No One Knows

This book came up as a 'recommended' selection for me. I listened to the preview and thought, "hey that's not to shabby". So after reading the great reviews, I thought I'd give this a try.

First impression... Ellison can write. I have encountered few authors that can carry a story along through prose as well as Ellison. Its effortless. I'd equate this not to a literary master, but James Patterson or Harlan Coben. The can of book that just flows.

So why am I bashing this book so hard? The plot is AWFUL. Its ridiculous beyond comprehension. I can't go into detail without spoiling the story for you. But man almighty. Skip this story if you want any semblance of intelligence in what you listen to. If you are into light romance and plot is secondary as a concern, this might be just what you are looking for.

This novel had great potential but never made it. The storyline unnecessarily dragged on for hours without progressing the plot. Ultimately none of the main characters are very likable.

Unlike several other reviewers I didn't mind the ending. However I would have enjoyed the book more if the repetitiveness was edited out.

I kept listening just because I couldn't find another book to replace it with and a lot of time to fill packing and moving so I needed something, but I regret every minute of it. This book was so bad it made me angry to listen to it. The dialogue is weak, the relationships are unbelievable, the characters are a joke and the story is not only ill conceived but all over the place...pick a direction, a plot, a story line!! Don't waste your time with this book. I don't understand how the author is a New York Times best selling author because he/she struggles with the basics like character and plot development. It's like a talented middle schooler wrote this book.

The writer's attempts to save twists for the reader lead to confusing, inconsistent characters. You will spend over 12 hours getting to know them only to be left with a vague "why would they do that?" feeling in the end. I was very surprised by the ending but not in a satisfying way. I was surprised that it ended so flat.

Turns in the plot are totally unsupported. Awkward, psychologically ridiculous characters and events. Maudlin dialogue. I won't be reading/listening to this author again.

The book really drags in parts and the back and forth needed better editing. The "surprise" ending left a few undone nits. There were also a few characters left out in the wind that made me feel left undone. Overall ok but not a top recommendation.

I bought this on a whim because it sounded like an interesting mystery. There were definitely some surprises as the author dished out information in bits and pieces but some key parts of the plot were not very believable which is why I only gave it 3 stars. Not a complete waste of time but nothing to rave about either. Some real soap opera elements and some bodice-ripping sex that didn't do much for the plot. It could have been a lot better with less of the soap opera drama - but I suppose it could have been worse.

Author attempted to manipulate the reader but there are too many holes. It's a good first attempt but It should not be the final revision. I don't recommend it.

Comparing this book to Gone Girl or Girl on a Train does a great disservice to those books. The "twist" at the end pays zero attention to anything you read up until that point. In fact, it almost feels as if the author could't finish the last couple of chapters so some random person wrote an ending without bothering to read chapters 1-69. What makes a twist enjoyable is being able to think back to the story line and seeing how the plot came together...as opposed to feeling like the entire book was essentially irrelevant to the ending.

The explanation of Josh's disappearance was a disappointment. The story was enjoyable and the narration was very good. The pace, and structure of the story is what made the book " just okay" for me. The pace was steady but slow at times. Using flashbacks can be very effective and intriguing. It was intriguing at first but the author used them to prolong the story.