This is a gripping read from the get go. I had recently read 'The Push' by Ashley Audrain and was struggling to find something psychological and a title that would keep me as gripped. From the moment I read this book, I was hooked. I skipped the latest dramas on Netflix and tv any minute I could to read this book. The author, similar to Ashley Audrain, manages to somehow create feelings of disgust for some of the characters and leaves you wanting to shout to one male character; 'beware!'. There is a super twist at the end that I did not see coming; that for me, is always a sign of a good book. The author manages first person navigation between view points quite easily which is something that is not always easily achieved. One comment is that I did not expect such a change in personality in Tiffany and that evilness was not laid out at the start by taking the homeless Skye under her wing, but perhaps that is why this is a psychological thriller because it is the twist that gets you. I am really looking forward to reading other titles from Miranda.

I couldn't put this one down! I don't know where to begin with this thriller thrill ride. Twists and turns, surprises to keep you on the edge of your seat. Miranda Rijks knows how to keep readers engaged.

This author does a great job with Psychological Thrillers. I was hooked from the first page and this crafty story kept me glued to the pages until the very end. Highly recommend.

Excellent book! It was a bit predictable, but still very interesting to read. I wanted more character information, but...that definitely would have not worked in this book.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC.

Such a great psychological thriller that I couldn’t put down and finished in one sitting.

Skye, once a homeless girl, is now a famous social media influencer. And she is using her influence to support Sacha’s Sanctuary, a charitable organization run by Nathan honoring his late wife.

Skye falls for Nathan, and decides that he has to be hers.

Exciting, with realistic twists that after you read make you think – shucks, why didn’t I see that coming.
So good. Don’t put it on your tbr – just purchase it now! You won’t regret it!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Thank you #netgalley for the complimentary copy of #TheInfluencer in exchange for an honest review.

Published April 25, 2021

“And me, I will be the master of the plan, yet no one will ever know. All those people who think they know me. They make assumptions, but you should never judge anyone. Never. But we all do, don’t we? We look at the way someone dresses, the colour of their skin, how they talk, where they grew up, what education they had, and we presume they are going to be a certain type. And the more outspoken the person is, the more we think we know them. I learned that early on. Never, ever judge, because nine times out of ten, you will be horribly wrong.”

Sacha, Nathan’s wife and Isla and Chloe’s mother, died of cancer four years ago. In order to stop himself going completely off the rails, Nathan sets up a homeless charity in Sacha’s name.

Skye, a Gen-Z mega-influencer superstar, offers to be the figurehead and brand ambassador for Nathan’s charity. We discover that Skye has lived in children’s homes and been passed from one foster home to another before she was on the streets. At the age of 20, Skye decides she wants a different life.

She sees everything as a transaction. If you have something she wants, she’ll turn on the full ‘Skye Effect’ and she’ll stop at nothing to get what she wants. She wields her wealth, power and popularity to manipulate and lie to the media and her social media followers. I found her a thoroughly dislikeable character.

Nathan finds his world spiralling out of control as his fiancé, Marie, leaves because she “needs time to think” and Skye inveigles her way into his household, thrilling his starry-eyed daughters, and trying to seduce an immovable Nathan. The tension between the two characters escalates at a dangerous speed.

‘The Influencer’ is a dark contemporary psychological thriller highlighting real dangers surrounding social media and predators. It’s a sharply observed novel about our online selves and the truth you can only see in real life. I flew through the pages.

A huge thank you to @NetGalley and @InkubatorBooks for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow , brilliant book . I enjoyed every moment of this book , very tense all the way through and what I really loved about it was it didn’t have a long drawn out end like some books have . I loved her last book but this one was even better . Definitely 5 stars for me

Nathan is confused and skeptical as to why social media superstar Skye wants to help his charity for the homeless. He has no knowledge of who she is and doesn't understand why a stranger with millions dollars and viewers would want to help him. After his teenage daughters, Isla and Chloe, explain how Skye overcame being homeless to achieve her status, he begins to understand why Skye is willing to help his charity. And her name attached to his charity has money pouring in.

But somehow Skye seems to be more present in his personal life - showing up unannounced at his home, befriending his daughters who are huge fans and showering them with expensive gifts. Nathan knows something isn't right, and he has to figure out what her end game is before she ruins everything important to him.

This was enjoyable to read and I had a hard time putting it down. Told from alternate POV's with past/present scenes, there were some twists that I was able to figure out early on but I was intrigued as to Skye's motives and why Nathan was involved. The book shows how easy it is for strangers, who have a huge media following, can gain trust and have the power to manipulate and influence others. The ending was somewhat left open to a possible sequel, though it would have been nice for it to have ended with all questions answered. Overall a good read and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you Netgalley and Inkubator Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Well I love anything that describes the lives of social media influencer and this was no exception! A great story I of a girl that defies all odds and goes from homeless to a social media star when millions of followers. Told between different point of views and from different characters, this fast paced novel kept me reading late into the night. The ending left something to be desired hence the 4 star rating.

