Julie and Sienna bonded quickly after Julie became pregnant with Sienna's brother, Jason's, baby but now years later their friendship and loyalty will be put to the test!

Jason is involved in a serious car accident requiring him to be put into a coma for recovery, meanwhile, the police find evidence linking Jason to the recent murder of his boss. Without being able to hear Jason's side of the story, Julie and Sienna feel compelled to investigate themselves to clear Jason's name. But, what if Jason is really guilty as all the evidence seems to point that way. Secrets abound and Julie and Sienna find themselves on different sides for the first time as the truths are uncovered in this slow burn!!

Thicker Than Water starts out really good pulling you into the story! It does, however, fall short in the middle. Sienna seemed so unbelievable that it took away from the story and it tends to drag on! I was surprised by the conclusion but it was still anti-climatic. The plot and idea were good, it just fell short on holding my attention.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great domestic suspense! The plot keeps you guessing until the end. The characters are brilliantly written. Overall this book was really good and I would recommend it to anyone who is already a fan of Collins and thrillers. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

This was a super fast-paced book! I don’t think I’d put it in my “page turner” category, but I got invested enough in the story that the first time I checked my page status, I was at 67%. I decided to go ahead and just finish it…and my opinion of the ending will be discussed soon…

Julia, her husband Jason and her sister-in-law, Sienna, are our three main characters. We start off the book with Jason’s boss, Gavin, being found dead in his yard. He’d been slashed, suffocated and sewn - his lips were sewn shut. As his wife, Julia, and sister, Sienna, are watching news reports about Gavin’s murder, they get a call from the hospital. Jason has been in a one-vehicle accident, and is now in a medically-induced coma.

The rest of the story is about how, after Jason’s accident, he became the lead suspect in Gavin’s murder. The women fight back and investigate on their own, with obviously unprofessional and unreliable results. Despite their efforts to clear his name, eventually a warrant is issued for Jason’s arrest. As soon as is able to be taken out of the coma, he will be arrested for murdering his boss.

The murder mystery part of this was done well, but then we get to the ending. I was going to rate this a 3.5 stars all along, but for most of the book, I had planned on rounding that up to four. The ending changed that by being so implausible.

I’m going to say this isn’t a spoiler because for the whole book, you are aware that you won’t find out anything until Jason wakes up. When he does, both medically and realistically, everything becomes very cliche and popcorn- thrillerish. I’m sorry, but nobody wakes up from a week-long medically-induced coma for brain bleeding being able to coherently tell a story about specific events and dates. My eyes rolled so hard. Still, this was a fun read and Julie and Jason’s son, Aiden, was a minor but intriguing character. 3.5/5.

(Thank you to Atria Books, Megan Collins, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on July 11, 2023.)

To what lengths will a sister go to clear their brothers name for murder? Thicker Than Water is a cautionary tale that answers that very question. Collins navigates you through two main characters sister-in-laws turned best friends/business partners with their brother/husband as the main suspect. Brace yourselves for a wild ride with Thicker Than Water. 4-star read review.

Thank you to Net Galley and Atria Books eGalley for this ARC opportunity to provide honest feedback. #thickerthanwater #netgalley #goodreads #atriapublications

What would you do if your best friend was your brother's wife... and he was suspected of murder? This is the question at the heart of Thicker Than Water - and not only is it an engaging domestic drama that keeps the reader turning pages, it also makes you think. How well do you know your best friend... or your family? And what if everything you think you know is thrown out of whack? I've been looking forward to this one for a long time, and it was well worth the wait.

Megan Collins is a master at domestic suspense!! Her latest novel Thicker Than Water is simply put, epic!!! As with all of Megan Collins books, my mind felt mixed up and scrambled from the very first page—LOVE THAT!!!! The storyline is brilliantly mapped out to keep you guessing and grasping at theories until the very end. One of Megan Collins awesome writing qualities is her ability to creat such well developed characters in a thriller. I really enjoyed the friendship dynamics between two of the main characters -that isn’t usually found in a mystery/suspense book, but more times found in women’s fiction novels. Thicker Than Water is a total and complete 5 star novel that I highly recommend to everyone!! A sign of a really great book is when you can’t get the story out of your mind and all of the characters from this gem are still living rent free in my head! A true must read!

