This was not what I expected at all. I don’t like smut in my books, and this has some of it. It was a slow burn and by the climax of the story, I just wanted it to be over.

As Claire Fitzgerald passes two years of monthly 'getaways' with her affair partner, Elliot, she starts to sense that he is no longer happy with their arrangement. With no plans of leaving her husband, Claire resigns herself to breaking it off with Elliot after this one last weekend. Unfortunately, Clarie & Elliot aren't the only ones who know about the arrangement and things are about to get out of control for both of them.

Wow. This one was a wild ride to say the least.

Beginning with a spicy scene, this one jumps in quickly..... and then fizzles. After the opening scene we're left with a pretty humdrum, slightly awkward situation between two people who seem to know their arrangement can't continue as is. The book continues with the vaguely awkward, kind of snowy interactions for fully 50% of the book, and then the twists hit fast and hard like the storm. I liked the big twist at 50%. It packed a punch like a Freida McFadden book and I thought the book was going to veer off in that direction..... but it didn't. It went in a third direction, then a fourth, then a fifth, and just kept throwing twists out one after the other after the other, each crazier (and more unrealistic) than the last. Each facet of it would have been a pretty cool avenue to explore, but all of them stacked on top of each other left me pretty confused. It just felt very unfocused, like the author had too many good ideas and just couldn't choose so she put them all out there hoping it would gel.

I'm a huge fan of this author and I think the writing was very good, but the story definitely needed to be reined in a bit. In the end it was way too off the wall for me, but would hit hard with fans of Kiersten Modglin's "The Arrangement" series who enjoy moderate spice and lots of crazy twists.

This book had me on edge the whole time, it was very twisty and intense, it kept my attention all the way through.

Anyone who follows what I read knows I love a thriller that’s set in seclusion, especially due to being snowed in. There’s just something so chilling (pun intended) and intense to be trapped by a blizzard.

What starts off as what I thought would be predictable turns to some crazy, bizarre twists at the half way mark. I think a lot of readers will be gobsmacked at where the story takes them.

Overall it’s not exactly my cup of tea but I can’t say that I didn’t turn the pages quicker as revelations started happening.

This was a hell of a thriller. The twist midway had me shocked and the twists kept coming. A bit unbelievable but entertaining for sure. I love any thriller set in a remote cabin so I was hooked.

This is the first book I read by this author. The storyline was really good and it really grabs the reader from the beginning. It starts with a monthly getaway between lovers, Claire and Elliott, but this getaway turns out completely different than their normal ones.
This book has it all: love, sex, affairs, betrayal, past secrets and murder! One thing I will say is that I didn't care for any of the characters!!! The choices that they make in their lives and during this time at the cabin was just horrible.!!!! The story definitely makes the reader want to keep reading more to see who is behind all the events that have gone wrong on this trip.
Overall this was a quick and entertaining read. Thank you Netgalley and Howling Unicorn Press. All opinions are my own.

Claire and Troy have been married for nearly 30 years, it seems like their marriage is perfect. But Claire has a secret. Once a month she has a weekend away with her lover, Elliot. This time they are heading to a remote cabin, knowing that there is a snowstorm heading their way. Claire thinks Elliot is getting too attached, so she's ready to end things. But Elliot has other plans.

This was a whole lot of drama, way too much for me. What starts as a romantic weekend, quickly turns into a fight-for-your-life situation. There were so many twists that it just ended up becoming a bit much. It all just got a little far-fetched, and I ended up just reading for the sake of it, not really feeling all that bothered how it finished.

This story is different. You wouldn’t expect the things that happen to have happened.

The entire story was a bit odd and weird. I wish I could have given this story 4 stars but there were parts that just seemed over the top.

Definitely not my favorite book. But will give this author another try.

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC

I have mixed feelings about The Getaway. I enjoyed the isolated cabin in the winter setting. I enjoyed most of the characters. For me, it was just too twisty. I was excited about a couple of big reveals, but then we got more information about another plot point, etc... It just became too much.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this advanced copy. I love the plot. Claire and Elliott going away to relax. Then they are snowed in. There's secrets, and tension. You never know how well you know people. I really liked this one and enjoyed this as my first novel by this author. What a twist!

This book was just okay to me - it didn't grab my attention, I didn't fall in love with any of the characters. I was engaged, but not enthralled - 3 stars.

Claire meets Elliot once a month for the last 2 years in a remote cabin. She plans to call it off, but Elliot is not up for that. He is obsessed, wants more and will not settle for less. Weather isolation themes as a snow storm keeps them trapped in the cabin. Thinking Elliot is enough danger for Claire, she is attacked by someone else out in the remote forest, which leads both to learn more about each other and realize that they both feel unsafe and threatened by each other.

