Linda Hallberg

Moss and Mirrors was a book I really wanted to love, especially because I previously enjoyed Nicole M. King’s What the Storm Broke. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite work for me in the same way.

This is a psychological thriller with a dark and intriguing premise, but it took me a while to get into the story. The pacing was much slower than I personally prefer, and I found myself waiting for things to really start happening. I don't mind a psychological thriller taking its time and building tension, but for me, this one was just a little too slow.

There are also quite a few different POVs, and I occasionally found myself mixing some of the characters up. I think the story had a lot of potential, and there were definitely elements I found interesting, but the way the story was told made it harder for me to connect with it.

That said, I could absolutely see this working for readers who enjoy slow-burn psychological thrillers with a more character-driven approach. Unfortunately, I'm someone who needs a little more happening along the way to keep me hooked.

For me, this was a 3-star read — perfectly okay, but ultimately not one that I loved. I think the premise had the potential to be so much more, but the pacing and storytelling style just weren't quite my thing this time.

What the Storm Broke was a really entertaining and atmospheric psychological thriller that kept me turning the pages.

I’m always intrigued by stories involving psychology, memory, and especially repressed memories, so the premise immediately caught my attention. Myla’s fragmented memories and the questions surrounding what really happened to Melody made for a compelling mystery.

I also enjoyed how the story kept making me question what I thought I had figured out. Just when I thought I had something worked out, the story would reveal that I was wrong. That kept the suspense going and made it difficult to put the book down.

It may not have quite reached the level of a Riley Sager thriller for me, but it was definitely a good, suspenseful, and entertaining read. The atmosphere worked really well, and I enjoyed the gradual uncovering of the secrets surrounding Myla and her family.

Overall, this was a fun and gripping thriller with an intriguing premise. It’s probably not a book I’ll be thinking about for years to come, but I definitely enjoyed the time I spent reading it.