Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! Thicker than Water starts off with a bang and never lets up! Collins has crafted a taut, emotionally-charged, and propulsive thriller that will have you burning through the pages until you reach the completely unpredictable and shocking conclusion.

Megan Collins' Thicker Than Water is thoroughly entertaining. Just when you think you've got the whole plot unraveled, Megan throws a curveball, and you're left racing to see what craziness happens next. I enjoyed the difference in personalities between Julia and Sienna, one with a fiery hot personality and the other much more reserved, but both devoted to Jason and unraveling the mystery of what really happened. Thanks so much for the opportunity to review!

Thank you Netgalley, author Megan Collins & Atria Books for sharing the ARC
Julia & Sienna are SILs connected to one another as Julia married Jason at really young age and are best of friends plus business partners. To Sienna her brother can do nothing wrong and is perfect but Julia thinks even if he has faults they have built a comfortable life together and dote on their son Aiden. Jason has been under immense pressure at work lately and is gunning for the available big promotion at his workplace , but when his boss is found brutally murdered with lips sewn shut it shocks everyone . Following this Jason gets into an accident and falls under a coma ! The police investigation into his boss’s murder ends up pointing him as prime suspect, now Sienna & Julia are against the clock to investigate and prove Jason is innocent before he wakes up and the police charge him officially. Sienna is 100% sure of her brother’s innocence but Julia begins to have her doubts because everything is not what it seems to be !
This domestic thriller felt less of thriller and more of drama . Majority of the book narrated from alternating chapters from Sienna & Julia’s POV just keeps hammering incidents in the past and present about Jason and all their lives casting a shadow of doubt on him Vs providing instance where he’s the greatest guy on this planet! Naturally Sienna is looking at this with her brother lens and based off some incidents in the past is not ready to even remotely engage the idea that Jason may not be as perfect as she thinks he is .
Meanwhile Sienna who is the wife of Jason has a different preview and based of incidents she’s hidden from Sienna begins to doubt him .
Unfortunately non of these found my interest, I found it boring & kind of repetitive after some time . Also I found the women especially Sienna so annoying and overly bossy . The reveals were not exciting or shocking enough either .
Overall it was more exploration of relationship dynamics between all the central characters in the story and them coming to realizations about themselves.

It’s a 2.5 / 5 star read and is relatively short read .

Julia Larkin is married to Jason, brother of Sienna Larkin. The two women are best friends and business partners. Their personalities complement one another. Julia avoids conflict and Sienna is hot tempered. Everything falls apart for them when Jason's boss Gavin is found brutally murdered. After that horrific news, Jason gets in a car crash and is in a coma. And Julia and Sienna learn that Jason is the primary suspect in Gavin's murder. Sienna, who has complete faith in her brother, is determined to get to the bottom of what truly happened. And Julia, shocked by the damning evidence, wonders if she ever really knew her husband, who she had recently learned had squandered away thousands of dollars they were saving for a much-needed vacation. Sienna is warned by the police to not play amateur detective and Julia is concerned that her teenage son may know more than he's admitting.

This is the fourth book by author Megan Collins, and she has proven her talent in creating suspense. Thicker Than Water is an entertaining domestic thriller. Her last book, The Family Plot, had an element of horror not found here, and her 2020 book Behind the Red Door was much darker. I like that she doesn't stick to one formula. This fast-paced book, told from each woman's very different point-of-view, held me captive with the desire to know what truly happened and how it would all be resolved.

Julia and Sienna Larkin are not only related by marriage, but they are also best friends and business partners. Sienna's brother Jason, who happens to be married to Julia, is in a coma after a single-car accident. The last thing Julia and Sienna expected was the news that Jason is the prime suspect in his boss's murder....strike that, the only suspect. While waiting for Jason to wake up, Julia & Sienna go on a fact-finding mission, trying to discover who really killed Jason's boss, since the police have decided they already have their man. The more digging the two women do, however, the more secrets are uncovered.....secrets that all three of them have been hiding.

I really enjoyed this author's previous books, so I was looking forward to reading this one as well. Unfortunately, this one wasn't my favorite. It was good.... just not my favorite. I didn't feel an emotional connection with any of the characters. I found Sienna abrasive and judgmental, and Julia just seemed to drift through life without feeling any emotions at all. Even her son said so, and while it took her aback, she had to agree with him. The mystery was what kept the book propelling forward. Well, that and family dynamics, which I think we can all agree are always a nice, messy bonus. Overall, this gets a 3.5 rounded up to a 4.