For me, the twist was predictable and had me yelling - Why!! a lot!

Wow. I did NOT see half of the things coming in this book. It was intense, twisty and had me on the edge of my seat. I may have even been slack jawed at some parts!

Claire has a standing “getaway” once a month with her secret lover. Their weekend quickly turns cabin in the wood esque as they are being tormented by a stranger. Secrets come to light as the snow comes down, and lives are forever changed during the getaway.

I loved this book!

Was excited to read this one based on the synopsis. It started off really well but then went downhill. It was a weird and confusing story. I am not sure I really understand it even! The plot was really far-fetched which detracts from any thriller. I was fine with the writing style, so I won't give up on Mina Hardy. But this one was just not for me.

The Getaway is a tense, twisty thriller that kept me glued to the pages! Claire and Elliott’s supposedly romantic weekend in a remote cabin quickly unravels into a nightmare as secrets and hidden motives come to light. What starts as a final goodbye for Claire turns into a struggle for survival as an unseen assailant and a brutal snowstorm close in around them. Mina Hardy masterfully builds suspense, making the cabin feel both intimate and dangerously claustrophobic. This book is packed with shocking twists, intense moments, and a plot that makes you question every character's intentions. An unputdownable thriller!

This psychological thriller jumps straight into the story and the characters are fully fleshed out right away.

When Claire spends a weekend a month with her lover, Elliot, in a cabin, she leaves behind her husband. Having decided to break it off with her lover she goes to the cabin with hopes of ending it on a relatively decent note. Elliot wants her all to himself.

They are snowed in and begin to experience real difficulties with each other. Then an assailant targets Claire and the focus shifts.

There are a lot of twists and turns in the book and it is a nail biter. The second half isn't quite as good as the first half, but it is still a book worth reading, especially if this is your genre.

This is the first book I have read from this author and I am sure I will be reading more from her. This book was truly a wild ride. So as you now from the blurb Claire has a boyfriend she meets at their getaway once a month for about two years but is thinking it is time to end this. Well that is when the book goes off the rails. Jay, the man who rents the cabin is evil and then another evil person arrive plus one shocking thing happens. Troy, Claire’s husband is there locked in the basement. Do not want to give away any spoilers. I will say the book went off the rails at the halfway point and was a bit over the top. But all in all it was a wild ride.If you like these type of books, strap yourself in because it is going to be a bumpy ride.I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher as an ARC for a honest review. I highly recommend this book. Never a dull moment.

Book Title: The Getaway
Author: Mina Hardy
Publisher: Howling Unicorn Press
Genre: Domestic Thriller
Pub Date: December 13, 2024
My Rating: 2.4 Stars
Pages: 249

The past two years Claire Fitzgerald has gone on a romantic monthly getaway to a remote cabin with her lover Elliott Reyer.
Yes there is a Mr. Fitzgerald and he certainly seems clueless about whom Claire is meeting. However this month, she arrives a bit early and is greeted by the caretaken who warns her that a snow storm is on its way. He has made sure there was enough firewood to keep them warm but they needed to be prepared to get snowed in.
Yes the heavy snowstorm traps them but another thing is going on that just might be worst -someone has been watching them via videos camera and does not like what has been going on.

This is my third Mina Hardy novel. I read " After All I’ve Done" and loved : Like a Mother" which I read early this year. I went into this story based on my experience with the other stories. Yes! I like this author – but no, I did not do my homework and sure enough I no sooner started and struggled.... I get that some married couples have affairs usually unhappy, bored etc. but had a hard time accepting meeting up for sex once a month and hubby not getting very curious.

As I read on – I finally took time to read info about the author
Mina Hardy writes stories usually featuring good people making bad choices, but sometimes they might be about bad people making
good choices. Either way, everyone is basically a mess, and you shouldn't trust any of them.

Aww that sure sums up this story! I did finish and think I liked the ending- however never got to the point of enjoying the story.

I still want to thank NetGalley and Howling Unicorn Press for the experience of reading this early e-Galley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for December 13, 2024.

The Getaway was a non-stop adrenaline filled thriller, full of crazy twists and a complicated romance.

It started off really well, I was hooked straight away. The characters were interesting, mysterious and complex.

Around halfway it started getting a bit outlandish.
I loved the storyline, but I felt like there were too many unlikely or unbelievable twists.
It was still an enjoyable read though.

3 stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley, Victory Editing, and Mina Hardy for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Not great. I thought it would be better based on the storyline but struggled to get through it. Thank you NetGalley for this arc

I had such high hopes for this one. I really struggled to connect to the characters on this one. It started off really well but half way it got to the point where I could easily lose interest and put it down.