This book was engaging and fast-paced! Didn't really feel like a thriller though- more of mystery/revenge but still had lots of good twists and turns. Parts of the plot didn't feel resolved to me but I really enjoyed the themes of revenge and trauma. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

H.K. Christie’s Please Don’t Go is a dark, twisty psychological thriller that grabs you by the collar from page one and doesn’t let go until the final, breathless reveal. With a haunting mix of nostalgia, obsession, and unraveling sanity, this novel dives deep into the murky waters of memory and trauma—and the cost of chasing closure.

At the heart of the story is Jess, a woman whose life has been fractured by betrayal and loss. Fresh from a brutal divorce and emotionally raw, she finds herself spiraling after uncovering a box of memorabilia from her teenage years—tokens of an intense pop-star obsession that once gave her something to hold onto in a chaotic youth. What starts as a bittersweet trip down memory lane quickly curdles into something more sinister, as a buried secret linked to her idol threatens to drag Jess into a dangerous game of truth and consequence.

Christie masterfully blurs the line between reality and delusion, pulling readers into Jess’s unraveling psyche. The pacing is tight, with every chapter peeling back another layer of mystery and tension. Jess is a complicated protagonist—often unreliable, frequently impulsive, and increasingly unhinged—but that’s precisely what makes her journey so gripping. Her descent is at once terrifying and tragically human.

The book is not without its flaws: some secondary characters feel underdeveloped, and a few plot twists verge on the implausible. But Christie’s keen sense of atmosphere, along with her ability to tap into the pain and confusion of obsession, more than make up for it.

Please Don’t Go will particularly appeal to fans of Freida McFadden, Lisa Jewell, or B.A. Paris—readers who love a fast-paced thriller with a flawed but compelling female lead and a past that refuses to stay buried. If you’re looking for a chilling, late-night binge read that leaves you questioning what’s real and what’s imagined, this one should be at the top of your list.

This was my first book by this author and I'm so glad I got a chance to read it. It hooked me right away and I devoured it!

Please Don't Go by H.K. Christie is a fast-paced, gritty, and compelling thriller that sank its teeth into me and did not let go!

Jess is trying to move on from an awful divorce. Throwing herself into therapy and one night stands, she is trying anything to distract herself. When she finds a box from when she was a teenager, the popstar trinkets are a welcome nostalgia, at first. But when she discovers a secret from her past, the distinction between truth and obsession is blurred. Everything spirals to a chaotic point when she finds herself over a dead body, a gun in her hand, and wondering how she got to this point.

This is the first book by H.K. Christie that I have read and it will not be my last! Laced with grief, regret, and trauma this thriller checks all the boxes! Our MC Jess is a flawed character but definitely believable and real. I love the exploration of what happens when people don't own up to their actions and the repercussions afterwards. Overall I really enjoyed this twisty and raw thriller and highly recommend checking it out!!

Thank you to NetGalley, H.K. Christie, and Keekstar Media for this ARC!! Publication date is May 30th 2025.

The review below is already on Goodreads and will also be posted on Amazon once the release date of March 30th has passed.

Overall this book was really good and pretty fast paced. The chapters were short which is good for short attention spanned people. I felt as though there were some things left unfinished in the end but the book did keep you guessing and wanting to know more of what happened. It had good representation of more relatable topics including in the book such as COVID and even some queer representation.

This book is like digging through a dusty box of teen dreams… and finding a ticking time bomb underneath the boy band posters.

Jess is freshly divorced, emotionally wrecked, and just trying to make it through the day without crying into her cereal. Then she finds a box from her childhood that should be harmless nostalgia—but instead? It’s a straight-up panic attack in cardboard form. Suddenly she’s spiraling through secrets, late-night regrets, and one seriously haunting mystery.

H.K. Christie’s writing is vivid and gritty—you can practically feel the anxiety buzzing under Jess’s skin and hear the pop music echoes of her youth turning into something much darker. The pacing moves fast, like a runaway train you don’t want to stop, and Jess? She’s a mess in the best way. Raw, real, relatable.

There’s obsession, deception, therapy that probably shouldn’t be working, and a dead body waiting like a mic drop at the end. Buckle up, buttercup—Please Don’t Go is a dark and twisty ride you’ll finish in one breathless sitting.

Thank you NetGalley and Keekstar Media for this ARC!

This is my first read of H.K. Christie and it definitely won't be the last!

I thought the pacing of this was done incredibly well. I loved how dark and twisted it was but not your typical thriller.

Once again, HK Christie has knocked it out of the park! Fast paced thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat! Griping read with twist and turns in every chapter.

First things first, thank you Netgalley and Keekstar Media for this ARC!

This is my first H.K. Christie book as far as I can recall, and I am certain it will not be my last.

It is surely not your typical thriller, but it is still a story with shocking twists and turns. We have Jess, who really does not live her best life, so to say, after moving on from her divorce. What started as a distraction and a trip down memory lane soon turned darker. Because Jess comes to realize there are dark things hiding in her past. Things that could also detroy her future...

Very great book, filled with trauma and a lot of emotions. Definitely will have me keep thinking about it long after I finished reading!

Not a thriller with a lot of twists, but i really liked this one. I could not put it down and constantly wanted to know what would happen next. I really liked the pacing, finished it in just a few hours!

