I enjoy reading books by this author but for some reason I just could not get into Every Breath You Take. I really didn't like the characters in the story which made it difficult for me to really care what happened.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. I actually got to 50 percent of the book and stopped when I got to the reveal of who the lover actually was. Really? It has to be ruined by the main character's (Eva) brother being gay and in love with her kidnapped husband, Ridiculous

What did I just read?! This was a great book. It is told in dual POVs—the wife, Evie, and then her husband's kidnapper. Some twists were shocking, while others were unbelievable. Either way, I enjoyed reading this book.

The kidnapper's identity was revealed too soon—still jaw-dropping, but too early in the book.

I am grateful to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Eva and Samuel have the perfect family life with their two children or do they? When Samuel fails to come home after a night out with the boys, Eva is devastated and what follows leaves her confused to say the least. Snapchat messages appear with the most bizarre requests that Eva must follow if she wants her husband to stay alive.
This story is packed with mystery and suspense and it kept me guessing for ages as to whom the kidnapper was. I liked the way the story was told with two characters, the wife and the lover.
My thanks to Net Galley and publishers for the advanced digital copy of this psychological thriller.

A brilliant book by Miranda Rijks, I was hooked from the beginning- although I felt like I had read something similar before, this book was completely different in its own rights.

Eva and Samuel have been married for 15 happy years or so she thought, they have a house, steady jobs and two beautiful children, Riley and Alfie. One night Eva gets worried when Samuel doesn’t return from a night out, she calls the police who aren’t unperturbed by this and when Eva gets a text from Samuel stating that he’s left her, their suspicions are made clear.

Eva finds this hard to accept, one reason is because Samuel hasn’t taken his stuff and another reason is because he wouldn’t just walk out on the children or her without saying a word. Convinced something is wrong and her worries are confirmed when she receives messages on Snapchat by a kidnapper with a photo of a knife by Samuel’s neck and a list of tasks that Eva must complete or the children and Samuel die.

While completing this absurd tasks, she tries to find out who is behind the kidnapping- could it be someone close to her and her family?

I am enjoying all of the books that Miranda Rijks writes, and each one gets better! I think she’s written something like 23 books- you can’t go wrong with any of them. One of my favorites is Make Her Pay, it's available now and if you like suspense, you'll like it as I did!

Her novels keep you reading quickly like this one, Every Breath You Take. You never know what is going to happen next, and I appreciate a solid story with shocking twists and turns. I try to figure everything out while reading so I am always happy if an author can surprise me!

When Eva’s husband Samuel doesn’t come home from a boys’ night out, she thinks he’s sleeping off his hangover at a friend’s house. So she waits. And waits…

Eventually, he sends her a text — he’s met someone else and needs a few days to get his head together. Eva is devastated. How could he do this? How could he do it to their children? She’d thought her marriage was rock solid.

She tries to go on with her life as best she can. But then things take a truly bizarre turn…

She receives a terrifying photo of Samuel with a knife to his neck, and a demand: do everything on my bucket list or he will die.

As Eva completes the increasingly crazy demands on the kidnapper’s bucket list, every aspect of her life begins to unravel: her children are struggling, she’s not paying attention at work, and her friends and family fear for her mental health. All the while, the threats are mounting. Samuel will die. Unless…

Can Eva save her husband and children or will she lose everything that’s dear to her?

Miranda Rijks (favorite author) returns following THE GODCHILD with her latest wild ride thriller, EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE —when a husband goes missing, and a wife receives a threatening bucket list of outrageous and deadly demands in this twisty, riveting domestic suspense!

The Wife? The Lover?
Who will win this deadly, wild, twisted game of cat-and-mouse?

About...

As the book opens, we meet Eva as a teen of thirteen during one summer and an encounter with her older brother Stephen and his friends. She almost drowned. Then someone saved her.

We then jump to the present, where Eva is married and has two children. Eva is concerned that her husband did not come home from a guy's night out. She is worried, and then she receives a mysterious text.

