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Claire, Darling
Alternate cover edition of ASIN: B0D1P1CT1Y
A story of obsession, love and murder – and not the one you’re expecting... Discover a gripping new thriller with a killer twist at its core.
When Claire surprises her fiancé, Noah, at work for their anniversary, she’s the one who ends up being shocked to her core...
Because Noah left the company nine months ago, and she had no idea. How can she not have known?
Now he isn’t answering her calls. He won’t respond to her messages. He’s disappeared.
As Claire desperately tries to find her fiancé, her world begins to shatter as the truth about who Noah really is starts to emerge.
And things are about to spiral dangerously out of control...
A story of obsession, love and murder – and not the one you’re expecting... Discover a gripping new thriller with a killer twist at its core.
When Claire surprises her fiancé, Noah, at work for their anniversary, she’s the one who ends up being shocked to her core...
Because Noah left the company nine months ago, and she had no idea. How can she not have known?
Now he isn’t answering her calls. He won’t respond to her messages. He’s disappeared.
As Claire desperately tries to find her fiancé, her world begins to shatter as the truth about who Noah really is starts to emerge.
And things are about to spiral dangerously out of control...
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 11, 2025
222 people are currently reading
22140 people want to read
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March 11, 2025
Oh Claire Darling!
If a man walks away, hold your head high and LET HIM!
Claire is excited to drop off a surprise workday lunch for her fiancé Noah on their anniversary, but the surprise is on her when the receptionist tells her that no one with Noah's name works there.
Suddenly, he isn't picking up her calls or answering her texts.
She has been ghosted!
With her new friend Sukhi by her side, Claire is determined to get answers. In fact, she becomes OBSESSED.
But, she REFUSES to believe the things that they find.
This psychological thriller opens with a MURDER, and ends with a Courtroom TRIAL, but in between you will learn about all of the ways Noah has humiliated her in the present and all of the ways her MOTHER has abused her in the past-IF you can believe everything that Claire (and her diary entries) are telling you…..
As a reader of MANY books in this genre, I could predict where much of this was going BUT despite that, the story DID hold my attention throughout and offered up a fun, memorable ending!
A promising debut! I will definitely pick up the author’s next!
3.75 ⭐️ rounded ⬆️
A buddy read with MarilynW. Be sure to watch for her review to see if she had fun with this one too!
Available NOW!
Thank You to Bantam for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts!
If a man walks away, hold your head high and LET HIM!
Claire is excited to drop off a surprise workday lunch for her fiancé Noah on their anniversary, but the surprise is on her when the receptionist tells her that no one with Noah's name works there.
Suddenly, he isn't picking up her calls or answering her texts.
She has been ghosted!
With her new friend Sukhi by her side, Claire is determined to get answers. In fact, she becomes OBSESSED.
But, she REFUSES to believe the things that they find.
This psychological thriller opens with a MURDER, and ends with a Courtroom TRIAL, but in between you will learn about all of the ways Noah has humiliated her in the present and all of the ways her MOTHER has abused her in the past-IF you can believe everything that Claire (and her diary entries) are telling you…..
As a reader of MANY books in this genre, I could predict where much of this was going BUT despite that, the story DID hold my attention throughout and offered up a fun, memorable ending!
A promising debut! I will definitely pick up the author’s next!
3.75 ⭐️ rounded ⬆️
A buddy read with MarilynW. Be sure to watch for her review to see if she had fun with this one too!
Available NOW!
Thank You to Bantam for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts!
January 23, 2025
Now this is how you write a debut novel!! 👏 I had lots of things I needed to get done (work included), but none of that was happening until I finished reading this book. Oh Claire, Darling…
This story starts off with Claire going with her coworker, Sukhi, to surprise her fiancé at work with lunch. When Claire arrives at her fiancé’s office, she is informed that he no longer works there and he hasn’t worked there in months. Where in the world has her fiancé, Noah, been going every day? And why isn’t Noah answering his phone and returning any of her text messages or phone calls? It seems as if he has totally ghosted Claire after they have spent a loving year together.
After Claire does some investigating of her own, she finds out that Noah might not have been so loyal to her after all. Through this we also get to read some of Claire’s diary entries from when her and Noah met, and also their time together. We even get flashbacks from Claire’s childhood of her time with “Mother”. Because of her mother, Claire was made to feel unlovable, unwanted, and unworthy. But Noah changed all that, and she couldn’t wait to prove to mother that she could be desired too.
I hate to admit that I resonated with a bit too much in this book. Like Sukhi, I wanted to be a friend to Claire as well. There was a twist in the end that I didn’t suspect, and it really threw me for a loop! 🤯 I really enjoyed this debut novel, and could not turn the pages fast enough!! I definitely recommend reading this!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Random Publishing House/Ballantine, and the author for a DRC of this book in which I had the pleasure of reading. All opinions are my own.
Publication date: March 11, 2025
Genre~ Women’s Fiction, General Fiction (adult), Mystery &Thrillers
This story starts off with Claire going with her coworker, Sukhi, to surprise her fiancé at work with lunch. When Claire arrives at her fiancé’s office, she is informed that he no longer works there and he hasn’t worked there in months. Where in the world has her fiancé, Noah, been going every day? And why isn’t Noah answering his phone and returning any of her text messages or phone calls? It seems as if he has totally ghosted Claire after they have spent a loving year together.
After Claire does some investigating of her own, she finds out that Noah might not have been so loyal to her after all. Through this we also get to read some of Claire’s diary entries from when her and Noah met, and also their time together. We even get flashbacks from Claire’s childhood of her time with “Mother”. Because of her mother, Claire was made to feel unlovable, unwanted, and unworthy. But Noah changed all that, and she couldn’t wait to prove to mother that she could be desired too.
I hate to admit that I resonated with a bit too much in this book. Like Sukhi, I wanted to be a friend to Claire as well. There was a twist in the end that I didn’t suspect, and it really threw me for a loop! 🤯 I really enjoyed this debut novel, and could not turn the pages fast enough!! I definitely recommend reading this!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Random Publishing House/Ballantine, and the author for a DRC of this book in which I had the pleasure of reading. All opinions are my own.
Publication date: March 11, 2025
Genre~ Women’s Fiction, General Fiction (adult), Mystery &Thrillers
March 8, 2025
Claire, Darling written by Callie Kazumi was one heck of a wild ride of a thriller. This book was SO DAMN GOOD I couldn't put it down that I even finished it in one day. With every twist and turn, this book had my jaw on the floor, like I couldn't believe what I was witnessing. To say I was surprised is an understatement, I was completely shocked by the events that unfolded before my eyes. Ladies and gentlemen, I can proudly say that this psychological thriller SHOULD BE listed in the Goodreads 2025 awards. 👏Callie, bravo, Claire, Darling is one hell of a debut novel👏. The only issue I had with this book is that there should be trigger warnings listed in the beginning of the book because this story definitely does deal with very heavy topics, but I will list them in my review, so please be sure to check trigger warnings before picking up this book. I can't recommend this book enough, everyone and their mothers need to read Claire, Darling as soon as possible, so please do yourselves a favor and mark your calendars for March 11th, 2025 for the publication of this novel. Ladies, please take notes from this book, if a man walks away, JUST LET HIM GO. Breakups can be so messy, but don't let this book stop you from finding your true love.
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND RANDOM HOUSE PUBLISHING GROUP- BALLANTINE FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!
