Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This was one crazy ride with spins and turns I never saw coming! I didn't like [the suicide aspect within this story, it's one of my hard limits I don't like reading about (hide spoiler)]but I still truly enjoyed this thriller.

I was very excited to see another book by Greer and Sarah; "The Wife Between us" has been recommended numerous times to my customers, all of whom enjoyed it.

I had a hard time getting into this one; I found myself not as focused and forcing myself to go through it. I felt it was a little predictable, which is always a turn off for me

I did finish it however, and will definitely recommend to my customers, as my experience was completely different than one of my coworkers who devoured the book in two days.

This was quite the thrilling ride of a novel!!! I will happily admit that I could not quite figure out who to trust throughout the book and I really liked the ending. It was suspenseful, unexpected, and highly readable. Definitely recommend this one!

Publisher: St Martin’s Press
Publication Date: January 8, 2019
Rating: 5 stars
ARC, library or own: eARC (Netgalley)

A special thank you goes out to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this book early. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

First Thoughts;
It is becoming quite apparent that Greer Hendricks is the author for me. It is also apparent that St. Martin’s Press is one of the best publishing companies out there. Seriously, almost all their books that I have read have been at least 4 (four) stars and this book was no exception. I spent 6 (six) hours reading this and I have no regrets.

Characters;
This book had two POVs: one from Jessica, whose POV is first person and the other is a mystery POV that’s in second person. I really enjoyed the mystery POV. That character was just something else! They were exceptionally smart and played a mine game like I have never seen.

Jessica was great as well! I appreciated her ability to remain calm and figure out how to help herself and it was one of my favorite things about her. Even when I thought she was going to have breakdown, she pulled herself back up and kicked ass.

Plot;
When can I even say about the plot that won’t give away anything? All I can really say is be prepared for the unexpected. Every person you meet in this book will throw you. There will be on one you can trust. You can’t even trust your own thoughts about this book. That is how messed up it is.

Trigger Warnings;
While this book is not graphic, it does have some trigger warnings that need to be mentioned. They include: psychological abuse and warfare, cheating (very prevalent as it’s the story line), suicide and sexual assault.

Final Thoughts;
Overall, this book was amazing, if you couldn’t tell from my glowing review. I encouraged everyone to read this book and to keep an eye on Greer Hendricks. She is seriously on her way to greatness and I have become a huge fan.

Jessica, a makeup artist makes enough money to make ends meet, but just barely. As she is doing makeup for a couple of college aged girls, she hears one telling the other that she’s going to blow off a ethics and morality study for the next day. She secretly gets the information from the girl’s phone and shows up for the study using her name. After all, $500 is a lot of money to her. The questions keep going deeper in her psyche. Under the guise of the study, the doctor sent her places and manipulates her to the point she doesn’t know what is real and what isn’t. Unbeknownst to her, Jessica also meets the doctor’s husband, who is also a psychologist. Who is telling the truth and who is setting Jessica up? This dark thriller will keep you guessing from beginning to end. An excellent read!

Also reviewed at Kobo & B&N under the name IrishEyes430

I am astounded by this pair of authors because they somehow manage to write the BEST thrillers out right now. The Wife Between Us was amazing, so good that I set my expectations lower for their second novel. After all, sometimes debuts are just the best the writer has to give.

I WAS WRONG! An Anonymous Girl was breathtaking. The suspenseful plot is tight, everything placed just so for maximum story impact. The characters are absolutely fascinating; I loved Jessica, even her imperfections, and all the supporting characters were great in their roles. The pacing really is the best because it doesn't feel rushed but you still can't put the book down. And the tone! The difference in writing Jessica's POV versus the clinical notes of Dr. Shields is done so well; they are nothing alike and yet fit together to tell the story beautifully.

Usually at this point I mention something that could've been better or improved upon in the next novel. I have nothing here on this one. I'm spoiled because now I just want Hendricks/Pekkanen novels every single year because now I know for sure this pair is the real deal. I can't WAIT for their next release!

Note: I received a Kindle edition of this novel via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher St. Martin's Press, and the authors for the opportunity to do so.

