This is a fabulous, powerful, book full of strong women characters. While I hate the underlying story of girls being victimized, I was completely smitten with Jo, Harriet, & Nessa. They were the heroes we all want and need in our lives.
This book had vibes of Alice Hoffman and Nora Roberts. I loved the mystical, magical quality to the story.

This was so close in-between 3.5 and 4 stars for me. Right from the beginning, it had my attention. I thought the first half of the book was so great, and I didn't want to put it down.

These characters were written so well, and you really feel like you know them personally by the time you're finished with the story. I loved learning more about these characters along the way. When I looked this up, it was under several different genres. So there's definitely a lot going on with the story.

The only reason I'm leaning more towards 3.5 stars is that some of the middle parts of the story felt like it was dragging. When this happens I find myself not really wanting to continue a book but I'm glad that I did with this one. I pushed through and it was worth it but it gets a little mucky when you have to force yourself to continue a book because the plot has slowed down and dragged on a bit

I was surprised at how much I liked this because I don’t tend to lean towards “witchy” books but this book found a perfect balance. Each backstory was unique and helped me enjoy every character.

I honestly had never heard of this book and then all of a sudden it was everywhere. I felt like this was a fresh take on feminism and women finding power within themselves. The setting was perfect for this story and gave me Witches of Eastwick vibes that I am here for. To me it almost felt like two books in one. I felt like we had a couple of different climaxes and it was surprising and enjoyable. Definitely one that I will recommend to others!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

When I started reading this book I did not recall what it was about so it threw me a bit. However, I stuck with it and I really liked it.

The basic premise is women gaining access to their innate “powers” as they approach midlife. It seems straightforward but it is not. The characters were well developed and their powers and storylines were woven together so well.

I felt the empowerment of these women as they came into their powers and they used them to right wrongs and stand for others who needed a voice.

I would love to read more from this author and more about these women!

Unfortunatly, I didn’t like this quite as much as I had hoped that I would. I thought that the book was okay, but it wasn’t the stand-out read I had anticipated. I tend to enjoy magical realism so I was incredibly excited to give it a try. I was so sure that I was going to love this one that I bought a physical copy and even bought the audiobook so that I could get to it a little faster. There were a lot of things that I really enjoyed about the book but in the end, I felt like it was a fairly average read.

I thought that the book had a rather strong start. I was eager to get to know Harriet, Nessa, and Jo and enjoyed seeing them come together. Nessa is able to see the dead and her power has allowed her to find the bodies of young women that the town has seem to have forgotten. The women are determined to get to the bottom of the deaths even when they meet some resistance. There were a lot of characters to keep track of and there were times that the book felt like it was all over the place. Unfortunatly, there weren’t any big surprises in regards to the mystery.

January LaVoy did a great job with the narration. I liked the various voices that she used to tell this story. I thought that she did a great job of bringing the characters to life by adding just the right amount of emotion to her reading. I had no problem listening to her narration for hours at a time and do believe that her narration added to my enjoyment of the book.

I think that a lot of readers will enjoy this book a lot more than I did. This was an interesting tale of three women with remarkable powers coming together in a world that caters only to men. This one didn’t knock my socks off but I encourage readers to give it a try if it sounds interesting to you.

I received a digital review copy of this book from William Morrow via NetGalley and purchased a copy of the audiobook.

In a small town, Mattauk, NY, there's Nessa, a widowed and retired wife. Harriet, an advertiser who's just been let go after years of climbing the ladder, but receiving no credit for it. Jo, who has fought her way up to an executive hotel manager and highly improved the hotel just to be let go because she had upset some bigwig man.

After they have gone through menopause/"The Change", the three of them had met one by one, and became close friends. As they bond, they are discovering that Nessa can hear and see ghosts, she knew this day would come. Jo has a physical strength with a wicked power with it. Harriet has discovered the good and bad that plants can do.

When they discover a body of a teenager and reported, the police marked her down as a drug addicted runaway, but Nessa knows different and has to figure out how to convince them. When not believed and blown off they decided to take matters into their own hands and that's where the fun begins.

There's many more characters, and most of the women in the story take control, although there are a handful of men do also.

There are some things in the book that could have been left out, removing a handful of pages, but I still loved the read and want to thank Book Club Girls and William-Morrow for allowing me to read this through NetGalley for an honest review.

