“Thicker than water” is absolutely riveting, thought provoking, character driving, well developed psychological mystery from the creative mind of Megan Collins.

The complex, dysfunctional relationship patterns between layered, multidimensional characters, the twisty murder mystery as the questions raising up about who you can trust, the heart wrenching, skillfully wrapped up ending with surprising revelations are absolutely highlights of the book.
All those characters are realistically portrayed. Their mistakes, flaws, weaknesses, powers, obsessions, dynamics are reflected honestly.

Initially, this one was heading toward a lower rating. It was a bit of a slow burn for my tastes and I was worried that it wasn't going to be very interesting. But the second half of the book really picked up the pace and really caught my interest and I ended up really enjoying it! It was very much a character driven mystery and while the ending wasn't epic, it had a few clever twists that kept me thinking.

The story tested the bonds of family, friendships, and romantic relationships. Two sisters in law are shocked when the man who connects them - husband of one and brother of the other - is accused of committing a murder. To make matters worse, he's been injured and put in a medically induced coma, meaning he isn't able to answer any questions. The two women work together to try to piece together what could have happened, both believing that the man they know and love is innocent. But as things start to unravel, they learn that people are lying, secrets are being kept and maybe everything they think they know is wrong.

Once this book picked up the pace, it was quite entertaining and I enjoyed the way the story came together. I had a few theories while reading and as it turns out, one of them was right. If you don't mind a bit of a slow burn, this was a good family drama/domestic thriller that would make for a great fall read.

I enjoyed this, although I wouldn't really list it too much as a thriller. It had the mystery factor finding out who was the killer but this was a little more like a drama I felt when I was reading it. I don't mind books being predictable as long as I feel engaged to the plot. This one was a slow burn with a lot of secrets, betrayal, and emotion to unpack through each chapter and each character. I do like how this related close to being very real and raw, you could immerse yourself into being one of these fictional characters and that really brought out great character development.

You have Julia, her husband Jason, and Jason's sister Sienna. Told between both female POV's this really highlighted the relationship these women have and how they are rooted to each other throughout everything going on, even when it seemed like they weren't. You think everything is going great until Jason's boss Gavin ends up murdered with his lips sewn shut and Jason is the one being accused of committing this brutal murder! Jason can't say what has happened since he is in a coma after his car accident so he is the only suspect the police have. Julia and Sienna put their friendship to the test with trying to find out what happened as all the lies and betrayal keep surfacing.

I really loved Julia and Sienna's friendship in this the most, it really brought it through different phases and let you see how they grew in different ways while still holding together even if it seemed unlikely. I like strong female leads and this had all that kick to it times two! When one seemed to be falling and weaker the other was there and vice versa even if it wasn't how they intended to show it. I liked the whole back story to solving the murder and the mystery with it, but again this one didn't hit it out of the thriller park for me. I would say this is a 3.5 for me personally, but no regrets reading this because I do thoroughly enjoy Collins writing, details, and creativeness in everything of hers I have read so I keep coming back! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted copy to read and review with my own thoughts!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster and Atria books. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.

Julia, Jason, and Sienna are our main characters in this story. Julia and Jason are married and Sienna and Jason are siblings and Sienna and Julia are business partners. Gabe, Jason's boss, has died and was stabbed and his mouth was sewn shut. Jason gets into a car accident and ends up in a coma due to his injuries. We never figure out how Jason get's into his accident but Jason didn't kill Gabe, he stabbed him but, Maeve, his coworker did. Maeve tells Julia that she and Jason were having an affair and that he gave her a thousand dollars for a startup to her business. Gabe was someone who made comments to women that were not very nice and Jason tried to save Maeve. But in doing so he ended up causing events that almost end his marriage and his sister's love for him. This book wasn't my favorite and not one that I'll read again.

I will admit that I had a hard time getting into this story and wanting to finish. I could be that I’m a mood reader.

I wanted to give Megan Collins another chance after I couldn't finish The Family Plot. This one was much better! I found the characters more likable and I cared about the story line. This story had some dark elements and edge of your seat writing.

Julia & Sienna are sister-in laws + best friends. Sienna’s brother Jason (Julia’s husband) has been working long hours, and then Jason’s boss is found murdered. A few days later, Jason gets into a car accident & becomes the main suspect of the murder. As Sienna maintains and fights for Jason’s innocence, Julia has doubts.

This was good! A quick read. I was hoping this would be a bit more twisty turny, so it did leave me desiring a bit more. I found both Julia & Sienna incredibly annoying and unlikable. However, the story did hold my attention & move quickly.

