This book had enough twists and turns to keep me reading, and I kept changing my mind on whom of all of the main characters I was rooting for. I look forward to reading more books by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC for my honest opinion.
For some reason I thought this was a thriller, I'm not sure if I misread something or I unintentionally chose this book. It is not a thriller or a mystery so much as it is a Domestic drama, women's fiction book.
Now with that being said, this was an interesting story of two friends and how their lives have developed over the last couple of decades. A lot of predictable family drama; Molly the over stressed mom of two active children dealing with chronic pain and the search to find relief. The unsympathetic husband that patronizes his wife about her pain and the mounting secrets between them. The best friend who now lives several hours away and how they have grown apart. There is nothing shocking or any major revelation in this book but if you enjoy this type of book then it's ok.
It was not my preferred genre but it is a solidly written book.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars.

Forget You Know Me is not a bad book by any means, but I had one big issue with it: it really isn’t a thriller.

The premise sounded very mysterious, and the first few chapters really intrigued me. However, after a while I realized that, while the mystery of the masked man was present, it wasn’t the main focus of the book by any means. And the reveal, when it came, wasn’t shocking or unexpected. I think many readers will go into this novel expecting it to be suspenceful and full of twists, but Forget You Know Me is not that type of read. It is fiction with a touch of mystery in it. The plot is quite slow, and is mostly an exploration of the characters and their relationships. The fact I was expecting a typical thriller lessened my enjoyment of it.

That being said, the book was overall good. The two main characters, Liza and Molly, were complex and multi-dimensional. They were not entirely likeable, but this made them all the more interesting. I often disagreed with their actions, but I always understood their motivations. I enjoyed reading about the different struggles they faced, and the serious themes were explored well. I found both of their situations interesting and I liked how both of them turned out in the end.

I would recommend going into this novel not expecting it to be a classic thriller. However, it was a solid book, and I would try this author again in the future.

Forget You Know Me is the story of Molly and Liza, friends since childhood, who grow apart after Liza moves from Cincinnati to Chicago. One night, while video-chatting with each other, Liza witnesses a masked man in Molly's home on the webcam while Molly steps upstairs to tend to the children. Even though that event is the catalyst of this story, it really isn't the main focus. Instead, the story really is about the relationships of these characters, Liza and Molly, and Molly's husband Daniel, of friendships and marriages that have grown distant, and with the personal struggles that each of the 3 of them deal with, and the effects those have on their relationships with others. I went into this book expecting more of a thriller, and there was some disappointment that this book did not go that route. It wasn't a bad story by any means, though I found myself really disliking Molly throughout the book, but it just wasn't what I though it would be. It is, however, a well-told story of relationships and the things that threaten to tear them apart, as well as the need to face up to those things that frighten us the most.

I think it’s important to go into this one with the mentality that it is a drama and not a psychological thriller. It starts off like a thriller, so I can see why some readers were misled. However, the story itself is about the drama of a couple both in and outside the relationship. The characters were well-developed and the hint of mystery kept me reading and wanting to know what happened! However, at times it was a slow-moving story and I often disagreed with the actions of the characters. I enjoy reading about characters I disagree with, as long as they are well-developed, which was the case with this book. If you liked Not That I Could Tell, you will enjoy the author’s follow-up!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this thriller it wasn’t my favorite I’ve ever read or the most twisty but I liked the writing style and the pacing of it. It wasn’t draggy or slow it was paced just right to keep you interested from start to finish. Definitely an author I’ll keep my eye on. A solid 4 stars for me!

Forget You Know Me was a surprising foray into marriage, relationships, and friendship. I was never quite sure where the story would go next, in a pleasant way.

3.5 stars

A second novel by Strawser, a good one, but not as strong as her first. Forget You Know Me is a domestic suspense novel and relationships, friendships and secrets. What would you do if you saw a stranger in your friend's house and then rushed to her house but then she slams the door ini your face and tells you it was probably just a computer glitch?

Although I enjoyed her first novel more, it certainly doesn't mean I didn't enjoy this one. It was still great but honestly anything Strawser writes is amazing. She has a way with words that once you start one of her books, I guarantee you won't be able to stop.

