3.5/5

Before I share my thoughts on this one I want to address the fact that this one shows up on Goodreads as a mystery/thriller and it’s really not. This is women’s fiction with a suspenseful edge and if you know that before you start, I think you’ll be better prepared. Thankfully I was aware thanks to my friend Jamie so I did end up liking this more than I would’ve had I been expecting a fast paced and exciting thriller.

The blurb for this talks about a video chat and a shocking incident and makes you think the whole book will be about said incident but if you look at the event as a catalyst, your expectations will be more in line with the reality of the story. This is a domestic drama about the relationship between two long time friends and then also about a marriage on the brink.

Two things make JS a standout author for me, first she creates authentic and relatable characters that just feel real and secondly she is a really fantastic writer. Liza and Molly’s friendship was genuine, as riddled with strife as it was, and Molly and Daniel’s marriage was also incredibly authentic. Seeing how one event can set off a chain of other events and reactions was interesting and was depicted very well by the author, she really knows how to write about relationships in general and adds enough secrecy and suspense to keep a nice momentum.

Full disclosure, I listened to the bulk of this one via audio and the narrator is just amazing so that may have impacted my enjoyment in the end. I’m not quite sure I would’ve liked it as much as I did had I just read it because the narrator was so fantastic. Recommended for book clubs, there is much to dissect and discuss.

Forget You Know Me in three words: Genuine, Fluid and Secretive.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Jessica Strawser for an ARC ebook copy to review. As always, an honest review from me.

My rating is actually 3.5 stars but since there aren't half stars I always round up.

Like:
- The mystery, the secrets
- The evolution of Molly’s relationship with her husband
- The premise reminds me of an episode of Law and Order SVU

Love:
- Good representation of chronic illness/chronic pain including the lack of energy, daily pain, frustration due to inability to complete all activities, loved ones not really getting it
- Molly trying to be the best mom for her son despite her challenges and limitations

Dislike:
- The lying, deception, and almost tricking of the other people - done for a reason but sometimes it crosses the line from good intentions to protecting only yourself

Wish that:
- Some parts made more sense

Overall, a good book. I especially loved that the main character deals with chronic pain. Well, I don’t love that she’s in pain, but I like the representation. We need more books like this. However, the weird secret keeping took away from my enjoyment at times.

I love Jessica Strawser's two previous works, Almost Missed You and Not That I Could Tell. I assure you that Strawser has done it again with her latest, Forget You Know Me. Strawser is adept at weaving a story of domestic suspense. This novel begins strong with an incredibly tense situation and continues with questions that puzzle the reader until the conclusion of the novel.

Molly and Liza have been friends since junior high, but have recently been growing further and further apart due to the distance between them and their separate adult lives. Molly is married with two children in Cincinnati while Liza is single in Chicago. The two decide to connect for a girls' night via video chat while Molly's husband Daniel is out of town on business. While the two are chatting, Molly's daughter begins calling for her from upstairs. Molly leaves the room to check on her daughter. What happens next sets in motion a chain of events that will lead to many more questions than answers.

Strawser writes with a style that gives the reader a unique insight into the inner workings of each character's mind. We see their motivations and internal struggles as we get to know each character in greater depth. Strawser's writing flows seamlessly and entices the reader to continue turning page after page long into the night. I could not put this one down. Highly recommend! Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Try as I might, I just couldn't get into this book, unfortunately. I decided it was in my best interest to DNF this book and move on to others I would enjoy more.

Though this story started off interesting, the rapid-fire changing of perspectives and the vague conversations between characters made me feel as if I was left out of the journey the story was taking. I think it's important for the reader to feel as if they're a player in the story, and I did not get that from this book whatsoever. Instead, I was confused and slightly bored.

I received this ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review - thank you!

This is the second book I have read by this author, and I enjoyed it much more than the other (Not That I Could Tell). This book immediately pulled me in by the relatable female friendship dynamic - and then the suspense of what happened after Liza witnessed an intruder when Molly stepped away from their video session.

I enjoyed this book, although not just for the suspense. I thought that the author did a great job creating the characters, explaining the dynamics between them, and really delving into relationships and how they can change over time. I think everyone can relate to a relationship changing and how it feels to want it to go back to the way it used to be, and that was a common theme throughout this book.

I definitely look forward to what Jessica Strawser has in store for us next!

Who was the masked man Liza saw in Molly's living room while she was waiting for Molly to return to their Skype conversation? This isn't the thriller the blurb might lead you to believe but there is a lot of drama and some serious bad stuff. Liza and Molly, BFFs, had grown apart and were just beginning to put their relationship back together when this happened. Luckily, as it turns out, Liza dropped everything and drove from Chicago to Cincinnati to see what had happened. Liza's apartment burned to the ground that night- a stark turning point for her that leads her to go home and live with her brother and sister-in-law and get a new job managing the restaurant at the local airport. She's more shell shocked than she wants to admit. Molly, in the meantime, turns out to have HUGE loans which she defaulted on - having borrowed the money for alternative treatments. Her husband Daniel has problems at work (my quibble- I couldn't quite work out what Toby had done) and their marriage is tanking. This is very much a novel about two women who are sinking and trying to find their way back to life and to one another. There are some delightful characters (Steph! Henry!) and you'll learn about an OB condition. It's a very good read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Wait for Henry......

