Looking for a beach read to accompany your spring break escape? Look no further. When Eleanor, the founder of a New York-based beauty startup and women’s coworking space (called The HERd, get it?) goes missing, it’s up to her closest friends to get to the bottom of her disappearance. Enter Hana and Katie, two sisters who’ve known Eleanor since childhood, and friend and fellow Herder, Mikki. Once the trio starts digging for answers, they learn that not everything in Eleanor’s past is millennial pink. But Katie, Hana, and Mikki have their own secrets to protect, and the question becomes just how far they’ll go to do so. It’s an Agatha Christie mystery for the Glossier generation, and enough fun to make time evaporate in a cloud of statement perfume. (Out 3/27)

— Here Magazine
https://www.heremagazine.com/articles/book-recommendations-march-2020

Oh Eleanor! A very good thriller with alot of cattiness and backstabbing. If you love a strong female character, then you will love this.

What is it about those untouchable women – you know the ones – successful, glamourous, gorgeous. What is it about them that makes us simultaneously hate them and want to be them?
In Andrea’s Bartz’s, The Herd, Katie desperately wants to be a card-carrying member. But she’s so not Herd material. She’s a cute, not beautiful freelancer who doesn’t have amazing clients and who has royally messed up her book deal, who has moved back to NYC after taking nursing her sick mom back to health. Her adopted sister, Hana, has it all and does PR for the Herd. Is this her ticket in?
Still, Katie can’t stay away. And she doesn’t even really have to even know that the Herd doesn’t really want her because the founder, Eleanor, goes missing. And Katie is right in the middle of the mystery.
The Herd is so good. It has all the mystery and intrigue of a good thriller, set against the glitzy backdrop of an exclusive female co-working space in New York City. Everybody is just dying to be part of the Herd.
I don’t want to give too much away, so just read it. That’s all. It was named one of 2020’s most anticipated thrillers by Marie Claire, Newsweek, The Boston Globe , HelloGiggles , Book Riot, PopSugar, CrimeReads , Bustle , and She Reads. Do you need to know more?
Special thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced e-galley in exchange for a review.

THE HERD started off super strong for me, but ended up feeling a bit flat in the second half. I loved the premise: the founder of a women only coworking space (ala The Wing) disappears and her best friends and colleagues have to try to piece together what happens. It's a great mystery, with twists and turns, but nothing too groundbreaking. My favorite part was the realistic look at NYC and the millennial experience, I almost wanted it to just be about that and feminism -- we perhaps didn't need the thriller aspect. It's certainly not a *feminist* book though, just merely touches on the idea of feminism in those kinds of spaces.

It's still a really fun read, and will be hard to put down. Tons of backstabbing and juicy moments peppered throughout, even though I often found it hard to follow with the changing of narrators, and the characters lying constantly. But if you enjoy thrillers and mysteries, especially with female protagonists, this will be a must read for you. Perhaps my hopes were a little too high after I loved THE LOST NIGHT. But I'm still super into Bartz as a writer and can't wait to see what's next.

Oh, so good! With THE HERD, Bartz gives us an excellent suspense novel that is truly unpredictable. The beautiful Eleanor is envied by many. Just out of Harvard, she launched a successful beauty brand called Gleam and a few years later The Herd was born. A cooperative work space for women, only women, to meet, work and relax. Eleanor is supported by her besties, Mikki, the free-spirited graphic designer, in charge of the look and feel of the Herd and Hana, the savvy publicist. And now that Katie, Hana's little sister is back in town, there will be one more member in the leadership circle (or so she hopes). But when Eleanor goes missing just before a huge Herd event, all bets are off. Why did Eleanor disappear? Did she leave willingly or is she the victim of foul play? Mikki, Hana and Katie search for answers but the deeper they go, the more bewildering things become. Is Eleanor's disappearance the result of haters who stalk her on line, or is linked to her past? Bartz provides lots of false leads that kept me guessing the whole way through while providing interesting, relatable characters. I requested this book because I previously read Bartz' first book, THE LOST NIGHT, which was also gripping. Once you start THE HERD, be prepared to stay up late!

Eleanor Walsh, founder of a women-only company known as the THE HERD, disappears on the night of an important news conference. Hana, Katie, and Mikki, co-workers and close friends of Eleanor, work to piece together the clues to uncover where Eleanor is.

