I recently read An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, although I did enjoy the twists and turns and the surprise ending, I felt the book moved too slow and I found myself skipping parts to get to the gist of the story. The story line did keep me guessing until the end, and I enjoyed the second and third parts much more than the first part.

This is already one of my favorite books of 2019.

I loved the twists and turns that inhabited this book. You never knew who you could trust for sure, which represented for me a lot of the unfortunate tragedies of the real world. I definitely recommend this to everyone who loves this genre, and even those who haven't gotten into this genre much. Absolutely worth a read.

4.5 stars!

Jessica Farris takes a friend's place in a psychology study of morals and ethics ran by Dr. Shields, since she needs extra cash. She thinks it will be easy money and that all she has to do is answer a few questions. But the questions become more and more intense.

She begins to feel that Dr. Shields may know what she is thinking and what she is hiding. Jessica becomes constantly concerned and fearful and doesn t know what she can trust. She is fearful that her life could be in jeopardy.

I love these two authors! I loved the book The Wife Between Us.
Discover the next blockbuster novel of suspense, and get ready for the read of your life.

I can not say that I was hooked straight from the very beginning. This one has a slow burn going into it. Once I got into it though I couldn't put it down. It was like a rollercoaster ride filled with twists and turns. I found this psychological thriller to be very addicting once I got to the suspense.

The chapters are very short, so it is a fast paced read. This book is very well written. I loved the dialogue, and the writing style. The characters were so well developed. This one kept me on the edge of my seat and kept me intrigued to find out what was going to happen next. This was an unpredictable read for me. It was so surprising. I could not put it down and kept wondering what was going to happen next. The book ended very well. It kept my attention and amazed me. It has several jaw dropping moments.

I recommend it. I want to thank Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jess, a makeup artist in NY, hears a client’s message about a study group on ethics that will pay $500. The client has no intention of keeping the appointment so Jess takes her place. Like Jess, I wasn’t sure where this was going. Was the doctor some mad scientist experimenting on young women or a serial killer picking her next victim? Dr Shields definitely knows how to get Jess to trust her and soon has control over her. Everything is going great for Jess until she gives Dr Shields a reason not to trust her. The book is told in first person present with alternating viewpoints of Jess and Dr Shields so the going is a little slow. There is a lot of buildup but the ending fizzles a bit. I kept reading to see what would happen but the ending was a little disappointing. I enjoyed their first book more. I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for this honest review.

Psychological thriller with the old question, who is the maddest the therapist or his patients? However, throw another therapist into this situation and add their complicated marriage, add strong protagonist with her own agenda and you will get fresh and new book " An Anonymous Girl".
It is a quick read and the book pull you in from the beginning. I liked that we do not see truly black and white characters, all of them have their own hidden agenda and their own, however twisted logic and reasons. I also liked that the main protagonist is the usual person without posh upbringing and wealth, the one who we can relate better. She works hard and tries to care for her family, she makes mistakes like all of us and dreams like all of us. The book feels very real, no rosy colours and happy endings, the ending actually felt more real that anything.
I would definitely recommend this book.
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC copy.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley and St. Martins Press in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings include: possible suicide/murder, alcohol, prescription drugs, one count of sexual abuse, swearing, cheating, blackmail, and manipulation.

This was my first book by Hendricks & Pekkanen but it certainly won't be my last.Told in alternating chapters between Jess and Dr. Sheilds, we the readers get an inside look at each character.

“We all have reasons for our judgments, even if those reasons are so deeply buried we don’t recognize them ourselves.”

Jessica is a make-up artist, living in New York, struggling to make ends meet. While working on a client she overhears about a morality and ethics research study that pays its subjects. Knowing the client will not make her appointment Jess makes the decision to take her place. Once she arrives at the study she is placed in front of a computer to answer a series of questions.Dr. Lydia Shields, the psychiatrist conducting the study is intrigued by Jess' responses to her questions.

>> Jessica:She is a makeup artist, who struggles with fiances as she is trying to help support her disabled sister. Jessica has plenty of secrets and watching them unfold while her morals are challenged I was captivated.

>> Dr. Lydia Shields: Lydia is a fantastic character. She is a wealthy and successful psychiatrist teaches at a local college teaching seminars and performing research studies, mainly on morality. She is manipulative and I love seeing her interacts with Jessica.

The pacing for An Anonymous Girl started off very fast which I really liked. However I felt the ending wasn't as thrilling as I expected. I was slightly disappointed which is why I ended up giving this book only 4 stars.

