High drama and I really didn't see the end coming. I did feel like it wrapped up a little too neatly but that's just the realist in me.

Thanks to NetGalley, BookClubGirl and William Morrow for this copy of "Are You Sara?"

In this unforgettable thriller, two girls names Sara meets Sarah in a bathroom bar. Both order rideshares, but they must have gotten in the wrong cars as Sara wakes at the wrong house. She finds that Sarah was killed at Sara's house. So who was the target and why?

It was very exciting with an unexpected but memorable ending.

I'm also looking forward to reading author Lalli's next book, "The Plus One."

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

(3.5 stars, rounded up to 4)

In S.C. Lalli's debut psychological thriller, two women named Sara encounter a deadly case of mistaken identity after leaving a university bar. As Sara Bhaduri and Sarah Ellis find themselves targeted, the novel explores themes of ambition and identity, unraveling the dangerous pursuit of wealth and societal acceptance.

Lalli crafts a compelling narrative around Saraswati Bhaduri, whose relentless drive to overcome her circumstances leads her down a perilous path. Working her way through law school while facing financial struggles, Sara is drawn into a world of opportunity by a suave lawyer, challenging her to play a role she never imagined for herself.

With its thought-provoking exploration of societal expectations and the sacrifices made in pursuit of success, "Are You Sara?" offers a gripping read that will leave readers questioning their own aspirations. Perfect for book clubs or buddy reads, this novel delves into the complexities of identity and the lengths we'll go to in order to redefine ourselves.

Sara works at a bar to help her get through law school and on a particularly busy night she ends up finding a girl passed out in the bathroom of the bar where she works. Sara helps the girl out of the bar and finds out she is also a student at the same university and also happens to be named Sarah. Ubers are called to take the women to her respective home but inadvertently, the girls get into each others rides. Sara makes her way back only to find Sarah murdered on her doorstep. Which Sara (or Sarah) was the intended target...

Oh this was quite fun! I enjoyed the premise and it was exciting to watch it all unfold. I especially liked the parallel plot line involving Sara and the nefarious but successful lawyer mentor Jason Knox. I was intrigued, hooked, and invested in knowing who killed Sarah and why. Sara's dream of becoming a lawyer and doing anything she could including multiple jobs and working at her family's store was endearing and I found her to be extremely likeable, even when she wasn't. It was also nice to see minority characters of various types represented in this juicy thriller. I definitely recommend this to readers who enjoy dark twisty thrillers, this one was delicious!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest review.

A captivating novel exploring whether there really is a difference between who we are and the roles we play. S.C. Lalli is the abbreviated name that popular contemporary fiction and romance author Sonya Lalli uses to publish psychological thrillers. Are you Sara? Is her first thriller (she has a new one coming out later this year!).

Sara and Sarah are at a bar near closing and both order their rideshares. When they arrive, they each get in a car and depart in different directions. The only problem is, they got into the wrong cars. Sara isn’t paying much attention during her ride until she realizes that the car is dropping her off in a neighborhood that is much more posh than her own. To call Sara’s actual neighborhood “humble” would be a polite way of describing it.

As Sara makes the long trek home on foot, not wanting to spend the money on another rideshare, she arrives home to find police cars in front of her apartment and a dead body. It’s Sarah, the other woman from the bar. Sarah is white, privileged, and very dead. Sara is Indian, broke, and a law student. Despite their differences, Sara can’t help but think that they have the same build and hair. In the dark, someone could mistake them for one another. So who did the killer mean to murder—Sara or Sarah?

If you’re wondering why someone would want to kill a humble law student, there’s a lot more to Sara than meets the eye. The side hustles Sara does to make money for her tuition aren’t necessarily the most legal or ethical. That combined with the murder happening in front of her apartment makes her suspect that she may have been the intended target. But Sarah had some secrets in her life as well, as Sara soon learns. Either woman could have been the target, and Sara won’t feel safe until she finds out who the killer is and why.

This book has an intricate plot, and it’s not a book to rush through. There are a lot of clues that Lalli drops into the story throughout. The plot gets messier before it gets resolved, and that means there are a lot of leads that may or may not bring the answer to the mystery. Sara was not the character I expected her to be! She was flawed yet strong. Many of her decisions throughout the book are questionable, but then she’d do something to remind the reader how resilient she is and it was hard not to root for her.

The mystery of which woman was the intended victim was well-executed. For a substantial portion of the story, I could make a case for either. The story also touches on themes of race, class, and gender adding an unexpected depth to a salacious story. The story also switches between Sara’s present day narrative (after the murder) and Sarah’s journal starting two years before the murder. The decision to add perspective from both women, but one only being though crafted journal entries was intriguing.