Sister in-laws find themselves mixed up in a mystery when their shared loved one ends up in a coma and accused of murder. Sienna and Julia are battling against time to solve the mystery before Jason wakes up from his coma and is arrested for killing his boss. I was excited for this book and hooked right away, but the story quickly fell flat for me. I found it underwhelming and did not find either of the main characters very likable. There were no twists really, although classified as a thriller, and I found the motives and ending kind of silly.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An excellent thriller telling the story of two sisters in law caught in the crosshairs of a vicious crime and trying to escape with their lives. Loved it!

I absolutely devoured this latest Collins’ book. I’m a big fan of psychological thrillers and this one doesn’t disappoint. Great unexpected twists and two strong women who complement and learn from each other. What’s not to love!?!
Many thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Thicker than water

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel.

This story includes a murder the solution of which was intricate, imaginative, and incredibly difficult to solve..

My favorite part of this novel is also the thing that makes it unique: the friendship between the two main characters. They are almost childlike in their unabashed adoration of each other, I certainly have not had that close of a friendship with another woman since I was a child, and I would give anything to have it again as an adult. If any of us realized how difficult making friends as an adult would be, perhaps we would have tried much harder to keep the relationships developed in our youth! I loved it. I found their relationship the most important of the book, I cheered it on much more than I did the relationship they had with their male counterparts!

Everything about the book was engaging and entertaining, I just enjoy focusing on what makes a book unique.

Until next time, keep your friends close, and your enemies at bay. 😉

I literally love anything Megan collins writes. She is so talented with storytelling, it’s incredible. I blew through this in a day and have no regrets about my laundry not getting done. Bravo, Megan!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. I have enjoyed Collin's work in the past so I was excited to read this one. She always hooks you right from the beginning and leaves you wondering until the very end! I love her thrillers!

Book Title: Thicker Than Water
Author: Megan Collins
Publisher: Atria Books
Genre: Mystery/Thriller - Psychological Thriller
Pub Date: July 11, 2023
My Rating: 3.8 Rounded up

I have only read several Megan Collin’s novels so was excited about this one as I enjoyed the others I read.
I love psychology thrillers! They are always a challenge that I totally enjoy!
I know the first step: Suspect Everyone!!
Yep I always do that!
However…..
Since I suspect ‘everyone’ I am bound to get one correct~ right?
Okay! There are times, I am close!!

I am hoping Julia and Sienna do a better job in finding whodunit! BTW: This story is told from the POV of Julia and Sienna.

Julia and her best friend, business partner as well as sister-in-law Sienna Larkin want to solve who murdered Jason’s boss Gavin who was found dead with his mouth sewn shut.

Julia is 38 and married Jason at young age, they have a teenage son Aiden and live in Jason’s childhood home.
Julia is shocked that her husband Jason is the prime suspect in the death of his boss
However, since the murder occurred Jason was in an accident and is in a coma so cannot speak to tell the police what happen the night of the party.
Sienna knows her bother wouldn’t hurt anyone. Together the sisters-in-law are out to investigate what really happened the night Gavin died.
Their approach is very different. Julia is patient, calm and logical. None of those words describe Sienna; as she has a temper and is impulsive. Actually there were times Sienna’s rage and foul language got annoying.

Once again I was sure I had this figured out ~ wrong.
There is a twist and yes it was a surprise.

Ms. Collins did not disappoint.

Want to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for granting me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 11, 2023

4 stars

i really enjoyed Thicker Than Water.  It was a great psychological thriller and kept me wondering who really done it!  This was the first book I’ve read by Megan Collins and I will definitely be checking out her other books because I really like her writing style. 

I also liked how Collins incorporated the aspect of family trust into this novel.  Brother, sister and sister in law.  Where do your loyalties lie, and when it comes down to it, who can you trust?  Families can keep secrets from each other and in times of distress they come out to test loyalties.

