Thanks to Atria Books, I was provided an ARC of Please Join Us by Catherine McKenzie via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

****Publishing August 23, 2022****

Do you need a page turner that is hard to put down?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Nicole Mueller’s job is not going as planned as a lawyer. She was just notified that she was being demoted in the firm. When Nicole recieves an email inviting her to join a networking group called Panthera Leo, she jumps at the chance and joins. It’s a networking group who help women advance in a male dominated workforce. Her husband, Dan, is not so sure as he thinks it might be a cult. Is it too good to be true? Does this lead her to higher level positions or does it lead her astray?

This fast paced book will have you on the edge of your seat as the secrets are unraveled. Are people who they seem to be? This book will keep you guessing until the end with all the twist and turns! A great book to take on a vacation or bring to your next book club meeting!

Attorney Nicole has recently gotten a low review from her superior. She's frustrated since she's been hard at work. She receives an invitation to join a women's empowering group, and she accepts and seems to have great new women friends supporting her to achieve as a woman in a man's world. But all is not as it appears and she begins to understand that she has ultimate responsibility to the group, whether she wants it or not.

This story is quite complex, and intriguing, but in the last third of the book, it seems to really move back and forth, and up and down, and gets a little confusing. I needed to reread parts of it to remain clear on what had transpired. Ultimately, the end is a little bit of a surprise. This is a book that needs to be read intently in order to follow the plot.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Please Join Us.

I was excited to read this ebook as I've read several other books by Catherine McKenzie and have always enjoyed them. She does a fantastic job of writing our characters into difficult situations that can make me feel there is no way out, yet in the end the MC prevails.
This book was a twisty and stomach churning story about a professional woman who is just trying to survive a career and a marriage, all while being a woman. Nicole is invited to join an all woman organization with the enticement that she will further her career.. Very quickly she is drawn into the allure but has a nagging distrust in her gut. As she is drawn in deeper and deeper Nicole begins to wonder if she made the right decision. For fans of twisty crime mysteries , this book reminded me of a John Grisham book but in a woman's world.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I did not love the main character Nicole as I thought she was very naive. The plot was very good and kept me interested.
Many thanks to Atria and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

It took me a while to figure out where in the timeline the main character was. Overall, a good read though you could kind of see the ending coming.

Secret organizations, hidden agendas, women helping women - I am here for that! Please Join Us is an intense thriller and masterfully written.

I loved the twists and turns throughout the book, and I really never saw the ending coming. The whole thing was a total surprise. I had a gut feeling though that the group Panthera Leo had an ulterior motive, and my gut feeling was definitely correct. The characters are well developed, and I enjoyed Nicole's character. I loved watching her grow as a person.

There were spots I felt like it moved a teeny bit slow, but it was usually corrected pretty quickly by the next chapter.

A fast-paced thriller that will keep you turning the pages.

4/5 stars
Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

I wasn't the biggest fan of McKenzie's previous book, but I really enjoyed my experience with this one.

On the surface, it is a book about a highly selective club for women that helps the members to empower each other in a world focused on the "Good Ol' Boys" mentality. Nicole is an attorney who is struggling to carve out a niche in her law firm when things are stacked against her. She's invited to join Panthera Leo, and heads to a weekend retreat in Colorado. the membership is highly exclusive and secretive, but soon after the retreat Nicole begins to see the positive results. Yet, there's a sinister undertone to the club, and the deeper she gets involved, the more frightening and dangerous it becomes.

I liked the various twists in this book, some I saw coming and others I didn't. The book overall reminded me a lot of The Firm, and the pacing is quick and kept me invested throughout. You know from the prologue that there's a huge event coming up, and I appreciated the build up to the event and then the aftereffects. I liked Nicole and her relationship with Dan, he kept the book from becoming too much of an "all men are awful" cliched trope.

Overall, this was a fun twisty ride and I enjoyed my reading experience.

