BOOK REVIEW: You Shouldn't Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose

A gripping story with questionable characters and plenty of twists.

I read my very first Jeneva Rose book earlier in 2023 when I read, and loved, One Of Us is Dead. When I realized that this one, which was part of my 12 in 12 by 12 challenge was also by Rose, I was even more excited to read it. Now having read two books, I think I would be able to tell a book written by her without knowing it. She has a very distinct style that is right up my alley.

This story follows Grace, who every year takes a vacation to a random city, state, location all by herself to, I guess, relax and decompress from the stresses of reality. Personally I love this idea, and I loved the location of a random, semi-isolated ranch in Wyoming that she chose to visit. However, very quickly things seem to go off the rails.

Character driven plots are some of my favorites, and right from the beginning these characters seem to be more than they appear starting with the creepy gas station attendant who freaks Grace out. But then as you meet Calvin - the ranch owner, Joe, Charlotte, Betty and Wyatt everything just becomes more dark and questions continue to form but there are no answers. My depiction of Charlotte: You are walking alone on a dark path and have that feeling of being watched, when you glance over your shoulder you see someone jump behind a tree.

The dual POV is effective in getting the in-the-moment perspectives of Calvin and Grace, but as you continue to read, you have to question if either of them are even reliable narrators. As the story progresses, we are able to learn more and more about Calvin’s family and the tragedies surrounding the ranch. Throw in the mysterious guest who went missing before checking in at the ranch in which the police keep coming around asking about, and the plot just thickens.

However, I do love books where everyone is crazy to some degree. If you’ve read anything by Rose, you know that all her characters are not what they appear to be on the surface. The character development is a highlight of the book, and the escalation of the conflict by introducing characters, encounters, and doubt hook you, and I found that I just couldn’t put the book down. I tend to be a slower reader just because of time and attention span, but I finished this one in two days!

But the problem with sweeping things under a rug is eventually it all spills out. What else was hidden around here?

Maybe a lot of the stress could have been avoided if Grace picked an Airbnb in which the owner didn’t stay in the same house with her. I mean, I’ve stayed at numerous Airbnbs, and never have I ever even seen the owner face to face. Seems a little strange, but I guess to each their own. I guess that even though she wanted to take a solo vacation, she didn’t really want to be alone. There was a little ‘romance’ if that’s what you want to call it, but it was more like attraction and lust. Just enough of something to warrant a little vacay fling. Like with everything else, though, even those intimate moments felt like shadows of something darker.

It was clear from the beginning that something dark and dastardly was going to happen when all was said and done. There is a clear twist at the end that I was expecting; however, I really wasn’t expecting the double twist at the very end of the book. While I knew things were more than they seemed and a few things didn’t add up, I admit that I did not see the final twist coming. 

Where does this land on my bookshelf?

Top shelf. There were some moments throughout that were a little more slow as she was going through the day to day interactions at the ranch. The characters were all a little off, some had reasons or rationale for their slightly awkward behaviors, others just give off an icky aura. I loved the darkness, the doubt and the thrill of this book. The ending, while disturbing, was fantastic and left me completely satisfied. It was a quick read that was fast paced and has enough ups and downs in the progression to hold your attention from the very beginning. I love Rose’s style and the slow release of information that she gives. It’s always enough to enjoy the story in the moment, but to make you question if the who and what is really as it seems, and then provides that mic drop conclusion that while it may be quick in it’s delivery still wraps up loose ends is talent. I loved this one, and if you are looking for a good thriller to add to your 2024 TBR, definitely add this one.

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