4 Stars
I think we live in a life that fosters loneliness. The norm is to talk to faceless people on the web, send numerous emails to co-workers we never have met and we don't even have mass shared experiences together except when the country watching the Super Bowl. Its no wonder we have a main character who seems lost with people and strong with statistics.

This book highlighted a lot of the changes in society where it is easy to think others lives are so much better than the one you have and when the main character believes in numbers and the statistics they provide, it can leave a gap just ready to be exploited by a couple of Glamour Sisters.

This was a highly paced story with twists and turns that take you on a ride even if you want to dig your heels in and cry out no. This was well done and a create for the authors.

Quick read and enjoyable with some cringe worthy moments. It’s hard to give a review without giving away any spoilers. Like a lot of psychological thrillers, the main character keeps mistakes along the way leading them down a dismal path. It was a little too easy to see where the path leads as you read about what happened in the past between the two sisters and their circle of friends. I wasn’t sure how it would end though. The main character is a little more believable than than in a lot of other books. Overall, it was an interesting and enjoyable read.

"The average person will walk past sixteen killers in the person's lifetime"

It's a true fact. I just googled it!

Reading this book was like being on a roller coaster. In the beginning of the book, you are slowly gaining speed, slowly climbing - gathering more little tidbits of information but about halfway through, you teeter at the top and after that everything kind of snowballs and all you can do is hold on!

If you like reading suspense/psychological thriller books, this book is for you. Shay lives a lonely life and longs for all the things that she doesn't have... a boyfriend, a job, her own place to live, close girlfriends to laugh with. But the grass always looks greener and sometimes the grass is an optical illusion cruelly manipulated for nefarious reasons.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this book.

Yet another win for this writing duo! I believe they have proven that we can always count on a thriller with a unique story line.

Oh Shay...girl you are a hot mess express. You can't help but feel bad for Shay. She is likeable but quirky and nothing is going right for her. She is in love with her roommate Sean...but Sean just asked his girlfriend to move in with them...oh and for Shay to move out. So there is that. She is stuck in a dead end temp job. She is seen as "quirky" with her book of stats she keeps. Personally I loved reading about her stats, but I stress just reading about them. If I had a friend that whipped out that odd list, well I might feel a little less entertained and a bit concerned. Just when you think it can't get worse for Shay, well she witnessed a woman jump to her death in front of a train. Then stuff gets really weird....

Lucky for Shay she meets these two great sisters- Casandra and Jane. These total strangers take her right under their wings. Wow, what fantastic new friends. I mean no need to question these two that a trying to solve all Shay's problems.....right????

Well this was quite an odd little thriller. I really enjoyed it but I kept thinking how odd it all was. Yet thinking back Anonymous Girl was a bit odd too. The kind of odd that I liked though. It wasn't as shocking and twisty as I had hoped. It was a little confusing with the different POV's but I did catch on eventually. An entertaining thriller!

Whoa...there were definitely some parts of this that either don't make sense to me or seem far fetched, but overall it was pretty intense and I had a hard time putting it down. At times the pacing felt a little off, and I think it could have been a little shorter. I'm not sure this will stick with me, but while I was reading it I couldn't stop wondering how it was all going to be resolved.

Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen come together again making an art form of manipulating their readers into in the low level thrum of paranoia and second guessing that has become their hallmark.

Shay, a loner, perhaps slightly obsessive, data analyst find herself out of a job, out of a relationship and soon to be out of a place to call home as her roommate’s girlfriend spends more and more time at the apartment, not so subtly squeezing her out. Her day goes from bad to worse when she witnesses a woman, Amanda, hurl herself in front of on-coming subway just inches from Shay. Incredibly shaken up by the event, Shay becomes compelled to find out more about Amanda.

Shay piques the interest of Amanda’s friends, Cassandra and Jane, owners of a glamorous Public Relations firm, who are everything that Shay is not, beautiful, composed and powerful. The sisters befriend Shay in an effort to find out what she really knows about Amanda, her suicide, and the weeks leading up to it.

So desperate for the kind of life that the sisters live, Shay finds herself putty in their hands. As the sisters guide and “help” her, she finds opportunity around every corner and begins to transform her life.

But while her appearance changes, her data driven mind does not. Her obsession with Amanda and wanting to please the sisters pulls a few too many loose threads and the tapestry begins to unravel.

As always, this dynamic duo’s story telling style is like watching the tide come in, slow waves and ebbs getting stronger and stronger until the final few pages take your breath away. All is revealed in a final twist.
While a great read, it is not my favorite by this writing team. Perfect for a fast read on a rainy weekend, a book club or a beach read. 3.5 stars

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for the e-Arc in exchange for my honest review.

Hendricks & Pekkanen are on my list of must read authors, so I immediately snatched this title up. The style is very similar to their other books, with lots of twists and thrills. A very fun quick read for those who enjoy suspense titles.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, and I was super excited to read it, as I absolutely loved the author's last book. I found this book to be a little confusing. It shifts back and forth between POV characters, which is something I like, but it also goes back to the past, giving bits and pieces from different characters and I had a hard time keeping it all straight. I also found it to be a bit unbelievable.

“Some people contend there are two primal fears. The first and most basic is the end of our existence. The second is isolation; we all have a deep need to belong to something greater than ourselves.”

Shay Miller is in her 30's and has just been downsized. She's been roommates with her best friend Sean forever and now he suddenly has a serious girlfriend who would rather not have Shay living there. 

Jobless, homeless and alone. This isn't how she planned her life but it's how it turned out. She is a loner who wants to belong. To someone or something. She's brilliant in her field of Data but nailing interviews isn't her strong suit. You can tell there is going to be an interesting backstory here.

Jane and Cassandra Moore are sisters and own a successful business. They have tons of friends and are so what Shay wants to be. Or does she?

When Shay witnesses a woman jump in front of a subway train, the Moore sisters seem to be the answer to all of Shay's problems. Since they appeared in her life things just work out. She desperately wants them to like her and that desperation may be exactly what gets her killed.

Whenever I see a new book on the NetGalley shelf by these two writers I am unable to resist asking for it! The flow, the characters, the twists, and turns will have you staying up long past your bedtime just to figure out this puzzle! Because if you are like me, you have an idea but oh my that ending!

Never disappoint!

NetGalley/ March 3rd, 2020 by St. Martin's Press

You Are Not Alone is a psychological thriller with Shay Miller, a quiet and quirky loner type stuck in a life happening around her rather than actively living it, being the centerpiece of the story. After witnessing a stranger commit suicide, she becomes obsessed with the deceased and the life this woman left behind. After meeting sisters, Cassandra and Jane, Shay finds her life completely turned 180 with wonderful new friends, an awesome apartment in New York City, a fabulous new job, a new found confidence in her appearance, and even a prospective love interest on the horizon. But not everything in Shay’s new life is as is appears. Soon Shay finds herself in a nightmare that she can’t even begin to understand.

If you’ve been a fan of Hendricks and Pekkanen’s other novels, you’ll find yourself right at home in this one. Many of the same narrative elements were present. The story unfolds through the perspective of different characters each chapter going back and forth between present and past events. I did find it a bit confusing with the number of characters when it came to remembering their backstories and how their stories were interwoven. However, the main plot kept me interested and wanting to see how the story played out. Although the plot was a bit far-fetched at times, it wasn’t so much so that it was completely unbelievable. The ending felt a little rushed, but that could’ve been due to reading the last half of the book in one go.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel to preview prior to release in exchange for a fair and unbiased review

I loved this book! I stayed up late to finish this, which means a lot because I really value my sleep. I think this is the best book from this duo yet.

Shay Miller's life is not great right now. Then she witnesses a woman committing suicide by jumping in front of the subway. She becomes obsessed with her and soon meets her friends, notably the Moore sisters. They start to help her turn her life around... but do they really have the best intentions?

