II received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. What a disappointment. I was not sure if this was a love story or thriller. received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. What a disappointment. I was not sure if this was a love story or thriller. received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. Molly and Liza have been friends all of their lives. Once they are adults, they still remain long distance friends and have an evening of drinking wine and talking face to face on their computers. When Molly goes to her child who is calling out for her she leaves the computer on. Liza then sees a masked man come into Molly's home and when she yells to him, he closes the laptop. Being in Chicago with her best friend in Cincinnati, Liza is beside herself and ends up calling the police. She is not able to get in touch with Molly and frantically drives to Chicago. What she finds there is not at all what she expected. This book was just okay for me. I really didn't feel like it was a "thriller".

I didn't love nor hate this book. I really enjoyed her previous book "Not That I Could Tell" better. There was just so much going on in this book with each character...maybe too much. Made it hard to get through all their "crap" and really pull for a character. Wished I had liked it more, but will look for her next book and want to go back and read her first book, "Almost Missed You"

I'm rating Forget You Know Me 4 stars. The story is told in the alternating voices of two best friends, Liza and Molly. These two friends have been closer than any sisters could be over the course of many years. As Liza and Molly mature, Molly marries and Liza moves some distance away, time and distance prevents them from speaking every day and distance in the relationship forms. One night while trying to catch up on a video computer chat, Liza witnesses an intruder in Molly's home via the computer screen while Molly is upstairs checking on her daughter. The story is highlighted around this one specific event but in addition to the event, Ms. Strawser brings in the daily happenings of each women's life - past and present; husband, friends, love interest, children, work, finances. Molly's husband has some unorthodox things happening at work, Molly is hiding some things from her hubby, Liza has her own problems that manifest after a fire. I don't want to give away too many details so I won't elaborate but it gets really good. This story is all too realistic, it made me thoughtful about my own life and friends and how easily it is to get into trouble with a path paved on good intentions. Personally I detested Molly's character, her self absorption and constant ailments made my head ache. I wanted to scream at her "SUCK IT UP!" Read this book and let me know what you think!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Jessica Strawser, and St. Martin's Press for an advanced readers copy of this book.

Liza and Molly have always been very involved in each other’s lives until Liza moves to Chicago. As time goes by, Molly shares less and less with Liza. After a terrifying event where Liza swears Molly’s life is in danger, Liza is shocked to realize Molly really doesn’t want her in her life anymore. Something else is going on here, and Liza refuses to toss years of friendship to the curb.
The book transitions away from a thriller, doing a beautiful job of developing the characters, their flaws and strengths. Why is Molly so fixated on her neighbor? Is her heart in the right place, trying to help him with his daughter? And Daniel, the typical carousing young working man, who couldn’t resist temptation and thinks every day is the day Molly finds out and rips him to shreds. Liza is the strength, the island in the stream, and maybe the only hope Molly may have to save her family from falling apart.
A bit slow at times and confusing to follow the actual plot, but this book was still an enjoyable read that I wanted to finish.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for making it available.)

Thanks for the early review copy!

This was an interesting domestic mystery, well-written with interesting characters. I recommend this book to fans of adult mystery or thrillers.

4.5 rounded up. This novel starts out with a bang when two friends who have been growing apart are trying to reconnect via Skype. When Molly goes to check on her daughter, leaving her laptop open and on, Liza sees a masked man enter her friend’s house. Naturally, Liza loses her mind, calling the police and her friend over and over to no avail. Imagining her friend has been kidnapped—because why else wouldn’t she answer her phone or call Liza back?—Liza leaves Chicago, the city she relocated to two years earlier, and hightails it back to Cincinnati to check on Molly.

I can’t tell you what happens next without giving away major plot points, so I’ll simply say that while this is a mystery/suspense novel (who was that masked man?!), it’s also about friendship and marriage and the challenges of nurturing relationships over time, distance, and other obstacles.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES FEBRUARY 5, 2019.

Liza and Molly, long time best friends, who have grown apart, set up a video chat so they can catch up with each other, during which Liza sees a masked intruder enter Molly's home. The fallout from this event leads to exposing major problems in the marriage of Molly and her husband Daniel. Molly and Daniel have been keeping secrets from each other for years and with all those secrets, the intruder could be any number of people. Still, this isn't a search for the intruder but instead a character study about how two best friends can have grown so far apart and how a marriage that seemed to start out so well, could become so dead.

