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!

There was very little information provided about this book's plot ahead of time but knowing the magic of Sarah Pekkanan and Greer Hendrick through their previous reads, The Wife Between Us & Anonymous Girl, I knew this one would also be a wild ride. 

Indeed. These two ladies do not disappoint. 

"You are Not Alone" is an edge of your seat, what the heck just happened, didn't see it coming, psychological thriller. Heavy on the psychological. How they create such unique and diabolical characters, book after book, is beyond me!
 
We are introduced to Shay, who witnesses a horrific scene on her way to work. From there, her life will never be the same. But when the glamorous Moore sisters step in, Shay's life starts to change for the better. Until it doesn't. 

Put on your thinking caps and try to figure out this puzzle of a plot- its simply genius and you won't believe where it takes you. Be prepared for deception, deceit, and lies...many lies. There are too many twists to mention but I will say, you won't be disappointed! 

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the authors for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ve been trying to formulate my opinions on this book ever since I finished, and I am still just struggling.

I am a huge fan of the writing duo that is Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. I think that they seamlessly execute words on a page as if they were a single author versus a team. That being said, You Are Not Alone is not one of my favorites by them.

Right from the beginning, you are catapulted into a scene where Shay Miller witnesses a woman commit suicide by jumping in front of a train. Shay’s life quickly changes when she seeks more information about the dead women and ends up crossing paths with the Moore sisters.

I struggled with Shay as a character. I found her to be weak-willed, overly trusting, and ultimately gullible. Her desperation to please the Moore sisters was exhausting at times. What I did like about her was her obsession with statistics.

In terms of the plot, a lot of belief had to be suspended with this one, and there were so many moments where I found myself asking “Is this really happening?”. The plot pacing felt off to me since it started off fast-paced but lagged in the middle when we got bogged down on Shay’s relationship with the sisters. The plot does pick back up in the last 75 pages or so, which is when I found the story more engrossing.

Overall, I’m not giving up on this dream team, but I definitely want more out of their next book.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Libro.fm for the advanced listening copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Right place, wrong time and your world goes crazy. The less you know about this one's plot going into it, the better. Gripping, fast paced, keep you up reading kind of book. The statistics scattered through it are thought provoking too. A good beach read, and will make you think twice about any strangers you bump into on vacation.

I have quickly become a fan of Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen’s books! Everything they write immediately draws me in and the suspense factor is always on point, but I think “You Are Not Alone” might be my favorite book of theirs yet!

Overall, I thought it was a fantastic story and really well paced. Shay Miller was great character too, but to be honest I felt bad for her. It was plain to see that she was lonely and didn’t have much going for her as far as a career or social life. Though she witnessed a horrible tragedy, it in turn gained her some new friends, a new job, a new apartment...basically a whole new life. But some things are too good to be true, and in her case I think she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

My only disappointment was that I figured out what was going on halfway through the book, so it kind of took the suspense factor away as the plot unraveled. However, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story as a whole, and I‘ll definitely be recommending this one!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2858034990

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

The story begins at a NYC Subway Station and continues in many directions from there - psychologically and physically.

Shay is a shy, lonely data analyst. The Moore sisters are beautiful, friendly, and charming. A series of coincidences brings them together with disastrous results...but for whom?

I thoroughly enjoyed this pair's two previous novels: "An Anonymous Girl" and "The Wife Between Us." Their works get better and better. I look forward to reading more from Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen.

These phenomenal co-authors did it again! You Are Not Alone is fast paced and brilliant!

Multiple POVs, short chapters and a storyline that will keep you guessing ... this is a must read for any psychological suspense lover!

This is my third book by this duo and I've enjoyed every single one! Already looking forward to more!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for my review copy!!

Shay lives in her head. She is a data analyst, gifted with numbers and facts -- but not so much with intangibles such as social cues. When we first meet Shay, her tenuous life in New York City is already fraying at the edges.

Heading out to update her resume for a job search, Shay watches helplessly as a woman standing near her on a subway platform leaps in front of a train. The experience stuns her and triggers post-traumatic stress and a sequence of odd behaviors.

