St. Martin's Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of An Anonymous Girl. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Jessica Farris lucks her way into a psychological study about ethics and morality. Needing the cash that the study provides, Jessica soon finds herself tested in ways that she never thought possible. As the reality of the situation sets in, will Jessica be able to extricate herself from certain entanglements that have taken hold?

I do like the way that the authors build suspense and keep the reader guessing long into the novel. That being said, the story was a little transparent and I finished the novel purely to confirm my suspicions. The novel is written in the perspectives of Jessica and of Dr. Shields, with alternating chapters telling the story. The chapters devoted to Dr. Shields are a little off-putting, as her point of view is given as one would write in a diary. It does make the two perspectives appear totally different, so it is easy to read in that respect, but I found it awkward. The idea that knowledge is power and can lead to the manipulation of virtually any situation is a good basis for a psychological thriller. That aspect of the plot was well done and gave the book a good, suspenseful feeling. An Anonymous Girl was not as successful when it came to the characters, as neither are all that likable. I was not really a fan of the ending, as it seemed rushed and oversimplified compared to the rest of the novel. Overall, this was a good solid read and is one that I would recommend to those who like psychological thrillers and suspense.

When Jess a make up artist workin* in New York decides to answer an ad for a psychological study she has no idea her world will be turned sideways . Doctor Shields a beautiful psychiatrist is conducting the experiment . When you find out why you will be surprised .Twisty, turns suspenseful read will keep you up all night reading

4 Stars for this creepy and intriguing read. This book had me feeling stressed and concerned and waiting to see what the outcome was going to be! There is something about feeling a rush of safe and protected anxiety you get from reading these types of books.

SUMMARY
Jess is a twenty-eight year woman living in NYC. She dreams of being a make-up artist for Broadway shows but for now, she works for Beauty Biz, a cosmetics company that sends make-up artists to people's homes to make them up for special occasions. Not exactly her dream come true, but if she works very hard, she can make enough money to pay her bills and occasionally send money to help with her younger sister, Becky's, medical expenses.

Jess dearly loves her sister Becky, who at age seven, suffered a significant brain injury which leaves Becky completely dependent on their parents and in need of various forms of extremely pricey physical and occupational therapy.

When she hears about an opportunity to participate in a study for a psychological professor at NYU, earning an easy $500 for only a few hours of work, Jess finds a way to finagle herself into this study. And, to add to her good fortune, the professor likes her answers so much, she offers Jess the chance to join an extended version of the study with an opportunity to earn even more money. What could possibly go wrong?

WHAT I LOVED
I loved the Cat and Mouse game between Subject 52 and Dr. Shields. Jess seemed to soak up everything Dr. Shields said and let it start to define who she was. Dr. Shields saw an impressionable young girl that she could manipulate and did so very easily. I liked the suspense of waiting to find out what exactly was going to happen as result of these two meeting as result of a spontaneous decision.

I loved the characters!! Jess was real and easy to like as a main character. She was a decent person and easy to see as a sympathetic heroine, but she made her fair share of mistakes and was definitely flawed.

Dr. Shields was an intelligent and articulate character. I loved being inside her head and going through her thought process with her. It is not the way that I would think and so it was very interesting to share these thoughts with her.

With all that being said, I was hugely disappointed with the ending. This story had me gripped all the way up until the last two chapters. After all the build up and stress and anxiety this story put me through there was no climax or release. I wanted more!

Felt like this was pretty average for a suspense. I am not one to see a twist coming at all and I could see a major one in this book coming the second it was introduced. I'm a fan of both authors and was hoping for more with the two combined in one book.

I liked this book better than the first one. I enjoyed how it was written. I thought it was an interesting premise concerning the moral values of people. I didn't particularly enjoy the characters...didn't think they had any real redeeming qualities.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillion Publishers for the advanced copy of An Anonymous Girl. I’m a little behind, as time got a way from me a bit, but I just finished and WHOA! What a crazy story?! The craziest part is that I feel like something like what goes down in AAG could totally happen in real life. It wasn’t a wild, who-done-it thriller, but totally psychological. Each character playing off the next in a back and forth tennis match. I never knew which character to believe. Who is lying and who is telling the truth? Which character is the good guy/girl?! If you enjoyed The Wife Between Us, you will definitively enjoy this one. While it didn’t have the same hard hitting OMG moments, it kept me engaged and wanting to see how it all played out.

I think I'm pretty picky about my thrillers, but this one just didn't totally do it for me and I'm actually a bit surprised it's getting as much hype as it is. To be fair, it's an awesome concept and I was immediately sucked into the plot. But as I continued reading, it just didn't feel very exciting to me and I started quickly losing interest.

Struggling NYC makeup artist, Jessica, deceives her way into participating in a psychology study about morality to make some extra money. She becomes Subject 52 and after answering various questions about morality, she is asked by Dr. Shields to perform various tasks. But the doctor starts making her do strange things and Jessica realizes there's something more to this study.

