An Anonymous Girl is about a girl that participates in a morality survey, and then things begin to spiral out of control.

This book was amazing! It had me anxious the entire time, wondering what was going to happen next! This is one of the few books where I wasn't disappointed with the ending. Usually I feel like there should be more, or some type of explanation of what happens next, but not with this one! This is my second book by this duo, and while I liked The Wife Between Us, this book was so much more satisfying!

Absolute must read! It is one of the top five books I've read this year! Thank you #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress! Everyone be sure to grab your copy January 8th!

An Anonymous Girl was great and I loved this on-edge psychological thriller!

Jessica sneaks into a psychological study on Morals & Ethics, with the promise of cash! Instantly you're left questioning both those things with the unusual decision. What starts as two afternoon computer based questionnaires quickly escalates, as does the payment to be involved in the "study", but is it still a study when you're the only one involved? What about when you're sent on missions, to benefit the observer? Things quickly take a voyeuristic turn in this creepy thriller, as Jessica is drawn into the personal life of Dr Shields.

I am expecting this book by Pekkanen and Hendricks will be made into a movie quite swiftly. After success with The Wife Between Us, this talented duo is on a roll, whatever they are doing, they should keep doing this, because these to novels, released in quick successions are both brilliant (in my opinion). Keep them coming ladies!

This would be a great option for those who enjoyed Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware, The Wife Between Us (written by the same authors).

**I received this book from Netgalley for the purpose to read and provide an unbiased review.

Once again, this amazing author duo has spun a tale that makes you question what you are reading and what you think you know about the characters within the pages. Their first book, The Wife Between Us, blew me away and this one had the same effect on me.

I was constantly questioning what Dr. Shield's motives were and what she was trying to accomplish by her 'study'. As the doctor's questions and requests become more manipulative, Jessica has real reasons to be concerned but it may be too late to get out. Such a twisted mind. Such a twisted story. And I loved it!

An Anonymous Girl is the perfect psychological suspense read because you really won't be able to guess how it ends. And you will not want to put it down. If this is a genre you like to read, you're going to love An Anonymous Girl.

I was excited to read this book after hearing so much about it, and it did not disappoint! "An Anonymous Girl" is the story of Jessica, who signs up to take part in a study at a university conducted by Dr. Shields, on morality. What is initially supposed to be just answering some personal questions on a computer soon turns into Dr. Shields asking Jessica to participate in actual assignments out in the field, so to speak, in which Jessica is orchestrated to look, act, and behave in a certain way. As Jessica gets further and deeper into participation in the study, and disclosing more and more of her personal information to Dr Shields, and begins to experience the ramifications of her study participation negatively impacting her personal life, she begins to do some investigating on her own into Dr Shields that culminates in a climactic ending. This book moved quickly, with many twists and turns, and I had a hard time putting it down! Alternating between the voices of Jessica and Dr Shields in the story-telling, the authors give you a good sense of the history of both main characters, and what it is that drives them into the present story-line. I highly recommend this book, and can't wait for the next one from these authors! Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed these two authors first collaboration in The Wife Between Us so I was excited to get my eyes on an advanced copy of this one.

Guess what?

You can get your hands on it too thanks to this being one of the selections for Book of the Month.

This book kept me up until the wee hours of the night and I was completely hooked within the very first chapter.

Jessica works as a freelance makeup artist and ends up doing a job for a woman that completely changes her path. When she overhears that her client is planning to turn down a psychology study that is paying a good sum of money, Jessica decides to turn up in her spot to see if she can take her place.

In a room alone, the survey on the computer begins with, “Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt?”

That is just the opening question though and the questions start to become more and more invasive.

The thing is, Jessica starts to enjoy answering these questions and since she is doing such an incredible job, the doctor conducting study asks if she can assist in further research.

The money is too good to pass up and this is how Jessica finds herself becoming more and more paranoid as she worries that things happening in her daily life are really her being tested in the study.

Jessica could never guess though just what Dr. Shields is really up to and, at times, neither can the reader.

This is a smart psychological thriller with a well-thought plot. If you love Black Mirror, I have a feeling you will love this one as it toys with the moral compass and what happens when we choose the wrong keeper to our secrets.

An Anonymous Girl

A compelling psychological suspense novel that draws you in with a survey on ethics and morality and keeps you on the edge of your seat as the survey turns into a dangerous experiment.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
When Jessica Farris, a striving make-up artist, signs up for a psychological 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 the questions are about morality and ethics and quickly become intense and invasive. “Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt?” is only the first of many she has been instructed to answer honestly. She does and then she is invited back for more. Jesse accepts because really needs the money to make ends meet. Eventually Jesse meets with Dr. Shields directly, and Jesse therapeutically shares some of her deepest secrets with her. Next their sessions become outings where Jesse is told what to wear and how to act. She begins to feel as though she may have told Dr. Shields to much. Dr. Shields seems knows exactly what she’s thinking and what she’s hiding. As Jessie‘s paranoia grows it becomes clear that she can no longer trust what is real and what is one of Dr. Shields experiments. Caught in the web of deceit and jealousy, Jesse quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly. AN ANONYMOUS GIRL was written by the authors of the bestselling thriller The Wife Between Us, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen.


REVIEW
This book took my breath away. My heart was racing when I closed the back cover. It’ a perfect book to read in the winter while next to a warm fire and covered in a soft cuddly blanket. You are going to need the comfort, because it gets crazy.

AN ANONYMOUS GIRL is a haunting tale, where Dr. Shields is always two plays ahead of Jesse in a game of chess. Jesse frustration and angst was palpable. You can’t help but cheer for her, and hope she wins.

The story was skillful crafted and carefully plotted. It was totally enthralling and hard to put down. Chapters narration alternates between Jessica and Dr. Shields. point of view. The writing was superbly detailed with descriptions of settings, clothing, and dialog. The main characters were intriguing from the very first page. I loved Jess and her vulnerabilities, which is what propel this story and made it so good. It a dark and suspenseful story of love and betrayal, and ethics, morality and obsession. Put this on your 2019 reading list now.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Publisher St. Martin’s Press
Published January 5, 2019
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

To be posted to my blog, http://readwithallison.com

Hello, fellow readers! It has been several hours since I finished An Anonymous Girl, and I finally feel like I am able to put my thoughts in to words. I am sad to say that I missed Hendricks and Pekkanen's debut release, The Wife Between Us, but I will definitely be adding it to my TBR after finishing their second book.

I was provided an ARC of this title from St. Martin's Press in exchange for my honest review.

Description: Jess is a down on her luck young woman living in New York and working as a makeup artist. Her parents think she is working on Broadway, but she is too embarrassed to tell them the truth about her current job. During one of her makeup sessions with two college girls, Jess learns about a psychology study at the local university. The study pays very well, and Jess is desperate for money. Jess shows up to the study the next day and manages to talk her way in to the study with the mysterious Dr. Shields. The study begins innocently enough with Jess answering open ended questions on a computer in an empty classroom. Jess really begins to open up to Dr. Shields. Eventually Jess is the sole focus of this study on ethics and morality and is pulled in to a twisty game of lies and deceit.

What I Liked: The book alternates between Jess and Dr. Shields' perspectives, which kept the story fast paced. It was interesting to know what was going on from both sides of the story, especially for a psychological suspense novel. Every time I thought I had figured out the story, the next chapter would drop a bombshell and I was clueless all over again!

Dr. Shields was a fascinating character because you never knew her next move. I was constantly surprised by each plot twist (and there were alot of them!), but the story never felt complicated.

What I Didn't Like: The book is a little on the long side at 371 pages, but I never felt bored while reading it. But given the length of the book and the slow burn leading up the ending, I was a little let down by how the story wraps up so quickly.

Final Thoughts: An Anonymous Girl was one of my top ten books of 2018. I gave this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. Hendricks and Pekkanen really nailed the story and kept me guessing until the very end.

