It's been a long time since I've sat on the edge of my seat, devouring a book like I just did with Where You Belong. I started the book last night, I thought about it as I drifted off to sleep, it was the first thing I thought of when I woke up. Now that have finished reading it, I'm left with a whirlwind of thoughts, satisfaction, and admittedly exhaustion as my adrenaline is starting to wear off. Where You Belong is packed with love, betrayal, fear, distrust. It is going to mess with your mind. Do not recommend you reading this book when you don't have a day or two off of work. You will binge it like the latest season of your favourite Netflix series.

I am not sure how I feel about this book. While I enjoyed it and wanted to see what happened I couldn't wrap my head around the story line at times. The writing was really well done. I could actually see this book being made into a movie or series with some changes. The themes in this book really made me think but somewhere the book just fell short for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC.

This is a terrifying, creepy, suspense story. I leave out “thriller,’ because I was not thrilled by the story.
I’m just not a fan of cults and this one was particularly onerous but was saved by the well written
characters, the detailed descriptions of everything and Julia finally did escape with her boys. I
was glad she left the husband behind.
My thanks to Storm Publishing via NetGalley for the download of this book for review purposes.

"Where You Belong" is the debut novel by author S.J. King, and let me tell you, the synopsis had me hooked from the get-go! The captivating summary made me hit the pause button on my other reads to dive headfirst into this story.

It kicks off with a gradual buildup of suspense that adds a pinch of excitement and a splash of intrigue, making it tough to put down but, as I journeyed through the pages, the tension seemed to drop off as the plot unfolded.

Characters are the heart of any story, and while the cast here is definitely engaging, I found myself wanting to dig deeper into their backstories and motivations. A little more character exploration would have been like the cherry on top of an already yummy sundae!

Then there’s the ending—oh boy! Just when I thought we were gearing up for a big, mind-blowing reveal, it felt like it was rushed and fell short. I was hoping for that satisfying tie-up that leaves you gasping and saying, “Wow, what a ride!” instead of just kind of going, “Huh, that’s it?”

So, in a nutshell, "Where You Belong" starts off strong and has all the makings of a fantastic story, though it might leave some readers wishing for a bit more oomph at the finish line. It also reads more dystopian than psychological thriller but it was still a fast, fun read, and I can't wait to see what S.J. King whips up next!

I think what threw me off was the fact that this was more of a dystopian mystery type book? I still enjoyed it, I just wasn't expecting it.

I did enjoy Julia as a mother who would stand up for her kids as well as herself.

This was a very creative plot and characters so I thoroughly enjoyed it!

This was not really what I was expecting but I was certainly not disappointed. Initially I found the plot fascinating and enjoyed the hints of something sinister hiding beneath the surface of the gated community. As the story moved along I felt compelled to read as much as I could in each sitting. The author knew how much information to give up and how much to hold back. As I got deeper into the novel the writing expertly caused me to be constantly in suspense. For those such as myself who love a book with a twist or two, this book definitely delivered. I'm really hovering between four and five stars but I can't think of anything that I disliked so I'm going to tip the scales to a five. I will be looking for other books by this author.

Where You Belong by S.J. King was an absolute mind-bender! From the very first chapter, I was hooked, questioning everything alongside Julia as she started her new life with her family. It’s one of those thrillers that keeps you constantly second-guessing—who’s lying? What’s real? And the deeper you go, the more unsettling it gets.

Julia’s husband gets an amazing job offer and soon she and her family move to Haven. Everything seems wonderful at first, but something doesn’t seem quite right to Julia. As she tries to navigate what seems off about Haven, she learns that can she truly trust those around her ? Her neighbors? Her husband? Can she even trust her own judgement?

What I loved most was how thought-provoking it was. It wasn’t just about shocking twists (though trust me, there were plenty), but about memory, identity, and the stories we tell ourselves to feel safe. It made me wonder—how much of my past could I really trust? And the suspense? Unreal. Every time I thought I could breathe, another revelation hit, keeping me on edge until the very last page. If you love thrillers that mess with your head and make you think, this one’s a must-read!

An opportunity for a new start is all Julia needs . Life with her husband has its ups and downs and she is looking forward to getting things back to how they were,

Her new home in a gated community seems just perfect..but is it too perfect.. To Julia something semms off.

This is a good read. It is well written and I loved how the plot unfolded. There are twists and Happily I could not guess the outcome so it came as a surprise to me

A great novel to unwind with

I can’t exactly put my finger on it but I just couldn’t really get in to this book. The writing was great, the storyline was good, it just didn’t pull me in from the start like I am used to.

Julia is forced to move due to her husband’s job and right away she notices something is off about this “perfect” opportunity. While it seems nice to have everything in your life taken care of by others, is it really all it’s chalked up to be? Especially when everyone has to wear matching wristbands and have special phones.

