A solid mystery that had me thinking I knew where it was going but was happy to find out I was wrong. Twisty and page turning and a very satisfying ending!

Robyn Harding does it again! This was such an entertaining book. It is filled with some great twists. I could not put this one down, it was simply addicting.

Honestly, The Drowning Woman was one of THE best thrillers I have read this year. Twist after twist and I was SO into it I lost sleep. Must Read!

I was definitely curious as to where this was going. Lee has had to resort to living in her car and saves Hazel from drowning. The two strike up a friendship when Hazel confides in Lee that she needs to escape from her life that looks incredible on the outside. While the twists were fine and sort of interesting, I had trouble suspending disbelief with Hazel's backstory.
Thank you so much to Grand Central Pub for the ARC of this one!

Thank you Grand Central Pub for my review copy.

The book did start off a little slow for me, but once it picked up I couldn’t stop reading!! The twists and turns took me by surprise and I loved the way it all ended.

I swear Robyn Harding just gets better and better with each book, and every single time I am sucked in, totally addicted to the plot, and glued to the book to devour it in one sitting. The Drowning Woman was no exception, and I am STILL reeling from the amount of twists and turns this story takes you on.

I love that Robyn always has a very specific and niche topic that anchors her books, and in this case the dynamic of a "Total Power Exchange" between a couple, rendering the wife abused and helpless and on the brink of taking her own life, until a homeless woman intervenes, striking up a bizarre friendship between the two.

I legitimately had no idea where this story would go (and obviously no spoilers), but needless to say I was continuously surprised about the turns the plot took just when I thought maybe I had an idea of what was going to play out. I was simultaneously deeply suspicious of the main characters while also rooting for them to get through their plan unscathed. The pacing is on point, and the chapters flew by, each unravelling more drama. The movement between POV from the two main characters was the perfect dynamic of revealing twists and sucking me right back in to trying to guess the whodunnit and why.

Honestly, this is just a really perfectly crafted thriller, and the EXACT kind of thriller we love for summer reading.

This is a must have for thriller lovers and domestic drama lovers alike. Don't let this one pass you by, it isn't a book buy you will regret!

Eek! Is what I have to say about "The Drowning Woman." The new release from Robyn Harding literally gave me nightmares it was so chilling. Two women with two completely different backgrounds cross paths & their lives are changed forever. Just when I thought I had things figured out, Harding introduced another twist I didn't see coming. Very imaginative & terrifying in spots, this thriller left me on the edge of my seat wondering how female protagonists Lee & Hazel were going to get out alive. Leave the lights on & curl up with this one for the ride of summer!

Ooh, this was definitely suspenseful.

I enjoyed our unconventional main character and found myself really worried for her!

As for our other characters, while I didn't love them, I loved to read them.

The plot is twisty without cheating and definitely amps up the intensity time and again.

Will definitely read the author again in the future!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of Robyn Harding's latest thriller - 5 stars - I couldn't put it down!

Lee is completely down on her luck. Her restaurant in NYC failed during Covid and she fled to CA to try and escape her debts. Now she's living in her car and just trying to exist. One night, while parked near the beach, she hears and sees a woman throw herself into the ocean and runs to save her. The woman, Hazel, is furious that Lee rescued her and tells Lee that her husband is abusive and she just wants to be gone. But the next morning Hazel appears at Lee's car and they begin a strange friendship. Then Hazel tells Lee she needs her help to disappear.

Wow - this was one twist after another and I had no clue where it would all end up! Which, of course, is the fun of Robyn Harding's thrillers. This was so well written and I could feel the tension from each of the women caused by the circumstances they were in. And the men - whew! Pick this one up for sure!

Another excellent psychological suspense novel from Robyn Harding!

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read “The Drowning” . I've enjoyed all of Robyn Harding's previous novels, but I'm pretty sure this is my favorite. A terrific read.

“It’s human nature to think it could never happen to you.”

