This was a compelling read. It started off kind of slow to build up the large cast of characters, but it did end up tying everything together nicely in the end. Very dramatic and interesting. I liked the main character Shay, I could relate to her and thought she was fairly unique for a main character. I think general fans of psychological suspense genre will enjoy this book and it will be a popular one. I enjoyed it.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for this ARC version of #YouAreNotAlone by #GreerHendricks and #SarahPekkanen to read and review.

If I could give this book 10 stars I would! Excellent! It is rare to read something that I cannot figure out the ending until the actual ending! I found myself thinking about the book and trying to figure it out while working, driving, cooking, etc. and couldn't wait to get back to reading it. The book has numerous characters, but I kept them all straight and felt the character development was good. I liked the first two books by these authors, but this one is definitely my favorite! I will be recommending it to all my reading friends as well as patrons at my library. LOVED it!

⭐⭐⭐💫

You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen an interesting suspense/mystery. Shay finds herself on a subway platform where she witnesses a suicide. She has just lost her job and is feeling very alone. As she finds out more about the woman who died she feels welcomed into her group of close friends. The deeper into the friendships she gets the more her life seems to turn around. Has her luck turned around? Are they really her friends? Little suspicions start to creep into her mind. Who are the sisters, Jane and Cassandra?

The story is told in a dual timeline and told by numerous characters. At times I felt there were too many POVs. This was an enjoyable read but I struggled with liking the main character for much of the book. Shay was more likable as the story progressed.

This is my third book by these authors and I look forward to reading their next collaboration. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

***I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

General Fiction (Adult)
Mystery & Thrillers
Release Date: March 3, 2020

This was a twisted, intricate thriller. As in their previous novels, the authors do a great job at making the plot mysterious and ominous, and unlike in other books I've recently read the main character, Shay, is smarter and less gullible than what her counterparts, the Moore sisters, first assumed. To quote this very book, “Something was looming; about to pounce.” And it's very blurry at first, a bit too slow too—though I understand the intention. A good thriller overall.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This author duo never disappoints, and I'm glad for that, but also a bit spoiled. Once I see their names, it's an automatic read for me, before I even know the story. They claim it's one of the most anticipated books of 2020 and they are most certainly not wrong. Highly recommend.

This is a first class psychological thriller! I read the previous two books by these authors which were also 5 star reads. I do not want to give away too much information here which might spoil the read for you, but will try to give enough to make it a ‘must-read’. Shay is sharing an apartment with her good friend Sean and secretly she wants to be more than a friend. But Sean has a girlfriend now. Her job is going nowhere and her boss sounds like a creep. Cassandra and Jane are sisters, the Moore sisters and have a glamorous life, solid friends, so what do they want with Shay? You must read this to find out. This is a chilling and fast moving thriller!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This suspense thriller has Shay being welcomed into a new group of friend with women who seem very admirable. All is not as it appears however, and Shay will soon come to see that life, even though she wasn't satisfied with hers, is about to get much worse.

Lies, deceit, murder, betrayal, this book has it all. Shay has witnessed a suicide and becomes entwined in the woman's life. Cassandra and Jane have it all, beauty, brains and charm, but who are they really? Shay is about to find out that all is not as it seems. This book is filled with tension. I was immersed in the pages. The characters are edgy and complex. I was literally holding my breath at the ending. The tension is palpable! One of the best psychological suspense books that I have read! These authors really know how to weave a story that draws you in from the very beginning and takes you on a mesmerizing ride. I could feel the fear and confusion. I was there! I highly recommend this book! Great suspense! Awesome writing! Don't miss this one!
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Another fantastic edge-of-your seat thriller by Hendricks and Pekkanen!

I could not put this down! I won't give too much of the story away here, but if you love Girl on the Train, you will love this one. The only issue for me was there was a little too much going on with other members of The Group, to which The Moore sisters formed. With so many people and stories going on, I got a little confused at times.

That being the case, this was a great read and I cannot wait for this writing duo's next adventure!

I was SO excited to get this book as I have loved both of Hendricks and Pekkanen's other books. This one did not disappoint. I did take me about 30% to get really into the book, but once I got there, I couldn't put it down. Better than The Wife Between us and just slightly fell short of An Anonymous Girl.

Shay Miller is an insecure woman who is very impressed with her new friends, sisters Cassandra and Jane Moore. They seem to have it all together, and welcome Shay into their group. Gradually Shay begins to suspect that the sisters, and their very loyal group of friends, are not as they seem. Skillfully written and very suspenseful. Don't learn too much about the story before reading. Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC.

I have read all of the books by this duo and they are always getting better. Even though I figured out part of the mystery halfway through the book, I did not see the twist at the end coming.

Definitely a book to pick-up if you are looking for a great thriller!

