In her third novel, Strawser tells the story of transition. A marriage, a lifelong friendship, romantic and other relationships shimmer, strain, and transform under the pressure of secrets, of hidden problems, and the assumptions and habits that serve to streamline complicated lives and to muffle what is real, what is most essential, and human. This is domestic thriller, as fraught and suspenseful as any--however, this story is poised, smart, and insightful about the lives that most of us lead, proud and shamed, powerful and guilty. I cherished the celebration of the beauties and rhythm of Ohio, not glamorous, but as real, poetic, and moving as any other place, any other time. The characters are marvelously well-wrought, complex and appealing, neither all good nor all bad; everyone is allowed to be real. A particular strength of Strawser's work is her ability to write believable children, in all their wondrous, exhausting glory. Time after time, I found myself pausing over a poignant moment, over a throwaway piece of profound wisdom: "She couldn't think of anything that was actually improved by becoming more conventional." Ms. Strawser is nowhere near conventional with her taut, wonderful book. Were I to make a prediction, this story is a transitional point for her, establishing herself as smart, insightful, compassionate, and wonderfully gifted as any storyteller. Thank you to NetGalley, Ms. Strawser, and St. Martin's Press for an early read of this marvelous book in exchange for my honest review.

Forget You Know Me started off well and I was immediately engrossed in the story line. As the book progressed, however, the plot became somewhat convoluted and full of secrets and lies which seemed to be for the benefit of making the plot work, rather than an integral part of the story. The characters seemed to specialise in making poor decisions to which other characters reacted in a somewhat unbelievable way - accepting outrageous suggestions/behaviours and over-reacting to minor irritations. The book interested me sufficiently for me to complete it. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Let's talk about secrets. The kind of secrets that can bend and twist and turn a teeny, tiny veiled thing into a full blown nuclear bomb. Jessica Strawser has again, intricately built a twisty, complex labyrinth of emotions, pain, fear, guilt and secrets and then dropped the bomb on us once again. She makes it look so easy: to make lives look so very complicated, so real-life - and so insightful. And it explodes all over you in a mess of pieces you feverishly try to put together but cannot for the life of you figure what the heck is going on!

It starts with a simple catch-up video chat between friends while Molly's husband is out of town. Molly and Liza used to be so close, but life and distance has built a wedge, and the much needed girls-night gossip session is just starting to warm up when Molly needs to step away to answer her daughters wails from the bedroom. As Liza waits - staring at a static screen of Molly's house - she see something - or rather, someone. There's a masked intruder in Molly's house.

And what follows is so utterly confusing. Why won't Molly acknowledge what Liza saw. Why is she so mad that Liza is so incredibly concerned? And why won't she tell her husband? Cue the secrets and the emotional complexities of friendships and married life. The stresses of work, the worries over money. The struggles with pain.

These are ALL things that normal everyday people deal with in real life. You, me, Joe down the street... the way that Strawser makes you feel every single struggle, sense worry over choices made, and harbor guilt that is not your own, is a true gift in her storytelling. I savored every minute inhaling the suspense, and didn't put it down, until I had acknowledged every, single word.

Forget You Know Me is the story of childhood best friends, Molly and Liza, who have grown apart in adulthood, but are trying to keep their friendship together over the miles and during different life choices for each of them. One night while talking over Skype, Liza sees a masked man enter Molly’s house and the aftermath challenges their friendship and Molly’s marriage more than either could predict. This is a novel of hope and renewal. Can friends or spouses that have drifted from their original bonds find their way back to each other?

While this book wasn’t as suspenseful as others I’ve read by this author, there was a twist at the end I didn’t expect. The writing made it easy to get lost in the relationships and I found myself cheering for a happy ending for each pair of friends, spouses and siblings.