Liza, the concerned friend, who that same night, loses everything she owns, is a likable and sympathetic character, during an extremely upsetting time in her life. Molly, who suffers from chronic pain and health problems, is an angry, bitter women who has gone to dangerous extremes in order to find help for her pain. Her husband Daniel has his secrets at home and at work, although he appears to be putting in a real effort to mend his relationship with Molly. Both Molly and Liza spent an enormous amount of time overthinking things and their overthinking affects their lives in detrimental ways.

I actually enjoyed reading about the side characters of Max, Henry, and Rick more than reading about Molly and Daniel. Hard to believe these two disconnected people could have such witty children and I spent a lot of the book feeling sorry for the kids and for Molly and Daniel's neighbor, Rick, who is treated horribly by Daniel. I wish this book were easier for me to describe but with all the overthinking of the two women characters, I often felt overwhelmed reading the story. Which brings me to why I probably enjoyed the side characters more than the main characters...the side characters weren't bogged down by the overthinking, run on thoughts, of the main characters.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this Advance Read Copy.

"Forget You Know Me" by Jessica Strawser is about the dwindling friendship of Molly and Liza, who grew up together, went to school together, but are now feeling the distance of Liza's move to Chicago from Cincinnati where they grew up. In an attempt to rebuild their friendship, they attempt a video call. Molly's husband Daniel is away on business and her kids are in bed, and she and Liza sit down at their respective computers with some wine and awkward conversation. When Molly has to go upstairs to check on one of the kids, Liza witnesses a masked intruder before he notices her and closes Molly's laptop. Liza calls the police, which apparently scares the intruder away, but when Liza tries to talk to Molly about what happened, Molly completely shuts Liza out. When Liza then experiences a near miss of her own and ends up moving back to Cincinnati, what develops is a twisted series of events that makes the reader wonder what actually happened that night and why Molly is being so secretive.

I really struggled with this. It started strong, and even though it's classified as women's fiction, the description really made it sound more like a thriller. Do not make the mistake of thinking this will be more action-packed than it is. You will be disappointed. This book reminded me of a short-lived TV series called "Consequences," in which the main character makes one bad decision after another in an attempt to cover up his previous bad decisions.

I thought Liza's character was believable in her response to her near miss (which I won't give away), and I appreciate her loyalty to her best friend, but I'm not sure Molly was worthy of loyalty. I found her to be completely unsympathetic, and I really disliked her at the end of the book. And don't even get me started on how I felt about Daniel at the end. The number of secrets everyone was keeping was just ridiculous it was like everyone in their circle had something major to hide.

I am a fan of well-written women's fiction with strong characters, and while I think the author writes in a great, realistic voice, her strongest character, in my opinion, was Liza's sister-in-law, who has a secondary story line. I'm sure there are plenty of people who will love this story, but it's not one I would recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a free copy in exchange for an honest review. This title is scheduled for publication in February 2019.

“Forget You Know Me” by Jessica Strawser is a novel about friendships, marriage, growing apart, and whether it is possible to be honest with anyone including oneself.

Liza and Molly have been close friends since childhood. Liza is perpetually single, but Molly met and fell in love with Daniel and has two kids. While the two women did everything they could to maintain their friendship, when Liza took a job in Chicago and left Cincinnati, the two started to grow apart. At the same time, as Daniel became wrapped up with his job and Molly started to suffer unexplained physical pains, the marriage experienced its own growing pains.

Molly and Liza, determined to renew their friendship, connect via Skype while Daniel is out of town on business. When Molly walks away from the computer screen to check on a crying child, Liza views from the computer screen a masked man enter through the back door. Liza screams for her friend, and then tries to reach her friend by cell phone, but the intruder’s response is to close the laptop.

Panicked, Liza continues to try and contact her friend and then the police in Cincinnati. When Molly finally returns Liza’s call, it’s not to thank her friend for her concern, but to abrasively dismiss the issue and insist she is fine. Concerned that Molly is hiding something, Liza heads to Cincinnati (with her best Chicago friend, Max), but when she arrives the next morning, it’s not a grateful friend who answers the door, but one who is angry at Liza for checking up on her. At the same time, Molly’s husband, Daniel, has returned prematurely from his business trip. He is confused as to why his wife failed to contact him about the intruder (nor mention it once he returned home) and without his wife being aware, witnesses his wife slam the door in Liza’s face.

