I knew from the synopsis of "Please Join Us" that it would likely be a good fit for me, and I was right! I love corporate and workplace dramas/thrillers, and this one hit the spot. Even the title had the perfect corporate cringe-y feel.

What I enjoyed most about "Please Join Us" is its commentary on women in male-dominated fields and the element of workplace drama. The author was an attorney, and this was the first of her books I’ve read — but will definitely be on the lookout for her others. ⁣

The cover was striking and one that I looked forward to sharing on Bookstagram.

The concept of this novel caught my attention, but the story never really reeled me in. The concept was interesting and thought provoking and the characters were well-developed and true to real life even if the events weren't exactly. It was twisted and shocking and I know plenty of people will really love this book. I just wasn't one of them.

This is the newest release from this Canadian author, who practised law in Montreal for many years before becoming a full time writer. Her previous books include "You Can't Catch Me", "I'll Never Tell" and " Six Weeks to Live". This new one is another thriller and features the main character of Nicole, who is a lawyer whose career is in a bit of a slump. When she is invited to join a women's networking club, she hopes it will lead to connections that will improve things. What she doesn't realize that this club will call upon her to go against everything she thinks is right and getting out of it is not going to be easy. This is a fun, albeit complicated, read and a good recommendation for fans of psychological thrillers or even legal thrillers. I enjoyed it.

If you enjoyed I’ll Be You, This Might Hurt, The Collective and other cultish stories disguised as women empowerment organizations, then for sure you’ll enjoy this book. Please Join Us is such a bingeable read — the suspense just about killed me while reading the dual timelines! The past narrates how Nicole Mueller got involved with Panthera Leo, a by-invitation-only exclusive professional women’s group that supposedly help one another to get a leg up in their careers. The present on the other hand, tells us how Nicole is helping a fellow member cover up her crime! 🫣😱🫣 My golly! These were enough to hook me in and stay up all night to read the whole book!
And my verdict?!?! I. LOVE. IT!!!!! The plot is twisty and controversial, while the characters exhibit so much badassery!!! Can you imagine the suspense each chapter brings? And let’s not forget to mention that ENDING!!!!! 🤯🤯🤯 That was super unexpected but totally fitting for this craaaazy good book! Please Join Us will be available on Aug. 23, 2022. Please please please add it to your must read pile ASAP!!!

Thank you @simonandschusterca for my gifted eGalley. I absolutely enjoyed reading this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of “Please Join Us” by Catherine McKenzie. I was drawn to the premise of the novel as I am a female lawyer who understands the hierarchy of the profession and the difficulty that comes in being a woman in a male-dominated field. The story sucked me in right away and I devoured the book in less than a day. The pacing was perfect and I thought the two timelines came together in a very natural way. Great suspense and twist at the end. I really loved this book!

Girl power with a twist (or a few) and everything else I've grown to expect and love from Catherine McKenzie's books. I am glad I waited to start reading this when I had some designated uninterrupted reading time at my disposal because this was "just one more chapter" kind of read for me. If you are lucky enough to get some beach/pool-side quality time, you should definitely add this to your beach bag!

Nicole is driven, overachiever and a bad-ass but she's thrown for a loop when a negative performance review threatens to sidetrack her law career. Soon after she receives a mysterious invitation from a women's networking group Panthera Leo (which her husband thinks sounds cult-ish). Hesitant but seemingly out of other options, Nicole signs up for the group's special retreat in Colorado. The group is led by and full of powerful and successful women. Before she knows it, with her group's help things start to turn around. In exchange she is supposed to be unquestioningly loyal to the group and occasionally do some small favors for various members. As requests start to grow so do Nicole's questions about the group and what exactly she has gotten herself into. And what would be the price for trying to leave?

I loved the whole concept of women lifting up women in a men's world but of course with some dark and unexpected secrets lurking behind every corner. I really enjoy Catherine McKenzie's writing style - the fact that character development and pacing don't get neglected for the sake of surprising twists (although there are always a few of those in store). If you are looking for an engaging read, if you're a fan of psychological thrillers and especially if you've enjoyed Catherine McKenzie's other books, you should not let this one pass you by.

