This book was somewhat suspenseful, having a number of twists and turns, though some of them were not all too unexpected, and did not grip me quite as much as I would have liked, though I did enjoy the premise of this book a great deal.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the chance to read this book!

This book was... fine. Gone Girl on the Train, but a step above maybe. A well written, intriguing mystery with a good amount of twists. A worthy addition to the thriller genre.

Thank you to Random House and Net Galley for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. I was looking forward to this and settled in for a good read. I think the plot was good, as was the premise. The problem was I hated the characters. Literally every single one of them. When a death occurred, I didn't even care. It's a quick read, so if we ever get to return to the beach, this might be a good beach read.

"The Herd" is thoroughly unique. It's a feminist mystery about the disappearance of Eleanor, the leader of The Herd, an all-female shared working space in New York. The Herd is exclusive, expensive, and empowering for women. Men don't necessarily see it that way, though.

The story follows narrators Katie (a recent transplant from Indiana who applied to The Herd), Hana (the company's PR person and Katie's sister), and Mikki (artist and member of The Herd) as they look for Eleanor and reflect on how the company came to exist and what this means for the future of the company.

I've never read another book that took on this idea of a female workspace and turned it into a mystery. It was engaging, well-written, and very entertaining.

Unique plot twists - both of the actual disappearance as well as treatment of women as a whole by other women.

Eleanor comes across as never very likable with Mikki, Kate and Hana as her minions but they eventually grow spines of their own as the piece the puzzle together and redeem themselves... a little.

3.5 stars

The author came up with a great concept for this novel and I did enjoy reading it. The last part of the book is the weak spot though and it felt like wasted potential. I just wish the ending didn't feel so lackluster in what had basically been a compelling read up until that point.

After taking care of her mother in Michigan for awhile, Katie Bradley has returned to NYC. She is hoping she will be asked to join The Herd, an exclusive all-women coworking space as it provides opportunities to network and empower other women. It should help Katie that her sister, Hana, does pr for The Herd and is good friends with the founder, Eleanor Walsh. And this is where I will stop with my synopsis because I think this book reads better if you don't know much going in other than the story has thriller elements.

I loved how the story incorporated co-working spaces and women only empowerment groups as they are both intriguing subjects to me. Business professionals paying to essentially rent a workspace along with others has become trendy in recent years. Most people find it a good alternative to working at home as they tend to feel more productive and enjoy the contact with other workers. (It feels odd to even write about this given everything is basically shutdown now due to the coronavirus) I liked how the author also played around with the idea that women tend to thrive in women only environments whether it be in school or at work. There was some substance to this thriller and that's what sets it apart from many others in the genre.

But to be fair it is a thriller and a big part of making it the ultimate read is having an awesome ending. Unfortunately, the ending was nowhere near as exciting as I had hoped. I wish my mind would have been blown but instead I felt all of the author's creativity and imagination that was so present for most of the book, petered out by the end. It felt very ordinary is what I am trying to say and didn't seem to match what had been a fun reading experience. I've also had an internal debate about whether the epilogue was necessary or not.

Despite having some flaws, I do recommend this book for those readers who like it when authors attempt to do something different. There were many aspects of the story I found thought provoking and think this would make a good book club pick.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

3.75/5 stars

For a book that is set in December this made for a surprisingly good summer read. I went into The Herd blindly, I had no idea what this book was about - I just couldn't pass up the cover - it called out to me, bright and bold! Just like one of the characters in it - Eleanor.

The book is told from two points of view, none of them Eleanor's - her two friends who admire and love her very much, which makes for a very intriguing dynamic. There are secrets and family drama and past mistakes, and of course, a dead body - all of the components that make the reader keep flipping the pages faster and faster. Addicting.

The ending itself, while felt a little mellowed out (in my opinion) had a very quiet, and very welcomed eeriness to it. and then came the epilogue - which made the reader realize just how messed up things really were.

My only gripe with this book is its two points of view - I could not tell them apart. I'd be in the middle of chapter and I would stop and think, wait "who is this?". They sounded and acted and talked absolutely the same, which was kind of a big bummer, as it took a lot of personality out of it.

