Advanced Audiobook Review: The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens
The Hitchhikers
Author: Chevy Stevens
Narrators:
Lindsey Dorcus
Moniqua Plante
To Be Published: October 7, 2025
Audiobook: 12 hours 6 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: September 7-13, 2025
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Book Description:
The open road beckons.
A chance for them to reconnect.
Then they make a fatal mistake.
It’s the summer of 1976 and Alice and Tom set out on the remote Canadian highways in their new RV, hoping to heal their broken hearts after a devastating tragedy.
They’ve planned the trip perfectly, taken care of every detail. Then they meet two young hitchhikers down on their luck and offer them a ride. But Simon and Jenny aren’t what they seem. They’ve left a trail of blood, destruction, and madness behind them.
Now Alice and Tom are trapped, prisoners in a deadly game, with nowhere to turn. As the tension builds, the lines blur, and the question becomes, in whose heart does evil truly lie? What secrets are Jenny and Simon hiding? And who will live another day?
Jessica’s Review:
It’s been four years since Chevy Stevens’ last novel, so I was excited to receive an advanced audio copy from the publisher via NetGalley!
A novel like this can only take place in the past (circa 1976 in Canada) now that cellphones have everything on them, which includes social media, notifications on what is going on in the world, and even just to call 911! The past for The Hitchhikers is in 1976 and our couple Alice and Tom were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, with good intentions. Our “Bonnie and Clyde” are Jenny and Simon and they are leaving destruction wherever they go.
I wasn’t sure how this one was going to end, and Stevens kept me on this RV roller coaster ride the entire time! Who is going to be injured or killed by our villains next and will Tom and Alice survive? What is going to be the ‘big twist?’ The Hitchhikers is a dark and tense thriller that I enjoyed.
The ending went in a ‘happily ever after’ direction and that didn’t work for me. I like my thrillers dark, and the endings don’t have to be positive. I’m not used to this with Stevens, though I see why she did write the ending in the way that she did.
The narrators are Lindsey Dorcus and Moniqua Plante, and both ladies brought their narration on! They really enhanced the characters of Alice and Jenny.
If you are a Stevens fan, then go read or listen to The Hitchhikers when it comes out on October 7th.
Many thanks to the publisher for granting me an advanced copy to listen to and review!
Pre-Order Links:
**I just love the UK cover!**
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Blog Tour (Promo): A New Hope in the Highlands by Rachel Debrave
Today is publication day for A New Hope in the Highlands by Rachel DeBrave! This novel has these tropes: Grumpy-meets-sunshine, forced proximity, second chances, and Highland heat.
Book Description:
Amid betrayal and family secrets, a journey to the Scottish Highlands brings unexpected romance, healing, and a second chance at happiness.
Scarlett flees to the Scottish Highlands on her 35th birthday after discovering her husband’s affair. Desperate for a fresh start, she seeks comfort with her estranged mother at the estate of the surly, yet rather attractive bachelor, Edward Cameron-Reid; a reclusive laird devoted to his family’s legacy.
As Scarlett disrupts Edward’s solitary life, an inescapable chemistry sparks between them amid the estate’s last-minute preparations for his brother’s wedding. However, their growing connection faces turmoil when shocking secrets and hidden motives surface, threatening not only the wedding but their blossoming romance.
Will the drama keep Scarlett and Edward apart? Can they overcome their fears and confront their true feelings for each other? Or will they discover that even after heartbreak, love has the power to offer a second chance?
A dual-narrative, spicy contemporary romance set in the Highlands of Scotland, for fans of Elliot Fletcher and Evie Alexander.
Buy your copy here:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
About the Author:
Rachel Debrave writes contemporary and fantasy romance with an often twisty, dark sense of humour and a taste for the emotionally charged. Expect quick-fire chemistry, emotional depth, swoon-worthy MMCs, and heroines who don’t just survive – they set the pace.
When she’s not writing in random places, Rachel can be found wandering the Scottish countryside with her dog, Daisy, reading from her ever-growing TBR pile, or playing the piano (rarely very well!) with a touch of dramatic flair.
Contact Rachel:
Website
Instagram & Threads: @racheldebrave
Bluesky
Substack: substack.com/@racheldebraveauthor.com
Audiobook Review: The Measure by Nikki Erlick
The Measure
Author: Nikki Erlick
Narrator: Julia Whelan
Published: June 28, 2022
Audiobook: 10 hours 57 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: August 26-31, 2025
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars
Book Description:
A luminous, spirit-lifting blockbuster that asks: would you choose to find out the length of your life?
Eight ordinary people. One extraordinary choice.
It seems like any other day. You wake up, drink a cup of coffee, and head out.
But today, when you open your front door, waiting for you is a small wooden box. The contents of this mysterious box tells you the exact number of years you will live.
From suburban doorsteps to desert tents, every person on every continent receives the same box. In an instant, the world is thrust into a collective frenzy. Where did these boxes come from? What do they mean? Is there truth to what they promise?
As society comes together and pulls apart, everyone faces the same shocking choice: Do they wish to know how long they’ll live? And, if so, what will they do with that knowledge?
The Measure charts the dawn of this new world through an unforgettable cast of characters whose decisions and fates interweave with one another: best friends whose dreams are forever entwined, pen pals finding refuge in the unknown, a couple who thought they didn’t have to rush, a doctor who cannot save himself, and a politician whose box becomes the powder keg that ultimately changes everything.
Enchanting and deeply uplifting, The Measure is an ambitious, invigorating story about family, friendship, hope, and destiny that encourages us to live life to the fullest.
Jessica’s Review:
The Measure has a simple but fascinating premise: Overnight, every adult worldwide ages twenty-two and up receive a box which contains a string. The length indicates your exact life span: Did you receive a short string? Then you aren’t going to live very long. A long string means you can expect to live to an old age. But importantly: The quality of your life is not known. For those that are not of age, when you reach your twenty-second birthday your box appears to you and then you have a decision to make: To open or not open?
We have eight ordinary people whose lives are the focus of The Measure, and they are all interconnected! I was pulled into every story and seeing what would happen to everyone. The story is intense, should you open your box or not? How will you react to seeing your string? What if it is long or short? What do you do? How does the world react to the strings? We get to see how the world reacts to the strings and for me it seems that is what in fact would happen.
The novel unfolds and progresses based on the decisions that each character makes in this crazy new world. Be ready for some emotions, especially as the novel closes in to the ending. This is a spoiler, but can be important to readers who will want to know everything: We do not find out where or how the strings came about.
I listened to the audiobook, and Julia Whelan is the narrator! All I will say is this: If you have read my previous reviews then you know I adore her!!
This is a very strong debut and I look forward to reading more that Erlick writes!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK