Tara Goedjen

Is this really your debut novel, Tara Goedjen? Because it was awesome! I love Southern Gothic stories. William Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, Cormac McCarthy, Dorothy Allison, and Truman Capote are just a few authors who have mastered this genre and now Tara Goedjen can add her name to this list. There's something about old, decrepit houses, family secrets, and unsolved mysteries that make for a phenomenal story. The Breathless by Tara Goedjen is just that.

Roxanne Cole (Ro) died almost a show more year ago under mysterious circumstances. Everyone blames her boyfriend, Cage, for her death because he ran away directly after. Almost a year later, Cage shows up at Ro's house claiming he only left her the day before. Mae, Roe's sister, is the only one who believes he's telling the truth. Or at least believes he believes he's telling the truth. Mae also finds a old, green book that belongs to her family hidden in Ro's room. It's full of strange secrets that might have something to do with what happened to Ro.

From start to finish I was enraptured by this novel. The setting of Blue Gate Manner surrounded by an eerie past provides the perfect background for this Southern Gothic novel. The house is a character in itself that holds the secrets to the past. Mae is a young girl trying to come to grips with the tragic death of her sister while helping the person who could be responsible for her death in the hopes that maybe they can bring Ro back to life is an interesting twist. I won't go too far into the plot because that will only spoil it for those who haven't read it.

The Breathless by Tara Goedjen had me reading way past my bedtime. It's the perfect novel to usher in fall. Grab a warm blanket and get comfy. You're going to want to read this book in one sitting.

Read more at http://www.toreadornottoread.net/2017/10/review-breathless.html#M2zs7T0xlVtmvWoU... show less

If you like stories that are dark, twisty, suspenseful, and full of gothic style plot lines with the kind of intrigue that drops the temperature around you just enough to make you feel a little jumpy then this is the book for you. Goedjen delivers a complex tale full of secrets with beautifully detailed settings and a smooth way of switching the story between different time periods as you journey into the family lore.

Her richly detailed world is haunted with compelling, unique characters show more that help push the mystery surrounding the death of Roxanne to become more than just another simple plot device. We can feel the pain as the characters are left reeling to discover the truth and deal with their grief in the process.

I had friends going to see the new version of It this past weekend but I couldn’t make it and decided to settle in with this instead; by the time I was done I didn’t feel cheated out of missing a creepy, horrific time at all. I’m running on only a couple of hours of sleep as I was up until almost 2a needing to finish this and jumping at every weird sound I never realized my home makes that late. How could I not get into that goosebumps kind of mood when presented with a story that includes tragedy, death, creepy mysteries, magic, crumbling architecture and the Deep South all elements from the perfect Horror movie.

Life and death, the ties that bind family and friends in this life and the next are all examined through the lens of her realistic creations. Despite the prevailing darkness of the story she still managed to piece together some beautiful writing that will capture your attention and make you want to read this cover to cover in one sitting. show less

Get Your YA YAs Out!
A review of the NetGalley ARC eBook of the Atria / Emily Bestler hardcover/eBook/audiobook to be released October 13, 2026.

I had reservations about this one, but the ARC came along so early (March 24 for an October 13 publication date) that it is possible that further editing will be made that will tighten it up and fix certain things. I may then bump up the rating once i see the final version in print. Otherwise it does veer close to Unsatisfactory Ending Alert™ show more territory.

Detailing very much about that would be spoilery though, but let's just say that there needs to be a more conclusive wrap-up and comeuppance for the culprits in a thriller where the reader invests 320+ pages of reading time. If it is meant to set up a sequel I could see it, but this feels very much like a self-contained story with no room for a sequel.

Other subplots also seemed forgotten or only semi-resolved. Why was Mia ghosted by her former paramedic colleague from back in Florida? What really happened with the missing hiker? How could several people not recognize someone from only 15 years ago? How did the aunt manage for 15 years of despair and then all of sudden get right back into investigative writer mode all of a sudden? How is it that so many people in Austria speak English? These subplots added to the tension and suspense along the way, but then seemed to fizzle out or were too easily resolved.

Otherwise, the setup and atmosphere of now grownup Mia seeking to solve the mystery of what really happened with the death of her cousin back when she was 12-years-old was intriguing. That it involved the reopening of the case of the convicted murderer through a true crime podcast also rang true in our present day.

My thanks to Atria / Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance ARC copy for which I provide this honest review. show less

Review of eGalley

Mia DeLaney is stunned to discover that the murder of her cousin, Tristan, some fifteen years ago has become front page news once again. The convicted murder is maintaining his innocence and is demanding a new trial.

Mia was the one who identified Augustin Aiglar. Needing to investigate, Mia returns to Austria and secures employment as a nanny for the new owner. Can she find the truth?

What if she was wrong fifteen years ago?

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A strong sense of place and interesting show more characters bring this story to life. Filled with plot twists and unexpected revelations, readers learn the details through podcast episodes, journal entries, and events occurring in the present day. An undercurrent of tension keeps the suspense building and the pages turning.

Emotional, fast-paced, and often surprising, the story keeps readers involved; guilt and obsession play major roles in the telling of the tale. Readers who enjoy mysteries and suspenseful stories are sure to find this one grabs their interest.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Atria Books / Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review.
#PleaseEnjoyYourStay #NetGalley show less