3.75 stars
A definite binge read. Twists that I did not see coming at all.
What I liked overall was the coming together of all the characters in the end. Well rounded ending. All my questions were answered.

I believe in feminism and it is strong in this story! Definitely see this as a Law and Order SVU episode.

Thank you NetGalley and Zando for the gifted early copy. All opinions are mine.

I spent the first half of the book feeling very uncomfortable, but not sure if that’s how I was supposed to feel or if I was missing something! And then the wild turn halfway through the book really shocked me! I was not expecting the second half of the book at all! Very good, and thought-provoking!

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley, but all opinions are my own.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.
This was a new author for me and a different type of book I would normally read. I felt like there was too much of the book about the couple using IVF. It got to the point that it became annoying to me. I did finally start skimming some of that part. The main character Cole was creepy. I will say that there were some good points made regarding women even though this book was fiction.

One of the Good Guys successfully combines a page-turning thriller with a biting commentary on gendered relations--something that is not easy to do! Cole has recently separated from his wife and moved to the south coast of England for a fresh start, where he meets Lennie, who's also recently moved in. While Cole repeatedly tells us that he's "one of the good guys" who treats women with respect, we soon start to question whether this is indeed the case. When two young women disappear following an argument with Cole, he's arrested for their murders. He strenuously asserts his innocence, but as more information comes out about his relationship with his estranged wife, we really begin to wonder what type of a man Cole is.

At times, the commentary about gender was a little heavy-handed, but overall, the author did a good job of making this more than a garden-variety thriller.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is like reading two different stories, in some way. More so because of how the story is told. It takes a different voice and a different narrative style halfway through.

Both halves were pretty good. It clears up some stuff you’re probably feeling during the first half. I was unsettled bc I couldn’t decide what the author wanted me to think and feel about the main character. I knew how I felt about him but I couldn’t tell if that’s what she was going for or not.

The twist I was expecting wasn’t the one I was expecting. I was thinking it was a different kind of misdirect. (I’m being deliberately vague so as to not spoil anything). I was sort of relieved for where the story ended up going after all.

Also relieved by the point the author ultimately seemed to be making. At least my interpretation of it, anyway.

There’s lots of different voices through the second half. And how they echo real life is a little depressing.

Tough one. I loved a previous book by this author, who specializes in twisted characters but didn't love this one. Cole was extremely annoying but I did like getting Mel's point of view. Since I read an ARC, the formatting for the social media conversations was a bit of a struggle to get through, but certainly seemed believable. The points of view were too over the top that I felt it lost the point it was trying to make.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. I very much enjoyed the beautiful setting and the moral behind the story. However, I wasn't too keen on the characters. 3 stars 🌟 🌟 🌟

I picked up this book because I recognized the author from reading a previous work Our Kind of Cruelty which was a creepy book about obsession that was well written and I enjoyed it.
This one I have mixed emotions about.

Description:
Newly separated from his wife and desperate to escape the ghosts of his failed marriage, 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, relishing the respite from the noise, drama, and relentless careerism that curdled his relationship along with his mental health. Then he meets Leonora, the reclusive artist living next door, and 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.

My Thoughts:
Lots of plot twists in this story that focuses on violence against women. It was presented in a very "in your face" kind of way that kind of beats you over the head with it. It was an uncomfortable read to say the least. I didn't like any of the characters, male or female. I did feel empathy for Melanie, and Lennie and Cole - they were all wronged as well as all being wrong to a degree. The way Lennie and Melanie manipulated the events was wrong. The way Cole went about satisfying his fantasies was wrong. Women should not live in fear of what men will do to them - on that I think everyone can agree. Also, all men shouldn't be stereotyped by men who wrongly abuse women - and yes, there are degrees of abuse. This is a heated topic for discussion and more people are aware now because of the Me Too movement. Bravo to Araminta Hall for presenting some of the issues in this story - no matter how extreme.

Thanks to Zando, Gillian Flynn Books through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on January 9, 2024.

