This is one of those books I went to sleep thinking about. I’ve read a lot of thrillers, so I’m usually pretty critical of them. It’s hard to surprise me. But this one had a fresh take.

Bestselling author Zipporah Bazile travels to the picturesque Colorado resort, Raven’s Hollow Lodge, to find inspiration for her newest novel. Set in the snowy North Carolina wilderness, Zipporah’s plot revolves around a young woman who’s been kidnapped from a highway rest stop and trapped in a remote cabin. As she puts words to the page, she begins to feel out of sorts. She can’t figure out a way to kill off her main character without sacrificing the plot. Not only that, but she starts to feel like she’s being followed. Amid an unexpected romance with another guest at the resort, Zip’s paranoia holds her tight in its grasp, quickly defining her every move.

If you love a fast-paced thriller and are looking for something original, When She Escaped might be a good option. I was thoroughly entertained and did not expect the plot twist.

That said, this one just barely squeaked out a 3-star from me. I debated what to give it in terms of rating, but ultimately, the unique plot twist earned a slightly higher rating. I didn’t connect much with the writing style itself. It’s a bit structured and formal. I understand that the character that the author was writing for is supposed to be that way, so it makes sense, but it just doesn’t flow very well in my opinion.

I also don’t feel like there was a lot of connection between the main characters and their romance. Is it necessary to have that? No, not really. This is a thriller, first and foremost. But if you enjoy those inter-character relationships, When She Escaped doesn’t offer that.

What it does offer, however, is a break from the normal recipe that most other thrillers seem to follow. I really appreciated that. It’s a quick and entertaining read.

Keep an eye out for When She Escaped by Jenifer Ruff when it’s released on June 6, 2025!

Thanks to Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

When She Escaped by Jenifer Ruff:
What a twisty, suspenseful ride! I couldn’t put this one down. Just when I thought I had things figured out, the story flipped everything upside down. The tension kept building, and the twists left me totally shocked. Ruff really knows how to keep you guessing until the very end. Highly recommend if you love dark thrillers with jaw-dropping surprises!

I would like to give 4-star reading to this book. It started really fast, so , I liked the pace but didnt really expected the twist on which the whole book stands, that's truly appreciable. Really, really enjoyed the first two parts of the book and really liked the concept of a book inside a book. And I was really invested to know how the Female lead escaped from the captivity of the psychopath.
Anyone in a reading slump should pick this book up. I devoured it in just one day.

A fast-paced, gripping thriller that hooks you from the first page. When She Escaped delivers dark twists, chilling suspense, and a strong female lead you’ll root for. Perfect for fans of psychological thrillers with emotional depth.

A gripping thriller suspense novel. Another favourite from Jennifer Ruff. Impossible to put down and that twist? It completely got me!

I was so excited by the locked-door premise of When She Escaped and normally this book would have been a great fit for me. However, the characters just didn't hold my attention. I'm bummed since I wanted to love the story. However, I see lots of positive reviews, so I'm hopeful other readers will enjoy it more than me. And I'll definitely be watching for the author's next book.

Goodness me, this was such a good book. Highly entertaining. Would definitely recommend to others, that's for sure!

Release: June 6, 2025
Author: Jenifer Ruff
Publisher: Greyt Companion Press

Rating: 4.25 ★ 

Bestselling author Zipporah Bazile heads to the remote and upscale Raven’s Hollow Lodge to work on her next psychological thriller—a chilling story about a woman trapped in a cabin basement. But as she settles in, strange things start happening. She feels like someone is watching her, odd things show up in her drinks, and someone seems to be digging into her personal life.

Her uneasy connection with another guest only adds to the tension—she can’t tell if she can trust him or if he’s part of whatever is going on. As the days pass, the line between Zipporah’s book and her reality begins to blur, and disturbing truths come to light. She’s forced to question whether the dark ending she’s crafting for her character might be waiting for her too.

