The initial setup is engaging, and the exploration of the characters’ complex motivations adds depth to the story. The novel’s pacing is generally well-handled, with twists and turns that keep the reader intrigued.

However, while Lovely Girls has its strengths, it also has some notable shortcomings. The plot can occasionally feel formulaic, with some twists being predictable and others not fully developed. Additionally, the character arcs may lack the depth needed to make the emotional stakes feel as impactful as they could be. The resolution, while dramatic, might leave some readers feeling unsatisfied due to its predictability or abruptness.

Overall, Lovely Girls is a suspenseful read with moments of intrigue and tension, but it may not fully deliver on the promise of its thrilling premise. Fans of the genre may find it entertaining, though it might not stand out among other thrillers.

This was a good book that read a lot like Mean Girls the movie! I enjoyed it, High school is not a pleasant place to be in this one. It was a drama more than mystery I think. I would recommend it.

Margot Hunt penned one of my favorite thrillers out there, For better and worse. In this one the story follows a group of high school friends whose seemingly perfect lives unravel when a shocking crime disrupts their community. Hunt excels in creating a suspenseful atmosphere and delivering unexpected twists that keep readers hooked. The characters are complex, though at times their motivations can seem unclear, which may detract from the overall impact. Despite this, this is a compelling and intense read,

this was one of the worst books i’ve ever read lmao between the absolutely batshit bullying, including hanging an effigy of the main characters dead father inside her locker, and the very casual possession and distribution of CSAM that’s referred to as “revenge porn.” i’m all for bad things being portrayed in books and being uncomfortable can be meaningful but this was just straight up dog shit writing and i am genuinely confused how this has gotten so many accolades. the main character was so boring and i couldn’t distinguish between any of the characters since they were all boring, evil middle age women or boring, evil teenage girls. i would give this zero stars if that was an option. do not recommend.

Ugh, so. This is my third or fourth book by Hunt, and it's probably my least favorite - BUT! Not because it's bad, it's just being held up to really high expectations. Her first book was one of my favorite thrillers of 2018, I was absolutely blown away by the ending - but that also means I have high hopes for every book, which may be my fault. Anyway, this was basically middle of the road fine - not a standout, not a "three strikes you're out" book. But I'm bumping it to four stars because I liked the writing style!

This was a surprisingly fun and exciting book! I really enjoyed it! Alex and her mom Kate move from Buffalo to Florida in hopes of a fresh start. Alex starts off on the wrong foot with a trio of ‘mean girls’ at her new school and things just spiral out of control from there. This kept me on my toes and maintained my interest the entire book! 4.5 stars.

Kate Turner and her daughter Alex move to Shoreham, Florida after the tragic death of Kate’s husband. They plan to start fresh with their lives but they soon find themselves entangled in a bunchof lies and murders involving a group of what seems to be perfect mothers and their daughters. But are they? Highschool bully vibes. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

This is my third book by Margot Hunt, and probably my favorite. The book centers on mother Kate and daughter Alex who have just moved to Florida after the death of Kate's husband. We eventually learn the circumstances of his death, but Hunt slowly teases them out. Kate becomes friendly with a group of mothers, who also happen to be the mothers of the group of girls that are bullying Alex. The story picks up quickly from there and moves at a fast pace. I have come to expect that a Hunt book will start quickly and maintain the pace the whole way through, and Lovely Girls is no exception. For fans of thrillers and Margot Hunt herself, I highly recommend this read. I read it in one day and expect that others will read it just as quickly.

Book Review:
Title: Lovely Girls
Author: Margot Hunt
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/3 stars

Kate Turner and her 17 year old daughter, Alex, move to Shoreham, Florida, after the sudden and devastating death of her husband. Almost immediately, Alex gets drawn into a becoming the target of a group of mean girls from the tennis team just joined. Alex has a therapist that she spoke to in her old town that recommends that she keep a video diary of all of the occurances of bullying. Unfortunately, Kate has been pulled into the group of mothers of these bullies. Kate feels lucky to be accepted by this group of women and doesn't seem to notice the decline of her daughter. Kate turns a blind eye to what's really happening, convincing herself that there's no way these girls are that mean when their mothers are so kind. But are they really?

When the body of a young girl is found dead on the beach, Kate realizes she should have not only listened to Alex but to the many parents and neighbors who tried to warn her. Teenage girls can be mean! And I think it's just getting worse. I wanted to wring the mean girls necks so bad! Just stop! I did choose to "read" this book by listening to the audiobook, and the narrator kept me engaged.

Published: March 1st, 2023

Thank you, @netgalley and #thomasandmercer, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

There’s some mean girls up in here!

⏰ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫: Kate Turner and her daughter Alex have moved to Florida for a fresh start after the death of Kate’s husband, but right off the bat Kate senses something wrong in this Stepfordian town, namely with its “mean girl” vibe. Who is behind all the sinister behavior and is it possible Kate truly doesn’t know her daughter at all?

