What a cracker of a book!
It was suspenseful and had heaps of twists.
I loved how it was told like a diary!
The characters were likeable and fun.

What a taught and interesting thriller!

So, I didn’t gel with Pip Drysdale’s last novel and was a little apprehensive about getting into this one. The story sounded sooo good though!

So many elements, so many red herrings. Some a little more clear than others, and some that were like whoa! WTF!!

My only gripe with this book is that Billie’s telling of her story was a little too ‘stream of consciousness’ for my tastes. I needed her to stop, pause, and breathe before commencing her next lot of word unloading.

Thank you to Pip Drysdale, Simon & Schuster (Australia) and NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. Sincere apologies for being so late with my review!

To nobody’s surprise, I of course got the next Pip Drysdale book from the Netgalley. Because, I have read all her books and loved them!!

Pip Drysdale has a style of writing that I love so much. Her female lead that is a bit quirky and unique makes the best setting along with the placing of the character in the world. As always with her book, the latest one didn’t disappoint.

The Next Girl is about Billie, a very different girl from others because of her unique obsession. She stalks people online and real life. But the people who come under her radar, are there for a unique reason.

Working in a law firm where her attempt to protect a woman from abusive relationship and goes wrong, she tries to solve it by herself. In that tangle of legal issues and controlled behaviours, she tries to seek justice for the victims of such situations where they are left helpless.

Alternating between her past and present, we get to see who she was growing up and what led her to her unique interest. She is a unique girl with a very strong personality and motive to see justice served and to see the wrongdoers punished. I felt that Billie is all of us in some way or the other in thought.

There is a lot of technical words and jargon’s and also a lot of burner phones!!! This book needs a bit of the reader’s concentration so that you take the road behind Billie following her trail. As always Pip has done a marvellous job with her latest book!

This was my first Pip Drysdale book and it definitely won't be my last! I really enjoyed this book and devoured it over a couple of days. I loved that Billie felt so real and relatable, we've all done a bit of e-stalking before! I was struggling to work out how this story would end, and any number of endings would have been satisfactory, but I think the ending was complete and fulfilling. Great book!

A bad day at work. A drunken night. A rogue Instagram follow. That’s all it takes to ruin a life …

The question is, whose life will be ruined? When Billie wakes up in a strange guy’s bed, her first thought is: what happened last night? She can't even remember meeting him. And how the hell did she get to Coney Island?

I’m a little late to the party with reading my first Pip Drysdale novel … but you know what they say … better late than never.

Ooh ahh! This was so good. And there’s a playlist to go with it, double the pleasure as far as I’m concerned 💃 Okay so the playlist may include Dolly Parton (9 to 5), Robert Palmer and Paul Simon, just to name a few … Yes! I was dancing my booty off 🕺

I love characters with a backstory, those that have flaws and are believably complex, rate as some of my favourites. This gorgeous novel has it in spades. I’ll leave the synopsis in the comments as I feel this is one you want to go into this one knowing as little as possible.

Told with a unique cast of characters, it’s fast moving, engaging and suspenseful. I thought I knew where the story was going, only to be taken down a completely different route. I loved the times the narrative took on a second person POV, which allows the reader an intimate experience of Billie’s thought processes, both past and present and like she is speaking directly to you - brilliant writing.

Ms Drysdale takes you on a wild ride, right up to the climactic conclusion. I can’t wait to read more from her.

Solid 4.5 ⭐️
Many thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Shuster for an advanced reading copy.

*Will be posted to Instagram later this month

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Wow!! That is indicative of my reaction to this innovative thriller! Love Billie and her sense of right and wrong. Book headed off in a direction I did not expect and it took me all my time to be able to put it down. Highly recommend!!

“Because the only way for me to protect the next girl is if I am the next girl.”

The next girl was my first Pip Drysdale book and safe to say I was quite hooked even though I had a big break (nearly a month in the middle), I rejoined the story and was keen to see where the story ended. Was Billie going to get caught, was Grange going to actually be a good guy, who exactly is Josh?

I couldn’t predict the storyline which I enjoyed but I found the reintroduction of a character at the end quite surprising and to be honest I had forgotten about them for quite some time. I’m looking forward to reading more of Pip’s books in 2023!

