This author is new to me, but I can't wait to read more! What a suspenseful read! I couldn't put it down. The story goes back and forth between 2 timelines, McKenna's and Leah's. Neither woman knows the other one. They both have very successful, controlling, abusive husbands. How could two strangers live such parallel lives? You will be hooked from the first page. Such a great thriller!
I was grateful to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy to read and review.

I was intrigued by the title and the book did not disappoint. I read the book from cover to cover I. Two days, it was that engaging. Two women have never met and yet they wind up doing each other an ultimate,life-changing favor. The portrayal of these women draws the reader in from the very first page. There are twists and turns that keep the pages turning. I look forward to more from this author.

This was a decent book, though it lagged for me at parts and fell a bit flat overall. The story centers on Leah and McKenna, 2 women that don’t know each other but live very similar lives, controlled by violent and domineering husbands. After a chance encounter, Leah becomes obsessed with McKenna, leading to murders and suspicion.

The premise of the book was good and I empathized with both women. While there was action, the action was somewhat glossed over in favor of internal narratives and (often repetitive) day to day happenings. Also, the book introduces the detective partway through, which pivots it a bit to a police procedural vibe and also introduces his connection with his injured partner, which I felt detracted from the story and didn’t need to be there. Lastly (and this is admittedly a small nit), the story takes place in an area I know well but the author slightly changed some of the city names (e.g., Gaithersville vs Gaithersburg) while leaving others untouched and I couldn’t figure out why she would do that.

All in all, this was a promising debut novel but it fell a bit flat for me. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. This was a good story to read and did keep me hooked from beginning til end. The only thing is that I wish this story had something *more*. I don’t even think I would call this a thriller. There is no plot twist or anything like that.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I read a lot of domestic suspense and really enjoyed Nora Murphy's debut novel. The writing gripped me right away and the story felt so real and raw. I would say the premise reminded me of a mix between Behind Closed Doors, Women in the Window and A Simple Favor.

Leah and McKenna are two strangers who have a lot in common. On the outside, they live the ideal life: high-paying careers, a fancy house, nice cars and a successful partner. Meanwhile, on the inside, they are each trapped, have little freedom and yearn to get away from their controlling husbands. One day, a chance encounter at a liquor store leads to a chain reaction of events that bind these two women together for the rest of their lives.

In the author's note at the end you learn the Nora Murphy is an attorney with a background in violent partners cases. Her strong background knowledge was evident when detailing the psychological and emotional issues these two women went through as a result of the abuse. I appreciate how she highlighted that domestic abuse can happen to anyone and why women who experience domestic violence can get "stuck." While the content was not faint on the heart, I couldn’t put the book down.

Read if interested in:
-Domestic suspense
-Investigative reads
-Real characters
-Small-town vibes
-New beginnings

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this ARC . Pub date 5/31/22

Going into this blind, a domestic drama was not what I was expecting. I was expecting more The Simple Favor movie vibes. This read was pretty enjoyable. You kind of wonder where this story is going but then certain events happen and I couldn’t stop reading. There’s a laundry list of trigger warnings, so reader be ware.

Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review

⚠️domestic violence, emotional abuse, physical abuse, miscarriage, loss of job, mental abuse. Alcoholism, stalking. Murder

This was such a great read that will keep you on the edge of your seat and entranced from the beginning! Thank you for my copy of The Favor. I am looking forward to reading more from this author!

What an absolutely gripping read! The mystery the edge of your seat what is going to happen to these women moments is so exciting and so well written! You truly fall into these characters and their desperation and how alike but yet so different they are.

McKenna and Leah are two women who do not know eachother. They aren’t friends they’ve never met. One day Leah sees the life McKenna is living and it hits her that she is living the same brutal hell that she is in. It all intertwines into more when she intervenes and things are set in motion for the both of them.

SO so good abs addictive. Warning: if you are unable to read about abusive relationships this is not for you.

Thank you St. Martins Press abs netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

A fast read very reminiscent of Strangers on a Train. Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to preview this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the copy of The Favor. The book started out great, and made me wonder what Leah’s story was. The more I learned, the more sympathy I had for her, even though at first she just seemed pathetic. I liked how the story unfolded with snippets of the past so we got a picture of what kind of man Liam was and what led to Leah’s present life. I loved the detective and would be happy to have more stories featuring him and his partner. I enjoyed reading about his thought processes and procedures and the book gave just enough detail to be interesting.
Be prepared for a very dark book, maybe too much so as some scenes were overly graphic as well as repetitive. (One scene was told from an observer’s POV and then repeated from the victim’s POV.) These scenes also made the book feel long, and at some points I would start to lose interest because I just wanted the story to advance.
It was fairly predictable, except for how the two women were actually connected. If you’re looking for a book where people get their just desserts you would like this one because it will really keep you reading to see what is going to happen next. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Leah and McKenna are two women who don’t know each other at all, and yet they are living very similar lifestyles in very similar homes, in very similar neighborhoods very close to one another. So when Leah’s husband is killed in a very similar manner to how McKenna’s husband was killed, how many coincidences can there possibly be? I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and even if it is a bit far fetched, that didn’t detract from my race to get to the finish!