Book acquired through NetGalley and publisher, Random House Publishing - Ballantine via "wish for it" option. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

The title of this book refers to the scene in which the majority of the plot takes place: The Herd. The Herd is coworking space exclusively for women (HER(d)--get it? haha). Eleanor Walsh, the face and founder behind this company, rose to fame by offering a safe space for ambitious women to express themselves creatively. With the help of her two closest friends from Harvard, Hana and Mikki, along with Hana's younger sister, Katie, The Herd has become one of the most sought after members-only clubs by New York's elite.

However, when you're in the spotlight, you will have fans and you will have haters. Many men felt threatened by the Herd's female-only organization, and thus, created a hate group on Facebook known as the Anti-Herd. So when Eleanor doesn't show up for one of the biggest nights for the Herd, her best friends wonder...did she just get overwhelmed and run off, or did someone from the Anti-Herd go too far?

My Thoughts

I really was intrigued with the plot because of its relevance in today's society, particularly in regards to the feminist movement and how many men (not all! Please don't bite my head off) have felt personally attacked by this movement, and how many of them go to Facebook or other social media sites to meet others with the same beliefs. I was very excited I was selected to get my hands on an ARC for this reason.

However, I had some issues with it.

For one, I hated when authors choose to write from the viewpoints of various characters, but not actually change their writing style. If it didn't say "Hana" or "Katie" at the beginning of the chapter, I wouldn't know from which viewpoint I was reading. Despite them being apparently very different, their thought patterns were virtually the same. Not to mention, the author goes backwards and forwards in time without letting the reader know, which I found unnecessarily confusing and frustrating.

In terms of the content, I was expecting more. Granted, I have not read anything else by Andrea Bartz, but given the premise, I was hoping she'd do more with the material. The idea is there, just not the execution. It's not to say there weren't twists--trust me, there are a few, but I kinda felt like I was dragging my feet to get there. By the time those twists came along, I was too unsatisfied with anti-climatic route the author took to get there to fully appreciate them. It felt like a million mysteries I had read before, which is SO FRUSTRATING because Bartz clearly came up with great groundwork for making this a page-turner. Because this review is spoiler-free, I will leave it at that.

Overall, I still plan to read other books by Andrea Bartz, because she's clearly talented. This one just missed the mark for me. If you pick this up, or have read it already, I'd love to hear what you think!

Wow this mistery feminist thriller made me doubt every character and their intentions.
The Herd is a co-worker space just for women that you have to request and pass an interview to join them.
When the founder of The Herd Eleanor Walsh disappears without a trace two sisters begin searching for clues of what happened to their friend.
This novel is full of plot twist after plot twist. The complicity of the characters makes the story interesting.
i don't want to enter in too much detail without spoiling the story but if you like mistery thrillers you will like this beauty
3.5 stars
thanks to netgalley and Ballantine books for share this Arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book and was so excited to have my wish granted by the publisher. Unfortunately, I didn't love it. The whole premise of the story is super interesting - a strong woman develops her own female-only working space and then disappears under mysterious circumstances. What I thought would going to be good mystery and a book about strong female empowerment, turned out to be the opposite, just a bunch of unlikeable female characters all jockeying for star status. I also didn't really latch on to the characters and though the story telling between the two sisters was redundant. Perhaps include a few more characters from various points of view or just tell the story from one perspective. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book and i hope to get a chance to read more from Andrea Bartz.

Eleanor is the founder of The Herd, an elite, women-only coworking space, that has women clawing to become members, coveting the mentorship and empowerment that The Herd membership promises. Part of Eleanor's team are her college best friends, Hana and Mikki. Hana's younger sister, Katie, good friends with Eleanor and Mikki, too, has come to New York City to work and is hoping to join this elite group. Despite the sheen of women helping and supporting women at the top of their game, there is an undercurrent of ambition and competition that is cut throat and ready to steal whatever it takes for each woman to advance their cause. No one is going to admit this undercurrent though because that would go against the brand, would show that these women are just like the men they rail against. The Herd claims it's very existence protects women to be successful even though that success breeds anger, rage, and violence from the jealous men that target them. 

