💬 “Some books pull you in. This one locks the door behind you and doesn’t let go.”

Melissa F. Miller’s Cut Off from Sky and Earth is a tightly woven psychological thriller with hints of fairy-tale darkness. Emily, a blocked author, and Alex, a woman haunted by past trauma, cross paths in a remote mountain cabin during a storm. What begins as wary companionship uncovers shared wounds, buried secrets, and a danger that refuses to stay in the past.

Emily, Alex, and Tristan leap off the page—flawed, layered, and fully human. Their relationships carry weight, and the connection between Emily and Alex forms the emotional spine of the story. The isolated mountain farm mirrors the “tower” motif from the German fairy tale, becoming both refuge and trap.

This is the kind of book you start and can’t put down—slow-burn suspense that builds to a smart, satisfying finale, with the fairy-tale retelling adding a unique edge. Dark, clever, and full of heart, it’s as much about survival and resilience as it is about danger.

This has the right amount of suspense, intrigue, and grounded story to keep you engaged the whole time. The characters are interesting but not over the top. Highly recommend!!

This is the first book I have read by Melissa F. Miller and I really enjoyed it. I was sitting on the edge of my seat thru the whole book. I thought I knew who was involved from the beginning but that changed as the end got closer. I loved the characters, the buildup and the twists and turns. Very enjoyable read. I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and Brown Street Books in exchange for an honest review.

Not my typical genre but the author is a favorite so I had to give it a try. It is different from her other books but still has the engaging storyline and great character development that you find in her other books. I found the story intriguing and suspenseful to the point that I picked up my phone to read in between other things! I hope there are other books to continue the characters; I want to know what happens next!

Thank you Netgalley and Brown Street Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Melissa F. Miller delivers a chilling, emotionally rich psychological thriller in “Cut Off from Sky and Earth.” This is a story that combines suspense, trauma recovery, and fairy tale symbolism into a powerful story of survival, identity, and the enduring strength of human connection.

From the first chapter, it’s clear this isn't your typical cabin-in-the-woods thriller. Yes, there's a remote setting, a violent storm, and the looming presence of a past that refuses to stay buried, but what sets this book apart is how Miller weaves her characters’ inner worlds into the fabric of the plot. The result is a taut, atmospheric, and deeply psychological story that grips you from the first page and never lets go.

The plot centers on Emily, a bestselling author struggling with writer’s block and haunted by trauma. To help her reset, her husband books her a stay at a secluded cabin owned by Alex, a quiet, guarded woman with a painful history of her own. Neither woman knows at first that they are tied by eerily similar events as each narrowly surviving brutal attacks years earlier. As the storm traps them together, truths begin to unravel, danger creeps closer, and both women must confront the ghosts of their pasts… and possibly the person responsible for them.

Miller masterfully uses multiple perspectives—Emily, Alex, and Tristan—to flesh out the emotional complexity and slow-burn tension. Each character is fully realized, flawed, and compelling. Their backstories aren’t simply tacked on; they’re essential to the unfolding mystery, with secrets that build organically into the thriller’s shocking and satisfying twist.

One of the book’s standout features is the metafictional layer: Emily is rewriting a fairy tale, and the manuscript mirrors her real-life emotional journey. It's subtle but deeply effective, creating thematic resonance around entrapment, transformation, and reclaiming power. The mountain cabin, which is isolated, beautiful, and dangerous, also serves as a symbolic “tower” straight out of a Grimm tale, reinforcing the book’s exploration of trauma as both a prison and a crucible.

The pacing is deliberate early on, building a sense of quiet dread through evasive dialogue, subtle manipulation, and psychological unease. But once the storm hits and the truths begin to surface, the story tightens into a breathless, page-turning race. Miller knows exactly when to shift gears, and the final act is both exhilarating and emotionally satisfying.

That said, while the story is rich with tension and insight, it’s not a traditional high-octane thriller. This is more psychological excavation than pulse-pounding action. Those looking for nonstop twists might find it slow in the beginning, but those who appreciate character-driven suspense with emotional depth will be rewarded.

Overall, “Cut Off from Sky and Earth” is a compelling, layered psychological thriller that balances trauma, mystery, and resilience with deft prose and immersive storytelling. Melissa F. Miller doesn't just tell a story of survival—she explores what it means to truly live after being broken. Highly recommended for fans of introspective thrillers, fairy tale symbolism, and strong female protagonists finding power in connection.