Forget You Know Me by Jessica Strasser tells the story of two friends, Liza and Molly, who are trying to reconnect over video chat. When Molly leaves the room to check on her crying child, Liza witnesses a man in a black mask enter Molly's house. Molly's husband, Daniel, is away on business so Liza does everything she can to get the intruder to realize she's on the computer witnessing his break-in. This causes a series of events that can cause their friendship to end or worse, Molly and Daniel's marriage to end.

I thought the description for this book sounded so intriguing, but once I started reading it, it really was not what I was expecting and not in a good way. I figured out who the masked intruder was way too early. There were sub-plots that were too involved and not necessary to the main story. It just felt uneven and forced at times to me. I love a good thriller, but this just wasn't that for me.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In Jessica Strawser's new novel, FORGET YOU KNOW ME (StMartinsPress), a video call between friends captures a shocking incident no one was supposed to see. The secrets it exposes threaten to change their lives forever.

Molly and Liza have always been enviably close. Even after Molly married Daniel, the couple considered Liza an honorary family member. But after Liza moved away, things grew more strained than anyone wanted to admit―in the friendship and the marriage.

When Daniel goes away on business, Molly and Liza plan to reconnect with a nice long video chat after the kids are in bed. But then Molly leaves the room to check on a crying child.

What Liza sees next will change everything.

FORGET YOU KNOW ME is about love and how we go about receiving it, as well as protecting it. Strawser's novel explores how we deal with distance between one another, how time affects our recollection and other obstacles. It's a suspenseful mystery that will have you thinking long and hard after you've finished it.

Jessica Strawser is the editor-at-large at Writer’s Digest, where she served as editorial director for nearly a decade and became known for her in-depth cover interviews with such luminaries as David Sedaris and Alice Walker. She’s the author of the book club favorites Almost Missed You, a Barnes & Noble Best New Fictionpick, and Not That I Could Tell, a Book of the Month selection now new in paperback. Her third novel, Forget You Know Me, is forthcoming in February 2019 (all from St. Martin’s Press).

Currently serving as the 2019 Writer-in-Residence at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Strawser has written for The New York Times Modern Love, Publishers Weekly and other fine venues, and lives in Cincinnati with her husband and two children. She tweets @jessicastrawser, enjoys connecting on Facebook, and speaks frequently at book clubs, libraries, writing conferences and events that are kind enough to invite her.

Forget You Know Me is not what I was suspecting at all - that’s not a bad thing, just different! I was expecting a psychological suspense type story. While there is a small touch of that, this is primarily a book about relationships. The relationship between best friends that have drifted apart. The relationship of a husband and wife edging towards divorce. The relationship between two people just meeting. All of these deep, twisting rollercoaster relationships make for a very thought provoking book!

This book has a lot going on and definitely grabs you from the opening scene and makes you wonder what on earth is going on. I liked the characters, but found myself waiting for the next big thing to happen.

If you are looking for a good, quick thriller, Forget You Know Me absolutely delivers. Strawer’s novel didn’t stand out to me in the age of thrillers and follows some typical plot lines, but is still great for someone looking for a little espaceism

Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “Forget You Know Me” by Jessica Strasser, St. Martin’s Press, February 5, 2019

Jessica Strawser, Author of “Forget You Know Me” has written an edgy, intense, intriguing, captivating, suspenseful and thrilling novel. The Genres for this novel are Mystery, Suspense, and Fiction. The story takes place in the present and goes back to the past when it pertains to the events or characters in the story. The author describes her unique and dramatic characters as complex and complicated, and possibly dysfunctional.

Molly and Liza have been good friends forever, but Liza realizes that something has changed between them. As they are having a girl’s night by speaking on the phone,Molly leaves the room for a short while to tend to her child, and Liza sees something quite frightening. Will things ever be the same? Molly has been so different since she and her husband Daniel have had children. Liza fears for Molly’s safety, and calls the police.

Something doesn’t feel right, so Liza and a friend drive for hours to get to Molly’s house. Liza finds herself unwelcome by Molly. What is going on? Liza heads home and finds there is another tragedy. There are twists and turns, and ups and downs. Some of the characters seem very quirky and strange. There are betrayals and deep and dark secrets. There are threats and danger.

I appreciate that Jessica Strawser discusses marital problems, the importance of friendship, communication, emotional support, love and hope. I would highly recommend this novel to those readers who enjoy a thought-provoking novel. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

Forget You Know Me by Jessica Strawser is more of a domestic drama than a thriller of a story as much as the idea behind the story sounded thrilling. Told from different points of view the story became more about friendships, relationships and the characters lives.

