This is a fast, captivating mystery about two best friends who also happen to be sisters-in-law. Their lives are very intertwined which becomes an issue when Jason (Julia's husband and Sienna's brother) is in a coma after an accident and is then accused of murder. This book felt more like a relationship and loyalty storyline than a thriller most of the time. That's not a complaint but just a heads up for mystery/thriller lovers. I wasn't totally sold on the ending but I enjoyed this read overall and I think it will be a great summer read. Thank you so much to NetGalley, Megan Collins and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Julia and Siena our sister-in-law‘s Julia is married to sienna‘s brother Jason they’re also the best of friends and have a business together. Jason‘s boss Gavin has recently been murdered and before they can get their head around that they find out Jason has had an accident in a head on collision with tree and is now in a medically induced coma but then things get even worse they find out Jason is the prime suspect and although a visit from one of his coworkers only adds more questions to women or divided on their opinion of whether Jason is capable of murder or not. Julia grew up with a mother whose motto was “never trust a man!“ Sienna on the other hand grew up in a loving family but as a big believer in the #MeToMovementAndHasManyFeministIdeals, Despite that the women are so close and borderline codependent on each other. Julia is also having problems with her teenage son who seemed to despise everything about her and not in your average teenage boy kind of way. Will Julia lose everything she’s come to know that’s her life can she trust her husband Jason? Will she lose her best friend and sister-in-law sienna? Although this review is a little lol trust me when I say there’s way more at stake than just what I put Jason and Siana‘s parents were killed by a man named Clive Clayton but that isn’t his only indiscretion when it comes to the siblings but when all the cards are on the table what picture will appear? This book was so good it really was a very very good book and one I think a lot of people will find hard to put down. It is one twist after another and the twist starts early and keeps coming but that’s not to say the story is unbelievable or has any Eye rolling moments. I found it was just a straightforward compelling story with a smart narrative and an unfolding plot that I think will amaze a lot of people I can’t say I was Uber excited about how it ended but that is just my opinion the story is still top notch. I want to thank atria books Ann net galley for my arc copy, please forgive any mistakes I am blind and dictate my review.

Julia and Sienna are sisters-in-law; Julia is married to Sienna’s brother Jason. They are also best friends and business partners. Jason’s boss is murdered and shortly after Jason winds up in a coma from a car accident. Julia and Sienna try to prove Jason’s innocence when he is suspected of the murder and cannot speak for himself. Julia begins to have doubts about Jason, which begins to fracture her relationship with Sienna. This book did not feel like a thriller, it was more like a light mystery. The characters were well defined and interesting. The book worked as a story about relationships and how they can evolve.
With thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

Thicker Than Water is a mystery/drama about a murder and the lies and secrets that threaten to destroy a family. The two female characters, Julia and Sienna are best friends and sister-in-laws, until events threaten to put their relationship at risk.

I felt that the story fell a little flat and didn’t hold my attention and was predictable. The characters weren’t really likeable to me. Also the ending was disappointing with the way it was revealed. This book wasn’t my favourite but I can see others enjoying it.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this book.

DNF at 30%.
This author’s book from 2022 (The Family Plot) was one of my favorites of the year! It had quirky characters and was a perfect classic Agatha Christie style mystery.
I was looking forward to more of that with Thicker Than Water, but this one almost felt like it was written by somebody else. The characters were flat and undeveloped, and the plot wasn’t all that intriguing. I just started to feel like I didn’t care what happened and that’s usually my sign to stop reading. I will still read this authors work in the future, but this one did not work for me.

TW: sexual assault/date rape/sexual harrassment

I loved the idea of a sister and sister-in-law team of detectives trying to prove that their husband and brother (the same guy) didn't kill his boss.

But the dual POV was confusing as both women sounded pretty much the same and there was not much reason to give each of them a POV except for one minor secret. I think I might have liked this more if they disliked each other and were forced to work together, but their dynamic was sort of like middle school BFFs, with weird inside jokes and a co-dependency.

I think I would have liked the ending better if (view spoiler)

This is clearly a "me" issue, so if you are a fan of this author, do not be discouraged from trying it. I wanted a bit more oomph, but it's a perfectly good book!

This is my first Megan Collins read & I enjoyed it! I was very intrigued by the different relationship dynamics of the characters - not only the two sisters-in-law but the mother/son, flashback of mother/daughter, sister/brother, etc. I appreciated Megan’s little details that brought the characters more depth and kept me invested in how the story would play out.
I didn’t immediately have the twists figured out so once I got through the first 75% of the book, the last bit flew for me. I did feel like there were some slow parts but appreciated how the side storylines were all tied up at the end!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Megan Collins and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I find I had a hard time going along with the story, which is uncommon for me as I usually like slow burns. I didn’t connect with any of of the characters however, I still found they were well developed.

There were some enjoyable twists even though I figured out the mystery early on.

