Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen are officially the dynamic duo of psychological thrillers!

Hendricks and Pekkanen’s latest book, An Anonymous Girl is UNPUTDOWNABLE! I mean WOW! What a well-developed plot! An Anonymous Girl is a fast-paced psychological thriller that is well-written, boasts fully developed characters, as well as a well-developed, fantastically, frightening plot! Jessica Farris signs up for a psychological study on ethics and morality where jealousy, obsession, and manipulation (oh, and a lot of crazy) is ever-present.

You won’t be able to sleep thinking about this book because: 1). it’s that good and you won’t be able to think of anything but this book; and 2). because it’s so wonderfully, wicked you’ll be dying to see what happens next. I loved this book so much that not only did I read my advanced review copy via kindle, but I also purchased it through my Book of the Month Club because I just need to own it in hardback. Also, since Julia Whelan and Barrie Kreinik will narrate the audiobook, I’m looking forward to hearing the audiobook version in January of 2019. I have it on pre-order through Audible. Yup, it’s that good!

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Synopsis from the Publisher/NetGalley.com
Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed.

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.

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

Question #2: Have you ever deeply hurt someone you care about?
As Jess’s paranoia grows, it becomes clear that she can no longer trust what in her life is real, and what is one of Dr. Shields’ manipulative experiments. Caught in a web of deceit and jealousy, Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly.

Question #3: Should a punishment always fit the crime?
From the authors of the blockbuster bestseller The Wife Between Us comes an electrifying new novel about doubt, passion, and just how much you can trust someone.

This was a wild ride indeed! You never can really tell who is telling the truth and it gets so twisty and delicious. I highly recommend this one. It was hard to put down!

When you say you want to read a great psychological thriller....pick up this book! From the beginning, the reader gets invested in the character Jess, who is struggling to make ends meet and takes the place of another woman in an anonymous clinical survey conducted by psychologist Dr. Lydia Shields. She needs the money...what can it hurt? But soon Jess is sucked in to the world of belief that she is answering moral/ethical questions anonymously....and the questions and her answers become more and more personal. As Dr. Shield pulls her deeper and deeper into her twisted game, Jess begins to question what is happening, but does she trust the answers she is getting....and who is she supposed to believe? This book also keeps the reader questioning....what is the real story here? The storyline twists and turns and keeps the reader guessing where and when will it end....and how? Thanks to St. Martin’s press, authors and publisher for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review, which this is. #AnAnonymousGirl

Although I didn’t dislike this book, it just wasn’t one that kept me up late NEEDING to find out what was going to happen, and as you can see, it took me quite a while to finish. For the record, I was reading other books while also reading this one. There were a few twists, turns, and surprises, but nothing that blew my mind. Actually, I found some of the “twist and turns” a bit confusing when being described, but all eventually panned out. I did find Dr. Shields, though evil as hell (presumably until the end), she was a fascinating character. Ultimately, I think the plot of this book was good, it just needed something “more.” I very much appreciate Netgalley and the authors for this ARC.

This was quick-paced and intricately plotted with lots and lots of surprises. Just when I thought one thing was happening, something entirely different occurred. And the mental insight of these characters was absolutely mind blowing. I enjoyed the authors’ first book, the Wife Between Us, but this was even better in my opinion. I highly recommend this for any fan of psychological thrillers. A real gem!

Many thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, Greer Hendricks and Sara Pekkanen for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Head games! This is a psychological thriller filled with manipulation. I chose to read this because I had read The Wife Betweend Us by the same authors. Both are really good. Jessica is a character everyone can relate to: young, short of money, lacking confidence in herself. Dr. Shields is an expert manipulator who has Jessica looking up to her and trying to please. Things start getting very strange when Dr. Shields makes Jessica an offer to be a special subject of her morality study.

I raced through this book wanting to find out what was really going on. It kept my attention even though some of the manipulation was a little extreme and unbelievable. Everyone in the book has something to hide and these secrets are exposed gradually as the story unfolds. The moral and ethical issues will really make you think.

Thanks to the authors and St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy

This is my first book by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen...and I absolutely loved it. There are so many books that are described as page-turners, but I just never feel that way about them. However, in this case, I agree. Not only is this book a page-turner, but it was so consistent and enjoyable from beginning to end.

The story is about Jessica Farris, a 28 year old young make-up artist who overhears a client talking about a psychology study that will pay a lot for participation. She lies to get into the study and then gets caught up in a lot more than she'd expected. The study is focused on considering morality and Jess is asked a variety of questions, and offers up some of her darkest secrets. Next, Jess is invited to participate in a real-life version of the study. Initially, she is excited by this research participation, due to the money on offer and because she falls under the spell of the research psychologist. However, over time, she begins to worry: did she make a mistake by trusting this psychologist with her deepest and darkest secrets?

