2.5/5 Stars

The Cut started off strong with a great premise and an eerie atmosphere. I was immediately drawn to the story of Sadie, a pregnant mother fleeing her abusive husband, trying to protect her toddler while starting over as a housekeeper at the L’Arpin Hotel on Lake Erie. The locked-room vibe and supernatural hints had me hooked early on.

But the story started to lose me as it went on. The plot became repetitive and dragged in places, and some of the twists took strange turns that didn’t quite land. I was hoping the domestic violence backstory would tie more directly into the horror elements, but instead it felt like two disconnected storylines. While Sadie’s character arc was one of the book’s strengths, I think the themes could have meshed together more effectively.

I really enjoyed the creepy hotel setting and the early supernatural buildup. But once the story shifted into full-on creature horror, it lost some of that grounded tension. The ending felt rushed and didn’t quite work for me.

Overall, The Cut had a lot of potential, and I was disappointed it didn’t end stronger. The setup pulled me in, but the execution fell flat. Still, if you’re into atmospheric horror with a locked-room feel and a creature twist, it might be worth a read.

Book Review: The Cut by C.J. Dotson
🎧 Narrated by Jenn Lee
⭐️ 3.75/5 Stars

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of The Cut, which releases today!

This atmospheric mystery/thriller follows Sadie Miles, a woman fleeing her abusive ex-fiancé with her toddler and unborn child. She lands a job as hotel staff at an aging hotel near Lake Erie in hopes of starting fresh. But from the moment she arrives, things feel off. The long-term residents are too nosy, the staff too evasive—and Sadie starts seeing things she can’t explain. Monsters/creatures lurking in the drains and rooms. Most chilling of all? She hears a woman drowning... in an empty pool, with no one in sight.

As the secrets of the hotel unravel, Sadie realizes she must escape before her past—or the evil presence in the hotel—catches up to her and her children.

The audiobook, narrated by Jenn Lee, has a gripping pace and does a great job enhancing the story’s tension. Dotson’s vivid descriptions bring both the hotel and Sadie’s memories to life, and the final twist genuinely took me by surprise. The last 20% of the book had me completely hooked.

That said, Sadie as a main character could be hard to root for at times. Her choices felt frustrating, and her constant use of a nickname for her daughter came across as unnatural—but maybe that was intentional, given how flawed and complicated her character is.

Overall, The Cut is a twisty, eerie story that’s perfect if you like a blend of mystery, thriller, and the supernatural.

2.75 /5

While there were some things about this book I enjoyed, I couldn't help but feel it missed the mark throughout. It could just be a personal preference thing ... It's just that some things were nailed so perfectly, so you can tell the talents are there ... But, I don't know ...
It's like ... There's all the freshest, most high grade ingredients ... But, adding them all together seems to throw one thing off, then you start noticing how every aspect seems slightly off.
And the ending was just ... not great, IMO.
Like I said, personal preference and all that. I can picture many getting a lot of enjoyment from it, so I recommend checking it out. There IS some good stuff here ... Dotson is great with atmosphere.

2.75/ (rounded up) 5

Narration: 2/5
Plot: 2/5

Unfortunately this really didn't work for me, especially the narration, but that isn't the narrators fault. She did the best she could with the material given. I hated the constant conversations our main character had with the toddler and I ended up just zoning out a lot because it was very cringey.

I did absolutely love the set-up and creepy atmosphere in this book, but the longer the book went on, the less interested I was in the plot. I think this actually would have done so much better as a novella or just shorter in general. It feels a bit bloated and loses the scary feeling when exposed to the setting too much. I think this could make for a really interesting movie, but in book form, it just couldn't hold my interest.

DNF'd at 42%....

I really tried, and I hate DNFing an ARC, but this one is hard to listen to. It has such an intriguing premise, and I love the cover, but the repetitiveness is too much and I can't force myself to keep going. Maybe it gets better, but it just lacks any suspense/horror elements to make me push through.

If you're the person that likes to scream at the main character during horror movies to make a difference decision, you will love The Cut. This seems to be the year of the haunted house/hotel, and I'm here for all of it. Give me all the paranormal weirdness.. Did I have to suspend a little bit of belief? Yes. Did I care? No, because this is pure escapist fun, and it's a strong debut. I'm looking forward to C.J. Dotson's next book already,

DNF 31%

I think that the boil is too slow on this one. I feel like I know where the scares are going, and it feels obvious and not particularly compelling. I'm also not enjoying how the narrator is voicing the toddler.