This is a lot of plot for the reader to digest in the opening chapters of the book and so many details require patience on the part of the reader, especially when Liza returns to Chicago where she discovers that she escaped an apartment fire that could have ended her own life if she hadn’t made the decision to go check up on her friend. Because of the fire, she returns to Cincinnati. Liza has to decide whether her friendship with Molly is worth salvaging as at the same time, Molly decides whether her marriage to Daniel can be rebuilt.

The novel revolves among the three points of view of Liza, Molly, and Daniel and the reader learns quickly that none of these narrators are reliable (or quite that likeable). Keeping track of the different plot twists can be a bit difficult, especially when Rick, Molly’s neighbor whose daughter is a friend of Molly’s daughter, may or may not have been the intruder. When the issues facing Liza, Molly and Daniel become clearer, the mystery of the intruder continues (though a savvy reader may be able to figure it out before his identity is revealed).

Despite so much plot, parts of the novel feel slow as if Strawser felt obligated to emphasize a point that perhaps did not need so much emphasis. Another issue with the novel is that its not sure if it wants to be a thriller or a more serious exploration of relationships, and unfortunately, it does not quite succeed in either of those categories. While her main characters are developed and somewhat believable, as mentioned above, they’re not necessarily likeable and the reader may find it difficult to decide whether any character (or relationship) is worth rooting for.

If you are a fan of Strawser’s two earlier novels, expect this to be a departure. But if you enjoy her writing style and her strong characterizations, this novel will not disappoint you.

“Forget That You Know Me” is set to published by St. Martin’s Press on February 2, 2019. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in providing me an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review.

I liked this book,however it was not much of an edge of your seat kind of story. More of a character study between the two female leads, with friendships strained, and plenty of secrets. Pretty good, just not great.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of FORGET YOU KNOW ME by Jessica Strawser in exchange for my honest review.***

Best friends since childhood, stay-at-home mom Molly and Liza keep their relationship alive on Skype when one night Liza witnesses a masked intruder in Molly’s home. When the police find nothing amiss Liza drives hours overnight, only to be turned away by Molly, the fate of their friendship in question.

FORGET YOU KNOW ME starts off as a promising thriller, but after the first few chapters become more women’s fiction. I wouldn’t have still requested this ARC had I known the genre switch, but would have preferred to know what I was reading to keep my expectations realistic. I’m the type of reader who does a lot of research before choosing what type book I’m in the mood to read, so if I’m expecting a white knuckle read, I can feel let down by domestic drama.

Jessica Strawser’s characters proved deeper and more complex than I initially thought. I loved that Molly and Liza looked toward Eleanor Roosevelt as inspiration beginning in their teen years and into adulthood as she’s always been one of my role models. I didn’t agree with many Molly and Liza’s choices, but won’t say which to avoid spoiling.

FORGET YOU KNOW ME will intrigue and delight readers of women’s fiction.

This is a story that is jump started by a BFF video chat and a masked man. Liza lives in Chicago, and Molly lives in Cincinnati. These longtime friends arrange a virtual "Girls Night Out" at their respective homes to catch up over a glass of wine.

It starts with a fast thriller vibe that is slightly sinister, but then morphs into a slow and steady pace. The masked man fades into the background, and brought to the forefront are the themes of female friendship, marital discord, family, finances, identity, home, secrets, lies, scandal, and personal crisis. It's a character study of two women trying to find their way in life when things fall apart.

The characters were not likeable for me, but they are well developed and by the end I knew them well. I didn't agree with their actions, but Liza and Molly's separate situations are relatable and found myself wondering how I'd face them. How they handle their issues is a test of their own character and the strength of their friendship. By the end, the masked man's identity is revealed and all of the loose ends are tied together with a satisfying conclusion. I liked that the characters changed their perspectives, examined their flaws and decisions, and opened up to doing things differently than they had in the past.

Jessica Strawser is an excellent storyteller. Some have referenced her books as thrillers, but this one is really a domestic drama. If you start the book with this perspective, then you will enjoy it.

Liza and Molly have been best friends since childhood but lately they have found themselves growing apart. Molly, married with two young children and living in Cincinnati, is also experiencing a dis-connect with her husband Daniel. She is in the throes of a deep fibromyalgia pain cycle that has dominated the bulk of her time and attention. When she isn’t immersed in childcare, she hopefully searches out one costly alternative treatment after another in the hopes of relieving her chronic pain. Molly works part time but finds herself in the midst of a financial disaster along with a potential emotional one involving a single male neighbor. To further complicate matters both Molly and Daniel are hiding heavy secrets from one another.

