A thrilling psychological suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat!
Jacob and Amanda Corey live what appears to be an idyllic life on Long Island. Other than an apparent inability to have children, they enjoy a seemingly perfect marriage.
But the sudden suicide of Jacob’s father reveals a hidden dark past, one that fractured Jacob in ways even he can’t comprehend. Amanda knows something is terribly wrong with her husband, and she’s keeping a secret of her own that could destroy them.
A shocking truth shatters everything Amanda and Jacob thought was true and they realize their entire life has been a lie. Now they must face down the harsh light of reality or pay the ultimate price.
Cole Baxter loves writing psychological suspense thrillers. It's all about that last reveal that he loves shocking readers with. He grew up in New York, where there crime was all around. He decided to turn that into something positive with his fiction. His stories will have you reading through the night--they are very addictive!
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This writer is not able to write characters that make sense, let alone be relatable. The evident lack of any editing is beyond distracting. If there's a good story to tell here, Baxter needs to head to a copyeditor pronto. There are so many mistakes, misspelling of words, and run-on sentences that I was beyond irritated by the third chapter. So that is where I left it. I don't recommend this to anyone, aside from an editor with a heavy hand.
I was so distracted by the poor spelling and incorrect punctuation throughout this book, that I couldn't really enjoy the storyline. For instance, bureau is not spelled burrow...just one of many glaring mistakes. I am an avid reader. It is my favorite way to spend an afternoon. However, this book was the exception. I would suggest the author eliminate the words "and" and " but" from his vocabulary. Also, never start a sentence with "and."
This book was just okay. I have really liked most of Cole’s books, and his writing style is easy to read after reading heavier books. I just wasn’t into the story, and the reveal was a bit too much for me. It’s also close to 400 pages which is long for a book of this type. I will still continue on my quest to read all of Cole’s (and Theo’s) books!
Too many spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes to be readable
I was submitting corrections for so many spelling, punctuation and grammar errors that I was barely able to focus on the plot of the book. For instance, the writer used the word “burrow” as opposed to the correct word “bureau” to refer to a chest of drawers. They are not even pronounced the same way. I could understand a person making that sort of error if they were not a writer. However, someone who writes for a living should be better acquainted with the English language. It’s very distracting to deal with these inconsistencies while trying to immerse yourself in the story. I must admit that I did not finish the book so my review of the plot may be a little unfair. I could not finish as it was so poorly written. *Spoiler*. From what I read, the story is about a grown man who was abused by his father when he was a child. It appears that there may have been a sexual nature to the abuse, involving photography. I believe that, had I continued to force myself to read this book, I would have discovered that the man had developed multiple personality disorder as a result of his fathers abuse. Completely uninspired. Not suspenseful at all.
I've never read a book with so many typos and grammar errors! It was completely annoying and frustrating. Didn't anyone edit this prior to printing? Come on!
Maybe I missed something. But I did not care for this at all. Not once did I think it was thrilling, psychological, or suspenseful. It took me forever to read because I just didn't care about the characters. I kept reading hoping that there might b some twist that I didn't see coming. Sadly, that did not happen.
For the first few chapters, I was very confused as to what was actually going on. However, once I got a grip with the way the book was written and began to understand what was going on I enjoyed it. Right from the start you are told what Amanda's secret is and she alludes to why she is doing what she's doing but from the readers point of view it's hard to understand this. However, a the book goes on you begin to understand why she is doing it. Jacob was a lot harder to understand, it's clear from the start that his relationship with is parents is badly fractured but you don't know why. I found that by half way through I knew what his issue was and I could understand how he was acting. The final chapters, when all is finally revealed were very sensitively written with a lot of empathy for Jacob and what he had been through.
This author has done a wonderful job with the characters in this novel, they are well-rounded and appear very normal everyday people. One person to notice from the very start is Jacob’s dad, he is a key player in this story so don’t over look him thinking he’s of no relevance. It does end with a HEA but there is a whole lot of story before you get there! This plot has twists and turns, suspense, intrigue and drama. The characters may have a nice romance going but they also go through a lot of turmoil and emotional pain. This is a novel that builds as you read through it, there is so much to this book that I may do what I rarely ever do and read it twice! I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review
My house is not cleaned; my work is not done; I am short on sleep - because I could not put this book down. It is an incredible saga of the, sometimes, later in life effects of a childhood trauma. It handles those effects in a very realistic manner but with compassion & a caring heroine ( and she really is for how her love carries her & others through). There are unexpected twists in the story - some that will make you sad, cry or shout in jubilation for love that triumphs over challenges. Well written story that captivated me early and continued throughout reading it; hence why my house is not cleaned; my work is not done & I am short on sleep.