"We all have reasons for our actions. Even if we hide the reason from those who think they know us best. Even if the reasons are so deeply buried we can't recognize them ourselves."

I would definitely recommend An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. And I will definitely be reading their first novel The Wife Between Us, very soon.

I've been sitting on this one for a while, because I just wasn't sure how to rate this book. An Anonymous Girl's plot is incredibly original, and is what piqued my interest; however that's where it ends for me.  I'm guessing my opinion will be in minority, as this book will most likely appeal to the masses.

The book alternates between two points of view: Dr. Shields (Lydia), the alluring, manipulative psychologist conducting research on morality and ethics, and Jess, a struggling make-up artist and unlucky participant that catches the attention of Dr. Shields.  After some initial questioning, Dr. Shields decides Jess is the most suitable to test her hypothesis formed on the bases of a personal agenda; once Jess agrees a process of manipulation and grooming takes place.

It is assumed Dr. Shields' character is meant to exude creepiness, but this fell flat for me.  Jess' character is likable enough, but is a victim of her own secrets which in the end makes her an easy target for Dr. Shields and of course Jess plays right into her hand.

Now I am all for a slow burn, but let me tell you, this burn is too slow.  I was hoping for a change close to the half way mark, but that didn't happen.  It felt as if the book was being stretched and un-needed information/details was thrown in, in an attempt to insert suspense, but again this fell flat.

All-in-all the synopsis paints a picture of a story more psychologically frightening than what was experienced.  The story itself in implausible, the twists fall flat, and the ending was just blah.  I gave this one 3.5 ⭐ rounded up for originality and the simple fact I was able to finish the book despite it's issues.

A great psychological fiction book from the writing combination of Hendricks and Pekkanen. A real page-turner, I couldn't read it fast enough.

In this book you have a crazy person (with no back story to see how she got that way) who does stuff that makes no sense at all, just because she’s a crazy person. And she speaks like a robot, especially in her constant internal monologues, but no one seems to notice this and everyone admires and idolizes her. She’s pretty good at probing people’s secrets and moral lapses and exploiting their vulnerabilities, but she was such a cardboard cutout of a person that it was hard to see how anyone could fall under her spell. I am a really, really hard sell for psychological suspense. If there is even a whiff of unbelievability I general find the book to be a stupid waste of my time. In this case, I did manage to finish the book by skimming the second half, but I didn’t find it suspenseful. I didn’t like “The Wife Between Us” either, so I guess these authors are just not for me. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

I’d just love to say that ONCE AGAIN, Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen have written the perfect thriller! I read The Wife Bewteen Us when it was first released, so I knew when a new book by the duo was announced that I HAD to read it! I’m so glad I read this one. What I love about their writing is that you always think one thing is happening or about to happen then something totally different happens! This book had everything I look for in a great mystery/thriller story. Can’t wait to see what these two come up with next!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. Thank you to Netgalley, to the Author and to the Publisher. This is the second book by Greer Hendricks that I have read, and it is the second book by her that I have given 4 stars. This book drew me in right away, and kept my interest through the whole book. There were a number of times that I kept changing my mind about who I liked and who I didn't, who I trusted and who I didn't. I would definitely recommend this book.

I thought this was a gripping read, super interesting and thrilling. I don’t know if the characters were totally believable but I enjoyed the read for sure. Their first book was a twistier but this one was fun! This book took me 4 hours to read. 4 stars.

MY THOUGHTS:
5 (what in the hell did I get myself into?!) stars! The dream team (Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen) are back!
Insanely readable. Relatable. Psych research speaking to my heart - er - brain?

I love a book that has to anything to do with psychological research. I majored in Psychology for my undergrad and I find it endlessly fascinating. In another life where I don't have 4 children and no money to go to college for the rest of eternity I would get my Ph.D in Psychology and be just like Dr. Shields. Haha, not. Not even close. But I did find her completely captivating - just like Jess did.

And ultimately that is one of the big reasons why I loved this book - because I could totally relate to Jess. Even though our life experiences were nothing alike, she was a relatable character and when she got herself in a pickle I thought - it's okay, girl, I would have got reeled in too!

Finally, I say this all the time, but I love not knowing who and what to believe and this book delivered on that. Right up to the end I was questioning everyone! Great domestic thriller! Read it!

MY RATING:
Entertainment Value: 5
Characters: 5
Voice: 4
Plot: 4.5-5
Overall: 5 stars!