(Content warning: sexual abuse, guns) I got this as an ARC through NetGalley – it will be released on August 23, 2022. I love a cult-ish story, and this was no exception! Nicole has devoted herself to working up the ranks at a high-powered law firm – not an easy feat when you’re working in what still operates very much as an old boys club. After a bad review that has her position at the firm tenuous as best, she gets a mysterious invitation from a group calling themselves Panthera Leo, ostensibly a women’s networking group – though a secretive, anonymous one. Nicole sees this as a possible answer to her problems at work, and decides to go to the retreat in Colorado, where things are kind of strange, but she decides to join anyway – and it works! Things start going right for her at work once she’s home. But then things start to go very wrong, very quickly, and she has to figure out what exactly Panthera Leo is and what they want from her. It’s a fun, twisty thriller!

Oh Ms. McKenzie, where have you been all of my life! I confess, this was the first of this author's books that I have read, but I'm literally on my way to get her previous titles! Just wow!! This book checked all the boxes for me...incredibly detailed plot, well-developed characters, mystery, intrigue, twists and turns galore, and a surprise ending.

Nicole, the 39-year-old protagonist is invited to join an exclusive female networking group at a time in her career when a boost is much needed. After all, its not always WHAT you know, rather WHO you know. Almost immediately she begins reaping the benefits and perks but as time goes on, she soon realizes that things are not always what they seem. Can she stay one step ahead? Who can she trust? Is she willing to pay the price?

Thank you Ms. McKenzie, NetGalley, and Atria books for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

At thirty-nine, Nicole Mueller’s life is on the rocks. Her once brilliant law career is falling apart. She and her husband, Dan, are soon to be forced out of the apartment they love. After a warning from her firm’s senior partners, she receives an invitation from an exclusive women’s networking group, Panthera Leo. Membership is anonymous, but every member is a successful professional. It sounds like the perfect solution to help Nicole revive her career. So, despite Dan’s concerns that the group might be a cult, Nicole signs up for their retreat in Colorado.

Once there, she meets the other women who will make up her Pride. A CEO, an actress, a finance whiz, a congresswoman: Nicole can’t believe her luck. The founders of Panthera Leo are equally as impressive. They explain the group’s core philosophy: they’re a girl’s club in a boy’s club world.

Nicole is all in. And when she gets home, she soon sees dividends. Her new network quickly provides her with clients that help her relaunch her career, and a great new apartment too. The favors she has to provide in return seem benign. But then she’s called to the congresswoman’s apartment late at night where she’s pressed into helping her cover up a crime. And suddenly, Dan’s concerns that something more sinister is at play seem all too relevant. Can Nicole extricate herself from the group before it’s too late? Or will joining Panthera Leo be the biggest mistake of her life?

The minute I started reading, I couldn't stop. Not only is the writing style right up my alley, Nicole, the main character was so relatable and likeable! I really enjoy stories that are about ambitious women, girl power, and women club/cults plots. Please Join Us did not disappoint. The twists were great and I loved finding little clues along the way leading up to the finale! It was fully packed of action after action, and that really kept me hooked as a reader. I know I couldn't wait to see how it all unravels!

There were a few small things that were a bit convenient for the plot but that wasn't an issue for me. I ABSOLUTELY adored this book and will be checking out what else the author has written. Would recommend it to anyone who likes fast paced thrillers with secrets and twists. It was a real delight.

🖤Book Review🖤
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Summary: At thirty-nine, Nicole Mueller’s life is on the rocks. Her once brilliant law career is falling apart. She and her husband, Dan, are soon to be forced out of the apartment they love. After a warning from her firm’s senior partners, she receives an invitation from an exclusive women’s networking group, Panthera Leo. Membership is anonymous, but every member is a successful professional. It sounds like the perfect solution to help Nicole revive her career. So, despite Dan’s concerns that the group might be a cult, Nicole signs up for their retreat in Colorado.

Once there, she meets the other women who will make up her Pride. A CEO, an actress, a finance whiz, a congresswoman: Nicole can’t believe her luck. The founders of Panthera Leo are equally as impressive. They explain the group’s core philosophy: they’re a girl’s club in a boy’s club world.

