Taylor Adams

*I'm marking this whole review as having spoilers because I know some people want to know absolutely nothing going into a thriller but all the things I think really are definitely spoilers will be at the very end of this review. *

Wow, I have to give this one 5 stars just based on sheer enjoyment. I've read both [b:Pretty Girls|25574782|Pretty Girls|Karin Slaughter|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1432205734l/25574782._SY75_.jpg|42937661] and [b:An show more Anonymous Girl|39863515|An Anonymous Girl|Greer Hendricks|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546956642l/39863515._SY75_.jpg|61659722] recently and even though I enjoyed both books, neither blew me away or made me think that I was going to turn into someone who loved to read thrillers. Then I heard a bunch of recommendations for this book so I thought I would give it a shot. I'm so glad I did because I loved it! This is the type of thriller I love the most. It's in a closed environment for most of the book with one cast of characters. I just love that aspect because thrillers with those sorts of settings always feel like more of a puzzle to me, which is what I really want out of this genre.

Even though I had heard reviews for this book, most of the description I was given was just what was written on the dust jacket. Frankly the direction of this book took me by surprise. I assumed this would be a certain type of story from the dust jacket but we move on from that very quickly into a story that was absolutely a page-turner for me. The action in this book never slowed down once it got started which I loved. Every plot point was a surprise for me as I was unable to predict any of the twists. I am a pretty new thriller reader so maybe some others would be able to predict some of this book, but I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

I really liked our main hero, Darby. I thought she had a lot of spunk and I loved how determined and fearless she was. She really was a character that belonged at the center of this story and I'm so impressed with how well she was written. The rest of the characters are also very well written. They were all written in a way where I sort of sympathized with all of them but at the same time, I never knew who to trust. Even though I would say this story is very plot driven, the characters were never lacking.

*real spoilers ahead, do not read on if you do not wish to be spoiled*
Was the ending of this book realistic? Probably not, but frankly, after everything Darby and Jay had been through, I wanted a sort of happy ending. I know not everyone will be thrilled with how neatly everything was wrapped up but I'm not always looking for realism, even in more realistic thrillers such as this one, and I'm the type of reader who kind of always wants a sort of happy ending.

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who is at all intrigued by the premise. I know not every one will like it as much as I did but I think it is a very enjoyable and fast paced thriller, even if you don't give it 5 stars like I did. show less

This is the first thriller / horror book I've read in a long time that's lived up to its billing. As, the plot has been well-covered, below are a few thoughts for those considering:

- No Exit really does read like a movie! Several times I found myself clenching my jaw in suspense and tension--it's pretty action packed and once it gets rolling, it doesn't let up.

- In a couple of places, the foreshadowing lacks some subtlety and I ended up guessing a twist shortly before the main character show more does. If you read or watch a lot of thriller / horror genre, you likely will too. Despite figuring some key parts out, it didn't lessen my enjoyment of the book.

- There's not too much gore for the first 80% of the book. The last 20% though, is VERY visceral, almost too much so. If you're sensitive to graphic depictions/descriptions of violence, there's no way to avoid it.

- The characters - whether 'villain' or 'hero' - aren't simple caricatures. Those that seem mostly good have a dark side. Those that seem mostly bad have at least one redeeming quality. That keeps it interesting and keeps the reader as off-balance as Darby and she tries to gauge the situation she's in and how to work through it.

- There are a couple of subplots and details that are seem unnecessary and frankly, kinda dumb. While these resolve in their own way, neither resolution is completely satisfying and the story would have been fine without them.

Glad I spent a few hours with this between heavier reads and recommended for genre fans looking for a mental diversion from a fast-paced read. show less

ABSOLUTELY 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I’ve got my unfiltered, juicy takes on “Her Last Breath”—no spoilers, a few of the wildest moments, and my real-time reactions. Buckle up, because things get weird.

Her Last Breath is the kind of thriller that makes me want to grab snacks and pretend I could survive being crammed into a cave the size of a shoebox. Spoiler: I wouldn’t last five minutes. Taylor Adams basically said, "Let’s make claustrophobia fun,” and he totally pulls it off.

I’ve show more devoured every book Adams has written, and I’m still amazed at how he nails writing women. It just works. So obviously, I pounced the second I spotted this one. NetGalley ghosted me, but Libro.fm came through, and I was instantly in audiobook mode.

Tess and Alma are besties who should stick to brunch, not caves. Alma’s the confident, pro caver. Tess is the anxious law student already sweating before the helmet’s even on. Their dynamic is messy, intense, and so real. The second they meet the creepy stranger at the cave entrance, you know the universe is basically waving a giant red flag. Do they listen? Nope. That’s why we read thrillers.

Once they’re underground, the tension spikes fast. Adams leans into the survival angle hard, and the whole “you’re not alone down here” vibe is backed up by a stranger who goes from annoying to dangerous in record time. The Goodreads summary confirms that Tess ends up trapped in a narrow crawl space, fighting to stay alive, while a detective later uncovers some seriously shady secrets about Alma’s past.

And yes, there’s a scene that made me pay attention: spider crickets. These little monsters are aggressive, jump-in-your-face, pure nightmare fuel. I swear I felt phantom bugs crawling on me the whole time (I have to Google these). Toss in that 'everyone swallows spiders in their sleep' urban legend, and you’ve got a full-blown creepy-crawly horror parade.

The twists are bonkers, and the way the story bounces between Tess’s hospital interviews (those chapters are gold) and the claustrophobic cave scenes keeps everything racing along. Reviewers are already calling it gripping, visceral, and loaded with sneaky surprises. You won’t want to put this one down! show less

Tess DeWater is a shy, claustrophobic legal assistant barely keeping her head above water financially while trying to get through law school. Her best friend since high school, Allie Merritt, is now a globe-trotting adventure travel influencer with a massive following and a life that looks, from the outside, completely charmed. After years of excuses, Tess has finally agreed to join Allie for a caving expedition in the notorious Devil's Staircase cave system in Oregon's Cascade Range. The show more friendship already hums with tension before they ever go underground — a mix of admiration, jealousy, and complicated history. Then, deep inside the cave, they encounter a stranger who claims to be a fellow caver. Allie snaps at him. He retaliates — and shoots her. Suddenly Tess is alone, trapped hundreds of feet underground in a narrow crawl space, with a masked killer somewhere in the darkness behind her.
Twenty-four hours later, Tess is in a hospital bed recounting everything to Detective Layla Washington. The novel alternates between the harrowing cave chapters and the interrogation — and as Washington interviews Tess, she begins revealing shocking secrets about Allie's past that reframe everything. Described as The Descent meets No Exit. From the author of No Exit — his most challenging book to write by his own account, with readers reporting panic attacks and nausea as physical reactions. Starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, BookPage, and Library Journal.

[May contain spoilers]
The detective's revelations about Allie's true past are the novel's second engine — Allie is not who Tess thought she was, and the attack in the cave was not random. The relationships between the characters are considerably more complex and interconnected than they initially appear, with the closing revelation reframing the entire friendship and what really happened underground. The ending is described as "still and tender" — a quieter landing after the relentless momentum, which surprised some readers in the best way.
What I think: Claustrophobic, propulsive, children-in-danger replaced with women-in-caves — but with a more complex psychological mystery layered underneath. The dual timeline structure pays off cleanly. The twist about Allie lands hard. show less