Molly and Liza have always been the best of friends and even used to laugh and claim that others weren’t true friends if they could let anything come between them. But with Molly getting married and Liza moving to another city the two have been growing apart.

Molly’s husband, Daniel, needs to go away on business so Molly thinks it would be the perfect time to connect over Skype with Liza. As every parent knows though the best plans can always be interrupted by a child so as Molly walks away to tend to her children Liza is left waiting. Before Molly makes it back to the computer though Liza sees a masked intruder and calls the police but when nothing is found Molly seems almost angry with Liza.

Forget You Know Me is actually the third book I’ve read by Jessica Strawser and having loved the first two I had high hopes for this one. I did find the same writing style that pulled me right into the book but after a while this one just seemed to begin to drag along. It’s not a bad story really but I was expecting the drama angle to it instead of an intense thriller. While this one wasn’t as good as the first two in my opinion I will definitely be back to try another from the author in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Forget You Know Me by Jessica Strawser was described as a thriller. In my opinion, this is an inaccurate description and because of this, I had a difficult time relating to the storyline. The first few pages of the book got my attention right away and I was thoroughly enjoying it. Suddenly, it went downhill from there for quite a while and I stopped being invested in any of the characters. It picked up after a while but by then, I had already lost interest and it took me forever to get through it. While the book begins with a bang, it slows down and gets a little choppy shortly after. About halfway through the book, the story starts to pick up again. I didn’t hate the book but I didn’t love it either. When all is said and done, I’d be willing to give this author another try. Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book started off with a bang. I was hooked. My heart was pounding, my adrenaline was pumping, and I was suspicious of everyone and everything. That’s exactly the reaction that I want to have when I’m reading a mystery/thriller book. I was sitting on pins and needles and I was only one chapter in.

Jessica Strawser certainly knows how to grab her readers’ attention. I could visualize every little detail as it was playing out. I was trying to put myself in the characters’ shoes, wondering how I would react and what I would do. I was completely invested in this story, and I couldn’t wait to uncover exactly what was going on.

During the course of the book, the story took a bit of a shift. It had started off with all of the elements of a thriller, but it veered into more of a story about friendship and marriage. It dealt with how distance, either physical or emotional, can chip away at the foundation of a relationship. Each of the characters were going through their own emotional turmoil, and with their lack of communication came secrets, lies, and deception. The story never lagged or lost my interest, but it delved deeper into the tangled web that these characters kept spinning for themselves and, oh, what a tangled web it was!

With every turn of the page, these characters just seemed to be digging themselves into a bigger hole. I was more than a little curious to know how it was all going to play out. How far would they go to keep their secrets and salvage what was left of their deteriorating relationships? To be completely honest, I never did grow to trust any of them. My suspicions were on alert until the very last page.

Forget You Know Me was an intense, intriguing story that I thoroughly enjoyed. It may not have turned out to be the thriller that I was expecting, but it certainly ended up being a captivating reading experience.

Forget You Know Me is a slow-burning book that gets under your skin without you knowing and then never lets go. It makes you think…about friendships that change as life catches up with you and about relationships that spiral when your priorities change. And yes, this book probably has one of the best openings I’ve read recently. Highly recommended if you love Liane Moriarity’s books. A big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. I loved it!!!

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I had read a couple of this author's previous novels (Not That I Could Tell and Almost Missed You) in the last couple years and really enjoyed them. This novel I still did enjoy but just not quite as much as the previous two I've read. This one was just so sad to me, that a marriage could fail that intensely. In both marriages and friendships it is easy for two people to grow apart. Molly's character seemed so hopeless to me though - I almost wanted Molly to end up with Rick in the end just to have some semblance of happiness. The story was still very interesting and made me think about the characters and their motivations. The plot stayed with me even when I was done reading it. There was a lot of complex relationships and situations going on within the plot. I really liked the final plot twist too - I didn't see it coming at all! This was a good read and I'd recommend it.

I didn’t really enjoy this book very much. I don’t mind reading books about unlikeable people but the story has to be good for me to get into it and this one wasn’t. It was rather dull.

This is the story of Molly and Liza who are close friends. One night when they are video chatting over a glass of wine, Molly leaves the room to go check on her kids and in the meantime, Liza sees a masked man enter the room. Molly comes back and totally acts like it is no big deal which is oddly confusing to Liza of course.... Unfortunately, the rest of the book does not really play out as the thriller it is billed as. I found it somewhat confusing and did not really like the main characters either. It took me awhile to get through and the twists just did not make the book that exciting. I think there was just too much going on in the side stories which detracted from the main plot.

Molly and Liz are the best of friends who, as it often happens, grow apart. In an effort to reconnect, they Skype. Molly leaves the room to tend to her child, and Liz is frightened to see a masked man enter into the home. Liz, fearing for Molly's safety, drives all night to check on her and when she arrives, she finds Molly abrupt and almost rude.

This book is less thriller and more a relationship study. How friendships change. How relationship change. How many secrets we keep.

Jessica Strawser is a talented writer and I can't wait to read what comes next.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.