I personally wasn’t too keen on the narrator, it all seemed on one level and a bit boring to listen to. The story though was good. Likeable characters and some not so likeable written as they should have been to make you like or dislike certain characters in the storyline. From a narration point of view of view sometimes it seems too much description, maybe reading it might not seem that way. It was good overall so I would still recommend it in the library because the narration was just my personal opinion on listening. I listened to it while crafting so had something to do or I might have drifted off listening to it. It touched on a couple of subjects around family dynamics when it’s not all happy families which was a good interaction, showing not all families are whole, happy or together.

I found this book super boring. There was nothing to this story that hadn't been done before, so I emotionally clocked out. By the time we got to the "twist", I already knew what would happen. I had thought about DNFing halfway through but kept going,g hoping there would be a twist I didn't see coming.
Teh narrator was good. She wasn't an issue at all. I would listen to her again.

I really appreciated how she wove real-world issues like domestic violence and substance abuse into a suspenseful thriller. It added depth and made the story feel more grounded in reality. I especially liked how she brought awareness to how society often stigmatizes people recovering from addiction without considering the trauma that may have led them there.

That said, there were moments in the book that felt a bit slow or overly wordy. At times, I found myself losing interest as the pacing dragged. However, the strong themes, emotional depth, and the important conversations this book encourages made it a worthwhile read.

But the emotional themes and the way the story shed light on the struggles of women trying to rebuild their lives made it worth it. I think it’s important to have stories like this that entertain but also make you think.

This book was very interesting and I liked the complex main characters. I enjoyed this story and thought that the ending wrapped everything up pretty nicely. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC

This was a greatly narrated, quickly paced story with a great storyline. It started out strong and ended a bit slow. Overall, it was a good story.

Thank you to #Netgalley and #Blackstoneaudio.

Loved this thriller, the audiobook kept me engaged and interested in what was happening. Definitely recommend for anyone who likes true crime podcasts.

Lou is a nanny for a rich couple and has to be offline during her contract. But that doesn't stop her from meeting up with her boyfriend, during their vacation. However, during a game of hide and seek with a stuffy, one child screams and then Lou goes after her but the child isn't alone.

Rose, a former detective, is estranged from her daughter Lou, but when her ex calls to say she's gone missing with the kids. She drops what she's doing and heads to Australia to help any way she can. But as she meets with the detectives, she fears they aren't doing enough. So she starts investigating with the help of Charlie her ex brother-in-law.

As the story unfolds we get more information about what has happened with the past of the rich couple.

I received an advance review copy audio version. Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing, for the opportunity to listen to this book. Sophie Loughran did an amazing job narrating this audiobook.

2.5 🌟 A thriller set in Australia about a nanny and two children who mysteriously go missing. The nanny’s mother—who happens to be a former detective—flies in and takes it upon herself to help uncover what happened to her daughter and the kids. The story started off strong and fast-paced but eventually took a turn that lost some of its momentum for me.
I’d like to thank @NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook. I’d give the audiobook itself a solid 4 stars for the narration and production quality.

I have mixed feelings on this. Overall, it was good but it took a while. The premise wasn't anything new, the missing nanny and children of uber rich narcissists. I was starting to get bored around the 50% mark, until the chapters from Louisa's point of view starting coming in and filling in the gaps. It ended exactly as you think it would.

There were a few questions that I don't feel were answered by the end:
- I feel like they hinted that Lou was Rose and Charlie's kid? At least they kinda-sorta got together in the end
- What ever happened with Lou's dad?
- Does noone care about Fabian other than his roommate?
- What happened to the kids after the fact, and did their parents finally break up?

The narrator was good though, I think she did a great job of doing all the accents (Auzzie, British, and the odd American). I also just found her good at delivery, so I would be happy to get another audiobook with her.

Thank you so much for this ARC! 3.5 stars rounded up

This was fun! But nothing really stood out in a
"OMG RUSH TO READ THIS NOW" sort of way!! Did this one fully audiobook while I cleaned and did bookish crafts I think it's a fun read for doing that. I enjoyed it! I enjoyed the twists too!

Fast paced and well narrated this story kept you on the edge of your seat. Told in multiple povs this police procedural/ psychological thriller that had you been pulled several different ways trying to figure out who took the children. With all the secrets and accusations it really took the readers on a wild ride.

I really enjoyed the listen and loved the pace of the story. I will definetly be reading more by this author in the future.

I liked the plot as well as the writing style. For all intents and purposes this is an audiobook review. From my viewpoint, an audio book should grab my mind to have me completely immersed, invested in the story, and the only way to get there is with the narrator pulling me in through their performance. This particular audio was simply flat for me. However, I will say with concern regarding the writing, I believe it would get a higher ranking from me if I had read the book instead of listened to it.