This was an incredibly fast paced book, and I did not want to put it down! There were quite a few characters, which had hard to remember initially but I got the hang of it once it went into their individual back stories more. I also learned a lot from this book; tons of random statistics that Shay records (she's a data analyst), and also that I really like the word "glossy". Highly recommend this thriller, especially if you enjoyed either of their past 2 books!

Shay Miller is 31, single, and jobless in NYC. One day she witnesses a woman commit suicide on the subway platform and she can't shake it. Then the Moore sisters suddenly come into her life. Cassandra and Jane are polished, professional, and fun. They make Shay feel cared about and they help her in so many ways. They are the friends that have been missing from her life. They were also friends with the girl who committed suicide, what a strange coincidence. Or is it? There's something not quite right about the situation.

This book kept me interested and I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen. I did not personally love the ending, but I think I am going to be in the minority on that and I think most people will love it.

I love this thriller writing duo. I loved their two previous books, so I was really excited to get an advance copy of their latest, You Are Not Alone. This twisty plot revolves around Shay Miller who is feeling out of sorts in her life. After she witnesses a terrible tragedy, she soon finds herself thrilled to be surrounded by a new group of friends. Will she figure out in time that her friends are not at all what they seem? So good.

I need to start off this review by saying, I absolutely loved this one. I am partial to thrillers, if you can't tell, and this is the type of book that makes me feel so satisfied! It is an easy read, leaves you guessing throughout, and ties up perfectly in the end. Main character, Shay, reminds me a lot of Rachel from The Girl on the Train (minus the drinking problem) as she lives a lonely life of isolation, and is frequently misunderstood, due to her need of fitting in. She is vulnerable, and witnesses a tragic event that she can't seem to stop thinking about. Luckily she is saved by a pair of sisters who change her life.
This book has a lot of different characters, which may be a turn off to those who don't like multiple point of views. but I felt the authors made it clear what each character brought to the table and they never overshadowed main character Shay (which was the only character written in the first person). I had a hard time putting this one down, and I will be recommending it to everyone! 4.5 stars, only because I leave 5 stars for those with a huge shock or an emotional investment. But this is a wonderful book for those who want a quick, heart racing read!

I read The Wife Between Us last year as part of a book club and was so into the discussion that I was happy to receive this early copy. I don't want to give too much away, because this is a book that you will enjoy more the less you know about it. Basically, you have a lonely woman in NYC (Shay) who witnesses a subway suicide that upends her life. This is a traditional mystery/thriller sprinkled with unique details, like Shay's obsession with recording a notebook full of facts and references to the loneliness that major city like NYC can inspire. The twists and turns generally surprised me, so I was eager to finish this and polished the final half off in one sitting. This dark little book will have me paying more attention next time I'm taking public transportation, for sure. This is a unique thriller as much about the dangers of isolation as it is about the dangers of opening up to strangers.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press/NetGalley for the ARC!

You Are Not Alone, by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Short Take: Should have been better than it is.

(*Note: I received an advance copy of this book for review.*)

Hello, my sweet nerdlings! It’s a freezing and snowy morning, and I don’t want to crawl out from either the warm blanket or piping-hot laptop, but alas! That kitchen won’t clean itself, and if I want to eat breakfast at some point, I’m going to have to cut a path through the dirty dishes first. And believe you me, I absolutely plan on eating breakfast. Maybe a couple of times.

So let’s get on with it, shall we?

When Shay witnesses beautiful, young Amanda Evinger kill herself by jumping in front of a subway train, it’s one more lousy thing in a week that’s been full of them. She’s in love with her roommate, but he’s in love with someone else and planning on moving her in, meaning Shay is about to be homeless. Despite being a fairly talented statistician, she’s only able to find temp jobs, so joblessness is about to join homelessness and insurancelessness and all the other -lessnesses that are way too common in this country.

But even though the list of terrible things is long & ugly, Amanda’s death creates a strange kind of bright spot in Shay’s life. Understandably traumatized by the horrific suicide, Shay wants to learn more about what led Amanda to that point. She attends Amanda’s memorial service and there, she meets Amanda’s impossibly perfect friends, sisters Cassandra and Jane Moore. Super wealthy, incredibly gorgeous, kind and generous, they take Shay under their collective wing and soon, everything is better.