TRIGGER WARNING'S
~Past Child Abuse~
~Drinking~
~Cheating~
~Childhood Trauma~
~Bullying~
~Stalking~
~Murder~
~Death~
"🏡If there's anywhere suitable for getting messy, it's the privacy of your own house🏡".
"🍺💔Wine is a medicine for the heartache🍺💔".
"💯If you don't trust people, they can't let you down💯".
Claire Arundale has mommy issues. Claire's mom was a narcissistic who was always constantly drinking and then puking her brains out the next morning, her mom was always bringing a different guy around every single day. Claire's mom would always blame Claire for the reasoning of her father walking away from their family when Claire even had no clue who her father was. The thing that didn't sit right with me was the child abuse her mom brought to the table, there's truly absolutely no need to physical abuse a helpless child, the punching, the slapping, the beating of a child is just not okay, and there's a special place in jail for people like that. Claire feels unwanted and drives people away without meaning to in her adult life after dealing with her childhood trauma. In Claire, Darling we get diary entries, and past, present, and future Claire insights. Noah Coors is Claire's fiancé, but holds so many secrets. Noah hasn't worked at Pulitzer Haas for months, he comes home extremely late at night, he signed an NDA after leaving his job and through a Facebook search, Noah has been working as an investment director at Alliance and Gordon. I mean, come on ladies, do y'all want a man that keeps so many secrets from you?
September Eighteenth is Claire and Noah's one year anniversary of their engagement. Claire decides to surprise Noah with a lunch of jerk chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, spicy rice, and fried plantains for their engagement anniversary at Pulitzer Haas where Claire learns Noah hasn't been working for months. When Claire's text messages and phone calls go answered, Claire realizes she has been ghosted, and that's when all of the fun starts. After being ghosted and everything has gone answered, Claire becomes obsessive. Claire decides to create a fake Facebook profile by the name of Emma Smith since Noah blocked her on all social media even though he said he doesn't do social media. With the new fake profile, Claire learns that her fiancé is living a double life and cheating. During her investigative search, Claire comes across Lilah Andersson who stole her ex-fiancé. Lilah is Swedish, has honeyed skin, golden blonde hair, and sparkling blue/green eyes, everything that Claire is not. As the story unfolds, Claire becomes obsessed with Lilah and her relationship with Noah. So much for those "late nights working", right Noah? Instead of being truthful, Noah decides to lead Claire on and continue to break her heart with every spilled secret that Claire has to uncover. There's a special place for cheating pricks. Just because there's social media doesn't mean you can get off the hook of cheating very easily, us women know literally everything.
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND RANDOM HOUSE PUBLISHING GROUP- BALLANTINE FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!
TRIGGER WARNING'S
~Past Child Abuse~
~Drinking~
~Cheating~
~Childhood Trauma~
~Bullying~
~Stalking~
~Murder~
~Death~
"🏡If there's anywhere suitable for getting messy, it's the privacy of your own house🏡".
"🍺💔Wine is a medicine for the heartache🍺💔".
"💯If you don't trust people, they can't let you down💯".
Claire Arundale has mommy issues. Claire's mom was a narcissistic who was always constantly drinking and then puking her brains out the next morning, her mom was always bringing a different guy around every single day. Claire's mom would always blame Claire for the reasoning of her father walking away from their family when Claire even had no clue who her father was. The thing that didn't sit right with me was the child abuse her mom brought to the table, there's truly absolutely no need to physical abuse a helpless child, the punching, the slapping, the beating of a child is just not okay, and there's a special place in jail for people like that. Claire feels unwanted and drives people away without meaning to in her adult life after dealing with her childhood trauma. In Claire, Darling we get diary entries, and past, present, and future Claire insights. Noah Coors is Claire's fiancé, but holds so many secrets. Noah hasn't worked at Pulitzer Haas for months, he comes home extremely late at night, he signed an NDA after leaving his job and through a Facebook search, Noah has been working as an investment director at Alliance and Gordon. I mean, come on ladies, do y'all want a man that keeps so many secrets from you?
September Eighteenth is Claire and Noah's one year anniversary of their engagement. Claire decides to surprise Noah with a lunch of jerk chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, spicy rice, and fried plantains for their engagement anniversary at Pulitzer Haas where Claire learns Noah hasn't been working for months. When Claire's text messages and phone calls go answered, Claire realizes she has been ghosted, and that's when all of the fun starts. After being ghosted and everything has gone answered, Claire becomes obsessive. Claire decides to create a fake Facebook profile by the name of Emma Smith since Noah blocked her on all social media even though he said he doesn't do social media. With the new fake profile, Claire learns that her fiancé is living a double life and cheating. During her investigative search, Claire comes across Lilah Andersson who stole her ex-fiancé. Lilah is Swedish, has honeyed skin, golden blonde hair, and sparkling blue/green eyes, everything that Claire is not. As the story unfolds, Claire becomes obsessed with Lilah and her relationship with Noah. So much for those "late nights working", right Noah? Instead of being truthful, Noah decides to lead Claire on and continue to break her heart with every spilled secret that Claire has to uncover. There's a special place for cheating pricks. Just because there's social media doesn't mean you can get off the hook of cheating very easily, us women know literally everything.
April 22, 2025
Someone's been ghosted!!!
Oh dear, what were you thinking?
Things have not been easy for Claire, but she has finally met someone and becomes engaged. She is on top of the world and looking forward to their future (which looks bright). One day things change and the spiral begins.......
Whats a girl to do? So many unanswered questions and Claire vows to "keep calm and carry on, or break down, cry, scream and fall into a pit of depression." She is clinging to a bit of hope, but definitely has a plan!!
I so enjoyed this debut and could have rated it higher if not for some inconsistencies during the trial. Yes, we get a trial in the second half. Overall, a well paced, intriguing book. It didn't matter that I knew where it was heading! Still a bit shocking.
Audible listen/ Narrated by Bronwen Price (awesome)/ 9 hours
Oh dear, what were you thinking?
Things have not been easy for Claire, but she has finally met someone and becomes engaged. She is on top of the world and looking forward to their future (which looks bright). One day things change and the spiral begins.......
Whats a girl to do? So many unanswered questions and Claire vows to "keep calm and carry on, or break down, cry, scream and fall into a pit of depression." She is clinging to a bit of hope, but definitely has a plan!!
I so enjoyed this debut and could have rated it higher if not for some inconsistencies during the trial. Yes, we get a trial in the second half. Overall, a well paced, intriguing book. It didn't matter that I knew where it was heading! Still a bit shocking.
Audible listen/ Narrated by Bronwen Price (awesome)/ 9 hours
April 4, 2025
With an original premise, well-developed protagonist, and surprising twists and turns, Claire, Darling turned a ghosting gone wrong into an captivating look into some serious themes. Through Claire’s own perspective, diary entries, and flashbacks, the story slowly filled in until the riveting climax took center stage. And while I may have foreseen all of the supposed jaw-dropping twists, I’m going to put that down as being thanks to my insatiable appetite for all things suspense. For that reason alone, I recommend this book more for newbies to the thriller or suspense genres as more experienced readers may be able to piece together the clues before each of the eventual reveals. After all, despite its predictability, I just couldn’t put this book down.
There were only a couple of faults besides being able to see through the twists. One was the incessant inner monologue which I felt dragged the book down. Despite a supremely well-written unreliable narrator, her constant internal thoughts turned what could have been a much faster paced plot into somewhat of a slow burn. Second was how I didn’t find myself rooting for Claire. While she might be compelling to others, she was too unlikeable for me to feel for her at all. But then, that’s just this one thriller lover’s opinion, so perhaps give my thoughts a big grain of salt before choosing whether to dive into this novel.
