⛓️ T O X I C T H U R S D A Y review ⛓️ featuring “All Because of You” by Lissa Lovik!

MY RATING: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Chris Fox and Serena Archer bump into one another at the grocery store where they each try to pick up the last jar of peanut butter. Serena goes on with her day, but Chris becomes immediately obsessed with this beautiful stranger.

Chris HAS to know everything about Serena and it doesn’t take long for him to find out that she is a single mom and realtor … and even has access to her phone number and home address.

Chris pretends that he is looking for a new house in order to establish another connection with Serena. He asks her out on a date and Serena has literally no idea what she is getting herself into and that she is being monitored. At first Chris is kind and attentive, but soon the RED FLAGS start taking over and Serena finds herself in a nightmare that she cannot escape!

I CANNOT believe that this is a debut novel and I wish I could give it a million stars! Such a masterfully written stalker thriller that will literally haunt you to your core and make you want to avoid dating for the rest of your life! Much like Joe Goldberg in “YOU”, Chris Fox is a master manipulator that gets turned on by lust, obsession and control. I love that the book is completely narrated from the stalker’s POV because it adds to the creepiness and possessiveness of Chris’ unhinged behaviour and delusional thought process 🤯!

Thank you kindly to @lissalovik @thomasmerceruk @amazonpublishing @netgalley for my #gifted advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This 5 star stunner releases on July 29, 2025!

For Chris it's love at first site when he meets Serena in the grocery store and he's more than willing to break some rules to get her to feel the same way. This was a decent debut thriller had some good twists and the characters were well written, would definitely recommend and will look for more from this author. I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

All Because of You had everything I look for in a book. I was connected to the characters and the pacing of the book was great. I recommend this one and look forward to future books.

This thriller was very good. It reminds me of You by Caroline Kepnes. I liked this book better than that one because this writing style is much better.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a great book! I immediately looked up other books this author has written and I realized this is her debut novel! What a great start! This was such a heart pounding thriller. It reminded me of those stalker/psychopath movies you watch on the Lifetime channel. The book reminded me that you really never know how sinister some people are; even the ones you meet at the supermarket!

This was such a good read that I couldn't put down but that also gave me chills all over my body and left the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. I was completely hooked and at times completely creeped out because Chris could literally be anybody, he was so normal. I loved it

A breath of fresh air it was good I loved it till the very last page when a book can keep me wanting more that what makes this a five start read thank you for this book I will recommend

Chris Fox encounters Serena at the supermarket, and he’s convinced it’s love at first sight. So he focuses all his toxic energy on making sure that she’ll be his forever.

Lovik beautifully builds a psychopathic protagonist, slowly revealing his generational trauma and his tenderness toward his dementia patient grandfather. Chris is smart, has plenty of funds, and a boatload of both determination and delusion. As the book progresses, his behavior gets more and more disturbing until the explosive ending.

Serena is a strong woman, but one who has a pattern of having bad boyfriends. The novel is told through Chris’s perspective, but Lovik does a great job of making Serena’s feelings known.

I liked the secondary characters, especially Serena’s bestie Rosa, Rosa’s husband Marcus, Serena’s son Cole, and her dog Sirius.

Reader’s are likely to make comparisons to Joe Goldberg, the protagonist of YOU by Caroline Keynes. But what makes Chris especially scary is the way he could easily be your neighbor, or coworker, or some rando at the grocery story. At the end of the book, Lovik includes domestic violence resources.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley.

Release: July 29, 2025
Author: Lissa Lovik
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Rating: 4.5 ★ 

In All Because of You, debut author Lissa Lovik takes readers deep into the unsettling mind of a man who believes he's found his soulmate—after a fleeting encounter at a grocery store. When Chris meets Serena, he’s instantly convinced they’re meant to be. With a little internet sleuthing, he finds out everything about her: where she lives, where she works, even that she’s a single mom. He books a house tour just to see her again, convinced he can win her over.
But what starts as a crush quickly becomes a dark obsession. Chris is convinced his love is real—and that anything he does to keep Serena close is justified. From surveillance to manipulation, his pursuit blurs the line between romance and control. As he slowly inserts himself into Serena’s life, she begins to sense something is wrong—but Chris won’t let anything, or anyone, get in the way of their “perfect” future.
This psychological thriller explores how easily obsession can masquerade as devotion—and just how far one man will go to make sure love goes his way.
All Because of You is a chilling and claustrophobic debut that dives straight into the warped mind of obsession—and doesn’t let up. Told entirely from the perspective of Chris, a man who becomes instantly infatuated with a woman he meets in a grocery store, this book paints a disturbing portrait of a seemingly ordinary man whose obsession spirals into something dangerous and deeply unsettling.
What makes this novel so compelling—and so uncomfortable—is the way it forces you to live inside Chris’s head. His logic, his justifications, his delusions… they all feel disturbingly real. At times, it’s almost too effective; I found myself needing a break from the intensity of his thoughts. But that’s what makes the story work—it doesn’t flinch.
The pacing is tight and the tension builds steadily, with just enough unease to keep you on edge. While some parts of the plot felt predictable, and I wished we got more from Serena’s perspective, the single POV does heighten the psychological pressure. Serena, for her part, is portrayed as independent and likeable, making her increasing entrapment feel all the more harrowing. Her dog, Sirius, might actually be the unsung hero of the book.
This isn’t a twisty thriller in the traditional sense—it’s more about slow-burn dread than shocking reveals—but it’s incredibly effective at what it sets out to do. Fans of You will likely enjoy this, though Chris lacks Joe Goldberg’s charm and comes off far more unhinged and unaware of his own darkness.
Dark, uncomfortable, and addictive, All Because of You is a strong debut from Lissa Lovik. It made my skin crawl—in the best way—and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for what she writes next.