Thanks to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the advanced read.

The Influencer by Miranda Rijks is another one of her riveting, page-turning, twisty, dual-point-of view thrillers.

The big reveal is not difficult to see coming, but that did not at all slow my gleeful page-flipping through these quick and engaging chapters.

I love a good con thriller as they often involve a peek into the lives of the wealthy, and I also enjoyed a novel look behind social-media fame.

Character Nathan has a charity that he founded with his beloved deceased wife, which he is proud of but works hard to keep funded. Internet star influencer Skye pounces in and on, suddenly wanting to promote the charity.
But why? There is the hook..

I enjoyed the (somewhat milquetoast) male protagonist and *spoiler* female villain character portrayals.

A chilling psychological thriller about the power of the internet and celebrity culture.

I have to confess I'm not a fan of celebrities who are famous for being famous but I'm so glad I didn't let that deter me. The story grabbed me immediately and kept me hooked with lots of dark twists, switching between past and present and across multiple points of view. The writing flows well and I found myself racing through this engaging and compelling read.

This is my first book by Miranda Rijks but I will definitely be reading more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have read, loved and reviewed a few of Miranda’s books now. I read the synopsis for ‘The Influencer’ and it certainly sounded like the type of book that I have come to expect from her- a gritty, fast paced psychological thriller with a fair few twists and turns along the way. Well ‘The Influencer’ was certainly all that and more. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Influencer’ but more about that in a bit.
I have to be honest and say that I did not warm to the character of Skye at all. There was just something about her that sent shivers down my spine. My gut instinct told me that she was to be trusted. I can’t even put my finger on what it was about her. She seems highly manipulative, devious and very two faced. The way in which she behaved just made me even more suspicious about her and her motives.
It didn’t take me long to get into this story. In fact, by the time I got to the end of the first few pages, I knew that I was going to thoroughly enjoy this book. I was spot on too. I had my own suspicions as to what was going to happen and I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or if I had wandered down the wrong path. I became so wrapped up in the story that I lost all track of time and just how quickly the pages were turning. The first time I looked up to check I was stunned to realise that I had read a third of the book in one go and that I had been reading for a couple of hours. I found ‘The Influencer’ to be a gripping read, which kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat.
‘The Influencer’ is very well written. Miranda certainly knows how to grab your attention and draw you into one hell of a story. She certainly knows how to create intriguing characters, who have more layers to their personalities than you would find on a parcel during a game of ‘Pass The Parcel’. Reading ‘The Influencer’ is much like being on an at times scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Influencer’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Miranda’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Nathan set up Sacha's sanctuary, a charity for homeless people, in memory if his wife who died. He is approached by Skye, an Influencer, who offers to promote the charity and help raise funds through her social media campaigns. But that's not all she wants and she'll stop at nothing to get what she wants.
Another great book by Miranda.
I received this ARC from Netgalley and publishers in exchange for an honest review, my opinions are my own

This was a quick enough read, but I just didn't warm to it. I had the same issue with it that I had with the last book I read by this author, which is that I can't really the characters or their actions. As someone else pointed out, for instance, Skye's fame seems more fitting for an actual celebrity, not an influencer. In addition, once again, we've got a main character seemingly too passive for the career they have. And too passive for parenthood--good Lord. I'm just too Southern to tolerate that nonsense, especially from the teen daughter.

I have loved this book and devoured it quickly. I find Miranda’s books really original, which is completely refreshing as I’d say that her writing fits within one of the most over saturated genres on the market.

She writes about scenarios and characters that easily lend themselves to psychological fiction, and elements of thriller, and yet these seem to be often really original plot threads that I’ve not read about before.

I love how the title makes you think throughout the book. In some ways, the question of who is the influencer here? Is quite obvious, in other ways it could take a different meaning, depending how you look at it. It’s also a really interesting exploration of what influences, or motivates us, and how social media has become an integral part of our lives.

Again, Miranda provides a narrative that is original, gripping and easy to follow, yet takes an increasingly creepy and even dangerous trajectory, and has a strong psychological element.

I loved the characters in this one. They were well developed and easy to connect with. Nathan in particular came across as a bit of a gullible buffoon, but I thought he was also quite believable and enjoyed seeing his vulnerability.

Overall, this has been an addictive, gripping and refreshingly original book. I can’t wait for more by this author!!

Date reviewed: April 24, 2021
Publication date: April 25, 2021

I am pretty fascinated by the social media "influencer" concept that have become very popular in the recent years so when I learned about this book I wanted to read it right away.

