Tom & Katherine go to celebrate their 5th anniversary and on their way back - there's a collision which leads to a fatality and Tom claims that Katherine is responsible for the accident!
Katherine cant remember the time of the accident and is now answerable to the cops!

The story was so perfect till the 10% range, after that it just became too far fetched and the writing was also too amateur!

overall 2.5 stars !

thanks to netgalley, bookouture audio, Cole Baxter for approving the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Your spouse is the one person you should trust with your life, but what happens if you find out that you shouldn’t?
Catherine and Tom have plans to enjoy a nice dinner for their 5th wedding anniversary, with some expensive food and wine. But when they get into a car accident that changes Catherine’s life as she knows it, she starts to learn that maybe who she trusts in her life might not be who they say they are.
She must find out who she is married to and who she can turn to in her deepest hour of need. Maybe her version of the past is not as she remembers it, but will she get out in time to save her life and maybe others?

I would rate this book at 3 stars. I really liked the premise behind the book but wanted more character development. I would love to know more about Tom and Catherine’s past and what made them who they are today. I was intrigued by the dynamic of how the town and friends played in Catherine’s struggles but wanted more on their relationships with Tom. I also enjoyed the narrator Stephanie Cannon!

Thank you to NetGalley Bookouture Audio for the ARC.

Liked:

The author has made the majority of the characters (at least the ones that we are supposed to like) so loveable! The loyalty and friendship shown in these characters are amazing and a breath of fresh air within a thriller where usually the characters are all untrustworthy and shady.

I liked the concept of a clear cut of knowing who is good and who is bad but not why and spending the book exploring the motivations of the characters rather than who is trustworthy or exploring blurred lines.

This book displayed a real sense of fear with physical and dangerous violence, creating a heightened sense of anxiety within the reader.

The book is an easy book to get through, if you’re looking for a thriller that is more action as opposed to twists and turns I would recommend it!

Disliked (sorry!):

Most of my dislike of the book occurred during the second half of the book, I feel like the beginning and setting of the scene started off well but it gradually got more and more unrealistic, convenient and dramatic which I found to be frustrating.

Additionally, some parts felt like they were written to drag out the next part of the mystery to the reader and was more of a filler than moving the story along.

The actions by the husband and others felt like there was a bigger motivation than what was presented, it all felt a bit over the top and it was the biggest mystery of the book. The motivation felt disappointing and in my opinion, fell flat.

While I enjoyed not having to decipher who is telling the truth/who is lying, I felt increasingly frustrated at the characters as the proof was clearly presented on what really happened, I know about underlying reasons, however, I felt SURELY more people would actually investigate this (trying to stay vague).

Overall, the book started off interesting and sparked my interest, however, towards the end, the things that once niggled me cause great annoyance due to the increasing lack of realism that it no longer held my interest by the end. However, as stated, if an action book is more your thing, I would recommend it, it just wasn’t my type of thriller.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

So, as for the major plot, you know precisely what is going to happen.
Though Catherine wasn't the driver and her husband is the only one who insists she was, she is being investigated as the primary suspect in the death of a woman in a car accident. It is easy to deduce his motivations from the very first chapters and the general plot of the novel.

Although the book is technically well written, it has several unbelievable features that caused me to lower my rating even though it doesn't quite go nuts like a typical popcorn thriller.

I read a book from the same author earlier this year, and the plot was similarly really basic and uncomplicated, so I've realised that you basically get what you "order." I think you would love reading this book much more if you approach it with this mindset!

This book kept me on my toes the entire time. Had me full of so many different emotions as the Story continued on. There was so many twists and turns.. Amazing!!!

“The Anniversary” by Cole Baxter is a gripping suspense filled novel. Set in a small town it shows the complexities of relationships, betrayals, and mystery. It also shows that secrets will always find a way of getting out. The book is well written and narrated to engage you from the very first page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

This just did not do anything for me.
Bad story..... grooming (possible triggering?) far fetched.... incredibly dumb investigators... no likeable character.
I would not recommend.

I really don’t like to pan a book, but this one had a ridiculous, unbelievable plot. Just when you think it can’t get any more implausible, it does, big time!! If I had been reading, it would have been a DNF for me, but the voice of Stephanie Cannon came across as a groomed and gaslit young woman, making the narration the only thing believable from start to finish. Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ALC of this book.

Started off with a bang and got me intrigued straight away but then the further in I went, the more unrealistic it felt. Kathryn came across as weak and some of the actions against her were unbelievable. I’m not sure all these actions can happen to someone.
The narration was great, a little slow but I just speed it up. Wasn’t long so was easy to just plow through and continue to finish.

