DNF - 45%

It took me weeks to get as far as I did into this one. I kept waiting for something, anything, to happen t compel me to read it more. To go weeks without finishing a book is very unlike my character, but this just didn't deliver. I am giving 2 stars for the premise of the story. I love the idea and it intrigued me enough to request it; however, it didn't execute well enough for me to finish.

The last straw for me was during one of the tests, the art exhibit to be precise, when Shields becomes irate in her head about her husband being the same cheater when she was mistaken all along. That kind of trigger response is just childish and it didn't seem fitting. The book has potential, but it just wasn't interesting or progressive enough. The character development or just characters, in general, didn't feel developed or substantial.

I wish I could have been drawn in like others seemed to have been. I hate to be in the list of odd ones out, but it was just lackluster for me.

Tense, unpredictable - like an episode of Criminal Minds.

The plot is suspenseful and well paced.

I suggest readding it during the day

“One of them is lying. But who?” AAG (as I’ll call it) is a thriller in the vein of Gone Girl, with unreliable protagonists, lots of secrets, and deadly twists. While I didn’t read the first book from this pair of authors, I was excited to get my hands on this eARC from @macmillanusa via @netgalley (thank you!) given the high praise heaped on the first offering. It’s exactly what you hope for in a book of this genre: propulsive, twisty, provocative. Without giving too much away, AAG explores morality, ethics, and how far one will go to protect and provide for their families. This will be a great beach read come spring/summer for those who haven’t yet picked it up. •
One caveat: the narrative does involve one character who is a psychiatrist, who absolutely abuses the therapeutic relationship. I am a Marriage and Family Therapist, so I feel particularly attuned to popular representations of my field (very broadly speaking, a psychiatrist I am not). Much of the time when therapists are portrayed in the media, we are boundary-breaking unethical turds - so please, if you take nothing else from my review - please know that the vast majority of us are hardworking professionals who take our professional and ethical duties very, very seriously!

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I had read The Wife Between Us by these authors last year and enjoyed it so much – I was exciting to see they had a new book coming out. Similar to that book, this book makes the reader question what is the “truth,” and additionally in this book we begin to question our own ethics and morality. This was a SUPER creepy book, I was on the edge of my seat the whole book waiting to find out what was going to happen and I couldn’t stop myself from looking over my shoulder. The author did such a great job of infusing paranoia and fear into Jessica’s narrative. I loved the two points of view too, and how they were written – with all of Dr. Shields’ entries reading as if she was telling Jessica a story. It was an interesting dynamic and created an obvious difference between their two points of view. The reasoning wasn’t revealed until later in the story but it ended up making complete sense. There were some good plot twists in this story, but while they were exciting, they may have also been a tad predictable. The premise behind this book reminded me a little of another book I had read last year, Believe Me, as the main character in that book is hired to entrap husbands in compromising situations, and the reader is led to question what the truth is and who is the more reliable narrator – similar to this novel. Overall I really enjoyed this read and I thought it brought up some really interesting questions on morality, plus it was sufficiently suspenseful. I can see why this one is a hot topic in the book world right now – I would definitely recommend!

I was REALLY looking forward to reading this novel by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. After reading their first novel last year and liking it enough, I had high hopes for this follow-up. But in the end I was disappointed. I stopped for a long time about 35% of the way through because it just wasn't interesting. The cat and mouse game Jess and Lydia play out throughout the book is LONG and ARDUOUS to get through. Too many "tests" without much action. I will say that the last 25% of the book had me on the edge of seat and I finished it in one sitting, but the payoff just wasn't worth it. I honestly was looking for a more shocking ending...

I enjoyed Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen's previous release, The Wife Between Us, and when I had heard they were releasing another novel, and so quickly, I knew I had to read it as soon as I could. The two know how to write, blending their unique voices together to create characters that are stunning, mysterious, and quite often, very unreliable. We meet Jess in An Anonymous Girl, a makeup artist struggling to make ends meet in New York City who has found an interesting way to make money by answer a research professor's questions. It's simple, she must honestly answer the questions on the screen, collect check, come back at another time and do it again. Except the questions become increasingly more invasive and soon Jess is concerned with just how much the person on the other end might now know about her. As the research becomes real life tasks, Jess becomes paranoid that Dr. Shields has gone too far, but just like secrets, obsessions too can take over your life.

