3.5/5

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

Nicole feels as though the world is turning upside down when she receives news at her company that she’s flopping. Just when she’s losing all hope, she receives an invitation to join Panthera Leo, a women’s networking group that claims that they’ll teach her to get all the things she wants in life. Naturally, she joins it, but along the way, she discovers that the group isn’t as uplifting and supportive as it claimed to be…

Wow! That opening prologue was intense! Definitely hooked me in and made me excited to read the story. I thought the timeline was cleverly written in that, for the most part, every time I found myself drifting in interest, the switch in the timeline reeled me back in. I also didn’t expect the ending, and it’s not often that I actually feel satisfied with the way a book has ended… and this book did that for me.

However, this book did take me about a month to get through. I often found my attention drifting from chapter to chapter, and some parts dragged on for a looooooong time. It wasn’t until the absolute end that I sped through it because I was super intrigued! Overall though, it was a pretty good read.

Will definitely be purchasing this book when it comes out on August 23, 2022!

I've been reading Catherine McKenzie since the very beginning. In fact, her books are the reason I found NetGalley, a link to one of her ARCs pointed me here. That being said, this was not my favorite of hers. Normally when I see her book in my queue, I can't wait to start, this one sat there for a long time. The premise of the book just didn't resonate, didn't even sound remotely real-life. As someone who works in a corporate setting, the whole set-up didn't even sound realistic. My meh-expectations were met. Looking forward to Catherine's next book. This one wasn't for me, but all the rest have been fantastic.

3.5 stars. Nicole Mueller, a hard-working and industrious attorney, has spent years “playing the game” at a big law firm only to be basically cast aside in a male-dominated environment. When she is invited to join Panthera Leo, what appears to be an exclusive club that focuses on women’s networking, she is thrilled. But this invitation-only group made up of high-powered women is not exactly what it had first appeared to be, as Nicole soon finds out.

The premise for this novel was very intriguing to me, but for some reason, I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Although there were a few nice twists towards the end, what I found to be a slow buildup (more than half of the novel) took away from my enjoyment of the novel as a whole. Yet, it was a decent and interesting read, and I look forward to trying others from Catherine McKenzie.

LOVED THIS BOOK! I have read all her books and am always blow away! Never can go wrong with these books! Always ready for the next one!

A female-led The Firm with Nicole, a strong female lead.
Thank you Atria Books and Simon & Schuster for the digital review copy.

I must be going through a reading slump. It took me forever to read and review. Sorry and thanks for the ecopy in exchange for an honest review.

Please Join Us by Catherine McKenzie is the latest effort from an author who is always a must read for me. That being said, I did find that this one just didn't grab me in the way that I had hoped. Strong writing kept me pushing forward, but I did not feel emotionally engaged for most of the narrative.

Nicole's life is beginning to spiral. Her law career is suffering, and she and her husband are soon going to find themselves without a home. When the opportunity to join a women's networking group arises, Nicole accepts the invitation to a retreat in Colorado, where she meets an impressive group of women. The perks of aligning herself with these women quickly begin to present themselves, and things seem to be on the upswing for the struggling lawyer. But nothing comes without a cost, and Nicole soon questions if she has made one of the biggest mistakes of her life.

While I would not rank this latest offering among my favourites from this author, I am certainly anxious for whatever comes next. 3.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books.

Thank you to Atria Books, Catherine McKenzie, and NetGalley for my advance reader copy of Please Join Us!

Nicole Mueller’s life is on shaky ground. Her once successful law career is falling apart. She and her husband, Dan, are being forced out of their apartment that they love. After discouraging news from her law firm’s senior partners, Nicole receives a mysterious invitation in her email to an exclusive women’s networking group. This just may be the solution to jump start her career. At her their retreat in Colorado, she meets a group of women who she’s told are her “pride” and compose of an actress, a congresswoman, a CEO, and a finance whiz. They explain that the purpose of the group is to provide women with the opportunities otherwise reserved for men. They’re a girls club in a boys club world. Nicole is on board. As soon as she gets home, her career starts to take off and she lands the perfect apartment. The favors she has to provide in return seem harmless at first, but soon she realizes she’s in over her head and there’s no easy way out.

When I saw this ARC on NetGalley, I was very intrigued. It gave me major The Collective vibes, having a similar concept centering around a cult-like group of women trying to achieve similar goals, that seem innocent at first but may actually be more sinister. It was an easy read and I definitely enjoyed getting to know the bold characters and following Nicole’s twisty story. While enjoyable throughout, I did hope for a bigger, more dramatic ending. The twists at the end were somewhat predictable and left me underwhelmed. I would have liked to see something more happen both in terms of character development and in terms of twisty explosive ending. While a good, solid read, it wasn’t a favorite.

This is the book you need if you are tired of the old "boys club" when it comes to being powerful, rich and wanting revenge. The women characters in this one are strong af with an open acceptance that they are the ones out for
blood. Loved the main character as we get to watch her progress as a stand alone person throughout the book.

This most recent release for. Catherine McKenzie is a real treat. An edge of your seat, can’t stop reading suspense novel. Perfect as a beach read, or on a dark winter night.

As usual, Catherine McKenzie wrote a smart, engaging book that I couldn’t put down. The NXIVM cult was headquartered in my town and the documentaries and podcasts about it were very interesting so this felt like such a timely subject. As a professional woman I could easily relate to the idea of feeling the pain of being in a man’s world. Nicole was a very likable protagonist and I was rooting for her the entire book. The epilogue made me think a follow up novel could happen and I’m here for it!

