On the surface this might seem like a novel about helicopter parents and college admissions in an upscale private Seattle school. Yes, that's what it's about but it's also about the love of a single mom and the impact of one night on the lives of multiple people. Maren works for Alicia- a tech baroness who wants her daughter to attend Stanford. Maren's daughter Winnie also wants Stanford and she's actually more qualified. Kelly wants Stanford for her daughter as well. How far will these women go to get what they want for their daughters when there's only one place? Well, Winnie is hit by a car and she and Maren are assaulted on social media. Dobmeier has written great portraits in Alicia, Kelly and Maren, never stepping into caricature. Winnie is the most well formed of the girls (and the most sympathetic although gosh one of them is pulling out her hair). There have been multiple novels with college competition themes but this is distinguished by Maren's story. No spoilers from me. Or on an interesting twist that made me smile. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I very much enjoyed this- it's a page turner that doesn't take the safe route.

Many thanks to NetGalley and especially to Sourcebooks Landmark for granting my wish to receive a digital ARC of this fabulous debut novel by the writing team of Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman - 5 stars!

It's early decision college application time for seniors at Seattle's exclusive Elliott Bay Academy. Stanford University is the only school at the top of three girls' lists, well, really the only school acceptable to their moms. When EBA notifies the parents that Stanford can only accept one more student, the fight is on. Tech giant Alicia is a graduate of Stanford and has put her considerable wealth into ensuring that spot belongs to her daughter Brooke. Brooke, however, is more of an average student. Kelly and her family don't quite have the money that many of the EBA families have but her and her husband are both alums. Kelly has devoted her life into being a super volunteer at EBA and spends what money the family does have on tutoring and prepping daughter Krissie. Krissie is only made more anxious by her mom's pressure. Then there is Maren, who works as the personal assistant to Alicia and owes her entire livelihood to her. She lives in a house that Alicia owns and Alicia pays for the very expensive EBA tuition. Her daughter, Winnie, is an outstanding scholar who has dreamed of following in Alicia's footsteps and attending Stanford. Let the battles begin!

This is such a fabulous book - I couldn't put it down. And it's the perfect example of life imitating art - the authors' note says that the book was in editing when the real world college admission scandal broke out. The book is told in alternating chapters from the moms' point of view. While we all want what's best for our children, this book takes it to that next level and it's a sad commentary but written in a dark comedy/suspense style that will keep you glued to the pages.

Pre-order this book now so that you have it when it goes on sale next week! I can't wait to read more from this talented duo!

Girls With Bright Futures is not the type of book I would typically gravitate toward, but Dobmeier completely sucks you into the world within the first few sentences. I started and finished this book in one day because I couldn't put it down. If the description sounds at all interesting to you, please pick it up and read it. I should add that there are some potentially triggering topics for readers and recommend doing more research into the ones for this book if that is something that is of concern to you.

Reading about the insane things rich people will do to get their offspring into the “right” college never seems to get old.
Some of the schemes concocted in this story seem downright silly, but really no more ridiculous than passing off a spoiled, bratty Instagramer as a competitive rower would be.
I suppose where your degree comes from must be really, really important in certain circles. Too bad integrity isn’t as high on their “must-have” list.
This was an amusing read, but it also had some substance. Thanks to #netgalley and #sourcebookslandmark for this ARC of #girlswithbrightfutures in exchange for an honest review.

There are three mother-daughter pairs in this story, and they daughters are all competing to be accepted to the same college - the famous Stanford University - except Stanford has just informed the school that it will only be accepting one more student from their private high school. The race is on for each of the three girls to submit the best essays and grades with their application and beat each other out for that coveted spot. May the best girl win...

4.5 / 5 stars

Girls with Bright Futures is an intriguing and captivating book. It is part Women's Fiction and part mystery/suspense/thriller.

This book takes place in Seattle and is divided into 3 parts.

There is a prologue that takes place on October 29th, a few weeks before Part 1. The story goes back and forth between the time in the prologue and the present. Part 2 starts after October 29th and just moves forward in regular time.

There are 3 female POVs (3 mothers): Maren, Alicia and Kelly (3rd person POVs). Maren's daughter is Winnie. Alicia's daughter is Brooke. And Kelly's daughter is Krissie. All three of their daughters go to Elliot Bay Academy (a competitive private school in Seattle).