Favorite Quote:
"love isn't always about the grand gestures; it's about the little things that make everything feel right."

Hard to believe this is a debut. Wow….I loved this book. It's about a romantic obsession and the way this author puts us into the mind of our main character. So chilling and disturbing.

I don't want to give to many details about this one. I'm going to be vague. Chris meets Serena at a grocery store and it's an immediate love at first sight for him. He comes about finding her online, and he goes about setting up a meeting with her. From there, they develop a relationship. But his pursuit of her is definitely out of the ordinary. He is obsessed and he is determined to have Serena no matter what. And he can justify all his actions, which are so creepy.

Highly recommend this one. The character development was great. She nailed this one. I flew through this one. Suspenseful and tense.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Dark and suspenseful, but fast-paced. I enjoyed the plot and the characters. Would like to have seen more character development.

Very well written story of a toxic romantic pursuit.

Chris Fox sees Serena Archer at a grocery store. His obsession with her starts right away. He digs out her details – address & phone. She is a real estate agent, with a 13-year-old son Cole. Chris approaches her as a client asking to look at a few houses to buy. She does not realize what she is getting into – finding him to be a nice person genuinely interested in her. Unknown to her, Chris is monitoring everything she is doing through the day. The warning signs surface in a few months, but Chris vows that he is committed to her and their relationship.

The character development is excellent and ideal for the story. Chris - obsessive, possessive, controlling & dogged & quite extreme at that; Serena – sweet, caring, trusting & honest. Interestingly, we read the story from Chris’ perspective – his behaviour is creepy and disturbing (if we follow the news, this is not behaviour confined only to stories sadly). Chris’ ideas are wicked and clever – and I found myself hooked till the end. I found a murder as part of the story to be an unnecessary distraction. There are not too many ways for the story to end, and yet felt the last sections could have been a little better.

A recommended read!

My rating: 4.5 / 5.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Very easy to read, enjoyable thriller, that would be perfect for anybody who enjoys the TV show YOU.

All Because of You by Lissa Lovik reads like it came from a seasoned pro, not a debut author. The writing is sharp, confident, and intentionally unsettling. Perfect for fans of You (the book or the show), not because it’s a copy, but because it’s just as good.

That said, I don’t love being inside the mind of a stalker. I felt icky the whole time. That was the point, but I could appreciate how good it was while still wanting to scrub my brain afterward.

Creepy, claustrophobic, and chillingly effective—All Because of You is a twisted debut that dives headfirst into the mind of obsession and doesn’t come up for air.

Told entirely from the point of view of Chris, a man who believes he’s found “the one” after a chance encounter in a grocery store, this book is a one-way ticket into the brain of a stalker. Lissa Lovik writes Chris with disturbing authenticity—his justifications feel all too real, his charm masks an escalating darkness, and his descent is all the more terrifying for how ordinary he seems. This isn’t a villain twirling his mustache; it’s a man who believes wholeheartedly that everything he’s doing is for love.

The single POV works to the book’s advantage, amplifying the tension with each step deeper into delusion. Still, part of me craved a glimpse into Serena’s head, if only to see the contrast between her growing discomfort and his warped logic. But maybe that’s the point—we’re stuck with Chris, just like Serena.

The author crafts a narrative that blurs the lines between affection and obsession, drawing readers into Chris’s distorted perspective. The tension builds steadily, creating a chilling atmosphere that keeps you on edge. Serena’s character is portrayed with depth and resilience, making her plight all the more compelling.

This novel is a stark reminder of how easily boundaries can be crossed under the pretense of love. The author’s writing is both engaging and unsettling, but there are parts that seem to lag and are slow. All in all, if you enjoy the show “You”, and are a fan of psychological thrillers, you will love this novel.

While using manipulation and stalker techniques, Chris worms his way into the life of Serena. Even against Serena's better judgement. This book was told from the perspective of Chris and gave me total stalker vibes. It will make you question who you meet out on the street in your own personal life and who you can trust. It was definitely a thrill ride told from the stalkers POV.

I do wish we could have read more from Serena's perspective but that did not stop me from thoroughly enjoying this read.

I will recommend this thriller to all who enjoys this genre!

Thank you NetGalley for the eAC.

I really liked this book, written from the perspective of the villain in the story. The MC was unhinged, unlikable, and obsessive which made him a great POV to read from. Ultimately, the plot was fairly predictable and I wish it was able to trigger more of a sense of foreboding.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In a unique twist, we get a book from a stalker’s point of view. From the moment Christopher laid eyes on Serena in the grocery store he was obsessed with her. He needed to be in her life. He finds that she’s a relator so he uses that to make a connection. Before long, Christopher is taking Serena out on their first date. And that’s just the beginning!

I was immediately sucked in from the very first page. This was a great debut! I look forward to more books by Lissa Lovik. 4.5 stars rounded up.

I will be recommending this book to everyone until the end of time 😂 It has been a long time since a thriller has grabbed my attention like this one. Did you watch the show You? If you loved it then this is the book for you. It’s told through the POV of Chris who is also a stalker. This book literally had me squirming and feeling so uncomfortable the entire time, but I couldn’t put it down. I loved our FMC Serena who was a feisty babe. I mean she even has a dog named Sirius 🥹 I think anyone who reads this will be utterly terrified and if you aren’t, you okay boo? Also, the authors note added a whole other level of ✨wtf✨ to this so make sure you read it 🤯 Everyone go grab this one when it comes out or I’ll be bullying you into it 😈