<i>Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!</i>

Riveting, twisted, and shocking-I wasn't sure what to expect from An Anonymous Girl, but I was quickly drawn in and found it hard to stop reading to do life! WoW! It was a wild ride. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED psychological thriller!

I wouldn't read a lot about this before starting, go in blind and let your mind go...

**Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC to read and honestly review**

Hendricks and Pekkanen are the power duo of booklandia lately, so obviously I've been seeing An Anonymous Girl around everywhere. I didn't love The Wife Between Us as much as everyone else did, so I wasn't sure what to expect with Anonymous. But it was good!

The novel follows Jess, a struggling makeup artist living in the city and trying to do right by her family. When an opportunity arises for her to make some significantly extra cash by entering a research study, she jumps at the chance. After some preliminary questions, she's offered a chance to proceed further into the study for even more money. Only the study isn't what she expected - she gets in too deep, in too personal, and she's not quite sure anymore if entering the study was a good idea.

Both books from the dynamic duo have asked readers to make no assumptions, and assumptions truly did no good with this book anyways. From reading the first page, I was fairly hooked, though reading as an ebook made the journey a little longer than I think it would have been as a physical book. The chapters were short and intriguing. The characters were well developed and very broken in their own ways. But for anyone who's been obsessing over You lately (either the show or the book), this is a perfect next read.

"We all carry the weight of secret regrets... And we are all forced to constantly make moral choices. Some of these decisions are small. Others are life-altering." Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen, An Anonymous Girl

I really enjoy when a book offers many parallels within the story, and this book didn't disappoint. There are so many parallels with the characters and the snippets within this novel and it definitely made for a very intriguing story. It was always such a welcome surprise but would also make so much since. Not to mention, every single time I thought I knew what was happening or who to trust, the script would flip, and I'd be confused all over again. Seriously, I wasn't sure who to trust the entire novel, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I definitely don't want to ever enter any research studies, or focus groups ever again.

I'd also say I was fairly pleased with the ending, for reasons I don't want to share here for fear of ruining the ending for anyone, but you can definitely reach out to me on Instagram if you've read it and want to discuss!

When Jessica Farris signs up for a psychology study conducted by the mysterious Dr. Shields, she thinks all she’ll have to do is answer a few questions, collect her money, and leave. But as the questions grow more and more intense and invasive and the sessions become outings where Jess is told what to wear and how to act, she begins to feel as though Dr. Shields may know what she’s thinking… and what she’s hiding. Caught in a web of deceit and jealousy, Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly. review: I thoroughly enjoyed The Wife Between Us, so I was excited to get my hands on their newest book, An Anonymous Girl. From the first chapter I was hooked and kept quickly turning each page to see how the story would unfold. I had a few ideas on what the twist was, but each one proved to be wrong. I loved the suspense and the way they story was told. This author duo are so great together and I'm already crossing my fingers for another book from them. rating: 4 out of 5 ⭐️

A chance to earn $500 by answering a few questions in a study on ethics and morals? Struggling makeup artist jumps at the chance but soon gets caught in Dr. Shield's manipulative web of jealousy and deceit. At times suspenseful and creepy, it was entertaining enough to keep me flipping the pages to the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an advanced digital copy in return for an honest, unbiased review.

The moment I first discovered An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen, I knew I HAD to read the book. I read their first collaboration, The Wife Between Us, last year and enjoyed the story SO much, and I was so curious to see what new story would come in this new book. I have to say, these two authors really know how to write, and this book had me HOOKED!

Let me start this by saying that I LOVE a good book that keeps me guessing. Since I read so much, I often times manage to figure out a plot very early on in a book, which can get old after a while. That did not happen with this book. It totally kept me guessing as I flew through the pages, and I was suspicious of every single character along the way. Not enough books keep me guessing, and I love when one actually does!

An Anonymous Girl is full of interesting characters, including the main character, Jess. I found myself relating to Jess more than a few times throughout the story, as I, too, sometimes feel like just another anonymous girl. I definitely felt the same paranoia that she experienced as the story went along, though had I been put in her shoes, I would not have handled things nearly as well. Dr. Shields was such mystery, I never knew what to expect from her, and she definitely freaked me out more than a few times as the story went along. This book is full of completely fascinating characters, and everyone was a suspect.

The storyline for this book was absolutely addictive. It was intense and mysterious, and kept me on the edge of my seat as I flew through the pages. Did I mention already that I love a book that will keep me guessing?? I do. And this book totally did that. I found myself wondering what in the world was going on in the story, and what was going to happen next. So many secrets. So much mystery. Ah, I loved it!