I do have to say, however, that parts of this book had a definite B.A. Paris feel. From the spine-tingling unease to Claire’s sometimes irrational behaviors, I wanted to grab ahold of her and shake her but good as I flew through the pages. But it was the change in subgenre halfway through that turned me into a definite fan as this tale of psychological suspense turned in another direction. I can’t say much more without providing a spoiler, but just know that there was still one big, giant shock waiting in store for the reader. And considering that this short novel felt complete, addictive, and undeniably clever, it was no surprise at all that I finished it in just one single sitting. So grab this debut ASAP. Despite some flaws, I still found it to be an enjoyable read. Rating of 3.5 stars.
P.S. I highly recommend going into this book blind. In my opinion, the synopsis provides too many insights into the plot and could ruin a definite good time. All you need to know is that it’s about a woman who discovers that her fiancé might not be the man he said he was after he ghosts her so she goes about finding out all of the secrets he’s been keeping from her. Oh, and there’s some exploration of her dysfunctional relationship with her abusive, narcissistic mother.
Thank you to Callie Kazumi and Random House—Bantam for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: March 11, 2025
Content warning: child abuse, infidelity, stalking, gaslighting
There were only a couple of faults besides being able to see through the twists. One was the incessant inner monologue which I felt dragged the book down. Despite a supremely well-written unreliable narrator, her constant internal thoughts turned what could have been a much faster paced plot into somewhat of a slow burn. Second was how I didn’t find myself rooting for Claire. While she might be compelling to others, she was too unlikeable for me to feel for her at all. But then, that’s just this one thriller lover’s opinion, so perhaps give my thoughts a big grain of salt before choosing whether to dive into this novel.
I do have to say, however, that parts of this book had a definite B.A. Paris feel. From the spine-tingling unease to Claire’s sometimes irrational behaviors, I wanted to grab ahold of her and shake her but good as I flew through the pages. But it was the change in subgenre halfway through that turned me into a definite fan as this tale of psychological suspense turned in another direction. I can’t say much more without providing a spoiler, but just know that there was still one big, giant shock waiting in store for the reader. And considering that this short novel felt complete, addictive, and undeniably clever, it was no surprise at all that I finished it in just one single sitting. So grab this debut ASAP. Despite some flaws, I still found it to be an enjoyable read. Rating of 3.5 stars.
P.S. I highly recommend going into this book blind. In my opinion, the synopsis provides too many insights into the plot and could ruin a definite good time. All you need to know is that it’s about a woman who discovers that her fiancé might not be the man he said he was after he ghosts her so she goes about finding out all of the secrets he’s been keeping from her. Oh, and there’s some exploration of her dysfunctional relationship with her abusive, narcissistic mother.
Thank you to Callie Kazumi and Random House—Bantam for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: March 11, 2025
Content warning: child abuse, infidelity, stalking, gaslighting
November 1, 2024
Breakups can be messy…
Claire found the man of her dreams in Noah. She’s anxious to get married and start the family she always dreamed of.
But while dropping off lunch for Noah at work she’s stunned when the receptionist informs her he no longer works there. Huh? He never mentioned changing jobs.
Now to add to the confusion, Noah doesn’t answer Claire’s calls…or reply to any of her texts. In essence, she has been ghosted!
But Claire isn’t going quietly into the night! She wants answers. No, she demands an explanation!
Careful what you ask for Claire, are you prepared for the answer? I didn’t think so!
Absolutely loved the premise. I wanted an explanation for Noah’s actions as much as Claire did! I recommend going into this book as blind as possible. The blurb gives away far too much detail.
Congrats Callie Kazumi on a great debut!
I’ll be watching to see what this author has in store for us next.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine via NetGalley
Claire found the man of her dreams in Noah. She’s anxious to get married and start the family she always dreamed of.
But while dropping off lunch for Noah at work she’s stunned when the receptionist informs her he no longer works there. Huh? He never mentioned changing jobs.
Now to add to the confusion, Noah doesn’t answer Claire’s calls…or reply to any of her texts. In essence, she has been ghosted!
But Claire isn’t going quietly into the night! She wants answers. No, she demands an explanation!
Careful what you ask for Claire, are you prepared for the answer? I didn’t think so!
Absolutely loved the premise. I wanted an explanation for Noah’s actions as much as Claire did! I recommend going into this book as blind as possible. The blurb gives away far too much detail.
Congrats Callie Kazumi on a great debut!
I’ll be watching to see what this author has in store for us next.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine via NetGalley
April 3, 2025
CLAIRE, DARLING… YOU DID NOT JUST DO THAT.
😭😭😭
3 stars! 🌟Huge thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for the eARC via Netgalley! 💌
This had me HOOKED… until the last 10% absolutely wrecked me (and not in a good way). But let’s talk about it.
Claire is living her best life—engaged to the perfect man, Noah, and thriving. That is, until she decides to surprise him with lunch at work… only to be told that Noah doesn’t even work there. 😨 WHAT. She calls him—no answer. Texts—ignored. Claire’s fiancé has disappeared off the face of the Earth, and when she tracks him down, she realizes the truth is even worse: Noah has a whole new life, new girlfriend, new everything. And Claire? She was never in the picture.
Now, Claire is determined to get answers, and what follows is a psychological spiral of obsession, love, and revenge. But as the layers of Claire’s past start unfolding, we start asking—who’s really the liar here?
Tropes:
✅ Unreliable Narrator
✅ Obsession
✅ Stalker Behavior
✅ Gaslighting
✅ Psychological Spiral
✅ Bingeable Writing
✅ Twist
✅ Identity Crisis
WHAT I LIKED:
✅ THE PREMISE – Ghosting? But make it unhinged psychological thriller? I WAS SOLD. The idea of your fiancé just vanishing and pretending you never existed?? NIGHTMARE FUEL.
✅ TENSE & GRIPPING – The first 90% had me flipping pages like my life depended on it. The dual timelines, diary entries, and slow unraveling of Claire’s past? Chef’s kiss.
✅ THE WRITING – Callie Kazumi knows how to build tension. Every chapter had me second-guessing what I thought I knew.
WHAT DIDN’T WORK:
✖️ CLAIRE IS A LOT. She’s obsessive, messy, and downright delusional at times. I LOVE a morally grey female lead, but I never fully connected with her.
✖️ THE PACING – Some sections dragged with excessive inner monologue. We got it, Claire, you’re spiraling!!
✖️ THAT ENDING.
⚠️ MAJOR SPOILER WARNING!!! ⚠️
Okay, let’s talk about it. We spend the WHOLE book building up this intense mystery, only for the final twist to be… She had a and was . EXCUSE ME?? 😩 I hate when thrillers pull the card. It’s frustrating, lazy, and turns what could’ve been an insane twist into a disappointing cop-out. The book had me, but the ending fumbled HARD.
But wait… if Claire This entire situation was set up to be this huge, dramatic reveal, but the second you actually think about it, the logic collapses. WHAT WAS THIS. 😭 The book really tried to hit us with a shocking twist, but instead, it just felt like a last-minute, nonsensical mess.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Would I recommend it? Maybe. If you love psychological thrillers and don’t mind an unreliable narrator who takes unreliable to a whole new level, you might enjoy this. But if you hate being used as a last-minute plot twist, skip it.