Before She’s Gone is a psychological thriller by Cole Baxter. This deals with traumas and the outcomes of some traumas years later. It will keep you reading to find out what will happen to Jacob and Amanda. Jacob and Amanda are happily married. Their work worlds don’t compete with each other and their home life could only be happier if Amanda could become pregnant. Although the two of them are very open up about their feelings, the one thing that Amanda is determined to keep secret is her taking birth control pills daily. It isn’t that she doesn’t want to have Jacob’s children, it is simply that she doesn’t feel the time is right. She just has a feeling that something is wrong with Jacob. Amanda is concerned with Jacob’s erratic moods. He is usually very mild mannered; but lately, he had taken to having strange moods which can result in verbal abuse. How much of this is due to Jacob’s father’s suicide, she doesn’t know. Now, the police are looking into Andrew’s business life. Amanda knows she needs to help Jacob; but, she has no idea where to begin. Can she help Jacob before her marriage or Jacob is destroyed?
Before She's Gone By: Cole Baxter Narrated by: Meghan Kelly
On the edge of my seat. That is how I was listening to this one. It's a great psychological thriller that had me wondering from the first chapter. Jacob and Amanda have been married for a while. Totally in love, they each hold secrets that could destroy their relationship. When Jacob's father dies, things come to a head, and we are on a goose chase to find out what caused him to commit suicide. And what we find out is nothing less than unpredictable. Cole Baxter weaves his tale with thrilling suspense and well developed characters. Jacob is extremely complex and at times difficult to figure out. Amanda is loyal to a fault, yet has her own reservations. And Jacob's mother is all out crazy. It's an exciting ride and one you will enjoy!
Meghan Kelly is fantastic as she performs this book. I usually hear her narrating romance, so it's wonderful to hear her versatility as she reads this one to me. High with her suspense, she builds up the story, keeping us on the edge. Each voice different for each character, she uses her inflections and nuances to keep the story at an exciting level. I enjoyed her story telling.
Before She's Gone By Cole Baxter Main Characters: Amanda and Jacob I voluntarily and honestly reviewed this book without bias or persuasion from the author. 4 out of 5 stars This book was more of a suspense novel then romantic suspense to me. The book started out great but towards the middle I got so frustrated with Amanda, I wanted to wring her neck. She did way too much internalizing for my liking and it made her seem very young. Her job was creepy to me mainly because I don't like spiders but it does not detract from the story itself. You the reader should pay closer attention in the beginning of the book to details about Jacob's father than I did. I had to go back and re-read some pages because I am always in too much of a hurry to get to the meaty parts of a book. This is the 1st book I have read by this author. He made his characters human, layered and interesting. The beginning and ending of the story had better pacing to me. I had part of the book figured out but still a surprise ending. I recommend this book and look forward to reading more from this author.
I don’t usually review books…mostly because we all like and dislike books for reasons that don’t matter or make sense to others. I came here to defend this book. As I was moving on to the next book, I saw the one star ratings and read few reviews and was completely flabbergasted!! The bad reviews are definitely a persons opinion and their right to not like something- but the reasons? Finish the book good people. It all becomes clear. Yes, I “guessed” early what the trouble was. I’m not going to slam Amanda because she enabled it or didn’t see what was going on with Jacob. She explained it perfectly when she said “that only happens in the movies” Goodness gracious- she should have known sooner? Give me a break!! And, to those who couldn’t read it because of the grammar or spelling? Guess I’m a dumb hick but I didn’t see it. Tbh, bad grammar and spelling really do bother me. I just didn’t see it. I went back and looked. I just don’t see it. So I say to anyone debating about reading it. Do it. I’m not going to promise you’ll love it, but it’s not what the 1 star reviewers are saying.
Poorly written. For example, saying that Amanda was at the pet shop alone because her assistant was off for the day, and yet later when her husband picks her up she says goodbye to the assistant who answers back. Keep your story line straight! There were multiple mistakes like this where the author forgot what he previously said and directly contradicts himself.
Also, he goes to great trouble to describe the mother as a polished English woman, very prim and proper, yet when the maid brings in a tray with pie and tea she takes it from her and says, "I got this". I'm sorry, but proper English ladies don't use slang and certainly don't take the maid's job.
Aside from that, the author drags on and on about how Amanda "feels" about her husband's acting out and we are forced to read about days of this interaction without much else happening in the story. I just couldn't finish this one. I was bored to tears.
I borrow Before She's Gone from KU, and this is my honest opinion. This is the first book of Mr. Baxter's that I have read. I found the idea behind the book is good, but I didn't feel like it met my expectations. Jacob and Amanda are a married couple that are going through some intimate and personal problems. When Jacob's father commits suicide, the distrust and secrets threaten to rip them apart. I found the plot to be a bit repetitive, but it was still different. What really drove me insane was the neediness and whiny clingyness of Amanda. Since she is one of the main characters, she just completely ruined it for me. If she had more of a backbone, I would have liked her better. I wanted to enjoy the story, but it left me wanting more and I felt like it was incomplete.
I like psychological thrillers, so was excited to start this book. Jacob and his wife Amanda seem to have a nice marriage, but both have secrets. Jacob is deeply troubled and Amanda is keeping a secret that she knows will hurt her husband. But there the mystery ends. This so called psychological thriller was one of the most boring books I have read. I did finish it hoping that it would get better. But it didn't. The spelling and grammar was atrocious and many sentences did not make sense, such as he could see the picture from his deck, which should have been from his desk. Over and over there were glaring mistakes, which took away from any reading enjoyment. The proof reader should be fired.
