While the cover is fantastic and the premise had tons of potential, this was a painful read for me due to the overly descriptive writing. I lose interest and have a hard time engaging into a story when the half page is wasted by describing an object or a surrounding.

Genre: thriller
Pub date: 3/1/22
In one sentence: Exclusive club Home is a home away from home for an exclusive group of wealthy stars - until a new club opening leads to murder.

I love thrillers with multiple perspectives and plenty of secrets, so I was excited to read this one. The description brings to mind The Guest List, One by One, and other "locked room mysteries". The plot unfolded well with multiple layers and unexpected connections between the characters. I also loved the exclusive club environment and found the celebrity and staff egos entertaining.

I read this book in one sitting, so it definitely kept my interest! I wasn't quite on the edge of my seat like I'd hope to be with a 5 star thriller, but I think readers who enjoy stories about rich people behaving badly will enjoy this one.

Thank you to Harper for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review published to Goodreads 1/8/22, to be posted to Instagram closer to pub date.

Ellery Lloyd's The Club has an intriguing premise and awesome setup; you get that Hollywood glitz and glamour told through the numerous POVs of staff members behind the grand opening of an ultra-exclusive resort called Island Home. No one at this shindig is quite who they say they are, and the main whodunit slowly unravels over the course of the weekend.

I never know what my main litmus test should be for thrillers, as it takes a lot to "thrill" me. I will say that I compulsive read The Club from start to finish on a plane and couldn't put it down. At the same time, there were...a lot of reveals that felt slightly random and unearned, and to be honest, I didn't find CEO Ned Groom himself to be all that compelling of a character. He just seemed like a cartoon villain to a certain extent; I think giving him his own POV would've made this whole book infinitely more interesting.

I love this thriller with a great story about an exclusive member club. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what was going to happen and was not disappointed. The characters are colorful and the setting is perfect.

This so so much smarter than the 'ripped from the headlines' (albeit a few headlines blended together) trashy fun book I was expecting. Simultaneously subtle and riveting.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. All of the opinions given are my own and have been given nothing for my review.