It was interesting to see Sara dealing with racism as a brown woman pursuing a career path that historically has favored white men. While this is an added stressor for Sara to be successful, Lalli also shows how there is a hidden strength to Sara’s race—many people underestimate her. Sara is extremely talented at getting others to open up to her or to do what she wants. This skill (combined with her intelligence and resilience) has allowed her to engage in a nontraditional side gig that helps to pay her tuition. Though Sara may do some questionable things, her ability to flip racism and sexism around on those who underestimate her is thrilling to watch.

A clever and engaging first thriller from Lalli!

This was an original and twisted story with so much suspense! I read it so quickly and can't wait for more by the author.

This book has been sitting on my shelf for quite a while and that is a real shame because it was a really unique, twisty thriller that I really enjoyed.

Saraswati "Sara" is a bartender/law student who ends encountering a drunk girl in the bathroom at the end of her shift, and making a connection with this girl who is also named Sara. When the two Saras get into their ride share cars at the end of the night, Saraswati realizes they have switched cars after being dropped off in a posh neighborhood. By the time she makes it back to her decidedly lower class more dangerous block, she finds police tape and officers blocking off her very doorstop. And the other Sara is there as well, but she is dead.

What happens next is the slowly unraveling mystery of who killed Sara Ellis and whether or not it was a case of mistaken identity. I really enjoyed this original novel and the voices of both Saras, who were tough and vulnerable and smart. There was also a lot of insightful writing about gender, race and how the law works or doesn't work for you depending what group you are in. Hopefully Lalli has more books on the horizon because I can't wait to read what she writes next!

I was so excited to read this book as the premise sounds super suspenseful and thrilling. But the delivery was extremely tepid. There was little to no build up and it felt really drawn out for an unsatisfactory end. I was so hopeful!

Thank you # NetGalley and William Morrow, William Morrow Paperbacks for letting me read this book.Two women named Sara each get into a rideshare. . . but only one makes it home alive. Which Sara was the real target?Was Sarah Ellis or Sara Bhaduri the target? And why would anyone want either of them dead?In this smart, twisty novel about ambition, wealth, and dangerous longing, the layers are peeled back on two young women desperate to break out of the expectations placed on them, with devastating results.

S.C. Lalli's debut novel Are You Sara? is a book I was really excited about on initial premise alone. If you have ever utilized a rideshare, you know that the driver asks you upon entering the car to verify your identity. But what happens when two girls with the same name call for a ride at the same location at the same time?

When the rideshare driver asks Sara Bhaduri, "Are you Sara?," upon picking her up at the bar where she works, she of course answers "yes," because she IS Sara; but as it turns out, she is the wrong Sara. This ride was meant for Sara Ellis, a girl that Sara found passed out drunk in the bar's bathroom and subsequently helped get a car home.

Sara Bhaduri, an exhausted law student working two jobs to make ends meet, falls asleep on the ride to her apartment and doesn't realize the mistake until she reaches her destination and discovers she is in the ritzy part of town, not the rundown, crime-riddled neighborhood where she lives. Once she makes her way home, she finds that the other Sara has been brutally murdered at her apartment. Sara wonders in horror - was this supposed to be her fate?

With her life potentially at stake, she has to find out if the killer was stalking her or Sara Ellis, so she embroils herself into an investigation of Sara Ellis' life and relationships. However, as she uncovers more and more of Sara Ellis' secrets, she discovers that it is not so easy to keep her own skeletons in the closet.

Are You Sara? is one of those novels that I like to describe as a mixed bag. There's a lot here to weave a compelling story around, and this book starts off quite strongly. I was super invested until characters from Sara Bhaduri's past come into play, and we learn that everything may not be as it seems. Normally, I enjoy a good twist, especially one that plays on a person's character and integrity, but here it felt out of place and underdeveloped. Furthermore, Sara Bhaduri is completely unlikeable and frustrating. That would normally not be a major problem for me, except I had trouble finding anything redeeming or even remotely intriguing about her. Instead, she came off like a slick chameleon, changing her core values and personality to suit the situation.

Wow. I was so interested by the initial blurb about this book and so disappointed in the reading experience. The characters were not enjoyable, and the plot didn't really engage my interest. It wasn't nearly as twisty or suspenseful as it seemed it would be. Maybe if I wasn't such a fan of mysteries and thrillers in general, it would have maintained my interest or been less annoying. Sara was especially unlikeable as well as a bit hypocritical - making throwaway comments/having thoughts about generational wealth and other similar concepts and how unfair they are... yet it seems they are only unfair if some people have them but they are a goal and good thing for others to strive for or have.
Great premise unmet.

