This book certainly caught my attention, and I ended up reading it in big chunks, continually finding myself getting sucked into the story and needing to read more and more to see what happened next. The author paints a fantastic atmosphere, and I think the setting of the novel really contributed to that -- I found the descriptions of the cabins and the beaches to be very rich and I felt like I was there.

I also found that this is one of a small handful of thriller novels that I've genuinely been surprised by some of the twists - I normally find myself rolling my eyes at predictability, but I thought that the pacing and reveals of this book were really well done. That being said, I found the 'mystery' itself to be slightly overdone -- it falls a little too far into the girlboss 'Gone Girl' & 'Promising Young Women' genre for my taste.

Overall, though, I found this book to be a very captivating and thriller read, where the setting really thrives as does the morally grey narration.

A very interesting look into the dynamics between men and women. This book has plenty of twists and turns. I was never sure where it was going. I like books with surprises and this one didn’t disappoint.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Gillian Flynn Books, for this advanced reader's copy.

In general, this book was intriguing to me and kept me interested for the majority of it. I like how it took a spin I wasn't expecting and how we saw various, unexpected scheming from different characters.

I think it's a very direct, in your face social commentary on misogyny, women's rights, and gaslighting. I can't really put my finger on what it is that I didn't like. Perhaps it's so on the nose that it's almost a forgettable book? I don't know.

It definitely gave me a lot to think about, and not so pleasant thoughts, in regards to my own relationship with my husband in my marriage. So for that it's definitely a win.

It's a book for a teen audience and above. I think the social commentary can get many thinking about crucial questions.

I found this book a bit hard to review because I am not sure I agree with the manner the woman played him. But it made interesting reading. It did bring problems to light as why do woman so often feel like they are the ones at fault? Why do they bend to the extreme to accommodate a husband? Why do they keep making excuses for the treatment they receive? Mental abuse can often be more damaging to a person than physical abuse. In the meanwhile, the husband keeps thinking he is the greatest good guy ever. I hope you take the time to read the book with all the twist and turns it will make you wonder who is the bad person here?

Newly separated from his wife , Cole leaves London for a fresh start in the countryside. He accepts a job as a wildlife ranger and settles into his cozy seaside cottage. When he meets Leonora, the reclusive artist living next door, he is instantly charmed by her warm and gentle spirit. But as the two forge a connection on the cliff’s edge they call home, two young women activists raising awareness about gendered violence disappear while passing through. Cole and Leonora find themselves in the middle of a police investigation and resulting media firestorm as the world learns of what happened, and as the tension escalates, they quickly realize that they don’t know each other that well after all.

The first half of the book is told in Cole's POV, and then the second half switches to his ex-wife's POV. Scattered throughout are social media posts about the women activists. Needless to say, there are always two sides to every story, and and this is no exception. When you read Cole's version of events he looks like a harmless, misunderstood man who loved his wife dearly and just wanted to be married with children. When you hear her version, you see a very different side of Cole, a much darker side and it is hard to reconcile the two. The nastiness of the social media posts, while integral to the story, left me feeling icky. Unfortunately, that is the way so many men view and treat women, but it was still uncomfortable to read.

One of The Good Guys is a thought provoking thriller that makes one question their own views on gender roles, feminism, violence against women, the pitfalls of social media, and the idea that a man is one of the good ones if he helps with basic household/family life. I loved all the POVs and how it all tied up neatly in the end. I also enjoyed the rugged, isolated English coast and cottage setting. Some of the topics were complex particularly the idea of why do women still have to be fearful when walking alone if there are so many ‘good guys’. I did enjoy Hall’s character development particularly Cole who was a fascinating person who in his gaslighting, twisted mind saw himself as a victim and just one of the good guys. The art exhibit was such an interesting spin on violence against women and the patriarchy.

I rate this revenge tale 4 out of 5.

Trigger warnings- gaslighting, rape, fertility issues

Thanks to NetGalley and Zando Gillian Flynn Books for this eARC that will be published January 9 2024.

I was so excited when I was approved for this! But so let down when I began reading it. The first things that was troublesome for me, was the way it was set up, it would have “one of the good guys (page number)” in random places of reading.

I wasn’t a fan with how much this book jumped around. Just the first chapter confused me so much with how there was no solid information that was being given to you. It took me a hot minute to realize the narrator was a male.

Just right off the bat I was no vibing with this book. It was just not a good fit for me.

When I saw Gillian Flynn was starting a publishing imprint, I was so stoked! I have been dying to read more books by her and this is the next best thing. I requested this immediately and couldn’t read it fast enough. I will say this book caught me a little off guard. The first half was ok, started off good, then was kinda fizzing out before the twist comes in. But you don’t really know exactly what the twist it. Then the format is unconventional with emails, news clipping and social media posts. The premise seemed a little far fetched and unbelievable. I really don’t think it’s like anything I’ve ever read, so for that reason I look forward to seeing what this author comes out with next. I could see this book having a lot of mixed reviews. Either people loving it or hating it. I’m somewhere in the middle!

3.5 upped to 4
I like the first part of the story, the complex and toxic relationships and the flawed characters.
I wasn't a fan of the second part as I found it a bit predictable.
It's a good book even if I liked but not loved it
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thought provoking mystery dealing with the safety of women and the myth of the so called "nice guy" Part one starts with the first person narrative of Cole who has taken a new job as a wildlife ranger and moved into a small cottage in the south of England. Cole and his wife Mel are separated, and he is upset at her not wanting to continue IVF treatments and her fast paced lifestyle. At first we really like Cole but as his thoughts and actions reveal more we see the layers of the nice guy peeling away to reveal someone else. Cole meets an artist named Lennie (Leonora) who is taking a breather in a small coast guard cottage before an upcoming art show in London. At the same time, two young women are on a charity walk to raise money for an organization that promotes awareness of safety for women. The women end up in the same small town as Cole and Lennie and disappear.