This book had such an original concept, and it pulled me in right away. I loved the idea of an author retreating to a quiet, isolated place to write her next thriller—only to have her reality start to mirror the story she’s working on. That line between fiction and real life gets blurred in such a clever, unsettling way.

The suspense builds slowly at first, and I wasn’t totally hooked during the first half, but once the twist hit around the middle, everything changed. From that point on, I couldn’t stop reading. There were some creepy, unexpected moments that really made me question what was actually happening.

The characters could’ve had a bit more depth, especially the relationships, but I still found myself rooting for Zip. She’s a complicated lead—paranoid, private, and hard to trust, which makes her perfect for a story like this.

Overall, it was a solid, twisty thriller with a cool meta-angle.

Favorite Quote: 
"freedom doesn't come without its scars. It's a battle, but sometimes it's the only fight worth winning."

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

I really liked this book, it was amazing and I did not see the twist coming. It was a very original idea, I'm going to read more books by Jenifer Ruff for sure.

Ok I absolutely loved this! The atmosphere, the suspense. Beautiful cover. This kept me entertained the whole time, engaged into the characters and story, and not wanting to put this book down! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review!!!!!

First, thank you Netgalley and Greyt Companion Press for this ARC!

Oh wow... what a book! Here we meet Zip, a famous author checking into this retreat to work on her new novel - a story about a woman being abducted and held captive in a cabin in the woods. But Zip feels paranoid and being stalked, and then, while she struggles from a writer's block, strange things start to happen at the retreat that make her start to question her sanity...

I can just say, I did not see that plot twist coming. My jaw was literally on the floor! You should all go and read this book once it does come out! I promise you are not going to regret it!

Zipporah Bazile, a fairly famous best-selling thriller author (no photos on book flaps, though, and no social media) is using her new main character’s name, Hannah Williams, to check in at Raven’s Hollow, a high altitude mountain resort. Her goal: use the next ten days to get a decent draft of her next addition to her well-received “Darkness” series. And we get an immediate bonus: we’ll get to read the work-in-progress as our main character experiences a little too much fiction turning into reality.

An unexpected romance at the retreat occurs, but so do a few unsettling occurrences — a visible powder on the froth of her latte; a printed Wikipedia page left behind about her at the business center; an overheard conversation regarding her from her new “friend.” Zip wants to strengthen her written character Hannah to make her be less helpless, but she’s hit a wall and is almost ready to kill off Hannah.

This is totally a gripping page-turner. I’ve loved Ruff’s Victoria Heslin series, and I was thrilled to have a new standalone with a character a little less superhero-ish. Zip is a bundle of contradictions from the start — successful, yet hiding from fame; adjusted to being alone, yet yearning for the company of a stranger she doesn’t quite trust. She shouldn’t be as paranoid or suspicious as she’s getting. There’s a twist midway that totally made me wonder where the rest of the plot was heading, and it turns a normal suspense thriller into something very original and intense. 5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO No unusual eye colors at all.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska):NO But let’s be thankful for the dense forest of rural North Carolina.

Thank you to Greyt Companion Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

The idea of this book sounds supper interesting but the way it was written not so much. I loved the idea of reading about an author who is writing her next book meet a man she quickly becomes attracted to but then she realizes he might not be as trustworthy as he seems.

The story was more show than tell. This made it difficult for me to enjoy the story and form a connection with the characters. I didn’t like the first half of the book. It felt dull without any twist. The second half of the book was ok. The manuscript that Zipporah was writing also didn’t catch my attention. I think it was super interesting to have that twist that was revealed at 50% of the book.

The characters were flat with no distinct traits to make them interesting. The relationship between the characters didn’t feel genuine especially Zipporah and Robert’s relationship. They don’t have any romantic element to their relationship.

I ate this up! Very unique thriller, with twist I REALLY did not see coming! Got not much sleep tonight because I could not put this book down. Easy 5 stars!