When I knew that she was coming out with a new novel, I knew I had to get my hands on it and I was not disappointed at all. Although there were some times where I felt like I was getting bored, there was a bunch of suspenseful moments in the novel placed at the right time I was so hooked! I missed by stop on the bus while reading this novel. I was so intrigued!

Figuring out who the masked man was, I was so tripped up. You literally suspect everyone and I guarantee you will be guessing throughout the entire novel who it is and you will be very shocked when you find out. Characters and plto

I don't want to spoil the novel but it's a must read for all domestic fans out there!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review and thanks to Netgalley as well.

"Forget You Know Me" is a cross between a thriller (first half) and women's fiction (second half). We begin with two friends, Molly and Liza, who were die hard BFFs until life got in the way. Molly now has two young children and lives a life with chronic pain, most of it confirmed by doctors, but she is unable to find treatments that work. She is willing to spend any amount of money on something that might work in an effort to get her life back. This has led to increasing debt that she is hiding from her husband, who has no empathy for her or her pain. Liza moved to Chicago and is living a somewhat lonely single life- she has her good friend, Max- a date which turned into friendship, but she doesn't particularly like her demanding and low-paying job and her dates have turned up nothing good lately- so she's gone on a dating hiatus.

They are talking via videochat while Molly's husband is out of town and her kids are sleeping. When the toddler, Nori, calls for her, Molly leaves the computer open and goes to settle her down again. Liza is waiting for her friend to return when she sees a man in a ski mask enter her house, startle at the computer, and shut it down. Liza immediately freaks out and calls the police and her friend. The police go over there, but Liza won't feel OK until she can hear from Molly's lips that she is alright. However, Molly won't return her calls and goes to sleep with only a few texts in response. Fearing for her friend, she drives all the way to Cincinnati overnight with Max for company to check on Molly- however, when she arrives, Molly basically slams the door in her face and won't even acknowledge what happened the night before. After Liza returns to Chicago, she learns that a fire has burned down her apartment complex completely and everyone else on her floor and many of the floors above died in it.

Floundering with survivor's guilt and a new sense of mortality, Liza decides to return home to Cincinnati where she will stay with her brother and his pregnant wife until she can land on her feet. Following Liza, Molly, and Molly's husband Daniel, this book becomes more of a character study than a thriller (not completely wrapping up some of the thriller aspects by the end- really one aspect is not cleared by the end). There is also a touch of romance with Liza as she is working to recover and move on.

Overall, it was a book that I found hard to place in my mind. I enjoyed it, but I wasn't sure if I got the thriller feel for most of it, and that was really what I was hoping for when I picked it up. The book focuses more on the tangled web of lies we all weave that can drag us down and build up walls between loved ones. As such, it was still interesting but not quite as thriller-esque as I was hoping. I really liked the romance between Liza and the pilot Henry, but it almost felt out of place in the book. Add that to potential affairs, personal challenges, business ethics issues, and predatory lenders, and the book felt a little all over the place. I think I would have liked it to be a little more focused, but as women's fiction, a lot of these things worked better, so maybe I was just expecting something different.

This was an unexpected read, and I did enjoy it overall. I do wish that in addition to the one thriller-type aspect above that wasn't resolved that there had been some more personal resolution for Liza (who was refusing therapy but obviously really needing something), but the book began to focus more on the romance than her personal health (which was also a major theme). I almost feel like a chapter was missing at the end where everything is moved forward to a conclusion like most of the other issues in the book. Regardless, it was an engaging and overall intriguing read.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This book took awhile to get into, two weeks to finish and was glad that the last third made it worth the wait. I'm not sure what was lacking besides the desire to figure out who the intruder was. There was so much marriage and friendship issues that clogged up the way to the mystery that slowed the book down for me. Will still read her next book and recommend this for domestic suspense readers.

Oh wow. Put some time away for this book. It has all the ingredients for a terrific psychological thriller.