Now, on the day that Eleanor has a huge announcement for her company, in fact, right as she is supposed to be having the interview of a lifetime, to make this huge announcement, Eleanor is missing. She and The Herd have been targeted by a group called the Antiherd, with horrible words slashed across the walls of various locations. Eleanor has even been involved in a lawsuit with members of this group. Could they be responsible for Eleanor being missing? Could Eleanor have run away from the pressure of threats on her wellbeing and life?

But, all is not well in Eleanor's life in other ways, either. While she has presented herself as the near perfect modern woman, it now seems that here are cracks in her marriage, secrets that she has kept from her best friends, lies she may have told even them, from the very beginning. Katie has her own secrets about why she is ready to renege on a coveted book advance and she needs a new story to replace the story that she is ditching. Could an expose (couched under much kinder words) be her new story, despite the ethical and moral problems with turning your good friend's life into a unauthorized memoir? Just how far will each woman go to hide their secrets, reach their goals, claim their own success at the peril of each other?

I had trouble liking anyone in this story and so much of their lives seemed undesirable and so elitist that I just didn't care what happened to them, but I was interested in the mystery and who was doing what and why they were doing it. I was an uninvolved bystanding, watching the mess people were making of each other's lives, getting to hold a bit of smug satisfaction that I might not have what they have but I didn't want it anyway, when it appears one might have to sell their soul to join the group. There are so many twists and turns that you could never see coming but I did enjoy them from a distance. 

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC.

The Herd begins with an act of what appears to be sexist vandalism in the smart, highly-desirable feminist work-sharing space, The Herd (with an emphasis on HER) starts off. From there, the novel explores relationships between women, how they fare in an all-female work environment , and the price of female ambition.

Two sisters, Hana and Katie, are reunited after Katie, who moved back to Midwest to care for their mother, and returns to New York. Hana is in the upper echelons of The Herd, but Katie has to go through the rigorous admissions process to avoid the appearance of nepotism. When Eleanor, the #1 of The Herd, disappears, Katie tries to solve the mystery. Everyone is suspect: Eleanor’s hospital administrator husband, former lovers, men on an antifeminist, anti-Herd website, and someone who is blackmailing her. The plot is full of twists which keeps the suspense up right up to the bitter end. The writing is dark and smart.

Like some workplaces aren't scary enough without this in your head! A thrilling drama about what lies just under the surface of an upscale workplace.

Any large group of individuals must give up some "things" to belong to the group. The Herd draws women to this group with promises that membership will solve all of their problems. The Herd's leader has wrapped herself in the story of success without revealing much of her history. Andrea Bartz tells the story through the eyes of two sisters and a small group of the people, men and women, who surround their charismatic leader. This is most definitely a unique story that will appeal to many different genres. The mystery begins with the disappearance of the Herd leader and takes us on a wild ride while the sisters investigate. There are shades of many of my favorite mysteries in this book and I'm sure you'll find some of yours too.

Wow this mistery feminist thriller made me doubt every character and their intentions.
The Herd is a co-worker space just for women that you have to request and pass an interview to join them.
When the founder of Herd Eleanor Walsh disappears without a trace two sisters begin searching for clues of what happened to their friend.
This novel is full of plot twist after plot twist. The complicity of the characters makes the story interesting.
i don't want to enter in too much detail without spoiling the story but if you like mistery thrillers you will like this beauty
3.5 stars
thanks to netgalley and ballantine book for share this Arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Herd by Andrea Bartz sounded like just the kind of escapist fluff to get me through another weekend of sheltering in place: a murder mystery featuring glitzy female New York thirty-something

Harvard grads who are just starting to make their mark professionally. The title refers to a super-selective members-only womens’ community that features professional mentorship, sun-and light-filled coworking space, yoga and fitness classes, and networking opportunities galore.