I just really hated Dr. Shields and felt like her character was a bit unrealistic. She's creepy, but in a sort of eye-rolling way. I also didn't feel enough happened in the book. It's almost like the authors came up with the concept for the book (which is a great one!), but just didn't really know where to go with it. I know great thrillers are really hard to write, but this one just didn't hit home for me.

Having recently finished “An Anonymous Girl” by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, I am happy to have had the chance for the preview; thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press!

Told in alternating chapters; this story is suspense and manipulation at its best. Jess and Lydia's lives will be hard to put aside.

A great follow up to their first psychological suspense thriller! It does not disappoint in keeping the pages turning!

"People are motivated to break their moral compasses for a variety of primal reasons - survival, hate, love, envy, passion and money."

Jess is a struggling makeup artist trying to survive in New York and help her family as well. Along the way she has made many bad choices, but she is doing what she needs to to get by. Like millions of other people. Jess finds herself in a situation to enroll in a confidential study to make some extra money. She goes to the college and is accepted into the study. This is a study on morality and she is asked many questions that will lead to her to a scary troublesome relationship with the elusive Dr. Shields, who is conducting this study. Jess becomes obsessed with Dr. Shields, as the doctor weaves her spell to get Jess to do just what she wants. This book is a wild ride and the reader doesn't know just who to believe or what will happen next.

Murder, love, lies, deceit, in the end was it worth all it cost to get financial security, for Jess it is a question she will have to live with for the rest of her life.

If you like psychological thrillers this is a book you will read and enjoy. Another winner from the writing duo of Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Looking forward to their third book!!!

Jessica, the main character in the book, is likeable and many, as they read, will identity with her fears and rationales. This psychological thriller will have the reader turning pages entranced in the mystery and suspense that the author weaves.

An Anonymous Girl is an perfect story (filled with confusion, fears and ‘what ifs”) that one will be eager to finish once they have begun reading.

I will give An Anonymous Girl this, it is definitely the first thriller/mystery I have read in a long time to really give me such an unsettling feeling while reading it. Truly, I felt scared to continue reading, especially since you establish a liking for Jess. It follows some of the typical thriller tropes, but the twists and turns steal the show. I was actually surprised! This was a very strong book though in my opinion plot wise, however some of the writing felt a little underwhelming to me at parts and was definitely saved by having a freaky plot that kept me wanting to read. Thank you very much to netgalley and the publisher for my free copy in exchange for an honest review!

The second offering from Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen is in the same vein as the first. There’s some mind-bending deception, a couple of twists here and there, and a satisfying conclusion. Jess, a twenty-something makeup artist, fakes her way into a morality study to make a little side-cash, only to have the study make more demands of her than she signed up for. The puppet-master, Dr. Lydia Shields, has an ax to grind and Jess becomes her blade. An Anonymous Girl lacks the “I never saw that coming” twist that was the highlight of The Wife Between Us (you can quickly guess where this storyline is going), but it’s an enjoyable ride there. My only beef is the tone that Dr. Shields was written in as she observes Jess (You fiddle with your hair, you hesitate before you answer this question, etc. [not verbatim]). It almost made me stop reading the book. But if you get past that hurdle the rest is worth it.

I loved this book!!! Greer and Sarah did not disappoint. An Anonymous Girl was so well written, the characters jumped from the pages. I could not put this book down, and hope to one day own a signed copy from the both! I've put this title on my "To Read" list for 2019 that is shared with several book lovers who I know will enjoy every second of it!

Quick review for a progressive read. Admittedly, I took my time with Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen's "An Anonymous Girl". The premise of this book was right up my alley, maybe because I tend to like books that have a scientific slant to them. (If it's any indication, I read Megan Abbott's "Give Me Your Hand" just before finishing this one - so it might've been a case of "right time, right subject" when I entered this story.) And I'm very much aware that this is one of those books that you'll pick up and ask the main character "Woman, why are you doing any of this? Don't you know that's a very, very, VERY bad idea?"

I came into this book with that expectation and ended up loving it anyway.

Here's the scenario, a young make-up artist (Jessica) inadvertently stumbles into a research study looking for an opportunity for some extra cash. By inadvertently, I mean she ends up looking at one of her client's phones and ends up impersonating herself as a "friend" substituting herself into said study. This is sketch in itself, but bear with me, because there's nothing about this scenario that isn't sketch to begin with.

