Does the gene for being a "Mean Girl" pass from mother to daughter or is it the result of the environment the child is raised in? Margot Hunt depicts this theory in her book , Lovely Girls. This is not my usual genre for reading however I really did enjoy the experience. It was a fast paced thriller that I would bring to the beach or by the pool. Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy.

This book is called "Lovely Girls", which is an irony because, the story revolves around a group of girls and women who are anything but lovely. In fact, you will be hard put to find more nastier people than those you see in this book.

Kate Turner and her daughter Alex move to the small beachside town of Shoreham, Florida after Kate's husband passes away in an accident, especially because Alex hasn't been the same since the accident; Kate hopes that this change will help her daughter come out of the shell she has been in. What Kate doesn't expect is that Alex and her will have to face more crazy circumstances in the new place.

Alex comes across a trio of girls on her first day in the town and gets on their bad side unfortunately. Kate is welcomed warmly by the moms of the same girls and hence doesn't heed when others warn her against these women. However, as time goes on, things unravel more and more with both Kate and Alex, ultimately culminating in a murder. Do these extraordinary circumstances finally break these already damaged women or do they come out of it unscathed? What are the underlying passions and dark impulses which lead to the murder? Read the book to find out more.

This is a wonderful book which is completely gripping and darkly compelling. There was an ominous atmosphere throughout the book which made it really uneasy for me to read at times. Still, I couldn't stop reading it as well. I feel the author Margot Hunt intended for this book to be a window into the soul of people who tend to do terrible things without conscience and I must say she has been very successful with her objective. Can't wait to read more of her works.

In Margot Hunt’s ‘Lovely Girls’, Kate Turner and her daughter, Alex, embark on a new beginning in the coastal town of Shoreham, Florida, after the untimely death of Kate's husband. However, their hopes for a tranquil existence are swiftly disrupted when Alex becomes the victim of unrelenting bullying orchestrated by a group of girls within the community. Kate initially underestimates the severity of the situation, but as chilling warnings from other parents and neighbors reach her, she starts questioning the true nature of her new friends, the girls’ moms.

Genre: Psychological Thriller/Mystery

Setting: The beachside town of Shoreham, Florida

Main Characters:
1. Kate Turner: A widow and mother who moves to Shoreham with her daughter, looking for a fresh start.
2. Alex Turner: Kate's teenage daughter who becomes the victim of bullying and documents the events in her video diary.
3. Trio of Fellow Moms: Kate's fast friends in Shoreham who hide dark secrets behind their friendly façades.
4. Clique of Girls: The group of girls who target Alex and make her life miserable, their motives shrouded in mystery.

Themes:
1. Betrayal and Deceit: The story explores the consequences of trust and the dangers of relying on appearances alone.
2. Small-Town Dynamics: The narrative delves into the power of gossip, the pressure to conform, and the lengths people will go to maintain their social status.
3. Mother-Daughter Relationship: The bond between Kate and Alex is tested as they navigate the challenges of their new environment and unravel the truth together.
4. Bullying and Its Effects: The novel examines the impact of bullying on the victim and the broader implications it can have on a community.

Plot Twists:
1. The trio of moms, initially seen as supportive and friendly, are revealed to be orchestrating the bullying against Alex.
2. Kate receives warnings that the moms are dangerous and involved in sinister activities, leading her to question her friendships.
3. The motives behind the bullying become clear, uncovering a dark secret that the clique of moms is desperate to protect.
4. Alex's video diary captures a crucial piece of evidence that turns the tables and exposes the truth, leading to a thrilling climax.

Ultimately, ‘Lovely Girls’ is a gripping psychological thriller that explores the dark side of seemingly idyllic communities, revealing the lengths people will go to in order to maintain their status and the importance of trust and resilience in the face of betrayal.

Bad girls. Talking 'bout bad bad girls.

While there’s nothing necessarily new when it comes to this story, there’s just something about a mean girl that really hits the spot for me.

As I said, the premise here isn’t one that hasn’t been done before. Mom and daughter relocate for a fresh start. Mom gets taken in by the resident mom squad, but their mean girl daughters don’t do the same for the new girl. It kicks off right from the jump with a dead body, but you don’t find out who said corpse is until Part II, and the rest of the time is spent figuring out whodunit. This gets 4 Stars for being perfectly satisfying. I was in the mood for some Lifetime Stabby Stab action and found this one to be . . . so fetch.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

I loved this book !! I am such a huge fan of mean girls with mean moms and the karma that comes back to bite them in the ass. This book was unique also with the alternating chapters from Alex's video diary. I loved that form of media mixed in. This book was like mean girls and big little lies mixed together and I LOVED IT!!

I don't enjoy books about "mean girls", whether teens or adults, but I loved the author's book, FOR BETTER OR WORSE, so wanted to give this one a chance..