Covid 19 took everything from thirty-four-year-old, Lee Gulliver....EVERYTHING. Her dreams were crushed. Now Lee is just trying to survive. She lives in her car, sleeping in the driver’s seat with the keys in the ignition, ready to drive away at a moments notice.

“Desperate people will commit desperate acts.”

Lee doesn’t have contact with anyone from her former life. She feels like she’s burned every bridge behind her. But there’s someone who REALLY wants to find Lee. Someone who uses violence to solve problems.

Then one morning Lee wakes to hear a woman crying nearby. She tries to ignore the increasing sobs. Then she hears a splash. The woman is definitely not out for a morning swim in the frigid Pacific. Instinct kicks in and Lee jumps into the freezing cold water dragging the woman to the shore.

Lee has just saved this woman’s life. So why on earth is the woman so angry at her?

“There is no way that this woman, in her designer jogging suit and running shoes that
probably cost as much as my car, has a life worse than mine.”

The women share their stories and a friendship of sorts begins. Day by day their friendship grows. Then Hazel asks Lee for a favor.

Lee’s life is about to get even more complicated.

A highly intense story of friendship, secrets, betrayal, redemption and more.

This book took me on quite a ride. I was pulled in to the story right away. This author knows how to keep a readers attention. I could NOT put this book down. Non stop action with so many great twists and reveals.

The story alternates between Lee and Hazel’s points of view. I was invested in both and couldn't wait to read what was going to happen next. I was so positive that I knew what was going to happen but I was WAY off. Even if my guesses had been correct, I still would have enjoyed everything about the story.

I love the way Robyn Harding writes. Her stories are entertaining and easy to follow. A terrific combination of well developed, complex characters and a well written exciting plot. This only thing I'm disappointed about is that I will have to wait a while for her next novel!


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

3.5 stars

This story started out strong for me. I was totally invested in it. Lee Gulliver is living in her car, hiding from a man who will kill her if he finds her. She is working as a waitress in a sleazy diner just trying to make some money.

One day as Lee pulls over at a nicer beach side neighborhood for a little more safety, she sees a woman trying to drown herself. Lee races to save her and pulls her from the water. She doesn't think that she will see the woman, Hazel, again, but she does the next day. Soon the women form a friendship and come up with a plan to rescue Hazel from her domineering, controlling husband.

There is twist after twist in this story. A little too much. But, I still kept reading as I wanted to find out what would happen. There are some loose ends, though. What ever happened to the man Lee was hiding from? Also, the ending with Hazel and her husband is kind of ambiguous. We aren't really sure what happens.

I did enjoy having the two different points of view from Lee and Hazel, seeing their side of things.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

LOVED!!
Enjoyed the twist driven thriller, even with more than a few questionable and confusing moments! I normally don’t love a completely wrapped up ending this but this overall. A great read and a super enjoyable runaway thriller!!

Robyn Harding is back! I have been anxiously awaiting a new book from her because I love her writing. She is so great at domestic thrillers and suspense and this one delivered!

It was a fast paced, intense ride. I read it so fast because I needed to know what was going to happen. Loved the dual perspectives and the way the stories came together. There were a few good twists too! I was in the mood for a thriller and got exactly what I wanted here!

An excellent mystery/thriller that keeps you guessing until the end!!! Can’t really say too much about it because the story takes so many twists and turns that it would be easy to give spoilers. I will say…read this book and enjoy the ride!!!

Suspenseful and hard to put down! This is told from the perspective of both Lee and Hazel, two desperate women. Lee has lost everything, including her family, and is now sleeping in her car. Hazel seemingly has it all but has a controlling and twisted husband. Hazel enlists Lee's help and they come up with plan that will benefit both of them but it turns out there is a lot more going on than Lee knows.

Holy wow!! This was such a fun thrilling ride. I was hooked from start to finish it never let me down. This is a thriller not to be missed this summer. You will not regret it. I couldn't stop reading until I finished !!

It was so intense, the multiple POV's were great. The people in Lee and Hazel's life are just plain awful. I was rooting for both of them from the beginning. Trust me you will be on the edge of your seat all along.