Cut Off From Sky and Earth explores the weight of anxiety and disconnection with a thoughtful undercurrent that resonates throughout the story. I appreciated the emotional themes woven into the narrative, especially the portrayal of internal struggles. However, the story’s pivotal turning point felt a bit rushed, and I found myself wanting more depth and time spent in that moment. That said, I still enjoyed the overall reading experience and would recommend it to readers who appreciate character-driven stories with emotional nuance.

As a note to the author in case she ever sees things. Prozac girly here… and girl do I understand when you find the right one!

This one is very different from this authors usual style but it is still brilliant and I think she has nailed it. The plot is dark, compelling and at times unimaginable but the characters are all facing the same demon in different ways. I stayed up late to go on this journey and I am so happy that I did because the ending certainly made up for the horror filled tale.

Cut Off From Sky and Earth was just okay for me. The central mystery had some suspenseful moments, but the overall story felt a bit contrived, and I struggled to connect with the characters. The interwoven side story—a retelling of an obscure Grimm fairy tale—didn’t add much for me. It felt awkwardly inserted and wasn’t especially well written, which pulled me out of the main plot rather than deepening it. There are some interesting themes around trauma and resilience, but ultimately, this one didn’t quite land.

I knew right away that this book was going to suck me in. While the cover is beautiful, don’t let it fool you. Cut Off From Sky and Earth is a clever psychological thriller about secrets, hidden pasts, resilience and hope. A perfect book club pick!

Emily, struggling with writer’s block on her new novel, takes time away to a far-off cabin in the hopes it will giver her some inspiration and the words will start flowing. The owner of the cabin, Alex, lives in a house nearby on her farm and is still trying to cope with the devastation that almost took her life. During an intense storm the two find themselves waiting it out together and find they both share a similar tragic event from years before. After some strange occurrences, they soon learn they are not alone and have to fight for their lives and escape from the past together.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Brown Street Books for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a phenomenal read. The premise might sound like a familiar thriller - two women stranded in a storm, stalked by a killer that reflects their unresolved past; but the story is more multilayered than that. From the opening chapter I was pulled in, curious about why everyone was being deceptive towards one another. The atmosphere is taut with quiet tension, and the characters’ evasiveness and subtle manipulations created a slow, simmering suspense that kept me invested.

As the narrative unfolded, the pacing tightened and I couldn’t out the book down. I raced through the final chapters to get to the end. One element I especially appreciated was the fairy tale the main character is rewriting alongside the main plot. The way it echoed certain themes and emotional beats gave the story an added sense of structure without being too literal.

The buildup leads to a twist that genuinely surprised me and a climax that felt both inevitable and satisfying. I’m glad I had the chance to read this one early. It’s an intense, engaging, and thoughtful story that I’ll be thinking about long after I’ve finished reading.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 STARS!
this had me on the edge of my seat. i couldn't stop reading and didn't want to. you just needed to see the story through. even when you think you have it all figured out, everything takes a turn. it's intense and riveting from the start. then things take a mind-blowing twist that will have you reeling.

i loved reading through the three characters' POV. they all have secrets, they all have a past they're running from, and they all end up in having to face it. and yes, this is a psychological thriller. heavy on the psychology aspect! each characters' downward spiral and anxiety is so palpable, i even caught myself holding my breath at times because i didn't know what the next page would bring.

the author really did a phenomenal job in intertwining a "fairy-tale retelling manuscript" into the characters' stories. you can see how well they correlate to their journey about overcoming and persevering through their most troubling times. they are psychologically, emotionally, and physically challenged. really begs the question of how far the human spirit would go to survive alone versus with someone who truly sees & understands them. such a seamless, immersive, methodical storytelling!

i would definitely recommend this! this would make a great book club book or something you can buddy read because i know the discussions would, without a doubt, be interesting. the reactions, i'm sure, would be just as equally entertaining.

thank you to the publisher and author for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy via NetGalley. i leave this review of my own volition. all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was thrilled to read this book by one if my favorite author.
I have been a fan of Melissa F. Miller for years and have read and loved each of her books.
This is by far the best book I've read to date!
It is full of mystery, secrets, twists and turns! I couldn't stop thinking about it for days!

Melissa Miller has definitely done it again. Her newest book is one you won't want to miss. Cut Off From Earth and Sky draws you in immediately.
The idea of the retelling for Grimm's Maid Maleen was woven in perfectly to the entirety of the plot. Emily and Tristan are so well developed, I felt like I truly understood them as characters. The side characters add more depth, intrigue and questions! The plot twists keep you guessing until the very end.
I truly enjoyed this read!
Thank you to Melissa Miller and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this one!

