I finally caught up wth this title, and I LOVED it, and am telling everyone to get it. What a twisted, fun read, and the ending is a fantastic final trick. Really entertaining weekend read for sure.

Wow what a book. I don't want to give away any spoilers but trust me when I tell you that you have to pick this book up now. Right now. Forget about the dust bunnies multiplying under your bed and be prepared not to be able to put this book down once you start it. Rock on and happy reading!

After reading The Wife Between Us, I had to read An Anonymous Girl! This book was so suspenseful, I had to keep checking my heart rate. Jess thinks she is just getting some extra cash after going to a psychology survey that she finds out about while doing a client’s make up. What she doesn’t know is that this decision will affect her more than she would ever guess.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Having the perspective of the two narrators made it a quick read. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery/thriller. The ending didn't quite work for me, but the rest of the book was amazing and full of suspense.

So twisted and devious you will find your head spinning!

I am a raving fan for this duo of authors.

Disclaimer: I received a digital download of this book from NetGallery, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Like other reviewers, I was super excited when I learned that the authors of The Wife Between Us would be releasing a new book, and I could not wait to dive in! While An Anonymous Girl was good, it wasn't great.

I enjoyed the actual story very much, and I felt like I needed to find out what was going on. I liked the concept of the morality study, and puzzled over some of the questions myself. I sympathized with Jess, and found Dr. Shields to be fascinatingly twisted. The characters were well-written and the plot was well-developed, however it's missing a "big reveal," as we were gifted with in The Wife Between Us. There are plenty of smaller reveals throughout the story to keep it interesting, but I kept waiting for the big one, and was disappointed.

The ending was also a bit strange...kind of "that's it?"

This story starts out with a somewhat intriguing, if not complete exciting, premise. At first it’s difficult to figure out where things are going, but things begin to fall together soon enough -- at least, that’s what we think. I was impressed with the twists in this, although the ending does leave something to be desired. I felt things were tied up a little too nicely and a little too quickly, so I didn’t end up feeling very satisfied by it. Overall, though, it’s a quite compelling read and worth picking up.

So often when I read these types of psychological thrillers, the main character is extremely annoying. While I didn’t always agree with the things Jessica did, I wasn’t annoyed by her. She was playing things relatively smart given the circumstances.

The story was very well paced and I couldn’t put the book down, especially once I discovered at least what I thought was really going on. There were so many twists and turns in this book, it keeps you guessing the whole way through while remaining completely believable.

Note: This is categorized as a Netgalley Review. I received an e-copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. 

I’ve been really excited about this book for awhile and had to force myself to wait until 2019 to read it, since it satisfied two reading prompts—Popsugar’s “A book by two female authors,” and LitsyAtoZ for the letter A. I had read Greer Hendrick and Sarah Pekkanen’s previous book, The Wife Between Us, and found it to be an enjoyable, complicated thriller, with a twist ending that took me some time to untangle and understand (which means it was completed unexpected and I love that).

So when I got an advanced copy of their latest book, I was really excited to get into it. I had been hearing some good things on Litsy, however, this one missed the mark for me.

*****
Question #1: Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt?

Question #2: Have you ever deeply hurt someone you care about?

Question #3: Should a punishment always fit the crime?
Jessica Harris is broke. Every spare penny she has, she sends home to her family, to help cover the medical costs of her sister, Becky. When she learns that a Dr. Shields is hosting a psychological study that pays participants $500, she signs up. The initial questionnaire is disturbing and invasive. As Dr. Shields continues to spend more time with Jessica and ask her more questions, Jessica’s paranoia grows and she realizes that she is trapped in a manipulative experiment that could end in her death.
*****

I liked the concept of this book a lot. I’ve always been interested in the power of psychology and I was intrigued by the way this book wanted to look at the dark side of that power and the way it could be misused. The book examines the complicated nature of trust, between spouses, friends, and client and patient.

I liked that it was told from two perspectives, which was something I really enjoyed in The Wife Between Us. What was a little weird about this novel’s approach, is that Jess’s chapters were told in the first person, present tense, simple and easy to follow: “When I reach the street, I dig into the pocket of my leather jacket and pull out my phone.”

