I feel like thrillers have hit a stride where they have to hit ALL the themes or they feel like they aren't trying to throw the reader for a loop. But that isn't always the purpose of a thriller. Thrillers are meant to keep you guessing, but also to let you find comfort in a genre that lets you wind through the story. I felt like this book sometimes succeeded at that, but more often than not it failed. If there was a bit more work to it, I might have given it more than one star, but at the end of the day, I just couldn't.

First off, the writing is supremely terrible. I was laughing so hard it was that bad. Like, there is a section where a woman is discussing her abuse and tells another woman she "could never understand" and the woman is like "She's right, I have a bad track record with having long-term relationships." Huh? How is that even directly related. There are also scenes where Hazel, a woman going through domestic abuse, lists out all the horrible things that happen to her, but then in the next step is like "eh, I'm really just a small child if you think about it." The self awareness of a woman who has been through this felt like it was an attempt to make sure we understood she was not a fully-developed woman. But in so doing it robbed her of an understanding of the mind of a domestic abuse survivor. There are also moments where she says to Lee "my husband is a sadist" and Lee is like "I got a chill, something told me what she said was true. Her husband got off on debasing her." What told you that Lee? What about this conversation describes what type of sadism Hazel's husband partakes in.

Then there was the Total Power Exchange Contract. Take a shot every time Hazel says Total Power Exchange Contract when she is speaking to literally anyone. This felt like Harding learned a term and decided to put it in anytime the abusive relationship popped up. It also felt like she wanted to eat her cake and have it to - this is a kink relationship gone wrong, but she isn't SHAMING people in the kink community, this just happens to be a man who is abusive and uses kink to his best benefit. But a lot of times she still uses terms used in the community that shouldn't be used once we realize this isn't what Hazel and Benjamin's relationship is.

Further, Hazel is...a strange character. At one point Lee is like "Yeah, I'm unhoused due to the pandemic" and Hazel literally looks into the distance and says "The pandemic hit a lot of people hard...but Benjamin made even more money." Excuse yourself HAZEL? THIS WOMAN IS UNHOUSED. She also talks about the police being "spread thin" in Seattle, a place that has had more discussions about police reform than many other places in America. It felt...pointed.

Some other solidly hilarious lines from Hazel. A day after Hazel's Drowning "I realize that I never thanked you . . . For saving me." "It's fine," "I thought I wanted to die. But I don't. I'm grateful you found me when you did!"

"Nate has a mother. He understands what I'm going through. He is human...unlike Benjamin."

I will refrain form others due to spoilers.

Further, she discusses Lee is an unhoused person in the Pacific Northwest, a place that is known for its unhoused population. And Lee drips in "But I'm not like the others." She literally starts the book getting robbed by meth heads with no teeth. And then immediately is able to access a rich neighborhood in a Toyota Carola and sleep there whenever she needs. She is still scared in the car, but there is no real reckoning with all of these choices by Lee. Lee literally has a line where she talks about the clientele of an all night diner and says "there are dealers and prostitutes, club kids and gangbangers" and discusses a sex worker as "maybe [] shooting up? Maybe [] just washing? No one asks and no one cares. They're just people...I see that now." But she also puts down people with derogatory terms and is always putting herself above them. It's really gross. At one point she is in a basement apartment and says there must be break-ins becuase...there are bars on the window?? You mean a function of ground floor places in a large city? What?

Every so often a book takes me by surprise and trips me up! The Drowning Woman was one of the twistiest psychological thrillers that’s I’ve read and I couldn’t read it fast enough! Two women, with completely different lifestyles yet the same desire to change their lives, cross paths and the thrill ride begins! The plot twists continually evolved with unsuspecting consequences. I didn’t know who to trust throughout or who was playing who! 4.5 rounded up

4.5 stars

Lee Gulliver has hit a rough patch in life and finds herself living in her car. One day as she’s parked in a secluded lot by the beach, she sees a sobbing woman dive into the ocean. Lee runs in to save the woman, but when they hit the beach instead of gratitude the other woman yells at Lee for her heroic act. It turns out the woman, Hazel, is in toxic relationship and wanted to die.

