The year is 2019 and Ryan​ Flannigan​ is​ feeling anxious as she prepares herself. Her daughter, Sasha, will be leaving their Lost River, Vermont home soon to begin college on the West Coast. The phone rings and she is pulled back into her past with the voice of her childhood friend, Gilly, telling her she needs to come home to New York. Her mother needs her and Henri is dead.

What follows is a dual timeline, slow- burn revelation of Ryan's early life with her unsuccessful, aspiring actress mother and current days as she comes to grips with her past and the death of her protector and friend. Henri Dubois, a stable fixture in her young life is the photographer who took the photo, Blackout 1977, that is now being splashed over the news as possible evidence of the pedophilic crimes of a man she doesn't even remember.

​It took me a while to warm to this book but I soon found it enthralling. It brought back memories of the 1970's ads for Love's Baby Soft​ fragrance and the movie Pretty Baby. Ryan's mother, Fiona, was so unlikeable, I had to keep reminding myself she was probably only 29 when her daughter was 10 years old. Even so, I wept for Ryan's loss of innocence and Fiona's narcissistic use of her daughter.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my unbiased opinion. #SuchaPrettyGirl #NetGalley

This is a very well written novel about both the loss of innocence and the cruelty that a parent can visit on a child.
This is the story of Ryan and her mother. Despite Fiona’s desire to become an actor and a presence in the theater world, she winds up using Ryan to fulfill her dreams. She is the worst kind of “stage mother “ treating her child with carelessness and disdain.

Ryan does become a star, a model and actress. There is a picture of her, provocative and innocent which becomes the catalyst for this novel and Ryan’s memory of her past. Despite years of living a reclusive life with her own daughter in rural Vermont she is forced to return to NYC after the suicide of her beloved friend and her mother’s apparent involvement in a sex trafficking scandal with thinly veiled references to the recent Epstein scandal.

I was tremendously moved by this beautiful story. It is engaging and well done. I suspect reading groups will find a great deal to discuss.

Thank you Netgalley for this extraordinary ARC.

Another winner from T. Greenwood! I loved this story about a now grown child star and her life's relationships, especially the love/hate, topsy-turvy, unconventional relationship with her mother. I couldn't put it down, and I couldn't help but picture Brooke Shields as Ryan. My heart went out to her after every let down from the one person in her life that she should have been able to count on.

Name of Book: Such A Pretty Girl
Author: T. Greenwood
Publisher: Kensington Books
Genre: Family Drama, Historical Fiction, Mothers/Daughters
Pub Date: October 25, 2022
My Rating: 3.4 Stars!

This is my fourth T. Greenwood novel, I read "Rust & Stardust", "The Golden Hour", and "Keeping Lucy" all were great.
Haven’t read anything of hers in a couples years and certainly have been looking forward to another.
Story is not my typical Psychological Thriller or Mystery Thriller but I like T. Greenwood plus the reviews were awesome!
This story is told in a dual time period.
Then Mid 1970s
Now 2019
In 1976 Ryan Flannigan was 10 years old and was “discovered” in a café in NYC. Her mother, a struggling actress, becomes obsessed with supporting Ryan’s career as well as her own. Young Ryan often finds her mother off doing her thing and is left on her own a lot ~which is the real start to this story.
Now in 2018 Ryan is an adult and excited to be celebrating her daughter Sash’s eighteenth birthday. But is faced with her childhood past when the FBI is looking for her mother regarding a photo of eleven year old Ryan that was taken at the Paris home of billionaire Zev Brenner. Brenner has been in the papers recently for unspeakable crimes such as pedophile.
When Ryan’s mother goes into hiding when the photo is release, one wonders if she encouraged this meeting.
T. Greenwood is a great storyteller!

Want to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for October 25, 2022

T. Greenwood always leaves me with insight into life that I don't expect when I begin her novels. Such a Pretty Girl kept me glued to the page and left me with some of those incredible insights again. The novel shifts from Ryan Flannigan's memory of life as a child in seventies-New York to her current life in Vermont. Ryan was a child actress who became famous for modeling and then roles in movies that turned out to be controversial. Mom, Fiona, just wanted Ryan to be famous and she needed all the money she could get. Her acting career never coalesced. Ryan was the major money maker and Fiona worked as her manager.

The narrative arc of this novel involves a photo taken of Ryan on the night of the 1976 NYC blackout. There was much drama in real life surrounding that night (I remember it well as a witness to the event) and in the novel, Ryan is traumatized that night, and a photo taken by her neighbor and friend, Henri, figures into the story heavily.