This dynamic duo does it again. Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen have proven themselves worthy of writing suspenseful thrillers a second time. If you loved A Wife Between Us then you will feel the same about this one. There are two main characters, Jessica Ferris and the mysterious Dr. Shields. Jess signs up to participate in a psychological study, set up by Dr. Shields, in order to earn some extra cash. But when the questions go from innocent to outright spooky, Jess has some second thoughts. But she persists and finds herself caught up in a bigger psychological study that may end in death.
The chapters alternate between the two characters, and meld so seamlessly together that you'd never know there are two authors. The twists and turns this story takes has you rooting for one side and then in the next chapter you've changed your mind again.

I received an Advanced Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was one of those books that I couldn't wait to get back to...was needling it all out in my head when I wasn't reading it, and although I can sometimes spot when an author (or authors, in this case) drops the red herring...these two ladies slid it in so deftly...that it kept me turning page after page.
A great psychological thriller; a fabulous ride. Check it out!
#TheFictionCafeBookClub

I really liked this book!! The first book I ever read by them was The Wife Between Us so if you liked that you will love this. At first I was a little turned off by the fact that the book was written in first person and jumped back and forth between the two main characters, Dr. Shields and Jessica, but I got used to it. The story sucked me in from the beginning and like quicksand I couldn't get away from it. The plot was like molasses...it slowly came out and had you wondering what was going to happen next. This story was very well written and I have to admit I was very undecided until the end of who you could trust.

FYI...This is a voluntary review of this book in exchange for a copy.

Oh, What a tangled web we weave! This is the most disturbing book I've read in a long time. I was so unsettling that I wanted to quit reading but I just couldn't stop. It is a psychological thriller - no blood or gore but, for me, messing with the mind is somehow more distressing.
The way the authors handled the point of view had a big hand in unnerving the reader. There are two narrators, Jessica, a young girl needing to make some money so that she jumps at a chance to get involved in a psychological study performed by an NYU professor and psychiatrist, Dr. Lydia Shields. Their stories are told in first person present so you feel as if you are in their heads. It made the narrative all that more unnerving!
The study is a deep prob into an individuals psyche focusing on Morals and Ethics. This is where it gets chilling and makes you question your own morals and ethics. A bit creepy and a whole lot of manipulation pulls you through to the end. This book is haunting - it will stick with you whether you want it to or not! Reader beware!

Wow! This was an intense psychological experiment. As an employee in an academic Psychology Department, this book was scary. I know that there are experimenters who push the envelope, but the extent Dr. Shields goes to "conduct her experiment" is atrocious.

No matter what you think of Dr. Shields' integrity, this book was disturbing in many ways. Jessica finds herself sucked into the doctor's psychological experiment which leads her to share secrets she has shared with no one else. You learn so much about Jessica, her past, her current life, and the things that have brought her to this point in life.

And how would you respond if you were faced with a spouse's infidelity? This book takes the psychological experiment to a new level. Just hang in there and you will find yourself gasping in shock as you discover new aspects to Dr. Shields; her husband, Thomas; and Jessica. And wait until you get to the last chapter...hold onto your seat!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love psychological thrillers. This was a great book, in my opinion. The writing was great! There is no distinction between the authors. I was wondering for a while in between gasping, if they were writing alternating chapters or characters POV, then I realized it didnt matter. The seamless plot didn't give me any idea who writes what part. At part 2 things heat up between both Jess and Dr. Shields, making the reader wonder who is crazy? Maybe both of them.

While just devouring this I will say the two standouts for me were the premise and the characters. The premise is an advertisement on campus to participate in a study about morality and ethics. So how the main character Jess gets caught up and attends the screening is amazing! First night I read 30% and left off because it was the start of Part 2

Overall the characters were just jaw dropping! The Dr. Shields duo had me thinking an awful lot. The confidentiality agreements, ethical misdeed, affairs, grades, deaths and drama kept me up late to finish. A phenomenal read. I don't know how anyone could think less.

4.5 stars!

Do yourself a favor and don't read reviews, don't read spoilers. Best to go into this book blind.

If you like psychological thrillers, you will love this book. It starts a bit slow, but stick with it! By the time I reached the 50% mark, I put everything on hold because I had to finish the book!

I really liked this writing duo's first book, and this one is another winner for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book better than Greer Hendrick's previous book The Wife Between Us, but still didn't think this was all that great. I liked the slightly confused all the time feeling while reading it (a bit like Believe Me by JP Delaney), but did not like the way the story was concluded. I enjoyed it while reading and wanted to keep reading once I started, but if I put it down, I was not all that eager to pick it back up again.

