A very bingeable story. I flew through the pages and found the story very intense and interesting. Really enjoyed the writing style and looking forward to reading more from this author.

I received this book from NetGalley and Minotaur Books to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

First things first: this book has themes concerning domestic violence. If that's not something that is good for you, then you may want to select another book.

When Leah sees McKenna in a local liquor store, she feels as if she's looking back in time at herself. When she follows McKenna to her home and sees her interacting with her friends and husband, it confirms it. She knows the McKenna is someone just like her: someone who is hiding behind a the facade of a perfect life. But this time, Leah is determined to make sure things turn out differently.

This book alternates viewpoints between Leah and McKenna and between the present day and the past as the women's stories revealed.

This domestic suspense thriller is filled with suspense as it moves through the past and present, with the reader just waiting for the details to be revealed as the author drops crumbs along the way, hinting at the things to come. It creates a great, tense atmosphere which just permeated the storyline and made me want to find out what was going to happen next.

I can't say too much more about the storyline without giving things away, but it's really intense and had me on the edge of my seat as things unfolded, rooting for particular characters to come out on top, and nervously turning pages to se if they would. If you like that kind of page-turning suspense, this is a great novel for you!

🍷 The Favor by Nora Murphy 🍷

I could have read this book in one day if I didn’t have a toddler to keep alive 😂 I did not want to put it down! I’m even more impressed that this is @noramurphybooks debut novel because it is phenomenal!👏

The Favor has some difficult to read domestic violence themes that brought this book to life. I love how this book drove home the point that these things can happen to anyone and you often never know because they look like perfect couples from the outside.

I was slightly disappointed with the ending just because I wanted to know more! This is the perfect domestic violence thriller and you NEED to get your hands on it!

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this eARC! 📖

Publication Date: May 31, 2022

Will the murderer get away with it? You sure hope so!

At the start, it seems Leah and McKenna are two normal, millennial wives with hopes to become mothers for the first time. However, you quickly realize the way their lives are perceived by others is nothing close to the truth. When one of the women decides to take a stand for the other by doing her a big “favor,” the other woman grapples with the fallout of the event and must decide: Does she owe a favor in return?

In a reverse of the typical thriller, you already know what happened. The only question is whether the police can piece it together themselves.

This was an enjoyable read, and I recommend this as a nice refresher for readers of domestic thrillers!

I received an ARC of this book. Wow! This absorbing story had me holding my breath so many times. So believable, compelling and terrifying. I couldn't put it down!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

I was nervous for the first several chapters. Something was off for me. I wasn't clicking with any characters. BUT thankfully, the flow of the story started to come together.

If you have a heart, you will feel for these two main characters and what they go through. You couldn't help but want to see them escape and the way they did was pretty interesting.

I wish there was a little more thrill and suspense. Being a huge thriller/suspense fan, I feel these factors were lacking. You could see what would happen next even before you read it.

Overall, it was a decent debut and I look forward to what this author comes up with next.

This story tells what can happen when two women, pushed to the limit, take matters into their own hands.

The Favor was one of those books I was not expecting to have as many twists as it did, but boy did this one keep me on the edge of my seat. I honestly can't say too much about the book without giving major plot twists away. Full disclosure, this book does have some major trigger warnings including domestic violence, gun violence, alcoholism, miscarriage, and infant loss, however, they are crucial storylines to the book. I did appreciate that the author includes a section at the back with numbers and websites to contact if you are faced with domestic violence.

Overall, a really great thriller that you won't be able to put down.

4.5/5 stars
Thank you Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In this gripping tale Leah becomes obsessed with McKenna after spotting her at a liquor store. Why? They have something is common--abusive husbands who have turned them into shells of the women they used to be. There is a little fight left though and what starts as a quick decision quickly becomes and ultimate favor.

I love a good domestic thriller and this one, by debut author Nora Murphy, was great!

Both Leah and McKenna live separate lives, and both are abused by their husbands. One day a chance encounter at a liquor store leads to a chain reaction of events that neither can come back from.

I was hooked from the first page and could not flip the pages fast enough to see how things turned out. The characters are well developed and the writing is powerful and well executed. Told from multiple POV’s, I was invested fully in both women’s stories and rooting for them both.

