interesting concept and i LOVE a cult story but for some reason it took me a while to get the sisters straight which made things confusing. i also found a lot of the wisewood plot repetitive.

Title: "This Might Hurt" by Stephanie Wrobel - A Disappointing Read

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

"This Might Hurt" by Stephanie Wrobel falls short of expectations, resulting in a disappointing reading experience.

Wrobel's writing is technically sound, but the plot and character development leave much to be desired. The story, which explores the complexities of family and relationships, lacks the depth and engagement needed to fully connect with the reader. The characters, though well-crafted, fail to evoke the empathy or intrigue that would make their journeys compelling.

While the novel's premise had the potential for a thought-provoking exploration of psychological themes, it felt disjointed and often left me questioning the direction of the narrative. "This Might Hurt" may appeal to readers who appreciate family dramas with a psychological twist, but for me, it didn't live up to its potential. With a two-star rating, it's a book that, despite its interesting premise, didn't quite hit the mark.

This Might Hurt is told from the perspectives of 3 different narrators, sisters Natalie and Kit, as well as an unknown narrator. While I enjoyed the different points of view, it took awhile to make the connection between the unnamed narrator's past and the present life of Nat and Kit. The story does lots of jumping back and forth between the narrators and timelines, and while the bulk of the story is focused on Kit and Nat in the present, I found the back story of the unnamed narrator more interesting.
The viewpoints join together over halfway through the novel, and from that point on, I enjoyed the story more. The main themes of the story are how far some will go to find happiness, as well as what really defines a cult, and these really came to fruition at this point. While I enjoyed most of the story, I did find the "big secret" a bit of a let down, as well as the ambiguous ending.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I thought the plot of this story sounded good, but ultimately it was not for me. It did intrigue me and I wanted to keep reading but it was somewhat confusing with the three narrators and the ending seemed to end too smoothly and abruptly.

I was looking forwards to reading this book, however I was unable to review the book because I was not able to read the book. Due to technical difficulties with NetGalley, I only found it now in a shelf I didn’t know existed. It is now too late to read the book.

This book had all of the major aspects I look for in a thriller and I am here for it. Isolated setting, weather issues, estranged family, clut vibes, I don't think I could ask for more of the things I look for to be included.

There were times I wished the plot could move along a little faster, but the last chunk of the book more than made up for it.

I haven't read this authors earlier book, but I will 100% be going back for it.

Thank you @simonschusterca for sending a copy of This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel for review. This one is in stores today!

I think Darling Rose Gold was one of my favourite thrillers in the last few years so I was very excited to start this one. It had all the things I like, sister drama and possible cults and a big reveal twist.
I didn’t feel like they all came together in a way that worked for me. I can’t put my finger on it but maybe some of the reveal came too early and the end twist was pretty lacklustre? I am not sure.
I still ended up enjoying the read. The pacing was interesting, a cult like retreat on an isolated island is a creepy idea. Still a 4 star but not a top pick of the year like I’d hoped.

I could not get into this book, sorry. Trying to clean up my netgalley. Didn’t realize that I was forgetting to leave reviews on netgalley itself, My apologies.

A great read by this author. I definitely recommend checking this one out!
Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This Might Hurt is a thriller. It's divided into three parts.

The book alternates between two stories. One story is Natalie and Kit in 2019-2020 (we get Natalie's POV in part one and Kit's POV in part two). The other story is of a child (we are not told her name until later in the book) who has a verbally abusive father.

In the Natalie/Kit story we see the fractured relationship between the sisters. Kit has gone to Wisewood, a self-improvement program, for 6 months. Natalie wants to go find her.

In the other story we see a girl grow up. In Part 1 she is mostly 10-15. And we get to read about her awful father and how he treated her. This part of the book was interesting. But it was really difficult to read. And I don't enjoy reading about child abuse. But when she was 18+ it was definitely intriguing to see her career path.

The different POVs and different timelines made for an interesting read. The sister relationship was fascinating. The main setting was sort of spooky. And the cult aspect was compelling. I had some ideas in the beginning about how these two stories connected. I did figure it out. And didn't find it particularly confusing.

I would have definitely liked more to happen. And I would have liked some bigger twist. The ending was open-ended, which was fine. I didn't really like most of the characters. But overall it was a decent read.

