What a wild ride this one was! I was expecting one thing and got something totally different!

We follow our FMC, Julia, her husband James and their two young sons as they move to a picture perfect community, the Haven. Seemingly perfect in every way, Julia starts to immediately sense all is not as it seems.

The neighbors all act strangely, you have to earn "gratitude points" to move levels to purchase certain items, and you have to wear a crazy band on your wrist that turns colors depending on your disposition at the moment.

When a body turns up floating in a pool at a party and an entire family(not the first one to) seemingly goes missing, Julia knows she has to find a way to get out with her sons. But that is not an easy task since they are literally locked in at the community.

This definitely felt like something I've seen on Netflix before lol, I don't mean that in a bad way. I just mean it felt familiar. There were some familiar elements in this book. The neighborhood was very Stepford Wives meets a polished slightly tamer version of Gilead. There was even a party moment that felt very eyes wide shut lol. I love all of these things so all of these aspects were great.

Right within the first few chapters you know something is wrong and this uneasy feeling just sits in the pit of your stomach as you join Julia on this journey and find out what's really going on in this perfect community.

The pacing was great and each chapter had me wanting to flip to the next one. Definitely an entertaining page turner! Highly recommend!

Expected Release Date - 03/04/25

Buddy read with my bestie girl Meagan Be sure to check out her thoughts as well. 🤍

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Many thanks to the author, SJ King, and Anna over at Storm Publishing for reaching out and gifting me the advanced digital copy, all thoughts are my own. 💐

From the cover, I was expecting a domestic/suburban drama. I guess there was some of that here, but this was more speculative with a touch of sci-fi. In any event, I enjoyed this. I was invested in the story and the main character. My only complaint was the length -- it seemed to really drag on for me, and the ending felt a little rushed.

Would I read more from the author? Yes. Good cover, too.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

Creepy, Addictive, but a Bit Predictable

Where You Belong pulls you into that perfect-on-the-surface, nightmare-underneath kind of neighborhood where something is definitely off. The story kicks off with a fresh start—new home, new life, new chance to fix a marriage—but quickly turns into something much darker. A dead neighbor in the pool, whispers about the family that mysteriously vanished, and a husband who suddenly seems way too eager for his wife to drop her questions.

The atmosphere is spot on—claustrophobic, unsettling, and filled with people who are just a little too perfect. The tension builds well, and you’ll find yourself flipping pages, trying to figure out who’s lying (spoiler: probably everyone). But while it’s a fun ride, some twists feel predictable, and the main character’s choices can be frustrating. You know those moments where you just want to shake a character and say, stop ignoring the obvious? Yeah, there are a few of those.

Still, if you love domestic thrillers with secrets, paranoia, and major Stepford Wives vibes, this one’s worth a read. It won’t totally shock you, but it will keep you entertained and maybe even make you side-eye your neighbors.

Where You Belong by S.J. King was such an interesting plot that gave off major Stepford Wives vibes. Drawn in from the start, I rode the wave of every twist, turn, and surprise thrown at me.

Julia, her husband James and their two young sons move to a picture perfect community, the Haven. Seemingly perfect in every way, Julia starts to immediately sense all is not as it seems. The neighbors all act strangely, you have to earn "gratitude points" to move levels to purchase certain items, and you have to wear a crazy band on your wrist that turns colors depending on your disposition at the moment. When a body turns up floating in a pool at a party and an entire family(not the first one to) seemingly goes missing, Julia knows she has to find a way to get out with her sons. But that is not an easy task since they are literally locked in at the community.

Brilliantly told and fast paced, this story had so many ups and downs, twists and turns and layers of lies and deceit. It was hard to know who to trust. The suspense had me quickly turning the pages to reach the shocking ending. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the advanced copy

Are you a fan of psychological thriller books? Check out Where You Belong by SJ King. It had a twisty turny plot that kept me guessing.

Like omg what a read this book had me on edge from start to finish they always say if it's to good to be true then it's to good to be true but what a read .how this this lady figured everything out and kept fight everything truly amazing well done with this book thank you

Gripping, tense, controlled, a thriller to keep you turning pages. From the clastrophobia of the setting to the tamping down of the freedom, really exciting.

This was a good, solid read. I’m interested to read more by this author. I was sucked in Freon the beginning and kept me waiting more. I wasn’t very fond of the turn it took towards add the end, but it was worth reading!

I was given the opportunity to read this book prior to publication for my honest review. This intriguing and twisted tale gives a “Stepford Wife” vibe with more nuances. I couldn’t put it down, but was disappointed in the ending. After much detail and suspense, the ending sort of petered out for me.