I absolutely loved this book! Read it in two sittings; one on a plane ride to my destination which happened to end right on a major cliffhanger and on the plan ride back home. Andrea builds such a slow yet suspenseful atmosphere that really sucks you in. While I wasn’t sold on all of the main characters, I still thought the group dynamic worked really well. It’s amazing how fast secrets unfold when tragedy strikes. Also loved the part feminist angle the book takes as THE HERD is the focus of the book. Shows the threats and violence towards women as well as the downside of social media. The last couple chapters of the book sure caught me by surprise! I’ve read both of Andrea’s novels and will continue to pick up anything she publishes.

Thank you to Ballantine Books for providing a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Whoa. This book really took me places. The Herd is about many things: the vitriol and hatred that women face continually in our society; the way that women internalize the oppression they experience; friendship among women and how complex it can be; finding and taking up space; relationships between sisters and family. There is so much in this book that it is somewhat hard to digest but also easy to get lost in.

The Herd is an exclusive and trendy all female and women identifying co-working space in New York, founded by Eleanor Walsh - the fabulous and mysterious Harvard grad who everyone wants to be. The Herd is extremely difficult to get into and features all the magnificent amenities that women crave, away from the male gaze. When Eleanor goes missing before a huge announcement, Eleanor's friends, Hana, Katie (Hana's sister) and Mikki desperately try to find her, along with Eleanor's husband, Daniel, her ex-boyfriend Cameron and high school friend, Ted. Each one of these side and lead characters has secrets, hidden agendas that come to light, and intriguing backstories. Katie and Hana are especially intriguing: Katie because she fled Michigan after a devastating blow to her book, the reason you slowly find out through the book; and Hana - Katie's sister who is a person of color and adds much needed perspective about being unloved, a token, and not the norm.

Overall, this book is FULL of red herrings to the point that I had no clue if this was going to be a Gone Girl type twist or if Eleanor would be found dead. Is there foul play involved, and if so, who did it? Bartz goes deep into each characters past to slowly chip away at the story, who Eleanor is, and what shady secrets people are hiding. I would highly recommend this book.

5 stars

Oh my. Andrea Bartz has a new fan and I will be ordering her first book, The Lost Night right after this review. I loved this book. Loved, loved, loved it.

3 friends from Harvard all come together in NY City to help their best friend Eleanor, run a successful company and launch a new division- a Women Only club, similar to a WeWork space. Chapters swap back and forth between sisters Hana and Katie and we really get insight into their past secrets and backgrounds. The evening of a huge announcement for Eleanor's company "The Herd", she goes missing and her best friends start investigating.

This book was great. Quick, easy read. Fun and complex characters. Andrea Bartz is an amazing writer and I'm so happy I had the chance to read this book.

Thank you to #netgalley #andreabartz and #randomhouse for providing a complimentary copy of #theherd for an honest review.

I’m sad to say this book fell flat for me. I absolutely loved The Lost Night and was hoping The Herd would be the next buzz-worthy book by Andrea Bartz. Instead, I felt as though the story was under-developed and confusing.

I think the idea behind this story had great potential, and there were some twists that I didn’t see coming. But the execution of the story and the ending were a letdown. The story line was awfully slow, added with some of the confusing descriptions and ideas, and I found myself struggling to get through the book at times. I figured out “who dun it” within the first 25% of the book and I was just waiting for the why.

I really had high hopes for this book, so I’m disappointed it didn’t make the mark for me. But, here’s to hoping Bartz’s next book is better. 3 stars.

3 for neutral, will update if able to read the entire book. I’ve tried this book on a few occasions and was not able to get into it enough to get close to finish. While I’m a moody reader, I don’t feel right reviewing poorly, when I’ve not read. So, I do 3 for neutral then will update if able to read to end!

THE HERD
BY ANDREA BARTZ

This is probably the most disappointing novel I have ever requested and therefore have to give a review. The premise sounded interesting about feminism and was intriguing but reading it was a very unrealistic experience. I welcome books of all genres including fantasy but to get any real enjoyment I have to be enchanted by the storytelling and the warm feeling I get when following the character's arcs. Sadly, this book fell very flat for me and I instantly regretted requesting it. I also do not have a problem suspending belief but this story and the characters were just too far fetched. This is not to say that other readers will agree with my rating and might find that they like it. It was a learning experience that I have realized that I need to be more careful in the future to discern to how much of a degree do I need to feel like something is totally beyond the realm of even being able to fantasize about. I just felt that this book is just not for me but wish the author Andrea Bartz and the publisher much success with future audiences.

