I always hate to age myself in my reviews, but sometimes an author leaves me without a choice. Forget You Know Me started off like Barney’s mixtape (How I Met Your Mother) – it started off with a BAM! I was left wondering where this story was going. I love it when an author starts their story like this. Strawser grabbed my attention – I was not going to be distracted.

Except that Barney’s mixtape is not supposed to let the energy level go down. After the initial shock and awe, Forget You Know Me seemed to take a different path. The initial “thriller” moment was bogged down in the day-to-day lives of the characters. The mystery/who-done-it was overshadowed by the troubled lives of Strawser’s cast. The urgency just wasn’t there.

I have to give credit to Strawser’s characters. My wife has always said that a story that is about the normal daily lives of people would be boring; some crazy drama is necessary. Despite the fact that Forget You Know Me was just that: a snapshot of the lives of Molly and Liza, their messed-up dysfunctional lives kept me going. I felt a connection to the characters, I wanted to know where their decisions would lead them.

My take on Forget You Know Me is that it was more of a dysfunctional relationship story than the mystery/thriller that I was looking for. The characters were my saving grace for this one. Good, just not a top read for me.

*3.5 Stars

Everyone has had a best friend that was like family. At some point during the relationship distance may separate y’all and things change. For Molly and Liza their friendship was feeling the strain of living in two different states and walking different paths. Molly in Cincinnati (with her husband, Daniel, and their two kids) and Liza in Chicago, single and dating. Their friendship is pushed to its limits and tested in Forget You Know Me by Jessica Strawser.
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One night Liza and Molly are having a girls night via video chat, trying their best to continue to stay friends despite distance ... and well, life. After a little while Molly gets called upstairs, one of her kids is up out of bed calling her name. While she is gone, Liza witnesses a masked man enter Molly’s home. She is able to startle him, say she is calling the police, but then he closes the computer screen before she can see anything else. Liza freaks out (rightfully so) and tries to no end to get ahold of Molly and the police to find out what happened. After awhile she receives a vague text from Molly saying she is okay. Liza, unsatisfied, decides to drive all night to ensure the safety of Molly and her children. But she is unsure what she will find when she gets to Cincinnati, and even more unsure of what awaits her when she returns to Chicago after.
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I liked this book, I did want to keep reading to see if my hunch was in fact true (which it was). But my initial thought was that this book wasn’t really a thriller, which I thought it would be (not sure why). I would call it more of a mystery. Every character had some sort of secret they were keeping or half truth they were willing to tell others. Just like with anything those can only be kept a short amount of time and eventually they will come out in the open.
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I was lucky enough to receive the ARC from netgalley. If you are looking for a little mystery, some best friend drama, and a little who done it then Forget You Know Me is the book for you. Thank you St Martins Press for the opportunity to read and give an honest review.

This book was a letdown for me. Most of the blurbs (both from the publisher and from other readers) led me to expect a thriller, a mystery with deeply complex characters and pulse-pounding, tight plotting, but that's not the story I encountered.

Aside from a shocking incident in the opening scene, this seemed like a domestic drama based on failure to communicate, lack of empathy and false assumptions all around.

Clearly, I'm the odd woman out, because other readers LOVED this book -- but I downloaded the NetGalley advance readers copy in September and made several abortive starts on reading it. Finally finished it more than four months later.

My first experience reading Jessica Strawser, and I can now understand the buzz in the book community over her work! I found Forget You Know Me to be decadent, raw, and emotionally gratifying. This is a book most women will connect with, especially as we transition out of youth and into adulthood. It touches on friendship, love, marriage, finding yourself, and coping with life in the best ways we can. And it has quite a tangled storyline to draw you in! I’m left feeling so fulfilled by this book—something that I don’t always feel leaving a reading experience. The perfect combination of closure and hope!

Reflection

I had the benefit of the book besties here, letting me know upfront that Jessica Strawser books are truly women’s fiction, though they often are placed in “mystery and thriller” categories. So going in I expected a fantastic domestic fiction novel with elements of suspense, and that is exactly what this book is. Think Sally Hepworth, for those of you who have read her. Or even Liane Moriarty. I make those comparisons purely in the genre, because I think Jessica Strawser’s voice is incredibly unique, and I don’t like to set readers up to expect a specific writer when they have their own characteristics.

Strawser’s writing style is so fluid and beautiful. I highlighted several passages to go back and read again, because there is a very poetic quality to the way she writes. Even the subtlest of reflections a character has on the weather, for instance, carry so much meaning for the story. This is a book to savor and read slowly. There is so much emotion and history and nuance packed into every single paragraph. Strawser is truly brilliant!