3 stars! 🌟Huge thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for the eARC via Netgalley! 💌
This had me HOOKED… until the last 10% absolutely wrecked me (and not in a good way). But let’s talk about it.
Claire is living her best life—engaged to the perfect man, Noah, and thriving. That is, until she decides to surprise him with lunch at work… only to be told that Noah doesn’t even work there. 😨 WHAT. She calls him—no answer. Texts—ignored. Claire’s fiancé has disappeared off the face of the Earth, and when she tracks him down, she realizes the truth is even worse: Noah has a whole new life, new girlfriend, new everything. And Claire? She was never in the picture.
Now, Claire is determined to get answers, and what follows is a psychological spiral of obsession, love, and revenge. But as the layers of Claire’s past start unfolding, we start asking—who’s really the liar here?
Tropes:
✅ Unreliable Narrator
✅ Obsession
✅ Stalker Behavior
✅ Gaslighting
✅ Psychological Spiral
✅ Bingeable Writing
✅ Twist
✅ Identity Crisis
WHAT I LIKED:
✅ THE PREMISE – Ghosting? But make it unhinged psychological thriller? I WAS SOLD. The idea of your fiancé just vanishing and pretending you never existed?? NIGHTMARE FUEL.
✅ TENSE & GRIPPING – The first 90% had me flipping pages like my life depended on it. The dual timelines, diary entries, and slow unraveling of Claire’s past? Chef’s kiss.
✅ THE WRITING – Callie Kazumi knows how to build tension. Every chapter had me second-guessing what I thought I knew.
WHAT DIDN’T WORK:
✖️ CLAIRE IS A LOT. She’s obsessive, messy, and downright delusional at times. I LOVE a morally grey female lead, but I never fully connected with her.
✖️ THE PACING – Some sections dragged with excessive inner monologue. We got it, Claire, you’re spiraling!!
✖️ THAT ENDING.
⚠️ MAJOR SPOILER WARNING!!! ⚠️
Okay, let’s talk about it. We spend the WHOLE book building up this intense mystery, only for the final twist to be… She had a and was . EXCUSE ME?? 😩 I hate when thrillers pull the card. It’s frustrating, lazy, and turns what could’ve been an insane twist into a disappointing cop-out. The book had me, but the ending fumbled HARD.
But wait… if Claire This entire situation was set up to be this huge, dramatic reveal, but the second you actually think about it, the logic collapses. WHAT WAS THIS. 😭 The book really tried to hit us with a shocking twist, but instead, it just felt like a last-minute, nonsensical mess.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Would I recommend it? Maybe. If you love psychological thrillers and don’t mind an unreliable narrator who takes unreliable to a whole new level, you might enjoy this. But if you hate being used as a last-minute plot twist, skip it.
April 6, 2025
Well, wow, and oh my! This debut novel, got to me. I read this one cover to cover in one day. I say this, because I just couldn’t put it down. The story captured me from the first page. A captivating look into an unusual not always likable character who has obviously endured some trauma in her life that readers discover during flashbacks.
Claire is the character I refer to, as does the title of this book. The darling part of the title will become obvious early on. Claire is our unreliable narrator. And, we feel lots of feelings about Claire and her diary entries about her ‘loving’ relationship with Noah.
But is it all that it seems? And, when the courtroom drama begins, because of something horrible that happened, what do readers discover? (No spoilers from me.)
Let’s just say this was a fast-paced, imperfect, psychologically twisty, deviously provocative, unpredictable story that was immensely engrossing. With a haunting, disturbing and intricate plot that will most likely capture readers attention. Best read going into the story blindly.
Claire is the character I refer to, as does the title of this book. The darling part of the title will become obvious early on. Claire is our unreliable narrator. And, we feel lots of feelings about Claire and her diary entries about her ‘loving’ relationship with Noah.
But is it all that it seems? And, when the courtroom drama begins, because of something horrible that happened, what do readers discover? (No spoilers from me.)
Let’s just say this was a fast-paced, imperfect, psychologically twisty, deviously provocative, unpredictable story that was immensely engrossing. With a haunting, disturbing and intricate plot that will most likely capture readers attention. Best read going into the story blindly.
April 15, 2025
4.5 stars - rounded down! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What a debut! This is one of those psychological thrillers that really messes with your head. What is real and what isn’t?
The story quickly pulls you in with a murder in the prologue. A fast-paced, page turning read full of suspense and a highly entertaining plot!
Claire gets ghosted by her fiancé, so she starts stalking him to find out why. As the story unfolds, we learn more about Claire’s troubled childhood and tumultuous relationship with her abusive mother. The first half of the book is Claire’s obsessing over her failed relationship and the second half is a courtroom trial.
I had a feeling about where this was going, so I took off .5 star. However, I had a hard time putting this down. The epilogue was superb!
I’ll be looking forward to Callie Kazumi’s next book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for my advanced copy to read and review.
What a debut! This is one of those psychological thrillers that really messes with your head. What is real and what isn’t?
The story quickly pulls you in with a murder in the prologue. A fast-paced, page turning read full of suspense and a highly entertaining plot!
Claire gets ghosted by her fiancé, so she starts stalking him to find out why. As the story unfolds, we learn more about Claire’s troubled childhood and tumultuous relationship with her abusive mother. The first half of the book is Claire’s obsessing over her failed relationship and the second half is a courtroom trial.
I had a feeling about where this was going, so I took off .5 star. However, I had a hard time putting this down. The epilogue was superb!
I’ll be looking forward to Callie Kazumi’s next book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for my advanced copy to read and review.
March 28, 2025
This captivating psychological thriller is an absolute one-sitting read, reminiscent of one of my favorite Netflix series (I can’t reveal which one, as it might spoil the book, but you’ll understand once you reach the ending!).
It’s a twisty tale exploring themes of infidelity, ghosting, abuse, bullying, trolling, stalking, and psychological manipulation. Claire seems like an ordinary woman who has finally found her happily-ever-after: a promising job where she can showcase her true potential, a charming fiancé, Noah, who supports her in becoming the best version of herself, and a reliable office friend, Sukhi. Having endured a difficult childhood with an abusive, narcissistic mother, abandonment by her father, and years of bullying, Claire has struggled to form meaningful relationships, especially with men. Her mother’s controlling influence kept her isolated. But now, at 30, with her mother gone, Claire is with Noah, making future plans, saving for a big house, and looking forward to a fresh start.
However, her perfect life unravels when she decides to surprise Noah by bringing him lunch at his workplace—only to discover he hasn’t worked there for three months. When she tries to contact him, her texts and calls go unanswered, and he doesn’t return home.
With Sukhi’s help and some social media sleuthing, Claire uncovers Noah’s secret accounts, which had likely blocked her, and learns that he works at a different company and may be cheating on her with a stunning blonde. The more she investigates, the more Claire realizes Noah is about to marry this other woman, Lilah—beautiful, elegant, and everything Claire feels she isn’t. They even live together in a house in the most upscale part of town.
Fueled by years of emotional abuse that made her feel small, Claire decides she won’t go down without a fight. She is determined to win Noah back, no matter the odds. But her impulsive actions may place her in a far more dangerous situation than she ever imagined.
Overall, while the big twist was predictable for me, the fast-paced execution and gripping sequence of events kept my attention throughout. Though I found some of the legal thriller aspects a bit implausible, I’m still rounding my 3.5 stars up to 4 for the tense pacing, well-developed characterization of Claire, and her chilling relationship with her mother.
