Newly widowed mother Kate moves to Shoreham, Florida, with her teenage daughter, Alex, for a new start. Kate's husband/Alex's father has recently died in complicated circumstances, leaving his wife and daughter with some sort of trauma. Upon arriving at Shoreham, Kate makes friends with three glamorous women; however, unbeknownst to Kate, Alex immediate clashes with the daughters of Kate's new friends, causing tension and angst. It soon seems like life in Shoreham is not the escape Kate hoped for.

Lovely Girls was a really easy read - I read it all in two sittings in one day. Unfortunately, reading this book was a bit like fast food - satisfying at the time but then you're hungry again in an hour. Other than Kate and Alex, none of the secondary characters are really fleshed out. The villains are very villainous, the love interest is very perfect, and the ending is pretty clear early on.

Definitely a holiday/poolside read for me.

I already had a book on the go when I saw this as a "read now" on Netgalley. I sent this to my kindle, thought I would read a page to see what I had to look forward to; I absolutely love Margot Hunt's books. I ended up devouring this. I could not put it down! This book starts off with a bang and doesn't stop until the last page. Most of the characters are horrible, unlikable people. There's lots of gossip, deceit, betrayal, hatred. The writing is excellent - fast-paced, three-dimensional characters, and great build up that leads to a satisfying ending. Even the cover is wonderful.

If you thought your high school had bullies, they are nothing compared to Daphne, Shae, and Callie at Shoreham High School in Florida. Upon the sudden death of her husband, Kate decides to move from Buffalo to a small, quaint town in Florida with her daughter Alex. Everything in Shoreham is perfect, perfect lawns, beautiful houses, and perfect people who will do anything to ensure their childs success. Kate is soon friends with the mothers of these girls and ignores the warnings about just how awful they can be. Alex is taken to a whole new level of bullying at school when she unexpectedly takes a video of an incriminating incident. This sets off a set of events that ends with a murder and 'unintended consequences'. There's also a bit at the end that makes you think Kate's husbands' death was not accidental.
This was a fast paced book, with good character development, and suspense. You get a good view of what teenage life is like today with all the pressure to exceed, and the influence social media has in their day to day lives. It sure made me glad I'm no longer in high school!!

Lovely Girls tells the story of newsly widowed Kate and daughter Alex after they move to Florida to start a new life. Unfortunately, Alex becomes the target of the mean girls in her new school. Unbeknownst to her, they're the daughters of her mum Kate's new group of friends.

Wow!

What did I just read?

This book was so good and so well written, I wanted to jump of my seat and have a word with Alex's bullies and their mums!

In all honesty, I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did. It was fast paced with lots of good dialogue and the characters were well written.

Recommended!

If you've ever wanted to read a lifetime movie, this is the book for you. Sure, it's formulaic, the characters are about as deep as a teaspoon, and the writing is stilted, but you tuned in for entertainment in lieu of stimulation and it delivers exactly that.

Great book that showcases bullying in the 21st century and how fake and competitive people can be. Excellent thriller with a suprised ending.

Everyone deserves a fresh start after a huge life change. That is what Kate needs after the loss of her husband. Kate and her daughter, Alex, move to a beachside town in Florida. Sounds idyllic right? But not everything is what it seems. Kate has met three new mom friends and is happy to find them. But her new friends daughters do not like Alex at all. Things get crazy and Kate is caught in a web of deceit. She doesn’t know who believe or trust. Will Kate and Alex be able to get their fresh start?

What I enjoyed:
-the pacing was excellent! I really was able to get sucked into the story. I enjoyed the multiple POVs as well.
-right after the half way mark things get W-I-L-D. I couldn’t figure out how this one would play out. I was able to get this read done in a day!
-I really liked Kate! I thought she was a great mom. I loved her determination to make sure her daughter was okay.

There was more I enjoyed but I don’t want to spoil anything. This was a great read, that was full of surprises. This book is perfect for any thriller fan! 4 stars out of 5. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wow! The perfect mix between Criminal Minds and Mean Girls! Kate is a mom who must do what it takes to keep her daughter Alex safe. This starts when she moves Alex to the beach town of Shoreham, a place she hopes will be a fresh start for her daughter. Kate's life begins to look up as she meets a man, and a group of mom friends but things start to take a turn for her daughter Alex. No one is safe and no one can be trusted and there are only a few people who know what really happened that night...

This was my first Magot Hunt novel. It was easy to read and kept me hooked the entire time. The prologue made it possible for me to finish this book in less than a day.
Alex was shown as a typical teenager and Kate (the mother) acted appropriately in the scenes that included Alex.
Kate and Alex are new in town and fitting in isn’t always easy.
Kate almost immediately made friends with the “popular mothers”, but the daughters (mean girls) bullied Alex right from the start.
My question is how Kate could not see from the start that the group of mothers will cause problems, fitting in as a teenager is one thing, but adults usually reach a level of confidence where you don’t need the approval of others to define yourself. But at least Kate wasn’t so oblivious to not notice that there was seriously something wrong with the mothers and the daughters.
I was really disappointed in Shae’s (mean girl minion) actions and how badly Daphne (main mean girl) could influence her.
There were times I had to reread certain sentences, because of discrepancies and grammatical errors.
Overall, it was n an enjoyable winter read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
After the death of her husband, Kate and her daughter (Alex) move to a new city for a fresh start.
But what Alex finds are a group of mean girls (Daphne, Shea and Callie) who seem to be trying to make Alex’s life a living hell. And what Kate realizes quickly is that maybe their moms (Genevieve, Emma and Ingrid) may be 1st generation mean girls.