Molly and Liza’s friendship felt so familiar—I think so many women will connect to that storyline. As the book begins, both are trying to reconnect without admitting that’s what they are doing. They’ve lost touch. Molly got married and had kids, and Liza moved to Chicago for a job and is on the dating scene. Though they are a 6 hour drive apart, the emotional distance feels so much longer. They are in such different places, and they’ve lost their connection that they’ve had since childhood.

Then there is the relationship between Daniel and Molly, a marriage that is built on so much love, but now feels fraught with resentment. Chronic pain experienced for years by Molly, but not properly acknowledged by Daniel. A feeling from Daniel that Molly has slipped away. That she isn’t the person she was when they met. And that maybe, he is partially to blame for this. They both have secrets from each other, and they are too afraid to tell them. But they also love one another so deeply. They want to fight for each other, but they also don’t know how.

Lisa is lost as well, but in a different way. Liza hasn’t lost who she is the way Molly has, but she’s lost her purpose. She’s fighting a battle for something she isn’t even sure she wants. In the same way Molly retreats when she becomes anxious, Liza pushes even harder.

So when Liza and Molly are on their skype call for “girls night”, and Liza witnesses something she was never meant to see, she panics. She calls the police, and tries to call Molly back. But Molly brushes her off. Liza can’t shake the feeling something is wrong. Driving all night, Liza is worried. But when she arrives at Molly’s house, Molly turns her away. Her message is clear—forget what you saw; forget you know me.

I think more than anything this is a book about what goes unsaid. The things we bottle in until they are almost too much to let out. How we let things spiral out of control, and hide them from the world. How we struggle to acknowledge how bad they’ve gotten to ourselves. How sometimes being honest with those you love most is the hardest thing of all. And ultimately, how every burden is so much easier to carry when you finally do share it.

The entire book was so wonderful for me. I think fans of women’s fiction are going to be blown away by this story. It has just enough suspense to keep my mind whirling, but it really is ultimately about the relationships in the book and the characters. And I truly loved every single character! I can’t wait to read more from Jessica Strawser.

Disappointed.
This book was put forth as a thriller which it definitely is not. It is a book on relationships. Hard for me to finish as I kept waiting for it to get better..

Hmm, it's never a good sign when I like the secondary characters more than the primary ones. Also, I was expecting more mystery and suspense. What I got was more relationship drama than any sorry of thriller. The story centers around a friendship falling apart, a marriage falling apart and characters dealing with life challenges. I kept reading, waiting for something exciting to happen... but it never really did. Overall, I found the story slow moving and the end was a bit disappointing.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Everyone says how marriage is work. Otherwise, the couple gets lost in their own lives. The same theory lies with friendships as well.

Lisa and Molly have been besties since high school. Molly grew up and got married and had kids. Liza went away to find herself.

Both relationships are sizzling out for Molly. How far will each go to keep their loved ones close to them and keep their marriage and or friendship close?

This book is advertised a thriller. To me, mystery is a better word with some romance thrown in. Thank you Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this arc in exchange for my honest review.

A real, raw, and riveting story about the good, the bad, and the ugly side of life and love!

Life... it is messy, it is uncomfortable, it is tough... Jessica Strawser Does an amazing job of making her characters pop off the pages, there is an authenticity to her characterization and storytelling... this is an exquisitely told domestic drama with a sprinkle of suspense... it is<b> NOT A THRILLER</b> ...and I think if you start this book with the expectation that this is a wonderful exploration of the darker and uglier side of relationships, rather than a edge of your seat thriller you will have a much better reading experience.... in my humble opinion this is a book that has been mislabeled as a mystery/thriller and that has not done the book any favors...

imagine you are on a video chat with your BFF, When she is upstairs checking on one of her kids someone breaks into her house dressed in all black including a face mask... what would you do? That is how this book starts up, Liza and Molly are on the chat, Molly checks on her kids, Liza sees the intruder.... after the intruder closes the laptop on Liza she calls the police and drives all night from Chicago to Cincinnati to check on her friend.... but when Liza reaches Molly‘s house she basically closes the door in her face, what in the world is going on? This one event leads to the unraveling of many secrets and relationships....

A book that takes an in-depth look at the breakdown of both marriage and friendship... how insecurities and fears can lead to lies and secrets that ultimately lead to hurt and betrayal.... all these characters were very real, flawed, and relatable, however not always likable... I have to admit I found Molly insufferable at times or chronic pain frustrated even made the reader, meanwhile I really liked Liza and enjoyed her entire storyline immensely... this is not to say I did not like Molly and her story, I just found that story much more frustrating, Daniel and she needed some serious marriage counseling.... but even my frustration with these characters added to the authenticity of the story, as I mentioned life is messy.... just so many things I loved about this book, I found it fascinating how Liza dealt with her survivors guilt... I enjoyed the bond between little Rosie and Nori... and the sweet romance between Liza and Henry put a big smile on my face, what a wonderful man he was!