Nicole is all in. And when she gets home, she soon sees dividends. Her new network quickly provides her with clients that help her relaunch her career, and a great new apartment too. The favors she has to provide in return seem benign. But then she’s called to the congresswoman’s apartment late at night where she’s pressed into helping her cover up a crime. And suddenly, Dan’s concerns that something more sinister is at play seem all too relevant. Can Nicole extricate herself from the group before it’s too late? Or will joining Panthera Leo be the biggest mistake of her life?
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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My thoughts: this was a really fun read! I love a good creepy cult book 🥰it switched between past and present with some really interesting characters. It got a little crazy towards the end of the novel but overall it was unique and really well written! This one released august 23rd, huge thank you to @atriabooks @netgalley and @catherinemckenzieauthor for the advanced readers copy! I loved this book 😍
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I really enjoyed the premise of this story when I started. I kept asking myself is this about a woman’s cult full of influential women?

When Nicole receives an email to go on a retreat in Colorado it sounded like a perfect vacation. But it wasn’t a vacation.

The story was very interesting from the beginning but then it felt as if it was dragging. I did not care for any of the characters. I really wanted to end the book to find out what happened. This book was more a mystery to me than a thriller. The ending for me had no Wow factor.

I want to thank @netgalley and @simon&schusterca for my gifted copy for my honest review.

Please Join Us is an intriguing novel by Catherine McKenzie. Nicole's high powered career is in ruins when she receives an invitation to join a women's networking group. She joins, needing the boost to her career and a few other things they can offer. But will the price be too high? Thrilling, with a touch of "what were you thinking???" A very enjoyable, suspenseful novel!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Ohhhhh this book was delicious! I DEVOURED it. I looooove books about groups of women that turn sour. Haha! I kept trying to figure out the ending twists and they just kept coming and coming! That's why I couldn't stop reading!!

I definitely recommend this book if you love short chapters and fun twists!

Thanks to @netgalley and @catherinemckenzieauthor and the publisher for a copy of this book so I can give my honest opinion!

I love this premise . . . to me this novel has a The Firm or a Skull and Bones exclusive club type vibe, but with a refreshing female twist on it.

A secret society of professional women helping other professional women succeed behind the scenes . . . similar to the ways of men since the dawn of big business. Joining this particular power club requires you to wear a pin depicting a stoic female lion. What exactly are all these Lionesses ultimately after and what are they willing to do to help their pride pounce? Grab a copy and find out!

I'd like to thank NetGalley for an advanced copy of Please Join Us for my unbiased evaluation. 4 stars

Nicole is a lawyer who got a terrible review and is now worried about the future of her career. At the same time, she’s on the verge of losing the apartment that she and her husband have had for 10 years. She gets an email inviting her to join an exclusive women’s networking group. Soon after she goes on their retreat, things improve for her. Nicole slowly realizes that these good things have strings attached when she is called to help a fellow group member with a crime.

Please Join Us has a lot of twists and turns. It’s a slow burn mystery that also calls out how females are in the minority of corporate America and trying to force those changes. I enjoyed the premise of the plot and the slow burn pacing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Pub date: Aug 23, 22

“Please Join Us” was an interesting take on a “corporate equivalent of a cult” (McKenzie’s words not mine). I definitely enjoyed this book, although I didn’t read it particularly quickly as it didn’t completely hold my attention the whole time. I have read several of McKenzie’s books, and continue to be impressed with her ability to create suspenseful twists up until the last pages of her books. Looking forward to her next!
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for a chance to read an ARC of this novel!
3.5/5 rounded up!

This is Catherine McKenzie's thirteenth novel and it does not disappoint. Secret society, revenge. I love that the author is a former lawyer, it gives "credibility" to any legal proceedings.

I feel like I flew this book. I finished it in 2 days so maybe I did fly through it. 🤣 I love that it was an easy story to follow. It went from the past to the present and back. The chapters were clearly marked and told from 1 POV. There were a lot of twists that I didn't predict. There were many moments especially toward the end when I was thinking "wait WHAT???" 🤯🤯 I love those moments!
The ending was fantastic!! Definitely worth the read IMO!

ᖇᗴᐯIᗴᗯ

ᖇᗴᗩᗪ TᕼKՏ ᗷOOK Iᖴ:
👩🏻‍⚖️ you enjoy books involving powerful women
👩🏻‍⚖️ you like legal thrillers
👩🏻‍⚖️ fast paced thrillers are your thing

I'd recommend this book and mark it is as a BUY or BARGAIN on the scale of Buy, Bargain, Borrow, Bud (audio) or Bust. (And yes I came up with the scale. I'm oddly proud of it!)