UM HI. WELCOME TO MY FAVORITE BOOK I'VE READ IN 2020 THUS FAR.

The amount I loved this book took me by total surprise. I went in thinking it would something ridiculous but OMGEEEE was I wrong.

PEEPS - I'M CALLING IT NOW - THIS BOOK IS GONNA BE ALL THE RAGE IN 2020.

OK let me set the scene: We've got an ever fabulous group of four women living in NYC. One, Eleanor, is the clear leader of this herd and starts this bad-ass co-working/networking/bougie AF space for women. This, among her other business ventures, totally take off and she's all the rage and getting press from allllllll the publications. She's basically Elizabeth Holmes pre-craziness.

Eleanor mysteriously disappears and her three gal-pals are there to solve the mystery. What they find along the way are so many secrets they've all basically been keeping from one another for their entire friendship. It's so deliciously readable. #frenemies

But here's the thing about this book; and the reason I loved it so much. It's not your standard "I am woman here me roar" OR "OMG stories about women are like, so silly and easy breezy." No bitch, this book comes with a feminist punch...AND I AM HERE FOR IT.

This book tells the story of four, very accomplished, young women, and what it's like to be just that. It's not easy, women and men alike will poop on you, call you a whore, cunt and slut, but you've gotta keep doing you. And these women did just that. It's a very raw, and real look into the lives of what it's like to be a woman on top, and how hard that is for everyone around them. It was honestly, such a breath of fresh air to read, especially as a woman.

SO...5 shining stars for this one. I loved it and hope you do too! #theherd is about to be all over your books lists for 2020!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC and for wanting my honest opinion!!

This book started out as a cross between Devil Wears Prada and a Mary-Kate and Ashley mystery series but it escalated quickly! The beginning was slow, a lot of build up and a few confusing jumps to moments they would describe better later.
Overall I really enjoyed the ride of this book.

The Herd is an office sharing space for women, it's a bit of an elite group, they're very selective in who they allow, and the waitlist is long. The brainchild of The Herd is Eleanor, a focused, driven, successful career woman. Her close core group of friends are a part of it, including Hana, whose sister Katie is a journalist, and has recently back to the area. Katie hopes to have her application approved by Eleanor, but it's not moving along as swiftly as she thought it would. Things aren't exactly perfect at The Herd as the story unfolds, which is told in alternating viewpoints of Katie and her sister Hana.

Whenever a woman is in power, in the means that Eleanor has gotten there, it's bound to draw haters. While those haters aren't central to the story, they do add an element of "who is responsible for what is going on?" The story unfolds through the women's connection to the past and into the present. (and of course, it's centered around Eleanor's disappearance). I feel that the blurb suggests this is going to be a fast-paced thriller, and for me, it wasn't. There were a few times I felt we were just slowly plodding along, but then I got about 1/2 in, and the story picked up. Overall, an enjoyable read with some great characters and a fun setting. Thank you Random House-Ballantine for sending this one along.

With a number of underlying themes, <i>The Herd</i> focuses on four college friends. All are now 30-somethings, living in NYC, and working in various capacities related to “The HERd” - an all-female co-working space founded by Eleanor – one of the foursome. Narrated by two sisters, Hana and Katie, each offer their own perspectives on the issues and personal relationships of the group which take a dramatic turn when Eleanor goes missing on the eve of a major announcement. The sisters embark on their own investigation of Eleanor’s disappearance in which it seems nearly every character takes a turn as their primary suspect along the winding path to the conclusion.

Twisty? Definitely. Feminist? Depends on your definition... it is definitely women centric. Thrilling? Not, in the traditional sense, for this reader. I would describe <I>The Herd</i> as complex with tension created by unpredictable and unlikeable characters and a long string of turns which took the plot in a variety of unexpected directions.

There is a definite audience for this book but I suspect I don’t fall in those demographics. Perhaps that is why – despite being interested in the premise – I was a somewhat bored by the pace and shook my head with disappointment in the characters’ behavior and values.



FYI – I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

WOW!!! I love when an author's second book is even better than the first! That was the case with The Herd! The setting is an all-female office in New York, and I love anything set in New York. The main characters, Hana and Kate are very likeable and work in the office. Their boss disappears and there are a lot of twists and turns. A little slow in the beginning, but it definitely picks up and takes off! Andrea Bartz has been added to my favorite author list!