A beautifully told story about the complexities of life and relationships, A real story about real people! Absolutely recommend!

🎧🎧🎧 The audio narration definitely added some texture and depth to this compelling story... Gabra Zackman did an impeccable job of making these characters come to life... she did a wonderful job of giving each character their own unique voice alleviating any confusion as to who was telling the story at any given time...

🎵🎵🎵 song running through my head! They brought up Tom Petty in this book so I thought I’d go with one of his songs...


<i>Hey, hey
Don't come around here no more
Don't come around here no more
Whatever you're looking for
Hey, don't come around here no more
I've given up, stop
I've given up, stop
I've given up, stop, on waiting any longer
I've given up, on this love getting stronger
Don't come around here no more
Don't come around here no more
Don't come around here no more
Don't come around here no more
I don't feel you anymore
You darken my door
Whatever you're looking for
Hey, don't come around here no more
I've given up, stop
I've given up, stop
I've given up, (stop) you tangle my emotions
I've given up, honey please admit it's over...


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=h0JvF9vpqx8

*** many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for my copies of this book ***

This book has me totally invested in the characters and the suspenseful events that unfolded at a good and steady clip! The suspense was real and taunt making this a great read! You may look over your shoulders a few times, hold your family close and be thankful for friends!

I received an ARC courtesy of St. Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. My honest opinion is that this book was a bunch of nothing, crammed up to a hasty ending at 90%. The characters were unlikeable, the plot twist was a <b><i>WTF?!</i></b> for me, and it took me forever to finish it because I dread it. I'm sorry I didn't like it. The blurb seemed so enticing.

Maybe I read it wrong. Maybe I'm the unpopular opinion. It wouldn't be the first time it happens.

I really expected to love this book, and was so excited to read it (since suburban drama/thrillers are my absolute favorite genre) that I bumped it up ahead of all my other reading to start it immediately. I loved the premise, and also the friendship (and all its ups and downs) between Liza and Molly- their relationship was so extremely relatable- and it kept me turning the pages nonstop (I finished it in 24 hrs because I couldn’t put it down), but the ending left me feeling very underwhelmed. There were so many secrets and suspense building up throughout the book that I thought it would go out with a bang, but I finished it feeling disappointed.

3.5 stars rounded up. This book started with a bang for me. There was suspense and action, but then it turned into more of a family/relationship drama. Out of the three main characters, Liza was the only one I could tolerate for a while. Luckily, Daniel and Molly redeemed themselves somewhat, and I really enjoyed how it ended.

Would I recommend it? Yes. Just don’t expect a suspense novel.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Admittedly, I think "Forget You Know Me" will be my last Jessica Strawser novel. I don't seem to enjoy them very much and perhaps it's time for me to move on from trying to give them a shot. Molly and Liza have been friends for ages but after Liza moves away from Cincinnati to Chicago and Molly settles into married with children life, well, the two drift apart. After many re-scheduled and cancellations, the two finally agree to a date and time. During their Skype call, an event occurs, setting into motion a series of events there's no coming back from.

I felt like this book didn't know what it wanted to be. It had a suspenseful beginning, what with the introduction of the masked intruder and then the fire, both events I incorrectly assumed were connected. The plot itself was disjointed, with the subplots ultimately not connecting. While Strawser's writing is very good, I found it difficult to care about the characters. There were too many instances where the characters fell into classic tropes. Molly, the harried housewife hiding bills from Daniel, her husband. Daniel, burying the company's work secrets. Liza, the friend who tries to do too much and is secretly an annoyance to Daniel.

This novel will be released on February 5th, 2019, from St. Martin's Press. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an Advanced Reading Copy.

After reading the first few chapters the book took a turn and it's really hard to get into. I'm finding that I really don't have a connection with the characters so it's hard to continue reading. I'll continue just to see how things turn out but it's hard to care too much. I was really hoping to like this book so I"m hoping the ending will redeem it.

Mycorrhiza is the symbiotic relationship between the roots of plants and fungi located below the surface. Plants communicate with one another and support the growth of one another and they do this through the vast network of fungi far underground. How does this information relate to this book?

