I really enjoyed this book. It was mysterious and had me guessing until the very end. There are still parts I’m questioning after finishing the book.

A fun mystery with a unique storyline! So many mysteries seem much the same these days so it’s refreshing when something new comes out. It was a bit slow in the middle but the last 15% was jam packed with action and answers. Would recommend!

3,5 stars!

I have loved a lot of Megan Miranda's books but I think this one unfortunately fell a bit flat. I think the strongest aspect of this book was the setting of the school and mountainous town, but I did not feel invested in the mystery or any of the characters, However, I did enjoy that this was a very fast and easygoing read and I will read more from Megan Miranda in the future!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a nice solid thriller. Lots of good twists with a good storyline, and decent character development. It did get a little repetitive in the middle, but satisfyingly turned into a page turner at the end.

Thank you to Net Galley and Simon Element for gifting me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

They say that you can't go home, but you can ... should you?

The answer in this case is: probably not. Twenty years ago, Beckett Bowery was forced out of college and her hometown after her roommate pulled a prank that went tragically wrong. Now, Beckett's daughter has decided that she wants to attend Beckett's alma mater. Since Beckett has never told Delilah the truth, she can't explain why she's opposed and terrified.

Turns out that Beckett's instinct wasn't just paranoia. Things are happening, and soon not only Delilah and Beckett are in danger, but there's a dead body, mysterious fires, and many people with possible motives.

Moody and evocative, if pretty far-fetched, You Belong Here moves right along and has enough turns to keep the reader both interested and second-guessing themself.

Megan Miranda truly knows how to captivate her readers! "You Belong Here" is a gripping mystery thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. This fast-paced novel is filled with unexpected twists that continually caught me off guard, leading me to realize that my own conspiracy theories were wrong—something I really loved!

One of the standout elements of the story is the seamless time-hopping between the past and present. This adds layers of complexity to the plot, creating an intrigue that enhances the overall mystery. I found myself completely hooked, unable to put the book down as I tried to piece together the clues.

"You Belong Here" is undoubtedly a five-star gem and would make an excellent beach read, perfect for anyone who enjoys a heart-pounding, spine-tingling adventure. I can’t recommend it enough!

⭐️: 3.5/5

The TL; DR of this one is that usually Megan Miranda’s books hook me from the beginning, then lose me or let me down with the ending, and that was true of this one too.

I also have to say, usually I’m MUCH more hooked by the start of her books, but I found my attention drifting a lot towards the start of this one. It didn’t feel like there was enough action at the start, and there was both a lack of explanation of the past, and a lack of the feeling of intrigue to learn what happened in the past. When there were explanations, they felt kind of jumbled and unsubstantial. Then, once I got to the ending, it was kind of confusing, and definitely didn’t have enough closure. I was left confused about the semantics of how everything happened, and what was the truth versus what Beckett THOUGHT was the truth. It just kind of felt only half formed.

One thing I do always like about Megan Miranda’s books are the settings. She writes claustrophobic, small town settings so well, so that the towns themselves are basically a character in her books. I also like that they’re always in VA or NC, since that’s the geographical area that I’m most familiar with too, so some aspects of them ring particularly true.

I’ll certainly keep reading Megan Miranda’s books, since usually they’re a fun journey and quick reads, but this one was not my favorite.

Thank you to @netgalley and @marysueruccibooks for providing this eARC for my review!

Another bingeable Thriller from Megan Miranda! I read this book in one sitting and really enjoyed it.

Dark Academia is arguably my favorite genre so I loved that this Thriller had an Academic setting. The small town it was located in was atmospheric and kind of eerie which added a layer of tension to the plot.

The begining of this story had a slow burn start to it but once the plot got going it kept going. There was plenty of secrets, tension and suspense in the storyline to keep me turning pages.

I'll be recommending this one and this author is an auto-buy author for me so I looked forward to reading more from her in the future.

Thank you Megan Miranda, Net Galley and Simon Element | S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books for providing me with an ARC of this book.

A Gripping Thriller That Keeps You Guessing

An unexpected phone call in the dead of night sets the tone for this gripping thriller. A mother’s intuition kicks in—her daughter is missing, and something just isn’t right. Beckett, the protagonist, carries a decade-old secret that binds her to a town she’s spent years trying to forget. As she returns home to search for her daughter, old wounds are reopened and the local police begin to take a closer look—at her.

This novel masterfully balances fast-paced tension with quieter, more reflective moments. At times, I found myself holding my breath, genuinely afraid to turn the next page. It’s that unsettling, in the best way. The twists are sharp, the emotions raw, and the suspense never truly lets up.

If you’re a fan of thrillers that blend psychological depth with edge-of-your-seat mystery, this one is highly recommended.

4.5 stars

Megan Miranda is back with another slow-burn mystery filled with atmospheric suspense. You Belong Here explores mother/daughter relationships, how the secrets of our past can come back to haunt us, and the lengths we’ll go to protect those we love.