Thank you to NetGalley, Andrea Bartz and Ballantine Books for this ARC.

The Herd is a feminist thriller with more than a few unexpected twists. I was positive that I had it figured it out, I was completely wrong, which is always delightful! So. An exclusive New York women's workspace is rocked by the mysterious disappearance of its enigmatic founder. Two sisters must uncover the haunting truth before they lose their friendships, their careers--maybe even their lives. The name of the elite, women-only coworking space stretches across the wall behind the check-in desk: THE HERD, the H-E-R always in purple. Without revealing too much, I found the Herd to be as compelling than any of the podcasts or other crime stories that I have been listening to / reading. It speaks to our expectations about performed female roles and is a breath of contemporary fresh air! Great book!

The story is told from two perspectives - Katie and her sister, Hana. The Herd is a women’s empowerment organization, based in NYC. Katie, a journalist, is the younger sister, who just moved back to NYC after taking care of their ill mother in Michigan; Hana is a freelance publicist. They are involved with Herd, and the story gets interesting. The first half of the book is a bit slow moving, picking up later on in the story.

The Herd is a unique and engrossing mystery/thriller with a feminist spin. When the owner of a progressive all-female workspace unexpectedly disappears shortly before a major press release, her friends, including two sisters, seek to uncover the mystery behind her disappearance. It becomes clear early on that the main characters all hold secrets of their own, which leaves the reader questioning their motives and innocence. This was the standout aspect of the book. I sped through this book because I wanted answers. Although I loved the story, I had some trouble connecting with the characters and ultimately didn’t care too much about their outcomes. The backstabbing detracts from some of the feminist messages in the book. Otherwise, I thought it was a great read and would definitely recommend it if you enjoy a twisty story that keeps you on your toes.

I thought this was an interesting read. I loved the setting and the idea behind it. I never figured out the twist which is a huge plus because I am normally able to figure it out easily.

Thanks Netgalley and Andrea Bartz for an advance copy in return for an unbiased review.

What a great page-turner with lots of twists and turns. The all-glam, amazing Eleanor sets up not one but two successful companies in NYC. Her latest the HERd is an all female collaboration where women can share workspace feeling safe and connected. Everything changes when nasty language gets painted on the walls and someone ends up missing. You’ll love this gripping novel as much as I did. #theherd #netgalley

On sale March 24, 2020. Thanks Ballantine Books!

Loved this story about an all female working space and the missing owner. Fast paced with twists and turns, The Herd will have suspecting everyone. A definite recommend!

Part feminist, part thriller. I fell in love with the beautiful cover and was immediately inthralled with each of its powerful, stunning characters. Reading this, I practically felt like I was back in New York City with the on point descriptions and mentions of specific places like Delancey Street. The Herd actually reminds me of an all female community space that exists now in NY called The Wing. The Herd is an insanely charged read about dominant women who will do anything to succeed and anything to protect each other all at the same time. Original. Unputdownable. A must read for 2020!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

Equal parts thriller and feminism, a great whodunit.
I enjoyed this book, it had a cool premise, and was focused on women in the workplace, and women succeeding.
I liked figuring out who did it and why, and the writing was great.

I found this to be a bit of a letdown after the author's last book. It wasn't bad, by any means, but it didn't excite me or thrill me like The Lost Night did. I had a very guttural reaction to how utterly millennial that book was; I didn't have any such emotional response to The Herd. It's fun sometimes, but it didn't feel as unique as The Lost Night.

A feminist thriller an author whose writing drew me in kept me racing through the pages. The author has a diabolical style of dropping hints here and there.This has bestseller written all over it and this is an author to follow#netgalley#randomhouse

Andrea Bartz knows how to write New York City.

This is my second book by this author and I have to say, I absolutely loved them both. The Herd came out just a hair ahead of The Lost Night though.

The setting is NYC, the time now, and characters are a crew of highly motivated and successful women who have been friends since college. Their de facto leader is Eleanor, the rising star who started a makeup empire and most recently, started a women only co-working space called The HERd. When Eleanor goes missing hours before a major company event, the friends know something bad happened and set out to find her.

I loved the idea of this book and the execution was great. There were so many juicy secrets dropped throughout this I never would have guessed were coming. I loved the tangled web of relationships within the core group of women. I suspected every single person involved except the one who actually did it. Of course.