Thoroughly compelling read. Recommend picking this up. The story started fast and accelerates from there. One of the twists seemed far-fetched but overall, I really enjoyed this.

When,Nicole,a litigation lawyer, falls short of her monthly "goal" her supervisors question her viability. This causes her plenty of internal doubt,making her vulnerable to accepting an invitation to Panthera, an exclusive female networking group. While Nicole has no idea what she is getting inolved in,she accepts the invite and hopes for the best. This innocent acceptance changes her life in ways she would have never imagined.
As it turns out she has been groomed and manipulated by the very group that promised support and guidance.
There was so much blackmailing and backstabbing it almost became impossible to keep up with.
However,at the end Nicole,with the loyalty of her husband and sister-in-law, manages to find herself.

This was my first read by McKenzie. I might give her another chance to see if other subject matter lends itself to her writing style.
Thanks to NETGALLEY for the ARC of this title.

I always look forward to reading a Catherine McKenzie thriller. She has an interesting premise for each one and her writing style is genuine and captivating. The cover of Please Join Us drew me in right away and the synopsis definitely had me intrigued!

I liked the premise of this novel a lot. I was fascinated by how things worked at Panthera Leo and how the women would be able to help Nicole with her career and personal life. They had strange ways of testing the women out though. It definitely had a cult feel, even though it was a women's networking organization.

Nicole was a great narrator and I liked her voice. She also was fierce and headstrong. Nicole was put into some crazy situations and had to find her way out of them somehow. There were a lot of suspenseful moments, especially after the stakes were raised and Nicole realized she had so much to lose all of a sudden.

My main concern was that the ending felt anticlimactic after all the buildup. The last few chapters just sounded like a lot of business talk and power games.

Overall, this was an interesting story. It reminded me a little bit of You Are Not Alone by Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks. Fans of that thriller will definitely enjoy this one.

Movie casting suggestions:
Nicole: Jewel Staite
Athena: Karen Pittman
Heather: Mary Wiseman
Samantha: Cassie Steele
Connie: Ming-Na Wen
Karma: Jeanne Tripplehorn
Michelle: Jane Sibbett
Dan: Anders Holm
Katherine: Anna Camp
Thomas: Clive Standen

I found the premise of this novel intriguing - especially the prospect of a cult, since those are a particular interest of mine. The writing was good and I really felt for the protagonist; however, that being said, I didn't really find this one to be much of a mystery/thriller. For me, it lagged a bit and it wasn't a "can't put down" read. I will definitely check out this author's other stories in the future, though.

Thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for the advance copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Nicole is seeking partnership and looking to advance her career with her law firm. When her results come in for billable hours and work load, she is just not keeping up with the group in building the firm. I really think that this author did a good job creating an extremely plausible plot line. We have all been inundated with the men's club mentality and the inequality women face in the workplace based on gender. This book delves into what it takes to reach that next level with the support of a lady's club. The odds are stacked against Nicole, but if she can figure this out, she will at least get her life back. I really liked the suspense elements of this book and how complex the layers were in the plot. I struggled a bit with the men roles in this book because they seemed a little back seat when this would not be the case in a law firm, or intense career of this type. I enjoyed this book and this author has never disappointed me yet.

Nicole receives an invite to a discreet, invite only women’s networking group called Panthera Leo at the exact time she is discouraged in her professional life. She is tired of the patriarchy and the boys club at her law firm.
The story alternates between her initial joining and the aftermath. It becomes clear to Nicole that sisterhood in the group is everything and they must protect each other at all costs to include murder. The members of the group are very noteworthy public figures such as movies stars and politicians.
While the story lagged a little in the middle, it did pick up and had a few minor twists with the amount of secrets hovering, revelations, and realizations from the sinister members. It almost seems as if Nicole trades one demanding job for another but this time with murder. This was a 3.5 * for me. Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the EArc and the chance to review it!

Meh.

That’s kind of how I felt about this book as a whole. Normally I can devour a book in less than a day, maybe two if I’m working. This one took me six.

I liked the premise. I love reading about cults (as you can probably tell from my recent reads). But this one just kind of bored me. I kept waiting for it to get better. And while the end tried, it fell flat for me. It was too convoluted. Far too fantastical.

I appreciate the work that the author put into this book, but it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, Atria Books and Catherine McKenzie for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinions. Please Join Us will be released on August 23rd 2022.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. I have read all of this author’s books, and this was my least favorite. It didn’t have a thriller vibe…it hardly had a mysterious vibe. I found it really unpredictable, and for a group that was supposed to be about supporting women, all they did was tear each other down. This just didn’t have a spark for me.

Nicole’s job is suddenly on the line. She lost a big client that went bankrupt, and the other members are questioning her worth. When she receives an email inviting her to an exclusives women’s networking group, Nicole feels like she needs to take the opportunity. At the event she becomes part of Pride. The only rules, be there for your fellow members. When they need something you are there. And yes, there will be a test. Nicole is all in at first, but things are starting to seem off…

I am really enjoying this trend of novels about cult like women’s networks. This one kept me on the edge of my seat and I flew through it. It definitely twisted u0p my mind trying to figure out what was happening and who was pulling the strings. I can’t imagine getting wrapped up in a group lie this, but I can also totally see how it would happen. I found this a fast paced and fun novel!