e-Audio, 07:24:32
Narrated by: Ariel Blake, Angel Pean, Shayna Small, & Bahni Turpin
Release Date: October 14, 2025
Published by: Simon & Schuster Audio
Read from: October 11-13, 2025
Stand-alone
Source: Libro FM and the Publisher (I received this copy through Libro FM and the Simon & Schuster Audio program for free. This did nothing to influence my review.)
Content Warning: Rape, Sexual Assault, Sexual Content, Pregnancy, Violence, Physical Abuse, Abortion, Body Shaming, Bullying
For Readers Interested In: Action, Adult, Sparkly Cover, Most Anticipated, Mystery, Own, Own Voices, Pre-Ordered, Racial/Ethnic Diversity (Black), Realistic Fiction, ThrillerGillian Flynn’s Gone Girl meets P-Valley in Nic Stone’s adult thriller debut about two missing erotic dancers from Atlanta’s most notorious gentlemen’s club and the woman committed to finding them.
When Damaris “Charm” Wilburn, a new daytime dancer, is missing for her shift at Boom Town, former headliner Michah “Lyriq” Johanssen suspects something more than a “no call, no show.” As Lyriq’s former headline partner and lover—Felice “Lucky” Carothers—also vanished under similar circumstances, Lyriq decides she’s going to find them.
Delving deeper into Charm and Lucky’s disappearances, Lyriq uncovers a tangled web of deceit, privilege, and power. The line between friend and foe blurs, forcing Lyriq to confront the question: Is finding for these women worth the threat to her own life?
This tantalizing thriller will take you on a heart-pounding and page turning journey through the peaks and valleys of Atlanta’s underworld.
*MY THOUGHTS*
So it doesn’t really matter what Nic Stone writes, I’m going to read it. And I mean without a doubt lol So there was no surprise that I saw this and and that it was her first adult novel and I had to get my hands on it. And though I found it a tab bit confusing, I enjoyed it all the same.
Ok so the plot itself was good! We got to know all the characters, see that something was happening, and then see as things unfold with the person or people responsible. When I tell you, the secrets in this book just kept coming? I didn’t think there were anymore to be had! It really kept me on my toes as they kept spilling. I only expected one thing, but it was truly only the tip of the iceberg. Not even something that needs to be mentioned tbh. I’m sure everyone will think like that lol
I will say I was a bit confused in some places. There’s so many names! I was listening to the audio and I worked while I was listening, and because of that I didn’t take notes, so it was really hard to keep track of everyone. And then there was the fact that they used their government name and their stage name, I was hella confused. And by the time I got to the end and there was only so many people left, I was outright confused and needed a family tree.
I DO want to give Stone a shout out too for writing this strip club the way she did. So many times people are disrespcectul and gross to dancers, and Stone writes them with so much class and talks about their struggles and why they’re in that situation. She never made them seem as less than. Even through the eyes of the villain they were rarely talked down on because they were dancers. Any and every job (in this economy!) is respectable and I was glad that Stone showed that. And the way she also showed that Black women go missing all the time and no one bats an eye was also written well. The social commentary themes in this book aren’t talked about nearly enough, so I was glad Stone decided to include them in her story.
As for the mystery, I figured out who did it, but the why? I had no idea. I don’t actually know WHY they did this tbh. There’s one big reason, but that person didn’t know until after they went to this place. Like there was so many things that had to happen before she got to where she was. And I sat there hooked until the end because I had to know what was going on. Confused and all lol
This was good. I can’t wait to see what Nic Stone writes next. I know it’s going to slap just like this one did. She never misses. From her MG, to her YA, to now her adult, Nic Stone just doesn’t miss.
Overall, I give this