I liked Shay. She was a bit timid, but quite smart, and I was charmed by her love of factoids and the "data book" that she kept in lieu of a diary. She processed the stresses of city life by researching and recording the data that shed light on the day's experiences. After she witnesses the suicide, her next entry into the data book lists the miles of track in the NY subway system, the number of daily riders, the number of subway stations, trying to quantify the odds of what she saw.

Shay becomes obsessed with the suicide victim, and soon encounters the woman's circle of friends, a tight-knit group that we gradually come to see as a kind of urban cult. They are polished and stylish, and they reach out to Shay in a kind of non-sexual seduction. But why?

The story unfolds in alternating timelines and alternating points of view, smoothly interwoven to reveal the backstory of Amanda, the suicide victim, and the other six women in the group. The suspense is keen, and all the reader's questions are ultimately resolved. (Well, all but one: I still can't figure the source of ALL THAT MONEY!)

This is a really good book. I read the earlier two books from these authors' collaboration, and this was my favorite of the three. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance readers copy.

This book is so twisted. Everything was so intertwined. I enjoyed the different perspectives of this book. It went back and forth between people, past and present. There were just enough characters to keep things interesting. I couldn’t believe the things that Shay did to try and ‘belong’. I guess with her life in such a disarray, she felt like she needed something for herself. She does seem a bit obsessive, but that may just be because she is a statistics person. I couldn’t believe the ending. I knew there would be a twist but I didn’t see that one coming!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the free review copy. All opinions are my own. 

I loved this duo's first book, wasn't a fan of the second, but I knew that I wanted to read this book, and I am so glad I did. It was a fun thriller filled with manipulation and left me questioning at times what exactly the motivation behind the decisions were. I enjoyed how the authors revealed the whole story through short chapters that kept me wanting to read. Slowly, the story built to completion, and I felt that the ending of the novel was perfect for what was going on. 

The characters in this novel were developed so well. I bought completely into the stories that each character told during the book. I think that is what made me get so involved in this book. Once you get hooked into this story, I promise you won't want to put the book down until you have binged the whole thing.

I've read and loved An Anonymous Girl, and I was ready for the slow burn I know Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen are capable of. But this slow burn ended up fizzling out somewhere along the way. Now don't get me wrong, it was an enjoyable read throughout, just didn't leave me me quite as satisfied as their other book. It felt like the ending was rushed a bit.
By the time all the twist and turns were happening I just didn't really care, The twist weren't that deep nor the turns that relevant to the plot, but like I said it was still a good read and trek on wanting to know how it ended. Maybe I'm on a thriller burnout and need to cut back a bit, but just didn't quite hit home for me.
A good read, just not amazing.

Special thanks to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for a ARC in exchange for a honest review.

You are Not Alone is written by the dynamic duo Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. I have read all of their books and they keep getting better and better! This is a thrilling, binge worthy read. I think that I have a book hangover, I could not put it down! I highly recommend it!

Be careful what you wish for. All is not as it seems. Have you ever envied someone else’s life? She has everything you don’t have but want. Wish you could swap lives? Shay feels that way but unbeknownst to her, the perfect life she envies is not so perfect! Great twist awaits! I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Wow. These two brilliant women have done it again! These women know how to write stories that are dark, twisted, edgy and full of surprises.

Shay is lonely and she is stunned when she is a witness to a woman (Amanda) throwing herself in front of a subway car one day. She becomes a bit obsessed with Amanda's life, but not really in a dangerous way. But when Amanda's friends, Cassandra and Jane, get close to Jane to find out whether Amanda told her any of her secrets, Shay becomes even more enmeshed in the lives of these women and she finds herself drawn to Amanda's old life. There were a lot of POV's in this book and that was probably one of the things I liked the least. But I did like getting inside the heads of Cassandra and Jane and the buildup to their secrets was so intense. These women, along with a few others, were total vigilantes and bad asses. I thought I knew where this story was going. I really did. Then BAM! The authors hit me with surprise after surprise. Shay was a bit too enamored with the women at first, so she didn't see the ugliness that lay below the surface. No spoilers, but I loved how she proved those women wrong about who she really was. Another great book by this incredible duo!