For years, Sarah Pekkanen has been an auto-buy/must-read author of mine; when she and Greer Hendricks teamed up to write The Wife Between Us, published in early 2018, I had to give it a try. Their debut effort provided an exceptional beginning to my reading year, so I was thrilled to hear about their follow up production.

Even though the predominant story line of An Anonymous Girl bears some resemblance to that of The Wife Between Us, including themes of infidelity, deeply-held secrets and false appearances, this novel is quite different and, in my opinion, much more compelling than it’s predecessor. As my friend Sarah at Sarah’s Book Shelves has stated, An Anonymous Girl is heavy on the psychological end of psychological thriller and I think that’s why I enjoyed it so much more than I’d anticipated.

"Presenting an unremarkable facade to the outside world is the norm, superficial conversations comprise the majority of social encounters. When an individual trusts another sufficiently to expose the true self - the deepest fears, the hidden desires - a powerful intimacy is born."

Even though I had quite a bit going on in both my personal and professional life while reading this book, I had absolutely zero trouble staying engaged; in fact, I found myself looking for any snippet of time when I might be able to resume the story. For me, this was a quick page-turner and it was exactly what I needed at the beginning of the year. I hope these two authors will continue this trend and release something new for me at the start of 2020! If you enjoy the psychological aspects of a good psychological thriller, and need a plot-driven novel that will hold your attention, don’t hesitate to give this one a try.

This has been a highly anticipated release and I can see why there's hype around it. The premise is unique and the characters are captivating. I liked that the story is told through the two POVs and I actually enjoyed reading both sides of the story (sometimes dual narration doesn't work for me). I think my issue is I expected more. The same thing happened to another hyped book, The Perfect Mother, that I kept hearing back. The story isn't bad per se, but I wasn't blown away. The pacing is good and the buildup is exciting, but the climax was just meh. Also, the the motivations of Dr. Shields a little hard to believe. The Wife Between Us by the authors was sooooo good too and that could be part of the letdown. If you haven't read their debut yet, definitely pick that one up.

Review posted on Goodreads and Amazon

An Anonymous Girl was a very interesting read, and it definitely held my attention! There weren't really any bad points to the novel, but there wasn't really anything that truly stuck out to me either. It was entertaining and fun and I enjoyed it while I was reading, but it seems like one of those novels that I won't really remember reading a few months down the road. I liked the characters and the plot, but it just didn't jump out at me.

With that said, I really enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it to thriller/suspense readers. Just because the story wasn't super memorable doesn't mean it wasn't an entertaining read! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending this novel in exchange for and honest review.

Rating 3/5

AN ANONYMOUS GIRL BY GREER HENDRICKS & SARAH PEKKANEN BOOK REVIEW
You hop into a psychological study for some cash. It’ll be over quickly, right? Answer some questions, grab the cash & move on. Simple & carefree way to make some cash, huh? NOPE.

A WILD, PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER
This book is a wild ride. No doubt about that. I instantly connect with the main character, Jess. She’s a hard worker, a hustler in the best way, a daughter who tries to right by her family & is looking to advance her financial situation. Honestly, she’s got guts taking someone’s place in this research study. Instantly, I know she is a force to be reckoned with.

FATAL ATTRACTION VIBES WITH A CAT & MOUSE GAME
I will not give any spoilers friends. While the blurb describes Dr. Shields as manipulative, that’s the understatement of the year. This woman is slick, intelligent & I spent the majority of the book trying to figure out her angle.

Hendricks & Pekkanen write a psychological thriller that many readers will love. For me, the narrative moves a bit slow. I found myself trying to just get to the ending. Luckily, I really connected with Jess, so her character kept me engaged.

THE VERDICT
I am Into This book. Let it be noted I enjoy the writing style of Hendricks & Pekannen enough I will pick up any of their books. Read An Anonymous Girl if you’re looking for a dark, twisted tale with cat & mouse type vibes.

Be sure to check out Kim’s review for The Wife Between Us.

Special thanks to Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen, St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

Oh. Wow! If you ever think about signing up to participate in a research study, you may want to rethink that decision. If not, you will after reading this book. This one is actually better than The Wife Between Us. An unpredictable, suspenseful, page-turner that will keep you up all night!

This was an entertaining psychological thriller, with twists and turns that kept me interested. Once I began reading, it was hard to stop. The plot is well formulated, like a chess game, dependent on actions, then reactions.