I will literally read anything Pip @pipdrysdale writes! 😍 I have loved all her books to date and The Next Girl is no exception! I was drawn in right from the beginning and found that I did not want to put it down! Fast-paced, engaging and full of suspense!

If this one isn't on your list, you will want to add it now!

After losing her job when the legal firm Billie works for loses a big case because of her, Billie sets out to make wrongs right! The only catch is she has to put her own life at risk for her plan to work! Can Billie pull her plan off without a hitch?

I absolutely LOVED this book! I found it to be a suspenseful slow burn up until the halfway mark, and that's when things got even more interesting and exciting! The plot was perfectly woven and it had me on the edge of my seat. The author threw in a few despicable characters among a great cast, and I just loved our protagonist, Billie.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC of this book. The Next Girl is out now.

Wow, wow, wow, Pip Drysdale what an amazing book you have delivered. The Next Girl is by far my favourite from this author and one I will be recommending to anyone who will listen.

It is one with the lot, suspense, thrills, actions, twists and of course a little bit of violence. Wrap that all up in a bow and you have The Next Girl, it is a one sitting read so allow yourself the time when you dive in.

I give this book 5 blistering stars, it is one of my top reads for the year. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this early reading copy I loved it!

What a fun, fast-paced thriller! I had a high expectation going into the book as I had enjoyed all of Pip Drysdale’s previous books, and this one didn’t disappoint.

Billie woke up in a stranger’s place, not remembering anything from the previous night. Then she slowly remembered about the big case her law firm lost. There was so much injustice towards women, the only thing she could do to protect the next victim was to get an upper hand by becoming the next girl.

I really enjoyed the details in this one. There was a lot of techie stuff involved, which might not be for everyone, but it was right up my alley!

I would recommend jumping into the book without reading the synopsis too much. I’d also recommend listening to the playlist while reading, as it was rich of references to many great songs!

What a page turner and a fun experience to have!

PS: I had the privilege to have a booksta chat with Pip shortly after finishing the book, and I learned about:
1. Her writing structure (coffee in the morning then write, every single morning without fail);
2. Her writing flow (she started with a loose plot/plan, then followed as it evolved);
3. Her research process (she actually learnt about all the techie stuff Billie had to do, and tested them on her mum’s phone);
4. Her characters (there were pieces of her in every character she wrote); and
5. Her old apartment in New York (where Billie lived).

I normally read books when I am in bed at night but if you’re hoping to get some sleep I wouldn’t recommend that approach with this one! Two reasons: it’s really hard to put down, but most of all, it raises your anxiety levels not just because it’s suspenseful but the main character Billie is a chronic over thinker.

Billie wants to work in law but when she’s blamed for a legal case failing, she uses her considerable IT skills to track down and expose the perpetrator who appears to have gotten away with his bad behaviour.

The plot is complex but the writing is skilled. The reader is gripped from the first page and the tension is ratcheted up relentlessly. A thoroughly enjoyable read with a plot you can’t predict.

Pip Drysdale hit the nail on the head with this story. As she has done with all of her books. Perfectly written and executed.

I was waiting with baited breath for this book to come out and it was worth the wait.

Billie, recently fired- finds herself intertwined in the very case she can’t let go of. This suspenseful thriller is everything!

This thriller had my heart thumping and was very hard to put down. Told in the first person by Billie, who has just lost her paralegal job, it’s a fast paced and well plotted read. The tone is young and full of music references (her mother was a singer), with lots of reveals of past events at just the right time to explain what Billie has been doing to get justice (basically she trawls social media and the internet to find incriminating stuff that then makes it impossible for the particular target to evade the law that they’ve been able to do beforehand, so she’s a kind of a nonviolent vigilante). Billie has all these skills that I have no idea about, how to get passwords, burner phones, tracking devices, administrator powers on other peoples laptops etc, VPNs, and all that stuff just makes me glad I’m old and not really into social media etc, there’s really a lot of nasty types out there (well so it seems after reading this book!). My second book by this author and another good read!

