This was a fast read for me! I couldn’t put it down. Told in multiple perspectives and told in past and present tense. Such a great mystery. Kept me guessing the whole way through. Even with secrets being revealed , you still have questions until it’s all revealed at the end. Great story! definitely didn’t expect the last bit at the end there!

Intriguing Until The End. This book had a LOT going for it - the opening hooks the reader into the central mystery pretty quickly, the various perspectives reveal some things not overly common, the mystery is tantalizing and features some points rarely if ever seen, etc. And all of these elements work *very* well, through 85% or so of the book. But in the book's final act, instead of continuing the less traveled path the author instead swerves to the ordinary, safe play. I'm still planning to read future books from this author, and on the whole this book is still recommended, the ending is just a tad disappointing.

3.5*
There are 3 perspectives that we follow. The first is a female firefighter Jessica, who is called to the scene of a suicide/possible murder. The second perspective is Margaux, the victim. And the third one is quite interesting: a woman named Kirsten,who suspects that her husband might have been having an affair with Margaux. Both Jessica and Kirsten are investigating this apparent suicide and they become friends pretty early on in the story.
There was definitely a strong theme of female empowerment and feminism in this book. Ideas of women getting together and forming a united front instead of fighting each other and making each other a villain.
Some things were a bit unbelievable. Like,Kirsten is in the force(even if it is firefighters and not the police) and yet she quickly shares a lot of personal information with Kirsten( a potential suspect) not to mention all the information related to the case that really should be confidential.
The writing sometimes didn't work for me,I considered dnfing the book a few times. It wasn't bad,it just wasn't for me.
The story had a few twists that I didn't see coming, so that is always nice.
Overall, I did like this book and would recommend it.
Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is not a book for everyone. It’s a psychological thriller with changing view points going between present day and the past. Margaux’s story is full of secrets that could unravel many lives. I found this story to be so intriguing, I kept changing my mind on who was guilty and who was framed. I couldn’t stop reading. ⁣

"Jessica puts her hand out, hovering palm down, "Justice for Margaux."
I place my hand in the centre of the table, too.
Then, Helen.
And finally, Donna joined us. "For women everywhere."
Together, I don't see how we can lose. - Kirsten"

Trigger Warnings: Suicide, Rapes, Abortions.

When I read the description of this book, it really got my attention. So I went ahead to read this one. This book turned out to be the book which is predictable yet not the one you would keep down. This book is something everyone must read because of all the current atrocities happening against women. If this book missed this aspect or had been subtle about it, this would have been a dull read. It is not something I might read again, anytime soon, but I will give it a reread, someday for sure.

Marquax, a 22-year-old female, has been found hanging in her apartment after she slipped a note to her neighbour: a single sentence without which her suicide would have been an open-and-shut case. Jessica, the firefighter who took Marquax down, has been affected by it and ends up getting key points to solving the case to Lieutenant KJ Decker, who is the investigator of the case. He smells foul play and is Jessica's on/off partner. Kirsten is a 40-year-old mother to Quinn, a graduate freshman and Patrick, an intern at his father, Ian Holloway's, law firm. She finds something that belongs she thinks belongs to Marquax and other inappropriate things in her husband's possession. The story is narrated in Jessica, Kirsten and Marquax's POV. The plot moves ahead with solving the case while narrating Marquax life. At one point it gets messy and tricky but it goes well nevertheless with the help of an unknown third party to Marquax's help.

The story is constructed pretty carefully but I found one plot hole in the story. I didn't feel like it was fast-paced but it was not slow-paced either. I am only giving this book 4 stars because of the themes it contained: white men privileges and strong women who stand up against this, showcasing of men control over women's body (all the issues surrounding rapes and abortions), women who are supportive to each other and feminists, true feminists in this case and some other aspects which are currently needed to be written about. As a young woman, I love reading, watching or listening to stuff based on these themes. It makes me feel so empowered. So besides the plot and themes, Reeds writing is for everyone. It is simple, easily understandable yet on point. She has done a good job with this book even if the story is simple yet interesting. I will check out her other books too.