I had really high hopes for this book given the premise but I had pretty big issue with the pacing. Essentially this is a creature feature, but there's so much fluff between, 'sightings' of the creature, that you almost forget you're reading a horror novel. The characters are well developed and had depth, I just wanted more horror and less exposition.

*mild spoilers concerning the ending*
*mild spoilers concerning the ending*
*mild spoilers concerning the ending*
*mild spoilers concerning the ending*
*mild spoilers concerning the ending*
*mild spoilers concerning the ending*

Rosemary's Baby meets The Call of Cthulhu.

Not bad. A bit predictable, but not bad at all.

I like that the main character stayed true to herself and didn't end up with a dude. It looked like it might be turning in that direction in the last few pages, and I was so glad when it didn't.

Though in many ways, her character was also unrealistic and a tad bit unlikeable. I found a very hard to belief, for instance, that she bought the "your coworker quit without notice" story at face value after having so many other suspicions. That was a bit silly.

Still. A solid 3.25 stars overall. And a relatively quick read (or listen, in my case).

Kind of the perfect book to read on a stormy, flood warning-delivered day. I enjoyed it.

This paranormal horror mash-up with a touch of domestic thriller is set in a historic hotel in a small town along the Lake Erie shoreline. Pregnant and fleeing from her abusive fiancé, Sadie seeks refuge with her toddler and secures a job in housekeeping, along with temporary housing in one of the hotel rooms. But from the very first night, something feels off. The hotel is unnervingly eerie, with unsettling interactions from the staff, inexplicable paranormal occurrences, missing guests and employees, and sinister, slithering creatures lurking within the walls and drains. Creepy but I wanted more. Sadie, the FMC, gets irritating after a while, along with her daughter, Izzy, and the ending leaves much to be desired.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this digital audio e-arc.*

The Cut is a captivating blend of domestic thriller and creature horror, a combination that’s important to keep in mind when diving in. If you’re open to this mix, it’s a thrilling and suspenseful ride. There’s an underlying discomfort that lingers, making it all the more unsettling.

The story follows Sadie and her daughter Izzie, who are fleeing a domestic situation. Sadie finds refuge and a housekeeping job at an eerie, old hotel, where the long-term residents are peculiar and the coworkers are far from welcoming. Soon, guests begin to disappear, and the horror intensifies.

While the cover may be more shocking than the content itself, there are certainly a few unexpected and disturbing moments. The setting evokes a strong Overlook Hotel vibe, immersive and atmospheric. The theme of water brings to mind the Cecil Hotel mystery.

The character development, particularly of Sadie, is one of the book’s strengths. I appreciated how she learns to stand up for herself and assert her boundaries. As a mother of a child the same age as Izzie, I can attest that the portrayal of her was spot-on—authentic and relatable, adding to the immersion.

While I would have appreciated a bit more shock value, I still had a great time reading. The pacing slowed down between 50% and 75%, but the final quarter more than made up for it with a thrilling, satisfying conclusion.

I listened to this book in audio format and found the narration engaging and well-paced, adding to the overall experience.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Cut by C.J. Dotson had the makings of a gripping horror/thriller with monsters lurking in Lake Erie, a haunted past, and a protagonist trying to piece her life back together. The premise is genuinely intriguing and full of potential, but unfortunately, the execution falls flat.

The main character, a grieving and now abused widow, is clearly meant to evoke sympathy, but her endless string of poor decisions and lack of self preservation make it difficult to stay invested. Rather than feeling empathetic, I often found myself frustrated by her choices and the repetitive internal monologue that bordered on melodramatic.

The pacing is uneven as the story takes too long to build, and just when things start to gain momentum, the ending arrives abruptly and feels unearned. It’s clear there’s a creative idea at the heart of this novel, but with underdeveloped character work and a rushed conclusion, it never quite lives up to its potential. A tighter edit and more nuanced character development could’ve made this something special.

I wish the book was a lot creepy and interesting. The cover had me expecting a totally different story. The pacing the was very slow. I wanted to DNF multiple times but pushed through to the final unsatisfying conclusion.

The Cut is a slow-burning atmospheric horror that creeps under your skin. The L'Arpin Hotel is the perfect eerie setting, and Sadie's journey is both emotional and chilling. C.J. Dotson blends supernatural suspense with real-life fear in a way that lingers. A solid debut for fans of gothic horror.

The Narrator did an excellent job capturing Sadie's fear, strength, and vulnerability, It made the experience even more immersive.

