The Drowning Woman is an incredibly fast paced read with short, snappy chapters and edge-or-your-seat suspense. While the plot is well and truly over the top, and a few things were introduced that were never addressed again or sorted to completion, this was definitely an engaging read that will be perfect for summer vacation. If you’re looking for a popcorn thriller, this is it!

She did it again, friends. Yup, once again Robyn Harding absolutely blew my mind with her upcoming thriller, The Drowning Woman. I don’t how she does it, but every single time I read one of the author’s books, I’m left speechless, extremely impressed, and completely satisfied. This is the fourth book that I’ve read from the author, and no big surprise here—it’s a five star read.

The Drowning Woman is broken up into four parts, told through alternating dual perspectives, and the twists are truly endless. And I’m not just saying that. After I finished reading part one, the twist shocked me SOOOO much that I sent Robyn a DM, stating:

“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳!!!”

My best advice is to go in blind. It’s always the best way to enjoy a thriller, in my opinion. Just know that it primarily involves two women - Lee, Hazel, and a few of the men in their lives. Lee is down on her luck, living out of her car, and trying to rebuild her life after her restaurant fails. Hazel is a rich and beautiful trophy wife who likes to spend her time at the gym. But of course, things aren’t always quite like they seem. You won’t know who to believe or trust. You’ll second guess your gut feelings over and over again.

Another thing I loved is that it’s set in Seattle, following the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. So, not to worry. All of the major ugliness and messiness is over, and you won’t have to relive those horrible days. It’s simply a subtle backdrop that plays into the storyline quite well.

So, if you’re looking for your next binge-worthy popcorn thriller that’s guaranteed to make your jaw drop, and your eyes pop out of your head, this is definitely it. The drama is juicy, the plot is intense, the pace is steady, and the suspense is plentiful. Grab your copy of The Drowning Woman on June 13th! Trust me. It’s the perfect summer thriller that you’ll find impossible to put down. 5/5 outstanding stars! Highly recommend!

This is one of the best books I’ve read! Lee, a homeless woman, strikes up an unlikely friendship with Hazel, a very wealthy woman. After Lee saves Hazel from committing suicide, they start hatching a plan to save Hazel from her toxic marriage. Great twists and turns!

This was an excellent thriller that had me reading long into the night – and then listening for sounds in the house for hours afterwards!

Two women become friends in an unconventional way. Both are dealing with some major life issues and need help. But can they trust each other? That's the question.

I knew nothing about this book going in and I'm truly thankful for that!

**Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.**

This is my first Robyn Harding book but far from the last!! Told in alternating POVs—Lee, who’s currently on the run and living in her car after the pandemic put her in debt that she can’t pay; and Hazel, a seemingly wealthy victim of domestic abuse who’s looking for a way out.
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The story twists and turns and you never know who is playing who. THIS IS MY FAVORITE TYPE OF STORY. You think it’s one way and then it’s the other, and then back again. The twist in the first half had my jaw on the floor! HOLY MOLY.
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My only little mini complaint is that I was waiting for another big twist near the end and I thought it fell just the tiniest bit flat. I will still absolutely recommend this book to everyone I know!
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Thanks so much to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an early e-copy!

If you’re looking for your next extremely twisty thriller, I’ve got you.

And this one really doesn’t shy away from twists. One after the other, you’re always guessing who to trust and believe. It’s wickedly fast and brings all the suspense 👀

Told in four parts that alternate between Lee and Hazel, Harding does a great job ensuring you will *not* be able to put this book down. When Lee’s POV ended, I’d be dying to pick up her story again (and vice versa) ⏩

The alternating POVs are particularly effective because they happen concurrently. So after seeing things unfold through Lee’s eyes, you also get Hazel’s side of the same story 💯

Last, I loved the ending. It’s not often that a thriller ends on a hopeful/happy note, but somehow it works here!

The Drowning Woman is one of the best thrillers I've ever read. It is completely unpredictable and it kept my heart racing the entire time. It's so well-written and perfectly orchestrated. I kept saying "OMG" the entire time and I can't stop recommending it!

I cared about both Lee and Hazel and wanted their circumstances to be better. I was really worried for them whenever I had to put down the book to get back to real life. There were so many twists and turns and I never knew who to trust. Nothing was predictable at all and I had no idea what would happen from one moment to the next. I love books like that!

I would have liked to see a certain character receive major consequences, but since this was from the perspectives of the two leading women, it makes sense that I might not get the closure I was craving. It didn't take away from my overall enjoyment though.

Add this thriller to your TBR in June and then plan to not get anything else done for a few hours...

Movie casting suggestions:
Lee: Brie Larson
Hazel: Alicia Vikander
Benjamin: Christopher Russell
Jesse: Max Thieriot
Rachelle: Gugu Mbatha-Raw

When Lee's restaurant goes out of business during the pandemic, she suddenly finds herself homeless and living in her car. While parking it by the beach, she spots a drowning woman in the water. But when Lee gets Hazel out of the water, she finds that Hazel is irate at being rescued. She tells Lee she was trying to escape her life and her abusive husband. However, the two become close, sharing details about their lives. Eventually, Hazel asks Lee to help her flee from her husband once and for all.

