At some point in the beginning I started wondering if this was just a mommy version of Sara Shepard's Pretty Little Liars series. It's not, but it does start with anonymous notes, so you can't blame me for jumping to that conclusion.

It felt like what should have been three different stories all mashed up into one. Yes, these troubled moms did blend well together, but in the overall plot they also seemed randomly thrown in. Everything seemed all over the place, from each characters personal problems to the overall mystery.

Sara Shepard is a brilliant author. I love seeing more adult thrillers from her for fans who have followed since PLL! Three misfit moms fighting for their place in the social circle! All the twists you can come to expect from Shepard are here!

Dang!! It's been awhile since I have read a book from Sara Shepard but wowwww am I so glad I was able to read this one! Excellent writing (of course) and the suspense was fantastic. Must read!

I figured out the “who” early on in this book. That did not prevent me from continuing to read and finish this book though. I loved the twists and found it ver well written. Bonus for having a trans MC!!

I'll read anything by Sara Shepard, the author of Pretty Little Liars. If you liked Big Little Lies, you will like this book.

I thought it was good right from the start. Then in one sentence, with a big reveal I didn't see coming I liked it even more.

I received this galley from NetGalley.

Every once in a while I read a book that I don’t think is getting enough love, and the most recent is Sara Shepard’s Safe in My Arms ❤️❤️

If any of you are Pretty Little Liar fans, you’re already familiar with Sara’s writing style and her ability to make readers need to binge her latest masterpiece.. In what should be a sweet and innocent nursery school setting, everyone has got something to hide, and the characters of Andrea, Lauren, and Ronnie have more so than most. Since this is back-to-school week (at least here in Maine), this seems like the perfect time to hold this one Safe in YOUR Arms. Grab a copy and read while you wait in the pick-up lane.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review and feature! Following is a link to my Instagram post:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CTSdSk5r6w1/

I missed the review deadline unfortunately, but will give it a shout out on Instagram! The premise looks very interesting but I just had too much on my plate to get to it before the pub date.

Three women who are newcomers to a Southern California beach town are found at a crime scene and, as the investigation continues each of these women struggle to keep a secret of their own.

Andrea Vaughan, a single mom to her son, Arthur; Ronnie Stuckey, mom to Esme; and Lauren Smith, mom to Matthew, are all new to Raisin Beach, a town close to LA with a majority of upper class citizens. Each of their children is a student at the town’s expensive and elite Silver Swans Nursery Academy. But after each of the women receive an anonymous note trying to get them to leave the school, the school’s director, Piper Jovan, is violently attacked and left in a coma. All three of the women were just a hallway away when this happened and while trying to keep their own secret they don’t know Piper has her own secret too. The story is from the various women’s perspectives as they try to keep their pasts from public eyes. The secrets are both large and small, from a kidnapped child, infidelity to secret vices. More than a narrative, the story splits and diverts into many streams before easing back to those few days that pass between the attack on Piper and the resolution of the police investigation. Keeps you guessing to who the attacker was to who has ulterior motives.

The book seemed to want to be in the ranks and plot like of Big Little Lies. It definitely doesn’t measure up to that but a fun domestic read if you like that type but one that isn’t hard to pass at the same time…

This book was a good suspense/psychosocial thriller that kept me reading. The story kept me engaged and compelled to continue on. I was irritated with the many typos throughout the book that eventually make it difficult to continue reading.

Sara Shepard consistently puts out excellent novels. She started in the YA world with Pretty Little Liars, but she's proving to be a force in the world of adult thrillers. Safe in My Arms is what you'd expect from Shepard with secrets, drama, plenty of suspense, and jaw-dropping twists. The story follows three moms whose children are all starting at Silver Swans preschool. All three have something to hide, so it's understandably nerve-wracking when notes appear in each of their children's backpacks saying their secret is known and how this mystery person wants each of them gone. Then the principal is attacked and nearly dies. Who is out to get them? Just what is going on in this elite preschool? Is it another parent? The book definitely gives Big Little Lies vibes. Shepard's writing is outstanding and unputdownable. Highly recommended!

I can not recommend this book enough! I read Safe in My Arms in one day. This thriller/suspense book is one of best books of 2021.. I appreciate net gallery and selected publishers for this early copy

Safe in My Arms was a quick, easy read full of drama and secrets. The book follows Lauren, Ronnie and Andrea, as their children enroll at an elite pre-school, Silver Swans. Despite their differences, the three women connect instantly through their shared experience of not fitting in and holding a dark past. When the elusive school director, Piper, is attacked, Lauren, Ronnie and Andrea find themselves as suspects. The three women fight to expose the truth, while keeping their own secrets hidden. I really enjoyed this book. There were twists and turns that I didn't see coming, but everything was relatively believable (and if you've read Sara Shephard before, you know she doesn't shy away from over-the-top!) Shephard has done a great job transitioning from YA to adult thrillers and I look forward to her next book.

Thank you #Netgalley for granting me early access to this thriller!

LOVED this one! Kept me guessing the whole way through! We follow three mothers who meet at a preschool orientation, Andrea, Lauren and Ronnie. Each of which had their own weird, funny feeling about the schools director Piper. The novel jumps back and forth from the three moms perspective as well as Pipers. Each mother has her own secret they they preferred would not be made public, especially not at their children's school. When on campus, the parents went to sneak around Pipers office after each experiencing a strange targeted situation. However, their plans were cut short when they entered the hall heard a scream and then blacked out. We then try to understand what actually happened in that hallway. Who was there? Were they aiming for Piper?

Highly recommend for a fast paced thriller around a wealthy preschool!

I enjoyed this suspenseful thriller. This is a well written story that I found to be fast paced and hard to put down. This is a story about three mothers who find themselves in a community where they don't seem to fit in. All three have something to hide. What will happen when the prinicple finds himself almost in a fatal accident? These three women are determined to find out what secrets everyone is finding. They made great, strong characters that I enjoyed. They made the story engaging and entertaining to read. I enjoyed the growth throughout the story which kept me coming back for more. I highly recommend this book. It is worth the pick up for sure.

This was a slow burn mystery/thriller told through multiple POV's. All narrators were unreliable with their own secrets. I loved that the setting was in an elite nursery school, and I love when thrillers are told by POV's. But for me this one was just a little too slow and the twists/secrets weren't that good.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cheesy, easy to read novel that you won't want to put it down. If you're looking or a beach read or something to read on holidays, this is the book for you. This novel definitely has "Pretty Little Liars" vibes, but think moms at a preschool instead of teenagers in a high school. There is drama, suspense, humour - what else could you want in a summer read?

I loved that it was drama filled from start to finish. The book was filled with so many lies and secrets that kept the book entertaining and suspenseful. I was hooked all the way to the end!

Sometimes when a mystery/thriller revolves around this many people it can get a little chaotic and crazy and just be a jumbled mess but this book was great. It didn't drag everything out and I loved how we got into each character's story pretty quickly. I was pretty intrigued and invested in each character from the very beginning and it kept me invested throughout the entire book. This was a solid 4 star read.

Three moms who have children enrolled in elite preschool band together to solve this crime. The moms are outsiders and each has serious issues. Despite some story flaws, I wanted to keep going. Underneath it all, there is a theme of parental love.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley for my unbiased review.

I was a fan of the PLL series, so I was very excited to get my hands on this book. I loved the premise and would recommend this book to those who love a fast-paced thriller. A few things were a little over the top for me personally, but I was still eager to find out the truth.