The bulk of the story rested for me in all that Ryan had to endure with a mother who thought about herself more than her child. Fiona loved the idea of the artist's complex of apartments where kids were always together and taken care of by somebody's parents who lived in the buildings. It gave Fiona the freedom she abused, in my opinion. As an adult with her own child, Ryan lives permanently in a sort of commune in Vermont where she started out as a child. When she has to go to NYC for a funeral, the past begins to emerge in her memory. A reckoning is due and I loved reading TG deal with all the events in Ryan's life, past and present.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

A thought-provoking novel with a dual timeline which worked well to build up tension.

I did find it hard to connect with the characters and the central mystery, but I enjoyed the central friendship between Ryan and Gilly and the way in which the mystery slowly unravelled.

I'm between a 3 and a 4 on this one.

"Such a Pretty Girl" is a novel about mothers and daughters, the brutality of desire, what is owed, and to whom. It is about family (found vs. blood) and the ability to see people for who they are. The novel tracks Ryan Flannigan's story; as a child, she was something of media darling, managed by a mother who hungered for fame herself. Now, as an adult, preparing to send her own daughter off to college, Ryan is confronted with a major mystery being splashed about the world's papers: Why did an infamous pedophile millionaire have a revealing photo of Ryan, clearly signed over by Ryan's mother? What's the connection there (if any) and what does it mean to Ryan's present?

What's good: The book powers along relatively quickly. Several supporting characters in the book are the kind of everyday heroes you desperately want to end well/happy.

The iffy: I'm not sure the explanation of the supposedly central mystery goes far enough (particularly in explaining the photo). I didn't fall in love with any characters, although I liked them well enough. (That's why the book isn't a 4 or 5 star for me.)

Overall, this was a fascinating book and one I'm grateful to have read. With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Beautifully written story about a child actor and her wannabe-actor-turned-stage-mom mother and their complicated relationship. While the narrative shifts back and forth from past to present, it was a reflection of so many things that are currently clogging our newfeeds. This is going to be great for book club selections this year, as there is so much to discuss.

This book was so different from the ones I normally read.
It deals with former child star Ryan Flannigan and our story starts when a risque photo of hers is leaked and found amongst the belongings of a pedophile, with a note attached where its seen that her mother gifted said pedophile the picture.
The book itself was a really interesting commentary and analysis on how child stars are viewed and exploited by the media and the powerful plot was made even more interesting by Greenwood's strong writing. The dual time period added to the thrill of the book and I found myself finishing it in one sitting. Definitely one I would recommend for fans of thrillers and coming of age novels!

This is a thought-provoking and “me too” timely book. It really kept me reading.

The story was told from the 70s and 2019. Ryan was a child model/actress in the 70s, in adult theme ads and movies. Her mother was a failed actress living vicariously through her daughter. Her mother was very self centered so not making the best decisions. Ryan realizes this but the full impact hits her while at a memorial for an old family friend.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

T. Greenwood has written a compelling mother-daughter coming of age story. The mom who longed to be an actress was jealous as her daughter was quickly discovered instead. She became her manager and negotiated roles for her daughter that would somewhat profitable for both. In some ways the story had an Epstein feel to it which made it very timely. Dual timelines are effectively used as the daughter resolves her memories and feelings towards her mom. While she struggles with her present day emotions, the author flips back to her past to illustrate the reasons for her internal conflict. She ultimately has a decision to make that will affect her life and many others as well as her mom’s. Good character study! #SuchAPrettyGirl #T.Greenwood #NetGalley

This is a book that will stick with me for a long time. From page one, I was completely entranced. I absolutely loved it. I love a non linear timeline and this book did it perfectly. Each flashback aligned with where we were in the present and gave just enough insight for the reader to understand Ryan’s anxieties and behavior. As deplorable a person as Fiona was, I found her so compelling. Her hunger for fame and importance, her simultaneous resentment and excitement of Ryan’s success, her crafty way of rewriting the truth. I absolutely adored Ryan’s relationship with Gilly and Henri. I loved how they looked after her and protected her as best they could. This was a beautiful coming of age story of resilience and strength. It’s not enough for me yo just have a digital copy, I’ll be buying a physical one too. This is a book that deserves a permanent place on my shelves.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advanced digital copy.

