Say You're Sorry by Karen Rose ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Clear your calendar before starting this book. I've stayed up way too late (and I'm very disciplined about going to bed on time) this week because I could not put this book down. "One more chapter" turned into 2 more hours (and several chapters) of reading each night. I'm totally exhausted, but I loved every minute of it.


Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

February 2019; Berkeley; 978-0399586729
audio, ebook, print (624 pages); thriller

I've been reading a lot of cozy mysteries lately, which is great fun but I wanted something with more meat to the story. My first love in literature has always been psychological thrillers so when I saw Say You're Sorry at Netgalley I had to request it. I've never read anything by Karen Rose before but now I have a new favorite author as I will be checking out more of her books.

I had a bit of trouble getting started with this book, but it had nothing to do with the story. I was dealing with a good deal of stress and anxiety and I could not handle the fictional character's anxiety that was leaping off the page in the prologue.

The story will have your heartbeat racing from the start. You will get moments to catch your breath as we get to know the characters. Like any great psychological thriller, Say You're Sorry superbly balances a fast-paced, thrilling plot with fleshed out characters that you quickly become attached to. Seriously, I was torn between seeing the characters interact with one another in everyday life situations and getting back to the plot of catching a serial killer.

Often a story is either character-driven or plot-driven. Rose was able to walk the fine line between the two when writing Say You're Sorry. I'm so happy that Rose didn't sacrifice character development for plot advancement or vice versa. The result is an incredibly satisfying thriller with characters you can't wait to read more about.

As Say You're Sorry is a romantic suspense novel, there is a bit of heat. It was brief and I was able to easily skim past it. I did enjoy having a strong, though emotionally wounded, FBI agent as the main character.

I loved the main characters Daisy and Gideon, but even the secondary characters of the Sokolov family were endearing. I'm torn between wanting more of Daisy and Gideon and getting to know the members of the Sokolov family better. Say You're Sorry is the first book in the Sacramento series and as I've not read Rose before I don't know if the next book will continue Daisy and Gideon's story or if secondary characters will step into the spotlight as the main characters. She could also pick another plot set in Sacramento with a whole new set of characters. I'm really hoping not, because I'm not ready to say goodbye to the characters of Say You're Sorry and there are just enough loose plot threads to fuel another book. Though this book can definitely stand alone as a complete story (I just don't want it to).

I foresee this book topping Best of 2019 lists so you don't want to miss it.

Buy Say You're Sorry at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour. 

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