But this is a Robyn Harding book, so nothing is that simple! This was such a page-turner--I stayed up late to finish it, because I *had* to know what happened!! It was totally addictive! DROWNING is filled with a tangled web of relationships and secrets. It's honestly best to just go in blind and enjoy the ride. Everyone is running, hiding, and keeping something from someone else. Told from the back and forth perspective of Lee and Hazel, it keeps you guessing from the very beginning. DROWNING is an excellent dark, deep, and twisted read.

Two women on two very different life paths makes for a most riveting story.
Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for my eARC of The Drowning Woman for review!
Canadian author Robyn Harding has absolutely nailed her latest thriller. The stories of Hazel and Lee drew me in immediately, and they're surrounded by secondary characters who are all levels of nasty.
I've been travelling this month and often find it difficult to keep up with a book when not on my usual life schedule - this one kept me at it whenever I had a spare moment!
Recommended!
For release on June 13.

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish

The Drowning Woman
by Robyn Harding
Pub Date 13 Jun 2023
Grand Central Publishing
General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers
Rating 5/5

There is something spine-chilling and intense about Robyn Harding's thriller The Drowning Woman. It is a spellbinding story with a psychological twist. There's a hint of romance in this unexpected mystery that kept me turning the pages.

As a result of the pandemic, Lee lost her successful restaurant and is now homeless. Hazel, on the other hand, is rich but has an abusive husband. A chance meeting leads to an interesting bond between the two women. The situation could get dangerous when Hazel asks Lee for help escaping her powerful husband.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for sharing this incredible book with me. I appreciate your kindness.

It has been over an hour since I read the last page, and I can't stop thinking about the main characters. Robyn is so good at keeping readers guessing how it will end. The Drowning Woman is for all types of readers! Thank you, NetGalley, for a chance to review this book that lingers with you.

The start of this book is heartbreaking, you really feel for Lee & how her life has fallen apart. After she saves Hazel, you think it’s for the best but quickly things shift. There’s a major twist about 1/3 of the way in & it got me! This such is a fast paced, twisty thriller! The kind that actually makes me uncomfortable because of the stress I feel for the character….in a good way, it just made me want to read faster. Theres enough surprises along the way to keep readers interested & I really loved the ending.

Thank you NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Robyn Harding for this ARC!!

This is my first Harding book and it certainly won’t be my last! I loved this book! Right from the start, I was hooked. I had to know how Lee found herself on the streets and what would happen next. Cue, the actual drowning woman, Hazel enters the scene. Lee and Hazel’s friendship was great albeit unexpected. And the twists 🤯 let’s say I did not see that coming. My only complaint is after the big twist was revealed, I thought the pace of the book really slowed down. All in all, it’s a juicy, must read!

4.5 stars rounded to 5

This book was good but too much went on and on and on became not interesting anymore. Sometimes a few twists are all that are needed. Was losing interest around 70% in.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.
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If you are a fan of books with lots of twists and turns, The Drowning Woman is the book for you. This whole book came as such a great surprise to me, What I thought was going to happen and what the heck actually did happen, couldn't have been more far apart, but that added great excitement and thrills for me along the way. While I did guess a few of the twists along the way, most of the twists had me so bamboozled!! I love being bamboozled and Harding definitely delivered surprise after surprise. I loved the switching of perspectives and couldn't wait to get back to the other perspective to find out what was going on. Both perspectives come together nicely and the ending is a chef's kiss. 4 stars.

I love Robyn Harding and I love her books. Each time they are even more amazing than I am expecting and THE DROWNING WOMAN is no exception. Just trust me, read this book. It's engrossing and truly unputdownable. This will easily be in my top 10 books this year. I can't wait to see what Harding writes next - I will be first in line to read it! Thanks to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

The Drowning Woman
Robyn Harding
Pub Date: June 13, 2023
Grand Central
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Believe the hype about this book! Harding has done it again!
Wow, loved the storyline! Flourishing business, chef, Covid, homeless, drowning woman..
I couldn’t stop reading!,
5 stars

I was interested in this book because it seemed to be about a woman working her way out of homelessness, but turns out it's about another woman (an unlikable character I couldn't connect to) working her way out of an abusive marriage.
Thanks anyway to Grand Central Publishing for the digital copy.

This is one interesting book of the have and the have nots. Lee is homeless and living in her car when she encounters Hazel. Hazel is wealthy and is trying to escape her controlling and abusive and her only way out is to drown herself. Lee goes into the freezing water and saves her. A bizarre twist happens as they become friends and sharing their stories with each other.

The book alternates different points of view giving a glimpse at what Hazel and Lee are thinking. they both dream of leaving this are and starting someplace new so a plan is formed.

Ben Lavalle is a smart and powerful man and believes he is u touchable by the law. You will find yourself cheering for both Hazel and Lee and hoping they will get a second chance and a new beginning.

I liked that it was unpredictable. Had characters you hated and those you rooted for to keep you engaged and glued to the book to figure out how it ended. I read in one sitting as I just couldn’t put the book down.

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this book.