This is a brilliantly written psychological suspense with a slow burning plot that is character driven. The characters steal the whole show in this one! Julia is married to Jason and Sienna is his sister who is his stalwart defender, no matter what he has done. The sister and sister-in-law are keeping secrets from each other, specifically concerning Jason and those secrets may backfire on them when Jason is suspected of murder and both women are determined to prove his innocence. I was totally captured by the story and the relationship between Sienna and Julia but I thought that Jason was a fairly weak character. That is not to say that his character is not well developed; it is, but he has little to no backbone and is easily manipulated so not terribly likable, in my opinion. I enjoyed the pace of the book because the slow burn worked for the revelations that came out methodically, always just at the right time. There were not as many twists as I had expected so I was able to guess the villain correctly, but that did not detract from the entertainment of the storyline. There are multiple layers to the book, with Jason lying comatose in the hospital and Sienna and Julia working separately and together to exonerate him. There is also the backstory about the relationship between Jason and his boss who was killed. All of the storylines are woven together seamlessly into a tale that is riveting and thought-provoking. I learned quickly from this book that appearances are deceiving and not everyone is who they say they are. This novel is an addictive read with a tight plot and fascinating characters. This was a completely satisfying read and one not to be missed by fans of psych thrillers.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

I thought this book was fantastic! I loved the relationship between Jules and Si. They’re soulmates, and luck for Julia is married to Si’s brother Jason. Then one day, Jason’s boss is found dead and Jason is the main suspect. But, he was just in a car accident and in a coma so he can’t do anything to try and help himself or explain. It was honestly so good I had a hard time putting it down! There were some points where I wanted to slap the main characters (mostly Sienna) for some of the things they were doing.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Atria Books for gifting me a digital copy of the latest thriller by Megan Collins - 4.5 stars!

Julia and Sienna are best friends and sisters-in-law, with Julia married to Sienna's brother, Jason. Because of incidents in their past, Sienna thinks Jason can do no wrong. Although Julia was raised by a mother who preached that men can't be trusted, she and Jason have a good relationship. Until she finds out that Jason has been keeping secrets. Then Jason's boss is found murdered, Jason is involved in a car accident, and he's put in a medically-induced coma. The police are investigating and soon realize that Jason is their prime suspect. Julia is beginning to have her doubts but Sienna is adamant that Jason could be involved.

I really liked the dynamic between the sisters-in-law, as well as the underlying message that withholding secrets and feelings is not healthy for any relationship. Both characters felt real and understandable in their actions, at least most of them. I was engaged throughout the book and there were plenty of twists that kept the mystery interesting. Another great read by Megan Collins!

Thicker Than Water- thank you @atriabooks for the advanced copy. I love Megan Collins this was a 3⭐️read as well, again not my favorite of hers! I enjoyed the plot of this one and having the two deep friends/sister in laws, it was a unique dynamic that I enjoyed. Julia wasn’t a character I cared for much, but Sienna was insufferable. She was so immature, her backstory was interesting but this was truly childish odd behavior. Cool fun mystery, with a twist you will probably see coming but the characters kind of killed it for me.

I enjoyed Megan Collins previous book, so was excited to get the chance to read an ARC of Thicker Than Water. This is told in alternating view points, which is one of my favorite things for thrillers. All the twists of the story kept me reading although it was a bit of a slow burn. The growth of the characters was refreshing and the emotional portrayals was fantastic.

Julia Larkin and Sienna Larkin are sisters-in-law, business partners, and best friends. Outspoken Sienna often speaks for both herself and Julia and Julia has a calming influence on her impulsive and quick-tempered friend. Then Jason Larkin is in a car accident and while he's unconscious, he becomes the prime suspect in his boss's murder. Julia starts having doubts about her husband, while Sienna unconditionally supports her brother. Will Julia and Sienna's friendship be able to survive?

This book has an intriguing premise and is an entertaining read. Although the women's personalities complement each other in their business, sometimes Sienna's was so outspoken she became annoying and Julia's passiveness was sometimes frustrating. Although I wasn't completely behind either character, the plot has enough suspense and twists and turns to keep my interest throughout the book. I was invested in the story and was eager to see how things would turn out.

I received an advance copy of this ebook from Atria Books at no cost, but my r review is voluntary and unbiased.