If you enjoy psychological thrillers that quickly pull you in, this is definitely a fast, gripping read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Bantam for providing this gripping psychological thriller’s digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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It’s a twisty tale exploring themes of infidelity, ghosting, abuse, bullying, trolling, stalking, and psychological manipulation. Claire seems like an ordinary woman who has finally found her happily-ever-after: a promising job where she can showcase her true potential, a charming fiancé, Noah, who supports her in becoming the best version of herself, and a reliable office friend, Sukhi. Having endured a difficult childhood with an abusive, narcissistic mother, abandonment by her father, and years of bullying, Claire has struggled to form meaningful relationships, especially with men. Her mother’s controlling influence kept her isolated. But now, at 30, with her mother gone, Claire is with Noah, making future plans, saving for a big house, and looking forward to a fresh start.
However, her perfect life unravels when she decides to surprise Noah by bringing him lunch at his workplace—only to discover he hasn’t worked there for three months. When she tries to contact him, her texts and calls go unanswered, and he doesn’t return home.
With Sukhi’s help and some social media sleuthing, Claire uncovers Noah’s secret accounts, which had likely blocked her, and learns that he works at a different company and may be cheating on her with a stunning blonde. The more she investigates, the more Claire realizes Noah is about to marry this other woman, Lilah—beautiful, elegant, and everything Claire feels she isn’t. They even live together in a house in the most upscale part of town.
Fueled by years of emotional abuse that made her feel small, Claire decides she won’t go down without a fight. She is determined to win Noah back, no matter the odds. But her impulsive actions may place her in a far more dangerous situation than she ever imagined.
Overall, while the big twist was predictable for me, the fast-paced execution and gripping sequence of events kept my attention throughout. Though I found some of the legal thriller aspects a bit implausible, I’m still rounding my 3.5 stars up to 4 for the tense pacing, well-developed characterization of Claire, and her chilling relationship with her mother.
If you enjoy psychological thrillers that quickly pull you in, this is definitely a fast, gripping read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Bantam for providing this gripping psychological thriller’s digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium blog
February 23, 2025
3.5 Stars
Claire has the perfect life. She has a job she enjoys and the perfect fiancé, Noah. Or so she thinks…. One day Claire decides that she’s gonna stop by Noah’s office and drop him off lunch. One small problem, Noah does not work there. She tries calling him and he doesn’t answer, he has basically dropped off the face of the Earth. Naturally, Claire begins to try and figure out what happen to Noah and unfortunately what she discovers shocks her.
The story is told in two different parts. Part one deals with Noah’s disappearance along with some journal entries from Claire’s past culminating to a tragic act of violence. Part two deals with the fallout of part one. I personally enjoyed the second half of the book on how everything is broken down to the reader via testimonies. Being that I am familiar with this genre there was nothing that shocked me, but I did enjoy the pace of the novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Claire has the perfect life. She has a job she enjoys and the perfect fiancé, Noah. Or so she thinks…. One day Claire decides that she’s gonna stop by Noah’s office and drop him off lunch. One small problem, Noah does not work there. She tries calling him and he doesn’t answer, he has basically dropped off the face of the Earth. Naturally, Claire begins to try and figure out what happen to Noah and unfortunately what she discovers shocks her.
The story is told in two different parts. Part one deals with Noah’s disappearance along with some journal entries from Claire’s past culminating to a tragic act of violence. Part two deals with the fallout of part one. I personally enjoyed the second half of the book on how everything is broken down to the reader via testimonies. Being that I am familiar with this genre there was nothing that shocked me, but I did enjoy the pace of the novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 6, 2024
3.5 ⭐rounding up to 4
Propulsive and disturbing Claire, Darling is a psychological thriller that begs to be devoured.
It's not a flawless book, but this debut holds its own.
After a year with the love of her life, Claire's future is looking bright following a painful dysfunctional childhood. However, after a simple trip to drop off lunch for her fiancée ends in revelations that shake Claire's foundation, she begins to spiral. She is informed that Noah her fiancée hasn't worked there in months. He's not returning her calls, has blocked her on social media and won't come home. Claire is desperate for answers and to repair the riff in their relationship. She's not willing to accept being ghosted.
The novel is comprised of Claire's POV as an unreliable narrator and includes her journal entries. The timeline moves from the past with her experiences of traumatic abuse at the hands of her mother, to the history of her relationship with Noah, and to the current timeline. The transitions between timelines are smooth. The different phases of her life provided a lot to mull over. I felt like the author did an exceptional job of developing Claire as a character. The writing was snappy and to the point which I like in this type of story.
The first half of the book was more compelling than the last by a mile. Those that read a lot of psychological thrillers will likely see the twists coming and find the ending predictable, but this still held my attention so much so that I read it in a day. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for what Kazumi writes next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine for providing an Advance Readers Copy for review
Propulsive and disturbing Claire, Darling is a psychological thriller that begs to be devoured.
It's not a flawless book, but this debut holds its own.
After a year with the love of her life, Claire's future is looking bright following a painful dysfunctional childhood. However, after a simple trip to drop off lunch for her fiancée ends in revelations that shake Claire's foundation, she begins to spiral. She is informed that Noah her fiancée hasn't worked there in months. He's not returning her calls, has blocked her on social media and won't come home. Claire is desperate for answers and to repair the riff in their relationship. She's not willing to accept being ghosted.
The novel is comprised of Claire's POV as an unreliable narrator and includes her journal entries. The timeline moves from the past with her experiences of traumatic abuse at the hands of her mother, to the history of her relationship with Noah, and to the current timeline. The transitions between timelines are smooth. The different phases of her life provided a lot to mull over. I felt like the author did an exceptional job of developing Claire as a character. The writing was snappy and to the point which I like in this type of story.
The first half of the book was more compelling than the last by a mile. Those that read a lot of psychological thrillers will likely see the twists coming and find the ending predictable, but this still held my attention so much so that I read it in a day. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for what Kazumi writes next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine for providing an Advance Readers Copy for review
April 18, 2025
WHEN LIFE DEALS YOU A BAD HAND
When Claire on the anniversary of her and man Noah decides to go to his workplace and surprise him with lunch. She is shocked to find of that he doesn’t work there. Absolutely frantic and concerned about his not answering her calls or texts she soon finds out Noah has been living another life and Claire clearly was the side piece.
But Claire is NOT having it. She wants her man back and the journey to try and do so leads to utter chaos and obsession. Can Claire be released from the shackles of her past or is her all or nothing mentality going to cost her hefty consequence?
Poor Claire. Babygirl could not catch a BREAK! From an absolute morbid childhood with a frankly psychotic mother, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her, but in the same breath she was also doing my head in. A lot of her actions were winding me up and I wish other parties involved had used common sense and gone straight to the police, but hey oh, fictional books eh!?
I have read a lot of books with the trope used in this one so I can say I did find it very predictable but that didn’t take away my enjoyment from following Claire and her “deluded” antics.
The courtroom procedural was entertaining to read, and I did have a ‘OMG, WHAT’ moment at one point but overall majority of what happened in the book I expected. As a debut novel I think the author did a good job. I listened to the audiobook of this and kudos to the narrator for making it an enjoyable and entertaining experience.
I would like to see what the author comes up with next.
3.5 ⭐
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
⋆｡°✩pre read⋆｡°✩
Oooh Claire girl what are you about to do?
Is this giving serious unhinged behaviour?
