Swan Huntley's The Goddesses was a smorgasbord of all things literary. There were contrasts of light versus dark, good versus evil, paradise versus hell. Nancy and her twin sons and husband move to Hawaii for a fresh start after Nancy learns her husband has cheated on her. She makes new friends in her yoga class. Ana and Nancy become good friends and are soon doing everything together. This psychological thriller will have you questioning the characters; their beliefs and actions. What motivates a person to do what they do? And how can two people with similar circumstances turn out so different? The Goddesses is a thought provoking work of fiction.

The Goddesses could have been a decent read if it had the raw intensity of Single White Female as the description suggests (I did not read The Descendants so I can't make comparisons). Sure, The Goddesses has Ana, a single, white, female- and it's obvious from the beginning something about her is "off," but for most of the book Ana comes off as more of an annoyance (sort of like a fly you keep swatting away but it still comes back) than crazy. When Nancy, her husband Chuck and their two boys leave San Diego for Hawaii looking for a fresh start after Chuck's affair, Nancy meets Ana (who immediately announces her name is pronounced On-a) at yoga class. Nancy is instantly attracted to the mysterious Ana, and they begin spending time together outside of class. Even in the early stages of their friendship Ana sends up red flags that should have sent Nancy running in the opposite direction, yet Nancy is drawn to Ana like a moth to a flame. By the time Ana announces she and Nancy are "soulmates" (there are subtle references to a sexual attraction but it never goes further than a kiss), Nancy should have been thinking "Soulmates? This woman is a nut case." When Nancy does realize Ana is not the person she presents herself to be, serious damage has been done, but the story has dragged on for so long it's hard to really care. The only good things I can say about The Goddesses is that it features an "average" family (Chuck is a manager at Costco), instead of the usual upper middle class women with too much time on their hands, and the beautiful descriptions of Hawaii. Other that than, The Goddesses is one of the blandest books I've ever read.

The Goddesses by Swan Huntley starts off sunny on a Hawaiian island, and ends with destruction for one family. Powerful, sometimes scary, and emotional, this book was spell binding, and hard to put down. I found this book on Netgalley, and I am so thankful I was granted early access to it!

Nancy, her twin teenage sons, and her husband pack themselves up and move to Kona, Hawaii after her husband cheats on her with someone he met at work. This new start will make everything better, and soon the family gets into the swing of things. The boys join the water polo team, Nancy starts yoga and is even meeting new friends. The marriage she once thought was unrepairable is now starting to come back together.

Then Nancy meets Ana, who is her yoga teacher, but also something more. The two women hit it off quite off the bat, and even though Ana has a checkered past she is coming to terms with what she has been through, and she wants to do good deeds for other people in hopes that whatever God is out there, will cure her cancer and let her live.

Eventually, the two women become inseparable, to the point that it is becoming detrimental to Nancy's family, and her relationship with her husband. Nancy banishes her husband to the guest house, while Ana snuggles Nancy in her bed. The women are so close they call each other soul mates, and even deem themselves "The Goddesses", but one night, while Ana and Nancy try to do some karmic good, they end up doing something very very wrong, and the world that Nancy thought she knew comes crashing down around her. Maybe Hawaii isn't such a paradise after all.

I flew through this book, I felt all of Nancy's emotions and I connected with Ana just like Nancy did, she was a very powerful character, someone you felt you could see yourself in, someone who you thought you could trust and believe with all of your heart. Viewing the world through Nancy's eyes were incredible, and it captivated me so thoroughly. I hope that you pick this book up this summer, it was one of the better books I read this year. An astounding 5 out of 5 stars right here.

This book - I hated it. It made me cringe. It made me furious that Nancy could be so gullible, so blind. Did I mention, it made me cringe? It did. And I read every bit of it. I still don't know what to make of it.

I didn't completely love The Goddesses but I didn't hate it either. It's difficult for me to pen a review for a book that was predictable- I figured out the big plot twist within a few chapters of meeting Ana or On-a as the author explained many times. The main character, Nan, seems to be lost. Her husband Chuck cheated on her with a blonde named Shelly and her twin boys are in high school and don't need her much anymore. Nan is excited when Chuck's job with Costco transfers him to Hawaii. The island provides a beautiful backdrop for this "OK" story. Ana is a yoga instructor with a lot of secrets. She and Nan become friends- or soul mates as Ana would have it. Then the secrets start to come out and Nan's life begins to unravel...in a totally predictable way.

This book was okay. I will still read her first book. I liked the setting of Hawaii. I did not like the Single White Female aspect of it. Ana and Nancy could have had a normal friendship.

Set in a tropical paradise of Hawaii, this deep and very touching psychological novel engrosses the reader and does not stop until the very last page. Fast moving with manipulative twists and turns, it is a definite title to be added to one's must read list! Thank you for the opportunity to have read this title prior to publication!