This is one of the most unusual tales I have read. It is about a group of women looking for friendship and acceptance only to be mulipulated by tow sisters. The characters are real and the situation is scary as the sisters try to cover up 2 murders and frame a young women who thinks they are her saviors.

Review of Digital Galley

When Shay Miller sees Amanda Evinger jump in front of a moving subway train, her life changes in ways she could never have expected. Feeling guilty for not having saved the desperate young woman, Shay researches to find the woman’s address and then goes to Amanda’s apartment building, trying to make some sense of things. She leaves a flower on the stoop and, later, attends a memorial service for Amanda.

And before she realizes what is happening, Shay finds herself caught up in secrets and lies, as her lonely life becomes something that, after the first dizzy whirl of pleasure, seems just a bit too good to be true.

Set in New York City, there's a strong sense of place throughout the story, making readers feel as if they are actually in the city. Early on, they will become aware that not everything is as it seems; unexpected twists keep the story moving in new directions as the well-defined characters slowly reveal their true selves. The unfolding narrative slowly reveals its multi-layered complexity as the chapters, narrated alternately by Shay, Cassandra and Jane, Amanda, Valerie, Stacey, Daphne, and Beth, gradually expose the backstory so essential for readers to understand the manipulation and the deception.

There are moments that readers may cringe at Shay’s decisions, but the intriguing drama, filled with surprises readers simply won’t see coming, promises to keep them immersed in this unputdownable tale until they’ve turned the final page.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this digital eBook from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley
#YouAreNotAlone #NetGalley

Aye aye aye I’m going off the rails on a crazy train! I started my review with the lyrics of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” song because this book is literally heart throbbing, thrilling ride!

Well, I have to admit three things: This evil genius duo can write a hell of an incredible book and know how to play twisty, dark, edgy mind games with you.

Second thing: I had to check several times and made sure that book is not Harley Quinn and gang members’ adventures because we have a team of badass, vindictive, dangerous women out there acting like vigilantes and bringing the justice.

And the last thing: I read this brilliant duo’s three books and I honestly tell you this book is my favorite one. Their extra ordinary performances exceeded my expectations.

Without spilling too much spoilers which is really hard thing for me as a person who gives her friends Agatha Christie books as gifts and writes the killers’ names at the middle of those books. So here we go:

Shay Miller has a crash on a charming roommate recently found a possessive girlfriend who gives her fake smiles but probably fantasizes how to get away from her at the second Shay turns her back. Poor Shay has a little estranged relationship with her mother because of her assholish new husband and she is also about to lose her job, slowly drifting apart with her bestie who recently had a baby.

And I have to mention the most important thing about Shay: She is obsessed with statics, mathematical charts about awkward things like the percentage of women commit suicide by jumping subway tracks. Or statics about panic attacks and loneliness percentages of Americans because she believes that the numbers are pure and true. They never lie.

She also put those facts into her journal instead of writing: “Dear journal, I’m having a shitty day because I saw a woman jumping the tracks and killing herself at the subway. I thought this was like beginning of “Woman’s Edge” novel but thankfully the woman didn’t give me her baby because she doesn’t have one so it seems like I’m a part of another terrifying thriller story. I think I’ll visit dead woman’s a.k.a. Amanda’s apartment and leave some flowers.”

She didn’t write those words but she went to Amanda’s place and left the flowers and unfortunately she made another mistake by joining her memorial event. And yes, now she is a shiny, glamorous target on her forehead because she already got Siamese not evil twins but just ominous sisters Jane and Cassandra and their vigilante fight club’s attention.

Those sisters approach her with friendly intentions and lonely Shay slowly starts to break her walls, earning her own self confidence with their support but you may see those sisters had hidden agenda to destroy this naïve, shy, geek lady.

What I liked so so so much about this book: Fast pacing, intriguing, short chapters ending with mysterious finals like binge-watching series make you addictive and make you want more!

Sucker punches, surprises the author gave us!

The parts making you question everything you read: I changed several times to decide who the evil person of this book was because nothing as it seems and you change your mind about the characters several times. And interesting fact that I have to admit, at some parts I hate JODY more than the vigilante team members or femme fatale sisters. ( I think Margot Robbie and Jen Lawrence would be great duo to play their roles!)

Final expected twist! I loved the ending!

The things I didn’t like so much and make me give four stars instead of five:

I still have hard times why Shay didn’t question sisters’ motives so much because she’s so rational person with strong left brain skills and her fast emotional attachment was so instant.

And there were so much POV including Amanda’s last months and vigilante club members’ back stories. So I went back and forth to make sure I’m reading the right characters’ POV. It was a little confusing because most of them not the main characters of this story.

Overall: It was smart, exciting, riveting, entertaining page-turner. I had a great time and highly recommend this to the die-hard thriller and mystery fans.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing me this powerful thriller’s ARC COPY in exchange my honest review. I truly enjoyed it so much.

