Rose is better than me because ain’t nooo way I’d be doing all this to look for someone, while tortured, so reckless. I needed Rose to stand up and do something for herself for once. I kept asking “why?” as she kept going. But at least the truth came out in the end, and after all Eve was still like family to her.

I’ll say I was intrigued to see what all happened in the end. It was messy and the stakes were high. So I was entertained despite being a lil annoyed. It was like a hood fast paced mystery story wise. There’s red herrings, a couple twists, nothing jaw dropping to me, but by no means dull. Narrators were great too, I suggest getting the audiobook.

Thanks to NetGalley and Recorded Books for this ALC for my review.

I loved the dual POVs of Rose and Eve, and how deeply the author delved into their characters. The plot was fast-paced, entertaining, and filled with drama. Fans of psychological thrillers will like this one.

Thank you for the ARC. I enjoyed this book. It was pretty fast paced and held my attention. The narrator was pretty good as well.

Rose is a reporter who’d marriage is on the rocks. Shes discovers that her friend Eve has vanished without her purse and passport—even after booking a trip abroad. The personable cabin owners’ accounts of Eve's stay just don’t add up . . . and most of the town's initially hospitable inhabitants become increasingly less helpful . Rose will do what it takes to find Eve.

I was grateful for the ARC but this one was a miss for me. The writing is very bland and a little stereotype heavy. There is not a single likable character and you can’t root for or feel sorry for anyone. Eva was so horrible it didn’t even make me feel sorry for what happened to her. Plus this felt like it was written like Scary Movie. Every scary movie/thriller trope was used and it was super annoying.

Meh. It was fine. Had some good scenes, good premise. There was one sex scene I found gratuitous towards the end. All in all good writing. I need to read more from this author to see if I like her stuff.

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for my arc in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. The plot was really interesting and fast paced and I finished it in a day! I couldn't stop listening to it! The book discussed themes of abuse, rape, friendship, mental health, marriage, racism and institutional racism. I think the areas discussed were done in a way that allowed the story to flow smoothly but the themes were not glossed over.

I really liked both narrators and thought their voices really brought the book to life.

However, a part nearer the end ruined it slightly for me. For Rose to not address that Eve had been raped by Cole and to actually state that even after reading Eve's diary that she doesn't know what Cole did to 'trigger Eve' but he must have done something because she knows that when Eve gets triggered she freezes? Yes he did do something: he raped her? I thought that was really odd... I just feel like it cements the common scenario found where women survivors of rape/sexual abuse question their actions as well as question the attack itself. and whether it was rape etc. It just didn't sit right with me.

But overall, I really liked this book and thought it was a great Psychological Thriller where each chapter added so much depth to both Protagonists: Rose and Eve.

When her one time friend Eve goes missing, Rose is reluctant to accede to her sister Zoe's request to help track her down. After all, Eve is the one who betrayed Rose's lifelong friendship by having an affair with her husband Cole.

Devastated by this betrayal from both her best friend and her (soon to be ex) husband, the last thing Rose wants is to again be involved with Eve in any way. But Rose loves Eve's sister Zoe, so she ends up trying to retrace her erstwhile friend's footsteps, only to uncover a complicated web of passion, corruption and overreach.

Eve is not an easy character to like, but one feels for Rose, even as there are moments when you want to scream at her for her recklessness! This is an entertaining mystery with plenty of spice, and will appeal to a wide range of readers.

This is more mystery than thriller, which wasn't quite what I expected. The story revolves around investigative reporter Rose Howard, who gets tangled up in the disappearance of her former best friend, Eve.

To be honest, the characters didn't really click with me, especially Eve. Her backstory tries to explain her actions, but it didn't quite sell me on her character. I did enjoy her journal entries throughout the story though. I actually figured out the twist pretty early on, which took away some of the suspense.

On the bright side, the narration, especially Rose's voice, was superb. The narrator really brought her character to life. While the story wasn't groundbreaking for me, it wasn't a bad listen either. Just not something that'll stick with me for long.

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for an advanced listening copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Audiobook Review
Production: Excellent production. The Narrator does an excellent job bringing the characters to life. Vocals are easy to understand, and the story is easy to follow.
Story: Fun Mystery! The story is fast paced – action begins on the first page. I could totally identify with the controlling and caretaker approach of the main character (Rose) and for the same reason, did not care for the perspective of the character Eve. She felt reckless to me, and I internalized Rose’s frustration as the details unfolded. Initially felt predictable but WOAH was I wrong. 😊 I love twists and this story saved the best for last!

Let me start with a round of applause for Shanora Williams. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 Whispers of the Lake was so good. I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know more. I had my own questions throughout and felt like I hopped right into this book and was right there with the characters. I never once guessed how this was going to go. Every time I thought I was close to figuring out something turn the page and nope she said she was going to leave me guessing.

The audio was really good too. The voices were good and being able to hear them and the infliction in their tones made it an even better reading experience. If you enjoy audiobooks I definitely recommend immersion reading because it enhanced the books.

Whispers of the Lake was an enjoyable and engaging read with a twist at the end that definitely caught me by surprise. While the story started off a bit slow for me, it gradually picked up and became more intriguing as the plot unfolded.

I listened to the audiobook version, which I found very easy to follow. The narration was smooth and well-paced—perfect for listening during my commute or while doing things around the house.

