This was a slow burn for sure but sadly didn’t quite live up to its potential and what I’ve come to expect from this author. There were many moving parts and characters that needed further development. I was also hoping that the university/college setting would play a larger role. This book had potential but didn’t quite it the mark. That said - I will continue to look forward to the next offering of Megan Miranda. Can’t win them all! Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this eARC.

Beckett was a senior the year a hazing ritual, “The Howling”, took a deadly turn. Now 20 years later, her daughter is attending this same college and this ‘banned’ ritual turns out to be alive and well.

Told from Beckett’s point of view in the present after she gets a chilling call from her daughter, you also get sprinkles of her past thrown in. You constantly get little pieces of the story thrown at you that you have no choice but to keep reading because you just want to put all of the pieces together!

By part three it really starts to pick up with a lot of twists and turns to keep you guessing (as well as some creepy feeling that someone is watching).

I do feel like when some of the pieces came together it was a bit of a letdown, but it was still an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this eARC!

Megan Miranda’s latest thriller, You Belong Here, begs the questions: is the past ever truly behind us, or does it linger, shaping the path ahead? The novel explores the idea that when long-buried secrets threaten to resurface, the consequences can ripple far beyond what we imagined. Miranda reminds readers that our history holds power—defining our future in ways we may not anticipate. And when the truth begins to unravel, we may find that we are not the only ones guarding hidden truths.

Megan Miranda is an auto-buy author for me, so I was thrilled to get an ARC of her latest suspense thriller, You Belong Here. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the small college town with long buried secrets, the eeriness was palpable!

While this is overall a solid thriller, it isn’t one of my favourites from the author simple because I wasn’t invested in the characters and I found the balance between past and present timelines skewed so that you only learned about the past too late in the story to feel the stakes. I also felt that there were characters in the story that weren’t necessary, Maggie for instance. I didn’t see the twists coming, but maybe that’s because I was expecting a much bigger reveal in terms of Beckett’s involvement in the past. While a bit repetitive I did have a good time reading it, and read it relatively quickly. Will definitely continue to pick up Megan Miranda thrillers as soon as I can!

Thank you to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for an advance review copy!

For such a short book, this one took me a while to get through. I’m a fan of the author’s slow-burn mystery writing style, but this book just never got to the place where I was hooked. The story is fine, character’s fairly well developed, just felt a little bit. more like a debut novel that threw in lots of ideas, but somehow not much happened. The storyline felt like it was going somewhere interesting a few times, but then things just kind of fizzled and kept safe and a little dull. A couple of good twists, but otherwise a bit underwhelming. Might be more appealing to those who enjoy dark academia mysteries. Still a fan of the author and will look forward to her nest book.

I've just turned the last page of Megan Miranda's pulse-pounding thriller, <u>You Belong Here</U>. What a wild and eerie ride!

I could not put this book down. I was so gripped by the ominously suspenseful atmosphere that I even took my Kindle into my orthopedic surgeon's office while I was receiving cortisone shots for my arthritic feet. <i> I just had to know!</i>

Who was behind the menacing messages scrawled all over Beckett's childhood bedroom walls?!? And what past misdeeds had Beckett committed that now her daughter Delilah's life was in danger as well?! Time to call in some back-up and get her ex - Delilah's father - to lend a hand in the search for their missing daughter. The tension mounts on all levels now!

I've been following Megan Miranda's novels for years now, starting with her YA thrillers. When she branched out into adult thrillers, I was very impressed by <u>All the Missing Girls,</u> <u>The Perfect Stranger,</u> <The last House Guest,</u> and <u>The Only Survivors,</u> - to name just a few of my favourites.

I highly recommend this "edge of your seat/clock's ticking/time's running out" thriller.

And that ending.... !

My thanks to the author, Megan Miranda, her publishers and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review..
5 out of 5 well deserved "thrilling" stars!

🫣 F E A R F U L F R I D A Y review 🫣 featuring “You Belong Here” by Megan Miranda!

20 years ago Beckett Bowery had strong ties to Wyatt Valley in the Virginia mountains. Both of her parents taught at the college there and Beckett would not have attended college anywhere else.

During her senior year all shit hits the fan when Beckett becomes involved in a tragedy involving 2 dead students, a giant fire and her roommate/best friend disappearing and never found. Beckett had to bury her secrets and demons as she distanced herself from the college. But secrets don’t always stay buried and small towns remember everything about the past.

