Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for a review. This novel released on Aug. 23, 2022.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Nicole Mueller thought she had it all. Partner at her law firm and a great home in NYC in a rent controlled apartment owned by her husband's aunt that they will purchase from the estate upon her death. Then, she has a meeting with the her mentor stating that her billable hours are down and they are watching her. Nicole needs to do something to get her career back on track. She receives an anonymous email from an exclusive women's networking group, Panthera Leo, to join them. Nicole thinks what is the harm, she can use this group to help further her career as all members are successful, professional women. However, her husband tells her it sounds like a cult, but she joins anyways and goes to their retreat in Colorado for a few days.

At the retreat, she meets several very successful women and thinks she is very lucky to be there. At the retreat, there is a lot of bonding type activities to remind the women that they have just as much power as the boys and that they need to exercise it. Stop caving to the boy's club and fight for what you want.

After the retreat, Nicole notices a lot of changes. She picks up a large client that will make up for the shortage in her hours. She is offered a gorgeous apartment at at discounted rate by another member of the group so that she is not homeless. The favors others ask in return are not too difficult to handle, donation to a charity, help with a project, etc. Then, one night she is called to a member's home. The member is a congresswoman and she has committed a crime. They need Nicole to help cover up the crime and and keep it to herself. As Nicole goes those this, she starts realizing that there is a bigger play at stake. Can she get out in time?

I found this book to be so disappointing given how excited I was for it! The author’s book “You Can’t Catch Me” is one of my favorites, so i was bummed that it lacked the suspense I craved.

I loved every minute of this twisty tale. The characters are well developed with red herrings thrown in to keep the reader on their toes. I was engaged from start to finsih and did not see the final twist coming!

I also loved the premise and the cult like expectations, it made for an interesting twist on a more traditional who done it. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced copy.
Please Join Us follows Nicole, a lawyer who is on track for what she wants, but then problems start to pop up and slowly her life is falling apart. At the perfect moment, she gets invited to an exclusive womens organization that’s designed to help women with networking and in their careers. But it’s so much more than that.
This book was a fun read. It was a bit predictable because it was absolutely a cult. But the twists and turns were good and there were definitely still surprises.
I think anyone that liked mystery/thrillers will enjoy this one and I’d definitely recommend it.

This started out so promisingly — great plot, realistic-enough characters (although it is unclear how an in-house attorney and a very senior associate/non-equity partner were so strapped for cash), a sense of intrigue. About two-thirds of the way in, things started to unravel for me as the book became predictable yet also ridiculous. Would definitely read another book by the author, however!

I really wanted to love this one. Cult books are one of my favorites and strong, brilliant women are another. But I just cant wrap my head around how they say the MC is brilliant but how does she fall fort his nonsense. I couldn't believe this one as they spent the first half of the book telling me how smart and savvy this MC is. Then all of a sudden she isn't all that smart.

This one wasn't a win for me, but I've loved all the other books this author has written so I will pick up her next one without hesitation.

I really enjoyed most of this book, but bit fell apart for me somewhere. I’m not sure - I don’t think it’s one I will remember for long, either.

This is a story about women pushing women... sometimes towards success, and sometimes straight off a cliff.

I liked the concept, but it felt like it wrapped up much too quickly.. and also, the protagonist drove me a little batty. It felt like she signed up for something, and then immediately determined she didn't want to do anything to be involved in it (despite it being literally exactly what it promised to be) and also had no barometer for those around her. I would love to read a novel like this, but featuring a protagonist who leans into the curve- then eventually gets out for larger reasons, orrrr figures out how to shift it towards legitimacy to the degree possible- i feel like that would be so interesting! As it was, I did like this- it just felt like a cool concept that was ultimately underutilized.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ .💫 rounded to 4/5.

Thank you so much Netgalley & Atria Books for the eArc!

Interesting premise. A group of women working together for a common cause. Then again, you never know. I would recommend this book,

I really enjoyed the book "Please Join Us" by Catherine McKenzie! It was a slow build up then took several twists and turns that I didn't see coming! Nicole, a lawyer is hitting a rough patch in her life and that's right when the high-powered women's group Panthera Leo enters. the characters are believable enough, if a little one dimensional. Nicole's husband Dan is such a snooze, but I think that fits well with how he fits into Nicole's life. I did NOT see the twist at the end coming! Would recommend this book for anyone who wants a quick mystery (it's a little too slow for a thriller) read, at the beach, on vacation, or anywhere!

Catherine Mckenzie’s suspense novel Please Join Us takes the reader into the life of lawyer Nicole Muller. At 39, she has sacrificed a great deal for her career, but after losing a major client, one of the firm’s senior partners delivers a warning that her billing hours must soar or she’s out the door. With depressing speed, the news ricochets around the office. Minor law firms suddenly know that Nicole is on her way down and send recruitment emails. But right at the same time, she receives a cryptic invitation also via email inviting her to join an exclusive club, Panthera Leo for women. Dan, Nicole’s husband advises against the trip and, evoking the example of NXIVM suggests that Panthera Leo may be a cult.