With an incredibly unique premise, An Anonymous Girl takes readers on a suspenseful journey where one woman's obsession just might turn out to have deadly consequences. At first we see New York and the research from Jess' eyes, an innocent woman with secrets of her own desperate to help her family. As tensions increase the perspective shifts, allowing us a glimpse into the mind of Dr. Shields, a professor using the guise of research to make Jess do what she needs. Jess is not comfortable completing the twisted tasks, but her fear of Dr. Shields and the secrets she now knows forces her to ignore her morals. Soon Jess is questioning reality, unsure of what is real and what Dr. Shields has just made her believe. What was once prying questions is now a high stakes competition where Jess must complete the puzzle before Dr. Shields' own pieces are in place.

I was enthralled by this story, I pictured myself in Jess' shoes and as I read I felt the fear and the beginnings of distrust. She's a smart girl desperate for a solution and as we read on we realize that Dr. Shields just might have picked the wrong girl for the research. As Dr. Shields fights for power, Jess undermines her, and much like the battle between predator and prey, she must find a way to sneak away unharmed. This novel is twisted, a psychological thriller that will leave you unable to think of anything else. Pekkanen and Hendricks reveal things slowly, the puzzle pieces dropping into the story as Dr. Shields true nature is revealed. It is impossible to tell the truth, to know which character to place your trust into, and it only gets more intriguing as the novel's pacing picks up.

An Anonymous Girl was an all-consuming read for me, I couldn't put this book down for anything. I think the story line is appealing for readers, one that toes the line of believability and preys on our desires to understand human nature. It's fascinating, I've got no idea how they came up with this novel, but I loved it and cannot wait to see it come to life on a screen. Filled with secrets and deceit, An Anonymous Girl is a compelling psychological thriller that will hold readers' attention.

A gripping psychological story about morality and ethics, love and deceit. When down on her luck make-up artist, Jessica, stumbles into a psychological study offering cash compensation, she thinks all her problems are solved. However, the rabbit hole she falls down will force her to choose between being the predator or becoming the prey.

HOLY MOLY! This was so unbelievably devious and amazing! I devoured this book in a day and a half. "Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed." Absolutely huge page turner. This book completely had me from beginning to end. Dr Shield's and her anonymous study and all the crazy along the way. Thank you so much Netgalley for the opportunity to read this!

A makeup artist looking for easy money signs up for a morality study with Dr. Lydia Shields. She starts by answering survey questions, but then gets entangled into Dr. Shields marriage in a way she never imagined.
I would not recommend this title. It's poorly written and boring. The climax was a fizzle instead of a bang. It's a shame this will be so popular in the library.

Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review.

Perceptions and misconceptions, duplicitous mind games, living in a state of uncertainty and dread.  It's all about morality and ethics, and the dilemmas that are born of life situations.  What is real, and what is very possibly staged to gauge a reaction.  A game of cat and mouse in which there is some question as to who is calling the shots.  One thing is certain, it is almost impossible to guarantee anonymity nowadays.  Know the risks in being too forthcoming.   

Stunning pace, smart story line, and gripping characters.  This author pairing of Hendricks and Pekkanen works like a dream.

Loved this book! This creepy, intense, entertaining, page turning book was excellent. I was glued to my seat and couldn't wait to see what came next. I would definitely recommend this book. I received a copy from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

5 Big Stars *****

Loved authors Hendricks/Pekkanen first book, Could not wait to read this book and it was not a disappointment. Soon to be on the New York times bestseller list.

I love the book because it was different. The characters were realistic and believable

Jessica is a hard working makeup artist. While doing the makeup for a college student. She overhears her client discuss a psychology study seeking young women to study ethics and morality. The client states she will be going to a party and will be too hung over to attend the first scheduled study tomorrow morning. All she has to do is show up and answer some questions and be paid $500. Jessica decides to show up and take the clients place in the study. Each session she attends the questions are more intense and she and the psychologist Dr. Sheild develop a deeper and more twisted relationship.