Recommended: It's a good read so why not but if you have trigger issues, please do not read since this book has many triggering aspects in it.

***Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of THIRD PARTY by Brandi Reeds in exchange for my honest review.***

The lives of several woman and men intersect in ways that will make readers cringe, ball their fist in anger and drop their jaws.

Brandi Reeds is a master at creating plot intricacies that don’t all come together until the very end of the story. THIRD PARTY ends not with a period but with a huge exclamation point.

I’m usually a big Brandi Reeds/Sasha Dawn fan and my lack of enjoyment of THIRD PARTY is in no way indicative of how I feel about her writing and books. That said I didn’t enjoy the book.

Publishers should be more careful that blurbs don’t give away too much about the plot/resolution. After reading the blurb I thought, “I bet XYZ.” I won’t say what XYZ is as not to spoil anything. I’ll read any plot details except hurt/abused/dead animals which fortunately THIRD PARTY didn’t have. If I knew the “consensual” sexual violence was a large part of the plot, I wouldn’t have requested the ARC.

I didn’t enjoy reading THIRD PARTY, but will always be excited when Brandi Reeds/Sasha Dawn writes a new book.

The Third Party is my first read from author Brandi Reeds, and I've just got to say that it was an overall great experience.

This story revolved around the lives of three women: Margaux, who was recently found dead in her apartment, Jessica, the firefighter who responded to the scene, and Kristen, who is involved in the mess and suspecting her husband is cheating on her.

The formula used in this book can be described as a mystery classic, but it still works. My mind's gears were whirring and I was very interested in what would happen next. I was not mindblown, but it was not like the plot twist was already obvious a few pages in.

All in all, an enjoyable read!

☁ THE CRITERIA ☁

🌼 Blurb:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Main Character:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Significant Other: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Support Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Writing Style:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Character Development:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Thrill Factor: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Pacing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Ending: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Unputdownability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Book Cover:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
☁FINAL VERDICT: 4.27/5 ☁

What really happened to Margaux? Told by Jessica, the firefighter who cut her hanging body down, Kirsten, who thinks her husband was having an affair with her, and Margaux herself (before she died), this is a quick read that has a number of twists. Kirsten's husband is a respected attorney but he's also involved with the underground sex club where Margaux worked- and Kirsten, as she pokes around for answers, becomes concerned that he's also involved with her death. Jessica would not normally become engaged in investigating but her love interest is a detective who tells her something isn't right with Margaux's death and she wants to know what really happened. These two band together. Margaux's story- you'll need to read that for yourself. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I didn't know what I was getting into when I chose to read "Third Party" by Brandi Reeds. I had never read this author and didn't know anything about the plot of the book before I dove in. What a pleasant surprise! The plot sucked me in from the very first page and kept me reading until the end. It was fast-paced and kept me guessing. Though the book shifted between the perspectives of three important characters, I was never confused and I think the method was perfect for the story being told. I read this book quickly because I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next.

Though the plot was entertaining and interesting, I think my favorite thing about this book was its undertone of feminism. All of the women characters in this book are strong, powerful women in their own way. They are able to make the difficult choices that need to be made. They don't rely on a man to "fix" everything for them and refuse to overlook the shortcomings of the men in their lives. In contrast to most thrillers that involve a woman in trouble and a man who swoops in to save her., this book was refreshing in that the women are actually capable of saving themselves.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the privilege and pleasure of reading an advanced digital copy of this thrilling book. I look forward to reading more by this author.

This was a good read with lots of twists and turns. The story is told from 3 POV’s and the author weaves them together. There are many layers to the story with emotions that follow.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger alert: Descriptions of sexual and emotional abuse

This was a quick and engrossing read, with chapters changing off between two different women's perspectives in the present: wife and mother, and firefighter (whose lives intertwine in the course of the story), and the victim's perspective in the past. I felt these shifts in perspective worked well to keep the plot moving forward.