One of the Good Guys is a mess of a novel. It purports too highlight the very real problem of male violence against women, yet uses 4 very unlikable and devious women to make the point. Cole, the main male in the novel, is deceived and tricked into their scheme. His main crime is that he likes consensual BDSM. Hard to figure what the author is trying to accomplish with this novel, She does give varying viewpoints, but it's hard to defend the four women.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

I found this book annoying from Chapter 1 when I couldn't figure out who got divorced - a man and woman, two men, two women? Androgynous names in books (Mel) do not work. The main character is a whiny, over sensitive, man who over shares his emotions both in the narrative and in the conversations in book. And then there are the man-hating women activists and the totally predictable story line. If I could give it NO stars, I would.

I still don’t completely know how I feel about this book, 24 hours after finishing it. I was excited for another book by this author but this one seemed so different from her others.

There was not one character that I liked in this story, and the more the story went on, the more ai didn’t like them. I understand what the author was trying to do but it was excessive and very anti men at all. I did like the last part of the book with the mixed media and the different conversations going on. While I am a woman and I do feel the fears outlined in this story, I felt that it was too much down your throat writing. Very mixed emotions as I agreed with some but not all of the opinions expressed

Thanks to Zando Publishing for my advanced copy of this book to read. Published on January 9th.

If you have read any of Araminta Hall’s books you know they are never a simple “mystery”, there is always a message and usually a thought provoking one. This book is no different and I know I will
Be thinking about it for days and it would be an EXCELLENT book club book. It is hard to summarize without giving too much away but through various mediums and voices the author examines the misogyny and sexism in our society and how gender roles, power structures and pro opera ohh play a role in the fear women often feel in the world. As narrators and writing mediums vacillate so will your opinion and none of that is easy to swallow. A great thought provoking book.

This book had me completely hooked, so much so that I read it in two days.
Cole claims he is ‘one of the good guys’ but is he really? After a rough divorce and moving to the coast, he tries to start fresh. However, when two young girls go missing and he was the last person to see them, you are left to question if he really is who he says he is.
I thought the layout was extremely intriguing, the first half being told from Cole’s point of view, then his ex-wife Mel’s. Learning about how each partner viewed their time together left me questioning everything I thought I knew and who I believed. The character’s are all extremely well written and make the plot that much more exciting.
The book brings up some amazing feminist conversations and allows you to form your own opinions. I was on the edge of my seat throughout each twist and turn. A truly great read that I will be highly recommending!

Thank you to NetGalley and Zando for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

I had so many problems with this book, which is a major shame since I adore Zando so much and everything I've read has been on point. There's a lot of issues I took with the writing and tone. It was difficult to be hooked by anything that was happening in the story. And I found myself zoning out often. It's a bit over the top and unrealistic for me to be fully immersed in the reading experience.
Thank you for the arc! I love the cover!

An uncomfortable but vital read that will keep popping up in your thoughts long after you've turned the last page, with a first section helmed by one of the most unreliable narrators I've ever encountered in my life. This one will have your book club absolutely aflame with discussion, I can guarantee. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read it ahead of publication!

This novel focuses on the emotionally fuelled discourse we have all been subjected to directly or indirectly at some point; the daily overlooked threat, unconsciously or consciously accepted misogyny that is a constant in all our lives to the point that many do not see it there. It is a necessary discomfort to keep discussing it until it is dealt with. “Comfort the disturbed and disturb the comforted”. I personally found the novel a bit too triggering for me so did not finish I am sad to say. But to those with stronger stomachs than I, I am sure this book is a necessary force.

I really enjoyed the first 2/3 of the book. He was so icky and convinced he was nice! It really felt real. I liked finding out what his wife thought of all this. I felt like that worked really well. Poor Mel! I wish we knew a little more about her background though.

Where I thought it faltered was when the book switched to being 90% social media posts. I know tweets and social media posts are trendy in books right now (honestly, sometimes it seems a little dated since who uses Twitter since Musk tanked it) but I don’t think it works to suddenly have pages and pages of it in a book that until then had a normal narrative structure.

This book might work for older readers. It will certainly produce lots of dialog and debate about feminism and the power structure between men and women. It has some disturbing images of dead animals and some not very graphic sexual images that might make it inappropriate for class discussion

This is a hard book to review without giving spoilers. You think you are reading one book and find you are reading another. It got a bit overdone at points but raised lots of interesting questions about relationships between men and women, about who is considered a victim and why and does the means justify the ends. Worth the read.