It was a 4.75/5 stars for me :)



Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

I had the opportunity to read "The Cut" by C.J. Dotson. The story centers on a woman who, in an attempt to escape her past, takes up a job as a hotel maid. The plot thickens when one of her coworkers mysteriously disappears, initially hooking me with its suspenseful setup. The early parts of the book were particularly engaging, and I was impressed with the character development.

However, as the story progressed, it took some unexpected and, in my opinion, bizarre turns. The introduction of a monster felt out of place and led to a disintegration of the initially solid character development, which ultimately left me feeling disconnected from the story. While I had high hopes for this book based on its strong start, I ended up disappointed with the direction it took and the final execution.

Sadie is on the run from her abusive ex. Recently finding out she’s pregnant, while also raising a toddler, she needed to get far away. She stumbled upon the very old L’Arpin Hotel located along “the Cut”, a mysterious Lake Erie beach. In exchange for a free room, Sadie takes up a job as the hotel’s housekeeper. Already on edge and keeping her guard up, Sadie starts expecting some strange happenings at the hotel. Guests go missing, security cameras vanish, there’s strange noises, and some strange creatures start creeping around. Trying to prove she’s not crazy and to protect her children, Sadie tries to prove there’s something strange going on at the L’Arpin Hotel.

This novel was a slow, slow burn but it keeps you engaged with the suspense that builds through the novel. I like the setting of the story and the “creature feature” vibes that really play with the history and myths of Lake Erie. Plus, I'm a sucker for creepy Hotel stories!
I think character development was also spot on. Part of the suspense was a mother doing everything she can to protect her children under circumstances she has no control over. Dotson really shows the emotional and mental strength that mothers have when faced with situations that are unbearable. Mothers are resilient and Dotson manifested that resilience in Sadie.
Parts of the novel and some dialogue between Sadie and Izzy felt very repetitive, but, I feel that’s a realistic representation of talking with a toddler and I appreciate that aspect, but, in a book this dialogue was a bit unnecessary.
Overall the novel was a decent and the narrator did a great job. I want to thank Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC and entrusting me with providing an honest review!

Sadie is a young mother of a toddler and is pregnant with her second when she leaves her abusive partner. Sadie packs only what is necessary and flees with Izzie in tow. Sadie finds a job at a historic hotel by The Cut, a questionable Lake Erie beach. Soon Sadie starts to see strange things around the hotel as she cleans the rooms. Sadie is unsure if it's her imagination or not since she is under stress due to the new baby and fleeing Sam. When Sadie starts to question the things that she is seeing and snooping around the hotel at night to find out what is really happening. This book was like a modern day telling of Rosemary's Baby but with monsters instead of the spawn of the devil. The Cut reminded me of The Nestling by Nat Cassidy in which it takes place in an old historic building that have strange paranormal stuff going on. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for letting me listen to an advanced copy of this audiobook.

This no lie made me squirm! The body horror was fantastic and made me not want to step foot in the bath or anywhere near a drop of water. My main issue was with how obvious the twist was, I knew what was going on almost immediately which kept taking me out of the story. Overall I did enjoy it though and will recommend it often. My rating is 3.5/5 stars, rounding up to 4

I didn't really have a problem with this horror, but I wasn't obsessed with it either. I think I'm not the biggest fan of horror book draws a parallel with supernatural horror where no one believes and supports the Woman and real life horror of domestic abuse where no one believes and supports the Woman but if you like that, you'd probably love this book!

The horror was very effective and tense once it finally happened, but we were not cooking with gas, we were cooking with two sticks and a dream. It just took too long to ramp up, the setup was unnecessarily long.

This only issue I had with the audiobook was when the adult narrator did the three year olds voice, it was SO annoying. Or maybe just the character of the three year old was annoying. Probably accurate but I am an Izzie hater.

Pregnant and nearly out of options, Sadie along with her toddler Izzy, seek refuge and hopefully a new beginning at L'arpin, as a in residence housekeeper. The L'arpin is a stately yet very outdated "luxury" hotel located near the shores of Lake Erie in northern Ohio. From the moment she stepped inside, something seemed off, with the erie haunted hotel vibes. On her first night, she hears splashing in the pool. Things continue to go bump and crash in the night.  The creatures and monsters described in the story are great. The ending was a bit off but overall this was a very enjoyable creature horror.

4 stars

Thank you to Macmillan audio and St Martin's Press for the ALC. The narrator Jenn Lee did sn exceptional job.