He has met someone else and needs a few days to get it together. What the heck is going on? Is this for real?

Eva is devastated. How could Samuel do this to her and the children? The family? She thought they were on solid ground. She tries to make sense of things. Why can't they talk things out like normal couples? Why is he hiding? He says to tell the kids he is abroad for business.

Samuel has made a mistake. Something must have confused him. Perhaps he has had a head injury or something. She tries calling and goes straight to voice mail. If he were having an affair and has left her why didn't he take any of his belongings with him?

Shortly thereafter, shockingly, she then receives a horrifying photo of Samuel with a knife to his neck.

Then begins a series of questionable sinister demands, a bucket list. Threats. If Eva does not comply, her husband will DIE.

Each one is more serious, far-fetched, and bizarre than the previous one. The first one is: "SHE CANNOT CALL THE COPS." Who has Samuel's phone? Why is this happening?

She has no choice but to follow each demand, from posting false things on social media to pretending she is dating someone. However, when she gets to the last one, it is so mind-blowing that she knows something is seriously wrong!

Who is the kidnapper, and why are she and her husband targeted? What kind of sick game are they playing?

Eva's life is unraveling while trying to handle this on her own, having issues with work, and her children are struggling, wondering what is going on with their dad. She cannot tell anyone about the demands and everyone is worried about her mental health.

Who will win this twisted deadly game? How far will this sinister plan go?

My thoughts...

EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE is bold, edgy, twisty, and mind-blowing! A fun, diabolical, entertaining popcorn thriller.

A smart, wickedly plotted psychological thriller brimming with dark surprises and classic Rijks.

Told from the POVs of the wife and the lover, the author cleverly keeps you in suspense with this deliciously wicked game of cat-and-mouse before unraveling the twisted web of deceit, secrets, betrayal, and lies.

The lover's voice is a deliciously creepy perspective, crazy and spine-chilling! The demands are insane. You will be shocked at the lover's identity and how it all turns out and connects with the past. Things become INTENSE and deadly in the showdown—a clever well-plotted, unexpected twist with dark humor. Eva is smarter than the kidnappers give her credit.

As always, Miranda entertains, and I enjoyed her author's note. It's so wild that the author, at age eight, wrote a story about her ideal home and job, which became a reality with the chalet in the mountains and becoming a writer—I love the twist with the bucket list turned into a list of demands.

Recs...

For fans of the author those who enjoy a little wild and crazy, and those who enjoy authors, Daniel Hurst, Kaira Rouda, Jenova Rose, and Freida McFadden.

Thanks to Inkubator for a digital review copy via NetGalley for an honest review.

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: July 14, 2024
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Thanks to #NetGalley and #InkubatorBooks for the book #EveryBreathYouTake by #MirandaRijks. This is crazy read about a husband that sends his wife a text saying he is leaving her for another woman and then disappears. Shortly after, she starts getting demanding texts about cutting her hair off and killing herself. As she follows most of the demands, she starts digging into who is behind this. What she finds is absolutely horrifying.

The story is beautiful although the characters are extremely frustrating and cruelly lacking in common sense or reflex; I particularly appreciated Eva's friends who despite everything proved to her that no matter what happened, they were there for her.

I did not particularly appreciate the sequence of events and revelations at the end because some details were not consistent with the actions that arrived at the beginning of the story. And also the fact that Riley, an 11-year-old girl, behaved as if she were 16.

Absolutely fantastic, unputdownable… Kept me on the edge of my seat and then on the edge of my bed until late at night as I just could not put it down!!!… Perfect… Addictive, page turning… I LOVED it Completely unputdownable…

This was a good thriller with two twists I did NOT expect! Loved how Eva was determined to protect her family at all costs! Really enjoyed this one!

Another great book by Miranda which had me on the edge of my seat and racing through as I had to know what had happened

A fab read

4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for this opportunity to read rate and review this arc which will be available 7/14/2024!!


I really wanted to like this one but it just fell flat for me. It felt rushed. Like hurry up past the tension building and get to the action parts.