Special Note: Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an hones review.

This was so well written and both main characters were brought to life with the same equal attention to detail of their personalities and beings. I could see this being a netflix series one day like so many other books have become.
Definitely twists so 5 stars for that!
I highly recommend this book for a twisty, yet tragic read!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre : domestic suspense
Contains : domestic abuse
Okay, I was pulled right into this one & invested until the end. Did I know where it was headed, sure. But, I enjoyed the ride.
Two successful couples.
Two sets of picture perfect lives.
Two women whose worlds are about to be completely changed by the other.
And they’re strangers.
Leah a lawyer, married to a lawyer. McKenna a doctor, married to a doctor. Both couples have beautiful homes, successful careers. From the outside looking in they have the perfect lives. What lies inside the closed doors of their homes tells an entirely different story. Their lives are about to become intertwined but will they both make it out?
Look for this one out May 31st!
Thanks @Netgalley & Nora Murphy!

I loved The Favor! Nora Murphy is going to be an author to watch out for! She did such an incredible job crafting likable and sympathetic characters. Murphy explained the process of domestic abuse/violence so well. I feel most people struggle to understand why someone wouldn’t leave if they are being abused….but it is a gradual and slow process. Sometimes you are aware your freedom is being taken and you give it up thinking it’s temporary or it will lessen the anger and other times it’s like the dog on the chain analogy. I enjoyed, The Favor, tremendously and appreciated how the author made both characters well educated, attractive women. Domestic abuse does not discriminate. The author showed how the victim feels embarrassed by what is occurring and tries to hide it. This was such a fraught and emotional read!

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur books for sending me a complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The favor by Nora Murphy releasing may 2022. If you were living in an abusive marriage. How far would you go to save another fellow abused stranger. This book was a hard book for me to read. Sometimes when we think there is no way out we become desperate and ……

If The Girl on the Train and the Woman in the Window had a baby, it would be this book. Which made it... predictable but yet compelling. I enjoyed it and powered through it even though it was incredibly predictable from beginning to end. Overall, I think we could have used less setup. Great option for a vacation read if thrillers are your cup of tea.

WOW. Okay. I was not expecting to love this book this much. I'm about to be super vulnerable in this review.

Nora Murphy did an outstanding job in creating these characters. The abuse that both Leah and McKenna faced was extremely triggering for me, but I had to know how their stories ended, and so I kept reading.

I had previously dated someone who was psychologically and emotionally abusive. I have been in several of the situations in which Leah and McKenna found themselves. The situations I faced with that person were almost unbelievable. I'm not very open about that time in my life, mostly because I have a difficult time processing it and accepting that I was a victim of abuse. I truly believe if that relationship did not end when it did, I would have faced physical abuse.

I believe everybody should read this book. It truly reveals the insidious nature of abusive and coercive relationships. There are elements of suspense throughout this novel, and it's a quick read! I cannot believe this is a debut novel! It was very well done.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Nora Murphy for providing me with a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Two women who have never met, appear to have it all to outsiders but find themselves living the same dangerous life.

McKenna and Leah seem to have it all. They are both educated, intelligent, have handsome successful husbands, beautiful houses, and wealth. Having it all couldn’t be further from the truth for these two women though, they find themselves in a situation where leaving their so-called perfect life can be worse than staying. That is until Leah steps in and intervenes. The two will finally meet.

I loved this book! I thought it was a great story of just how strong and resourceful women can be. I also loved the way Nora Murphy told the story. It wasn’t focused around the womens abusers, but rather around the women themselves. It is a good learning opportunity for those who don’t understand just how easy it can be for any person to become a victim of domestic violence. I am excited to see what Nora writes next!

TW: Domestic Violence, Miscarriage

Let me start off by saying I love this book. This is Nora Murphy’s debut novel and wow, does she deliver. I was hooked from the very first page and the momentum never slowed down throughout the book.
The story was told by three POV’S Leah, McKenna and Detective Jordan Harrison in alternating timelines. I love how each chapter was told by a character and then retold by another character.
You definitely get a view of both sides of the stories from their perspectives.

I loved Nora’s writing style.
Her attention to detail was spot on. It was easy to read and I appreciated the short chapters.

The Favor was unputdownable! I highly recommend this book. If your a psychological thriller lover like me this is the book for you.

I can’t wait to see what Nora comes up with next. What ever it is I’ll be waiting to read it.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Minotaur Books for my ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review. This was my first ARC and I was very excited to read it.

This book will be published in May 31, 2022

Trigger Warnings: Physical & psychological abuse and gaslighting

I requested to read and review this book for free from Minotaur Books an Imprint of St. Martin's Publishing. This book is a powerful survivor story. This book has mystery, drama, romance. What is the true definition of a Favor? If a person doesn't request it is it still a favor? Do you have to return the favor? Leah and McKenna are both strong women who survived unspeakable things. This story has some dark things going on. It's a story that needs to be told. Its not for the faint of heart. This book is for a mature reader and can be read anywhere.