Now in present days, Beckett’s daughter Delilah has secretly applied to Wyatt College and earned herself a generous scholarship. Regardless of her mother’s warnings, Delilah is dead set on going there.

So when shortly after school starts Delilah goes missing, all the walls come crashing down on Beckett. Is history repeating itself? Is Delilah being targeted because of Beckett’s checkered past?

👏 Megan Miranda is the master of suspense and sure knows how to write a dynamite dark academia! This book is fast paced and full of twists and turns that made you feel like you were constantly looking over your shoulder. The dual time lines unveiled snippets of what went down during Beckett’s senior year that ultimately sealed her fate and future.

Thank you kindly to @meganlmiranda @marysueruccibooks @simonschusterca @netgalley for my #gifted advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This book releases on July 29, 2025!

Five stars! I love this author and this book was no exception. A crazy wild ride oozing suspense and fear. Well written with likeable characters. This is full of twists and turns and the telling is in past and present. The telling flows smoothly between timelines and gives the book serious depth. Full of surprises. This was a fantastic read.

The past meets the present in this small town mystery/thriller.. You Belong Here was impossible to put down as I raced to the end of find out what was going with Beckett and Delilah. I really enjoyed the pacing of the story and I connected with a lot of the characters.
For a more indepth spoiler free review, please check out my youtube review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kfr3Afyq4PQ

Most of the plot focuses on past events that only gets revealed a little at a time, painfully so, the hints of what actually happened twenty years prior too little to actually be able to figure anything out. Many secrets to unravel made this novel primarily a mystery, and only in a minor way suspenseful or thrilling. It wasn't the quickest read for me, but the ending was unexpected and satisfying and worked well to wrap up the plot.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Megan Miranda delivers another gripping psychological thriller with You Belong Here, a story layered with suspense, secrets, and the shadows of the past. The novel follows Beckett Bowery, who fled Wyatt Valley years ago after being implicated in a tragic event that cost two young men their lives. She had no plans to return—until her daughter, Delilah, is accepted to Wyatt College on a full scholarship and mysteriously drops out of contact soon after arriving.

What begins as a mother’s desperate search for her daughter quickly unravels into a deeper exploration of long-buried truths. As Beckett retraces her steps through a town that hasn't forgotten her, Miranda skillfully peels back the layers of small-town suspicion, personal guilt, and the complex ties between past and present.

The pacing keeps readers on edge, and just when you think you’ve figured things out, the story takes another turn. The ending is particularly surprising, adding a satisfying final twist that sticks with you.

You Belong Here is a compelling read for anyone who loves thrillers that are as much about emotional reckoning as they are about mystery. It might even make you wonder: what would it take to return to the place you once called home?

*** Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC. All thougths and opinions are always my own.

Megan Miranda knows how to keep you reading. I have read all her books. This book kept me guessing the whole way through. Another great read.

I found this one a little bit slower than Megan’s other thrillers
The characters were likeable and the story was intriguing as you piece together what happened all those years ago and how it relates to what’s happening now.
Well written with decent chapter length. Definitely another good thriller by Megan Miranda

3.5/5

You Belong Here is a small town mystery that will hold your attention from beginning to end.

Beckett's daughter Deliah has reached a milestone and is off to univeristy. The only catch is Beckett herself went there and after being considered a prime suspect in a deadly fire she vowed never to go back there.

Becket receives a dropped phone call from Deliah . When Beckett can not get a hold of her she rushes to the university to find her.

She finds people dont forget and accusations start flying as the past returns to haunt her.

Beckett will not be deterred and will do anything to save her daughter.

Megan Miranda leads the reader down a path of twists and turns, the suspense mounts and the pages fly by.

You Belong Here is a well done thriller that you should not miss out on.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada/Marysue Rucci books for the opportunity to read and review You Belong Here.

Unfortunately this book was a 3 for me. It was fine, overall I would say that there was nothing wrong with it in terms of writing / editing. For me the story did not feel like it was appropriately balanced between the past and present and as such I didn't fully understand characters motives. The third act really carried the book for me, and by that point it was just too late for me to care enough about the characters to be invested in their story. I can't fully articulate exactly what didn't work, I think overall this book just didn't hit with me. But I do think that fans of the genre will probably enjoy it. It definitely isn't a bad book by any means, it just didn't blow me out of the water the way I need a thriller to do in order for me to then rave about it. I will definitely be continuing to read future books by this author however.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the ARC.