Forget You Know Me is a story about secrets and misunderstandings. Liza and Molly are best friends. when Liza thinks she sees something scary when she is on the phone with Molly instead of being grateful Molly cuts her out of her life. Meanwhile, Liza is not the only one Molly is keeping secrets from. She hasn't told her husband anything about the enormous debt she is in due to the various medical treatments she has been seeking to attempt t0 take care of the constant pain that her husband seems to think is all in her mind. Her husband. Daniel is keeping secrets of his own regarding some illegal doings in his office that he has been dealing with. If you read the descriptiion from the publisher of this book, it sounds like a thriller. It is not that at all which is a little disappointing if that is what your expecting. It is more of a character study of these three people Molly., Daniel, and Liza and how their relationships drift apart and whether they can be repaired and if so how. The story is interesting. The characters are relatable and full drawn, and the story is mostly hopeful, but there were some aspects of the resolution that bothered me particulary the treatment of some of the minor characters who deserved better . Also, if you like stories with complete closure., you may be disappointed or if you were expecting a thriller as I previously mentioned.

I received an ARC of this book. It is a suspense novel with a lot of twists that kept me guessing right until the end. The characters were compelling and well-developed. The plot was unusual but had many aspects that were easy to identify with. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a story that grabs you and doesn't let go until the end!

Molly and Liza have been best friends since childhood. They grew up together, attended college together; and when Molly marries Daniel, Liza stays close. Then Liza takes a job in Chicago, far away from Molly and Danial in southern Ohio, and the friendship starts to fray. With this in mind, the two friends attempt an online 'Girl's Night' video chat. But then Liza sees something on the monitor she isn't supposed to see, and it may spell the end of their friendship for good.

I thought the writing was excellent but it turns from Thriller to more contemporary fiction halfway through; and I didn't feel like the 'thriller' part was concluded satisfactorily enough. Jessica Strawser does an excellent job with her characters, however. Molly has chronic pain and is hiding the debt that comes with trying everything under the sun to get rid of it. Daniel is hiding some shady business deals at work, and can't say anything to Molly about it for fear of her being ashamed of him. And Liza has her own problems, she hates Chicago and doesn't want to admit it for fear of failure. Each main character is dealing with their own problems and doesn't realize the others are hiding their own from everyone.

Overall, I was hoping for more of the thriller that was advertised, but still enjoyed the book.

When I sat down to read this, I thought I was opening a suburban thriller, when in fact, I was actually reading more of a relationship thriller—marriage, friendship in several different modes, siblings, and coworkers.

I have to admit I wasn’t sure about this book to begin with and it took me a while to adjust, but soon I was turning the pages at a rapid clip.

The complexities of these relationships was the glue that bound this book together. I rooted for some, frustrated by others, and charmed by one particular fella. For me, the resolution and ending moved this from three-star review to four-star.

I received an ARC of this title. All opinions are my own.

Molly and Liza have been friends since they were young girls but distance has put a dent in their once strong bond. It’s not only physical but emotionally on both sides. This all changes one night when Liza sees a man creep into Molly’s house while they are video chatting when Molly goes to check on the kids.

What happens next is a web of lies that threaten Molly’s marriage and her friendship with Liza. The book does have a shoe dropping moment that blind sided me which definitely added to the novel.

For those fans of mysteries or thrillers, this is for you.

Thank you so much to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to like this book so much more than I did. I devoured her book Not That I Could Tell so I had high expectations for this book. I thought it was going to be a great thriller but turned out to be more of a drama book.

This book is about Liza and Molly who have been best friends forever but now live in different states. They try to catch up as much as possible and one night while they're on Skype Liza sees a masked man in Molly's house while she's upstairs with the children. She calls the police but when she confronts Molly about it, Molly blows it off and pretends that nothing happened. Liza can't figure out why her best friend is acting like nothing happened and she starts to wonder what secrets her friend is keeping from her.

The beginning was so intriguing for me and instantly hooked me and then the further I got into it the more bleh it became. I feel like the book peaked at the beginning and then nothing but drama for the rest of it. I was so confused because it started out as a good thriller at the beginning and then the genres started jumping around so I got a little lost. I'm not sure how this was categorized as a suspense thriller because it honestly was anything but. I'm only giving it three stars because I do love the author and her writing style and this book won't stop me from reading anything else by her but this was a big flop for me.