Cole Baxter has gifted us with one of the most beautiful romantic suspense novels I’ve ever read. “Before She’s Gone” has a masterfully written storyline; fully developed characters that literally blow your mind; poignant twists and turns that will steal your breath away; and one of the most powerful HEAs I’ve ever read. This novel touches the reader on so many levels...and it’s too painful almost to let it go. This book definitely belongs on your TBR list. It will stay with you long after you finish the final page. (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and could not put it down until I finished!) Trust me...5 Stars is not enough!
Book 1 in a thrilling mystery story. It involves Jacob the hero and Amanda the heroine.
Jacob and Amanda are happily married , there is only one thing that will complete them , having children. Amanda Knows it’s not the perfect time yet for children. Things get even worse when Jacobs father kills himself , that when the mystery starts , Jacob is acting weird , he even gets more weird when the police want to investigate. Amanda is wondering what is going on . Grab it and be twisted and twisted again . You will love it
Meghan Kelly was phenomenal, her voice , her tone for each character is right on. She will draw you right into the story .
This story took a while to figure out. It feels as if we start in the middle of the story and work our way out. It is an interesting way to read a book, and it does require some focus. But once I had a handle on how it was written, I began to enjoy the characters. The twists and turns really keep you guessing. Amanda is such a strong character, that when Jacob loses his father, the characters shift focus. I really enjoyed the thought process this book had. It kept me on my toes.
Meghan Kelly delivers a great narration. She is able to keep the story flowing and the characters easy to follow. Meghan brings out the suspense in this book. I look forward to hearing more from her.
All I can say is that this is a shoddy piece of writing. And I mean that “with all my heart”. Using a clichéd phrase like that should not happen once in a published work. I lost count after the fifth variation of Amanda’s “all my heart” and “bottom of my heart” crap. Surely all parts of a story should add something important to the narrative. The arachnid nonsense adds zero to it.
I’m stopping. I cannot believe that I wrote more than the first two sentences of this review. Wasted effort for a book that wasted my time.
Goodreads, please introduce a zero star review in your next app update.
This book disappointed me. No, not because of the twist being obvious (though it was) or because of lacking any history between Amanda & Jacob (though it did), but because, somehow, we were supposed to vilify Amanda for taking birth control pills while her husband was having a mental breakdown - headaches, mood swings, forgetting chunks of time, disappearing randomly, etc. Taking birth control was the only smart thing that Amanda did. Jacob was dealing with trauma. Amanda was just - I don't know - oblivious? There were so many red flags, so many times that she should have gotten help for Jacob & she just ignored everything. Maybe if Jacob had been a skink, she might've cared.
Captivating. Jacob and Amanda Corey were just your young typical married couple both in careers that they loved, yet to have children. Until one day it all comes crashing down around them. Jacob's father committed suicide and his cold hearted mother becomes all about the respectable image that needs to be protected. Jacob starts to fall apart and starts displaying unusual behaviour that leaves Amanda keeping her own secrets from Jacob. This was a well written story with plenty of suspense and complex characters and heartache along the way. Recommended reading.
Don’t waste your time or money on this! Dissociative Personality Disorder was so obvious from nearly the beginning of the book; that the wife didn’t recognize it was not credible. The plot was predictable; the writing was amateurish; and the narration was very uneven. Further, this manuscript need a proof reader at the very least and the help of a good editor in general. This was obviously a self-published effort by a reptile-loving wannabe author. The herpetologist career served no purpose to the mechanics of the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This book is well written and perfectly narrated! You are immediately emotionally invested from the first page. Amanda and Jacob seem to have the perfect marriage but then Jacob’s father commits suicide and Jacob begins to act strangely. There are secrets that are so terrible that the mind closes in on itself! What do you do when the people who are supposed to protect you, fail you? This is what the couple is struggling with...will the marriage survive? I voluntarily accepted a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Slow, predictable, shallow, undeveloped characters ... surprised I finished it (confession : skimmed a LOT the second half ). Main character Amanda is whiny , clingy and generally annoying . Husband is weird but we learn pretty quickly he suffered from childhood trauma. I was very turned off by the lame attempt at the use of mental illness — calling Jacob’s psychotic episodes “acting out “ and having the mother “committed” at the end ... what year is this ? The multiple personality spin seems lifted directly from a Mary Higgins Clark book from the 80s. Yikes .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Amanda and Jacob seemed to have a perfect life except that they are unable to have children. When they get a call that Jacob's father committed suicide their lives change forever. This is a well written intense story filled with suspense, secrets, heartache, mystery and unexpected twists that had me captivated until the last page. This is my first book by this author but I will definitely be reading more in the future. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
I am voluntarily reviewing an Advance Reader Copy of this book This is the first book I've read by Cole Baxter and overall, it was a good, although predictable, read. Jacob and Amanda's story started really slow, but get past the first 5-6 chapters, the story opens up. I would have liked more of a dual POV, not enough of Jacob's inner turmoil, and way more of Amanada than needed. Well paced story, overall a good read.