I read this one while traveling and enjoyed it. I nearly missed the call to board my flight home because I was engrossed in the story.

This is the case of “good premise, poor execution” for me. I was absolutely intrigued and excited about the story, which sounded like the perfect thriller. Who doesn’t love domestic suspense? The reality is, the writing was juvenile at best, and there was no “thrill” in this thriller. It was slow-moving and, frankly, kind of boring.

Review: The most outstanding part of this book were the characters, and the closeness between Sienna and Julia. They felt more like sisters than friends and the way they both stuck to their opinions, found evidence that supported that evidence, and both bold women in their own ways. I thought what really happened for the murder was okay, but the rest of the story was tightly plotted. Great interiority and visceral descriptions of setting and atmosphere. I wish it was a little darker, but otherwise it was an enjoyable mystery novel.

Mixed feels about this one!

The book starts off hot and keeps the pace rolling throughout the story, but when I thought about the events closely, there—wasn’t a *lot* that happened in it. I did enjoy seeing the same circumstances through two different eyes, and seeing both of them wrestle through that nuance—and the resolution between the girls at the end was fabulous. But sadly the actual mystery fell flat to me; the killer, their motive, and the circumstances around it were hard for me to buy.

So—this was a bit of a miss for me, but lovers of suspense really might like this one. And I’m very grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

Julia and Sienna are sister-in-laws and have been best friends since they were introduced by Jason, Sienna’s brother. Jason has been working hard for a new promotion and when his boss is murdered everyone is shocked. A few days later Jason is in a horrible accident and in a coma. He also had become suspect number 1 in the murder of his boss. Sienna is convinced of her brother's innocence but as the evidence is stacked against him Julia isn’t so sure.

Collins does it again with this fast paced thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. I loved how Julia and Sienna worked together to try to figure out what happened to Jason’s boss and why he is suspect number one. I thought the story was complex and clever. If you liked her other books then you’ll love this one too.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.

I really enjoyed the last book by this author so I was excited to get a copy of her new book. It is a pretty standard mystery, and although it wasn't unputdownable, I was invested in the plot and finished in just a couple days.

Julia and Sienna are best friends, and Julia is married to Sienna's brother Jason. One night they get a phone call that Jason was in a terrible accident and is now in a coma. This is right on the heels of the brutal murder of Jason's boss Gavin. Then they find out that Jason is the main suspect in Gavin's murder. But Jason has spent his whole life protecting and saving people - surely he wasn't the one that killed Gavin, right?

I think I would have liked this one a little bit more if there was more time spent on the murder and less time on the friendship between Julia and Sienna. Parts got a bit lengthy and I just wanted more about the investigation. I was very curious about what happened to Gavin and why, and the author did a good job of keeping that under wraps until the end.

3.5 stars rounded up

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books for this advance copy of Thicker Than Water in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first read by Megan and I liked it!
I wouldn't really classify it as a thriller though. Maybe a domestic drama with some mystery?
I did struggle at times with Sienna's character but in the end she had some redemption.
I'll for sure be checking out some of Megan's other titles.

I love a good slow burn thriller but this was way too drawn out than what I was used to
reading. This book is dual POV, sometimes I have a hard time with that. Sienna's POV was the worst she drove me absolutely nuts! Julia handled herself well and had more internal
conversations and experience whereas Sienna reacted so we saw more with her. The plot
didn't grab my attention but I wanted to keep reading because I quickly assumed the killer.

Another solid Megan Collins read. This one about two best friends who happen to be sisters-in-law and business partners whose connecting tie (husband/brother) is in a coma following an accident AND is being accused of murdering his boss in a very grotesque way! These two slap on their PI hats and go to work to try to prove his innocence and uncover a lot more about themselves, their relationship and the truth along the way.