Two sister-in-laws connected by Jason, Siennas brother and Julia’s husband, have an inseparable bond. That is, until Jason, winds up in a coma and awaiting murder charges against his boss, who was found strangled and sewn at the mouth. This information has these sister-in-laws questioning everything, including themselves.

Thicker Than Water is an extreme slow burn family drama with incredible character development. I found Sienna to be infuriating and aggressive and Julia was her polar opposite. This book switched from Siennas POV to Julia’s, and I found myself dreading Siennas chapters. She was so aggressive with the entire murder case and quite frankly, annoying. The development of this plot was slow and borderline boring for me. The majority of the book was focused on the characters, which was great if you’re into that. I was hoping for more information on the murder and finding out the killer. None of this happened until very late in the book, so this book fell a bit flat for me.

If you enjoy slow burn thrillers and family drama with an emphasis on character development, you will enjoy this book!

I gave Thicker Than Water ⭐️⭐️⭐️ because I did enjoy the last 30% and I did not predict how it would end!

I will say I guessed pretty early on who did it. The relationship between Sienna and Julia is complex and interesting. Sometimes your soulmate isn't your significant other. I did like the differences between the 2 women and the range of emotions and things they go through to find out/come to terms with Jason their respective brother/husband.

The description of a story of complicated family dynamics is what attracted me to this book, but while I loved the author's writing style, I just didn't love the story. I did not identify with or understand the two main characters (Julia and Sienna), and it felt like the whole cast of characters' IQs would only add up to 105. Overall, I really loved the writing style, sense of humor, and pop culture references, but the story fell flat. I will definitely try one of the author's other books; this one just wasn't for me.

Megan Collins does it again - relational drama, mystery, thriller combo! I raced through this read wondering what motivated each character, and what it would mean as threads unraveled. I loved the intense dynamic between Sienna and Julia - tested as their brother / husband respectively is in trouble.

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

Thicker than Water is about Sienna and Julia, best friends, coworkers, and sisters-in-law. Julia married Sienna's brother Jason after becoming pregnant with their son when they were young. Jason is put into a medically induced coma after he is in a car accident. Worse, he is the #1 suspect for his boss's murder. Neither Julia nor Sienna believe he is a murderer, but Julia has recently found out some things about him that make her recognize she doesn't know what he will or won't do. Sienna idolizes him for being there for her during two very distinct moments in her past and thinks he can do no wrong.

The story alternates between the POVs of Sienna and Julia. The story started out a little slow and I didn't particularly like either of the main characters early on. I also didn't like their co-dependent relationship. Julia doesn't speak up for herself, even within her own family. Sierra's stuck in black or white thinking and refuses to acknowledge her brother is anything less than perfect. While these traits started out making me frustrated with the characters, I eventually liked that it made them seem more like real people. The book had a few twists thrown in, but without going overboard so everything was more realistic. I ended up really liking the story and had a hard time putting it down after about halfway through.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing the ARC of Thicker Than Water in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was not for me. Imagine your husband gets arrested for murder so you decide your going to be the lead investigator (even though your real job is a brand developer) while simultaneously going about normal life. It confused me.

What really killed it for me was Sienna, the ridiculously too involved sister of the man in jail. I had a hard time deciphering if this book was a thriller or a self help on untying the apron strings (aka not letting your in laws control your life).

Anywho … I didn’t like this book, but some folks over on Goodreads seemed to have enjoyed it and the author is still way more talented at writing a book than I am, so it might be worth a shot!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The synopsis of this book and the opening had me hooked. Unfortunately, I can’t say the rest of the book followed suit. I’ll be honest, I struggled to finish this one. I felt like I was reading the same parts over and over again- it was VERY repetitive (don’t trust a man, handholding, don’t trust a man, handholding) and dragged a ton. Sienna was SO insufferable to me that she actually made me feel physically repulsed. The ending did pick up with similar vibes to the beginning, albeit a bit predictable.

This was a doozy! I love a thriller that starts strong and doesn’t quit. I was never able to fully figure out what happened until a page or two before which is always the sign of a good book. I enjoyed Julia and Sienna’s dynamic and loved the found family aspect of this. Julia’s skepticism was a good foil for Sienna’s blind faith. Collins has become a must-read author for me!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating

The premise of this book really intrigued me, and it didn’t disappoint. I found myself finding ways to get just one more chapter in so I could figure out what was going on. This definitely wasn’t a thriller and more of a domestic suspense , so as long as you know that going in, I think that will help with the experience a lot. This is definitely one to add to your TBRs!