This novel was all over Bookstagram with rave reviews, so I added it to my TBR list. However, when I found out it was a “Read Now” on NetGalley for a limited time, I instantly grabbed it. HOLY COW! I didn’t know I needed a book about menopausal witches in my life, but this was super enjoyable.

Thank you @netgally, @williammorrowbooks, and @kirstenmillerbooks for this digital ARC.

“Anger's like rocket fuel. Either it pushes you forward or it burns you alive.”

A former nurse whose quiet life is soon filled with voices calling to her from beyond the grave. An advertising director turned recluse that is growing right along with her garden. A fitness guru who is learning to harness the energy in her hot flashes. Together, this trio joins forces to identify female victims of violence, protect the vulnerable, and punish those responsible. When Nessa, Harriet, and Jo find the body of a teenage girl on a remote beach, the cops have one story, but they’re out to discover the truth, which will lead them into a world of the elite rich who don’t follow the rules. Unfortunately for these men, the rules don’t apply to these women either when they decide to take matters into their own hands.

One of my favorite parts of the novel is how richly the author develops the backstory of every single female character in the novel. Even if they just have a fleeting moment with the main characters, Miller chooses to give a future chapter entirely to that woman’s history perspective in order to make sure each female is given a voice. This novel accurately depicts a multitude of unfair systems that disadvantage women. It great that the main characters have all found their power and will use their abilities to make the world a better and safer place for women. While there is a lot of social commentary, at its heart, the novel is a satisfying revenge plot that will surely keep the pages turning.

Rating: Loved it

In a quiet beach town three women are experiencing a tremendous change in their lives. Little do they know but they are about to be empowered with special talents and abilities that take their lives in a new direction.

The discovery of the body of a young woman on the beach begins their journey. They set out to find the killer(s) and make them pay for their crime. As more bodies are found, it is evident that there is hidden crimes that must be uncovered.

You will love these ladies! They will make you laugh, cry and root for them as they become the avengers of women.

I loved this book and look forward to reading more from this author. It was definitely a page turner as I could not put it down.

Nessa James was born with a gift, she can hear the voices of the dead calling to be found and be put to rest. She enlists the help of her new friend, Jo, and the neighborhood witch, Harriet, and together they set out to find the source of the voice calling out to Nessa. Once they find one body they soon find out there are many more close by and Nessa fears there is a serial killer in Mattauk. The 3 women work together to find out who it is and burn it all down.

This story was so different and I loved it! It addressed gender equality and ageism, but also has some fantasy and magic involved. If you want to read about some bad a** ladies taking down the bad guys with a touch of supernatural elements then grab this book! Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.

The Change is ultimately a book about revenge. Harriett (former ad exec), Jo (business owner), and Nessa (housewife) all have special powers, and they will use them to bring justice to the people who have wronged them. Harriett specializes in herbs and plants, Jo can channel her emotions and anger, and Nessa can hear the dead speak to her. When they discover that a young girl''s body has been found, they realize that this girl is not the only one who has been abused and murdered. They make it their mission to find the person who is killing young women. Until they do, they will not rest, and the voices speaking to Nessa will not quiet.
This book really surprised me at the end - I wasn't expecting the reveal. But, you must suspend your belief as this book does rely on a bit of mystery and magic to make its case. This was a different thriller.
Thanks to BookClub Girls and Harper Collins / William Morrow and NetGalley for the copy of The Change. All opinions are my own and freely given.

I was immediately enthralled with this book. I thought the book handled some tough topics in a very well executed way. The mystery throughout the book was great, it had me sitting on the edge of my seat. The twist an turns were unmatched. I devoured this book in one day, it was extremely hard to put down.

Each character had intense and in depth story lines. Harriet had the most comical parts, with her witty come backs in my opinion. Jo was a straight up boss and a major badass. Then we have Nessa who brought in a something mysterious. The way their story lines crossed was great, and very original.

It’s not very often that I stumble upon a book that captivates me like this one. I would even say that this book was “unputdownable.” I will not give any spoilers, because who like spoilers, but I will say that if you like supernatural, comedic haunted tales—this is an ideal book for you. The main characters, Jo, Nessa and Harriet are all so like-able and different, yet they fit together like a perfect puzzle. If you haven’t read this, do yourself a favor and read it.