Saraswati (Sara) Bhaduri is a law student working two jobs to finance her education. While bartending one evening she helps Sarah Ellis who has had too much to drink. Their rideshares home arrive at the same time and the two Saras mistakenly take each other’s ride. Sara arrives in Sarah Ellis’s wealthy neighborhood and when she gets back to her apartment in a rundown area, Sarah Ellis is dead in front of her house. The novel alternates between Sara’s point of view and Ellis’s journal going back three years. Sara is afraid the she is the intended victim because of things she has been involved in to get tuition money. Neither of the central characters is like able and Sara has made some morally questionable decisions, but the mystery keeps you guessing with some twists at the end.

This was an original plot of two girls with the same name both getting into Ubers and one getting murdered. The story goes back in time to reveal the backstory of how they came to be and why one was murdered.

This was an ok read for me. There were parts I really liked and parts that were confusing. It was difficult at times to keep track of all the characters. Still, an entertaining read.

My review as posted on Goodreads:

I am grateful to the publishers for allowing me to read an review this book.

I think this book had a great premise. It was intriguing and I was gripped from the beginning. Unfortunately as I continued to read I started to get bored. While it did keep me guessing, and I never would have guessed this ending, it just ended up flatlining for me. I didn’t find any of the characters to be particularly likable so I wasn’t really rooting for any of them. And the whole Jason storyline was weird. I mean, it made sense in the end but it was distracting throughout the story

Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me. It started off well, but about halfway through, I had to put it down. I just couldn't finish it.

I wanted to love this book, but it's a solid 3 stars. I wish the main character was more likeable. I also wish the plot twist was weaved better into the story, not in a way that would be predictable, but more likely. As it is now, it almost feels like it's coming a bit out of left field after going off a tangent. It's still a story that held my attention, which is nice since I've been in a bit of a reading slump. So, again, three stars. I really like the concept and think it had a little more potential. Thank you to Netgalley, publisher, and S.C. Lalli for the digital copy and chance for review!

Was very excited to read this book, had heard good things. Was definitely a fun read, would recommend to someone looking for an escape.

Are You Sara? definitely keeps you guessing throughout as you try to determine which Sara was targeted. Both Saras were relatable and likable characters. The book just didn’t pull me in and make me want to see it through.

Saraswati “Sara” is a law student who is in her final year of law school. One night while working at the local bar Gavin’s, she finds a woman passed out in the bathroom whose clearly had to much to drink, Sara helps the girl outside and finds out her name is Sarah as well. As they wait outside for their respective Ubers the two Sara’s strike up a conversation. Once the Ubers show up the each go their separate ways, and not until Sara is let out in a neighborhood that is not hers, does she realize what may have happened. Sara realizes they each got into the wrong Uber. Sara begins the walk home, and after coming upon her house, she sees a string of police cars. Sara runs to the front of her house, and sees Sarah dead at her doorstep. Sara has a lot of secrets, and she wonders if she was the actual intended target. As Sara tries to keep her secrets, and solve Sarah’s murder at the same time she finds herself falling behind in school, and digging a deeper web of deception around her life.

The suspense of the who done it was interesting, but the main character Sara was a bit annoying, and honestly the other Sarah was just as bad in flashbacks. Sara made so many mistakes that it is hard to believe she was a law student in their final year. The things this character did make it hard to believe she was a law student at all.. I think there needed to be more accuracy with the knowledge a law student would have.
As a Black woman I also didn’t care for the Black female professor. Black people are not a monolith, but there are cultural things that another Black person just knows someone wouldn’t do. For one Black people (especially women) don’t use the term “C U Next Tuesday”, we just don’t refer to the female anatomy with that word. Most Black women would not allow their child to be as disrespectful as this one was, Black parents are known for discipline and definitely when it comes to adults. There’s no way a Black woman would allow a young college girl to walk home at night alone and especially after a murder in their area. In addition a Black woman definitely wouldn’t cook food in front of someone and not offer them a plate. I honestly feel like this was originally a white character and trying to be inclusive the author was told to make the character Black or the author did it to make her book seem diverse but it makes me question how many Black women she really knows. I’m all for diversity in books, but it needs to be authentic. I don’t want a Black character just for the sake of having a diverse book and the person writing really doesn’t understand the culture. If you’re not a Black person and are going to write a character either get a Black person to help you (proofread) or just don’t do it. It’s actually more offensive to have a character that is not authentic than it is to just not have a BIPOC character at all.

Thank you Scene of the Crime and William Morrow Books for this ARC