Grateful to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for gifting me an ARC of Please Jon Us in exchange for an honest review!

Wow, just wow!! This was not at all what I expected. This title is so perfect. I loved the lead in to this story, it drew me in immediately and I could not put it down. I loved the culty feel of this book and the way it twisted. I feel like the author did a phenominal job misleading the reader. I kept thinking I had it all figured only to have it twist and change what I was thinking. I felt a particular affinity as a woman, wanting to use all the resources available to you to advance your career. How easily you might slide into something like this. This will be one that will stick and linger and I will definitely be going back to the backlist. Loved!

Delighted to include this title in the August instalment of Novel Encounters, my regular column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction for the Books section of Zoomer magazine. (see review at link)

Nicole is an up and coming lawyer until one day she isn’t. The old boys club put in a ceiling that seems more brick than glass. So Nicole joins a women’s networking group that is designed to help women truly compete in the world. This psychological thriller progresses from there….. thanks to NetGalley for the early read! Pick this one up- Please Join Us…

lets just say this one wasn’t exactly my favorite. the synopsis was the main reason i requested it too! i was hoping for a more culty vibe honestly. i had a difficult time caring for or liking any of the characters which is a big thing for me while reading.

on the bright side, i think it was a very good premise. the author did a great job on how women would truly act in these situations - secretly, evil & mean!

i read a lot of amazing reviews after finishing this one & it seems a lot of you love it, so please give it a try. i’d love to have a chat about this one

a huge thank you to netgalley and atria books for a digital arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this one. This was my first Catherine McKenzie book and now I want to dive into her backlist. Generally, I love any thriller with a cult-like element and I knew right from the description and first page that this had cult vibes. I went along for the journey with Nicole. I had no idea what was going on and who was on whose side. I did love the little twist right at the very end. I also thought that, cult aside, the relationships between the characters (romantic or not) felt very realistic. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good twist.

With its incredible premise—a group of women that are working the system like a boys' club—Please Join Us is a union of contemporary fiction and thriller through a feminist lens. And like Panthera Leo, this book has claws!

Struggling corporate lawyer, Nicole Mueller, is the narrator of Catherine McKenzie's thirteenth novel. Alternating between past and present, Please Join Us is an exploration of toxic relationships and the influence of power. Not without flaws, Nicole is a perceptive and intriguing character that readers will root for.

McKenzie is a master storyteller—the plot is exceptionally clever and the pacing is spot on. She brilliantly explains the intricacies of the law into something palatable for her reader and weaves these threads into a brilliant and satisfying conclusion.

Please Join Us is a feminist thriller about a secret organization, the challenges women face in the workplace, and just how far one woman will go to claim what is rightfully hers.

**** Four and a half shiny stars

If you can’t beat em, join em?

A NY-based secret society of powerful women, helping each other through influence-peddling and a whole lot more - modeled on the corrupt and seedy old-boys-club networks that have crisis-crossed the social, political and economic landscape of movers and shakers dominating the ruling classes since the dawn of recorded time.

When a “Please Join Us” - an exclusive summons opening doors to this “invitation-only” coalition - is received by Nicole Mueller, our first person POV narrator and a thirty-nine year old Yale-educated lawyer (yet one who is inexplicably stalled on her previously stellar career-trajectory), it’s unclear exactly what Nicole has been invited to.

As the women gather, (in a creepy sort-of-ritualistic “Lord of the Flies” summit), Nicole is drawn deeper and deeper into a world where nothing is straightforward, loyalty is assumed unquestionable, and the challenges involved in being accepted into the group are only exceeded by the impossibilities of ever escaping back out.

Twists and turns abound as Nicole embarks on a deadly serious cat-and-mouse game, a challenge of wits pitted against the supremely masterful, where everything she has ever worked for is suddenly on the table - home, marriage, career and ultimately, the freedom to live and lead her own deliberately-chosen life.

Intense, intelligently plotted, and desperately suspenseful - does changing the rules, winning at the patriarchy’s own game, really level the playing field? Or is it a sell-out, a mass exodus from a position teeming with unacknowledged potential - to one joining the ranks of the cynical and infinitely jaded testosterone-fueled zombies entrenched in the moral wilderness of winning at any cost.

