This Story Might Save Your Life ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum

Hard Cover, Audio, Kindle (Flatiron; Boekerj)

Cover Wars

Kindle (Hodder & Stoughton)

German

Swedish

G👀dreads

Benny Abbott and Joy Moore host one of the most beloved podcasts in the world. Each week, they delight listeners with a different “against all odds” survival story, gleefully finding the weird, life-affirming humor in near-death experiences. Since their first episode on Joy’s experience with severe narcolepsy, they’ve been the best friends everyone wants to befriend—and thanks to the meticulous management of Joy’s husband, Xander, they’ve built a lucrative empire.

The problem is, their next survival story may be their own. When Benny arrives at Joy and Xander’s one morning to record, he finds shattered glass and an empty house. The one clue shedding light on the couple’s disappearance is the incomplete, previously unseen first draft of Joy’s memoir. Benny will stop at nothing to find them, even as the police zero in on him as their prime suspect.

Millions of devoted listeners think they know the “real” Benny and Joy. But as the hours tick by, and the odds seem increasingly stacked against Joy and Xander being found alive, not even the most devoted fans could guess the terrible secrets their favorite famous BFFs have hidden from the world—and from each other.

Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Romance

The How/Why: Influenced by ads on SM. It was just published 3-10-26 and they advertised the heck out of it pre-release by the publisher and reviews by people who received ARC/ALCs. Today it became available on Libby just as I was deciding if I was going to DNF the boring book I was listening to. Decision made like it was a sign! I ditched the snoozefest and grabbed it. Cuz Mystery/Thriller shouldn't be snooze-ish! 
I did not know the narrator was Julia Whelan until I hit Borrow! 🎉
BTW - I don't love all the stories Julia Whelan has narrated but the odds are in my favor. Quick tally - out of 13 = seven 5*, one 4.5*, two 4*, two 3*, one DNF. I'd probably even listen to an instruction manual if she read it to me! Her voice is that captivating. 

 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🎉 Overall Enjoyment? 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

🎣 Did it grab and keep my attention? 🎣🎣🎣🎣🎣

🗣️Would I recommend it to anyone? Yes ➕

🕮 Would I want a sequel? Maybe 🤷 It's not really necessary but I wouldn't mind knowing what happens in the next chapter of their lives. 

📚 Would I want to read more books by this author? Yes ➕. Not sure what she has in the works as this was her debut novel.

💣💥 📢 Content Warnings?  Abusɇ, Violɇncɇ, Mɇntal Hɇalth

🌶 Spice? No

🌪 Plot Twist? YES

👟 Pace? Very good

💻 Tidbits ~ You know how the current influencer trend is showing a stack of books and doing a Yes, No, Maybe? Well, I'm only an accidental influencer* and I don't do that, but if I DID do that this would be a strong YES!
(*I share what I like and get no kickbacks)

At 80% I said "So good that I don't want it to end! Savoring the last 20% hinging on every word". Well, I did savor and I did hinge, but I blew through it faster than a Santa Ana Wind anticipating the ending, that I didn't want to end! 

I'd call it a Thriller Mystery meets Rom-Com. Joy and Benny's chemistry and banter take no backseat. Neither does the mystery turned thriller.  

First the title. Not self defense! Its the title of their podcast where one presents a near death experience and the other is in the hot-seat to ad-lib how they would get out of it. Catch phrase "what doesn't kill you makes you...[pause] a survivor".  

Joy has severe narcolepsy. You will learn how this neurological disorder effects people in different ways. Tiffany Crum presents it gently, not with a wrecking ball like some other books dive into a topic.

Joy meets Benny at a concert where she's had an episode, passed out on the floor. He stumbles across her and wakes her up thinking she had too much to drink. They become insta-besties. 

Years later they start a podcast for the fun of it, sharing how they saved each others lives in many ways. 
Enter Xander with a meet-cute, he sweeps Joy off her feet and before you know it they are getting married. Disappointed Benny says as long as she's happy. I'm sad for Benny. 
Xander's business sense turns their little hobby into a lucrative empire. What could possibly go wrong? 

Ya, things go wrong. 

Xander has sneaky ways trying to drive a wedge between Joy and Benny.

One morning Benny arrives for a recording session and both Joy and Xander are missing. From the broken glass and other things out of place, it is clear they are not just out for a morning bagel. It turns into a crime scene with missing person activities. Everybody is a suspect, especially Benny who is on record for saying "....I'd kill him". She also had a mystery stalker.

Fasten your seatbelt for what happens next. Did Joy leave cryptic messages for Benny or is he grasping at straws? His gut tells him she was trying to tell him something.  

NO SPOILERS! Although I'd love to discuss and am kind of sad this wasn't a book club read because I could use a good conversation about it. Yet I digress. 

Sometimes help comes from the most unlikely people who cross your path. 
Quote: "Justice isn't always served by way of the law"

Julia Whelan and Sean Patrick Hopkins did a fabulous job bringing these characters to life, including the podcast clips of fans. 

🎧 Narrator: Julia Whelan 👍, Sean Patrick Hopkins 👍

🎧10.39 hours 🕮 357 pages

Extra Tidbit: The Santa Ana Winds are referenced in the book. I used to live in Southern California. We loved the Santa Ana Winds. We said both words together, Santana, like the 70's band. A warm breeze that seems to be able to conjure magic or strong wind that can create chaos. They might actually be the devil's breath (as referenced by Joy). 

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