✨BOOK REVIEW✨

📚The Next Girl - Pip Drysdale📚

I am such a fan of Pip Drysdale’s psychological thrillers and could not wait to get my hands on her newest standalone. If my history with loving Pip’s books didn’t draw me in enough, the cover of her newest book certainly did - I love New York and anything set there..honestly, sign me up! 😍

I love the suspenseful atmosphere she creates, the constant twists and turns, short chapters keeping me enticed and our somewhat morally grey female MC - definitely unreliable narrator material! I love the feeling that we are reading our lead’s diary and I constantly felt on edge, in the best kind of way 😂

It is definitely fast-paced which I always love, with each chapter leaving us on a cliffhanger - such a clever move, ensuring I kept turning that page! It certainly was a wild ride and the reveals throughout did not disappoint!

At this point you can definitely call me a Pip Drysdale stan - I have read and loved all of her books, with The Next Girl being no exception. Highly recommend you giving it a go! 🥰

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you so much to @pipdrysdale , @simonschusterau and @netgalley for sending me this to review 🙏🏻

I discovered Pip’s books last year and ended up binge reading each one in a day. I fell in love with her flawed characters, conversational writing style and her ability to make your heart race with so many twists and turns. This one didn’t disappoint.

The story takes place over a week and starts with a big hook and keeps up a cracking pace the whole way through. I loved the way things played out and that all the lose ends were tied up nicely by the end.
Billie was a fabulous main character- she’s morally grey, her life is in shambles and you’re constantly wondering if she’s reliable.

As always with Pip’s books I feel like I learn I learn new ways and different ways use social media. I loved all the New York setting, song references in this one. There’s even a QR code at the back to Billie’s playlist. I definitely recommend sitting back and enjoy the ride of this one.

Billie awakens after a drunken night out lying in bed beside a total stranger having no idea how she even got there or what even happened. What she does quickly remember is that the law firm where she works lost a big case and today she is going to be fired because of it.

But Billie knows Samuel Grange is guilty and she's going to prove it by exposing him so everyone can see the real him.

Throughout the book, we get to know more about Billie and her past. A quick-paced domestic thriller that hooks you in as you try to fit all the pieces together. If you love music you will love all the music references throughout the book. Another great book from an Aussie author.

Available to purchase from today. Thank you to @simonschusterau and @netgalley for the eARC.

Everything seems to be going wrong for Billie. Deciding to make everything right is one thing, putting herself into harm's way by becoming the Next Girl is another.

It's a vague synopsis for you but I don't want to say too much and give anything away! I am such a huge Pip Drysdale fan - her books are always so entertaining. This one was unputdownable and heartstopping. I love fast paced novels and this one was go, go, go throughout. If you haven't read a book by this amazing Aussie author, you're really missing out.

I enjoyed Pip Drysdale's previous two books, but I think this is the best one yet! My full review appears on Weekend Notes.

I have read a couple of Pip Drysdale’s books, The Strangers We Know & The Paris Affair, and quite enjoyed them so I was excited to read her new book, The Next Girl.

We open with our feisty but damaged protagonist, Billie, waking up in a bed she doesn’t recognise with a guy she has no memory of. In fact, she has no memory of the night before at all. As she starts to piece together the events leading up to this, she remembers today is probably going to go from bad to worse as the law firm, where she works as a paralegal, lost a big case yesterday and she’s about to be fired as it appears to be all her fault. The accused at the center of the case is a doctor whose good looks and charm prevent the women he abuses to see who he really is until it’s too late. As Billie feels responsible for him still being free, she puts actions into place to put herself in his path and therefore, making herself the Next Girl.

I enjoyed the conversational tone of the writing with Billie revealing parts of the story in the way an unreliable narrator would and I found myself constantly trying to guess what was going to be revealed next.

But there were some big issues with the plot that I just could not get past as I did not find them realistic or plausible. One, that I can’t mention as it will give too much away, was just plain ridiculous and I don’t even know why it needed to be included. The long, in-depth descriptions of phone hacking and burner phones were a struggle for me, and I found myself skipping over parts even though I was invested in the vigilante angle to what Billie was up to.

I might be in the minority with my thoughts on this book as I’ve seen many 5-star reviews and the other ladies in my buddy read loved it! Just goes to prove no one book is for everyone!

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for sending this book for honest review. All opinions are my own.