I thought this description sounded unusual so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this novel but I really enjoyed The Wife Between Us so I was excited to find out. While very different from their last book this is a great read and much better than I thought the blurb sounded. Jess is a young woman working hard to make ends meet when she finds an unexpected chance to make some money. That decision puts her in a research study with Dr. Shields. Jess will find herself delving into situations where honesty and morality intersect. While I think more straight forward than their last book this novel will certainly have you wondering who you can trust. In many ways Jess is not always the most sympathetic of narrators but she makes for a very compelling character as she is thrust into a situation that will put her in a difficult, perhaps even dangerous, situation. This was a quick read and very different from the plot of most novels in this category so it will easily hold your attention as you follow Jess and hope she can save herself.

“I have no idea if I’m traveling down the right path now. I’m hopscotching through a minefield.”

After 14 years of living in one place, our landlord increased our rent by 35% (as a “re-assessment”). The night before the move, with so much still to pack, I found myself engrossed in An Anonymous Girl and was literally unable to put it down!!

“Uncertainty is an excruciating state in which to exist.”

The beginning of this book grabbed me right away with an ironic twist. Jessica Farris is a make-up artist in need of money. She sneaks a look at her client’s phone to get the details for a psychology study that will pay $500 and the next day, she becomes an official participant in the research project. The funny thing is it’s a study about Morality/Ethics and Jessica was devious in finding out the study details and was duplicitous in gaining admission into it. A second irony is that Dr. Shield’s attitudes and behavior is even more questionable in terms of morality and ethics. Is this a social commentary that people are drawn to an occupation and study areas that are especially relevant to their own issues? Many have postulated that such a link does exist.

The interplay between Dr. Shields, who heads up the study, and Jessica is fascinating and suspenseful, facilitated by alternating first person narratives. Just when you think you have figured it out, you encounter an unexpected twist.

Following the success of The Wife Between Us, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen set themselves a high bar to write as compelling a psychological thriller for their second book. Yet they were able to achieve an equally enjoyable read in my opinion.

An Anonymous Girl is an extremely well-executed cat-and-mouse psychological thriller that will keep you frantically turning page after page until you reach the satisfying conclusion. Hendricks and Pekkanen are masters at suspenseful thrillers and I am on the edge of my seat awaiting their next book!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

The more I read thrillers, the more I realize they are just not for me. With that said, I did enjoy this one. It had you guessing on who was crazy, who was sane, who was involved, and who was just an innocent bystander. If you love thrillers, I highly recommend this one!

Full disclosure, I couldn't finish this book. I got about 30% in and I'm just so bored by the plot, so unconvinced by the bad writing and unbelievable characters, that I just can't be bothered to waste more time. As some others have said, it reads like a crappy Hallmark Channel movie with really bad actors. The second person narration chapters are just ridiculous. I'd say dint waste your time, but so many people seem to love this book that I guess it's say give it a try - maybe I just didn't connect for whatever reason!

Jessica volunteers to participate in a study of ethics and morality. In the beginning it is interesting and even enjoyable. However, over time, Jessica starts to feel that there is a darker reason for this study.

This book makes me never want to participate in any kind of study. I was hooked from the beginning. I did lose interest a little in the middle but the ending helped wrap everything back up. I am not a fan of the writing style but I appreciate that it was necessary for the storyline to switch Jessica and the therapist. To me, it caused the pacing to slow, We would hear from Jessica and then the same event through the eyes of the therapist.

I would still recommend this as it was enjoyable and I did not want to put it down.

Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen have done it again! Just like their first novel, The Wife Between Us, An Anonymous Girl is a book you can't put down once you start reading it, but this one is even better if that's possible!

This is creepy story of obsession with some likeable, and some not-so-likeable, characters that will have you thinking...would you make the same choices as Jess? Does your moral compass always point true north?

This book will definitely teach you to read the fine print before joining any research project. Plus, check out who's doing the study beforehand. After all, this chilling tale could have been a real life nightmare in this twisted world we live in.

Thanks to the publisher for an early copy of this fantastic book! I'll definitely be buying the final version on Audible. Can't wait to listen to it.

Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, Authors of “An Anonymous Girl” have written a unique, intense, intriguing, page turning, captivating, riveting and enthralling novel. The Genres for this Novel are Thriller, Fiction, Mystery and Suspense. The authors describe the dysfunctional characters as complex and complicated. The time-line for the story is in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events in the story. Kudos to St.Martin’s Press for their outstanding and motivational marketing strategies.

Jessie Farris is working as a Beauty Consultant for Beauty Buzz to make ends meet and help her parents and handicapped sister. While doing the make-up for two college girls, she notices a text message on one of their phones that there is an opportunity to make money by answering a psychological questionnaire. Jessie takes the information down, when her client steps out of the room, and takes a chance and shows up to answer the questions and get the money. This is a Psychological Profile that deals with issues of morality. The Psychiatrist in charge is Dr. Shields.

Jessie is called back to answer more intense questions. Dr. Shields wants to meet Jessie in person and Jessie finds herself doing things that don’t make her comfortable and could be dangerous. The more that Jessie interacts with Dr. Shield, she finds very strange and questionable disturbances. This gets to be very intense and I found myself getting extremely anxious. It is like a game of chess, or a game of cat and mouse, and someone has to be one step ahead of the other. There are twists and turns, and highs and lows. What price is to be paid for playing the game? Is the money worth the danger? I highly recommend this emotional and fierce novel for readers who enjoy thrillers. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

4 riveting stars to An Anonymous Girl!
🌟🌟🌟🌟
I absolutely adored The Wife Between Us so I was ecstatic to get my hands on a copy of Anonymous Girl this summer. I held on to it, aiming to wait closer to its publication date but I just couldn’t wait any longer!
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Jessica is a hardworking single girl always looking for ways to score a buck. She signs up for a psychology study, thinking of the extra money it will bring her. Little does she know this study will lead her down a dangerous path and envelop her in a web of deceit.
🌟🌟🌟🌟
This was a riveting, on the edge of my seat, can’t-put-it-down story. I read it in a matter of hours, completely shutting out my real life. I absolutely devoured it, growing frustrated when real life intervened. While not as twisty or unexpected as The Wife Between Us, this was a fabulous psychological thriller that takes the reader on a suspenseful journey. Thank you @stmartinspress for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review. An Anonymous Girl hits shelves January 8th!

This is a book you are going to want to read twice. It was full of twists that I didn't see coming. Every time I thought I knew where it was going, surprise twist.

Jessica is a makeup artist who works for a company that sends her out to clients’ homes to do their makeup. On an assignment, she talks to her client and learns about a study that will pay the participants well. In need of money, she decides to take the other woman’s place in the university study. She meets Dr. Shields, the psychiatrist who is conducting the study. After Jessica answers some questions, Dr. Shields decides to recruit her for a ‘study’ that is sort of off the books.

Dr. Shields is a creepy woman to say the least. She is always plotting things in her mind and she’s manipulating Jessica to do something, but the reader doesn’t know what until late in the book. Suffice it to say that the character of Dr. Shields is very creepy and evil. She is extremely good at manipulating the people around her.
Jessica is sent on more and more ‘assignments’ for Dr. Shields, while even her family begins to get drawn into the game. Will she figure it all out in time to save herself and her family?

This was one great psychological thriller! I thought it began slowly at first, but things get going and the reader becomes very wrapped up in the story. You just have to know what’s going to happen next. And you find yourself rooting for Jessica. And, what’s the deal with Dr. Shields’ ex-husband?

I think this is one that deserves five stars and a very high recommendation. It definitely keeps you on your toes and you will be guessing until the end. Great read!

4.5 stars

I loved this book so much! I was hooked from the start and until the very end, this book kept me on the edge of my seat. If you're into psychological suspenses or you would like to try it out, I recommend it (even though I haven't read a lot of them, I'm getting more and more interested in them).

This book was compelling as you follow Jessica, a young make-up artist who gets to answer some peculiar questions about morality & ethics. This research is done by a psychiatrist. That's all I'm going to tell you about this book. Honestly, I think it's best to start reading without knowing too much about it. :)

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me a digital copy in exchange for my review.

