Behind the Red Door by Megan Collins

This morning, I finished Behind the Red Door by Megan Collins. Now, I absolutely love Ms. Collins' first book, The Winter Sister, so I was thrilled to get an advance copy of this one from NetGalley. 

From Goodreads:

When Fern Douglas sees the news about Astrid Sullivan, a thirty-four-year-old missing woman from Maine, she is positive that she knows her. Fern’s husband is sure it’s because of Astrid’s famous kidnapping—and equally famous return—twenty years ago, but Fern has no memory of that, even though it happened an hour outside her New Hampshire hometown. And when Astrid appears in Fern’s recurring nightmare, one in which a girl reaches out to her, pleading, Fern fears that it’s not a dream at all, but a memory.

Back home in New Hampshire, Fern purchases a copy of Astrid’s recently published memoir—which may have provoked her original kidnapper to abduct her again—and as she reads through its chapters and visits the people and places within it, she discovers more evidence that she has an unsettling connection to the missing woman. As Fern’s search becomes increasingly desperate, she hopes to remember her past so she can save Astrid in the present…before it’s too late.

So, I thought this had a really good premise and I couldn't wait to dive in.  Unfortunately, I thought this veered off of the description too much.  It IS about what it says, no doubt, but the end result (s) seemed incredibly far fetched to me.  Also, and this is just my opinion only, I couldn't seem to rally behind any of the characters. Of course what happens to two of them is heartbreaking, but the characters themselves weren't likable enough to make me FEEL what I should for them.  While the situation they faced was horrible, I didn't like THEM.  Without giving too much away, I felt in the beginning that Astrid sounded entitled and I was right. Maybe the author made her that way on purpose.  I'm not sure. 

With all that being said, I still think this book will do well when it releases.  I think a lot of people will enjoy it and quite frankly, I want it to do well.  Ms. Collins is very interactive and polite with her followers on Instagram and I wish her the very best with it.  Releases August 2020. 

Thank you so much to Netgalley and to the publisher.  No review was required.