Book: Thicker Than Water
Author: Megan Collins
Publisher: Atria Books
Pub Date: July 11, 2023

Meh. I could take or leave this book. I can’t say I liked any of the characters. Julia was married to Jason and was best friends with his sister Sienna. It felt like at times that Julia cared more about her relationship with Sienna than her husband. The book is very repetitive…..very repetitive. Very repetitive. Get it? Sienna worked my last nerve with how blindly she defended her brother. I did appreciate Julia for seeing things as they really were. Sienna was over the top angry and thought her brother hung the moon while Julia repeated over and over never a trust a man. Something she learned from her mother. There were so many loose ends and things that just were never expounded upon. Jason’s car accident was one. What happened? Who knows. Gavin’s shady business dealings. I’m not sure if that was to describe what kind of person Gavin was but the character was never developed and it ended up just not being important. Aiden, the son, knew something but wouldn’t tell. That whole relationship could have been brought out more. The ending was as lack luster as the book. I didn’t feel like anything shocking or surprising happened and when you figured out who the killer was you were basically just waiting for everyone else to catch up.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for this sneak peak! Publication date is July 11, 2023.

An interesting novel that always keeps you guessing. Without spoilers, this is basically a story about a family - husband, wife, teenage son and husband’s sister - keeping secrets from one another and being deceitful. All of this against the background of a murder and an accident victim in an induced coma in the hospital. It is well written, despite the recurring theme throughout that “men are trash” and “never trust a man”. At times, the story can become emotional and it compels the reader to rapidly turn pages. I, for one, will always smile if I ever hear the word motatoes.
I thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.

Sienna and Julia are super close. Closer than close. Sisters-in-law, besties, all the things! When Julia’s husband Jason gets in a car accident and falls into a coma, they are scared for the future. When Jason’s boss Gavin turns up murdered with his mouth sewn shut, and Jason seems to be the only suspect, they are devastated, and decide to find out the truth.

Julia and Sienna are complete opposites. Sienna is a spitfire, speaks her mind, doesn’t give two sh*ts. Julia is quieter, and doesn’t share her feelings. Their approach to the allegations about Jason are so different, which makes sense. I connected more with Julia, as I am more of a compromiser/make everyone happy/don’t always say what I want to say type of person. (I am working on it!🤣)

This is a slow burn mystery/suspense about murder and family drama. Secrets and lies. If that you enjoy that, you will enjoy this novel, too!

When any book STARTS with a murder, I'm in.... I don't know what that says about me?

This book is filled with thematic layers that just keep building to the ultimate crescendo that you do not see coming! It's twisty and written so well that you're not going to be able to put it down and want to keep going without a care that you should have been in bed hours ago!

Get this book for a fast pace summer read!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thicker Than Water is a slow burn sort of mystery that also involves friendships, family who may have too tight of a bond, and a dash of “did that really happen the way I remember it happening?” but without the unreliable narrator. The way this story comes together still has me thinking about it ten days after completing it. I was so satisfied with the ending. The way the story all wove together, and how sometimes your soulmate is not your romantic partner was just the icing on top of the cupcake.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

When Julia Larkin's husband has a car crash that puts him in the hospital in a medically induced comes, she and his sister, her best friend/business partner Sierra have to figure out a mystery themselves when the police want to arrest him for murder. The mystery itself is interesting, but the relationships around the Larkins are where the book shines. Told in alternating POVs from Julia and Sierra, the ways the Larkins see each other are tested as the women do their best to figure out the truth. I really appreciated the friendship between the women and how they worked through all the stresses caused by the impossible situation.

Overall, I enjoyed this thriller. The mystery portion is pretty predictable, but I enjoy the twists and turns and the characters. I found myself distrusting of all the characters pretty early on in the story, despite a slow start. The family and friend dynamics are wonderful to read through and the secrets kept continue to throw a wrench in what you believe to be true. If you are looking for a mystery where you can't predict the end, this book is not for you. If you are looking for a mystery that will keep you engaged with realistic and flawed characters and relationships, definitely pick this one up!

Julia and Sienna are sisters-in-law, friends and business partners. Their lives (and relationship) are forever changed when Jason's boss is murdered, Jason is in a Coma after a car accident and Jason is now the primary suspect of the murder. Julia and Sienna find themselves working to clear Jason's name - but find themselves opening up a complicated web of secrets that are bound to threaten their relationship.