Now this synopsis probably seems incomplete and it sort of is. I just wanted to keep it as short as possible (and I’ll be doing the same with the review). This is a story I believe is best to go into blindly, to get the maximum punch out of the plot.

The story is told in four parts, alternating between Lee and Hazel’s POV which I absolutely loved. Usually with more than one POV you tend to prefer one over the other but I enjoyed both equally with this one! The twists also really packed some great punches and delivered a very entertaining storyline. This was my first by Robyn Harding and I’ll definitely be going back for her backlist!

The only reason it’s not a 5 star for me is because I feel there were some things left unresolved. Like they were brought up then just sort of exited the story with no other mention or resolution.

*4-4.5 stars

What a wild and crazy story! Lee Gulliver owned a restaurant in NYC until the pandemic hit and drove her into bankruptcy. Owing a dangerous man money, she heads west to escape his threats and try to start over. Now she's in Seattle, living in her car and working in a diner for cash. The streets are dangerous for a woman on her own so she needs to find a safer place to park overnight. She picks a park in a wealthy neighborhood where she thinks she won't be disturbed.

The next morning, she wakes when she hears crying and witnesses a woman slowly walking into the water. Dashing after her, she pulls the woman to safety. At first the woman, whose name is Hazel, is angry but then her feelings turn to gratitude and she tries to help Lee in small ways whenever they meet. As the women develop an unlikely friendship, Hazel slowly reveals the story of her life as an enslaved and abused wife of a wealthy man. She still needs to find a way to escape so perhaps they can come up with a plan that may benefit them both...

So many twists to this plot! Very exciting and perfect to take along for a summer beach read. Lee and Hazel are not really likable characters but the reader can't help but hope they'll find a way out of the mess they find themselves in.

I received an arc of this new thriller from the author and publisher via NetGalley. Many thanks! My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

When two women, one homeless and one extremely wealthy, cross paths neither of their lives will ever be the same. Straight from the beginning, this one had me hooked. Lee is living in her car after her restaurant falls under during the pandemic and she’s running from a shady investor who wants his money. Hazel is trapped in her mansion with her controlling husband, who is a lawyer for the worst of the worst and lives under constant surveillance. When the two women create a friendship after Hazel’s near drowning, they each find comfort in each other’s presence and sympathy for one another. Lee has been alone for so long on the run, and she really lets her guard down. But Hazel really isn’t the person she thought she was, and it could cost Lee what little freedom she has left.

This was my first read from Robyn Harding and will not be my last. It was twisty, fast-paced and the character development was perfect. I felt all kinds of emotions while reading this one and can’t wait to read more from the author. Thanks to the author, publisher and Thriller Book Lover’s Promotions for my advanced copy. The Drowning Woman will be published 6/13.

Thank you NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Robyn Harding for the advanced copy of The Drowning Woman in exchange for my honest review.

This was SO. GOOD! It has been soooo long since I've powered through a book this quickly. It's a masterclass in thriller writing and deception.

Honestly I was hooked from the very beginning to the very end. In the words of Schmidt from New Girl: "No Notes."

Thriller lovers everywhere, do not miss this one!! On sale next week, June 13!

From my blog: Always With a Book

I am a bit late to the Robyn Harding party, though I have read a couple of her books and really enjoyed them. Of course as soon as I heard about this one, I grabbed the ALC of it and devoured it! Let me just say…the hype for this one is real!!!

This was such a twisty, crazy psychological thriller that is definitely one you will not be able to put down once you start. I loved that this one starts off a bit slow to lull you into a false sense of security and then basically rips the rug out from under your feet as the twists start coming left and right!

I don’t even want to say much more for fear of spoilers, and because I think going into this one blind is really the best way to go, so I’ll just say that this is a fast-paced, smartly plotted story and will have you questioning everything and everyone. I loved it and it just might be my new favorite Robyn Harding book!