I really connected with Julie as she wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself and her children, even though this seems to be a man’s world where they have moved to.

This book definitely gives more dystopian vibes than thriller which is why I think I just couldn’t really get engrossed in the book as I would have liked.

Thank you, Storm Publishing, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A unique storyline featuring an exclusive housing development linked to Radiance a new company. Stunning houses, gated community and money no object. Sounds perfect doesn't it? However as Julia discovers life isn't all it's cracked up to be. No freedom for wives, a wristband that flashes depending on your mood that links to points earned.
The longer Julia and her family live there the more distrustful she feels.
This isnt normally the genre I read, but I found it enjoyable. I found it a fairly slow read at the beginning. It's a stong debut novel

𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐦. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐲𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲.

Is it still considered dystopian if it's actually happening? This speculative fiction title was so reminiscent of John Marrs, so if you're familiar with the world he's created in many of books, I think you will be drawn in to this horror pretty easily.

Julia has been the primary breadwinner for her family of four while her husband James has been floundering. But when James get an unexpected job offer that comes with numerous perks, including a gorgeous new home in an exclusive neighborhood, they jump at the chance. Julia struggles to settle in to her new routine, which is a whole lot of nothing. All of the chores are done by Lin, their housemaid, and she doesn't even have to drive her boys to school, even though she really wants to. As a matter of fact, she can't drive anywhere because she hasn't reached that "level" yet.

Julia's sense of unease quickly turns to dread when a neighbor’s body is found floating in a pool during a party. The other other wives are quick to say it was a tragic accident. But Julia also hears fragments of the rumors swirling around about the family who lived in her house before her--and the fact that they abruptly vanished one day. Will her search for answers and her desperate need to know be her undoing?

Tense, unsettling, and all too believable. Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the early copy. This title is expected to publish March 4, 2025.

Thanks to storm for the ARC here’s my thoughts on this read.
Well it wasn’t what I was expecting and it took me quite a while to connect to the book and really start enjoying it story but once I did I’m glad I stuck with it.
This was my first read from the author and it has piqued my interest enough to read others.
The storyline was creative and the characters though annoying at times I did come to enjoy. All in all a good read.

Is there such a thing as the perfect life? Of course, move to Utopia!

This really should have rung some alarm bells for Julia ( who I frequently wanted to shout 'Really' at, and that was before she moved home to follow hubby like some sort of stepford wife.

This was an interesting concept for a thriller ( but not in my opinion a psychological novel, more a futuristic cautionary tale).

I prefer more depth to my characters but realise in this novel that wouldn't really be possible so a superficial feel continued through the read. That said I was engaged enough to keep reading and on the whole it was an engaging read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC which was very much appreciated.

This one was pretty decent. I wasn't immediately hooked but once i hit the 40% mark it really started to be more engaging for me and I enjoyed it.

Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

This thriller had me kicking my sofa from tension, all the way long.

Gripping, the twists of this. IT WAS PERFECTION.

I could not put this one down!!
Julia is a hard-working mother of two, but her husband gets an amazing job offer and they soon move to the Haven! It seems like a wonderful perfect life but Julia can tell things aren’t quite right! Does her husband realize things are a little off? Things seem too good to be true and Julia is trying to figure out what is going on! The ending tied up so perfect for me. I was not expecting that!

Thank you to Storm Publishing for lending me an ARC copy🫶🏻 I give this one a 3.5/5⭐️ I blew through this book pretty quick but it isn’t at all what I was expecting based on the book summary. It’s giving Wayward Pines vibes—Julia’s life turns upside down when she agrees to move her family to this new luxury neighborhood. Little does she know, she would be cut off from the outside world and discover that her marriage has more secrets than she thought.

Julia was fascinating and enjoyable because she didn’t back down from her gut instincts. She believed that something was up and she didn’t stop until she figured it out! I hate that she was made to seem crazy the whole book!! You go mama bear!

James, oh James. You drove me bonkers tbh. One minute you played the sweet, caring husband, but the next you would gaslight your wife into oblivion. Once I got to the end, I understood why I didn’t care for you much.

I enjoyed this book but I do think the description should maybe include more details about this book being more of a dystopian mystery than a true mystery/thriller! I would’ve read this regardless, but I’m so glad I was lent a copy early!

You can find my online review at: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223440233

Wasn't quite what I was expecting but the writing kept me going (& it was a fast read). A little mind-bendy creepy stepfordwives kind of thriller!

I really enjoyed this fast paced thriller.

Very entertaining, and suspenseful. This story kept me turning the pages fast and I devoured in just two sitings.

Moving to a new community, James and Julia are delighted, and all seems well, until is not. This community has secrets that they want to keep hidden.

Who can you trust? How far would you go to protect your loved ones?

Add this to your wishlist, I definitely recommend.

Thank you so much to Storm Publishing, and NetGalley for the eARC, opinions are my own.