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

I am so thankful to Atria Books, Netgalley, and Megan Collins for granting me advanced digital and physical access to this jarring thriller. I couldn't put it down and can't wait to consume more of this like-minded content going forward.

I have always been a huge Megan Collins fan, so we so excited to be approved for this one! The story sounds so great, I have a close relationship with my sister in laws and thought I could relate to these women. It starts off with a gruesome murder that immediately caught my attention! I felt like the story was mostly predictable but still enjoyable. I got frustrated with the choices the main characters made and wanted to shake them at times!

Julia and Sienna are super close sisters-in-law. Jason is Julia’s husband and Sienna’s brother. Jason ends up in a coma from an accident and his boss is dead. When the evidence starts to point towards Jason, Julia is starting to question whether or not her husband is guilty while Sienna is dead set on his innocence. How will their relationship survive this?

I really enjoyed the relationship Julia and Sienna had. I did not enjoy the way Sienna blindly defended her brother despite everything that was coming to light. I feel like there were a lot of loose ends that were never fully explained. Jason’s accident was never touched on as to what happened. It really never explained Jason’s boss’s shady business dealings. I don’t even understand why that was really mentioned in the first place as I don’t think it really added anything to the story. There was a bunch of things like that, that were never explained or wrapped up.

I’m usually a quick reader but it did take me a little bit to get through this one. I did think the writing style was easy to read and I enjoyed the dual POVs between Julia and Sienna. It didn’t have me rushing back to keep finding out what was going to happen though. It ended up being a mediocre thriller for me. The twists really weren’t that shocking and there wasn’t much to want to keep me up late at night reading.

I would read this if you like family drama and a who dunnit mystery.

Thank you Megan Collins, Atria Books, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

In Thicker Than Water, Megan Collins finds another way to keep us in suspense. In this psychological thriller, we are met with a seemingly loving family who work well together, love each other and would do anything for each other. But would they really? In the blink of an eye, that can change, and their lives shattered.

Julia and Sienna Larkin are sisters-in-law. Julia is married to Sienna’s brother Jason. But ever since Julia and Sienna met years ago, they knew they were more than just friends. They were true soulmates. They have been there for each other during the good, the bad and the ugly, their bond unbreakable.

Until Jason’s boss is found murdered in his apartment with his mouth sewn shut and days later Jason is in a car accident and put into a coma. As the police begin to find evidence which perhaps links him to the killing, Julia and Sienna’s relationship begins to crack as they both look at the situation differently.

As the two women think they know Jason well enough that he would never hurt a fly, let alone kill someone, and as they start to find out answers themselves as the police are not releasing any information, they find perhaps they really didn’t know him as well as they thought. But the problem, both see the information they find in two different ways for different reasons.

Sienna idolizes her brother. He has come to her defense so many times and protected her. She will not believe he could do harm to another. He is always there for everyone. Julia on the other hand married Jason because she was pregnant. Even though her mother had always told her never trust a man. But during their years of marriage, they did seem happy. And Jason was always helping out others, even if sometimes she perhaps needed him to be with her. But when Julia discovers a secret Jason kept from her, it begins to fracture her belief in him, much to Sienna’s dismay.

So as the women fight for their loved one, Sienna tries to find another suspect. Julia just wants to wait and find out what Jason has to say when they wake him up. And this causes a rift the women never saw coming.

With the forensic information pointing to it being Jason who killed his boss, and with the medical team ready to wake Jason up, how will each take whatever he is going to tell them. Will their friendship survive whatever this person who they thought they knew tells them?

Thicker Than Water is a story about relationships, dysfunction, with a mystery to be solved and information which could possibly break what was considered a truly solid loving family. Is blood thicker than water? Only way to find out is to read this engaging, fascinating story!

Thank you #NetGalley #AtriaBooks #ThickerThanWater #MeganCollins for the advanced copy.