The book alternates between her perspective and that of the psychologist who is conducting the study. As a psychology professor, I especially appreciated the references to different psychological findings that were brought up at various points throughout the book.

Thanks to NetGalley, the authors, and St. Martin's Press for an opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for a review.

And this author duo has done it again!! I could not put this book down. The suspense in the story kept me hooked.

Thank you NetGalley, authors and publisher for providing a free copy of this book.

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

RECOMMEND! RECOMMEND! RECOMMEND!! I LOVED this book. I stayed up until 2am just to finish it!!

A few months ago I read The Wife Between Us - while I did enjoy it a lot, I found the main twist pretty predictable - this book kept me guessing and thinking throughout the book.

I really enjoyed the morality questions, they got me thinking about how I would react to these situations/questions - it was definitely engaging to put myself in Lydia, Thomas, and Jessica's shoes on what I would do.

Spoiler
The only part I really didn't like was the end with the $ between Thomas and Jess - he really was trying to help her and to have her extort him I didn't really think that was in Jess' character - other than that I LOVED every bit of it!

I'll be honest and say that I was not all that impressed with The Wife Between Us. While I did race through the pages I also found it unnecessarily confusing and all of the twists took it over the top and I felt it bordered on ridiculous by the end. I'm glad to say that I did find An Anonymous Girl much more enjoyable.

We have Jess, a struggling to get by make-up artist, pitted against the psychiatrist from Hell, Dr. Shields. Jess sneaks her way into a study that Dr. Shields is holding on ethics and morality because she's desperate for the money that is being offered to the participants. I think we all know that ethics and morality are going to be tossed out of the window for this wicked ride.

I'm not going to delve into the plot much further because TWISTS! Not to mention that there are already over a thousand reviews for this on Goodreads and this book doesn't even hit shelves until January. That is quite impressive. Clearly this author duo has drawn in a loyal fan base and it is for good reason. Their books have this addictive quality that just makes you want to flip the pages. Even with TWBU, I may not of loved it but, damn, I could not put it down either. Same here. It took until page 150 to really get my groove with this one but once I did there was no stopping me. There was so much round and round we go that I do think I missed *something* at the end though.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and BookishFirst for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Answer some questions anonymously for $500? Who would say no? How difficult could the questions be?

Jessica finds out just how difficult the questions are once the survey gets started. The anonymous interaction by Dr. Shields while answering the questions at the beginning is unsettling to say the least, but Jessica needs the money so she continues.

When Jessica is asked to meet Dr. Shields in person, she thinks this will be much better than replying on a computer. I wouldn't have continued, but everyone has reasons why they would or why they wouldn't continue.

At their first in-person session, Dr. Shields tells her that the research has been cancelled and that Jessica is her sole focus. Should Jessica worry about this?

Maybe Dr. Shields can help Jessica with a secret she has been keeping her entire life or perhaps she can't help her and her secret will get out?

The more Jessica thinks about this arrangement with Dr. Shields, the more frightened and paranoid she becomes that she really doesn't know what she has gotten herself into and what Dr. Shields really has in mind.

We find out about Jessica as well as Dr. Shields in alternating chapters. Both seem like troubled people, but Dr. Shields seems to have the upper hand with her devious, obsessive plans of using Jessica to help solve her problem or at least find an answer.

AN ANONYMOUS GIRL had me tense as I was reading and worrying what was going on. Jessica's worry seemed to consume her all day and even at night.

I didn't like Dr. Shields the minute I met her and disliked her even more as time went on. She actually was quite frightening, evil, cunning, manipulative, and needed some therapy herself.

If you want to hate a character, Dr. Shields is the person you are looking for.

AN ANONYMOUS GIRL definitely will keep your interest up as well as your blood pressure.

If you enjoy a book that you won't be able to put down just because what's happening is unbelievable, then THE ANONYMOUS GIRL is that book.

And...if I must compare the books by these authors, AN ANONYMOUS GIRL was much better for me than THE WIFE BETWEEN US. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher in both print and via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved the authors’ first book, The Wife Between Us, and was really excited for this one. The pacing, however, felt off to me. The first half was slow going, though it picked up about 60% of the way through. Interesting characters, but I’m still not sure how I feel about the ending (especially for Lydia).

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I felt it dragged on a bit in the middle but the ending was well worth the wait!

AN ANONYMOUS GIRL strikes me as a subtle thriller. By that I mean it's not your run of the mill page turner, yet it quietly stimulates a compulsion to read the next page, and then the next as your mind attempts to fathom just what is happening. The writing is clear and direct and obscure all at the same time. Yes, this book is something of an enigma. It would seem that there are three main characters thrown together by happenstance. Early on, there are few clues that point the way to their connection. There are also tiny bits of information that seem insignificant when first mentioned.