Where You Belong is a roller coaster ride of emotions, you go from wanting to reside at The Haven to putting yourself in Julia's shoes needing to know why is this place so "perfect". It's an exciting read, you turn page after page till the final moment. I look forward to more from this author..
Thank you NetGalley, Storm Publishing and SJ King for providing me with the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Where you Belong by S. J. King was an Okay read for me. The story had an interesting premise and there were moments that kept me engaged, but overall it didn't leave a lasting impression.

This was a captivating psychological thriller. It felt dystopian and political but subtly so. Just enough to be intriguing without being so close to reality that it’s uncomfortable. It is one of those books that makes you admire the imagination of the author. Very unique from most of the thrillers I’ve read.

Brilliant thriller that kept me turning the pages late into the night. I highly recommend this wild ride of a book!! A definite MUST READ!!

Creepy setting, creepy characters. I loved experiencing this "perfect" community through Julia's eyes. She was a great main character, and I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC!!

The first few chapters moved slow but I later found out how important they were to the whole story!! It was very well written and overall entertaining!! I was on the edge of my seat gobbling it up!!! I will definitely be recommending this to everyone!!

After moving overseas to the idyllic Haven community for her husband’s dream job and a fresh start for the family, psychologist Julia finds herself questioning how a community could be so perfect. Unique for a psychological thriller, the Haven gave me a combo of a dystopian society and stepford wives vibes with the wives staying at home (but never lifting a finger to care for the home or cook) while the husbands work. As Julia gets more acquainted with the community, she finds herself wondering—is it even possible to leave?

I finished this one rather quickly and enjoyed it! I would have loved to learn more throughout the conclusion, what happened to some of the main characters involved etc and would definitely read a sequel (if there were plans for one)!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Where You Belong is a blend of speculative fiction and thriller, making it a fairly unique book and one that took on some fascinating concepts. Opening with Julia Seyward, a chief engagement officer grappling with a mysterious event around young boys disappearing who have used a game on the app she is associated with, she just wants an escape. Julia’s husband Jamie provides that escape with a somewhat out of nowhere move to Radiance, a community in another country. But all is not as perfect as it seems and Julia soon begin to look into the broader mystery of the community, and how it may be linked to her ‘previous’ life.

I enjoyed the ideas in the book and the play with our reality. For all we know there may be a Radiance community underway, and certainly if there was for a short time at least it might play out like the earlier chapters in this book. There were parts of the story, however, that drug just a bit, playing with too many things to create tension but which didn’t really add up. If you’re a fan of more realistic sci fi, The Stepford Wives, and John Mars this would fit nicely in a line up and haunt your mind just the same.

I’m not going to lie, the first few chapters I was bored. I wanted to DNF but felt I had to keep reading in order to write this review. I can wholeheartedly say I am so glad I kept going! What felt unnecessary in the beginning became pertinent information by the end. I was gripped by this book, literally on the edge of my seat, could not read fast enough!

TLDR; slow start, gripping middle, unbelievable ending. A must read for lovers of psychological thrillers

Whenever I start a book, especially when it’s a new author, I never know what to expect. This book really got me hooked from the very beginning. I knew this wasn’t going to be your every day thriller. To me it was a little Stepford wife or really Stepford husband. This book takes you on a wild ride with some twists and turns that I really was not expecting.
Julia and our family are moving to a new community to start a new life to start a better life because of her husband James new job. Julia is giving up a great job, her friends not seeing her mom to show James that she can slow down and be a real mother to her two young sons. With James moving ahead of them little does Julia know her life is no longer her own. Everything is control by apps and the people that she does meet seem off. Something isn’t right. Julia decides she hast to find out what is going on before something happens to her. Who can she trust? Some of the people she has become friends with seem to disappear and she wants to know why. When she does some digging, Julia does find out that her life is in danger, and her new home is not the place she should be.
I found the plot very intriguing. From the very beginning, I knew something was not right and I needed to find out through Julia what that was. so I really could not put this down. There was some twist and turns and I wasn’t expecting what came after. Julia finds out the truth.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes the intrigue. I can’t say this book really made you think. Are they really places like this community out there? Where some people really lose sight of reality. For a debut novel I thought it was really well written and really kept me interested. So thank Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

WHERE YOU BELONG BY S.J. KING.
Release date set for the 4th of March 2025.
This was a tense read.
I thought this story was very well written and i loved the author's writing style.
I thought the whole premise was brilliant and it was wrapped up lovely for me.
Its a unique plot and i thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.
This is my first book by this author and I'll be checking to see what other books are out.

Enjoyed this book, well-written and very entertaining.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Storm Publishing for this ARC.

#WhereYouBelong #NetGalley