The Herd was founded primarily by Eleanor Walsh, who is right on the verge of announcing the company’s buyout by a tech giant when she vanishes, only to turn up dead on the roof of the company’s Manhattan building a few days later. Charismatic Eleanor was known for her ability to appear warm and approachable even while being quietly feared by the other women in her orbit, including her BFF Hana Bradley (who handles PR for The Herd and sister firm, cosmetics line The Gleam), artsy graphic designer Mikki (who had “…this blinky obliviousness that automatically absolved her of responsibility”) and member wannabe Katie, who is Hana’s sister, freshly arrived from a year in the upper Midwest doing research for her book.


Did Eleanor run away? Or was there some foul play involved? Once the police settle on the idea of foul play, everyone is a suspect, including Eleanor’s husband, other “Herders,” the antiHerd mens’ rights groups, and even Eleanor’s oldest and dearest friends. Hana wants to find out what Eleanor was hiding, Katie chases after a story to replace her bungled book deal, and the two sisters go through a lot of soul-searching as they try to resolve a lot of family issues going back to Hana’s adoption. Along the way, there are sex, drugs, blackmail, open marriage, even a parental coverup of a traumatic event. I loved the way the women responded to the changes when carefully crafted personas as seen by the world started to crumble. It was a fun read, with complex plotting that all wove together nicely along with richly detailed character development.

I’m planning to go back and read Ms. Bartz’s debut novel, The Lost Night, and I look forward to her next book. With thanks to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley, I give this one five stars.

Much like Andrea Bartz's The Lost Night, I feel like I'm 10 years too old to read The Herd. The premise of The Herd is good. An all-female co-working space that is beautiful and "cool" i.e. The Wing. The CEO goes missing, Two sisters and their friend try and solve the disappearance.

All kind of a "fun" subject but my GOD, these women were backstabbing jerks. Everyone is full of secrets but these are all ridiculous. Also, this book reads VERY New York centric, which...I get, because I live in New York, I work in a co-working space, I've been to The Wing, etc. I just.... I think about me, at ...22, 23, reading this book and thinking that ALL of New York is glamour and affordable apartments for 1 person and that it's super easy to get a book deal.

And here's the biggest issue: This weird, almost hateful view of feminism. That it is always involves backstabbing. I understand in the world of "girl boss' there is this idea of do it yourself, build this on your own thing but this was an opportunity to use feminism and talk about female friendships and feminism and power dynamics and success and failure. Instead, it hinged on the backstabbing aspect.

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

The Herd grabbed me from the beginning and kept me guessing throughout the entire book. I loved the diverse cast of characters and the close friendship between the women. The concept of the HERd was amazing. I wish one would open in today's world! Friendship, secrets from the past, and characters so interconnected, I never saw the ending coming. The Herd is a must read!

Let me first say that The Herd is my first read from Andrea Bartz and I really had no idea what I was getting into! I read the synopsis in Netgalley and wished for it...
When Eleanor, the founder of woman only co-working space The Herd, vanishes one night after a conference, the fellow ‘herders’ Katie and Hana (who are sisters) try to find Eleanor. In actual truth, Katie is chasing a story in Eleanor and Hana is the one trying to uncover the secrets Eleanor has been hiding. The story is intriguing and has a lot of potential, but I felt the story flow was bumpy and the connection to the characters was totally off. I liked how the confrontations and revelations between Hana and Katie turned out. But the story was still missing gripping components that draws and grips readers to the plot! Some audiences may like it, but this one is not for me. 🌟🌟🌟💫
Thank you Netgalley, Andrea Bartz and Ballantine books for the ARC. This review is my own and is not influenced in any way.

This one is a really hard one for me to rate. The premise of the book sounded so interesting. A group of elite socialites join a secret society called the Herd. To be a part of the Herd is to be in the know. It's a feminist group that has many supporters, but there are also the haters. I loved the mystery aspect of the book. The founder of the Herd goes missing and it's up to the other members to find her. It took me a bit to get into this book. I almost gave up. Finally at about 60%, the book started getting really good and held my attention. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book for my honest opinion.