I absolutely adored A Simple Favor. It was completely nutso, unbelievable and ridiculous. And I loved every bit of it. Unfortunately, I don't think Darcey Bell's follow-up Something She's Not Telling Us reached such stellar heights. This book alternates perspectives between Charlotte and Ruth, both of whom are unreliable almost throughout. I wasn't sure who to believe, even up until the last few pages. That's a plus, in my book. But, I think there just wasn't enough. I kept waiting for more action, for a crazy plot twist to happen, but I feel as if it just fell sort of flat. I didn't hate this book by any means, but it was not one of my favorites of the year. Perhaps I had too high of expectations going into this one after reading ASF. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this title!

This one fell kind of flat for me. The story sounded like others I've already read. Charlotte has everything, and her loser brother has nothing but a string of bad girlfriends. Suddenly Charlotte's daughter is kidnapped by one of the girlfriends...it's a tale as old as time. Ruth was truly delusional, but it was almost too delusional. It felt forced. The ending was okay, but my mind wandered so much during this book. I kept thinking of everything else I could have been reading. This one will be pretty forgettable for me. It's just not unique enough against all of the thrillers saturating the market.

This book had great potential but everything was so predictable and the ending was very disappointing.

I really enjoyed this drama. Kept me guessing right up to the very end! Recommend for readers of the genre,.

I really loved A Simple Favour which is why I requested this book. I was hooked at the very beginning but slowly started to disconnect from the story and the characters. I think this one had potential and just didn't live up to it, unfortunately.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for a galley of this book in exchange for my honest review. This is my first book by Darcey Bell and I requested it after enjoying the movie based on her book, A Simple Favor. Unfortunately, this book did nothing for me. I found the characters to be annoyingly neurotic, the plot was painfully boring, and I kept waiting for an out of this world twist that never came. I honestly don't even understand or know if there was a point to this story. Simply put, it was underwhelming.

As much as I wanted to like this book, I thought that the lead up to the big reveal took a lot longer than was needed, and at a certain point it got predictable. The wild turns in the plot (i.e. a therapist throwing away his medical vows to sleep with Ruth and break patient/doctor confidentiality) also felt out of place. The ending was so rushed and felt unfinished. Unfortunately, not my cup of tea, but I can see why other readers who enjoy thrillers would like this book.

Charlotte’s daughter Daisy is kidnapped by her brother’s girlfriend Ruth.

This is a super easy read which goes back and forth between past and present with Charlotte and Ruth until you don’t know which one of them you can trust.

It is a fast paced thriller, a bit over the top with unlikeable characters except for Daisy that made it that more interesting.There’s so much that happens that it will keep you turning them pages.

Something She’s Not Telling Us is the perfect title for Darcy Bell’s new suspense novel because there is definitely something off about Ruth, Charlotte’s brother Rocco’s new girlfriend. Charlotte, a successful NYC florist, is used to Rocco bringing home ladies who are off-kilter, and although Ruth seems more normal than some of the others, Charlotte thinks she sees something sinister lurking under her perky, perfect façade. Charlotte’s worst suspicions are confirmed when she goes to pick up her daughter Daisy from daycare one afternoon and learns that Daisy has already been taken without permission … by Ruth. Where is Charlotte’s daughter, and who exactly is the woman who has kidnapped her?

Something She’s Not Telling Us is a multi-perspective novel that starts with Daisy’s kidnapping and then travels back in time to the day that Rocco brought Ruth home to meet Charlotte’s family. From there, readers are slowly introduced to Ruth throughout this deceptive, yet delicious, story. Who is the real perpetrator here? Who is the one telling the lies? Is Ruth really a bad person, or does Charlotte just not like anyone that Rocco dates? Who can be trusted?

Something She’s Not Telling Us is a solid entry in the women’s suspense genre and is entertaining throughout. With intriguing, yet unlikeable characters, and an uncomplicated plot, reading this book is a breeze. However, the ending of this thriller leaves something to be desired, which I find to often be the case in books that try to be too over-the-top. Nonetheless, this novel is fun and compelling; just don’t expect to be blown away by how everything wraps up in the end.