No spoilers from me. Book is great with lots of lies, deception, tragedy, and twists. Also, loved the unpredictable ending. Can't say enough great about this. Read it today!!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this fabulous book.

The "reveal" was evident within the first few chapters. I thought the writing good, but the characters weak, and I didn't connect with any of them. I never "throw out" a book just because I can see the ending coming, but typically a good story and strong characters can really keep a book alive regardless of whether I know how it will end or not. This one just fell too short for me.

Not the psychological thriller I was expecting but a suspenseful, character driven novel of relationships, friendships, and the consequences of deceit. Well written and worth reading.

I received an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time! It was definitely a book that kept you thinking! I would definitely recommend this book to fellow readers. Thank you!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Jessica Strawser, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I so really, really wanted to like this book. It had a GREAT premise and just fizzled out on me. I was so excited to finish the book and learn the ending only to be a little disappointed. I also had the wrong impression that this book was a THRILLER when it really was about relationships between friends, family, and lovers. The book really started out great and progressively got less great.

I think that the writer has great promise in the future - I half-heartedly recommend.

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All Opinions are my Own.
An interesting read about a husband and wife who seem to be losing touch with one another. The wife has a friend who has moved away awhile back that she seems to have lost touch with. A strange and scary incident brings them back together. No one can figure out what is going on which makes for quite an intriguing plot. As the story unravels and more is revealed, we begin to find out who is the strongest and who is willing to go the farthest for the sake of the others.

I have read all of Jessica Strawser's books and have enjoyed them all. I was excited to read this one. The main characters are Liza and Molly, two old friends who have not been as close as they once were. While on a video computer chat, Molly sees a masked man in Molly's kitchen. Liza calls the police and drives all night to reach her friend only to be treated badly by Molly and told that she imaged the whole thing. That is the hook for the book but that whole interaction is minor in the plot. There are lots of other plot lines in the book, ie. Liza's house burns down while she is gone, Molly and her husband have marital problems, Molly has debt and health issues, etc. The story does meander a bit but I did enjoy it and recommend the book. It was worth reading to find out how all the plot lines tied together.

Forget You Know Me by Jessica Strawser begins with a video chat between long time friends Molly and Liza. Molly's husband, Daniel, is out of town, so it's the perfect time for a girl's night in, even though they live in different States. When something is caught on camera by one of the women, secrets emerge that can ruin their friendship. When confronted about what was witnessed, Molly refuses to respond to any of Liza's frantic calls or texts, and decides to drive to make sure her friend is alright. Once there, Molly can't hide her anger towards Liza, and Liza realizes there is more to this story.

When Liza returns home, she is shocked that she no longer has a home to go to. She has some big decisions to make, however her life is spiraling out of control. After her near death experience, her confusion with her longtime friend, she is really struggling.

I thought this book was going to be a thriller. It's not. It is more an exploration of friends and secrets and lies, and really has nothing to do with the mysterious person caught on on video. I may not be the popular vote here, but this book was confusing. It had so many different side stories with each character, it was almost impossible to keep up. Even the characters themselves were just difficult to like. I kept skipping over paragraphs waiting for something to draw me in, and I never found it. There was never any real closure, and so many unanswered questions, just really unorganized.

I would like to thank Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this advanced copy, however I could only give it a 1.5 stars, and that is being generous.

I'm sorry but I really did not enjoy this book, it was very boring and the characters were flat. I would not recommend this.

What I liked: Liza and Henry’s developing relationship was fantastic to read about. I liked Liza’s character in general. She goes through a traumatic event and spends the majority of the novel trying to recover from it. The character development she goes through during this time is very interesting, and I enjoyed getting to read about it with her.

What I didn’t like: Molly and Daniel’s entire marriage just didn’t sit right with me. They are in a bad place, completely lacking empathy for each other and losing sight of what made them get together and stay together in the beginning. There were so many secrets and lies, and the reveal at the end just didn’t work for me. I found both of these characters to be disappointing and didn’t really get invested in their relationship.

This book was so-so. I liked to fine but don’t anticipate reading it again. I enjoyed Strawser’s previous novel much more.