Love this twisted, intense and deliciously devious story.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and give an honest review.

It has been a while since I have read a psyc thriller. This one was pretty good I enjoyed it for the most part and it kept me wanting to read more and more, to find out what was going to happen and how things were going to turn out.
It was definitely a page turner for me.

I was into this book. An anonymous girl, Jessica, pushes her way into a paid psychological study with an NYU Professor. A study on morality. But she doesn’t know just how much all of it will cost her and in the end if it was all worth it.
It kept me guessing. I read this one pretty quickly. I love a story told from different perspectives...this one is told from our main protagonist and our antagonist.
It definitely has that very scary insidious & sinister feel to it.
I highly recommend this book!

I became an instant fan of Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen after reading The Wife Between Us. This is another great book with the beautiful twists and turns that were present in their previous work.

Thrillers are not my usual go-to genre … I like sleeping at night. Nonetheless, An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, is absolutely riveting and highly recommended. In addition to countless twists and turns, all of the main characters are alternately both predator and prey, manipulator and manipulated. Your sympathies will rocket and plummet within the space of a few pages.

Hendricks and Pekkanen also manage to raise questions of morality and ethics that all of us confront on an almost daily basis. When is it permissible to tell that white lie? Are we obligated to disclose truths long hidden? Must we accept responsibility for harm caused even if the harm was unintended? Can disclosure cause more harm than good? The plot moves so fast that these compelling questions fly by, but I guarantee that you will think about them after you finish reading.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#AnAnonymousGirl #NetGalley

This is an amazing edge of your seat psychological thriller. The book alternates between Jessica Farris a twenty-something girl living in New York struggling to make ends meet. She enters into an arrangement with Dr. Shields to be a part of her study on morality. Jessica is paid well for her involvement in the study, but the more she does for Dr. Shields the more she discovers that Dr. Shields and the study are not all that they truly appear to be. Be prepared to stay up late and not want to put this book down until the last page is read!

FOUR STARS

After LOVING The Wife Between Us, I was eager to read anything by this talented duo of authors. An Anonymous Girl did not disappoint. Together, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen have mastered the formula of a twist-filled-thriller. The characters were all complex and interesting, and the clever writing kept the reader fully engaged. I read this book in two days, and although the dramatic reveals were slightly disappointing, I was still fully invested in the story. It is a testament to the quality of writing that although the ending felt a bit lacklustre, I was sad that the book was over.

I received an ARC of this book from St. Martins Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When Jessica enters a study in order to make some extra cash, she begins to question what the truth is and what is a lie. An Anonymous Girl is a story that I feel is best to go into without knowing too much. I loved that feeling of going into it blindly. It makes the story more enjoyable and you are more open to the twists and turns. The deeper I got into the story, the crazier I thought Dr. Shields was and then I began to wonder if Jessica is just as crazy for blindly going along with her. Or is Dr. Shields just that good at manipulating people and getting her way?

When Jessica begins to second guess every action, every encounter, I wonder if she is being perhaps too paranoid. Then again, what if she is right?

I loved the suspense in this story. Each interaction between Dr. Shields and Jessica caused me to be concerned and wonder what the heck is really going on here. I loved that. During the course of the book however, it felt like there was so much buildup, that when the ending came, it was a little lackluster. The ending definitely could have been better in my opinion. Overall, I did enjoy reading the book. The writing and suspense kept me turning page after page, wanting to know what was going to happen next. I will definitely be checking out more work from these two authors in the future.

RATING: 3½ -4 out of 5.

This book was a little... interesting, to say the least.

It definitely started strong. I was pretty much glued from the beginning. As it progressed, however, it quickly started playing out as a over the top, cheesy, soap opera storyline. Not to say I didn't enjoy it! It was just a bit much. Kind of unbelievable and almost unlogical. There was a bunch of times I found myself asking questions such as "Well, why dont you just do this." Or "Why is that the best answer to this problem?" It was just almost kind of a head scratcher with some of the things these people were doing.

That being said, it held my attention and definitely wasn't boring. I'll take a soap opera plot over a slow moving book with no plot any day.