Alicia is one of the most powerful women in tech. She will do anything to get what she wants. Maren is her longtime personal assistant. Kelly does a ton of volunteer work at her kids' school.

All three girls want to go to Stanford. This book is basically about the lengths that they and especially their moms go to in pursuit of this dream.

The beginning was very strong and had me hooked right from the start. There is a very interesting mystery added to this story. And I enjoyed that aspect of the book. Besides the mystery there was another super intriguing part of the story (to do with DNA).

It was so interesting to see what some people were willing to do to get into the college of their choice. It definitely reminded me of the college admissions scandal with Lori Loughlin.

Overall, this was such a good read. The story was riveting and the epilogue was really great.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for granting my wish and allowing me the pleasure of reading and reviewing "Girls with Bright Futures."

Girls with Bright Futures follow three Moms in an elite private high school in Washington State navigate the early college admissions process. These Mom's all want their daughter to go to Stanford but there is only one spot available. To the victor goes the spoils.

I loved this book but it did bring out a lot of emotions. It was a cautionary tale of elitism and helicopter parenting. The book tells the story through alternating points of view of the three Moms: powerhouse Alicia; homemaker and helicopter Mom extraordinaire, Kelly; and lower income single Mom, Maren. It would have been nice to hear the perspective of the daughters as well as the Moms but it didn't detract from the story. It was beautifully written and maddening. The lengths these Moms would go to was honestly shocking but what's worse is I know this happens every day. The stress the parents put on their children to be the best, have the best tutors, go to the "best" schools can be extremely damaging, which the authors give you a glimpse of in this story. Maren was a wonderful and sympathetic character and though I found Kelly and Alicia deplorable, I really enjoyed their chapters as well. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride! Highly Recommend!

Trigger Warnings (TW): This book focuses heavily on subjects of rape and sexual assault. Reader be mindful of those trigger warnings before picking up this story.

Mothers doing what they must to ensure the best school for their daughters. Do we smell a college scandal , yet again? Fast paced, witty, smart, and so great at keeping you at the edge of your seat. This book is perfect, it deserves its own show. Enjoyed it from beginning to end.

Elliott Bay Academy surely is the best school you can find in Seattle. Thus, the kids of the superrich can be found there, making friends who can be useful later in life. Yet, when college admission process starts, things become a bit tense since now, they are competing for places at the best universities. Alicia Stone is quite relaxed even though her daughter isn’t he brightest, but her money can make up for this. A huge donation to Stanford, a professor to write the essays - this should be enough to secure the place. Kelly, who herself attended Stanford, also wants to get her daughter in. Krissie’s results are brilliant but due to the limited financial means, Kelly must use information and especially gossip to bring her girl into a good starting position. The fight will be hard, especially when the prestigious university announces to only accept one pupil from EBA. Alicia and Kelly can do the maths: it will be difficult to pass Winnie, outstanding and excelling student of a single parent mother with no means or connections. Mothers can become tigers when they fight for their kids, but Winnie’s mum Maren never would have believed that they would be ready to kill her girl to get what they want.

If it wasn’t for the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal, I would classify Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman’s novel highly entertaining but far from reality. However, the fraud revealed showed that this isn’t a topic parents take easy but are willing to risk everything just to get a place at the supposedly best school. Living in a country where university admission works in a totally different way and where the idea of top universities you have to have graduated from to have the chance of a career is more or less non-existent, it is fascinating and repellent at the same time to look in the characters’ heads and to follow their trains of thought.

The whole story is centred around the three mother-daughter-teams, yet, that’s all they share. Alicia is in a top position of a tech company and her outstanding career makes her a well-known and admired person everywhere. Her tough workday has some secondary effects, though, she somehow has lost connection with her daughter and doesn’t care about her feelings or wishes but expects her to comply with her commands just as her employees and her husband. Kelly and Krissie’s relationship isn’t healthy either, the girl can hardly support the pressure that her parents put on her. Winnie and Maren are in a totally different situation. Winnie is gifted and has set her mind on going to Stanford, she’s got no help at all, but worked hard for her dream and is convinced that she deserves it. Maren loves her daughter but she also knows that the price will be high if Winnie is accepted: working for Alicia she will surely lose her job and not easily find anything else. She knows her boss well and she has no doubts about what Alicia is capable of when she is angered by someone. Nevertheless, Maren cannot believe that Alicia might be behind the hit-and-run that nearly kills Winnie.