Jessica takes part in Dr. Shields' study on morality/ethics, answering a series of computer based test questions. Jessica reveals quite a bit about herself - in the realm of her relationships, past traumatic experiences, her struggles to keep her finances afloat as well as help her family - the whole nine yards. I definitely felt for Jessica on many of these fronts, the narrative giving ample opportunity to get into Jessica's head and sentiments regarding all this. She's definitely a very flawed character, but I still found myself willing to follow her. Considering this is a two-person narrative, it was easy to see and distinguish her voice in the mix of things. The other voice in this novel is none other than Dr. Shields, a woman who takes a rather...keen interest in Jessica. Not in the "Single White Female" sense exactly, but definitely one where you definitely have reason to suspect why she's so invested in Jessica. Dr. Shields's perspective takes a very "clinical" (meaning removed) perspective in describing her investment in Jessica as well as the life that she leads. She decides to take Jessica under her wing for more experimental tests and incentives, each trial testing the limits of how far Jessica will go.

Now, having a researcher's mind and background, I could easily point out "Um....yeah, I'm pretty sure none of this would pass IRB standards or testing protocols", but reading this book was the equivalent of watching a popcorn horror movie. All of this sounds like a bad idea (and it is), but it's hard not to look away to see what actually happens and how the characters react given the pieces that are put into play. You're the equivalent of shouting to the character "Don't go into the basement"...and they go into the basement, at which point you know they're screwed, but not how badly they're screwed. That's what kept me moving through the novel at a rapid pace - to see how far both Dr. Shields and Jessica would go. I wouldn't say it's as compelling as a "cat and mouse" dynamic, but rather "puppet and puppeteer", because Dr. Shields sets up a lot of cards and it's just a matter of which ones she'll willingly use against Jessica to keep up her game as long as possible. The reader feels like they're one step ahead of all the action and knowing things that the characters may not know on either end. It's fun to see how they come to the conclusions they do and how they choose to move from there.

I felt like the ending was a let down compared to the momentum of the novel through much of it. The conclusion - while it tied things together - for me wasn't as satisfying as getting justice for everything that the character went through. The context felt too quick and non-developmental for all the psychological build-up and dynamic between the characters. Not to mention...it's problematic for a number of reasons.

Still, I think there were many merits to this story, and I enjoyed the journey it took me on.

Overall score: 4/5 stars.

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher.

Cunning and consuming

When I read The Wife Between Us, I knew there was something special about this duo author, and this book solidifies the distinct niche they’ve carved within this genre. The plot crackles with suppressed menace while the characters are all brilliantly crafted, and that ending was oh so satisfying. As mentioned by another reviewer, this is definitely electrifying!

I loved their last book "The Wife Between Us" however, I cannot say the same for this one. I actually DNF'D it at 45%. I didn't enjoy the story line, and I got very tired reading "Is this a test" "This must be a test" It just fell flat for me, and a bit too much on the predictable side. Which saddens me. From what I did finish I rate it a 2 out of 5 Stars.

Another unique psychological mystery by the authors of The Wife Between Us.
Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen make a superb writing team!
Just when I thought I had it all figured out (a few times) I was wrong. The subtle twists and layer upon layer of deception had me second guessing everything.
28 yr old Jessica Farris signs up for a psychology study where she becomes Subject 52. Psychiatry professor/therapist Dr. Shields is conducting the study.
The study: Seeking women 18-32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity Guaranteed.
Once comfortable Jessica starts revealing her inner most secrets to Dr. Shields who has hidden motives to use these secrets against her.
Full of suspense and deception, unreliable and cringe worthy characters star in this fascinating game of cat and mouse.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading, The Wife Between Us and have read many of Sarah Pekkanen's books - 1 which left my jaw dropped for many years after reading.
I knew this book would be amazing, but I wasn't expected to get pulled into the suspense as I did.
This story is such a page-turner.
I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and my heart raced right along with Jessica.

Jess was working in New York as a freelance makeup artist.
Needing to earn some extra money for her family, Jess fibbed her way into a psychological study she accidentally eavesdrops on her two clients chatting about while in their apartment applying their night out on the town make-up.
She enters the study with no problems and is known as Subject 52, (An anonymous girl)
Jess is prompted to answer honestly a serious of questions about morals, values & ethics on a laptop in an empty classroom.
Jess finds herself opening up, no holds barred with personal instances in her past.
She becomes so entrenched in the study and with the professor conducting it that she begins to get tangled in the professor's personal life.

To avoid spoilers, I'll just say it gets super suspenseful and I couldn't stop reading.
This writing duo has meshed well and has a talent for unfolding the story at just the right pace to give you just enough details to avoid getting lost, but not enough to figure out where the story will take you.

This book was great! The plot twists kept me guessing until the end. I really liked the story line and the character build up was amazing.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC of An Anonymous Girl written by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen.

Jess is a makeup artist who is doing her best to make ends meet. Anxious in taking on jobs whenever possible, she can't help but overhear an opportunity to make money by doing psychological testing. Posing as a fill in for a college student, Jessica begins by answering seemingly simple ethical questions, but as Dr. Shields becomes more entwined in Jess's life, things begin to intensify quickly...

This book was really intriguing and fun for about 2/3 of the way in. After that it just started feeling really convoluted and rushed. I don't regret reading it for entertainment's sake, but it wasn't my favorite.