The other chapters are from Dr. Shields’s perspective, which are told in the second person, present tense. This is sometimes clear, sometimes less so. For example, “Still, you meet the demographic criteria of the study and the slot would otherwise be wasted, so my assistant Ben escorts you to Room 214.” That’s easy to understand and easy to read. But when Dr. Shields is describing things that don’t have to do with Jessica, the “you” directly, it’s harder to follow, because the grammar of the second person is tricky. Like this sentence: “The bowl containing them [oranges] is picked up and brought to the kitchen.” It’s makes sense, but it’s awkward reading compared to the way it would read in first person, present tense: “I picked up the bowl of oranges and brought it to the kitchen.” It’s a nitpicky criticism, perhaps, but the second person made certain chapters more difficult to read than they could have been otherwise and upped the creep factor in some chapter more than they could have otherwise. Sometimes it worked for me and sometimes it didn’t.

The biggest detractor for me, was the ending. No spoilers here, but the ending was fairly predictable and set up from the very beginning of the novel. What I liked so much about the previous book by these authors was the shocking twist, so it was disappointing to know exactly where this book was going. There was no compulsion to get to the end and know what happened, because I already knew! Not my favorite thing in a thriller.
I did like having a manipulative female character, who specifically manipulates women. This book doesn’t pass the Bechdel test in general, but the focus on female relationships and the balance of trust and power in those relationships, was refreshing to see in a domestic thriller like this.

Unless this really sounds like your jam, I would pass on this one. There are other thrillers that are more worth your time and the focus on female relationships isn’t strong enough to justify the time reading it.

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Pages: 375

Rating: 3/5

Publication Date: January 8, 2019

Twisty, thrilling story of a young woman who gets more than she bargains for when she participated in a psychological study. Kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time!

I really enjoyed The Wife Between Us, but I liked An Anonymous Girl even more. It was an addicting read. With all of the uncertainty in every direction, I didn't find anything to be predictable. I also liked that there was a lot of gray area explored.

An enjoyable, fun,twisted, unbelievable, addicting book. I look forward to reading more books by this author and highly recommend this book!

This is one of those books that I can't quite wrap my mind around how I feel about it. I didn't really care for any of the characters and I did feel frustrated at times at the pacing but at the same time I just couldn't stop reading it. I'd think "when I turn on my Kindle I'm going to find something light and fun to read and take a break from this one" but somehow I found myself reading this one every single time and what's more I had to make myself put it down. Yes, I wanted the plot to go faster and while I didn't care about any of the characters I found myself needing to know just what happened next. I also found myself incredibly relieved that I never participated in any of the studies that the psychology department were always advertising in college.

Jess and Dr. Shields were both incredibly frustrating. Their decisions were puzzling and maddening and I never felt particularly connected with them. Since I typically read character driven books this took some getting used to. However, I felt compelled to find out just what was going to happen next. I liked the changing POVs - especially with Dr. Shields' chapters feeling like journal entries. This was a compelling read that kept me reading far into the night even when I didn't like any of the characters in it.

This book was riveting, and original. When I say I had no idea what was going to happen, I mean it. This book kept me turning the page. This is such a good psychological thriller to read, and if that’s your cup of tea, be sure to pick it up!👌🏼

Second week of January and I’m guessing I’ve already read my favorite book of 2019. The Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen is everything I hoped it would be when I requested/received it from Netgalley/St. Marten’s Press.
Jess is very relatable as the hard working 28 year-old living in NYC as a makeup artist trying to make her way while also trying to help her parents care for her mentally challenged younger sister back in Philly. She would jumps at the chance to make some easy money in a professor’s research project even if she came upon it a bit underhandedly. She soon finds out the research is answering questions about moral dilemmas. She soon begins to realize all the moral based decisions she encounters every day. Promised for even more money if she continues on in the study for Dr. Shields, she quickly agrees. And from here the shadiness begins. Dr. Shields has a greater purpose in mind for Jess and the money may not justify the means.
As characters come and go we are left with a match between Dr. Shields, her husband and Jess. Cheating, lies and control all take center stage as they sort out who knows who’s secrets. I really could have used a tally sheet to keep up. It was a tightly woven plot with all of my questions answered by the end. What more can you hope for in a mystery/thriller!
I thoroughly enjoyed this unique storyline. Greer and Pekkanen have dazzled me once more with their plot, characters and twists. While reading I wanted to shout at Jess to not make the wrong move but secretly hoped that she would just so I could see what would happen.
I'd like to thank St. Martin’s books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Come into my lair, said the spider to the fly.

Jessica Farris is under a lot of stress, and she has a head full of secrets that she is afraid could bury her. It’s a lot to carry around, especially at such a tender age. She’s constantly worried about money, and so when she sees an opportunity to make easy money by taking a psychological survey, she leaps on it. And at first, it seems too good to be true.

