Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

Although this book was listed as True Crime, it majorly fell short and was extremely confusing. The cover gave happy vibes but the points of view take forever to even discuss Lauren.

I just couldn't get into this book.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
Lauren is alive- Rene needs to find her - but where?
Years ago thinking her mother never loved her she found love with Keele or so she thought.
Years later Jane looks out the window to see a girl in her yard - who is it? What does she want? Could it be Lauren?

Book review ✨
Lauren is missing by Sj King

Lauren has been missing for 8 years, her sister Rene is determined to find her. No one listens to her but she has to find Lauren.

This book was written in before and now tenses each chapter in the perspectives of Lauren, her sister Rene and Jane who currently occupies their family home.

I thought i had sussed out what happened to Lauren whilst binge reading the first third of the book, then to be confused and questioning what the hell is going on!? Even up until the end I had no idea how this was going to work out 🤣 you really kept me on my toes AGAIN SJ king.

Another fantastic read by the lovely SJ King. Brilliantly written! Really excited to read more of your books.

If you’re looking for a binge worthy psychological thriller then you must pick up her books 😍.

So happy I was accepted to read and review this book as I thoroughly enjoyed reading where you belong.

Another 5 star read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book wrecked me, emotionally. We as humans are flawed, aren't we...that's what this story tells us. The story, initially confused me and I was not able to guess what the next twist will be and, I was not able to put it down.
But let me tell you it's a heavy read, at least for me.
A solid 4 star for the writing and the emotions. And the ending, I'm not sure about it, exactly 🙃

The premise of this book was great unfortunately for me the book itself was VERY slow and just never grabbed me in. It was a very dark book and isn't a book I can recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC.

The story starts when Lauren has been missing for eight years, and her sister Rene, who lives alone in a neat and tidy basement flat, hasn’t given up hope that Lauren may still be alive.

A lady called Jane gets home one day and finds a young woman digging in her back garden. She goes out to ask her what she’s doing, and sees that she has bruises and scars, and looks terrified, so Jane takes her into her kitchen. She is holding onto a muddy book, which is what she seems to have dug up. Jane gently asks questions but the young woman is silent until Jane asks if she knows this house, and she just says, “Home”.

A dark, psychological thriller which I’d recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

If this one feels a bit confusing a first, hang in there, because like jello, jooooooop, it all comes together and boy, is it worth it. Chock full of sharp dialogue, vivid descriptions, and troubled characters, King knows exactly how to weave detailed plots that leave readers no choice but to hop on board and become emotionally invested.

I, for one, didn't mind one bit!

Thank you to Storm Publishing for gifting me a copy. It is my pleasure to write an honest review.

This book felt strange to me. The title tells us that Lauren is missing and the book starts with a young woman appearing in a garden digging up a notebook and being taken in to the house which she says is her home. The story is told from the viewpoints of Lauren, Rene, her sister, and Jane, the lady who finds her in the garden. I found that format a little confusing especially the chapters with Lauren and Rene narrating as there is a lot going on. There are 2 'big' reveals but I had already worked them out and I couldn't decide whether the author meant for us to work it out so easily. The author seems to be attempting to misdirect readers with a lot of the content, but in doing so, it leads the reader to guess what is actually happening. This book will definitely find an audience who like unravelling the different aspects of the story, but it wasn't for me.
Thanks to Storm and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this book, didn’t expect that ending! Felt anxious all the way through wondering if Lauren would ever be found alive. Good characters and storyline.

Lauren is missing & Rene is determined she gets found.

The first couple of chapters really had me hooked- I was definitely intrigued and anxious to see where this book was going to go. Also love a book with multiple POVs/timelines & this book has both.

The middle of this book draggggged. It was very repetitive and you feel confused almost the entire story. The big “twist” is pretty predictable/obvious in my opinion. The end of this book was to the point & tied up all the loose ends nicely.

I think this could’ve been a 100 page short story rather than a whopping 350 pages.

Thank you to NetGalley & Storm publishing for this ARC.

I received a free copy of, Lauren is Missing, by S.J. King, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Lauren is Rene sister, and she has been missing for awhile. I found this book to be dark and sad.