In a variety of ways, this book explores the relationships between people and the unseen forces that connect us all. And the wisdom of an ecologist is unmistakable — “many individual problems could be traced to a breakdown in ‘cooperative two-way communication.'” The human themes of connection, communication, forgiveness, fear, shame, hope, and love are explored in a way that is compassionate and universal. Who hasn’t watched helplessly as a relationship has deteriorated, and perhaps even ended? Who hasn’t considered doing something drastic to save said relationship?

There are too many observations made by the author that arrow straight to the heart of every human failure and the shame we feel for our shortcomings as well as the hopelessness we feel to change the inevitable outcome. I imagine every reader will find a section to which he or she will relate so deeply it will be as if the author has aimed the words directly at him or her. Much like a loose thread in a woven garment, we pull on whatever we can grasp and watch helplessly as the entire thing unravels. Ultimately, if we want to maintain connection and minimize fear and shame, all of the other feelings must capitulate to love and forgiveness. It’s a story of hope, though the twists and turns along the way will leave the reader gasping for mercy, unsure of the direction this tale will take. Personally, I was awed and inspired by the journey.

Forget You Know Me was completely different from what I had anticipated. It left me feeling very underwhelmed. I've been reading a lot of thrillers lately, maybe I am expecting too much or getting too good at guessing what was coming, but I didn't find myself feeling there was any surprise to the story.

Forget You Know Me by Jessica Strawser is a wonderful, highly readable, and captivating novel. It is NOT a thriller, although there are elements of suspense. Relationships and character drive the plot, and at the center are two women who have been best friends since childhood. Adulthood, however, has forced them apart, both geographically and emotionally, and much of the focus is on their attempts to bridge the gap. Each is dealing with different crisis of enormous proportions. Can they heal their friendship enough to help each other? And, can they do it in time to avoid disaster?

Just as in real life, Strawser places each of her main characters within complex webs of relationships including spouses, friends, family, etc. and each action has consequences that reverberate through these networks. She provides of vivid account of the interconnectivity of all of us.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am mulling over various plot points and characters. A book you can’t quite leave is definitely worth the read! Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Best friends. Friends who would do anything for each other, who have been there for each other for years. And then slowly they drift apart. Until one night when these friends need each other more than they ever have. But it just might be too late.

Secrets. Secrets from your best friend, secrets from your spouse. All those secrets. And with secrets, comes danger.

Forget You Know Me hooked me from the very first chapter as I tried to wrap my head around the cause of the estrangement of these two best friends and what all of the secrecy was about. This was definitely a page-turner for me as I watched Molly and Liza struggle with their friendship and their complicated lives. This is a story that had me thinking about it long after I closed the pages of the book. Jessica Strawser was a new-to-me author and but she has now become one of my must-read authors.

3.5-4 stars
Forget You Know Me is the story of one event in the lives of three people, that threatens each of their respective relationships. Molly and Daniel, married, lead a seemingly stable life until it begins to unravel. Molly and Liza have been best friends since childhood but separation is taking a toll on their friendship. Can they ever get it back?
Tensions rise as each character reacts in the their own way to the book’s pivotal event, while the reactions have a significant impact on the friendship and the marriage.
It is an interesting and intense story. The reader is drawn in by the characters as they bring the reader along, making you feel what the character is feeling.
I enjoyed reading this book. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a mystery. Thank you to #Netgalley and #StMartinsPress for the approving my request. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

I'm going to prepare a gourmet dinner for you, all the trimmings. By the time I finish describing it, you can almost taste it. Except, when you get here, I'm going to give you a hotdog and chips on a paper plate - and not even a good hotdog, just a plain, cheap wiener on a bun. Disappointed? Yeah, that's how I feel about this book.

I read the blurb, which sounds like a thriller or at least a good mystery. This is neither. Oh, it starts out that way. Once the masked man enters the picture, I was sitting up and taking notice. Then, it turns into something else, and the masked man becomes something on the periphery, barely even mentioned. So, even though Amazon has it listed as ranking pretty high in the domestic thriller genre, this is not a thriller. Not even close. Domestic drama, definitely. There's more drama than you can shake a stick at, but there are no thrills here after that one scene with masked man.

Once things veered away from the mystery man, I became confused. Am I reading the right book? I went back and re-read the blurb. Yep, that's what I thought it said. So, where is this book that I can't put down? Let me add here that I have no problem with dramas. In fact, I quite like them if the story holds my interest. This one did not. It's a story that drags on about a handful of unlikable people who have made a mess of their lives and don't know how to fix it. I ended up skimming over half of this one, and while I did get some answers about the masked man, even that was less than satisfying.

Maybe this book or this author's style just isn't for me, or maybe it's because I expected one thing and found another. Whatever the reason, this one fell short and left me disappointed.