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Before We Were Strangers Kindle Edition

by Brenda Novak (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.4 1,024 ratings

Editors' pick Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

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New York Times–Bestselling Author: “I loved this twisty tale of friends, enemies, lovers, liars, and a family fractured by secrets.” —Susan Wiggs

Five-year-old Sloane McBride couldn’t sleep that night. Her parents were arguing again, their harsh words heating the cool autumn air. And then there was that other sound—the ominous thump before all went quiet.

In the morning, her mother was gone.

The official story was that she left. Her loving, devoted mother! That hadn’t sat any better at the time than it did when Sloane moved out at eighteen, anxious to leave her small Texas hometown in search of anywhere else. But not even a fresh start working as a model in New York could keep the nightmares at bay. Or her fears that the domineering father she grew up with wasn’t just difficult—he was deadly.

Now another traumatic loss forces Sloane to realize she owes it to her mother to find out the truth, even if it means returning to a town full of secrets and lies, a jilted ex-boyfriend, and a father and brother who’d rather see her silenced. But as Sloane starts digging into the past, the question isn’t whether she can uncover what really happened that night—it’s what will remain of her family if she does . . .

“A dark, twisty plot that will leave readers unsure until the very end keeps the pages turning in this engrossing, insightful romantic thriller.” —Library Journal

“The kind of book best swallowed in one sitting: suspenseful, surprising, and 100% addictive.” —Kimberly Belle, USA Today–bestselling author of The Marriage Lie

From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Riveting drama and suspense from a master of the craft. I loved this twisty tale of friends, enemies, lovers, liars, and a family fractured by secrets. It's the perfect read to cozy up to on a long winter night."-Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Teeming with riveting, hold-your-breath suspense, Brenda Novak's Before We Were Strangers is a chilling exploration into how far one will go to discover the truth no matter the cost. Novak is at the top of her game with this gripping thriller. Prepare to be up all night!"-Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of The Weight of Silence and Not a Sound

"Secrets and family drama are at the heart of Brenda Novak's Before We Were Strangers, in which a woman returns to her small Texas hometown determined to uncover the truth about her mother's disappearance. Novak's fans will devour this one, and the relentlessly twisty plot will win her some new fans, as well. This is the kind of book best swallowed in one sitting: suspenseful, surprising, and 100% addictive."-Kimberly Belle, national bestselling author of The Marriage Lie

"What a book! Before We Were Strangers is dark and compelling, an excellent thriller with heart-pounding twists, full of secrets and lies, and all too real. This is Novak at her sweet and sinister best in a story that could be happening in the house next door. Who is telling the truth? You won't know until the explosive end..."-J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of Tear Me Apart

"Before We Were Strangers has it all: a mystery that kept me guessing, a romance with heart and sizzle, and an ending I didn't see coming. Bravo, Ms. Novak!"-Erica Spindler, New York Times bestselling author of The Other Girl

"Realistic, often deeply f lawed characters; well-handled multiple viewpoints; and a dark, twisty plot that will leave readers unsure until the very end keep the pages turning in this engrossing, insightful romantic thriller."-Library Journal

"Brenda Novak's seamless plotting, emotional intensity, and true-to-life characters who jump off the page make her books completely satisfying. Novak is simply a great storyteller."-Allison Brennan, New York Times bestselling author

"The best romantic thriller I have read... Novak has a raw talent for bringing her novels to life. Realistic, suspenseful, and an edge of your seat romance that will have readers coming back for more."-The San Francisco Book Review on The Secret Sister

"One needn't wonder why Novak is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author. Just read Come Home to Me."-Examiner.com

"The past impacts the present with devastating but ultimately salutary results in this engrossing, character-rich story that takes a hard look at responsibility, loyalty, and the results of telling (or concealing) the truth."-Library Journal on Home to Whiskey Creek

About the Author

Ann Marie Gideon, an Earphones Award-winning narrator, is a professional actress based in Atlanta. She received a BFA in theater performance from the University of Memphis and trained at the Accademia dell'Arte in Arezzo, Italy. Throughout her college career, she gained professional experience by performing at Playhouse on the Square. Soon after, she toured across the country with the National Players and then landed in Atlanta, Georgia, with Georgia Shakespeare. She is now expanding her career into voice-over work, film, and television.

Brenda Novak, a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, has penned over forty novels. She is a three-time nominee for the Rita Award and has won the National Reader's Choice, the Bookseller's Best, and the Bookbuyer's Best Awards, as well as many others.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B077YQNSCK
Publisher ‏ : ‎ MIRA; Original edition (December 4, 2018)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 4, 2018
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1236 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 409 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #15,808 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #283 in Mothers & Children Fiction
- #335 in Domestic Thrillers (Books)
- #555 in Contemporary Women's Fiction

Customer Reviews:
4.4 1,024 ratings

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Brenda Novak

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Author Brenda Novak is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author with more than ten million books in print, translated into twenty different languages. Since her first book came out in 1999, she’s written over seventy-five novels including her most popular beach reads ONE PERFECT SUMMER, THE BOOKSTORE ON THE BEACH, SUMMER ON THE ISLAND and THE SEASIDE LIBRARY. TOURIST SEASON will be out April 2024. To sign up for Brenda’s newsletter, https://brendanovak.com/newsletter-sign-up/

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4.4 out of 5

1,024 global ratings

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Roberta

Awesome book

Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2018

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This is a really well written mystery, romance, that keeps you turning page after page, you can't put it down.
Sloane McBride was 5 years old when her mother disappeared, the sounds she heard that night have haunted her all these years, so she returns to her home town to find out what happened and to prove her father murdered her mother, the twists and turns have you wondering if she's wrong or if she's right, the things she is finding out about her parents are gut wrenching to her.
You will love this book.

