When She Returned

Kate vanished from a parking lot eleven years ago, leaving behind her husband and young daughter. When she shows up at a Montana gas station, clutching an infant and screaming for help, investigators believe she may have been abducted by a cult. Kate’s return flips her family’s world upside down—her husband is remarried, and her daughter barely remembers her. As the family unravels what happened to Kate, a series of shocking revelations shows that Kate’s return is more sinister than any of them could have imagined. "When She Returned" presents a compelling and refreshing narrative centered on a mother's disappearance and the subsequent events following her escape from a cult ten years later. Lucinda's impeccable storytelling presents multiple perspectives, specifically those of Kate, her daughter Abbi, and Meredith, the stepmother. The chapters also gracefully transition between past and present, from Kate's time in The Love Unconditional cult to her reunion with her family. Every interaction was quite captivating, and it became even more so as Kate shared her journey within the cult. The brainwashing perpetrated by the leader were incredibly wild. I despised this monster and couldn't believe the control he had over his followers. It is truly remarkable how Lucinda skillfully depicted the undeniable truth about cults and their misdeeds of using scriptures as a deceptive tool to manipulate the mind. Although I never truly warmed to any of the characters besides Abbi, I found myself entranced by the unfolding drama in both timelines. Each personality evoked some emotion from me, whether it be sympathy or frustration. By the conclusion, what in the actual F! I was utterly stunned and speechless at how things turned out. If you're looking for a cult-themed thriller that will have you intensely flipping pages, "When She Returned" is a must-read! Lucinda, you are the queen of thrillers. Period.

I loved this book, and I highly recommend for a page turning, can’t put down psychological thriller. Lucinda Berry is a master at this genre and she again hit the target. While I felt the ending was rushed and left some “hanging chads,” I enjoyed the story. It captures creepy, uncomfortable psychological mind control and abuse well. While the characters weren’t completely likable, there were well developed. Again, I would have liked to see the book longer and more complete, but over all I recommend. It is a multiple POV, with a nonlinear timeline. I don’t enjoy readying books like that, but it seems that is the popular way to write these days. I am now going to look for any other Lucinda Berry books that I haven’t read.

I read this book in 3 days! It’s addictive from the beginning leaving you not knowing what’s going to happen next. The ending was a bit abrupt but not terrible. Your questions while reading this book will be answered.

It was ok- not great but not terrible. It’s one of those books that could’ve been really good, but the author seemed to afraid/timid to take it to the level it needed to be at to be really good. It needed to really hit harder with the experiences that makes a person become a brainwashed victim. Without that you feel less empathy for the character(s) which is the opposite of what a book like this should make you feel thus diminishing it. Despite that the story was still engaging the writing style is still good. It just needed to be more. It’s a book that takes a subject matter that should be raw and painful and polishes it up to be a PG rating. Which isn’t a terrible thing if marketed for younger adults; it’s a better warning story and book for younger readers- maybe 13-16 years of age and not quite as suitable for an adult. The subject matter is depressing and it makes you think but not think and feel as deeply as we should at an adult level. I’d rate it 3.5 stars if it were marketed for the reading level it is written at, 2.5-3 stars because it’s not sold as that.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ whewwwwww this book grabbed me by the throat and would not let go 😮‍💨 i’m not usually a thriller girlie—like at all—but lucinda berry may have just converted me because WHAT was this roller coaster of tension, secrets, and cult chaos!? right off the bat, i was obsessed with the writing style. lucinda knows how to build tension without overwhelming you, and i found myself flying through the chapters like my life depended on it. the dual timelines + povs were done so well, and i felt like each character had their own distinct voice (even if i wanted to throw scott into the sea a few times 😤). meredith was definitely a standout for me—her perspective felt the most grounded. the actual plot?? wild. disturbing. fascinating. i literally could not look away. you could feel the influence of lucinda’s psych background all over this story—it made the cult dynamics feel terrifyingly real. now. let’s talk about the ending. i knew something was coming and i did kind of predict the general twist, but i was still hoping for a little more. it felt a bit rushed, and i lowkey wanted the tension to simmer just a bit longer before everything exploded. like… gimme 50 more pages of stress, please?? 😂 but overall—loved. i’m so glad this was my intro to lucinda berry’s books because i’m now diving headfirst into her entire backlist. i can absolutely see why she’s so hyped in the thriller world and i will be grabbing another one immediately. would definitely recommend to anyone who loves: 🔪 cult-centered thrillers 🧠 psychological trauma done right 💥 fast pacing + short punchy chapters 👀 twists you think you see coming… until you don’t final verdict: dark, twisted, disturbing, and honestly?? kind of unputdownable.

Very different story ... extremely interesting... and wow you just cannot make out whats going to happen till the end.. outstanding... must read

Met my expectations, different povs made an fast real, I enjoyed it.

The cult theme of the book appealed to me, and the author gave an interesting insight into the way they are able to brainwash and take complete control of another person. However the way Kate returned home after being missing for 11 years was much less believable. Basically she just comes back to live with her husband and his new wife - thinking her dead he has remarried - and nobody gives a thought about the implications of this? Not credible in my opinion. The end was disappointing and rushed, there was so much potential to develop the story and characters.

Dramatisch bis zum Schluss. Man weiß nie, wem man vertrauen kann.

Didn't want to put it down, finished it in 24 hours. There is a lot of cult talk, which bothered some readers, but I found very interesting. Would recommend 😊