I could not put this book down. It’s a great thriller with secrets, mystery, and plot twists I did not see coming 😮 But the story also goes so much deeper than a simple murder mystery. Highly recommend to all my fellow thriller fans!

When Emily's husband Tristan aranges for her to stay in a remote cabin in order to finish her book, she makes Alex, the woman who manages the property.

What Emily and Alex don't know - but are about to find out - is just how much they have in common. Not least the trauma each carries from brutal events in their past.

And now, a problem from that troubled past seems to have arrived on the doorstep in the middle of a terrible storm when a series of peculiar events makes it all to clear that the two women are not alone. But can they work together to face this challenge?

This is an intelligent psychological thriller about how the past remains very much alive in the present, in our most vivid memories and in those of others. Worth a read, it gets 3. 5 stars.

Although it got off to a bit of a slow start, once it got into the plot I found the characters interesting and the mystery intriguing.. Although I don't usually read phychological mysteries I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Thanks so much to the author for the chance to read this early via her newsletter!
I read nearly everything Melissa Miller publishes so was so excited to learn about this one-off non series novel. It was great to read something different and new and I still heard her voice while reading. I will definitely recommend this to my friends and family!

Thanks again!

“There’s something to be said for a fresh start.”

I think you’ll agree with me that this genre (hopepunk) is the perfect antidote to the uncertain (and escalating dark) times we now experience. When we’re surrounded by cynicism and underhandedness, it’s comforting to read about people standing up and fighting for what they believe in.

Melissa Miller’s 5-star novel examines if deception (in the name of love) can ever be justified, and if it’s possible for relationships to both protect and imprison us. She whisks us away to The Farm At The End Of The World and introduces us to characters who all live with past trauma, particularly survivor's guilt, before engaging us deeply in a story that showcases women who save themselves.

I love a plot that leads me to question how I view my world! Miller had me thinking about the aim of those who well-meaningly protect us from danger, how time distorts memory and perception, the fine line between protection and control, and the danger of building self-imposed protective walls around us and/or our hearts. Miller's exploration of the power of connection and the power of standing up for ourselves was fascinating.

Most noteworthy, though, was the main plot line - on the run from murder. Miller’s compulsive and compelling narrative kept me anxious, suspect, and alert. I needed to know who was lying, why, what they were running towards and away from, and the purpose for all the secrecy. I didn’t figure it out before the characters!

This story has taken up residence in my thoughts this week, proving to me that Miller is an expert storyteller.

I was under no obligation to provide a review for this gifted copy.

oh wasn't this such a divine read of a book. the tightness i felt in my veins, the mind tennis it gave me was, when done well in this type of book, just brilliant. it was such a exposing and raw book. it filled you with an also realistic sadness of the themes within. so honest. so powerful. so well written.
you are involved from the first pages. you are involved in both our woman stories and cant wait to read more, you have to know more, you need to know their stories and whats to come.
this is such an intense read but in the best possible way from a book such as this. you are compelled to read on.
the characters are all woven together but separate and all complex but told so well you can truly feel who they are as people and just what they've all faced. and sadly how true it is that the past never stays past and often im beds itself in your every day more than you know or dare to think about.
the stories of each of our characters allow you to run alongside them and see them each as their own but keep wondering how this will all come together. which is pealing away Melissa delivers more and more delicious plot points but only at her pace.
this story made me feel so much. so much more than i anticipated. and it gave me a quiet inner cry at times and also actually a quiet inner feeling of strength. it felt like the book was there for me somehow. and i wanted to be there for it too as the characters in "their towers".
a brilliant book. my review barely covers the justice it deserves.there is often when i love books this much, so much i want to say and could say but also so much i cant because i wont do it right, i wont do it with the applauded and vocabulary success its needs.
but read this book. read it and devour it and you will not regret on single second spent with it.and you will thank, like me our lucky stars that authors with this much talent exist and share these little gifts with us.

As an avid reader of Ms Miller novels, I was quite excited and intrigued to receive the advanced copy of Cut Off from Sky and Earth. The story of two women, trapped by their past. That kept me guessing til the end! A weave of past and present using the voices of Tristan, Emily and Alex. With a side of fairy tale to bring it all together.

I love that you took a chance at writing this! It's important to get the message out there. That we may be stuck in our own prisons. Trapping us from moving forward, living our lives to the fullest. Thank you! Fear keeps us trapped, time to break free.