One person found this helpful

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Sheila M

Good Romantic Suspense

Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2018

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FINAL DECISION: A good romantic suspense. I enjoyed the combination of the relationship with the suspense/mystery. I really loved Micah (who is a sweetie) and eventually understood Sloan although I didn't like her actions which seemed reckless and not well thought out at times.

THE STORY: Sloan McBride fled her hometown a decade ago to free herself from her oppressive father. Now she has returned to find out what happened to her mother who disappeared when she was five. Sloan, however, not only has to face the questions from her parents' past, but also what she left behind when she left. She had abandoned her best friend and her boyfriend, Micah Evans who turned to one another, married, had a child and divorced. Sloan's return brings complications in these relationships as well.

OPINION: This was an enjoyable romantic suspense. The scariness factor isn't too high and there is plenty of romance. Indeed, while the mystery is central to the plot of the book, I enjoyed the second chance at romance the best.

Sloan is completely determined and that makes her reckless at times. She annoyed me at her willingness to do stupid things and keep telling people what is going on when there were people who could betray her. That being said, her character was interesting because of her flaws. I liked that her recklessness and impulsiveness is something that is consistent about her character.

Now Micah I adored. He is incredibly kind and responsible and if I have a complaint it is that he forgives Sloan very quickly for her abandoning him a decade ago. I just didn't buy her reasons for not contacting him at all and it seemed pretty cruel.

I thought that the book described well the difficulties of the relationship between Sloan, Micah and Paige (Sloan's best friend and Micah's ex wife). I liked that the characters had complexity and good and bad traits.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as the Evelyn Talbot books which I found to be a much more suspenseful story, but this one was a good read.

WORTH MENTIONING: I liked that there was an epilogue that wrapped up the story.

CONNECTED BOOKS: BEFORE WE WERE STRANGERS is a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

19 people found this helpful

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Lynn Brooks/Thoughts of a Blonde

Gripping story!

Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2019

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A riveting, deeply entrenching read! I was hooked immediately! We get to know Sloane little by little before she reveals why she is returning home after all these years and what's she's hoping to find there. The story takes many unexpected turns, and even when you think you know what happened, you will be shocked once again. Really great book filled with richly built characters, in depth development of past events and a captivating delve into the current life spinning on it's axle around her. Loved it!

Model Sloane McBride might have left home to head to the bright lights of New York a decade ago, but some parts of Millcreek would never leave her mind. Like the memories and dreams that continue to haunt her. She's not so sure she wants to know the answers, but the churning fear in her gut won't be silenced any longer. She has to find out what happened to her mother that night. She might have only been five years old, but she remembers things. Voices, fighting, things that were said, a loud thump, then silence ... and the next morning Mom was gone ... forever.

The return to town is just as volatile as she expects. Her high school best friend is trying to act like no time has passed, her ex-boyfriend still holds an obvious grudge for her leaving, her father tries to run her out of town before she even gets there, and her brother is making it clear he has no wish to dredge up the past alongside her. It seems like everyone is against her ... but she's determined to bring her mother peace once and for all, regardless of the danger that starts to swirl!

5 people found this helpful

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R.H. McCort

Going home to confront a mystery

Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2019

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Spoiler alert: Do not start this book at night before bed…Model Sloane McBride is about to lose her best friend and manager, Clyde; for 14 months he has suffered from bladder cancer and Sloane has been right there by his side. Sloane has grown since first coming to New York and meeting Clyde and while his family has never helped him they are right there when he dies and the will is read. Sloane has been remembered by Clyde and with her new strength she decides to return to her hometown to investigate her mother’s disappearance when she was five years old. Ed McBride, Sloane’s father is the town Mayor and running for re-election and doesn’t want Sloane in town raising questions of her mother’s disappearance. The official story from Ed is they were fighting and she left, walked away from the Texas town, leaving behind her cell phone, money and her children. Randy her older brother was sleeping overnight at a friend’s house so he didn’t witness the argument and he has always been on his father’s shirttail. So when Sloane does return to town and her best friend Paige Patterson Evans insists she stay with her, things become complicated. Sloane and Micah Evans were high school sweethearts; when Sloane left Texas right after graduation, Micah was heartbroken and Paige was there to comfort him. When Paige became pregnant Micah married her, but his heart belongs to Sloane and Paige is out to hurt Sloane. As the story develops you question if Ed did something to his wife or was it all in the mind of a five year old child.

7 people found this helpful

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