Miranda Rijks did an amazing job showing us that a perfect life of a social media influencer is not at all as it appears.
The character development was great. I liked the flashbacks and different point of views. This is a well written story that gets your attention right from the start and it's hard to put down. About half way in the book I almost figured out the twist but I definitely did not expect the ending.

I would recommend this book to anyone that likes a well written, quick thriller.

Thank you NetGalley, Inkubator Books & the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Skye is a social media influencer who rises to fame after being homeless. She uses her social media platform to help others as well as promote products. Nathan owns and runs a charity for the homeless, named after his late wife., all while raising his two teenage daughters. Skye has decided to use her large following and platform to partner with Nathan's charity, this is where the story takes off.

The beginning of the book starts in a flashback style. Starting with present day and then jumping back to Skye's late teenage years. At this point you are assuming the flashbacks are you going to lead you to how she become an influencer and how she ended up with such a large following. But around mid book, after one incident, the flashbacks stop and you are only reading present day. The twist is somewhat predictable, but it took me a bit longer than it should have to figure it out.

The manipulation and desire to be loved is a strong theme throughout the book, along with distrust. I was engaged from the beginning and found it to be a quick, easy read. However, I was disappointed by the ending, it felt like a cliffhanger that was unresolved. Whether that was intentional for a second book, I am not sure, but I think the author left it wide open, which felt unfinished and slightly infuriating. with that being said, I would recommend this book.

TW: Rape, drugs, violence, murder

About the book: Adored by her legions of followers, social media megastar Skye is an inspiration. Once homeless, she is now fantastically wealthy, enormously powerful. A ‘like’ from Skye can literally change your life.

So when she suggests partnering with Nathan’s charity for the homeless, he thinks it’s a match made in heaven. With Skye’s backing, who knows what he can achieve? And no-one is more excited than Nathan’s teenage daughters, both massive fans of the star.

But Skye’s influence comes at a price. Yes, funds are pouring into Nathan’s charity, but she is a smothering presence, seemingly determined to insert herself into every nook and cranny of his family life.

Thoughts: We all see them; the influencers on social media but how much is really true about that life or them?
I enjoyed the book a lot and was eager to see where the story was going to go. There were parts where I think the author got confused. One such part is where Tiffany asks Skye how she made money and Skye replies with she had a cardboard sign with “I’m hungry, please help”, but Tiffany should know that since that’s how they met. Around the 60% mark is where the story kind of took a nose dive for me. I was loving the book up until that point. It got on my nerves that everywhere Skye went they knew her. It didn’t matter or who or age they all knew her.Jim the homeless guy knew her too. There’s a scene where she’s leaving the hospital with Nathan and there are the news people there interviewing her. It just gets to be too much. The author made out like she was a movie star status. Another thing that got on my nerves was that Nathan just refused to defend himself and stick up for what was right for me and respect Marie. He thinks he is drugged and raped but he keeps being pleasant to Skye and even inviting her in after his fiancée has left him and Skye shows up uninvited with pizza. I think not! He continues to ask this woman that is completely unhinged to remove things from her social media or say things aren’t true, to which she replies continually that she can’t. So why not just make a social media account and release your own video saying the relationship isn’t real and that you’ve decided to part ways with her because of differences. It just annoyed me that he continued to be used and not defend himself. She even kidnaps his kids and he brushes it off with no legal action because he is worried about his charity. The ending was just not good. It was so random and missing something. It felt rushed considering the build up for the big boat race.

Oh, Miranda, you've done it again! Another great read with some really dark turnings!

Poor Nathan is clueless when it comes to social media, so he really doesn't know how to respond to influencer Skye's overtures. While his fiancé is convinced, she has her sights set on him romantically, Nathan naively defends her as just being very passionate about his charity, Sacha's Sanctuary, a haven for people experiencing homelessness. How far will he go to protect his family and his passion for his charity?

While some reviewers were critical of the early hints at the backstory because you can figure out the twist early on, the author's real skill is the development of Skye's personality as she skillfully draws out Skye's manipulative personality. The reader has a front row seat as Skye "plays the game" of being philanthropic while truly only concerned about image. Everything she does is for a reason. The descriptions of endorsement fakery will have you questioning every social media campaign you've ever seen.

And can we talk about that ending? It was perfect, and I just wanted to reach in and shake Nathan's daughter and every teen who comes under the spell of social media.

Thanks to NetGalley and Inkubator books for an advance reader's copy for review.

Firstly this book was really interesting. I am fascinated and somewhat wary of the social media “influencer” phenomenon so to get a chance to read a novel like this was great.

Skye is a influencer and a media superstar, she came from poverty and lived very much in a position of not having anything and now lives in a world of privilege and decides she wants to partner with Nathan’s charity. Is it that clear cut? Does she want to give back or is there something further behind her plan?

Incisively written with incredible development, a real treat to read and despite my first thoughts of being a little too old for this topic, I didn’t feel so at all.