I really love a good cult thriller. I liked the main character and the balance between the flash backs and present day. The twist at the end wasn't as thrilling as I had hoped, so while the whole book was enjoyable, the end wasn't what I had hoped for.

A disturbing story about two sisters who grew up with a deeply depressive mother and a sadistic, abusive father, Sir, who mentally manipulated and controlled them through daily tasks ranging from innocuous to cruel, supposedly designed to position them for success later in life. Stephanie Wrobel has a way of pulling you into a narrative and not letting you go. However, I had to push myself to finish it. For a thriller novel, I found it lacked tension and urgency. I also found the dueling timelines in this book to be very confusing and distracting at times.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada who provided me with a copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Very very well written. It’s been a long time since I really enjoyed a book. This one was definitely a strange combination of characters but really kept my interest. Could hardly wait to read it. Great characters and plot.

A great book if you are intrigued by cults. This book kept me flipping through the pages, explored great themes, however, I thought the development between the characters was lacking. Overall interesting, but not memorable.

I honestly couldn't even finish this because it was just so dull. I read Stephanie's debut novel and loved it so this was really disappointing. The plot just never really felt like it took off at all.

“Welcome to Wisewood. We'll keep your secrets if you keep ours.”

✅Getting stuck on a remote island
✅Family secrets
✅A cult
✅Not knowing who or what to trust

This book has it all, folks!

I absolutely loved Stephanie Wrobel’s first book, Darling Rose Gold, and was excited to read this one as well. I went into it expecting something dark and sinister, and that’s exactly what I got.

The story follows Natalie Collins as she ventures out to Wisewood – a community that lives secluded on an island so they can become their Maximized Selves – to find her sister, Kit, and figure out why she’s been off grid for the past six months. But what she finds isn’t at all what she was expecting.

Alongside their story we also get glimpses into the past, focusing on a young girl who is raised by a brutal father. He’s abusive, manipulative, controlling, and relentless when it comes to enforcing perfection in his daughters. That is, until one grows up, moves away, and discovers that she is no longer afraid of anything. What will she do with this power, and how will she use it to help others conquer fear as well?

This book is exactly what you DON’T want a six-month island retreat to be, but reading about it was addicting. Right when you think it can’t get worse, another twist is thrown in. You get an inside look at the character’s greatest fears, their desires, and their chaotic coping mechanisms. It really makes you think, what extremes would you go to in order to survive? The answer may not be nice.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dark thrillers, multiple perspectives and timelines, and endings that make you go “wtf just happened?!”

Thank you so much to the publisher Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me a digital ARC via NetGalley.

While I enjoyed this novel, I didn't love it as much as I loved the author's first novel "Darling Rose Gold". That was a hit for me. However, I still thought this was a decent read and I'm glad I read it.
I will definitely be looking forward to the next novel from this author.

This book was an absolute pleasure to read. Anything by Stephanie Wrobel is actually. I highly recommend this book.

Enjoyment: 4.5
Total rating: 4.64

Nat and Kit lost each other after the death of their mother. Each dealt with their grief the best way they could. Kit's grief led her on a downward spiral until an e-mail seemed to be the answer to her prayers - an invitation to Wisewood - a secluded, exclusive commune where guests commit to 6 months of no contact with the outside world as they work on "achieving true fearlessness so they can become their Maximized Selves."

Against Nat's advice, Kit takes that leap of faith. Nat hears nothing from her sister until she receives an e-mail from Wisewood telling her they know her secret and will tell her sister unless Nat comes to the commune to do it herself.

What a ride it was! We have three different PoV's that slowly and organically converge in the present with Nat's arrival at the commune. The character work was impressive; Wrobel did a phenomenal job taking the reader on a cult leader's origin story and their delusions without making excuses or minimizing the impact this kind of sociopath has on those around them.

Everyone in the book felt like real people, and more than anything, their pain and angst felt relatable. Cults make me very uncomfortable, and this feeling follows me throughout the book. The narrative is heavy and poignant, which made me appreciate its beauty and take it in smaller doses.

I will be seeking more books from Wrobel.

Disclaimer: In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to the publishers, and NetGalley for providing a copy of This Might Hurt.

Unfortunately I found this story a little bit meh. The concept was original, I loved the cult island, but I didn’t feel thrilled by the twists and turns or the character development.