Thank you to Net Galley, Andrea Bartz and the Publisher for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.


READING PROGRESS
January 9, 2020 – Shelved
January 9, 2020 – Shelved as: to-read
February 9, 2020 – Started Reading
February 20, 2020 – Finished Reading

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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51015832-the-herd" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The Herd" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580790028l/51015832._SX98_SY160_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51015832-the-herd">The Herd</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3488726.Andrea_Bartz">Andrea Bartz</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3132351890">1 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
THE HERD<br />BY ANDREA BARTZ<br /><br />This is probably the most disappointing novel I have ever requested and therefore have to give a review. The premise sounded interesting about feminism and was intriguing but reading it was a very unrealistic experience. I welcome books of all genres including fantasy but to get any real enjoyment I have to be enchanted by the storytelling and the warm feeling I get when following the character's arcs. Sadly, this book fell very flat for me and I instantly regretted requesting it. I also do not have a problem suspending belief but this story and the characters were just too far fetched. This is not to say that other readers will agree with my rating and might find that they like it. It was a learning experience that I have realized that I need to be more careful in the future to discern to how much of a degree do I need to feel like something is totally beyond the realm of even being able to fantasize about. I just felt that this book is just not for me but wish the author Andrea Bartz and the publisher much success with future audiences.<br /><br />Thank you to Net Galley, Andrea Bartz and the Publisher for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/29279709-karen">View all my reviews</a>



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CONNTHE HERD
BY ANDREA BARTZ

This is probably the most disappointing novel I have ever requested and therefore have to give a review. The premise sounded interesting about feminism and was intriguing but reading it was a very unrealistic experience. I welcome books of all genres including fantasy but to get any real enjoyment I have to be enchanted by the storytelling and the warm feeling I get when following the character's arcs. Sadly, this book fell very flat for me and I instantly regretted requesting it. I also do not have a problem suspending belief but this story and the characters were just too far fetched. This is not to say that other readers will agree with my rating and might find that they like it. It was a learning experience that I have realized that I need to be more careful in the future to discern to how much of a degree do I need to feel like something is totally beyond the realm of even being able to fantasize about. I just felt that this book is just not for me but wish the author Andrea Bartz and the publisher much success with future audiences.

Thank you to Net Galley, Andrea Bartz and the Publisher for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.


READING PROGRESS
January 9, 2020 – Shelved
January 9, 2020 – Shelved as: to-read
February 9, 2020 – Started Reading
February 20, 2020 – Finished Reading

Post a comment »COMMENTS
No comments have been added yet.
Notify me when people comment


commentadd book/author (some html is ok)
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Add to my Update Feed *
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BLOG THIS REVIEW
Copy/paste the text below into your blog.
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51015832-the-herd" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The Herd" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580790028l/51015832._SX98_SY160_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51015832-the-herd">The Herd</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3488726.Andrea_Bartz">Andrea Bartz</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3132351890">1 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
THE HERD<br />BY ANDREA BARTZ<br /><br />This is probably the most disappointing novel I have ever requested and therefore have to give a review. The premise sounded interesting about feminism and was intriguing but reading it was a very unrealistic experience. I welcome books of all genres including fantasy but to get any real enjoyment I have to be enchanted by the storytelling and the warm feeling I get when following the character's arcs. Sadly, this book fell very flat for me and I instantly regretted requesting it. I also do not have a problem suspending belief but this story and the characters were just too far fetched. This is not to say that other readers will agree with my rating and might find that they like it. It was a learning experience that I have realized that I need to be more careful in the future to discern to how much of a degree do I need to feel like something is totally beyond the realm of even being able to fantasize about. I just felt that this book is just not for me but wish the author Andrea Bartz and the publisher much success with future audiences.. Thank you to Net Galley, Andrea Bartz and the Publisher for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
.