Eva's husband Samuel disappears. She is lost with what has happened to him. An affair? She gets a message on Snapchat that shows Samuel has been kidnapped. The message sends her different challenges for her to do by a certain date.
Her friends think she is crazy and she can't tell anyone. Her children miss Dad.
Lots of twists and turns.
Thanks to publisher Inkubator Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was an enjoyable read but not as good as other books by Miranda. It was an interesting, fast paced mystery but the twists and the ending were kind of over the top. None of the characters were likeable and this whole bucket list a little weird.
If you are looking for a good story to enjoy on a long flight, this is it but don't expect something that will knock your socks off. I'll give it solid 3.5 stars.

Thank you Inkubator Books and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I liked this for the most part, until that last minute plot twist. As at least one other reviewer has noted, that just didn't make any sense, especially in light of earlier passages.

Another dark, thrilling, and twisted tale from Miranda Rijks - this time about a secret love affair gone wrong.

When Eva wakes up to find her bed empty, she assumes her husband stayed with a friend after a night out. But calls and texts to him go unanswered and friends state her husband, Samuel, planned to get a taxi home.

Doing what anyone would do, Eva contacts the police. Unfortunately, she’s told there is little evidence of a crime and since he’s adult, it’s possible he could be choosing to stay away. Maybe he needs a break.

But Eva knows her husband and this is very unusual. Looking for answers in the house, she grows more concerned when she finds his passport and what appears to be a 15th wedding anniversary gift for her. If he planned to leave, why would those items be there?

Then the text message comes from Samuel - he says he’s fallen in love with someone else and he wants her to tell the kids he’s away on business. Eva can’t believe it. If he’s run off then why didn’t he take anything with him?

More confused than ever, Eva is frantic when she receives a message telling her to download Snapchat. When she does, she sees a photo of Samuel with a knife to his neck. A phone call then follows the text and she’s told not to go to the police otherwise Samuel will die. And…Eva must follow through with a series of “bucket list” items starting with changing her Facebook status to single. As the bucket list continues, Eva is pushed to the edge and everyone around her starts to question her sanity.

Who is doing this to her and why? How can Eva get the police to help when Snapchat immediately deletes the pictures and messages and tells the other person if a screenshot is taken? And just how far is Eva willing to go to find answers?

This was truly a crazy ride and one that left me wondering just how many of the bucket list items I’d put myself through! Miranda Rijks never disappoints! This is scheduled to release July 14th so make sure to preorder this or grab it as soon as it comes out!

Thank you NetGalley, Miranda Rijks, and Inkubator Books for the opportunity to read this in exchange for a review.

I loved the idea of this book it kind of reminded me of the chain letter. This kept me on my toes but I will say i didnt really like the MC not for any reason that matters for the story but I just didnt connect with her that well. I did. love the story as a whole and the ending twist were amazing

Whoa! I "thought" I had figured it out halfway through but in a perfectly placed twist Rijks goes one step further!

Throughout the book, we only know the main characters as "the wife" and "the lover", We know the wife through her social interactions with her friends, her relationship with the kids and their school and grandmother, and her requests to the police to find her husband, who has gone missing. Everyone thinks he has skipped out on her for another woman, while "the wife" knows that's not the case; he's been kidnapped (not a spoiler - this is in the description). And she's keeping that a secret because she's been told to through Snapchat messages. We know nothing about the lover except that they are obsessed with her husband.

I would have liked a little more depth, but I'm not mad, as evidenced by my finishing this in one day! Miranda Rijks is an author who never fails to win me over with her suspenseful writing and quirky twists!

Thanks to NetGalley, Booksprout and Inkubator books for an advanced reader's copy.

I found myself reading this one slower than usual and was able to put it down, which is a bit unusual for me. However, the plot about a missing husband definitely intrigued me, especially with the story being told from both the wife and the lover's perspectives. This dual narrative kept me reading as I was eager to uncover the identity of the lover. The ending was definitely surprising, adding an unexpected twist to the story.