This is definitely the perfect book to add to your summer reading list if you love addictive, highly entertaining, binge-worthy reads. Now I am determined to read the rest of Robyn’s backlist before her next one comes out!


Audio thoughts: This was excellent on audio and I loved that there were two narrators. I loved that there were two narrators. It really made the alternating parts stand out.

God I love Robyn Harding. She was one of the very first authors I posted about when I started my instagram account, and she really never disappoints. This one follows Lee, a woman devastated by the pandemic’s toll on her restaurant who winds up homeless trying to escape her past. While sleeping on a remote beach she hears a woman attempting to end her life. After saving her she finds herself pulled into a grand conspiracy, and the complicated/messy life of the woman she rescued. This book is SO twisty turny! Harding always has great pacing and I was such a fool to doubt her. I was worried too much was happening all at the front half of the book, but no the second half was just as gripping. I really loved both of the central women- Lee and Hazel- and although they are different people they both have an inherent strength to them that I really loved and gravitated towards. This is a fantastic thriller that I couldn’t put down and I couldn’t recommend more.

I'm sharing my review on my instagram @boozehoundbookclub on the pub date!

Thank you to @netgalley @grandcentralpub @hachettebooks for my advance copy! I love Robyn Harding and all of her previous work so I knew this would be a winner.

I was literally hooked from the first page and could not put it down! It is told in two parts and POVs, Lee and Hazel. The heart of the story is really about friendship and the bonds of it. However, this is most definitely a psychological thriller (my fav) and it is twisty!

I don’t want to give too much away so I am going to keep this pretty brief. Just know that this is edge of your seat suspenseful, the chapters are short and quick and it is thoroughly engaging. This is your perfect summer thriller!

Robyn Harding is one of those authors whose books I will always read even if I don’t know the plot. She is a fantastic writer and her books are consistently four and five stars. When I opened The Drowning Woman, I knew I was going to love it and I did. Losing myself in a great story is my favorite thing to do and I read this one quickly. I HIGHLY recommend every book she writes!

Synopsis:

Lee Gulliver never thought she’d find herself living on the streets—no one ever does—but when her restaurant fails, and she falls deeper into debt, she leaves her old life behind with nothing but her clothes and her Toyota Corolla. In Seattle, she parks in a secluded spot by the beach to lay low and plan her next move—until early one morning, she sees a sobbing woman throw herself into the ocean. Lee hauls the woman back to the surface, but instead of appreciation, she is met with fury. The drowning woman, Hazel, tells her that she wanted to die, that she’s trapped in a toxic, abusive marriage, that she’s a prisoner in her own home. Lee has thwarted her one chance to escape her life.

Out of options, Hazel retreats to her gilded cage, and Lee thinks she’s seen the last of her, until her unexpected return the next morning. Bonded by disparate but difficult circumstances, the women soon strike up a close and unlikely friendship. And then one day, Hazel makes a shocking request: she wants Lee to help her disappear. It’ll be easy, Hazel assures her, but Lee soon learns that nothing is as it seems, and that Hazel may not be the friend Lee thought she was.



Out on June 13, don’t miss it. This got five big Goodreads stars from me!

In The Drowning Woman, we follow Lee and Harper. Lee is homeless living in her car and working at a restaurant trying to stay afloat, when she rescues Harper from drowning a strange friendship emerges.

The first chapter was really intriguing as we meet this woman Lee who is living in her car under an overpass, having run from a dangerous man. Her life changes when she meets Harper after Lee saves her from drowning.

This story is fast-paced and full of twists and turns, some of which I could see coming, and some that were surprising. But I really couldn't connect with either Lee or Harper, Lee jumps into bed with the first man who is nice to her thinking of herself in love with him even though she never got his last name which I thought didn't make any sense for someone with her background to do. And things didn't get any better from there. I didn't feel like any decisions made sense for either woman and the different POVs ended up rehashing the same things which was annoying. Honestly even with all the issues I had I probably would have given this 3 stars if not for how disappointed I was with the ending.