The Goddesses
Swan Huntley
Available: July 25, 2017
Thank you to NetGalley.com for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
So this has been touted as “The Descendants” meet “Single White Female”. Now that I’ve read the book, I’m still looking for the SFW part. To me, its more like “Lost in Translation” meets…meets…. I don’t know, maybe “The Grifters?” I wanted to have high hopes for this book, but I feel like I was sold a bad bill of goods.
What I loved: I can easily pluck out the parts of the story that put a smile on my face – the beautiful, lush descriptions of Kona and the people there; the monologues Ana uses while teaching yoga are incredibly soothing and inspiring. That’s it. Nothing more.
What I didn’t love: Where do I begin? Am I more disappointed in Ana’s lies and actions? Or am I more annoyed with Nancy – how can you be so clueless about cancer? Seriously – it was bad enough when a fake cancer plot ripped through the Real Housewives of the OC a few years ago .. As someone who’s grandmother passed away from pancreatic cancer, I was getting more heated with Nancy as the story progressed. How are you so fricken clueless?
What I learned: A snake is in no way, shape or form a lizard.
Overall Grade: C-

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I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I chose this book because it really sounded like it was going to be a thriller. Although it is a good story, I was not in the least surprised at anything that happened along the way. When I read a thriller I just need it to pack a bigger punch. That being said, I did love the setting of Hawaii for this story. Nancy and her family have moved from San Diego to Kona for a fresh start following her husband Chuck's affair with another woman. Chuck is eager to get things back on track, and Nancy needs her space for a while. While they work on their marriage, she decides it is time for her to do a few things for herself and starts with a Yoga class. There she befriends Ana, the instructor. As their friendship grows they begin spending more and more time together, and Nancy leaves her twin teenagers and husband to fend for themselves more often than not. They feel neglected and Nancy can't see that she is being drawn farther away from them. Ana is very manipulative, something Nancy somehow does not pick up on. Though the rest of the story is predictable, it is a fast read that is enjoyable enough. If you are looking for a nail biter, this is not it.

The Goddesses is a work of art. It is well-written and well plotted. I could not put it down. It was unlike anything I have ever read. From the descriptions of Hawaii, to friendship, to philosophy, it was mind opening. I loved the foreshadowing and the circular ending. Swan Huntley created a likeable and relatable character, and then took her on a journey of self discovery. I enjoyed sharing every minute of that journey with her. My only dissatisfaction came when the story ended. I wish it had been twice as long!

Great book to begin summer reading season. Can't wait to see if the author has more books to choose from. Must read!

2 1/2 stars. This story had some interesting character relationships but all the build up led to not much of anything. I felt that Nancy appeared to be to strong of a character to be so easily manipulated by Ana. And then the ending was very anti-climactic.

This is a very psychologically disturbing tale that proves you can never really know someone. When Nancy's family moves to Hawaii to rebuild their lives after her husband Chuck had an affair, she decides to create a life of her own aside from her family. When she takes a yoga class, she is immediately drawn to Ana, the yoga instructor who is very wise and together, but she has secrets, as does Nan. Their shadows and damaged inner children are drawn to each other to act out a drama. As Nan is drawn deeper into Ana's web, she becomes inextricably enmeshed to the neglect of her family. Old patterns start to emerge, and her family may not survive the disintegration. A chilling subtle thriller that grabs you and won't let go of your heart. Will Nan's sanity survive this onslaught of manipulation and co-dependent friendship or fall into the abyss? Well written and hauntingly frightening in an almost undefinable way.

When Nancy and her husband move to Hawaii for a fresh start, anything feels possible on the island of paradise. However, Nancy is still reeling from a previous indiscretion and is finding it difficult to trust her husband again. Fortunately, when she decides to take some time for herself and start taking a yoga class, she finds a fast and loyal friend in Ana, the yoga instructor. Unfortunately, Ana may not be what she appears... as truths begin to surface and Nancy's own behavior starts to become questionable, the fresh start they all had hoped for might turn out to be their worst nightmare.

Although the premise is good, the book starts to drag in the middle and my frustration with Nancy's complete idiocy overwhelms any joy I might have gotten from the suspense.

I'm not sure I was in love with this book, but it came along at the right time in my life so it's getting four stars.

The description for this book references Single White Female. While I get why, I don't think the comparison is apt. This isn't an extreme relationship (which I liked.) It's an unhealthy one that slowly becomes even more unhealthy. That felt very true to life. Women get in these kind of crazy ass relationships with women we wish we could be all the damn time. Would it make for a wilder story if Ana went full on crazy and started killing people? Sure, maybe. But I thought the slow, subtle burn(out) was a better choice and made the book feel more real.

Overall this book had great descriptions, interesting characters, and, while not a thrilling conclusion, one that felt right to me. Like I said, right book at the right time.

Great read! The manipulative and tricky relationship between the two main characters was completely addictive to read and watch unfold. Great writing style, can't wait to read more from this author. Five stars.

I really enjoyed the setting in Hawaii and the story of a broken family getting a new start. The story really picked up towards the end and I had to know what would happen. I was certainly surprised at the ending and it was unexpected.

I tried to get into this book, but only got about 10% before I lost interest.

I really enjoyed We Could be Beautiful so I was excited for this next offering from Swan Huntley. The Goddesses did not disappoint. I was captivated from the start. Here's this fairly ordinary family reeling from the father's affair who picks up and moves from CA to Hawaii. But life in paradise is not what they anticipated, especially when Nancy, the wife and mother, befriends her yoga instructor, Ana. I was riveted as things began to unravel. The only thing I didn't like was Nancy's extreme snobbishness toward Marcy (another recent Hawaii transplant) and the final throwaway twist regarding an event in Nancy's past. Otherwise, I bought the story completely as though the people were real. If you enjoy a well-written, smart literary story that doesn't sacrifice plot for the sake of nice language, The Goddesses is a great pick.