When I had read only a few chapters in AN ANONYMOUS GIRL, the words "would you like to play a game?" popped into my head. Yes, the words that always remind me of the 1983 movie "War Games." It came more from the sense of the book rather than from its subject matter. Additionally, there is a subtle, almost intangible thread of creepiness that percolates through these opening chapters.

Without giving anything away, this is a tale of obsession, lies, truths and human interaction. I found it mentally stimulating and quite believable.

After listening to the audiobook version of The Wife Between Us and reading the description of this, i was intrigued but also a little apprehensive. My assumptions were this would be fairly formulaic and predictable; my assumptions were mostly wrong. While there were some predictable and formulaic parts(mainly Part 1), the rest of the book really outshined the first part. I was hooked on the story from that point forward and felt that it threw some unexpected proverbial punches that i didn't entirely see coming. I definitely appreciated the fact that the authors didn't feel the need to style this book the exact same way as their previous work and enjoyed the fact that there wasn't some crazy twist at the end "just because."

Really enjoyed An Anonymous Girl and look forward to what these ladies come up with next!

Full Disclosure: I received an ARC Kindle copy of An Anonymous Girl through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

*** 5 Stars***
Expected Publication: January 8th, 2019

Everywhere I look people are talking about how great this book is and honestly after reading it, they're right! Jessica Farris is a makeup artist struggling financially and carrying quite an amount of emotional stress as well, when she hears of an ethical study for women her age by an NYC psychiatrist, with generous compensation. Sounds perfect right?
Oh my this story was too good to put down. The story alternates between Jessica's point of view and Dr. Shield's, the psychiatrist performing the study. What I found different about this story was when writing from Dr. Shield's point of view it was as she was speaking to Jessica directly, which I really loved. It added a creepy twist on an already intense psychological thriller. There was twist after twist in this story, even when I thought I knew where things were going, BOOM another twist. I couldn't stop thinking about this book and one where I kept telling my husband, "Omg and now this is happening, and then she did this and then OMG OMG" Good luck putting this one down until you finish and I guarantee there will be no disappointments here. One of my favorite reads this year and I'm sure this book will be the talk of 2019 when it releases on January 8th.

Special Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An Anonymous Girl had me hooked from the moment I started reading it! Based on the view points of two main characters, the narrative continuously goes from carefree, to sinister, to apprehension and back. It is a fascinating psychological thriller with many twists and turns that keeps you questioning every character and what they are hiding. Through every chapter you will be wondering who can you trust? One of them is lying, but who? A captivating and suspenseful read, I definitely recommend this book.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

A great psychological suspense story. A page turner. I couldn't predict what was gonna happen and I also couldn't put it down. Book some time for this. Highly recommend!

Life can change on a dine. It can come in a phone call, a text, a word, or even an invitation. For Jessica Ferris, a young woman struggling to make ends meet as a free lance makeup artist, her change of life comes when she joins in on a study conducted by Dr Shields. Jessica had not been the intended study subject but had fallen into becoming a subject through a bit of deception on her part and the need for money.

Dr Shields has it all. She is educated, beautiful, has a handsome husband, although he might be a philanderer, and yet there is something unnerving about her. Cool as a cucumber, she is a manipulator who entices Jessica to enter the study and become anything Dr Shields wants her to be. How to dress, who to see, where to go are all under the guise of a morality study. Little does Jess know that she is being trained to carry out the devious plans of Dr Shields that will consequently have disastrous results for Jessica.

This was quite an unnerving thriller fraught with so many twists and turns that the reader didn't know who was a villain or who was a hero if even there was one. It built up the suspense preying on a person who was obviously out of her element. Would Jessica learn the game in time or would she succumb to the machinations of Dr Shields?

I do heartily recommend this book to those of us who do like the working of a well written and performed psychological thriller. This one will keep the reader on their toes as they are taken along on a journey to control, compulsion, and manipulation. Have to say I did so enjoy the authors previous book, The Wife Between Us, as well! Keep em coming ladies!

Thank you to Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, St Martin's Press and Net Galley for a copy of this riveting novel.

Twisty. Psychological. Page-turner.

We all have our own internal moral compass, but at what point are we willing to forgo it for a monetary value. Jessica Faris gets herself enlisted in what she thinks will be a quick questionnaire for $500, but the responses she supplies Dr. Shields are rather intriguing and Jess soon finds herself preforming mysterious tasks for additional money. I am not going to give anything else away because you are better off going in blind.

All in all I could not tear myself away from this book! I just had to keep going to see what the next reveal would be. An Anonymous Girl definitely gets points for being original.

Keep an eye for this book, it is one that lives up to the hype.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for my ARC!!