This was good thriller, better that A Simple Favor. I did enjoy the twist and turns. I will be sharing this book in a future podcast episode.

The only reason I finished this book is to write a review.

It was difficult to stay interested in this book. The main character, Charlotte, was narcissistic, self-centered, immature, and annoying. Her constant anxious thoughts made me anxious.

Towards the end of the book, the character Ruth was unrealistic and contradicted her personality at the beginning of the book.

This is not a book I would recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for this digital copy in exchange for a review.

Description
Named most anticipated book of 2020 by Cosmopolitan, Women's Wear Daily, Woman's Day, She Reads, The Nerd Daily, and Sassy Sarah Reads.

From the New York Times bestselling author of A Simple Favor comes an electrifying domestic thriller of how one woman’s life is turned upside down when her brother brings his new girlfriend to visit—and no one is telling the truth about who they really are.

She’s on the verge of having it all…

But one woman stands in her way.

Charlotte has everything in life that she ever could have hoped for: a doting, artistic husband, a small-but-thriving flower shop, and her sweet, smart five-year-old daughter, Daisy. Her relationship with her mother might be strained, but the distance between them helps. And her younger brother Rocco may have horrible taste in women, but when he introduces his new girlfriend to Charlotte and her family, they are cautiously optimistic that she could be The One. Daisy seems to love Ruth, and she can’t be any worse than the klepto Rocco brought home the last time. At least, that’s what Charlotte keeps telling herself. But as Rocco and Ruth’s relationship becomes more serious, Ruth’s apparent obsession with Daisy grows more obvious. Then Daisy is kidnapped, and Charlotte is convinced there’s only one person who could have taken her.

Ruth has never had much, but now she’s finally on the verge of having everything she’s ever dreamed of. A stable job at a start-up company, a rakish, handsome boyfriend with whom she falls more in love with every day—and a chance at the happy family she’s always wanted, adorable niece included. The only obstacle standing in her way is her boyfriend’s sister Charlotte, whose attitude swerves between politely cold and outright hostile. Rebuffing Ruth’s every attempt to build a friendship with her and Daisy, Charlotte watches over her daughter with a desperate protectiveness that sends chills down Ruth’s spine. Ruth knows that Charlotte has a deeply-buried secret, the only question is: what? A surprise outing with Daisy could be the key to finding out, and Ruth knows she must take the chance while she has it—for everyone’s sake.

As the two women follow each other down a chilling rabbit hole, unearthing winding paths of deceit, lies, and trauma, a family and a future will be completely—and irrevocably—shattered.

From its very first page, Something She’s Not Telling Us takes hold of readers’ imagination in a harrowing, unforgettable thriller that dives deep into the domestic psyche and asks the question:

Is anyone ever really who they say they are…?

This one will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time! I couldn't put it down.

A compelling thriller that builds tension between the two women until the story explodes with the disappearance of the child. A young mother finds herself in the often perilous position of working through another of her brother's girlfriend's soap opera lives. When his latest girlfriend seems to actually be socially acceptable, she finds herself hoping.... When her daughter is taken by the girlfriend, the story takes on the tension to find her before the worst happens. This was a good story, good characters and good way to spend my evening at home.

I stopped reading this at about 20% - the writing style just did not work for me. I love the concept, and I know that Bell's earlier novel was incredibly popular, so I'm going to bet this is a reader thing, not a book thing.

I wanted to read this book because I was a fan of Darcey Bell's first novel, A Simple Favor. And, let's be honest, the cover of this book is amazing.

This story is about a woman named Charlotte who's brothers girlfriend, Ruth, kidnaps her daughter, Daisy. The story goes back and forth in time and also changes character perspective. The story that unfolds is very complex and takes many, many twists and turns. I couldn't stop reading it and I loved the way it all came together in the end.

The one thing I will say that I didn't like about this book, and is the reason I only gave it 4 stars, is the ending. It's not that I didn't like the ending but the delivery fell a little flat for me. I definitely felt this way about A Simple Favor as well and I do think Something She's Not Telling Us was better in that regard but there was so much build up, with so many twists and there wasn't that one last bang at the end that is so satisfying when reading a thriller.

