Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy of this book for me to review. All opinions are my very own.
From NetGalley:
Fashion-obsessed Samara finally has the life she’s always dreamed of: A high-powered job with legendary designer Antonio Mota. A new home in sunny California, far away from those drab Jersey winters. And an intriguing love interest, Brandon, a wealthy investor in Mota’s fashion line.
But it’s not long before Samara’s dream life begins to turn into a living nightmare as Mota’s big fashion show approaches and the pressure on her turns crushing. Perhaps that’s why she begins hearing voices in her room at night—and seeing strange things that can’t be explained away by stress or anxiety or the number of drinks she’s been consuming.
And it may not be just Samara imagining things as her psyche unravels, because she soon discovers hints that her new city—and the House of Mota—may be built on a foundation of secrets and lies. Now Samara must uncover what hideous truths lurk in the shadows of this illusory world of glamour and beauty before those shadows claim her.
My Take:
I was offered this book and because of the season, I decided to take it on. I am not a typical fan of psychological thrillers, but thought I would give it a try. Instead of horror type book, we meet Samara, who seems to be fighting some internal demons by taking on a new stressful job in a new location and self medicating herself so she doesn't have to deal.
So instead of the horror type story I was expecting, I kept thinking that Samara was just trying to overcome the demons in her life. I sat as an observer, not as an invested reader of the story.
I felt the book moved pretty slowly, too. I love fashion week and felt like that was going to drive the story a little more than it did. Descriptions of her boss, drinking on the job and then suddenly, the pace takes off and it becomes somewhat of a thriller. By the time this happens, I am no longer deeply invested in Samara or the resolution of her situation.
About the Author:
Lilliam Rivera is an award-winning author of children’s books including her latest Never Look Back, a retelling of the Greek myth Orpheus and Eurydice set in New York by Bloomsbury Publishing. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, and Elle, to name a few. Lilliam lives in Los Angeles.