Pub Date: 29 July 2025

This was a typical Megan Miranda—fun, atmospheric, and easily digestible if you're in the mood to fly through a mystery.

I’m not entirely convinced by the howling storyline and what it was meant to add. I think the novel could’ve been stronger without those game-typeelements; the core mystery didn’t need it.

Part two especially dragged for me. It focused on the search for her daughter, which seemed like it would build into something really complex. In the end there was something to it, but not enough to justify a whole section devoted to it. That section felt a little pointless, especially since we didn’t really gain much insight or get meaningful clues during that time.

That said, part three really worked for me and brought the story together in a satisfying way.

One thing that added to my enjoyment might be personal—I found the campus descriptions vivid and atmospheric, and it reminded me a lot of the university I attended. I could picture it all so clearly.

While I know I’m being a bit critical, I had a genuinely fun time with this one! It’s actually my favorite Megan Miranda book so far (and that’s saying something considering I’ve DNF’d one and rated two others 1 star, plus one 3-star). I’d give this a solid 3.5 to 4 out of 5.

This slow-burn psychological suspense hooked me early with its tense present-day timeline and the central mystery in the past: what really happened to Beckett’s missing college roommate. Megan Miranda is skilled at creating small-town settings where everyone seems a little too guarded, and I enjoyed tracking the undercurrents of suspicion among the locals.

The dual timeline worked well structurally, though the past lacked some urgency — partly because we know Beckett survived. Still, the present-day reveals, especially around Delilah, the threats, and the strange behavior of Beckett’s family, were layered and compelling. I spent much of the book second-guessing everyone, and I was pleasantly surprised that the final reveal did not go where I expected.

What stood out most, though, was the personal impact: this book sharpened my sense of how to listen. Not just to what characters say, but to how they say it, what they avoid, and when their words don’t match their behavior. That heightened attention carries over — and it’s made me more attuned to real-life conversations and red flags.

The ending wrapped up neatly — maybe too neatly. While the twist involving Beckett’s own role in the crime 20 years ago was a bold move, the emotional impact didn’t quite land. Still, it was a satisfying, layered read that delivered both suspense and unexpected reflection.


Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada | S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books for this ARC. This is my honest review.

Ok I’ll start by saying I’m not a huge Megan Miranda fan nor do I usually enjoy slow burn mysteries but wow this one had me fully hooked from page one.

The past is coming back to haunt Beckett Bowery when her daughter is accepted to the university she was asked to leave…..after she was accused of helping her roommate kill two men and vanish into thin air.

Like I said, I was fully immersed into the story on page one and while at times I started to drift off, the author would throw a wrench in my guess and I’d be right back into the action. The whole concept of this story revolves around “a game” and I’ll be honest that I didn’t fully understand said game or the tradition of it. Thankfully it didn’t take away from the plot too much.

The writing style while easy to read and follow; did feel like it needed a little more editing as things felt a little too much like a plot hole or afterthought. However, this one is just fun and i highly recommend

When Beckett leaves her home town after a tragic event at her college, she never plans on returning. Fast forward 18 years, and her daughter has decided to attend the same college. Beckett is drawn back to her home town, and her daughter goes missing.

The is a fact paced page turner, filled with plot twists! While sort of predictable, the story makes you want to keep reading!

Recommend for an afternoon escape into a suspenseful thriller!

Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the ARC.

Beckett Bowery never thought she’d return to Wyatt Valley, a picturesque college town in the Virginia mountains steeped in tradition. Her roots there were strong: Beckett’s parents taught at the college, and she never even imagined studying anywhere else—until a tragedy her senior year ended with two local men dead, and her roommate on the run, never to be seen again…

For the last two decades, Beckett has done her best to keep her distance. Then her daughter, Delilah, secretly applies to Wyatt College and earns a full scholarship, and Beckett can only hope that her lingering fears are unfounded. But deep down she knows that Wyatt Valley has a long memory, and that the past isn’t the only dangerous thing in town

This was an easy read, a typical Megan Miranda book. Good storyline, although it was somewhat predictable. 3 out of 5 ⭐️