Unlikable characters ✔️
Lots of family drama ✔️
Fast paced ✔️
Underwhelming ending ✔️

This book opens up with Charlotte arriving late to pick up her daughter from school. Charlotte owns a successful flower shop in NYC and a last minute meeting with a client has her rushing to pick up Daisy. When she arrives at the school she is informed by the teachers that her sister-in-law picked Daisy up that afternoon. But Charlotte doesn’t even have a sister-in-law, could they mean her brother’s girlfriend Ruth? She realizes weeks earlier Ruth was added to the approved pick up list when her brother and Ruth treated Daisy to the circus. Knowing who picked up her daughter isn’t comforting because Ruth should have been removed from that list a long time ago. Charlotte has always felt uncomfortable around her and her weird interest in Daisy. Now Charlotte’s mom radar is screaming that something is very wrong.

This book jumped around between Charlotte and Ruth telling their sides of the story. Who can be trusted in this book? Is Ruth really unstable or is Charlotte? I honestly found myself frustrated by both of these women and I wanted so much more from the ending after so much buildup. I expected an explosive ending, but was left feeling like ‘wait that’s it?’ I will say, I flew through this one, so if you’re looking for an addictive psychological thriller you may enjoy this one. Thank you Netgalley Harper Collins for this copy- this book came out 4/7/20.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

My review can be found here: https://aubreysangle8.home.blog/2020/05/11/review-something-shes-not-telling-us-by-darcey-bell/

Fast-paced and addictive. All I could think while I was reading this book is how crazy Charlotte would’ve acted during this pandemic. The girl would seriously be Cloroxoing the Clorox. She was seriously one of the most paranoid, overprotective, panicked people I’ve ever read about. The book starts off with Charlotte going to pick her daughter Daisy up from preschool and Daisy not being there. It appears as though Daisy’s “Aunt“ has picked her up. The problem is Daisy does not have an aunt. Could it have possibly been Charlotte’s brother Rocco’s unstable girlfriend Ruth? The question is is Ruth really unstable? Or is that all in Charlotte’s head? The book jumped around in time and between the alternating perspectives of Charlotte and Ruth. I truly had no idea who to believe throughout this entire book. Who was the unreliable narrator? Ruth? Charlotte? Or both of them? Neither of these women were likable and I felt so bad for Daisy. This poor little girl was treated like she could break at any moment and I felt as though she felt responsible for her mother. This was a quick read and I was definitely entertained, but I do think it fizzled a little at the end.

This book in emojis 🎒 🎪 🌮 👨‍👩‍👧 🙍🏼‍♀️ ✈️

*** Big thank you to Harper Collins for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

I really want to like Darcey Bell’s novels more than I actually do. I love psychological thrillers, but after reading “A Simple Favor” and now “Something She’s Not Telling Us” and experiencing the build up of anticipation, I felt a bit let down at the conclusion of both of them. In “Something She’s Not Telling Us”, I’m intrigued by the missing person story, but left unsatisfied as to the why and the hows. The book ends in a rather anticlimactic fashion and makes you wonder why exactly you became invested in a mystery with so little payoff. It was an interesting read and had me hooked toward the middle of the novel, so 3 stars ⭐️ seems fitting.

It took me a little bit to get into this book, once I got through the first maybe 6-7 chapters, I was completely hooked. Ruth really peaked my interest and she had a complete obsession over Daisy and I couldn’t understand why. The more into the book, Ruth got crazier and I found out Charlotte had a big secret that no one knew but it seemed like Ruth had figured it out. I literally couldn’t put the book down by time I got to part 2! It was so addicting and it had me questioning Ruth’s every move!! Did Rocco not see what’s going on and how crazy she was?!? The real kicker was the ending!! I had so many questions and it definitely left me wondering what was going to happen next. I knew Ruth was crazy, but I wasn’t expecting her to be that crazy! The book was great! I would definitely recommend!