This is the first book I’ve read by Jessica Strawser but I know it won’t be my last. Forget You Know Me is truly a book that’s hard to put down. The characters are well-developed and the plot is outstanding – suspenseful, intense, fast-paced and totally engrossing. It’s also a story about friendship and evolving relationships. And, until the very end, the author keeps the reader guessing.

I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy a well-written mystery with interesting characters. Forget You Know Me is well-worth your attention.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

This book was an enjoyable read. It starts with a mystery but is more women’s fiction than a thriller. It raises the questions about friendships and growing apart from people you once were close with. Things are not always as they seem and sometimes it hurts to realize you aren’t told things that are important to your friends. This book has heart but is not as light as “chick-lit” books. I look forward to reading future work from Jessica Strawser.

Two friends separated geographically and by one friend being a new parent.  They finally find time to connect via Skype.  The conversation is awkward then interrupted by a waking child.  

One friend is left waiting, the other struggling with pain to get to the now-wailing child. 

One friend sees an intruder break-in but has no way of alerting the other friend.

What happens next?



Gripping, right?  That’s not only the premise of the story but it is also the very first chapter in summation.  I have to say: the first two chapters were very riveting!  It felt like the plot was moving quickly and I kept being surprised.  Then the resulting chapters I was either confused at the characters’ reactions or bored with the inner monologues and kept skimming.  The inner ramblings of the narrating characters ended up being the downfall for the book for me.  It showed that the characters are as awful internally as their actions have shown.  Their secrets that they kept from one another appears to have been intended to contribute towards the idea that this book is a psychological thriller.  However, in my opinion, it was just a boring novel about entitled suburban strife.  However aversive the adult characters may have been, the children were redeeming in that they were adorable and pure. 2 stars: One for Nori and One for Rosie.

Back to the inner monologues: there were many diatribes in narration, mostly justifying how horribly they are treating the other characters, that I kept finding myself skimming.  They were so lengthy at times that I was relieved when the chapter was finally over so I could put the book down for awhile.  Or I would keep putting the book down because it was a series of the worst things that could happen to a character, happening to each character, more than once.  I am not sure if the author was going with the idea that “bad things happen to good people” because these characters were not exactly great people.  Which is drilled into the readers’ head repeatedly.    Or maybe the author was trying to use catastrophic events to help build character.  But at the point that I stopped, halfway through, that still did not appear to have happened.  Instead, the characters all seem to be self-absorbed and blaming the other for one bad event or another. 

There were so many bad things happening with each character that I stopped being surprised at any new element thrown in.  OF COURSE! I kept screaming at my Kindle.  OF COURSE the HR guy’s name is Toby, just like in The Office.  OF COURSE they’re going to mention that his name is like the guy in The Office.  OF COURSE Toby isn’t that great, no one in the book is.  OF COURSE there’s a shady neighbor.  OF COURSE the intruder is not who they originally thought.  OF COURSE there are money issues involved.  OF COURSE their life fell apart, everyone in this book is falling apart! You get the idea. 

In conclusion: I would not recommend this book at all.  I would especially not recommend it for younger than adult audiences.  Lastly, I would not recommend this book for those who may be triggered or offended by: foul language, infidelity, intruders/break-ins, stalkers, addiction, marital strife, or arson.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. This was a great book.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I found it somewhat of a thriller. There was also an iota of romance. I never knew what to expect from one chapter to the next. But, overall, it was entertaining. I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review

Liza and Molly have been friends forever. As they've grown older, they've grown farther apart. So this video chat between them is long overdue. Molly gets up to check on her kids during their conversation and Liza sees an intruder. When Molly vaguely responds to Liza's texts and phone calls, she becomes very worried about Molly and along with her male best friend, Max, she drives all night from Chicago to Cincinnati to check on Molly. But Molly is still acting like nothing has happened and shuts the door in Liza's face. When Liza returns home, her whole world is turned upside down, so she decides to move back home. With issues with her brother and this thing going on with Molly, she's not sure where she is going to stay or what she is going to do with her life.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I was very intrigued by this book at the start, it grabbed my attention from the start. Somewhere about half way through though, it started to fall off and I just wanted to know what was going to happen. It was missing the twists and turns I was looking for to keep coming around every corner.

