Author: Ashley Elston

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Publication Date: January 2, 2024 (available now)

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

I got this one from BOTM back when it was one of their selections and never got around to reading it. I decided to give it a go a few days ago because I had seen so much hype about it online. I did enjoy it a lot, but it didn’t end up being a 5 star read for me, like it was for many others.

I found the plot interesting, and there were some really good twists at the end, but I was expecting more from this book than it was able to deliver. The pacing was good until the story got closer to its conclusion, and then it felt a bit rushed to me. I wanted more that I got from Ryan’s backstory and Evie’s state of mind as all of the subterfuge and panic was ramping up to the final act. This was a very good book and I think it will satisfy most thriller and mystery lovers, but for me, it just wasn’t quite what I was hoping for.

Synopsis from the publisher: “Evie Porter has everything a nice, Southern girl could want: a perfect, doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence and a garden, a fancy group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.

The identity comes first: Evie Porter. Once she’s given a name and location by her mysterious boss Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the mark: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job.

Evie isn’t privy to Mr. Smith’s real identity, but she knows this job will be different. Ryan has gotten under her skin, and she’s starting to envision a different sort of life for herself. But Evie can’t make any mistakes–especially after what happened last time.

Because the one thing she’s worked her entire life to keep clean, the one identity she could always go back to—her real identity—just walked right into this town. Evie Porter must stay one step ahead of her past while making sure there’s still a future in front of her. The stakes couldn’t be higher–but then, Evie has always liked a challenge…”