I hope so... ready to dive in!
❤️❤️❤️
When Claire on the anniversary of her and man Noah decides to go to his workplace and surprise him with lunch. She is shocked to find of that he doesn’t work there. Absolutely frantic and concerned about his not answering her calls or texts she soon finds out Noah has been living another life and Claire clearly was the side piece.
But Claire is NOT having it. She wants her man back and the journey to try and do so leads to utter chaos and obsession. Can Claire be released from the shackles of her past or is her all or nothing mentality going to cost her hefty consequence?
Poor Claire. Babygirl could not catch a BREAK! From an absolute morbid childhood with a frankly psychotic mother, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her, but in the same breath she was also doing my head in. A lot of her actions were winding me up and I wish other parties involved had used common sense and gone straight to the police, but hey oh, fictional books eh!?
I have read a lot of books with the trope used in this one so I can say I did find it very predictable but that didn’t take away my enjoyment from following Claire and her “deluded” antics.
The courtroom procedural was entertaining to read, and I did have a ‘OMG, WHAT’ moment at one point but overall majority of what happened in the book I expected. As a debut novel I think the author did a good job. I listened to the audiobook of this and kudos to the narrator for making it an enjoyable and entertaining experience.
I would like to see what the author comes up with next.
3.5 ⭐
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
⋆｡°✩pre read⋆｡°✩
Oooh Claire girl what are you about to do?
Is this giving serious unhinged behaviour?
I hope so... ready to dive in!
❤️❤️❤️
February 12, 2025
"Claire, darling, you know that no one could ever possibly love you, right?"
That is not a direct quote from the book but it sure does provide insight into why our main character, Claire, is so emotionally stunted. Let's just say that her mother was not a contender for any mother of the year contests.
Claire and Noah are happy, in love, and recently engaged. Imagine her surprise when she shows up at his work with his lunch only to be told he doesn't want to see her. Imagine her dismay when she spots Noah at a club with another woman leaving her to hurl her engagement ring at him while running away in tears. Imagine her confusion when she is arrested for murdering his actual fiancé?
Claire is alone, afraid, and very angry. Why has Noah done this to her? You'll have to read this to find out.
Okay, so nothing about this book is going to shock and amaze, it's your everyday tale of obsession. The thing is, I love these kinds of books, when they're written well and with an interesting unreliable narrator as their main character. Claire was someone that I felt terrible for. Her mother was monstrous and she openly flayed her daughter daily with her razor sharp observations and insults. So while Claire did provide many a cringe moment I still couldn't help but care about her regardless of her behavior. Her mother convinced her she was an unlovable loser and so she became what she was told she was. It's really very sad.
So we have Claire and Noah, a murdered fiancé, a trial, and a verdict. Then there's the devious little epilogue. Nicely done, Kazumi! 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group -Ballantine for my complimentary copy.
That is not a direct quote from the book but it sure does provide insight into why our main character, Claire, is so emotionally stunted. Let's just say that her mother was not a contender for any mother of the year contests.
Claire and Noah are happy, in love, and recently engaged. Imagine her surprise when she shows up at his work with his lunch only to be told he doesn't want to see her. Imagine her dismay when she spots Noah at a club with another woman leaving her to hurl her engagement ring at him while running away in tears. Imagine her confusion when she is arrested for murdering his actual fiancé?
Claire is alone, afraid, and very angry. Why has Noah done this to her? You'll have to read this to find out.
Okay, so nothing about this book is going to shock and amaze, it's your everyday tale of obsession. The thing is, I love these kinds of books, when they're written well and with an interesting unreliable narrator as their main character. Claire was someone that I felt terrible for. Her mother was monstrous and she openly flayed her daughter daily with her razor sharp observations and insults. So while Claire did provide many a cringe moment I still couldn't help but care about her regardless of her behavior. Her mother convinced her she was an unlovable loser and so she became what she was told she was. It's really very sad.
So we have Claire and Noah, a murdered fiancé, a trial, and a verdict. Then there's the devious little epilogue. Nicely done, Kazumi! 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group -Ballantine for my complimentary copy.
April 23, 2025
“I look down at her body, crumpled in an awkward heap, dark blood pooling beneath the head.” Wow! This first sentence of Claire, Darling instantly hooked me. This is a fantastic debut! I loved every crazy, intense, emotional minute! The story is told from Claire’s perspective both past and present. Events are relayed through diary entries and current happenings. Claire is a memorable, complex character that is not easily forgotten. “If you don't trust people they can't let you down.” Being a thriller addict, I was able to predict some of the twists, but it didn't hinder my enjoyment in any way. I was obsessed from start to finish during Claire’s journey. There were many times my heart went out to her and other times she frustrated me with her questionable decisions. This is a twisted ride and I look forward to the next creation from Callie Kazumi. Thank you, NetGalley and Ballantine/ Bantam Publishing for my copy. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
July 7, 2025
Well...
Usually I can pretty much guess, or come close as to how the book ends.
Never saw this one coming.
Have to keep this review short otherwise I would spoil it.
Usually I can pretty much guess, or come close as to how the book ends.
Never saw this one coming.
Have to keep this review short otherwise I would spoil it.
March 17, 2025
CLAIRE, DARLING is an addictive and entertaining psychological thriller. I was not expecting to listen to it in one day but I was drawn in immediately and couldn't stop. Claire is happily engaged to her fiancé, Noah. She decides one day to bring him lunch but when she gets to his office, she is told he doesn't work there anymore. Then she sees him with a beautiful blonde. Claire can't understand why Noah is doing this to her. Without saying much more you are then taken on a wild ride. I can't recommend this thriller enough!
April 3, 2025
This was a captivating indulgence into a creepy psychological thriller about obsession and lies. Even though it was pretty predictable, I had a hard time putting it down.
February 20, 2025
Callie Kazumi's debut novel, CLAIRE, DARLING has been on my TBR for a while now. Between the haunting cover and the synopsis, I knew this would be the perfect popcorn thriller, and I was not disappointed! The story is centered around Claire and her fiancé Noah. Claire surprises her fiancé, Noah, with lunch on their anniversary, but the receptionist says no one by that name works there. Soon, she discovers Noah has a secret life—complete with a gorgeous girlfriend and a perfect home. Consumed by obsession, Claire digs into his lies, only to confront the ghosts of her own past.
Listen, I do believe 2025 thrillers have gotten back to basics in a sense. This book is not really that original and the twist tends to be obvious early on. That being said, I had a total blast diving into Claire and Noah's world. This book is a perfect popcorn thriller for readers looking for something fun! I read CLAIRE, DARLING in two sittings because it is fast-paced and bonkers in all the right ways. Go in with zero expectations and you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Listen, I do believe 2025 thrillers have gotten back to basics in a sense. This book is not really that original and the twist tends to be obvious early on. That being said, I had a total blast diving into Claire and Noah's world. This book is a perfect popcorn thriller for readers looking for something fun! I read CLAIRE, DARLING in two sittings because it is fast-paced and bonkers in all the right ways. Go in with zero expectations and you'll be pleasantly surprised.
January 7, 2025
I received a free copy of, Cuckoo, by Callie Kazumi, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Claire is lucky in love or so she thinks, she went to surprise her fiance Noah, at his job, and he has not worked there in almost a year, and Noah is now ghosting Claire. Claire has not turned to stalking Noah and his partner Lilah. This book went past how normal people deal with, issues in their life to she should be locked up for everyone's protection, pretty quickly. I did not care for this book, Claire is way too psycho for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2025
* ⭐️⭐️.75 🚫🌶️
* Received this as an eARC. Published on 3/11.