It is these mixed feelings between fascination and utter disgust that keep you reading. More than once I thought this is totally unbelievable but then, well, the mothers are competing about the top position in the game of “who is willing to go to the maximum and throw all scruples and morals overboard”. Simultaneously, seeing who many characters suffer, what this behaviour does to the families and, first and foremost, the daughters, is totally sad.

Hilariously narrated with wonderfully crafted characters and also interesting side plots, an outstanding novel which, if it weren’t for its lengths, I would have read in one sitting.

Girl With Bright Futures by Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman is going to be a bestseller, especially with those with college-aged children. Perfect timing for this book with the college scandals that happened last year! This novel pulls you into the world of the elite competing via their children for a single spot heading into Standford. How far will the parents go to ensure their precious children get into an ivy league school?

College admissions season at Seattle’s Elliott Bay Academy is marked by glowing acceptances from top-tier institutions and students as impressive as their parents are ambitious. But when Stanford alerts the school it’s allotting only one spot to EBA for their incoming class, three mothers discover the competition is more cut-throat than they could have imagined.

Tech giant Alicia turns to her fortune and status to fight for her reluctant daughter’s place at the top. Kelly, a Stanford alum, leverages her PTA influence and insider knowledge to bulldoze the path for her high-strung daughter. And Maren makes three: single, broke, and ill-equipped to battle the elite school community aligning to bring her superstar daughter down.

That’s when, days before applications are due, one of the girls suffers a near-fatal accident, one that doesn’t appear to be an accident at all.

As the community spirals out of control, three women will have to decide what lines they’re willing to cross to secure their daughters’ futures…and keep buried the secrets that threaten to destroy far more than just college dreams.

The premise could have easily turned over the top but the authors keep it real and I can see how this would really play out in life especially with the wealthy and powerful.

Out on February 2.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. "The Gifted School" on steroids - I couldn't put it down. I was dying to find out what happened & really loved the direction this one went in. So fun but very thought provoking!!! A must-read.

In the wake of the Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman college scandals , Girls With Bright Futures shines the light on the absolute craziness of the college admissions process.

Girls With Bright Futures switches between the POVs of three Elliot Bay Academy moms: Maren (mom to Winnie), Alicia (mom to Brooke) and Kelly (mom to Krissie). All three daughters are competing for the last open EBA admission into Stanford University - a competition that is so cut throat it’s absurd.

Throughout the book, the reader learns more about the extreme lengths these incredibly crazy and bad behaved moms are willing to go to to reach their ultimate end goal of Stanford. Except Maren, she’s the delightful mom of the bunch, less privileged than the others and much more level headed.

The story had me hooked from the start. It’s clever and funny, while at other times its dark and sad. It sheds an exaggerated light (or at least I REALLY hope it’s exaggerated) on the insane amounts of pressure students suffer through during the college admissions process, most of which is unnecessary pressure parents put on their kids to uphold a certain image.

I would definitely recommend this book! Thanks to Netgalley, Tracy Dobmeier, Wendy Katzman and Sourcebooks for the eArc in exhange for my honest review.

How far would you go to get your daughter into the college of her (or your) dreams? Girls with Bright Futures shows exactly how far some moms will go and how many lines they will cross to make it happen. Three moms at the elite Elliott Bay Academy are desperate to secure the school’s only early admission spot at Stanford for their daughter and some of them will stop at NOTHING to make that happen.

Girls with Bright Futures is a ripped-from-the-headlines story that I just could not put down. A sort of mash-up of “The Gifted School” and “Big Little Lies”, it’s full of deliciously catty mom drama, adults behaving badly, and sly commentary on elitism. I’d love to see this novel made into a miniseries!

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

t’s time for early decision college applications to be submitted. Unfortunately, Stanford has decided they will only be accepting one student from Elliott Bay Academy. Suddenly, three mothers, are pulling out all the stops to make sure their daughter receives the coveted Stanford spot. When one of the girls is almost killed in a hit and run accident, her mom begins to wonder if it was actually an accident, or if someone has it out her daughter.

I love me some adults behaving badly, and let me tell you this book most certainly had that! These parents took wanting the best for their children to the freaking extreme, going so far as to fight for a spot at a school their child didn’t even want to go to. Millions spent, debt gone into for tutors and the like, and standing up to the person that keeps a roof over your head and food on your table, all in the name of college. This book made me really glad I was never smart enough to go to an Ivy League school. Just the stress and pressure of getting in would be way too much for me! Overall, this was a quick and very enjoyable read! If you, like me, love adults behaving badly, look no further than Girls With Bright Futures!