Overall; I do believe that Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen have yet another hit on their hands with An Anonymous Girl! I very much enjoyed this story, and I really, really hope that these authors continue to write more books together in the future. If you’re looking for a good mystery thriller to read, do check out An Anonymous Girl, and The Wife Between Us as well! Both books are really great.

Happy Reading!

✨Book Review✨
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Thank you @stmartinspress for the free copy via @netgalley for review.
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Ok, I’m going to say it. This book is way overhyped. The first half was a little slow. I kept waiting for it to pick up. It did pick up about halfway through and it was suspenseful and I was so intrigued to see how it was going to end and what the twist was going to be. Then it ended and it just fell so flat. I was left wanting it to be so much more than what it was.
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I really enjoyed their debut book, and so this was disappointing for me. Especially after seeing all the amazing reviews for it. It kind of made me feel like, did I even read the same book?
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Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t bad. But it wasn’t the twisty, shocking thriller I was expecting.
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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What was the last book you read that you felt didn’t live up to the hype?
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#bookreview #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #igreads #bibliophile #thetipsyreader #netgalley #stmartinspress #ananonymousgirl #mystery #thriller #suspense

Four and a half stars: A twisty, psychological thriller that will have you questioning morality.

Jessica works hard as a makeup artist in New York. One of the things that drives her is her never ending guilt over the condition of her younger sister. Things are tough at home for her parents who are caring for her disabled sister. Jessica feels obligated to send money and help out. When an opportunity arises to participate in a psychology study on morality for five hundred dollars, Jessica jumps at the chance. The study is conducted by Dr. Shields. As Jessica answers the morality questions, she begins to feel like Dr. Shields knows her and she begins to open up. Things take a turn when Dr. Shields asks Jessica to meet in person. Soon Jessica is completing tasks for Dr. Shields because she can’t turn down the money. Suddenly what seemed like a simple morality study takes a darker turn, and Jessica finds herself in a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Who can Jessica trust?
What I Liked:
*After reading The Wife Between Us last year, I knew I had to get my hands on this latest book by this dynamic author duo. An Anonymous Girl did not disappoint. This was a cleverly written twisted mystery that will have the reader guessing up until the stunning conclusion. If you are a fan of psychological thrillers, this is one to check out!
*I loved that this book was told with two view points. Jessica’s view point is delivered in first person narrative, making it easy to connect with her. Jessica is a young woman, racked with guilt doing her best to make ends meet. She has few friends and counts on herself. When Dr. Shields takes her under her wing, Jessica begins to open up and she starts sharing her secrets. I liked Jessica and I wanted her to succeed. The second view point is told with a second person narrative. Dr. Shields portion is fascinating and more chilling. It was a trip getting into her head and seeing what drove her. I am usually not a fan of narratives that change from first to second narration, but in this book, I thought it worked perfectly.
*The suspense is thick in this one. From the moment I started reading Dr. Shields view point, I knew that she was an unreliable narrator. As her true motives come out, I was fascinated. All I can say is she has some major issues! You have to experience it for yourself. There is never a dull moment in this one!
*I liked that this book constantly has the reader questioning morality issues and what is right and wrong. So much to explore and think on.
*As the plot thickens, a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues. Who will prevail? I loved the calculation and the outwitting that took place. I also loved that during the final portion of the book, Jessica finds herself stuck between two people, not knowing who to believe or trust.
*The ending is brilliant. I have to admit, I didn’t predict the final outcome. I also liked the little twist at the end. Well done! I appreciated that everything concluded in a good spot without nagging questions, and that it was was believable.
*I listened to the audiobook version which was fantastic. I thought the narrators for Dr. Shields and Jessica were outstanding. Definitely grab the audiobook if you can!
And The Not So Much:
*The big sticking point for me was that I was left wondering what the deal was with Thomas. Why was he acting the way he was? Why didn’t he walk away? It was never clear as to what his motives were.
*I also wondered why Ben, the assistant, was wary. What happened to him??

An Anonymous Girl is an outstanding psychological thriller that will suck you in. I was fascinated by the issues of mortality and the manipulation in this one. I also appreciated that it was suspenseful and that it had a believable and satisfying conclusion. These two authors have proved that there are a force to be reckoned with in the psychological thriller genre. If you are on the hunt for the next big psychological thriller, this book is one to read!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.