Part two of the book shows us the story of Cole's wife Mel. I thought Mel was a great character and I particularly liked the discussion about men being praised for making any efforts at home care and parenting while women are criticized for everything they do. We also read a number of media and social media pieces with various people's viewpoints on women's safety and the missing women. The third section ties everything together and while there were no surprises, I did appreciate the discussion of this very important subject and loved the description of the art exhibit on women and their fears. I would have rated this five stars but both Lennie and Cole didn't quite feel like real people at times and more like stand ins for stereotypes. Thank you to Gillian Flynn books and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.

Entertaining book that makes you debate with yourself. It has some very interesting plot twists. I recommend it if you're interested in topics like violence against women, feminism and morally grey characters.

4.5 stars. This is definitely my favorite of Araminta's books that I've read thus far. First, let me just say that if you haven't read any of Hall's books, she definitely does not attempt to make all of her characters like-able, and many will find their actions morally ambiguous. I LOVED the storyline - it is, quite frankly, a brilliant take on violence again women in its many permutations. I'm not going to say much more, because I don't want to ruin the experience in any way. I WILL just say that if Lennie's exhibit actually existed in real life, I would travel to experience it.

"If most men claim to be good, why are most women still afraid to walk home alone at night?

Desperate to escape the ghosts of his failed marriage, Cole upends his life. He leaves London behind for a remote stretch of coast, relishing the respite from the noise, drama, and relentless careerism that curdled his relationship and mental health. Leonora has made the same move for similar reasons. She’s living a short walk from Cole’s seaside cottage, preparing for her latest art exhibition. Although Cole still can’t figure out what went wrong with his marriage, and Leonora is having trouble acclimating to the hostile landscape, the pair forges a connection on the eroding bluff they call home.

Then two young female activists raising awareness about gendered violence disappear while passing through. Cole and Leonora suddenly find themselves in the middle of a police investigation--and the resulting media firestorm when the world learns of what happened. And as the tension escalates alongside the search for the missing women, they quickly realize that they don’t know each other that well after all."

Thanks to NetGalley and Zando/Gillian Flynn books for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Men argue they are the good guys, but why are women in a constant state for fear to walk alone at night if they are such good guys?

One of the Good Guys is a thought-provoking look at gender roles and feminism at work. It broaches the use of social media for bullies who refuse to get all the facts before attacking the victim. The mystery involves two local students walking to bring awareness to violence against women and a middle-aged man who's literally believes he a good guy.

The plot is a slow-burn, eventually drawing you into the revenge storyline. Hall didn't shy away from controversial thoughts and issues. One of the Good Guys will haunt your thoughts after the last page.

Thank you Zando, Gillian Flynn Books for the complimentary copy.

One of the Good Guys explores the relationship between genders and unfolds from the viewpoint of each of the three main characters. It’s a thoughtful and provocative treatise on feminism, violence against women, social media, and good guys. An interesting read, mysterious and twisty.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an electronic ARC and the opportunity to review this book.

It doesn't take more than a few pages to realize that, of course, our narrator ISN'T, in fact, one of the good guys. This makes his sections alternately frustrating and a little schaudenfreude-y. The twists and turns were pretty surprising, though the ultimate finale wrapped up a little cleanly for me.

So many points of view including some that seemed far fetched. I had a hard time connecting to any of the characters. So many important issues brought into the mix. Overall a fairly predictable outcome.

I read this in one sitting. I couldn't put it down.
The story starts with Cole who has moved to the coast to get over his breakup. The first section is told from his point of view.
The next section is told from the perspective of his ex wife. This is really effective as it gives you a good view of their relationship.
The third section of the book is something I won't say much about. You need to read it.
And, you do need to read it so that I have someone to discuss it with. It is really thought provoking and I'll certainly be thinking about it for a while.

I went into this book blind, expecting a typical thriller… however, “One of the Good Guys” was surprisingly complex! It focuses a lot on how men treat women and explores many opinions and viewpoints. The author tackles many other additional issues, but does so in a very authentic manner. This is something many cannot do! Without giving too much away myself, I would urge the reader to check trigger warnings prior to diving in. Thanks so much NetGalley and author for this ARC!

First and foremost I want to say I throughly enjoyed this book and some parts I could not put it down. This book was very thought-provoking and sometimes hard to read, but in the sense as what I was reading most times is a reality and to see it on paper is even more heartbreaking that comments such as the ones seen on the reddit fake pages on the book do happen.
The book is divided in 3 parts and they are all different, I love different POVs books and I thought the way the book was set up it made it easy to follow and engrossed me on the story. The third part of the book was presented in different mediums (WhatsApp, Reddit, news articles, etc), I did enjoy this side part to the story because it enriched the story as a whole and in my opinion made the books message so much more powerful.
This was my first book by Araminta Hall but it certainly will not be the last one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Zando Projects for the opportunity to review this Arc.

Is Cole a good guy? What does his soon to be ex Melanie think? And then there's Lennie, the artist he's just met in his "new" life by the sea. The disappearance of female hikers blows a lot of things out of the water for all three. This is very much about violence against women and misogeny but it's also about the impact of the media. To be honest, you, like me, might not like (or trust) this trio but they do make for an entertaining read. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. No spoilers from me! This will please Hall's fans and new readers alike.