All in all, the story was okay, just expected a little more based on how strong the first chapter started and the description.

3/5

Publishing Date: 11 July 2023
(Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

A well written story of the trials and tribulations of finding yourself and your family while trying to solve the murder your unconscious husband has been accused of. There were times I disliked Julia and her indecisiveness and perceived weakness. Other times I disliked Sienna and her assumed righteousness and infallible belief in her brother. Though this is touted as a thriller it really isn’t. The murder honestly takes a back seat to Julia and Seinnas relationship. I didn’t fall in love with Julia and I found myself not caring for her point of view chapters. I did like Siennas complexities but at times it came across out of character for her. Overall it’s a good book but I wouldn’t find myself picking it up to reread.

Twisty, but overall pretty predictable.


Sisters-in-law and business partners, Julia and Sienna, find their relationship tested when Julia’s husband and Sienna’s brother, Jason is a suspect in the murder of his boss, Gavin.

The premise of this book was so fun. Unfortunately, most of the characters in this book were so insufferable.
Julia is very meek and quiet, to the point of shoving all of her feelings and opinions aside in favor of placating everyone around her. Oppositely, Sienna has a fiery personality that she hasn’t learned how to keep in check, and has a very overattached relationship with her brother that became cringy at points.
There were also some plot points that didn’t seem to move the story along.
However, I loved all of the side characters and how they advanced the story. I enjoyed the dual POV to see the personality differences between the main characters, as polarizing as they were. While I did guess the ending, the book definitely threw some twists in throughout to throw you off! Still a fun read for the plot!

Thank you to #netgalley and #atria books for an eARC of this book! All opinions are my own!

4.5 stars
Wow, I loved this one! It hooked me right away and just got better and better as it went along.
*
Julia and Sienna are best friends and sisters-in-law, with Julia married to Sienna's brother Jason. One night, days after his boss is murdered, Jason is in a bad car accident and ends up in a coma. At the same time, it's starting to look like he killed his boss, but Julia and Sienna are forced to find answers themselves since Jason can't speak for himself.
*
I thought this was such a fun thriller, with plenty of twists and turns and more emotional depth than I expected. I love the foil of Julia and Sienna, even though Sienna was a bit much to take at times. I really liked the nuance it provided about people's characters, and once the truth was revealed it ended up being so much more complicated than any of them had considered. I did guess one big twist pretty early, but the way it actually came about was done really well.
*
The only thing that kept me from a full 5 stars is the repetitive mantras they each had, which I think were brought up just a few too many times. But still highly recommend, this my favorite so far by @megancollinswriter!

This was the first time I read a book by Megan Collins, but it certainly will not be my last. Thicker Than Water was an emotional, thrilling read that I could not put down! This book is filled with suspense, family drama, secrets, and had an ending that was absolutely brilliant! I will be telling everyone to read it!

Oh, my... where do I even start? There was essentially nothing I enjoyed about this story. I really struggled to be invested with the characters and the attempt at creating suspense really just made the story drag.
I also felt like all of the characters were in some way, shape, or form just completely awful. I understand that writing and creating "evil" personalities can add to the plot of a story and cause the reader to keep reading in support of the "good" characters. However, just writing lying, cheating, murdering characters for the sake of creating these individuals is, well, frustrating. I was also being pulled in so many different directions trying to decide who to like and/or who to strongly dislike. All of the characters were, for lack of a better term, morally "meh" and everyone had some good and REALLY bad parts of them (which, yes, is the way real people are, but I needed a more decisive villain).
The one aspect I really appreciated was the portrayal of the sister-in-law bond between our two narrators (even though they were lying to each other throughout the story). It is a beautiful thing when two strangers become close and dear friends.

An abbreviated version of this review will be posted to my instagram @leannaslittlelibrary on 7/11/23
Thank you for letting me read!

I read The Family Plot by the same author last year, so when I got approved for the ARC for this one, I was really excited to read another one by her. Unfortunately, though, this fell a little flat. Right off the bat I was intrigued because of the way the murder happened, and I immediately wanted more. But as the story went on, I felt like there were a few too many subplots going on that I just didn't really care about or felt like they added to the story much. I did enjoy the relationship and dynamic between Sienna and Julie, but at the same time I didn't find either of them super likable so I kind of got bored with their dynamic by the end of it. I was hoping the end would redeem the rest of the story but I was overall just disappointed. Jason ended up being kind of a weird stalker vigilante that didn't really make a lot of sense, and the reveal of the killer just felt a little predictable.

Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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This story is told in a dual point of view through the eyes of Julia and Sienna, best friends who just so happen to be sisters-in-law. Julia is married to Sienna’s brother Jason, who was in an accident and is now in a coma; to make matters worse - Jason is now the prime suspect of a murder investigation. Sienna and Julia combine forces to try to solve the murder and prove Jason’s innocence… or not.
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Thicker Than Water is a twisty slow burn that will have you second guessing every character throughout the entire book. I enjoyed the dual perspectives, though I found Sienna to be completely insufferable. She is hot headed and loud. Julia is much more quiet and meek. Collins does a great job throughout the book to drop pieces of information about each character to make you suspicious of them. I found that to be very entertaining and really liked how the ending played out and what happened with each character. Speaking of characters - there was such huge character growth with both Julia and Sienna - and I was all for it.
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Thicker Than Water is perfect for all my murder mystery fans! It will grab you from the start and keep you guessing until the very end! Thicker Than Water releases on July 11! Be sure to check this one out!
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Huge thank you to NetGalley, Megan Collins and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Atria Books for sending me an early copy. This one is out July 11.

Very very slow burn and not at all like her previous book, THE FAMILY PLOT.

This was truly a domestic suspense in every sense of the word. I always appreciate a dual POV and this one centered around Julia and Sierra. Julia and Sierra being best friends and Julie being to Sierra’s brother, Jason made for an interesting dynamic. I think that was probably my favorite part of the whole story. My husband, sister and I are a happy “three amigos” trio in real life so it was fun to see it represented.

I appreciated both women and their perspectives. While I figured out the twists quickly, I enjoyed going through them with the characters and seeing both ladies grow. The themes of trust and not truly knowing another person completely when always worrying about their feelings was realistic.

I did feel the book was slow in parts and since Jason was comatose most of the story, I felt like it wrapped up really fast at the end. I also don’t think this one should be labeled a thriller. Yes, there was a murder, but that was not really the premise.

Julia is married to Sienna's brother, Jason, and not only are they are sisters-in-law, they are also BFFs and business partners. When Jason's boss is murdered and Jason ends up in a coma following a car accident, the women's friendship is tested as they try to uncover the truth.

I am not a huge fan of slow burns in general, and this was a super slow burn with a lot of repetition and rehashing of past events, and not a lot of action or forward momentum in sorting out who killed Jason's boss. I did like how Julia and Sienna worked through some of the issues with their friendship and came out better for having talked things over.

That said -- I kind of wish Julia and Sienna had just run off together and ditched boring Jason - their relationship was much closer and more interesting than Julia + Jason. Overall this was fine, but it is not going to be a super memorable read for me.

2.5 rounded up.

4.5⭐️s rounded up to 5

A HUGE thank you to @atriabooks and @netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book!  This was my 1st by Megan Collins and definitely will not be my last.  I always say communication is the most important thing to a good relationship, and this book played into that.

Julia and Sienna Larkin are not only best friends and business partners but are also sister-in-laws.  Julia is married to Jason, Sienna's brother.  When Jason's boss turns up dead with his mouth sewn shut and Jason ends up becoming the prime suspect, their relationship is put to the test.  Meanwhile, Jason can't answer any of their questions since he's in a medically induced coma after a car accident.  With time running out, can they clear Jason's name?  Will Sienna's devotion to her brother conflict with how Julia feels?

Told in dual POV, this psychological/domestic thriller was full of suspense and family drama! It had me guessing until the very end.  At one point, I thought I had it figured out, but I was wrong.  I really enjoyed the character development and the relationship between Julia and Sienna.
I would definitely recommend this book.  Remember, it comes out on TUESDAY 11/11!

Thicker Than Water by Megan Collins

Thank you to @netgalley, @atriabooks, and this rockstar author, @megancollinswriter, for the opportunity to read this #eARC in exchange for my #honestreview! This book is now available for preorder - if you preorder from the small bookstore in her bio you get the cutest notepad with your preorder. 💙

When Julia meets Jason, she is taken with him, but when she meets his sister, Sienna, she knows she’s found her person. When Julia falls unexpectedly pregnant with Aiden, it is mostly her bond to Sienna that tells her all will end well if she jumps in and marries Jason. And for years the four are inextricably connected to one another. And then one day Jason’s boss is found dead, brutally slain with his mouth sewn shut. And two days later he is in a car accident that leaves him in critical condition and, ultimately, in a medically induced coma - all while the police have concluded he’s the number one suspect. It’s up to Julia and Sienna to put the pieces together and figure out what happened before Jason wakes up. Will the truth set him free or tear this family apart?

This was a wild ride! I do want to start by saying the actual wrap up of the investigation was not overly twisty, so don’t go in with the expectation of a mind blowing maze. But this story is so much more than the actual investigation. It’s an analysis of friendship and family and how far we will go, what lines we will cross in the name of doing what we think is best for those we love. How we will blind and contort ourselves to fit the mold we think others expect us to fit into. Every single character in this story had a secret and nearly every single one had a great character arc of growth that reminds us we’re capable of those things too. This had such an incredibly satisfying ending even amidst a state of general unrest and fear of the unknown for the characters. May we all aim to be a little Si and a little Jules.

TW: SA, violence, AA, drugging, blackmail, financial crimes, cheating, stalking, harassment