💡𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: This was a solid read. Mean girl mentality on full display, which mostly made me want to reach into my Kindle and smack some chics down 😆. After that, I found the plot fast-paced and the characters likable (or deliciously unlikable). Kate is an “every mom” and gave me someone to cheer for. The mystery of Alexis and her intentions was a fun read and loved the alternating perspectives.

📚𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Domestic thriller

😍𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: A quick entertaining beach-like mystery. Quick and dirty.

🙅‍♀️ 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: If mean girls are not your thang.

Thank you to the author and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC and the mean girl romp in exchange for my always-honest reviews.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Margot Hunt is becoming one of my favorite contemporary thriller writers, so I was excited to have this chance to read Lovely Girls. A solid, thoughtful thriller about whether people are "born bad" or raised that way, and how far high school bullies will go for revenge.

This book has all the trigger warnings: bullying, adult sexual relationships with minors, and of course, murder and mayhem, but all these topics are handled with sensitivity and thoughtfulness. This book really brought me back to some of the awful feelings of high school and how mean girls can truly be; now even more so with social media.

Our protagonist Alex and her mother Kate are likable characters, which is a good thing, because not too many other people in their town are. This well-narrated audiobook kept me guessing and the hours flew by. I will continue to check out this talented author's entire backlist. Recommended!

4 Stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lovely Girls? No.
Mean Girls? Yes.

I’ve been hesitant to pick this one up for several months, mainly because of the “mean girl” trope. I feel like it’s really overdone and the books that I have read with that plot line haven’t really been that great. However, this one was pretty darn good! I listened to the audio version (something I’m new at) and really liked the narrators too.

Kate and her daughter Alex moved to Shoreham, FL from Buffalo, NY to get a fresh start after her husband’s death. Although Kate quickly makes friends with a trio of moms, their daughters despise Alex immediately. Soon, Kate and Alex get caught up in a web of deceit, small-town gossip, lies and murder.

This is a super entertaining thriller that had quite a few unlikable characters. Not only are the three mean girls positively vile, but their mothers are just as despicable. Like mother, like daughter. My anxiety was kicked into high gear while reading this. Bullying is no joke in today’s world. I’m glad my school days are decades behind me!

Somewhat predictable, all the way entertaining. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Margot Hunt for my advanced copy to read and review.

TW: bullying

I was left wanting more. It was slow in some parts. Good thing there was an audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an e-arc of the book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

Sadly this book just wasn't for me. I wish I had more to say but I don't. I just couldn't get into the story and I dnf'd this book halfway through.

Alex and her mother recently moved from NY to FL after Alex's father dies and they're hoping for a fresh start.
While starting over, Alex meets three new girls at her high school and seems to hit it off with him, but it is not what it seems. It gave off Mean Girl vibes if Mean Girls were more of a mystery/darker.

This novel started out kinda slow, I considered not finishing it but I ended up getting sucked in and I'm glad I stuck it out.
It was interesting reading about Alex's diary videos without getting her full point of view.. at the beginning of the story i.thought it was really weird she started recording the girls playing tennis and though I thought their reaction was extreme, I somewhat understood why they were upset. Further into the story I realized even without that event there probably would have been animosity between them just due to who Daphne and her friends were and their past behavior.
I enjoyed how the author portrayed how people could be not all good or not all bad. One example is the neighbor, Lita. She did have good intentions warning Kate about Genevieve but her reactions to Taylor's story and the police investigation after Callie's death were honestly a bit disturbing, but also very realistic. I also enjoyed how Alex grappled with her own guilt after her father's death and felt she wasn't that much different than Daphne, although I agree with the therapist. I knew pretty early on that Alex probably wasn't the one found dead, but the events leading up to the death were unexpected and interesting, keeping me hooked.

After the sudden death of her husband, Kate decides it is time for a fresh start. Kate and her teenage daughter, Alex, move to a beachside town in Florida. Kate settles into her new life much easier than Alex. She befriends a trio of mothers. However, the daughters of these women do not like Alex at all. Not only do they dislike Alex, but they bully her. Alex tries to document the bullying through video diaries. One day, Alex captures something that will change the course of the teenagers and their mothers lives.

This was my first Margot Hunt book. I really enjoyed her style of writing. I will definitely be reading more from her in the future. She does an excellent job at diving into the characters while interspersing suspense. "Mean girls" are so common in society these days, especially in an era of social media. Margot Hunt does an excellent job showcasing the realities of how mean teenage girls can be and the consequences that follow. Although this plot has harsher consequences than what we see day to day, most of what was featured in the novel (ie the bullying) is spot on with reality. The author also explores the nature vs nurture debate, and does an excellent job diving in.

This is a very quick and easy read! I finished it in a day, finding it very difficult to put down! Highly recommend.

Thanks you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love Margo Hunt. When I first read one of her books, I binged read her entire back list within a week. These books are easy to read and they hook you! This one is no different. I absolutely loved this one as well and can't wait to read more of her books!

The chapters alternate between Kate's perspective and Alex's video diary. This narration adds suspense to the storyline as Alex recounts the bullying she is enduring. Kate's chapters are a little heartbreaking as she continues trying to reach Alex. She overlooks unpleasant traits in her new friends but will she finally listen to other people's warnings about them?