Not quite sure how I feel about this one.The Herd is about an all-women co-working space, and is told from the POVs of sisters Hana and Katie. Hana is the publicist for the titular Herd and is best friends with its founder, Eleanor, and designer, Mikki. Katie is her somewhat annoying younger sister, who fancies herself an intrepid investigative reporter. Eleanor disappears on the eve of a momentous announcement about The Herd's future.

I was definitely hooked by the plot and mystery here, but ended up feeling like I didn't understand the point of the story. The concept of The Herd is ostensibly about empowering women, but the only lesson the events of the book seemed to teach me was that women can be toxic, deceptive backstabbers. Which...certainly they can, and I often love books with dark and sinister characters, but here it just made me feel more sad than anything. I just came away from the book feeling like I wasn't sure what I had gotten out of it, or what I was supposed to.

Despite my mixed feelings, this was absolutely a riveting book that kept me interested throughout. If you're really into thrillers about women in the workplace, you might like this. Among similarly themed books, I'd rate it above Whisper Network but below Precious You.

Wow! Talk about crazy! This book had 4 parts. The first part draws you in to four very headstrong, beautiful, successful women, well three of them are, really, but the fourth woman Katie is on her way to being successful as an author. More of that later. Let's talk about the artistic Mikki, the PR woman Hana (who by the way is the adopted older sister of Katie, the would be author) and let's not forget Eleanor, creator and owner of HERD in NYC, as in HERd, an all-female office of different talents. No men, a dream job for me but imagine the cattiness of an office like that. Forget dream job. I think I'd rather be seen dumpster diving or wearing adult size Osh Kosh B'Gosh than try to dress to impress women everyday. We need men! Not here! Think of women all day long dressing in clothes like in The movie The Devil Wears Prada. And did I mention, Eleanor, also started with her own makeup line, GLEAM. Ok off track, sorry I'm getting a little carried away with the idea. Of course if I made their salary, dressing wouldn't be my main problem.

Ok so these four girls are best friends, and they NEVER fight, which is so annoying, although Katie and Hana, the sisters don't seem to be as close with each other. There's some animosity there but nothing crazy. So, the book stars off with someone (most likely a man or could be a woman) woman-hater who manages to bypass cameras and spray or graffiti some not so very nice words towards the women. (ahem as in the C-word). Ok I don't want to give away too much so the first part is interesting because it tells of these 4 women and how they've been friends since Harvard and what they do. Interesting.

The second and third part of the book fell a little short for me, but hey give me a break I'm not feeling well. But it does get a tiny bit confusing as other characters get brought in, some not explained like Katie's elusive Chris, back in Minnesota. Also Katie is in a bit of trouble since she has just moved to NY, after taking a year hiatus to take care of her sick mother and writing a book, that she hasn't written (and no it's not writer's block like every movie ever about authors). And she's spent the advance money. Oops! This is where it starts to get sneaky and we find out even sisters and the best of friends can be sneaky and backstabbing. Oh you didn't know best friends and sisters do that kind of stuff to each other? Who are your friends then because I wouldn't mind having your life.

Mysteriously, Eleanor goes missing and we don't know if she's dead, kidnapped, has run away with a loved, sex-trafficked, or just took off. But boy, do we find out and it's not til the very end where the story goes. Go ahead and try to guess. I bet your guess is wrong, because I never saw what was coming.

But oh my! The last part of the book had more twists and turns I felt like I took some MDMA, my head was spinning and I was seeing things, like the purple paint on the cover and thinking about trying that look for myself! I have to say, the author Andrea Bartz, could have left us hanging, but she ties everything up all so nicely with a big bow on top. So the beginning and ending did it for me. A big shiny 4 stars! And a huge thank you to Random House and Ballantine for this very cool book in return for my honest opinion, as well as NetGalley. Thank you! I read this book quickly because I couldn't wait for all the craziness towards the end to blow my mind!

The Herd is about a glorified women's group. I wasn't exactly sure what I was expecting, but my hopes may have been a little too high. First, we have a company that's for women only. Then we have one of two sisters who applies to work at The Herd. And the last thing is the head of The Herd disappears mysteriously. About halfway through the book, I felt like the story lost its place. Instead of being a mystery of The Herd's leader, and the two sisters who are involved, it sort of wasn't as succinct as I'd hoped. I think the story was lovely. The characters were interesting, and I could see myself being friends with them - which says a lot because I'm very picky with my friendships. But overall, it wasn't what I wanted it to be. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I'll give this book 3 stars, because it started out wonderfully and pulled me in from the first page.