The author is an attorney who has a background in violent partner cases and her knowledge shines through in the delicate yet impactful way that she details the psychological and emotional abuse these characters went through. This book is out on 5/31!

{Thank you to @netgalley, @minotaur_books and @stmartinspress for this gifted copy}

4.5 stars...

A clever and creative story about 2 women who do not know eachother, who are living the same life, and ultimately do eachother a "favor" to save each other's lives.

This was fast paced, told in multiple POV, and kept me on the edge of my seat.

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut!

Thank you @netgalley & @minotaur - out 5/31!

Trigger warning for domestic violence. I devoured this book in one setting. The domestic violence scenes were hard to read but the plot twist kept me hooked. I enjoyed the writing style and I am interested in what this author comes up with next.

Leah and McKenna are two strangers who with one decision become entangled in each others lives. They both are victims of domestic violence by their seemingly perfect husbands. Leah passes McKenna’s house and witnesses one of the acts committed by her husband. She becomes determined to protect McKenna as she knows all to well what she is going through.

One night Leah decides to intervene and hopes that maybe one day, McKenna will return the favor.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

The Favor features many themes that can often be hit or miss with me, and unfortunately, I just did not enjoy reading this book. Domestic violence and solution for solution may appeal to many readers, however, so pick this book up and see for yourself.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

I can't believe this is a debut novel, I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next! I read the plot summary and had a general idea but was still surprised throughout and I could barely put the book down. The main characters Leah and McKenna were written so well, this book took a dive into domestic abuse and how it can and does happen to anyone, including intelligent, achieving women with money, how everything is taken away slowly until they don't know who they are anymore. It was fast paced, well written and shines a light on something that is all too common...and not just on the abuse itself but the way it is hidden and affects every part of a person's being and life.

Thank you to the publishers at St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for my ARC of The Favor!

The Favor is a multi-POV story told from the perspectives of two abused women and the cop who begins to tie them together.

Leah Dawson is a stay at home wife, not because of her own doing though. Fired from her job last year, Leah spends her days driving to different liquor stores, stocking up on vodka, and sleeping her days away. During her Thursday run, she spies a woman that looks shockingly alike to her in nearly every way. With nothing better to do, Leah follows this mystery woman home and begins to realize just how alike their lives truly are. Leah doesn’t want this woman to live in fear for the rest of her days, so she decides to take control. A favor, if you will.

I absolutely loved the back and forth between Leah and McKenna! Their stories almost felt like true crime rather than fiction. I felt like these women were truly living their lives out there in the world, and I was somehow peering in on them. I’m sure that many women have experienced exactly what Leah and McKenna do, and maybe others don’t quite realize what is happening. I think the author did a great job of trying to bring awareness to these women who suffer in silence. I hope that, by reading this book, maybe they can find the help they need. The author also put information for DV victims at the end. All in all, a wonderful read about two women helping one another out. I highly recommend!

The Favor releases May 31! Preorder your copy today!

The Favor by Nora Murphy is a domestic thriller that I really enjoyed. This is a story of domestic abuse. Not just the kind you imagine, with yelling and hitting. This is the control of almost all aspects of your person. How much money you have to spend, how you spend your time and if you have any friends. I think if you have lived this, it would be a hard read. Not for violence, but the every day cruelty these men display.
Definitely left an impression on me. I look forward to more works by this author.

Come read the tale of two women who have never meet. Yet a fated crossing of paths leads both women down a road to freedom. This is just a lovely, fast paced tale that sweeps you away into two dark worlds. I love how the narrative switches halfway through the book it just adds such a beautiful twist on an already twisted tale. Readers are just going to fall in love with the characters and are truly going to enjoy this new twist on can someone commit the perfect murder.

Thank you so very much to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this domestic thriller. A great debut novel!
I thought it was fast paced and it kept my interest despite becoming predictable.
I liked that the author was trying to bring more awareness toward domestic violence and that truly anyone can be a victim despite how things appear to outsiders.
A trigger warning for domestic violence definitely needs to be added, so be aware before reading in case that’s something you would like to avoid reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC.

This is a gripping psychological thriller - the closed to Behind Closed Doors that I have read (and BCD is one of my favorites all time)! I could not put this one down! There is a trigger warning for domestic violence/abuse. A phenomenal debut!

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was great! I loved how these two strangers who are going through similar things, end up helping each other out.