This would be a great book to bring along on vacation—easy to get into, suspenseful enough to keep you turning the pages, and satisfying by the end. Overall, I’d give it 3.5 stars.

Title: Whispers of The Lake -a standalone

 Author: Shanora Williams- I read Beautiful Broken Love and gave it 4  

Publication date: 6-24-25 | Read: 6-24-25

Narrator: Jasmin Walker and Dominique Franceschi voice all the characters with standouts from Rose, Eve, and Zoe. The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrators worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story. The narrators paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along.

Run Time: 6:48

Genre:
*Mystery/Suspense
*Thriller
*Adult Fic
*Multicultural Interests-AA and Latinx

Tropes: 
*hidden truths/secrets
*h in therapy
*marriage in trouble
*small town
*journaling-Eve

POV: 1st person Rose and Eve 

TW: physical/mental abuse, cheating-on h, murder, drug use, death of parent, SA, robbery/assault, a threesome

Setting: Sage Hill, NC 

Summary: Rose's marriage is in trouble, and she has been betrayed by her best friend Eve, yet she still wants a promotion at work to senior reporter. When she receives a call from Zoe-Eve's little sister-that Eve has disappeared, she's worried. Rose travels to Eve's cottage in Sage Hill to check on her. Eve has so many secrets that could put Rose in danger and even get her killed.  

Heroine: Rosette "Rose" Howard-32, investigative reporter @ Premiere Daily, wants promotion to senior reporter.

Other Characters: 
* Twyla-Rose's boss @ the newspaper
* Jason Daniels- Rose's hookup who owns a bar "The Drop"
* Eve Castillo-32, Rose's ex-BFF, a travel vlogger who has disappeared
* Diana-Rose's little sister/confidante
*Ben- Rose's father who was a caseworker that helped Eve and Zoe as kids
* Zoe-Eve's little sister
* Cole Howard-Rose's husband, married 2 years
 * Nico-a private investigator
* Herbert-Rose's friend/a fellow reporter
* James Reid- the sheriff in Sage Hill
* Alex Reid- James's nephew/ cottage owner who has adoptive siblings living w/ him- Damon and Rory Reid

My Thoughts:  My heart broke for Eve because she was a victim trying to survive and make the best of her life. She lived dangerously and paid the price for it, losing Rose's friendship. Rose had issues too- from her marriage and past assault, but she got help. There were some surprises I didn't see coming but it's typical for a Shanora Williams book and I'm never disappointed.

Rating: 5/5 
Spice level 4/5   

Thanks to NetGalley, RB Media | Recorded Books and Shanora Williams for this ALC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

This book hooked me. It kept me interested and questioning the entire time. The narrator did a great job. I literally felt like I was watching a tv show not just listening to an audio book. I will say that it did keep me guessing until the end and I told myself I figured it out! But really I figured it out just as she did so did I really? A good book always keeps you guessing, wanting to know more, and has you figuring things out at the same time as the characters and this book did just that.

This was good. I love her writing style and enjoyed all the twists. I do not love when a book ends with someone you don’t meet until really late in the book so that’s my only complaint.

A twisty thriller that was an enjoyable enough listen. There were things I liked about the book as well as something’s that felt unnecessary to the story.
The plot is primarily about the FMC who is better than I’d ever be, investigating the disappearance of her ex–best friend, the same one who betrayed her in the worst way.. There are journal entries from Eve (the ex-best-friend); they do give an intimate look into her mindset and added extra layers to the mystery. They also include descriptions of trauma that Eve experienced and at times make her unlikeable. Overall the story was fine but predictable like most thrillers/mysteries.

✨✨✨.5

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing early access to this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This was a compelling and twist-filled psychological thriller that kept me engaged from start to finish. I especially appreciated the fast-paced narrative and how easy it was to follow in audio format—perfect for a binge-listen.

I would give this a solid 3.5 stars. It was my first read by this author, and I’m definitely intrigued to explore more of their work in the future.

The story centers around Rose Howard, a high-profile investigative reporter whose life is unraveling—her career is at a breaking point, and her marriage is on the rocks. When she learns that her former best friend, Eve Castillo, has mysteriously gone off the grid during a stay at a peaceful North Carolina lakefront cottage, Rose heads to the small town of Sage Hill in search of answers. But what starts as a concerned visit quickly spirals into something darker.

The townspeople are cagey, the cabin owners’ stories don’t quite add up, and the tranquil town hides some deeply buried secrets. As Rose digs deeper, she realizes that some truths are dangerous—and uncovering them may cost her everything. 🕵🏻‍♀️

3/5 stars

I wouldn't call this a thriller—it felt much more like a story about friendship and sisterhood. The heart of the book is really the relationship between the two main characters and everything they go through together. It's definitely a character-driven book rather than one that's heavy on plot or twists.

It’s a slow burn, but I still found myself enjoying the read. Some parts toward the end went in a different direction than I expected, which I liked. I gave it three stars because while it didn’t totally blow me away or feel like a must-read, I did enjoy my time with it and don’t regret picking it up.

*ARC review*

This was a fast paced book that pulled me in from the start. A dark, solid thriller that was filled with twists!

3.5/5
What happened to Eve?
Would you look for a missing friend who had an affair with your husband? She’s a good person.

Attention grabbing story, great narration, solid ending.

2/5 ⭐️
I honestly just didn’t like this. The plot was slow and a lot of the characters irked me. I didn’t really care about the plot like I thought I would.