The story is intriguing and the characters well-developed but the fact that a large chunk of the book is written from the pOV of a teen girl gave it a YA feel, and ruined it for me.

This was a fail and "it's me, not the book" review. Not every book is for every reader, however, I look forward to reading more from the author if there are no teen narrators.

I truly loved this story; this is my first book by this author. This story is crazy take on Mean Girls and their mothers, what we would do for daughters and where to draw the line. This book should be added to every book club because there is so much to discuss. We all want to fit in and make friends, but when your friends become your enemies what do you do to save your daughter and yourself?

Kate just lost her husband and wants a fresh start for her and daughter, so they relocate to beach town in Florida. What they find there is something so menacing that is hard to even believe when you say out loud.

I can't say too much without giving it away but read this book you will not forget it, promise.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Mercer for copy of this book for my honest review.

Lovely Girls was an irresistible and twisty suspense novel that kept me interested from start to finish.

I've previously listened to a few short stories from Margot Hunt, but this is the first full length novel I've read and listened to. I was happy to have the Lovely Girls e-book and audiobook. It was great being able to switch back and forth again.

Seeking a fresh start, Kate Turner and her seventeen-year-old daughter Alex make the move to Shoreham, Florida. Kate knows that Alex is still very upset over her father's death. Kate is also still grieving the unexpected loss of her husband.

Kate is very worried about her daughter. They have both been through so much. Kate tries her best to be patient with Alex. Her once happy, determined, exuberant daughter is now sullen, anxious, and extremely angry. Small town Shoreham seems like the perfect place for both of them to start over. Kate is determined to make this move work out well for them.

Kate makes friends with some of the local mothers right away. Alex struggles to fit in and is quickly targeted by a group of mean girls. Bullies who set out to make her life a living hell. At first Kate isn't sure who or what to believe. Things continue to escalate. Until one night the unthinkable happens.

The story was quick and engrossing and I only put it down a couple of times. It is told from both Kate and Alex's point of view and I really liked the short chapters. It was maybe a little predictable at times, but I was still very entertained. I thought the two narrators of the audiobook were also very good.

Overall, this was a quick and exciting domestic suspense story about gossip, jealousy, lies, betrayal, and murder.

As I mentioned before, this was my first full length novel from Margot Hunt. However, it DEFINITELY won't be my last.


I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

This was my first read by Margo Hunt and I really enjoyed it! I couldn’t wait to get to the end to see how it would all unfold. There was something about this book that felt familiar; mean girls and the women who raise them and protect them. This book had an interesting cast of characters, from the cruel teenagers and their mothers, to the nosy neighbor, and the new love interest. I enjoyed the relationship between the mom, Kate, and her new love interest, Joe. Some parts of the book were hard to read. The cruelty and those that went along with it. I often wanted to shake Alex and just yell at her to tell the truth! Tell her mom what was really going on at school and with the other girls. I liked how this book looked at the small decisions we make and the domino effect they can have and how technology and social media plays a role in it as well.

4 Stars!

I really enjoyed Hunt's previous books: [book:For Better and Worse: A Novel|38350063] & [book:The Last Affair|43483465], so I was really looking forward to her latest.

This was a fast, quick, popcorn thriller; mean moms & mean girl daughters. It takes place in Florida, after Alex & her mother moved from Buffalo, following her father's tragic death. As a Buffalonian, I absolutely loved all the buffalo related references - Albright Knox, etc.

Recommend if you’re looking for an easy, fun, popcorn thriller – would be perfect for the beach, or just a weekend read.

Domestic suspense that hooks you from the beginning. This is a quick, twisty thriller with distinct viewpoints and from mother and daughter.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced e-reader.copy! This book had potential a new girl in town, gets targeted immediately by the mean girls of the school because she's a threat to their spots on the tennis team. But then Alex records the tennis coach and a student. Then the bullying becomes more sinister. The characters were just undeveloped. I think this could have been better. 2.5stars rounded up to 3

This was such an addicting book. I picked it up and was like "okay, I'll read a little bit before bed." Before I knew it, I was 40% in and completely obsessed with finding out how this one would end.

I liked the idea of Alex and her video diary. That was a nice switch up and POV change as you continued hearing about the horrible bitches at her school.

While I went into this blind, it wasn't difficult to see where this story might lead. I love stories about rich families and horrible parents and their evil children.

I liked Kate, even if sometimes I think she could have pushed her daughter harder to find out she was being bullied. I also wanted her to destroy the lives of everyone involved, but it didn't go that route.

The ending was good, even if it went off the rails a little bit. I wasn't expecting it to go that way, and it felt a tadddddd dramatic. The ending is why it didn't get a full five stars, because this was seriously so easy and fun to read. It went by quick and the pacing was awesome. I just wish the ending was a little less dramatic.