The Herd comes out 3.24.2020.

3/5 Stars

I really loved this book, by far one of my favorites so far this year. I love suspenseful thrillers and books about female friendships and The Herd combined both in such an intricate way. Even when I thought I’d figured out the twist (I hadn’t) I was still super compelled to read on. The Herd is fast-paced and surprising. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys thrillers.

Please excuse me while I go read everything else Bartz has ever written. This book delivered everything was looking for: an introspective look at the darker side of female friendship, a pageturner that's somehow a guilty pleasure and wicked smart at the same time, and a way to distract myself from the general dreariness of winter.

3 1/2 stars. I enjoyed it just fine but there was something about it that I didn't connect with. The prologue and epilogue are excellent

Okay, so I went into this book kind of not expecting much from it. I'm glad to say that I was pleasantly surprised. It started out a little slow for me and at the beginning I just wasn't that excited to read it. Then along the way, everything changed. I'm not sure if it was a particular moment in the book, but I was genuinely interested in how everything would play out. I felt immersed in the world of the characters and their lives and I had to know how the story concluded. So, the story is told from the point of view of two sisters Katie and Hana. From the beginning the read can tell that both of the sisters are hiding something from each other and their friends. Its obvious that something isn't quite right. Then we have Eleanor, the founder of the Herd which is a glamorous, chic, all female work environment. At the start of the book, Herd has been broken into and a room has been vandalized. For me, that was the beginning of the events that would later transpire in the book. I don't like to discuss plot too much because I'm always afraid of giving something away. I feel like I always say its best to go into a book blind and I will stand by that statement with this one. I think that its good to sometimes let go of expectations and simply enjoy a book for what it is. I will say that there are some twisty moments and the reveals are satisfying.

I also want to talk about something that stuck out to me and that was the prologue. The first few sentences really drew the reader in and it made me want to know exactly what was going on. I'm not sure if I have ever loved a prologue more. The writing is sharp, creepy, chilling, and clever. Oh and the epilogue, I don't want to talk too much about it but just know that its good. I'm really picky about endings and I wasn't fond on how the "mystery" wrapped up. I did feel that there was maybe a disconnect between the beginning and the ending. I loved the writing in the prologue and I kind of wish that was carried throughout the book.

While I wasn't head over heels in love with this book, I did find that it was an enjoyable read especially when things picked up. I was interested but there was something about it that I didn't quite connect with. I will say that the mystery at the heart of it kept the book moving at a pace that was exciting. I never felt like the book was dragging in any way. It also dealt with important themes regarding women and ambition that I think are very timely. I do recommend this book and I think it would be especially good for people who are just getting started reading mysteries/thrillers. I think if you like a little more suspense this might be too light for you (I didn't find this to be a problem but I wanted to mention it).

Major thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book early and for introducing me to an author I'm excited to read more from.

This Herd dives into the story of four women who were friends in college and are now uber successful, chic, 30-somethings in NYC. The HERd (capital “Her” in purple), is an elite female only coworking/networking space for the up-and comers in the city. Their glorious leader and founder of The Herd, Eleanor, goes missing. This suspenseful, tension-filled story is told from the alternating perspectives of two sisters, Katie and Hana, who won’t stop until the find the truth.
In addition to loving the story, the author has a unique voice and an entertaining gift of analogies. I found myself smirking at them quite often. For example, “Hana enters any room like Lily Tomlin in an ‘80s office comedy.”
I found it difficult to work my day job and not want to shut the door to my office to find out where Eleanor was and what was happening with the ladies.
I’m very sad that I missed Andrea Bartz’s first novel, The Lost Night, but you better believe it’s on my TBR list!
I highly recommend this story to anyone that loves Sex in the City meets Girl on the Train.
Thank you to NetGalley, Andrea Bartz and Ballantine Books for this ARC.

The pacing in this was alarmingly off- putting. Revelations that should have been impactful instead dropped into calm waters, causing barely a ripple.

Dark, twisty, and mind breaking! This was a non stop thrill that could not put down! The writing in this makes you want to scream because it’s so good. Best book I’ve read so far this year