I was invited to read and review this hair-on-fire novel by Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press. It’s for sale now.

The study involves morally ambiguous questions. When is it acceptable to lie? When is it acceptable to know something that’s important to someone you care about, yet choose not to share that knowledge? At the outset, the study appears to be scholarly and philosophical. And when Dr. Shields, the study’s author, invites Jessica to participate in field work for additional compensation, she can’t believe her good luck. But from there, things escalate, and before she knows it, Jessica is perched on the edge of the inferno, and Dr. Shields is inching up behind her with outstretched fingertips.

Just at the moment that I grow impatient with Jessica’s helplessness and naiveté, she clues in and tries to work out a game plan, but it’s an unfair contest, because Dr. Shields has so much more money and knowledge. It’s like watching a heavyweight and a Bantam weight in the ring together; all that the smaller, less powerful contender has on her side is agility.

The story is told using alternating narratives, primarily between Dr. Shields and Jessica with occasional input from Thomas, Dr. Shields’s husband. The chapters are quick ones, and the pacing is accelerated to where I sometimes forgot to breathe. Every time I think I see where the authors are headed, it turns out to be a red herring, and yet there are no gimmicks or unfair tricks used to deceive the reader. It’s all right there.

Highly recommended.

The beginning of the book is fast paced and cloaked in mystery. I found myself flipping pages faster than I could read trying to discover the next step of Dr. Shields test. Once the reader discoverers the reason behind Dr. Shields test the book slows down. The writing and psychology is still top notch but the mystery element no longer exist. Over all I enjoyed the novel and look forward to the next book by this duo. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

An Anonymous Girl was highly entertaining, a little twisty and perfect for a quick thriller read. While it wasn’t anything unique, it still had me guessing. I loved all of the unreliable characters and the back and forth of trying to figure out who the unreliable one actually was.

Thank you to netgalley and st martins press for the free ebook.

Wow, this story intrigued me from page one. This is about Jess, who gets involved in a morality experiement..that gets out of control.

I read The Wife Between Us last year and quickly become a fan of this writing pair. They definitely delivered with their second novel. I liked the way the story was set up- giving you just a little bit of information at a time. This alternates between two perspectives and definitley keeps you guessing. The only problem I had with it was that I didn’t love the ending. I felt like the final actions of the main character (Lydia ) was not consistent with her prideful nature that was portrayed through the book.

A manipulating psychological thriller

An Anonymous Girl starts with Jessica Farris, a makeup artist, going to a client’s house. She is having a very ordinary day when she hears her client talking about a survey that pays a lot of money for answering a couple of anonymous questions. Her client says she won’t be attending and Jessica decides to go in her place, taking advantage of this chance to earn some extra money.

Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed.

Jessica enters the study. She doesn’t receive a lot of information, only that she is about to enter a study by Dr. Shield’s and she’ll be asked to fill in a questionnaire about ethics and morality. Her answers will be completely anonymous. Jessica walks into a room with only a chair and a desk with a computer. The questions appear on the computer screen.

Question #1: Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt?

Jessica answers the questions truthfully and it doesn’t take long before she starts to tell some of her deepest secrets, feeling safe and anonymous. But what happens when the person typing the questions begins to respond to her answers? It is like Dr. Shield’s is talking to her personally. During the second session, Dr. Shield’s asks Jessica if she is willing to expand her participation in the study. Significantly more will be asked of her, but this would also mean she will earn a lot more money. When Jessica decides to take the study to the next level, she is pulled into a web of manipulation, revenge and jealousy and it’s making her paranoid.

Question #2: Have you ever deeply hurt someone you care about?

The chapters of An Anonymous Girl alternate between the story of Jessica and the story of Dr. Shields. We get to know both women, their motives and the way they think. Dr. Shields is a renowned psychologist ans Jessica is a young woman who carries a big secret. The moment they meet each other, Jessica’s life changes. Is Dr. Shields dangerous or just really interested in her? And what are her plans exactly with the answers Jessica has given?

Question #3: Should a punishment always fit the crime?

An Anonymous Girl is a fast-paced thriller about trust, obsession, betrayal and manipulation. The characters have depth and as a reader you feel like you’re getting to know them quite well. The story is dark and suspenseful and the book was impossible to put down.. I had to know what motives drove Dr. Shields. The ending wasn’t what I hoped it would be, but the story itself was amazing.

4 out of 5 stars.