I wanted to love this book. The premise sounded so good. I couldn’t get past the uncomfortable dialogue. The story also seemed to jump all over the place. There was more outlandish drama than a soap opera. 2.5/5.

Clever and engaging! Fabulous read, especially after hearing so much about Lori Laughlin and Felicity Huffman scandal last year- this story is about mom’s on a mission to secure the best for their children despite the consequences…. But how far are they willing to go? Perfectly paced and filled with gossip and drama, witty and fun.  Definitely a Desperate Housewives vibe that I thoroughly enjoyed. Highly recommend.  Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to review an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Another end of year hit! Look for this one coming in Feb. The Gifted School meets Big Little Lies. Why oh why do I enjoy reading about rich people behaving badly so much? This follows three moms with high school seniors at a private school who's daughters all end up vying for the same Ivy Ivy league school. I forget the proper term, who knew there were different levels of the ivy's? Certainly not this middle class gal but I digress. What follows is the cutthroat competition ripped from the headlines on just how far the parent's are willing to go to get their children into these schools.

This was pure brain candy all the way. I flew through this one in 24 hours. I had decided to check out the new Utah Housewives and quickly left it behind for these ladies of EBA who were much more interesting, wickedly fun, dispictable, and truly addicting.

***Thank you Sourcebooks and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review***

How far are parents willing to go to keep their image? Girls with Bright Futures follows 3 moms and their journey to get their children into the top schools in the country. When money isn’t an object, the entire world is open to you.

From the moment I picked this book I was hooked and rooting for the underdog. I am hoping this becomes a mini series one day. It has scandal, deceit, rumors, suspense, crimes and everything in between. Pick this book up!

Just how far will a parent go to ensure her child gets intò an elite college? Dobmeier and Katzman crack open the ugly, seedy, sordid, tactics, machinations, and emotions of needy, driven parents. I could not put this book down. It was that terrific. I was shaking my head at how miserable the students and parents were over admissions and the lengths and ungodly pressure they put upon themselves just to say they got into a pretentious high muckety muck university. I crowed with delight when one of the main characters got what she deserved during the course of the story. The authors answer questions at the end and reassure readers the story and behavior of their characters are embellished and exaggerated but I have no doubt parents have acted and will act in such outrageous, egregious , and fanatical ways to brag about their offspring. I have two words that would strike horror into the hearts of those bitchy characters, community college.

4.5 stars! This novel was perfectly paced -I could not stop reading. I raced through the entire second half of the book yesterday. For me (since so many other reviewers are making comparisons), this book was The Gifted School mixed with Big Little Lies (with a touch of the Varsity Blues scandal - we see you, Aunt Becky). While I reconize this book is fiction, and the actions of some of the characters a bit over-the-top, it nevertheless has its basis in fact. Let's just say that after reading this book, I'm glad that the magnet high school application process for my 8th grader took place during a pandemic = I was not around any other parents during the process!

"Three women. Three daughters. And a promise that they'll each get what they deserve.

College admissions season at Seattle's Elliott Bay Academy is marked by glowing acceptances from top-tier institutions, and students as impressive as their parents are ambitious. But when Stanford alerts the school it's allotting only one spot to EBA for their incoming class, three mothers discover the competition is more cutthroat than they could have imagined.

Tech giant Alicia turns to her fortune and status to fight for her reluctant daughter's place at the top. Kelly, a Stanford alum, leverages her PTA influence and insider knowledge to bulldoze the path for her high-strung daughter. And Maren makes three: single, broke, and ill-equipped to battle the elite school community aligning to bring her superstar daughter down.

That's when, days before applications are due, one of the girls suffers a near-fatal accident, one that doesn't appear to be an accident at all.

As the community spirals out of control, three women will have to decide what lines they're willing to cross to secure their daughters' futures...and keep buried the secrets that threaten to destroy far more than just college dreams."

You will most likely end up rooting for one particular mother/daughter team, but as the mothers actions spin further out of control, you do get insight into the WHY of their behavior, and you can ALMOST feel sympathy for all. The ending is PITCH PERFECT! I don't have any problems imagining real-life mothers doing the same.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.