Interesting and compelling, highly recommended, this taut and clever book will keep you reading - and perhaps squirming more than a little under its penetrating gaze.

A great big thank you to @simonandschusterCA and @Netgalley for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

This was such a great concept and so well executed. I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't put it down. The constant twists leave you unsteady and unsure of who to trust in the best possible way. So different than anything I've read lately.

Please Join Us, is by invitation only women's club. They invite women with the premise of helping their careers by networking. Nicole, who is a lawyer and having a hard time getting a promotion at the law firm, gets one of these invitations. A four day retreat with other women, who are also stalled in their careers. Nicole decides to go, builds new friendships, gets a new apartment for her and her husband. A new case comes along that could raise her status in the law firm. She's riding high, until she isn't. Things are not exactly what they seem, Nicole with some help from her husband and others, start putting the pieces together. If you want to know more, you'll just have to buy the book. I enjoyed the story line very much. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book. I give it a 3.5 out of 5.

The premise of this book is such and interesting one. The idea of a secret women's network, looking out for each other and helping each other get ahead in a 'mans world' is an intriguing one. I wasn't completely sure what to expect, but what I got was lots of twists and turns and I found out that I am far too trusting. But seriously, what price would you pay to have every door you knocked on opened, and opened wide? Would you be able to say yes to whatever was asked of you? The offer is enticing, but I don't think I could do it. This was another one of those books that I couldn't put down. As I neared the end I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. One thing for sure, the ending will you keep you on your toes till the very last sentence.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the gifted copy.

This books follows Nicole a lawyer who has found herself not doing well in her career. One day she receives an email from a group of women who claim they empower and work together to help each other advance in work and life. While Nicole gets deeper into this group she learns things aren’t as they seem and people aren’t who they seem to be.

I was so intrigued by this premise I was so excited to read this book. Unfortunately it just didn’t hit for me. Things start out fast and interesting but as the book goes on I found it harder and harder to pick up and by the end of the book I just wanted it to be over. I did enjoy the writing and most of the characters. I didn’t find this to be a thriller like what I’m used to so that was disappointing as I kept hoping something big was about to happen but it just never did. The last 30 pages were brutal to read. So much explaining and making final connections it was like a villains speech at the end of a movie that just wouldn’t end.

Actual rating 3.5/5

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a free copy if this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I would describe this book as "Mean Girls cult edition." The characters are completely unlikeable, even the nice one who we're supposed to like is annoying. The side characters just fell flat for me. There was absolutely no one in this book I actually cared about.

I liked how relentless the women of the pride were. They always seemed to be two steps ahead with every problem anticipated. I feel like this is also why the ending wrapped up too quickly to be pleasing. Here we have these incredibly smart and hooked up women who created a plan that required so much careful planning and timing they were somehow outsmarted as soon as our main character realizes there's a problem. The entire solution happens in a very small portion of the book without the main character facing any issues that weren't solved immediately. I felt this book was missing the excitement. It was a fine read, just not one that put me on the edge of my seat.

With all that said, I have to admit I was genuinely entertained. The storyline was interesting enough where I wanted to watch things play out despite having a pretty clear idea of what was going to happen. This book is definitely worth the read, what it lacks in suspense it makes up for in entertainment.

What a fast-paced book--the kind you could almost read in one sitting. This is definitely more of a plot-driven book than character driven. And I do prefer character over plot for the most part. As a result, there were places I wanted less of the Instagram-like snippets and more development of character.

The break-neck pace felt too fast at times. I don't want to spoil the ending so won't comment on how I felt about certain aspects of the ending.

Overall, if you are looking for a good book to take to the beach or read without having to think too hard about your book, this is very satisfying.

I wanted to love this one, I did. I wanted this to be the empowering, strike back book it seemed to be. The first few chapters were excellent and I loved the idea of the networking, the group of strong women supporting each other. I like how it reminded Nicole to find her happy, take care of herself.

But it fell right in to the typical trope - that a group of women are dangerous. That a group of women will always find ways to scheme and have secrets. That we can't be true to each other and ourselves at the same time.

I think the worst line was when she realized she needed help, she said she needed "Dan." The MC needed her husband to save her. Ugh.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.