What a deliciously wicked read. I enjoyed reading about more mature women and the lives they still have in them. It was entertaining and thought provoking!

I really enjoyed this author’s writing style, witty and engaging and lord knows I don’t mind characters with a potty mouth! The story itself was an interesting one and I liked the characters. I was somewhat uncomfortable with the discovery of the girl’s body on the beach and the descriptions. I think many readers will absolutely enjoy this one. I would ultimately score it higher, but some parts weren’t for me.

Loved The Change so much. I was putting off reading it because of the length but talked my book club into reading it with me and that was the push I needed. I am SO glad I read it. It had all the things i love, witchy vibes, badass women taking control, revenge murders. It had so many layers to it, it wasn't just the story and murders, there were so many hard hitting ideas that all women go through, men taking credit for our ideas, men expecting us to be housewives, men setting expectations for women and not allowing us to be who we choose. I can't rave enough about this one. It did run a little long, I thought the story was over but realized I had about 150 pages left. I t could have been a little shorter but over all it was a great read.

QUICK BITS
-Badass female MCs
-Multiple perspectives
-Pretty Girls meets Practical Magic

REVIEW
Oofta, I can easily say I have never read a book quite like The Change.

When you pick up this book you quickly learn that the author is out for blood, mainly the blood of every man that has ever done her wrong...and the characters of this book follow suit.

This is one of those rare books that defies genre as it is a bit of literary fiction, mystery, magical realism...and badass (okay that's not a genre, but it stands).

Witnessing the mystery unfold as the women of this book discover how their strength is their beauty is incredibly enjoyable.

The one caveat when you pick up this book is to expect the evolution of the characters to be just as prominent as the plot (aka lengthy detailed backstories).

If you are thinking about picking this one up, my only recommendation is to grab a friend, because you are going to want to talk this one out with someone.

RATINGS
4.50/5.00 Gut Rating

10 Characters
10 Atmosphere
10 Writing Style
7 Plot
10 Intrigue
8 Logic
10 Enjoyment
= 65/14
=
4.64/5.00 Cawpile Rating

3.00/5.00 SOS Rating (scale of surprise)

This was such a fun read of revenge. I usually don’t like books with magical storylines, but I really did enjoy this one. I liked all of the characters and their various struggles and how they overcame them. I also liked the revenge aspect. Tough women taking down sleazy men, what’s not to love?! It was a little long, but I enjoyed it so much that I’m glad it kept going! I loved how everything was wrapped up at the end. Overall this was a fun read and will be a perfect summer read!

If you’re looking for a dark, feminist mystery, look no further! I could not put this book down. It centers around three women who live in an island who soon discover they have powerful gifts. They use these gifts to take justice into their own hands when they are ignored by the police following a string of disappearances.

Brilliant, infuriating, devastating, and most importantly, satisfying. It was maybe a bit too long, which did drag the pace down, but I can’t think of anything to cut out since it all becomes relevant to tie the end together. I wouldn’t call this especially twisty, but the threads slowly pieced together to create a satisfying conclusion.

Oh. My. Word!! This is EASILY my favorite read of the last 18 months!! This book is phenomenal! (It’s also totally rated-R.) This is my first Kristen Miller book. Thanks to #NetGalley for the gifted advanced copy. Unfortunately, it arrived on my e-shelf just weeks before publication… So this 500 page book took a while to get through.

Jo, Nessa and Harriet … You do NOT want to be on their bad side… But they are also a trio I’d love to be friends with! The Change is Big Little Lies mixed with Desperate Housewives…toss in girls gone missing, a body on the shore, a secret, poison garden, hot flashes that turn to fire & fury, and the ability to see the deceased and you have the perfect concoction for revenge on the bad men in this world. It was amazing… and I would love to see this as a movie… I would definitely pay to be in a theater for this one.

I would not recommend this book to a man who is squeamish about blood or the description of what becoming a woman means. While 90% of the men are horrible in this book, there are also redeeming and loving ones, too… for that reason, if you are confident in your manlihood, then take a peek. You just might walk away with a new-found appreciation for the powerful species that are women…
To women in their 20’s — you may not fully appreciate the representation of menopause or even perimenopausal women in this book. But I think you might still enjoy it. Some of my favorite books involve middle age characters—there’s just something so raw in the development that you don’t see with younger characters.

Kristen Miller—you’ve outdone yourself with this novel. Bravo!