3⭐️

Thanks to Net Galley & the publisher for this ARC.

this was book was fun! it definitely kept me guessing until the end which was nice! def cliche in some parts but overall i didn’t mind that. i like that it kept trying to switch up who really did it, at one point i wanted to take Siennas side and be like jason wouldn’t do that!!! but then i wanted to take julia’s side and totally agree with her. i thought they were both pretty realistic scenarios. i liked how much it focused on Julia and Sienna and getting each other to open up about their issues. which it was and fast paced it just didn’t itch that thriller/mystery scratch ive been wanting. i read the family plot by megan collin’s so i knew what to expect with her writing which is something i enjoy. 3.75/5
thank you netgalley and atria books for this e arc in exchange for my honest review

3.75 stars

This book slipped through the cracks of my ARC reading list, so while im disappointed I missed it before, I’m glad I was able to come back to it after. Some of the story was a bit dark, but in a pretty realistic way…and with that in mind, honestly, my biggest complaint is that I might have adjusted the main character’s decision at the very ending to give a bit of a different spin to it all. Either way, though, it was a pretty good and suspenseful read.

Thicker Than Water by Megan Collins is a slow burning mystery told in alternating chapters by the two main protagonists, the victim's wife and his sister. The women are trying to unravel a murder mystery where the main suspect is the husband/brother who is laying in a coma and can't defend himself.

While secrets are kept by all characters and the audience can certainly see that each woman's perspective is jaded. I found myself only really liking one of the two women's personalities. so I read the chapters a little lopsided, mainly breezing through some and skipping the other side all together. In the end, the conclusion took a turn I didn't see but I still felt the ending was lackluster.

This book was a slow burn but interesting & well written.

Thank you Net Galley & to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Really well written book that I enjoyed reading. great characters.

A decent, bingeable thriller. A very slow burn, but kept me invested enough to want to see how everything tied up at the end. Not a particularly memorable book, but one that kept me intrigued.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book!

While this isn't the craziest thriller/mystery out there, it did keep my attention and I wanted to see what was going to happen. You won't get a big, outrageous twist but you will get an ending that does answer any question you'd have. While it wraps up nicely, I did think it was a little anticlimactic.

I did find that it was a quick read and moved at a good pace. I did enjoy reading this overall and would recommend it if you're looking for a quick thriller!

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review*

A great thriller - I would recommend it!

Julia and Sienna Larkin are not only sisters-in-law but also best friends, always being there for each other in their times of need. Jason, hoping to secure a promotion at work has been working around the clock…then his boss is found murdered.

A few days later, Jason is in an accident, put into an induced coma and the prime suspect in the murder investigation of his boss. In Sienna’s eyes, her brother is innocent, and she’ll do everything she can to clear his name. Julia uncovers some secrets and isn’t as sure of her husband’s innocence as his sister is. Julia and Sienna find their relationship threatened for the first time when they’re working to clear Jason’s name.

I enjoyed this novel and the turns it took to lead us to the one responsible for the death of Jason’s boss.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel. #NetGalley #ThickerThanWater

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of Thicker than Water by Megan Collins in exchange for my honest review and opinion. Oh boy, buckle up for a wild ride as this is one heck of a psychological thriller. Lots of twists and turns that will keep you guessing page after page. The ending completely stunned me. Do yourself a favor and read this as soon as you can!

This book failed to keep my interest it started off ok but I felt like it was predictable and so therefore I am only going o rate it 1 star. Thank you netgalley for a chance to read this book and review for my own thoughts and opinions

#ThickerThanWater #NetGalley
Julia and Sienna Larkin are sisters-in-law, connected by Julia’s husband and Sienna’s brother, Jason. More than that, the two are devoted best friends and business partners, believing that theirs is a uniquely unbreakable bond. To Sienna, her protective brother can do no wrong, and although Julia knows he’s not perfect, they’ve built a comfortable life and family together. Recently, Jason has been putting in long hours to secure a promotion at work, so when his boss is found brutally murdered—his lips sewn shut—the Larkins are shocked and unsettled, especially as local gossip swirls. A few days later, Julia and Sienna’s lives are upended when Jason gets into a car accident and is placed in a medically induced coma. Worse, the police arrive with news that he’s the prime suspect in the murder investigation. With Jason unable to respond—and with Julia and Sienna working to clear his name—the two women find their friendship threatened for the first time: Sienna staunchly maintains her brother’s innocence, but as their investigation uncovers a complicated web of secrets, Julia is less sure she’s willing to defend her husband.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for giving me an advance copy.

A fast paced, suspenseful thriller filled with betrayal and mystery. I loved the characters and their relationships. 5 stars!