Liza is living in Chicago after making a bold move there for what once seemed a trendy, glamorous job. She is unresolved that this is the place she wants to set down roots. Her dating life has slowed to a crawl and she is generally out of sorts. A tragic event shakes her to her to the core and Liza decides to return to Cincinnati.

A Facetime Girls Night complete with wine is meant to re-connect Molly and Liza to each other’s lives. At one point, Molly puts down her wine glass to go check on her children. Liza is left waiting, looking at the computer screen showing Molly’s family room when she witnesses a masked intruder entering Molly’s home while Molly is upstairs tending to her kids. Liza calls out to the intruder, hoping to scare him off. She dials 911 and then tries over and over to contact her friend to no avail. Finally Molly texts back saying that everything is fine and that she is going straight to bed. Frantic, Liza decides to drive to Cincinnati to check on her friend.

It does not go as expected.

The big mystery of the story is discovering who the masked intruder is. The problem though is that there are too many stories happening at once to hold the reader’s attention. It’s not much of a thriller. The story is mildly entertaining but lacked a certain punch needed to elevate it to next level. I found it a bit boring and disjointed. There is the stuff between Molly and Liza, between Molly and Daniel, between Molly and the neighbor. There are those secrets between Molly and Daniel. There is Liza’s trauma, and her new and promising relationship. The chapters move back and forth between the two women along with Daniel’s work drama however none of the moving parts seem to gel into one cohesive story. It’s just too much.

BRB Rating: Skip It.

Molly and Liza have been close friends for years and consider each other family. After Liza moves out of state and Molly starts a family, friend time is hard to find. One night when Molly’s husband Daniel is out of town they decide to facetime and have a ‘girls night”. When Molly has to step away from her computer, Liza is witness to something horrible. Frantic, Liza contacts the police. She can not get in contact with Molly and decides to drive across state to check on her safety. When Liza arrives to Molly’s house she is shocked when Molly shuts the door in her face and tells her to leave. No thank you. No explanation. Liza is baffled and returns home, only to find her life in ashes and is forced to start over. Molly is forced to confront her drowning financial issues and fears her husband will not understand. Daniel has his own issues that threaten his marriage. This is a story about how secrets and neglect can decay a marriage and how far a friendship can last without communication. I was excited to read this book from Jessica Strawser. It was a good read and I look forward to reading more from the author.

An interesting novel about friendship, love and trust.
These three qualities are the foundations of good relationships.
However; when doubt creeps in, these three valuable qualities will fall away. People change. People back away.
This book tells how four people work through insecurities to reunite in friendship and family.
I read this book in a day as I needed to find out exactly what each chapter held and how would these characters survive.
Most definitely a women's fiction story that most will enjoy and a quick read.

Forget You Know Me got off to a slow start for me but I am glad that I stuck with it. The story about Liza, Molly, Rick and Daniel ended up sucking me in. There were so many different issues and situations going on simultaneously and there I was trying to figure it all out. Jessica Strawser definitely created some unexpected twists and turns!

Forget you know me by author Jessica Strawser is a great women’s fiction novel. It isn’t some crazy spiral thriller, but it pulls you in and makes you think like a psychological thriller. The characters are well developed and the plot is nice. Great book, I definitely recommend it!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of Forget you know me in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first time reading Strawser and I am so glad I did. After reading the description I expected it to be more of a thriller than it was, but the plot still had me hooked. The author did a great job developing the characters and making the main character likable and relatable. I read this book in a 2 day period as I couldn’t put it down. 4/5 stars!

Molly is struggling with her life and when an unexpected intruder is seen by a friend she is Skyping with it sets in motion events that could ruin her or save her. How can she explain to her best friend Liza or her husband Daniel what is going on? But can she continue the way her life is? A story of choices and the consequence of those choices.

Liza and Molly have been best friends forever, but their friendship changes as their lives take different paths. Molly is married with 2 children now, and Liza has moved hours away. But they keep in touch and catch up when they can. One night, with Molly’s husband away on a business trip and the kids in bed, Molly and Liza finally meet at their computers for a “virtual girls night”. When Molly is called away for a second, Liza helplessly watches as a masked man in dark clothing silently enters Molly’s house and shuts the computer. Molly doesn’t return Liza’s calls, so Liza calls the police, who show up at Molly’s house, but are turned away after a brief visit. Liza panics, races several hours to her friend’s house, only to be rebuffed.
The characters are well-developed, and the storyline is interesting. Molly is a bit frustrating in her self-centeredness, but that’s how some people are. There are some twists and turns which keep you on your toes. All in all, an interesting read.