Enjoyed VERY much. I loved the writing style. I could picture the characters. I couldn’t put it down!
Comes out February 2023

I received a complimentary ARC of Lovely Girls, by Margot Hunt in exchange for my honest review.
I devoured this book! I simply couldn't stop turning pages, though the clock kept advancing later and later, I had to read it.
After her husband dies in an accident, Kate Turner decides to move herself, and her daughter Alex, to the beautiful beachside town of Shoreham, Florida.
Alex has been troubled since the loss of her father and Kate thought a fresh start would be helpful for both of them. Kate quickly makes friends with three women who seem to have it all together, beautiful homes, beautiful daughters, beautiful lives. Some of the town's residents however, try to warn Kate that these women are not who they seem to be.
Each of these women have a daughter going into their senior year of high school, just like Alex. However, Alex doesn't make friends with these girls. In fact, these girls headed by one girl in particular, take an instant and total dislike of her. At school, the girls begin cruel and vicious bullying of Alex, and as things progress, Kate decides to confront her "friends" about their daughter's behavior.
Then things escalate, and Kate doesn't know who to turn to or who she can trust. Soon, one of the girls turns up dead and Kate may lose her life trying to get to the truth

Beautiful story. Kept me interested the whole way through and I couldn’t wait to know the ending. I will definitely be recommending.

Great thriller. Never heard of the author but gave the story a try and really enjoyed it, the plot, characters, all of it. Highly recommend! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

So good! My first by Margot Hunt, thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.
This was suspenseful and thrilling, as much as some very messed up teen girls and their rich witchy moms could be. It had Big Little Lies vibes. The last half, I couldn’t put it down. I recommend it! Look for this one when it’s out in January.

An absolutely frustrating thriller, in the best way possible. I loved how Kate and Alex’s two points of view were used to further the suspense and give less and less of a full view of the story. Whenever I wanted to hear more from Kate, Alex’s chapters were longer and vice versa. It was agonizing and absolutely perfect. I also appreciated the first chapter because it let us know that there were high stakes from the very beginning. This is one of the best thrillers I have read in a long time because it just made sense and was expertly written. I’m just mad that I’ll never know what Daphne said to Shae. Truly such a good book that I will be recommending nonstop until, and after, it’s release.

On the surface, Lovely Girls may seem like a simple story about a group of mothers raising their teenage daughters, but in reality it’s about self-preservation, betrayal, status, and power. This book captured my attention within the first three pages and it never wavered. Unexpectedly, I finished this book in one sitting because the characters were so complex, the plot was captivating, and I was eager to see how the different pieces of the book fit together.

The interaction of complicated characters like the different mothers, Kate, Emma, Ingrid, and Genevieve and the teenagers, Callie, Shae, Daphne, and Alex in Lovely Girls was an element that made the story so captivating. From the group of mothers to the teenage girls, each character is multifaceted. The darkness in each character, buried underneath their welcoming demeanor is terrifying. As the story progresses, each character is revealed for who they truly are, and the extremes they are willing to take for what they view is right. The dynamics in various relationships are elaborate and while I sometimes wanted to know more about certain characters, each person drives the story in their own way.

The different points of view gave the story depth. The perspective given through Alex’s video diaries was hard to engage at first, but became more enjoyable as the story continued. The video diaries helped display elements of teenage life. The perspective from Alex’s mother Kate helped create balance between the teenager’s perspective and the perspective of the group of mothers.

Occasionally when reading a thriller or mystery, the ending isn’t as gratifying as reading the rest of the book. In Lovely Girls, the ending was just as satisfying as the rest of the book. Throughout, I had predictions and ideas for how the story would end. While some of them were correct, there was more going on than I anticipated and seeing it all come together was really satisfying.

Overall, I would definitely recommend Lovely Girls by Margot Hunt. The distinct plot in this story made it different than any others I’ve read this year. The fast-paced story kept me reading without giving me “whiplash.” The well-crafted characters created a complex storyline. This book will leave you thinking about society and connections between people.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an electronic copy to review…I could not put this book down…characters who are broken…some more than others…a mom trying to save her daughter from bullying…electronic mayhem…murder…jealousy…mothers who are beyond belief…students…high school…death and despair…themes abound in this story…this author kept me on the edge of my seat…wondering what would happen…hoping it would not…do not miss this book by this talented author…

After the sudden death of her husband, Kate Turner is looking for a fresh start for herself and her teenage daughter, Alex. They relocate to the beachside town of Shoreham, Florida, where all is not as sunny as it seems.
Although Kate makes fast friends with a trio of fellow moms, their daughters take an instant dislike to Alex, who attempts to document their bullying in her video diary. Kate brushes off Alex’s concerns until she receives a series of chilling warnings about the clique of moms from other parents and neighbors. As it becomes harder for her to ignore the malicious undercurrent she senses among her new friends, Kate grows increasingly unsure of who to believe and who to trust.
As small-town gossip weaves a harrowing web of jealousy, deceit, and betrayal, Kate and Alex discover that whether you’re in or out, the status quo can turn on you deadly fast.
Really enjoyable read totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and Thomas And Mercer
I just reviewed Lovely Girls by Margot Hunt. #LovelyGirls #NetGalley

Book: Lovely Girls
Author: Margot Hunt
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Pub Date: February 7, 2023

Margot Hunt is one of my favorite authors. Her books are easy reads that are very relatable. Even though it was about “mean girls” I connected to all of the characters. We all know a mean girl or have had experiences with one. Hopefully none of us are one…but this book had it all. Another great book by Margot Hunt!

Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this sneak peak! Publication date is February 7, 2023

Lovely Girls is my first book by author Margot Hunt. I thought the story flowed well and I felt a connection to the characters.
This story takes the concept of "mean girls" to a completely dark level.
I enjoyed the book with all of its twists and turns. I look forward to more from this author!