I have read all of H.K. Christie’s books and I loved this one. It was really different from her other books and I could see it maybe being the start of a series.

this book is so painfully human. its not a murder mystery as such. but rather a thriller in the sense of its showing someone diving into the past and spiraling into obsession and revenge whilst also desperate to start anew and find the real self. and the questions of whether you can do this if the past is still haunting you or being buried. and as most often the case things never stay buried whether you try to force them or think they are doing.
i felt so much for Jess and her pain. and her uncertainty. whats real or not and what should be real or not. when to let go and when to persevere. is reinventing yourself becoming the real you or is it another outfit you put on to cover yourself over?
this book gives us Jessica who is trying to get past a bitter divorce. so she completely changed her image and goes goes for it hard, hitting the nightlife scene and all the parts that come with it.
whilst looking through and sorting out her belongings she is taken to her past as she comes across a memorabilia box. and there sparks the memory anew of her teenage obsession with a pop group. this is touch paper to a plan put in place that could be a danger to not just her but others too.
i truly felt Jess and her rawness. and i was sucked into the sometimes injustice of things and how complex coming out of that might be. and just what you might have to work through to get to the other side.

"Please Don’t Go" by H.K. Christie is an intense, twisty ride packed with revenge, vigilante justice, and raw emotion. I couldn’t put it down—the pacing was perfect, and every reveal had me rethinking everything. The characters are layered and complex, especially the main character whose pain and determination hit hard. This story pulls you into a dark world where justice isn’t always clean, and sometimes the only way forward is through the wreckage. Absolutely gripping.

This book was so great the main character went through so much I felt so bad for her throughout this read it was draining to say the least but I am glad that she got the revenge back for her best friend because that was all she talked about through the book but this was a sad one for me

Please Don't Go will hold you firmly glued to the pages from beginning to end.

Jess finds herself recently divorced and is scrambling to put her life back together.

When she finds an old jacket with a band's insigna on it memories come back in tidal waves.

Not all of them good.

Jess sets out to right the wrongs that happened to her best friend and revenge is definitley on top of her list.

The suspense builds with every bad decision Jess makes and you just know this wont end well for anyone.

H.K. Christie is a master at keeping you guessing and takes you down a twisted path that will have you holding your breath.

Please Don't Go is a gripping read that is not to be missed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Keekstar Media for the privilege of reading and reviewing Please Don't Go.

Release: May 30, 2025
Author: HK Christie
Publisher: Keekstar

Rating: 3.75 ★ 

Jess thought she was just trying to move on after a messy divorce—distracting herself with one-night stands and going through the motions in therapy. But everything shifts the night she finds an old box filled with pop-star memorabilia from her teenage years. What starts as a nostalgic trip quickly turns into something much darker when she uncovers a secret tied to her past.

As Jess dives deeper, the line between obsession and truth begins to blur. Haunted by what she’s discovered and driven by a need to make things right, she becomes consumed—until she finds herself standing over a body with a gun in her hand, wondering how it all spiraled out of control.

Now she’s forced to face the question: is she unraveling, or has she finally uncovered a truth too dangerous to ignore?

After a painful divorce, Jess is trying to rebuild her life. She changes her look, starts putting herself first, and takes a bold leap by chasing down a piece of her past—her favorite boy band from her teen years is playing in Vegas, and she’s going. But what starts as a nostalgic trip quickly unravels into something darker.

Jess is a complicated character—impulsive, emotionally raw, and still wrestling with unresolved trauma. Her choices aren’t always rational, and that makes her feel real. The story isn’t a fast-paced thriller, but it is a slow burn that pulls you in. There’s a heavy undercurrent of grief, regret, and revenge, especially as it becomes clear how deeply the past—particularly one tragic event tied to the band—still haunts her.

This book is more about the emotional fallout of hero worship and the price of denial than it is about shocking twists. It shows how teenage idols can cast long shadows and how far someone might go when the people responsible for pain never face consequences.


Favorite Quote:
"maybe the world would be easier if we could just run away, take off somewhere where nothing could hurt us."

Jess decided to move on after her divorce.
She changes her hair, her clothes, and then she hears that her favourite band from her teen years is playing in Las Vegas and decides that she will attend their gigs.
It is bittersweet, her best friend's life was ruined because of that band.

A great read. A little slow in places, but all in all a page turner.
Jess has unresolved psychological issues, and doesn't always think her actions through.
She acts before she thinks.
Tragic in places, and believable, because teenage girls aren't always wise when it comes to their idols.

4/5 stars from me.

Jess, formerly known as Jessica, is piecing her life back together after a bitter divorce, seeking solace from betrayal by prioritizing her own happiness. She reinvents herself with a new wardrobe and dives headfirst into the nightlife, indulging in fleeting encounters.

While sorting through her belongings post-divorce, Jess stumbles upon memorabilia from her teenage obsession with a pop star. This discovery sparks a reckless plan that puts both her life and others' in jeopardy.

This is not a thriller packed with twists or high-stakes suspense; rather, it’s a journey of self-discovery and revenge that spirals out of control, keeping readers wondering whether Jess will succeed in her dangerous scheme. The story explores the dark side of the entertainment industry and the ripple effects when individuals evade accountability for their actions.

A fast-paced read, I rate it 3.75 out of 5—engaging, though I wished for more suspense and unexpected turns.

Thank you NetGalley and Keekstar Media for the arc in exchange for my honest review.