In When She Was Gone, the disappearance of two wealthy children and their nanny unravels a web of secrets, trauma, and strained family ties across continents.

This story alternates between Australia and London, and between generations of trauma—particularly between Lou, the nanny with a complicated past, and Rose, the estranged mother trying to piece her life back together while battling PTSD, alcohol dependence, and grief. I appreciated the emotional weight of the mother-daughter dynamic, especially how Rose’s personal history continues to ripple into the present.

The mystery of the missing children definitely held my attention. I wanted to know what happened and who was behind it. But if I’m honest, the plot didn’t feel as twisty or unexpected as I hoped. Some of the reveals were predictable, and a few too many plot conveniences made it harder to fully suspend disbelief.

The book does a good job of showing that no amount of wealth shields people from their pasts. That said, I often find it harder to connect with characters from generationally wealthy families—especially when the stakes feel more about reputation than survival.

I did enjoy the dual timelines and the exploration of trauma and motherhood, but the ending left me frustrated. A sudden, out-of-nowhere romantic kiss wrapped things up in a way that felt out of sync with the rest of the story. I genuinely didn’t see romantic sparks between the characters until that moment—if they were there, I must’ve missed them.

Still, it was a fast enough read with compelling themes and strong emotional undercurrents. Just not quite as gripping or surprising as I’d hoped.

This book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This one was the perfect mystery for going into summer. I especially appreciated the reflections on motherhood and missed motherhood and the ratcheting tension in the book.

The multiple POVs and the details layered in the story made for some depth but I think the middle could've benefited from some tightening up.


Thank you Sara Foster and Netgalley for this ALC.

Thank you NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and Sara Foster for this eAudio ARC of When She Was Gone.

While the premise offered a unique take on the missing-child trope, the actual story, pacing, and characters were relatively bland and overly well tread territory.

Overall I enjoyed this audiobook. I felt like the story started off strong. When the nanny and children go missing we have to wonder if foul play was involved or if she ran away. Halfway through the story it started to lose steam. It seemed to drag a bit. I did like seeing the backstory about Lou and her mother’s relationship but the investigation was drawn out. Like I said I did enjoy the story but was waiting for a plot twist that never came.

Sophie Loughran did a fantastic job narrating. Each character was easy to differentiate.

Former London police officer Rose Campbell has been estranged from her daughter, Lou, ever since a messy divorce left the woman out in the cold. When Lou disappears from a remote beach in Western Australia with the two children entrusted in her care, Rose is asked by her ex-husband to help in the search. DSS Mal Blackwood is called back early from medical leave to head the investigation, as the missing children are part of a prominent family with infinite connections. The patriarch of the family has a history of using his wealth to sweep accusations under the rug, so Blackwood has a lot to dig though to find out the truth. Rose makes matters more complicated, as her police background makes her more prone to meddle. As the hours since the disappearance grow longer, will the police find the children and Lou before it is too late?

I am a fan of police procedural thrillers, especially ones that include a little family drama. When She Was Gone features a strong cast of characters and a good plot. The audio version of the book is well done by Sophie Loughran, who breathes life into the story. Mystery thrillers can be particularly good as audiobooks with the right narrator, as this one is. I would recommend the format to readers because of the strength of this performance.

The only thing that I found lacking was the element of surprise, as the author gave a little too much away regarding the individual/individuals behind the main conflict. Perhaps because I read a lot of mystery thrillers, I was able to figure out early on in the story. Overall, I really liked the novel and look forward to reading more by the author in the future.

Disclaimer: I was given the opportunity to listen to an Advanced Audio Copy of this novel by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to review this book was entirely my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of the audio book of When she was Gone by Sarah Foster.

The audiobook was great! The story had me engaged the entire time and I felt like the story was really fast paced for the most part. Towards the end, it felt a little slow and I was ready to know who was the culprit of everything.
This story involves children getting kidnapped, along with a couple of other people. Things get very messy and lots of drama ensues.
I would recommend.

I liked the unique take on a missing girl story with the estranged mother who has investigative skills but became frustrated when I was halfway and very little had happened; the plot wasn’t moving at all and I wasn’t getting much new info to stay interested

I’ve read Sarah Foster’s work before and really enjoyed her writing. This book had that same easy style with an exciting plot line and mysteries that kept me guessing.

I found myself invested in the characters and wanting to know what would happen next. There was one particular reveal at the end that caught me by surprise.

The narration of this book was also great and helped bring the words to life in an engaging way.

Overall, this is a solid mystery but it didn’t necessarily stand out from many others I’ve read and I don’t know that it will really stay in my memory for a long time. My rating is a 3.5 out of 5.

This was an incredibly fast-paced read. I thought she did a great job bringing not only the narrator but all of the characters to life. I liked that this story was a bit different in that it’s about a mother whose young adult daughter goes missing, but they have been estranged the daughter’s whole life and have no relationship.