This book had me in a chokehold! Such a gripping thriller, told from multiple povs I thoroughly enjoyed it. Lauren has been missing for sometime, and this novel explores how this affects those around her. A really gripping read.

I really tried to enjoy this psychological thriller. But. I never could connect with the character(s). Written in the first person, the story of Lauren's disappearance is told from several viewpoints. While the writing is good and the plot started out interesting, it got bogged down in the constant inner musing of the characters. I understand the "need" to provide those inner thoughts. However, the story did not move along and I found myself skipping a lot of the repetitiveness. Additionally, I figured out the plot before I had read a third of the book. Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

A dark, mind twist of a story that keeps you on edge and wondering what will happen next! Told through multiple POV's, which adds interest and confusion throughout the book until all is revealed in the end.

Many thanks to netgalley, the author and the publisher for approving my request to read this book.

Well this one had me well and truly hooked!

Lauren has been missing for 8 years and her sister Rene has never given up her search for her when she feels that others seemingly have.

This story is told from dual timelines and from multiple character point of view and switches between them effortlessly.

Dark, unnerving and emotional this book had everything I love, can only be 5 stars from me.

I'd recommend if you are a fan of Lisa Jewell and if you enjoy this particular genre.

This book is so good! From different POVs this store will captivate you and keep you glued to the pages.

Fast paced, suspenseful, and really smooth timelines, you will be entertained from the start, trying to find out more.

Rene is coping with the disappearance of her sister Lauren, the stressful situation, the memories of their childhood, everything comes through her mind while trying to figure out what happened 8 years ago.

I definitely recommend this book. The writing style is sharp, smart and clever, with a twist at the end I didn’t see coming.

Thank you so much Storm Publishing, S.J. King and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Okay, this one pulled me in fast. If you enjoy multiple POVs and dual timelines like I do, Lauren is Missing definitely delivers on that front. S.J. King builds tension slowly, revealing just enough to keep you curious but never quite enough to make you feel settled—which is both a strength and a slight weakness, depending on your patience level.

The writing reminded me a lot of Lisa Jewell—dark domestic vibes, flawed characters, and secrets bubbling just beneath the surface. You’re thrown right into a “what the hell is actually going on?” kind of mystery, and while that feeling was fun at first, I’ll admit it dragged on a little too long for me. There’s a fine line between suspenseful and frustrating, and this book danced a little close to that edge.

I also had a strong suspicion early on about what the big twist was going to be, and unfortunately, I ended up being right—so the reveal didn’t hit quite as hard as I think the author intended. That said, the way the story wraps up is satisfying, and I appreciated how the pieces eventually came together.

If you like layered thrillers with shifting perspectives and a slow-burn mystery, this one’s worth picking up. While it didn’t fully shock me, it did keep me turning pages, and I’d still recommend it to fans of Lisa Jewell, B.A. Paris, or Freida McFadden.

Overall I enjoyed this book. I did, however, see the ending coming so I didn't feel there were any major suprises for me. It was quite a dark plot at times. I did like how it showed how trauma affects people and also coping mechanisms that our minds use to deal with trauma.

I didn't immediately warm to this book, it troubled me. However it got better and better. Difficult to say more without spoiling the plot. Suffice to say I realised half way through what was happening. My thoughts then were that the book was extremely clever. I did enjoy and can highly recommend.

ARC review. Thank you NG & SJ KING

Trigger warnings. Please DM me if you want know to them so I don’t give parts of the book away

“Except he never comes. Because he made us think he loved us most. But in the end, he lied too.

What a page turner. So many parts I was eager to finish reading the paragraph to turn the page. The before and after set up was brilliant in building up suspense and emotions. HOLY SHIT to that plot too. It’s hard nowadays to catch me with a good plot and this one got me damn good.

It also heavily touches on what someone goes through mentally to process trauma and to survive. SJ king, you really did it with this book. You should be proud of this ending! (the entire build up of the story really)
This book confused the shit out of me but in a good way. Like what the hell do I believe?

Slight spoiler below


This story especially the end is heartbreaking, dark, realistic to abuse survivors, and puts things into perspective.

Multiple plots, twists, heartbreaks and hope.

“In the dark. The mind fills in the empty spaces. The holes.

Thank you for sending me this book to read prior to release. I believe people will absolutely love this book 📕