I loved the creeping, eery presence of the town, situated in the Virginia mountains. It gave the plot a sense of claustrophobia and haunting unease. From the very first pages, I was intrigued about Beckett’s secrets, her relationship with Delilah, and the divide between the college students and town residents. The mystery of Beckett’s past unfurls throughout the plot, slowly revealing connections to present-day events, which kept me curious and engaged.

I loved being in Beckett’s head - her fears, both past and present - were extremely relatable. Although this was a very character-driven story, there were plenty of twists to keep the plot moving. This story had me examining my own mother/daughter relationships, reminiscing about deeply embedded college traditions, and my own sense of place and belonging. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon Element, and S&S/Marysue Rucci Books for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Another 4 star read from this author! Thought I had it figured out, but it ended with a twist.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

No one can weave a mystery quite like Megan Miranda.
Beckett is a woman who left her home town twenty years ago after two young men died in a mysterious fire. Her parents sent her out of the country to escape the accusations and rumors. Now Beckett returns to drop her daughter off at college, HER former college. She worries her daughter, Delilah, will discover the secrets she has kept. Like mother, like daughter, Delilah becomes involved in her own questionable situation that sends Beckett racing back home. She will need to face the past to clear her daughter’s name.
Great book! Unfortunately I guessed pretty quickly who the culprit was but you never know with Megan Miranda!

Megan Miranda is a must read author for me and I thrillers to be able to read You Belong Here early. A college setting is always going to have my attention, and there was so much drama in this one. A slower burning suspense thriller, this book kept me guessing right until the very end.

Beckett and her daughter Delilah had an interesting relationship, not quite the one Beckett believed they had. When Delilah goes missing she is determined to find her, even if that means returning to the place that holds her worst memories and regrets. She never wanted her daughter to go to the college she did, that changed her life forever. This is a dark story of secrets and cover ups that goes deeper than they could imagine. I didn’t see that ending coming at all, it was really well done.

Thanks so much to Simon Element for y early copy of this book to read. Publishes on July 29th

A solid enough thriller from Megan Miranda, this wasn't my favorite of hers but still enjoyable. The plot unwinds slowly and takes its time with the characters, none of whom are trustworthy (including Beckett). There were couple of good twists, but nothing mind-blowing.

YOU BELONG HERE by Megan Miranda is a slow-burn story filled with suspense. I liked the college setting. There are a lot of buried secrets that come to light and it kept me guessing. The narration was outstanding and very entertaining. I definitely recommend this book.

Many thanks for my gifted copy.

This review will be shared to my Instagram account @coffee.break.book.reviews closer to publication date.

Read this if you like:
•secrets
•small mountain towns
•mother / daughter relationships

This one kept me on my feet from the beginning. I love a college setting. Lots of intrigue & suspense.

Thank you to Simon Element and Marysue Rucci Books for this EArc.

As a Megan Miranda fan, You Belong Here did not disappoint! I absolutely love Megan's writing. She really knows how to rachet up the tension and suspense. Although I thought I figured out a couple of plot points, it didn't stop my heart from racing and my breathing to quicken as I read - especially near the end. You definitely want to pick this one up if you like thrillers and suspense. Bonus that it is in an academic setting.

I thought Miranda did such a fabulous job of establishing the creepy/suspenseful factor in building the setting and its descriptions. The college campus nestled in a valley between a mountain range with the wind howling/whistling through the campus. The lack of cell service throughout, the creepy tunnels under the buildings. It was all just perfect for setting a creepy, suspenseful vibe. I absolutely loved it.

This was more than just a thriller though. It examined how complicated mother/daughter relationships can be, and how decisions you make in the past can ripple down to future generations. The story also explored what happens when you try to run from the consequences of your youthful actions. Mistakes you made in the past can come back to haunt you with harrowing consequences. Eventually, you have to own up to it or keep running forever. The story is told in a then/now timeline with the main character the narrator for both.

All-in-all, I was riveted from the start and kept telling myself "one more chapter" so I could see where the story goes. You'll definitely want to pick this one up!

Miranda does it again. I couldn’t put this book down, as I needed to know more. Kept engaging throughout.

I was so excited to get this highly anticipated thriller from Megan Miranda! This gave off dark academia vibes being set at a university. I liked the relationship between mother and daughter in the book as well as her relationship with her parents and the secrets that were hidden.

I did enjoy this book, but I found it to be a little hard to get invested in from the beginning. Miranda’s previous novels were able to help me at the start a little bit better. The main character in this novel is a mother whose daughter is going to college, and unfortunately, she’s going to the college her mother went and never wanted to return to because of something mysterious that happened while she attended there. Though the mom plans to stay away, when she cannot get a hold of her daughter and panics, she finds herself right back in the place she vowed never to return. Meanwhile, the mystery of her old roommate who went missing has never been solved. The story has suspense, and mystery. It also deals with mother and daughter relationships as well as an old cold case.