They hook Shay up with a sweet apartment-sitting gig, a better job, and a makeover that will bring all the boys to her yard.

There’s just one teensy tiny little problem: the Moore sisters are part of a small, tightly knit circle of friends who have one nefarious purpose that I won’t spoil here, and they just might be using Shay for their own reasons.

Although the story is fun & twisty enough, the characters are way too flat. Everyone is super rich (except Shay), a brilliant mastermind & expert in their field (except Shay) and flawlessly beautiful (including Shay). They do a few interesting things plot-wise, but the motivation for those things is a handful of hollow pop-psych cliches.. They have all of the advantages (wealth, a perfect figure) without any of the effort (long hours, never eating a cookie).

And of course, the only imperfect character is Shay. But she’s so whiny & helpless & clueless throughout most of the book that it’s hard to get behind her and cheer her on. Her silent pining over her roommate/BFF is just bad, a trope that needs to die already. If the genders were reversed, it would inspire a thousand moronic “friend zone” memes and encourage creepy “nice guys” to just hang in there, she’ll come around.

Honestly, after An Anonymous Girl, I had much higher hopes for these authors.

The Nerd’s Rating: TWO HAPPY NEURONS (and some paper plates, because seriously? I wash the dishes, put food on them, and wash them again till I die? That can’t be right, can it?)

Shay lives in New York she’s stuck in a small apartment with her roommate that she has a crush on, but he has a new girlfriend, she lost her job to downsizing. She works temp jobs hoping to make enough to get by, everyday she spends time filling her notebook with statistics and data. She’s horribly lonely doesn’t have a personal life or friends. So it was just another day standing at the platform waiting for the train when suddenly she witnesses a woman jump in front of the train and die. Soon Shay begins to obsess over the woman who committed suicide. Why would she jump? Shay begins to dig into the woman’s life even attending her memorial, where she meets two sister Cassandra and Jane Moore. Shay has no idea that this chance meeting will send her life into a downward spiral. You see the Moore sisters have ulterior motives with Shay and she has no idea. Shay is drawn to them they have everything she wants a social life, money and excitement. Soon her life begins to improve she’s living her dream life. Until Shay begins to realize maybe her new friends aren’t who they seem to be and when the police knock at her door Shay realizes she needs to start figuring out who they are and what they want with her before it’s to late. This book is four stars I finished this book in a day! There were some twists and turns and it definitely held my attention! It makes you stop and think maybe the grass isn’t always greener!

This is another great story by Hendricks and Pekkanen. I read the majority of it in one weekend, because it was fast paced and exciting. I thought the data book was a really cool touch to this one as it always introduced what would happen in the chapter.

I loved the dynamic of the sisters and their cult-like group of girlfriends. Shay was annoying, but I really felt for her through her journey in this book.

This is literally one of those “make-over” stories, where the girl takes off her glasses and becomes someone else. However, it isn’t done in a way that is necessarily as stereotypical as it could have been.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE is a tale of murder, suspense, and old-fashioned female sleuthing. I enjoyed it up until the end, which was very anticlimactic, in my opinion.

This is the third book I’ve had the privilege of reading from this writing duo! They are very skilled at dragging the reader into the story they’ve created and don’t let go until the final page has been turned.

Shay has been traumatized by witnessing the suicide of a woman who throws herself in front of a speeding subway train! As she tries to understand what would cause someone to kill themself in such a brutal manner, she’s drawn into the lives of the dead woman’s friends. She’s unwittingly put herself in a situation that quickly spirals out of control and her life unravels.

Some of the situations presented are often too coincidental and require suspension of belief, but, in my opinion, this doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of seeing how it’s all going to end. Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen have crafted another engrossing read!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

Another winner by this fabulous duo! This book had all the twists and kept me reading past my bedtime. These authors always ha e great character development and their different POV chapters flow seamlessly. Can't wait to read another book by this duo!