"I Read it in 2 Days!"
- Phyllis Horne
- Aug 18
- 2 min read
When My Spreadsheet-Loving Friend Couldn’t Put Down My Psychological Thriller
Libby shocked me.
She’s been my best buddy for a long time. When we hang out, we don’t trade book recommendations—we talk business, clients, family and food. This is a woman who lights up explaining cash flow projections. Who gets genuinely misty-eyed about GAAP compliance. I’m pretty sure she reads client financials even when she goes camping.
So when I asked her to beta read Vanishing Mia, I was expecting, you know… Libby-things. A spreadsheet of timeline errors. Maybe a bullet list of plot inconsistencies.
What I got instead? A breathless message:
“I read the book in 2 days! It was outstanding. Had me on the edge of my seat. I’m ready for book #2!”
Wait. What?
Why You Might Choose a Debut Author
You probably have a mountain of books in your TBR pile. Your Kindle’s full. Your nightstand’s about to collapse. And every day, someone’s telling you about another “must-read.”
So why am I sharing beta reader feedback?
Because I remember standing in bookstores, paralyzed by jacket copy that all sounded the same: “Pulse-pounding.” “Unputdownable.” “A tour de force.” What does that even mean when you’ve only got one weekend to spare?
So here’s what real people said—actual readers with very different tastes:
– From Libby (who usually gets emotional about unbalanced accounts): “Characters were believable.” “Loved Mia’s character arc.” “Loved the relationship developments.”
– From a screenwriter and published author: “I feel like I’m reading the next big thing!” “Dialogue is natural (and sooooo good)—you should think about writing this into a screenplay.”
What This Means for You
When my analytical, numbers-first friend forgot about her spreadsheets for 48 hours—and a professional screenwriter suggested a movie—I realized: Maybe other people will love this book, too.
But honestly? You’ll have to decide that for yourself. And if you’re willing, let me know what you think.
All I can tell you is what happened when two very different readers picked up Vanishing Mia:
They couldn’t put it down.
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