This is my third book by Hendricks and Pekkanen. My burning question to the authors’ is: how do you write in such perfect synchronicity?

This is also my first thriller of the New Year and it does not disappoint. It’s actually un-put-down-able.

Shay witnesses a traumatic suicide on a subway platform. She quickly becomes obsessed with the dead woman, wondering who she was and what kind of life she led. She makes a fateful decision to show up at the woman’s memorial. A decision that unbeknownst to her has dire consequences.

Shay, is a person of interest, not by the police but by the friends of the dead woman and their close-knit and mysterious group. The two sisters in the group, Cassandra and Jane are publicists with an enviable clientele list. They are gorgeous and glamourous and all that Shay is not. When they introduce themselves to her at the memorial, she believes that they are genuine and full of concern but these sisters have a sinister agenda and Shay is now unwittingly in their sites.

Shay is down on her luck in terms of her career, her love life, and even her residence. Cassandra and Jane swoop into her life, suddenly showing up in odd places, filling the void she’s so desperately trying to fill with many of the things she lacks. Shay can’t believe her good fortune.

Until, a series of disturbing and unexplainable events leaves her feeling more and more unsettled.

Shay must finally confront the truth and face the fact that nothing with Cassandra and Jane is what it seems to be. But, Shay is no shrinking violet herself and she has a few tricks up her sleeve as she races to solve a crime and along with a tightly held mystery.

BRB Rating: Read It.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing an early copy of You Are Not Alone! Shay, a New Yorker down on her luck witnesses a horrific suicide and becomes entangled in the victim’s life. Unfortunately, this thriller felt a little contrived and I didn’t enjoy it as much as the authors’ previous novels.

There were too many characters who I could see being on the editing floor (Daphne and Beth) and the lead up didn’t feel intentional. The whole novel felt a bit phoned in, like the authors followed a formula and it felt more obvious this time. Also, the authors’ writing styles came across more this time. I felt that Shay’s chapters were much more compelling and moved the story along. The other POVs felt forced and gimmicky,

Four crazy-pants stars! I'm giving no spoilers as I think this one is best going in cold with just the book summary.

I think what will remain with me most is Shay's loneliness at the beginning of the book. With statistics about activities, people engage in and feel lonely. It's not something I think about nearly enough so this has made me more mindful of that. As an only child, I find I enjoy my own company so reading about Shay, an only child had a completely different setting was captivating. Where I've always had the company I want when I want it, I've also been told it's sad when I'm perfectly happy to go to a movie alone or dine alone in a restaurant or anywhere with a good book (to the extent that people have approached to ask to join me so I'm not lonely!). It's often assumed that because one is alone they must be lonely. Shay fascinated me because she wasn't just alone, she was lonely. She craved connection but also expressed confusion at how she had lost the connections she'd once had. I found her very interesting at the start and less so as she was a bit subsumed with the friends' group. But then, the sisters Cassandra and Jane held my intense interest.

There were seven narrators and it was a lot. Some of the friends' group were never fulling visualized in my head as they seemed a bit vague in the reading. I admit to skimming a couple voices when it felt their parts weren't as pivotal to what was really going on. By the end, I still wondered about a couple of characters who just disappeared and if one or two threads left untied were to keep the reader wondering. Slush and mist aside, all in all, this was quite the page-turner. I definitely enjoyed this one and look forward to the duos next.

And of all the things that raised my brow while reading, this is the one that will remain with me forever:

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

I'm sorry... WHAT?!!!

Many thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the opportunity to read this free arc and share my thoughts. (less)

“When someone conjures unease in you, there are usually good reasons behind it.”

Yes, friends! Our Momma’s were 💯correct when they foretold this warning when we were tiny tots!! Momma is always right I’ve learned and we should always trust our gut. We should always trust our intuition. Honestly, if you don’t believe me, just ask Shay! She’s the type of gal who trusts numbers and statistics. And to me - math and numbers are the devil!😂😂💯! Ok but on a serious note, if you want the scoop on this tasty treat you’re gonna have to read the book.🤷‍♀️😳 Too bad so sad! I’m never a gal to give up the goods of a story but I leave you with this.

You Are Not Alone hands down gets the Brandy 5 star rating. I love this dynamic duo writing team and this read was yet another one that kept me baffled. Loved it! 👏🏻👏🏻5 stars

Wow! This was one incredibly ambitious book! I knew from The Wife Between Us & Anonymous Girl to expect a twist toward the end but this whole storyline was full of them throughout. It was so layered and complex, that even if you didn't enjoy this book- which I did very much- there's no way you can stop reading because you truly have no idea where the story is going! I actually read it in two days! I don't want to give a whole lot of it away other than just say stick with it- which isn't hard. There really isn't a moment where it drags or gets stale. The characters are all so likeable or glamorous or interesting in other ways that keep you going. First five star not only this year but in a long time! I will honestly read just about anything these two write.