This was so twisty all throughout the book, it didn't stop. Harding created such a great thriller that will just keep blowing your mind page after page.

The ending was great, wrapped up the book perfectly in my opinion.

If you're looking for a binge worthy non stop action packed twisty thriller, get yourself a copy you don't want to miss it !

✨️Thank you a @netgalley, @grandcentralpublishing & @robynharding for my free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story follows Lee, who is living in her car, deeply in debt and not sure where her next meal is coming from. Parked in a secluded spot by the ocean, she’s planning her next move and sees a woman throw herself into the ocean. Lee rescues her, but instead of a ‘thanks for saving my life’ she gets a story almost as low as her own, as she finds out Hazel is in an abusive marriage and Lee prevented her from what she set out to accomplish.


From there, Lee and Hazel form an unlikely friendship and my heart breaks for Lee, desperate for not only money/food/shelter but also human connection, and she is so drawn to Hazel. At times I got a little exhausted with Lee for her putting herself in these circumstances but really it’s just how well Harding writes to make me feel that invested in the story.


The story is told in 4 parts, and we also get to experience shifting POV from both characters, which I always enjoy, and there were some twists I didn’t see coming, which was really fun. So much so, I binged it Saturday afternoon.


Definitely check it out, it’s a top thriller for the summer and likely all of 2023.

In the past I've read a few Robyn Harding novels and found them fascinating and disturbing [and in one case, painfully unforgettable]. In this newest novel, a psychological Thriller/domestic/Suspense, I was disappointed. I could not at all relate to the protagonist, so I needed to consciously drum up sympathy for her plight. Neither she nor the eponymous title character did I find relatable.

Lee is drowning: Drowning in debt, drowning in shame, and starting to wonder if she’ll ever be able to resurface from the mess her life has become.

Hazel is drowning: Drowning in a horribly abusive and controlling marriage and also about to drown in Puget Sound when Lee, whose car was parked in some bushes not too far from the beach, swims into the cold waters to rescue her.

Hazel had a plan that day, and even though Lee ruined it a bond between these two women from completely opposite ends of the socioeconomic spectrum was forged nonetheless. Because one may be rich and the other poor, but they’re both totally vulnerable and have very few options in life due to desperate choices they made at desperate times.

Drowning is used in both its practical and (more than one) metaphorical form in this book, and depending on whose POV you’re reading (this is a dual POV book between Lee and Hazel), the titular “drowning woman” is either themselves, the other woman, or even both at the same time. That’s part of the beauty of this luscious, well-paced, well-plotted, and thoroughly thought-out thriller: Who do you trust? Who do you count on? Who do you stick up for? Who do you take a leap of faith for? When it comes down to your very life, what does your gut tell you? Do you believe a woman, or do you put your faith in the system?

This is definitely a character-driven thriller, given how much time is spent on dialogue, inner narratives, development, motivations, intentions, and actions. The prose isn’t a shining beacon, but it doesn’t need to be when the action and plot are so propulsive and the characters are so compelling. It’s not a perfect thriller, but it’s a really fun read.

A copy of this title was provided by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Conspiracy Thriller/Psychological Fiction/Psychological Thriller/Suspense Thriller/Thriller

Robyn Harding has truly mastered the art of game changing twists in the thriller genre. Just when you think you have things figured out here comes a twist that makes your heart race and your brain twirl. Lee, a down on your luck homeless woman is living out of her car. One day she hears sobbing from her hidden new location. She finds a woman walking into the ocean in a suicide attempt and saves her life. Hazel has a very troubled marriage. Their journey together is quite a story with many twists and turns along the way. I found myself identifying with Lee who seemed so very naive but also seemingly, an open book.
The twists and turns keep the reader engaged until the end. I did find the end a bit of a let down after reading the rest of the book. Too many strings left dangling for me.
Many thanks to Robyn Harding, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an arc of the just published book The Drowning Woman. Keep writing Robyn Harding as I am a huge fan.