* Psychological thriller. Claire innocently goes to bring her fiancé lunch at work to find out he hasn’t worked there in months. And now he’s just gone.
* Goes in between Claire’s diary entries starting from when she first ment Noah and present day over a year later when she’s trying to figure out what happened and where Noah went.
* Claire’s mother was emotionally and physically abusive, she was horrible. Claire was the weird/odd kid in school and that bullying never left her
* The audacity that Noah has.
* The moral of this story is- guys aren’t sleuths or stealthy. Woman will find out where your fourteenth grandmother twice removed was born and what her favorite coat was. It still amazes me how men don’t understand that woman, especially if empowered by other women - will find anything they want out. We have FBI CIA and homeland security skills in our double X chromosomes.
* Love the UK words: trainers, loo, trackies (track outfit), the till
* Good twists
* Received this as an eARC. Published on 3/11.
* Psychological thriller. Claire innocently goes to bring her fiancé lunch at work to find out he hasn’t worked there in months. And now he’s just gone.
* Goes in between Claire’s diary entries starting from when she first ment Noah and present day over a year later when she’s trying to figure out what happened and where Noah went.
* Claire’s mother was emotionally and physically abusive, she was horrible. Claire was the weird/odd kid in school and that bullying never left her
* The audacity that Noah has.
* The moral of this story is- guys aren’t sleuths or stealthy. Woman will find out where your fourteenth grandmother twice removed was born and what her favorite coat was. It still amazes me how men don’t understand that woman, especially if empowered by other women - will find anything they want out. We have FBI CIA and homeland security skills in our double X chromosomes.
* Love the UK words: trainers, loo, trackies (track outfit), the till
* Good twists
February 10, 2025
Claire’s fiancé Noah suddenly ghosts her after a year of dating. She’s heartbroken and desperate to know why.
She starts stalking him to find out. Secrets are revealed and Claire’s troubled past comes to light. This was a great debut novel by this author and I hope to read more.
Thanks NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for this eARC that will be released March 11, 2025!
She starts stalking him to find out. Secrets are revealed and Claire’s troubled past comes to light. This was a great debut novel by this author and I hope to read more.
Thanks NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for this eARC that will be released March 11, 2025!
October 27, 2024
Oh, this one is incredible! I loved the story which included the crazy ending, I am still shocked by it! Claire had a sad life, not a very good relationship with her mom. She didn't really have any close friends. She meets Noah and is sudden, totally "in love." She takes lunch to his office one day and discovers he does not work there. He won't return her calls or messages. Claire later discovers his secret life with Lilah, they even live together.
Claire ask her close friend at work named Sukhi, to help her with social media and look into Noah's current life. The writing and the characters in this book are everything! Some shocking things happened as the true life of Noah begins to unfold.
I keep thinking about the way the book ended, which will stay with me for awhile.
Absolutely Shocking, Fast Paced, and Jaw Dropping!
5 Stars! I loved this book!
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. This book will be released 3/11/25.
Claire ask her close friend at work named Sukhi, to help her with social media and look into Noah's current life. The writing and the characters in this book are everything! Some shocking things happened as the true life of Noah begins to unfold.
I keep thinking about the way the book ended, which will stay with me for awhile.
Absolutely Shocking, Fast Paced, and Jaw Dropping!
5 Stars! I loved this book!
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. This book will be released 3/11/25.
March 21, 2025
Claire, Darling was a gripping and masterfully crafted psychological thriller debut – I was completely hooked and tore through it in no time!
The novel revolves around Claire Arundale, who has been in a year-long relationship with her fiancé, Noah, as the story begins. Everything in her life is going wonderfully until the day of their anniversary when Claire surprises Noah at his work by bringing him lunch, only to be informed that no one by his name works there and hasn’t for several weeks. When Noah refuses to answer Claire’s repeated calls and he’s also blocked her on social media, a chilling realization washes over her – he’s not just avoiding her. He’s erased her. The man she loved, the future she envisioned, all of it vanishes in an instant, leaving only a deafening silence where he once was.
This discovery sends Claire spiraling into a relentless search for the truth, forcing her to confront ghosts of a traumatic childhood marked by relentless abuse from her unstable mother. As her fixation grows, she descends into a harrowing ordeal where reality and illusion blur, setting the stage for unsettling and unforeseen consequences!
Claire was a fascinating character because of her chaotic unpredictability – I was constantly on edge, never knowing what impulsive, irrational decision she’d make next in her desperate search for answers. The glimpse into the abuse Claire endured from her mother was difficult to read, but it shed light on why she was so desperate to hold onto someone who had so clearly abandoned her, and I, reluctantly at first, found myself rooting for her. I enjoyed the courtroom scenes in the latter portion of the book – the dynamic exchanges between the prosecution’s witnesses and the defense’s sharp counter-questioning made for engaging and compelling reading! I did not know how this would end, up until the epilogue I was still on the fence, going back and forth on if this was only playing out in Claire's head, or actual happening - it was written in a way that made me unsure up until the very end, which was executed nicely. My only slight critique of this book would be that the ending was ambiguous and lacked a sense of satisfaction I was hoping for (won't go spoil with any details), bringing this down to a 4-Star rating.
I highly recommend this book to thriller fans who appreciate stories exploring mental illness and don’t mind a few triggering themes like abuse, infidelity, and intense courtroom drama!
The novel revolves around Claire Arundale, who has been in a year-long relationship with her fiancé, Noah, as the story begins. Everything in her life is going wonderfully until the day of their anniversary when Claire surprises Noah at his work by bringing him lunch, only to be informed that no one by his name works there and hasn’t for several weeks. When Noah refuses to answer Claire’s repeated calls and he’s also blocked her on social media, a chilling realization washes over her – he’s not just avoiding her. He’s erased her. The man she loved, the future she envisioned, all of it vanishes in an instant, leaving only a deafening silence where he once was.
This discovery sends Claire spiraling into a relentless search for the truth, forcing her to confront ghosts of a traumatic childhood marked by relentless abuse from her unstable mother. As her fixation grows, she descends into a harrowing ordeal where reality and illusion blur, setting the stage for unsettling and unforeseen consequences!
Claire was a fascinating character because of her chaotic unpredictability – I was constantly on edge, never knowing what impulsive, irrational decision she’d make next in her desperate search for answers. The glimpse into the abuse Claire endured from her mother was difficult to read, but it shed light on why she was so desperate to hold onto someone who had so clearly abandoned her, and I, reluctantly at first, found myself rooting for her. I enjoyed the courtroom scenes in the latter portion of the book – the dynamic exchanges between the prosecution’s witnesses and the defense’s sharp counter-questioning made for engaging and compelling reading! I did not know how this would end, up until the epilogue I was still on the fence, going back and forth on if this was only playing out in Claire's head, or actual happening - it was written in a way that made me unsure up until the very end, which was executed nicely. My only slight critique of this book would be that the ending was ambiguous and lacked a sense of satisfaction I was hoping for (won't go spoil with any details), bringing this down to a 4-Star rating.
I highly recommend this book to thriller fans who appreciate stories exploring mental illness and don’t mind a few triggering themes like abuse, infidelity, and intense courtroom drama!