Nicole, thinking that there’s nothing to lose, takes the bait, and then she’s off to attend a Panthera Leo retreat in Colorado. Always with these sorts of scenarios there’s a slippery slope. Is it when Nicole signs over 5K to attend the retreat? Is it when she’s told to hand over her cell phone for 5 days? Or is it when the two female leaders: Karma and Michelle, chant phrases that must be chanted back, over an open campfire?

Nicole identifies with the Pathera Leo spiel and list of grievances:

Putting men charge of women’s companies is one of our specialties. Diversity this and diversity that and sensitivity training and you know what’s changed? Exactly nothing, that’s what. If you have a vagina then you’re handicapped. God forbid if you have a kid or show an emotion at work.

Post retreat, everything in Nicole’s life goes swimmingly …. until it doesn’t. I had never heard of NXIVM and so dug up that name. Even watched a documentary about it. After that, I found the plot much easier to accept. Not that this book is about NXIVM.

I have read Catherine Mckenzie before and while this is not my favourite book of hers to date, I enjoyed parts of it. Initially I had problems accepting that Nicole, who seems hard boiled, would succumb to the Panthera Leo pitch, but she does. I couldn’t quite align Nicole’s narrative voice with the character. Plus Nicole is not an appealing character, and that goes for most of the characters in the book. I was interested in Nicole’s initial plight but after she drank the Kool-Aid, well… not as much.

Review copy

You know when being distrustful and disliking people in general is really helpful? When people are trying to get you to join a cult.

"That's the thing about obedience; it feels safe. But it's only safe if the person has your best interests at heart."

I usually really love books about cults, but I just couldn't hang with this one. I got to 60% and couldn't go on. The red flags were everywhere and I just couldn't believe that this intelligent female lawyer could actually get sucked into Panthera Leo. From the very beginning of the retreat it seemed super corny and lame. I'm hoping that if I found myself in that situation I would have peaced out immediately.

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This premise is unlike anything I’ve ever read! I was super intrigued by the women's networking aspect and how our main character has a successful career. Her success and career are at the forefront for most of the book which I found to be really refreshing and made for a great and interesting read.

Why are women so gullible - aren't we told don't click the links because things are NOT what they seem or its a virus. Nicole is a smart women so why did she feel this was her only option to get her career back on track? Her husband could sense it why couldn't she? She had a loving marriage, and still felt it necessary to align herself with women wanting to destroy men in the corporate world.

UGH so many things frustrating bout this book. I did not enjoy this read. Thank you Atria Books for the complimentary e-book.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this novel in exchange of an honest review. I loved this book. Catherine McKenzie really is a phenomenal author and everything she writes is exactly what I want to read

Nicole Mueller has had better days in her law career. Lately, it seems she’s losing her touch and her bosses have certainly noticed. Add to that the stress of her and her husband being kicked out of their beautiful old apartment when they felt sure their aunt would bequeath it to them.
In what seems like a bit of good fortune, Nicole is invited to a retreat with like-minded professional women where she’s introduced to the Panthera Leo, a group of fierce, wise, and calculating women who vow to protect one another at all costs. The resulting good fortune Nicole enjoys from her new “club” is beyond belief, until the night she’s instructed to break the law.
Nicole realizes too late that all these perfect strokes of luck were well orchestrated in order to ensnare her, to put her at the beck and call of her sister members. Here’s where the true cat-and-mouse games begin. Fast-paced, don’t-blink action and backstabbing are in full throttle from this point on. Women will circle to save one of their own, but what happens when the fight is internal?
Thanks so much to Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The twists and turns in Please Join Us will leave you guessing right until the end, even after you think you have it all figured out. What a truly tangled and captivating read! Highly recommend!

Nicole Mueller is a brilliant lawyer, on track to make managing partner in her firm. When she is demoted at work, it seems her life is going down the drain, until she gets an invitation to join a women's networking group, Panthera Leo. Membership will bring her perks and get her life back on track. She gets a new case, a great apartment for her and her husband and a chance to get back on top, but at what cost. When she is asked to cover up a murder, she realizes the Girl's Club could destroy her as quickly as they gave her a leg up.

Please Join Us was an extremely slow moving story, that took a long time to get to the point. Nicole seemed to be targeted by someone at her law firm to tank her career, but it is not until the end until all is finally revealed. This was a mystery and a psychological thriller rolled into one. The idea of the good ole boys' network is reversed in this book and Catherine McKenzie has written a story about an exclusive women's network that has plans, and revenge is in the works. The book picks up steam and then takes a twist to reveal what is really going on. There were a lot of characters in this one, that took some time to get them all straight, that caused a bit of confusion at times. A thriller, with lies, secrets and revenge that I enjoyed, but not as much as I had hoped. Joy Osmanski narrated this story and did an okay job, keeping me involved and interested.

What a fast paced, fun thriller! I really loved the cult aspect of this book. The premise was, chefs kiss. Women helping women. I didn’t see the twists coming. And I was rooting for our MC the whole way through. I highly recommended this book.