But I love Margot Hunt and will read anything she puts out!

Lovely Girls - Margot Hunt

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this captivating eARC.

Be prepared to finish this suspenseful novel in one sitting, as you follow this story of a mother and her teenage daughter relocating to escape rumours and bad memories, only to be emotionally tortured by the resident "bad girls".

Survival isn't a given in modern day suburbia when you have to fight for each scrap of recognition.

Margot Hunt writing shines in this novel, which showcases her excellent character development and pacing,as she delivers a storyline with more than one "hook" to keep you on the line.
Until Next time...

P. S. I LOVED this clever psychological thriller!

Absolutely addicting! Kate moves with her daughter Alex to a small seaside town in FL for a fresh start after the death of her husband. Instead of peace and new beginnings, they find themselves embroiled amidst mean girl cliques. This is gripping, fast paced, and suspenseful at every turn! I couldn’t put this one down! Thanks to Margot Hunt, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this e-ARC!

WOW. I didn't expect to like this as much as i did. Stories centering around mother-daughter relationships always gets me and this was no exception. A murder mystery about mean girls and mean moms, how a 'newly moved into town' mom-daughter duo navigate the monstrosities of these meanies. Some bits regarding back stories of certain characters felt unpolished but it didn't affect my liking for this overall. Recommended for those who love small town with people and big attitudes kind of thriller!

Sometimes we need one of those binge-able reads that are perfect for our self-imposed full day of reading and no responsibilities. Lovely Girls is one to pick up when you are in that mood.

The story follows Kate and her teenage daughter Alex. They have moved to a beachside town in Florida following the death of her husband / Alex’s father. Whilst trying to start over, Kate and Alex are caught up in a clique, both of mothers and of their daughters respectively. When someone is found dead on the beach, Kate and Alex are caught up in the drama.

I started this one and had it finished within 24 hours. It was engaging and well written, I just wanted to keep turning the page to find out what happened next. Lovely Girls is not a thriller that is going to have you on the edge of your seat or jaw droppingly surprised like some stories would but there are twists and turns throughout that entertained me.

The story is somewhat realistic about how teenage girls and some women act. Not everyone grows out of being a mean girl and this book even ponders whether they are born or created.

Mean Girls on steroids.
Kate and her daughter, Alex, move to a small Florida town to get a fresh start after a traumatic experience back home. It doesn’t take them long to meet the trio of bitchy moms who run things, and their even bitchier daughters. Alex quickly becomes their newest target, and things escalate to the extreme.
This got a little melodramatic towards the end, but was overall pretty engaging.
Thanks to #netgalley and #thomasandmercer for this #arc of #thelovelygirls in exchange for an honest review.

When Kate and her daughter, Alex, move to Florida for a fresh start after a tragedy, Kate immediately becomes friends with a group of popular moms, and hopes Alex can fit in with their equally popular daughters. But things begin to go wrong when Alex challenges these seem girls both on and off the tennis court - where the trio of girls rule, like their mothers rule the town. When things escalate to a fever pitch, Kate and Alex are stuck in the middle of something that may have consequences that extend far beyond some high school drama.

I've been a fan of Margot Hunt for awhile, having read several of her books and finding her really gifted at making seemingly simple plots turn out to be complex and full of intrigue. I am happy to report that this book was he same way: it wasn't just a book about petty high school arguments, it had a lot of story depth and complex characters with interesting motives and situations.

There are also twists up until the very end that left me guessing. It was a very interesting perspective and I enjoyed really diving in and thinking about it. It will make you gasp and pause at the same time. I think that is the mark of a good book.

This is another great addition to the catalogue of Margot Hunt, whose book are deep dives into the lives of women and young women that go far beyond just simple surface scratches. She creates the kind of characters that really show the complex side of people and will keep you guessing all the way through the book.

(Although, caveat, Alex annoyed me at points, but she's a teenager, and teenagers will teenager.)

Highly recommend.

The good: Okay, I really enjoyed the parts in which Alex keeps a video diary of what she's going through. Her point of view of really interesting, especially as during her mom's POV I started to wonder if possibly there was more to Alex that meets the eye. I kept wanting something crazy to happen, and this feeling kept me glued until the very end.

The bad: I found Kate, Alex's mom, to be mostly boring, except during the times in which she talks about this dark feeling she has. I really wish we had delved more deeply into that, along with Alex's darkness. I just wanted MORE. I didn't get any darkness from either of them, and the Stepford Wives feeling never really came to fruition.

Overall: This book definitely kept me glue until the end, so although it wasn't a home run, I'd say it was at least a double. (I tried to use tennis terms but know nothing about tennis, so baseball it it).