The Anniversary by Cole Baxter
(Narrated by Stephanie Cannon)

I was having high expectation of this book, but the story setting was unbelievable and the twist was weak. The story had a good start, it then went flat.

The narrator did a great job, especially showing Catherine was nervous, heart-broken and did not know who to trust.

While I was listening to the audiobook, I was hoping the story would get better.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my copy.

Pub date: April 19, 2024

I picked this up because of the premise. This promised to be such a great story but sadly it did not deliver. The level of naivety of the female main character was so extreme it was unbelievable. The author wanted us to believe that one man who holds no position of power or extreme wealth has a whole town wrapped around his finger. This felt like the author was attempting to gaslight readers into believing the ridiculousness of the Stepford Wives gone wrong.

I will give kudos to the narrator who did a great job. But even she couldn't save this one.

This definitely should've gone through a few more rounds of editing for content, character development and plot development.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cringe.

This book made me feel so uneasy and uncomfortable. Catherine is 23 years old and has been married to Tom for five years. (Yes, she was a young 18 year old bride) Tom is 15 years older than her. Age is not always a big issue but makes a big difference when you are 18 marrying a 33 year old as opposed to 38 years old marrying a 53 year old.

Tom is controlling, a narcissist, a groomer and the biggest douchebag character I have ever read. This is saying a lot as I have read over 600 books in my life. When Tom and Catherine are in a car accident, he moves her out of the passenger seat and puts her in the drivers seat. (Not a spoiler, it happens right away at the beginning of the book and sets off a series of events.)

The book is so unbelievable. So many things happen which are so out there. I don't know how often I rolled my eyes in yet another "as if" moment.

I listened to the book on audio. The narrator did a good job portraying Catherine as a young naive woman. Her character change voice to male was okay. I could differential characters but was never fully convinced in my mind it sounded like a man.

2.5 stars - rounding up to 3 for rating guidelines. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Bookouture for the advanced readers copy to listen and review.

This book started out good and was interesting and then it just went flat. You knew from the beginning who was driving the car. It became monotonous and repetitive what was going on. The female main character was very weak and I found her annoying. The story against the husband was so farfetched, it was unbelievable . There is no way any of that was believable. It was a quick read, but not worth the time.

Wonderfully-developed characters with depth and substance. I was immediately drawn in and held captive from beginning to end. Not too sure about the narrative thou

Excellent book. the action starts right in the very beginning. This is the book you stay up all night to finish. Very fast pace...with great characters. I would recommend to anyone. I gave it 5 stars on my FB page. Great job

I had high hopes for this domestic thriller but it unfortunately fell a bit flat for me. The main female character was portrayed to be so naive I couldn’t help but roll my eyes so many times. The main male character’s manipulative actions wear icky and unbelievable. The narrator did a decent job, but I didn’t quite care that she used a different pitch for the female character…it was kind of odd. The plot line was over the top too.

This is the first audiobook in a very long time that I have not finished.

First of all I chose this audiobook as a ARC from NetGalley so many thanks for this.

The bookcover plot line looked good and had it been anything other than a sugary Mills and Boon type story I think I would have stuck at it and given it a go but the audiobook narration put a stop to that. Quite honestly the female narrator’s take on a male voice was a joke and ruined the story. This book could have been made passable with a decent narrator; say Barbera Rosenblat.

Sorry but this audiobook was like treacle being poured into my ears. Not for me.

The ARC audiobook I listened to was very engaging. Tom is a charming husband with secrets his wife doesn't know about. While out celebrating their 5th anniversary they get into an accident on their way home and after that the twists keep coming! I will admit parts of this book were so unrealistic it was laughable but I was able to look past those parts and focus on finding out what the outcome of the story would be. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this before it's released.

This is an action fulled listen. You are thrown into the sction straight away. Some of the dualogue is distracting and does not sit well with the characters. Totally unrealistic and inappropriate more likely to be foubd in a movie. I did find this distracting. At time it felt like an over the top film. I enjoy the tension and this would make a good film. It dealt with important issues such as grooming and gaslighting and was enjoyable and farfetched .
This is a good solid rounded up to 4 stars. The narration is compelling. Thank you netgallery and publisher and author and narrator

"The Anniversary" by Cole Baxter is a decent read, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me. I found some parts of the book to be slow-paced, making it a bit of a struggle to stay engaged. However, despite these drawbacks, the novel still had its moments of charm and suspense.