AN ANONYMOUS GIRL was an interesting read. I wanted to fly through this book, but for some reason every time I would read a chapter I would feel anxiety in my spirit. (Is that crazy?) I’m not sure what I expected going into this one, but the authors made sure to bring the psychological thriller out in full force.

To give some background Jess, a makeup artist, is struggling to make ends meet when she forces her way into a study given by the mysterious Dr. Shields. She harbors major childhood guilt and wants to help her family anyway she can. After a few sessions she discovers how truly disturbing and dishonest this doctor is.

I enjoyed this book. Not only does it show the power struggle between an intelligent doctor who has a wealth of money at her finger tips, but it also shows the working class artist who is trying her best to stay afloat day by day. The authors allows us into the minds of both women by providing a dual point of view. You “see” the wheels spinning in each scenario and that is what made me stick with the book until the very end.

One thing that angered me (in a good way though) sooooo much was how vindictive and mean Dr Shields was. She’s the type of person you would call evil. Situation after situation you are thrust into her exhausting plan and it really never comes to a conclusion. It just stops! Great writing by both authors!

Jumping on the band wagon!

Believe all the hype! What a fantastic psychological thriller! I would grab my pogo stick and hop to my heart’s content, but the band wagon is jam-packed and there’s no room for the thing. That’s okay; I’ll just have to hop in my head instead.

How it starts. Bam! Juicy from page 1! (Hopping in my head already.) Jessica needs money so she joins a psychology study. Sounds innocent enough, right? She has to answer questions about morality, and they immediately get under her skin. She thinks seriously about every one. Hm… do I need to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth—or should I lie like a rug? And how much should I reveal to these perfect strangers? Do I want to pour my heart out to a computer? It was easy to imagine how she felt—you go into this study to earn a few bucks, and pow, all the sudden you find yourself being asked all these personal questions. Squirmy time. Plus, sometimes the computer would comment on her answer—asking her to dig deeper, for example—which was just plain creepy. Was there a person behind that screen?

I was a goner. Man, the questions, were they ever interesting! I wondered how I would answer them. I found myself galloping down memory lane, remembering tough moral dilemmas that I had conveniently forgotten about. Oops! I’d catch myself and return to the page. Wait a minute, I’m reading a book here. Must find out what happens next!

Psychology fest: It’s soon clear that Jessica is being singled out. It’s at this point that the psychiatrist, Dr. Shields, enters the picture.

I’m a sucker for books about psychiatrists. I can’t help it; they make my Psych-minor blood cells dance. Dr. Shields is a piece of work. She’s obsessive, manipulative, relentless, and oh so clever. She talks smart—very sophisticated and articulate—and she’s always steps ahead of Jessica and the reader. She is expert at messing with your head. She has some big plan, but good luck trying to figure out what it is. I loved how she talked psychology, analyzing everything in everybody’s head.

Jessica is in over her head. Turns out Jessica has signed up for much more than just a survey. She gets in deeper and deeper. What keeps her going is the high pay. Dr. Shields makes her go on very strange and uncomfortable missions without explaining anything—these setups were so cool, I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what would happen next. Another person enters the picture and their agenda is suspect, too. So twisty and fun! It’s hard to tell if there’s a good guy in all this.

What grabbed me? The cool questionnaire initially grabbed me, but soon the questionnaire is history and we enter into the highly charged dynamic between Jessica and Dr. Shields—which grabbed me even more. I’m right there with Jessica as she gets more and more wary and confused. My take on what was happening changed all the time, just like Jessica’s did. Her fear ratcheted up, and so did mine.

5 stars for a thriller? Really?? I loved The Wife Between Us, so I knew I had to try the authors’ latest. But I was wary. Will this new book be as good as the first? Well, I’ll say it was even better. I’m stingy with my stars when it comes to thrillers because they often lack depth. I hardly ever dole out 5 stars, but seriously, this book deserves them.

The language is sophisticated, the characters complex, the plot intricate, and the pacing perfect. I think all these factors elevate the book above most thriller fare; I felt like I was reading literary fiction. Add suspense, which this story has in spades, and you have one hell of a book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.