So I wasn’t sure how much to expect from this book, but I was riveted from the first page to the very last! The twists just keep coming throughout, and I was so attached to both the MCs, I didn’t want the book to end. If you’re a fan of domestic thrillers, do yourself a favor and check this one out next week!

Thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central Pub for the gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is bound to be the thriller of the summer - tightly written, twisty with an ending I didn't see coming. Highly recommend!

Lee Gulliver has lost it all. Her New York City restaurant, her family and her reputation. She is now penniless, homeless and living in her car in Seattle. While sitting on the beach, she saves a drowning woman. But the woman, Hazel, did not want to be saved. While living a life of luxury, she is trapped in an abusive marriage. The two women eventually find a common bond and vow to help one another. But at a time when Lee and Hazel need to be able to trust one another, neither can. And a twisty tale of lies and deception begins.

The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding is a highly effective thriller. It requires some suspension of disbelief, which was ok with me, as the reader is rewarded with a tense rollercoaster ride. This is one of the first books I've read where a main character's unfortunate situation, in Lee's case, a failed restaurant, was a direct result of the pandemic. It made some of her subsequently foolish decisions believable. I enjoyed Harding's fast-paced writing style, which was appreciated as I couldn't put this book down.

4.25 stars.

This is an excellent, well-crafted story with lots of jaw-dropping surprises. I love it when, as I’m reading, I think “what about ____?” and then my question is answered in a way that makes sense. I really enjoyed this one a lot. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

WOWOWOOW now THAT'S a thriller. I was hooked from the beginning and finished this one in less than 24 hours. Highly recommend to thriller fans.

Two women in dire straits come together to save each other. It should be a great story of bonding and female empowerment, except no one is as they appear. Lots of twists and surprises and lots of action. But, the flow of the story seemed uneven and there were a lot of bits and pieces that were either completely unbelievable or were unresolved. At times I wanted to shake both women for the poor choices they made. Some things appeared so obvious, but of course we are reading a story and they theoretically didn't realize they were starring in a thriller, right?

This one was a wild and twisty ride for sure!

Lee is down on her luck. Covid happened and she lost her restaurant, but still owes money to an investor who isn't happy. She also made a horrible mistake which has caused her sister to shut her out. She's on the run. She has no one to turn to. She's curently living in her car and waiting tables at a hole in the wall diner.

She parks her car random places to feel safe. She finds a secluded area in a nicer neighborhood and sleeps there. She awakens to what she belives is crying, heads toward the beach and pulls a woman fromn the water who appeared to be drowning.

Hazel, the drowning woma, has a lot of secrets. She befriends Lee and helps her, and wants Lee to help her as well. But is she what she appears to be?

Lee gets entanged in a psychological mess that she can't find her way out of. It ends in murder, with Lee on the run. Hazel is dealing with her own issues.

There were twists and turns that kept me on my toes until the end!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an ARC and a physical copy in exchange for my honest review, and to Thriller Book Lovers Promo for allowing me to take part in this tour!

A fun popcorn thriller with plenty of twists and turns, The Drowning Woman is a quick, binge-able book that I didn’t want to put down! This book left me feeling a wide array of emotions, but mostly anger towards the treatment of the MCs.

I went in completely blind, and I’m really glad I did! I had no expectations and just let the story take me wherever it wanted. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! Our June 13!

I’m here to tell you to read this book!!! this thriller was EXCELLENT. I flew through it in a day and truly couldn’t put it down. it’s everything I look for: short chapters | two POVs | unpredictable plot twists… it had me on the edge of my seat and I’m pretty sure I was short of breath at some
points 😅 if you haven’t read a Robyn Harding thriller you’re missing OUT.

thank you Grand Central for my gifted copy of THE DROWNING WOMAN!