each spouse reveal things we don't know that affect the present and future of the couple, so that made it work for me. And at the end - a twist that changes the perspective of the whole novel. A wonderful read with almost sympathetic but not really characters that will keep you up late into the night.

At first I had mixed feelings about this book but now that I finished it over a week ago and have time to think about it, I realize I really feel satisfied with how it ended. I had read some reviews that said as a reader there was a very quick twist- that you could blink and miss it. I’m so glad I read that review or I would have missed it myself! I could have done without the backwards way the story was told, but it WAS very interesting. Both Thom and Wendy were unlikeable characters but they were certainly interesting. This is the second book of Peter Swanson I’ve read. I’m very curious to take a look at some of his other books now that I’ve finished this. This was definitely twisted, and I really enjoyed how Swanson writes. He reminds me a bit of Shari Lapena’s writing with the snarky comments between the characters in the book, especially Thom and Wendy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you William Morrow for the gifted digital ARC!

Let me just say I absolutely love Peter Swanson books so this was a rare (and surprising) miss for me. The story starts with our characters in present day, and from there works backwards through their life together. Right away I found the storytelling to be very unique and entertaining, but by the end of the book I found myself disappointed.

To me, the chapters kept spoiling what was going to happen in the next chapters, since we'd often know the outcome of whatever major event happened in Thom and Wendy's lives. I will say I did enjoy that we got to read chapters from both of their perspectives, it was interesting to see how differently they viewed their relationship and life in general.

By the end there was one "twist" that kind of turned the whole book on its head, but I'm not totally sure I'd even categorize it as a twist. More of a secret that finally gets revealed.

Nevertheless I will continue to read everything Swanson writes in the future!

Thank you @williammorrowbooks #partner for the gifted copy of this ebook!

Peter writes this book in a backwards timeline which took me a hot minute to figure out (if I only would have read the synopsis 🤦‍♀️) and once I did the story quickly unfolded into quite the sinister twisty tale! Thom and Wendy are not your average couple. In fact, I didn’t like either of them. Thom is pretty despicable and Wendy seems very entitled. Ahhh, a match made in heaven. Their relationship started off when they were younger and over the years the strong bond they once had is fraying at the edges. Well…maybe falling apart at the seams. Wendy, you see, wants to murder her husband. 😮‍💨

I liked the deeper dive into the psychological breakdown of this couples relationship. I am kicking myself for not reading the synopsis first because it took me a little bit to realize the story was being told in reverse. Ah well. I don’t feel like it ruined it, I just feel like I would have been less confused at the start. I am a HUGE Peter Swanson fan, I look forward to everything he writes and although this book felt very different than his others, the more I ruminated on this today the more I decided I really thought it was clever. The ending I think may have left it open to where we may see some of these characters in the future which I certainly would read! If you’re looking for a fresh take on a psychological storyline, grab this one in June!

This was my first book by Peter Swanson, and it did not disappoint me at all. The way this story was told, had me all over the place with emotions. I was curious, it was entertaining, but also twisted. This couple had been married for so long and share a son together. Everything is fine, but Wendy wants to kill her husband, Thom. It was twisted and all the secrets these two had was crazy. I would highly recommend reading this. I can't wait to read more by this author. Thank you also to Netgalley for allowing me an arc of this story.

Kill Your Darlings
By Peter Swanson
Release Date 06/10/2025

Get ready for a thrilling ride with this upcoming page-turner that promises to be both funny and gripping! Wendy and Thom, a couple married for years, have maintained their relationship by making one key commitment: never discussing the past. This novel unfolds in reverse chronology, allowing readers to journey back through the years and witness the pivotal moments that will change their lives forever.

Wendy is among the most honest, morbid, and funny characters I’ve ever read. Her intrusive thoughts are a plus! Thom is a sweet English professor who's also a blackout drunk. Read about their love, resentment, bitterness, hilarity, and hate in this cleverly written book.

#killyourdarlings #peterswanson
#williammorrow #bookstagrammer #bookreview #bookrecommendations #5starbook #arcbook #netgalleyreviewer #netgalleyreader

Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson

My rating:
3.5/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

I love Peter Swanson’s writing style so much. I typically find the pacing of his books is what makes them so enjoyable.

This story was told in a reverse timeline which I didn’t mind at first but towards the end I started forgetting details from the beginning that I knew I would need to remember to fully understand the ending. I will say the ending of this book was clever, but it was definitely a slow burn book.

Overall while this wasn’t my favorite read by the author, I was leaning towards a 4 star rating for most of the story but the last 30% sort of lost me.
I still would recommend it but it wouldn’t be high on my list of recommendations.

Thank you netgalley and William Morrow for the ARC! This will be published on June 10th, 2025 so add it to your TBR now!