What would you do if you saw an intruder in your best friends house, but she was very nonchalant about it? You'd want to do all you could to help her, right? Molly doesn't want the help Liza is offering, but why? Is is because Molly has a whole host of secrets she is keeping herself? I wanted so much to happen in this book, but there was no big OMG or WOW factor. I enjoy Jessica Strawser's books and I will probably read whatever is next from her.

Summary:

Liza and Molly are best friends, but they have grown apart over the years since Liza has moved away and Molly has started her own family. One evening, the two decide to video chat and catch up while Molly's husband is away. As Molly leaves the room to check on one of her children, Liza sees a masked man in the background in Molly's home!

Liza drives all night to check on Molly, but when she arrives Molly blows her off. Liza can't understand what's going on and why Molly is behaving this way.

After these events, things begin to spiral out of control for both Liza and Molly in their personal lives.



My Thoughts:

In my opinion, this was labeled incorrectly as a thriller. I did like the book and always enjoy Jessica Strawser's books. I think it should be labeled as domestic fiction or women's fiction. It explores issues with friendships, marriage, and relationships. The very first scene is captivating and was suspenseful but after that scene, the book explores relationships between the characters.

If you go into the book with that in mind, then you will enjoy it much more!

It was about 3.5-4 stars for me out of 5 stars.

Forget You Know Me is the first book I've read by Jessica Strawser and I really enjoyed it, but fair warning - this book is a domestic drama! I would not call this a mystery per say, and definitely not a thriller.

What it's about: Molly and Liza used to be the best of friends but have grown apart since Liza moved away to Chicago. They decide to catch up on a video chat one night, and Liza sees something disturbing after Molly goes to check on her daughter... She ends up driving through the night to check on Molly, only to receive a not-so-warm welcome and basically gets the door slammed in her face. But Liza is troubled by what she saw, and even though the friendship seems to now quite possibly be over, she still wants to help. There is more going on with Molly than Liza knows, and everything will eventually come to a head in this sizzling domestic drama!

I felt like I read Forget You Know Me really quickly, but when I looked at my stats on the Bookly app, I found out that it actually took me 6.5 hours! I don't know why it took me so long because I really do think this book is a fast read. Strawser's writing flows really well, and I was completely invested in the story. Luckily for me, I had not read the synopsis recently and went in blind. I had kind of thought the book would be more of a mystery, but domestic drama is a much better category for this one.

The book made me tear up at the end and I loved how Strawser pulled everything together. She leaves you with a nice ending that is hopeful and sweet.

Final Thought: I really enjoyed Forget You Know Me and I'm pretty surprised by the low average on Goodreads. I think it might have something to do with people thinking this is going to be a mystery, but it really isn't. I would recommend this to fans of domestic dramas and general adult fiction. I loved Strawser's writing and I can't wait to check out more from her!

Childhood best-friends Molly and Liza try to catch up during a video chat, during the video chat when Molly steps away, Liza sees a masked intruder who entered the house. Liza rushes to Molly's driving several hours to get ignored by Molly. This opens up how Molly has been living a secret life and isolating herself from everyone. It is about friendship and forgiveness.

I struggled with this book going into it thinking it was a thriller.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an EARC in exchange for an honest review.

O.M.G Make sure that you have plenty of time to dedicate to this book because once you pick it up you won't put it down. It's a wild rollercoaster of a ride. Pick this up now and buckle in for a wild ride. Happy reading!