Overall this book was really good and I would recommend it to anyone who is already a fan of Collins and thrillers.

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC copy in return for an honest review***

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 Stars rounded up to 4. I'm not sure what to say about this book. I didn't LOVE it but I didn't dislike it. The overall premise is intriguing but a little predictable in my opinion. I also did not really love any of the characters- I didn't really find myself connecting with or rooting for any of them. One redeeming message I appreciated was the hoes before bros overarching theme- that bumped my rating up by at least a star! This was my first book by Megan Collins and I am definitely interested in reading her other books.

Thicker than Water is about two sister laws point of views when their brother/husband is being accused of murdering his boss, Gavin.

The book has two points of view. One from Julia (wife) and one from Sienna (sister in law), who are absolute best friends. I found Sienna to be very annoying throughout this novel and didn’t enjoy her character as much as Julia.

This book definitely brings in family dynamic, complicated relationships and realizing you don’t know people as well as you think. We only are perceived by what they decide to show.

Overall, I thought the book was 3 stars. I thought the ending could have been better. Thank you for letting me read this for my honest review.

A brutal murder, a tragic car accident and a web of secrets and lies completely upend the lives of Julia and Sienna, sister-in-laws and business partners. Julia’s husband, Jason, becomes the prime suspect in the murder of his boss. Julia doesn’t know what exactly to believe. Sienna, Jason’s sister, is convinced she knows her brother and that he’s innocent. As more and more secrets come out, Julia and Sienna are forced to question everything.

I was a big fan of this novel! I truly found myself needing to read as fast as I could to find out what happened to the Larkin family. Every time you thought a character was figured out, something else is added to the plot that left me second guessing! I loved the aspect of family secrets and hidden stories that created such an intricate plot. Megan Collins has a way of writing about families that is just so mesmerizing. This was such a satisfying thriller and I really enjoyed it!

Fast-paced thriller following the story of a family who is trying to prove their loved one’s innocence, but time is running out. I found the storyline to be very interesting, if somewhat predictable from the mystery aspect. The characters were well-developed and the author did a great job delving into very real family trauma, including the long lasting psychological effects of it. I finished it fairly quickly, and it kept me interested all the way until the end. Overall a solid thriller.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Sisters - in - law Julia and Sienna Larkin are best friends and business partners. Their relationship seems to transcend their ties to Jason, Julia’s husband and Sienna’s brother. But when Jason gets in a car crash and becomes a suspect in his boss’s murder, those ties become thinner and thinner.
To Sienna, Jason can do no wrong and has been mistakenly accused or framed. But to Julia, past betrayal leads her to wonder if she really knows her husband at all.
Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the advanced ecopy! I’ve been so excited for Megan’s next book and she certainly did not disappoint.
I love Julia and Sienna’s relationship. They go through a lot together in this book and in a way it’s their love story. True friendship can withstand even the toughest tests and Megan certainly tests them! They both have flaws that have led to the way things are in their relationship, and I really like the way that’s handled in the book as well.
Megan really had me stumped by who the murderer was! I kept going back and forth on Jason. I thought the ending was really well done in that aspect.
Thicker Than Water will be available in July wherever books are sold!

Thicker than Water by Megan Collins. Pub Date: July 11, 2023. Rating: 5 stars. I have never read a book by Megan Collins, but if all of her books are like this one then I will definitely be picking them up at some point. This is a psychological thriller focused around sisters-in-law. Jason, the husband and brother of this dynamic duo, gets into a car accident around the same time as his boss has been murdered. From there, it is a wild goose chase to determine who killed his boss and is Jason to be blamed or not. As secrets are revealed and family ties are pushed to their limits, this story leaves the reader turning the pages quickly and wanting to know more. I read this novel in 24 hours because I simply could not put it down. I found it propulsive, full of mystery and cliffhanger chapter endings. I highly recommend this novel for psychological thriller readers! Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. #netgalley #thickerthanwater