TW: sexual assault, mentions of pedophilia , child neglect

This book had a slower pace than I was expecting, but I was still able to get into it. The dual time lines were both really interesting. How the main character looked back onto her past was significant as more was revealed. This is a difficult read, given the content, but important. I think it really mirrors true life and how celebrityhood can affect youth.

Wow! Such a Pretty Girl is an incredibly emotional, dark, and powerful read. It was definitely a page turner and I finished it in one day. While it touches on subjects that could be triggering for some, I do think it’s important to be discussed. Especially this day in age. I really liked this book and it’s one that I will be thinking of for awhile. This needs to be on your “must read” list. T.Greenwood is an incredibly talented writer and I look forward to reading more of her books.

Publication Date 10/25/22

Thank you to NetGalley, T. Greenwood, and Kensington Books Publishing for this arc!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Such a Pretty Girl by T. Greenwood.

Here's the deal, if T. Greenwood (who's name a feel a certain kinship to as a Teresa Green), writes a book, I'm reading it. End of discussion. I adore her! And this one of course holds up.

Ryan and Sasha are a mother and daughter living a quiet and semi secluded life in the hills of W. Virginia. You would never guess at first glance that Ryan has a past of glitz, fame, and fortune until she gets a phone call from a long time friend Gilly. Their dear friend Henri has died, and with it has exposed a very seedy underbelly of a life she once lived. One that hits way closer to home than she ever could have guessed.

This story alternates between the now and the Ryan's past. It's a slow unfolding with loads of tension, yearning and care. Greenwood just has a way of injecting beauty in even the terrible. It's a slow burn of a story, but well worth it. Being the mom of a teen girl, I especially loved the mother/daughter relationship.

Such a Pretty Girl is such an important novel and I think the message in it is absolutely essential in these times! I truly enjoyed this one and read it at warp speed because I was so invested in the story. Highly recommended!

A sad but extremely well=done coming-of-age story about victimization and sexualization. Expertly crafted, this novel also contains elements of a mystery and the back-and-forth timeline keeps the reader turning the pages. The scenes are extremely evocative and cinematic. Recommended for fans of literary and women's fiction and perfect for book clubs.

Such a Pretty Girl by T. Greenwood shifts between the 70s and present day. Ryan is a former child actress still coming to terms with her past. Equal parts mystery, redemption, and coming-of-age story. An emotional, evocative novel that had me completely hooked from the very first page.

Ryan Flannigan is 10 years old when she is “discovered” in a café in NYC. Her mother, a struggling actress, becomes obsessed with Ryan’s career, insinuating herself as her daughter’s manager. But managing Ryan’s career doesn’t bring the two together…rather, Ryan finds herself on her own more and more. Things come to a head during the 1977 blackout in New York, when Ryan is left on her own, literally in the dark. Her missing mother returns a couple of days later with a story about getting lost in the chaos.

Many years later, a grown-up Ryan finds out that the FBI is looking for her mother with regard to a photo of Ryan that was taken the night of the blackout, which has been found in a known pedophile’s home. Ryan comes to the realization that her relationship with her mother has never been oriented toward her needs and she questions her instinct to protect her mother once again.

I really liked this book. It reminded me a bit of Lolita, especially when looking at the cover. The characters are interesting and nuanced, and are believable as big-city denizens living in an artsy community. I was drawn into the world of Ryan and her mother, as they first made their break into fame and then came into scandal. Their good friend Henri (the photographer) was also a compelling character and, although it seemed extreme, I could understand his taking his life for his art. The inclusion of ad campaigns that I remember from my youth (Love’s Baby Soft) added another layer to the story. I can remember buying Jean Nate and trying to “splash” it on myself like the woman in the commercial did. Between that and Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific. I probably smelled like a walking cloud of perfume.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with my ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Ryan Flannigan is a former child star (think Brooke Shields) who has moved on from stardom to a quiet life in Vermont raising her teenage daughter. When a controversial photograph of her as a child is found in the possession of a Jeffrey Epstein type, she is forced to confront her past.
This story goes back and forth between Ryan’s unconventional childhood in the seventies and her present day dilemma in 2019. As a child, her mother Fiona is an aspiring actress whose own career has failed to take off. Fiona lives vicariously through her daughter’s successful career while harboring envy towards her. As an adult, Ryan deals with learning difficult truths about the adults who failed her as a child.
This is a novel that explores the sexualization of young women and girls and how the conversation surrounding this topic has changed over the years. It’s also about how fame complicates an already fraught relationship between a mother and daughter. It’s well-written and feels authentic. I just wish it had been a little longer, I felt like it ended with unanswered questions.