The author presents a lot of of possible suspects, motives, and red herrings, which are winnowed down primarily through the efforts of the two main female characters. I did find it rather predictable, but it was fast-paced enough to keep me hooked.

A fast paced and rather enjoyable thriller. I enjoyed the different point of views from the characters and found it quite easy to follow. And enjoyable easy read xx

This was a fun to read, fast-paced thriller but unfortunately it's not an overly memorable one.

This book is told through three POV's, one of which is Jessica who's a firefighter who had the job of cutting down the body of Margaux after she is found hanging in her apartment. Then we have Kirsten who is convinced her husband was having an affair with the deceased Margaux but no-one will believe her accusations. The last POV is from the past showing Margaux's life in the build-up to her death.

This one did keep me guessing throughout and I never quite managed to work out exactly what happened. I love books that can keep me questioning. However, as much as I enjoyed reading this it's not one that i'm going to remember weeks from now. I'd recommend this more to those who are new to the thriller genre.

Really enjoyed this novel. The writing flowed and the characters were depicted very well. Couldn't wait to find out what happens next.

This book was a great psychological thriller that changes up point of views and exposes some dark hobbies throughout the book. It all begins when Kirsten finds a red thong in her husband's jacket when she takes it to the cleaner. As she watches the TV, she sees that a woman that she had seen at her brother-in-laws recent wedding was murdered and had a matching dress to the thong. The eerie part is that this woman had reached out to her husband at the wedding. I really liked this one and would like to read more from this author. There is a little bit of S&M and sexuality throughout the book, but it fit in seemlessly into the book. Thanks for the ARC, Net Galley,

Absolutely sensational! I was hooked from the very first page and the suspense lasted ugh too up until the end, I had read a number of mediocre novels lately, and was delighted to learn this one was one of the greats. Such incredible writing, superb characters, and a shocking ending, overall, ten stars for everything contained within these pages. I strongly suggest you read this one. Highly recommend, Checking now to see if this author has written anything else. If so, going out to buy them!

This book was a bit of a surprise for me. I didn't have that high expectations - don't know why, nothing against the cover or the author (this is my first book from Brandi Reeds), I just wasn't convinced it was going to be for me. But thought I'd give it a shot anyway.

I found myself getting sucked into the book and I kept guessing until the end. I love when books keep me guessing and it takes a lot for that to happen. This novel focuses on the character of Margaux, who's apparent suicide at the beginning of the book opens up a world of secrets and lies. Following her death, we meet Jessica who wants justice for Margaux and Kristen who worries her husband may be responsible. Such an interesting concept and great twists.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is seriously a whirlwind of emotions.
It’s written from three point of views after the murder of Margaux.
This book is told from Jessica, Kirsten, and Margaux’s point of view before she is murdered.
Jessica is a firefighter who is trying to get to the bottom of Margaux’s murder. She’s involved with a detective, Decker, as well as a man named Jack Wyatt. Kirsten’s husband, Ian Holloway, is a prominent attorney. He seems to have ties to a popular sex club called Aquasphere Underground. Margaux happened to work at this same club. After encountering Margaux at Ian’s cousins wedding, Kirsten feels that Ian May have more to do with Margaux’s murder than he’s letting on.
This book goes between the three points of view to craft a murder mystery that isn’t quite solved until the last page.

I really enjoyed this book which keeps you guessing until the end. The book centres around Margaux who's apparent suicide at the start of the book opens a whole web of lies and deceit, Jessica a firefighter is one of first on scene and eager to find justice for Margaux, meanwhile juggling two relationships one of which she finds is not who he seems!! Kirsten married to Ian feels he may be responsible for the death of Margaux. Jess and Kirsten work together to uncover the truth!! Full of twists and intrigue nothing and no one are what they seem. Who is telling the truth!! Will Margaux get her final wish to see justice done.

Really good read. Some interesting points! Enjoyed it. Will post a full review soon on the blog. Great job. Look forward to reading more!