All in all, I thought this was a solid 4 star read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced free copy in exchange for my honest review. This review has already been posted to Instagram.

A group of women who run a feminist business organization known as the HERD must come together to solve the disappearance of their leader.

What I enjoyed most about this was reading about women helping women succeed. But it’s a double-edged sword and everything is not how it appears on the surface. I figured out who did it early on but was astonished to learn why that person did it. A definite fun read.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Ballantine Books and Andrea Bartz for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

New York's HERD, founded by entrepreneur Eleanor Walsh, is an iconic feminist corporation which mentors and empowers women. The corporation embraces diversity and provides women with the resources to cultivate new contributions to society. Katie Bradley, a struggling journalist, returns to New York with the hope of joining her sister Hana, head of HERD PR, as an elite member of the HERD. On the night of the announcement of the HERD's pending merger, Eleanor vanishes. As they try to try to piece together clues about her disappearance, they discover secrets that tie the past to the present and put everyone in danger.

The Herd is a new mystery thriller by Andrea Bartz which I was excited to have the chance to read. It centers on the founder of a woman owned and operated corporation in New York, Eleanor Walsh. Katie's sister Hana, friend Mikki, and Eleanor were all friends in college and worked together to make the HERD a reality. Katie, running from a mysterious incident is unable to finish her book and hopes to fix the situation by writing about the chic and secretive Eleanor. When Eleanor vanishes everyone's secrets are revealed and thus they become suspects. I wanted to LOVE this novel but the first half of the book was a bit of a struggle for me. Although I enjoyed the characters the pace of the book felt a bit slow. The second half of the book was fantastic and the mystery/thrill factor really intensifies quickly. Digging for answers, they learn that each of them has been keeping secrets…some more deadly than others.

This was a super-addictive, fast-paced read and I highly recommend it. It felt like it would make a super fun TV show, and was a refreshing read all-around.

The story is told by 2 characters, Katie and her older sister Hana, and the reader is in more than capable hands with these two guiding us through the world of The Herd. Katie is sassy and resourceful as an investigative reporter with secrets, and her sister is an assertive publicist who takes care of business, and, of course, also has secrets. I loved tagging along as these 2 uncover the mystery of what happened to their friend and founder of The Herd, Eleanor, while dealing with their past family drama. If I ever have to solve the mystery of what happened to my missing friend, I'd like a funny reporter and a pushy publicist on my dream team for sure. It'd be less investigating and fewer phone calls for me, and the mystery would be solved in a way that's satisfying for some but not for others, but we've got our resolution. Bada-boom.

I also loved The Herd itself - it was a setting that pulled you in right away, much like it's real-life counterparts would. The descriptions of the club and the women in it nailed that feeling of a place that's exclusive and alluring yet problematic at the same time. Like, you want to be a part of The Herd, but don't want to want to be a part of The Herd.

Because of the nature of The Herd, the story also managed to weave various issues into the action-packed plot in an organic way, getting into feminism and female friendships, social media, power dynamics, and more.

The mystery was also artfully constructed, leaving hints as to whodunit that fall perfectly into place and had me wondering why I didn't put it together sooner. I love a good breadcrumb, and this left a very delicious trail. Like, really good baguette crumbs. Or ciabatta with little olives in it.

So do give it a read if you're in the mood for a solid, twisty thriller!

On trend book featuring feminists ideals of creating a shared workspace/club for women only. The founder, Eleanor, is as ruthless as any man in her climb up the entrepreneurial ladder. Taking along her college girlfriends, Mikki and Hana, The Herd is created. The name is meant to inspirational and perhaps multifaceted. It could mean many things some of which are: Women will be HEARD? It is all HER space? Just for HER Or ultimately, is it just a bunch of mean girls in a herd? My conclusions is the latter. But, hey, now they are just like the men.
There is backstabbing a plenty, friendship built on lies, deception, and crimes that move the story along. Throw in a newly formed all-male on-line group called The Anti-herd, exes of the founders, a younger sister with secret ambitions of her own, and an untimely disappearance of Eleanor herself and The Herd becomes a bit expansive. I would have liked a tighter story among the women or flesh out those in opposition to The Herd. In the end, there are no winners in this herd.