May 26, 2025
Claire and her fiancé have just celebrated their one year anniversary, so she wants to surprise him and drop off lunch since he’s got a busy work day. Her friend from work walks with her, but they’re in for a surprise when they get there. The receptionist tells them Noah hasn’t worked there for months. And now he’s nit returning her texts or calls. What is going on?
Her friend is able to access some of his social media and they find that Claire has been blocked. But they find photos of Noah living another life. Claire is distraught. We see that Claire’s sense of self had been shaped by a manipulative mother, and Cassie finds it difficult to escape those perceptions of herself.
The book has lots of fun twists that will keep you entertained. Even if you suspect some elements, it’s a fun ride.
Her friend is able to access some of his social media and they find that Claire has been blocked. But they find photos of Noah living another life. Claire is distraught. We see that Claire’s sense of self had been shaped by a manipulative mother, and Cassie finds it difficult to escape those perceptions of herself.
The book has lots of fun twists that will keep you entertained. Even if you suspect some elements, it’s a fun ride.
February 25, 2025
The premise of this one intrigued me, I was just as desperate as Claire was to find out what Noah’s deal was. It was pretty obvious early on where this was headed but somehow it still worked for me. I think it worked for me because the pacing was pretty fast and the narrator was super engaging, so a winning combo for a quick listen.
March 11, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of
Claire, Darling.
TW and CW: child abuse, verbal, physical, and psychological violence
Flashbacks to Claire's traumatic childhood and violent mother are disturbing so consider yourself warned.
I was disappointed by the premise since I quickly figured out the twist because I've read previous books with the SAME TWIST.
It's not a twist; it's redundant and been done before.
The writing was fine, but nothing original or creative about the plot I haven't read already.
TW and CW: child abuse, verbal, physical, and psychological violence
Flashbacks to Claire's traumatic childhood and violent mother are disturbing so consider yourself warned.
I was disappointed by the premise since I quickly figured out the twist because I've read previous books with the SAME TWIST.
It's not a twist; it's redundant and been done before.
The writing was fine, but nothing original or creative about the plot I haven't read already.
April 24, 2025
4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I gave this slow burn thriller 4 Stars.
SUMMARY
Claire is so happy and so in love with her handsome, successful fiancée Noah. But, one day, she goes to drop lunch off for him at his office only to find out he no longer works there. Whaaattt? He never mentioned leaving that job and has been leaving for work every day! And, then he ghosts her! He won’t take her calls, he doesn’t come home, he completely ignores her!
She’s devastated! And humiliated because her friend from work witnesses the entire thing. To make matters worse, her friend searches him on facebook and finds he has pictures posted with a beautiful blonde! And he’s at the bar with her right now! Claire desperately tries to find out what happened, why things changed so abruptly and the mystery deepens!
WHAT I LOVED 💕❤️
I’m a big sucker for Brit Lit and this is based in London where people wear “jumpers” instead of sweaters and get on “lifts” instead of elevators. So charming.
I loved the big mystery of why Claire was unceremoniously dumped and ghosted.
I loved speculating about what really happened.
Was it some sort of a plot to steal her identity or money? (she didn’t really have any $ so that didn’t make sense)
Was she an unreliable narrator? (she had tons of pictures of the two of them together so she couldn’t have imagined the relationship)
Was Noah just a huge ass who loved living a double life? (Who knows and so fun to speculate!)
There were a couple very interesting twists, a lot of backstory let out slowly that explains a lot of things and the ending did NOT disappoint!!!
WHAT I DIDN’T LOVE 🥹
The first half was pretty slow. There was some action in the beginning and then a lot of crying and ruminating and pondering but not a lot of action. The second half picked up a bit and was better for me. There were very few likable characters. The glimpses of Claire’s childhood were pretty hard to read. I just wanted those parts to end.
OVERALL
I recommend this book to anyone who likes a very twisty thriller and can get past a slow first half and some pretty uncomfortable childhood trauma (not a lot of descriptive physical abuse, but a lot of mean bullying).
I gave this slow burn thriller 4 Stars.
SUMMARY
Claire is so happy and so in love with her handsome, successful fiancée Noah. But, one day, she goes to drop lunch off for him at his office only to find out he no longer works there. Whaaattt? He never mentioned leaving that job and has been leaving for work every day! And, then he ghosts her! He won’t take her calls, he doesn’t come home, he completely ignores her!
She’s devastated! And humiliated because her friend from work witnesses the entire thing. To make matters worse, her friend searches him on facebook and finds he has pictures posted with a beautiful blonde! And he’s at the bar with her right now! Claire desperately tries to find out what happened, why things changed so abruptly and the mystery deepens!
WHAT I LOVED 💕❤️
I’m a big sucker for Brit Lit and this is based in London where people wear “jumpers” instead of sweaters and get on “lifts” instead of elevators. So charming.
I loved the big mystery of why Claire was unceremoniously dumped and ghosted.
I loved speculating about what really happened.
Was it some sort of a plot to steal her identity or money? (she didn’t really have any $ so that didn’t make sense)
Was she an unreliable narrator? (she had tons of pictures of the two of them together so she couldn’t have imagined the relationship)
Was Noah just a huge ass who loved living a double life? (Who knows and so fun to speculate!)
There were a couple very interesting twists, a lot of backstory let out slowly that explains a lot of things and the ending did NOT disappoint!!!
WHAT I DIDN’T LOVE 🥹
The first half was pretty slow. There was some action in the beginning and then a lot of crying and ruminating and pondering but not a lot of action. The second half picked up a bit and was better for me. There were very few likable characters. The glimpses of Claire’s childhood were pretty hard to read. I just wanted those parts to end.
OVERALL
I recommend this book to anyone who likes a very twisty thriller and can get past a slow first half and some pretty uncomfortable childhood trauma (not a lot of descriptive physical abuse, but a lot of mean bullying).
March 9, 2025
2.5 Stars
I think the bones of this book are great; however, some of the execution needed work. Claire, Darling reminds me a lot of the French movie . I could guess the main twist pretty early on but it was still enjoyable to read.
Claire is engaged to Noah, a seemingly perfect fiancé, until one day he stops answering her calls and is with a new girlfriend. Confused and enraged, Claire is determined to figure out what happened, but things begin to go off the rails the more she tries to find the truth.
We get a lot of flashbacks to Claire’s childhood, which I felt unnecessary as they didn’t really further the plot and could have been summed up in less than a chapter. I also wished the trial would have been more accurate to a real trial, as it felt informal and like a TV scene with the lawyers just yelling objections with no law as to why and shocking revelations which the defense would have known ahead of time. (Also, at one point the prosecutes rolled his eyes?!)
Overall, I enjoyed the much of the story as it was a quick and entertaining read.
I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
I think the bones of this book are great; however, some of the execution needed work. Claire, Darling reminds me a lot of the French movie . I could guess the main twist pretty early on but it was still enjoyable to read.
Claire is engaged to Noah, a seemingly perfect fiancé, until one day he stops answering her calls and is with a new girlfriend. Confused and enraged, Claire is determined to figure out what happened, but things begin to go off the rails the more she tries to find the truth.
We get a lot of flashbacks to Claire’s childhood, which I felt unnecessary as they didn’t really further the plot and could have been summed up in less than a chapter. I also wished the trial would have been more accurate to a real trial, as it felt informal and like a TV scene with the lawyers just yelling objections with no law as to why and shocking revelations which the defense would have known ahead of time. (Also, at one point the prosecutes rolled his eyes?!)
Overall, I enjoyed the much of the story as it was a quick and entertaining read.
I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
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