Ashley Elston
Mystery Thriller
Evie Porter has everything a nice, Southern girl could want: a perfect, doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence and a garden, a fancy group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.
The identity comes to Evie Porter. Once she’s given a name and location by her mysterious boss Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the target: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job.
Evie isn’t privy to Mr. Smith’s real identity, but she knows this job will be different. Ryan has gotten under her skin, and she’s starting to envision a different sort of life for herself. But Evie can’t make any mistakes–especially after what happened last time.
Because the one thing she’s worked her entire life to keep clean, the one identity she could always go back to—her real identity—just walked right into this town. Evie Porter must stay one step ahead of her past while making sure there’s still a future in front of her. The stakes couldn’t be higher–but then, Evie has always liked a challenge…
-Excerpt taken from Goodreads.
Check Goodreads to see the book’s ratings.
My Opinion
(4 / 5) In this twisty tale, Evie, a master con artist, weaves deception while playing the role of the perfect girlfriend. However, as her relationship with Ryan deepens, cracks begin to appear in her carefully constructed facade.
Elston introduces us to Evie’s dual life, where the line between reality and deception blur. The tension builds as her past threatens to unravel the life she has built with Ryan. The story keeps readers on the edge of their seats, wondering if Evie can maintain her charade or if the truth will inevitably come crashing down.
Evie is portrayed as a complex and multi-dimensional protagonist. Her internal struggle and the dichotomy between her con artist persona and her desire for a genuine connection are endearing. The pacing is fabulous, with each chapter unraveling a new layer of suspense. There are well-timed twists and turns, making it very difficult to put down.
My only complaint is that the back and forth timeline at times was hard to follow. However, that did not keep me from being intrigued.
Elston has written a gripping and emotionally charged novel. Fans of psychological thrillers with a touch of romance and self-discovery will find this book exactly what they are looking for. The author’s ability to keep the reader guessing until the very end makes this stand out.
AUDIO REVIEW: Saskia Maarleveld did a great job at keeping me interested. Her tone and cadence added intrigue to the story while still keeping me guessing throughout.
General content summary: F words= 20+, language
Caring for parent with cancer (sickness and death)
Crime (theft, cons)
Threat of torture (cut off fingers)
Alcohol (multiple)
Car accident deaths
Intimacy (handful of times, very few details)
Thank you to Penguin Random House Audio for the copy! This is also a Book of the Month pick for January, click here for a coupon link. This was also a Reese’s Book Club pick!
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