Omg this author never disappoints with her stories. I absolutely loved the story with all its twists and turns. Every time I thought I figured out the plot, she added something new. In the beginning I was a little skeptical with all the introductions of the characters. At one point I had to write down names to keep the storyline straight. But once I got passed that part, I couldn’t put it down. I finished it in one day. I highly recommend this book. You can never go wrong with any selection from this author. Thank you again for my ARC.

Ugh. I wish I had better things to say about this book but it really fell flat for me. I’ve loved Feeney’s previous books and have become used to a fast-paced and twisty ride but this book was so slow and, frankly, uninteresting to me. The beginning was so convoluted and I could not keep track of what was going on. By the time I had the characters and everything down I had already basically figured out the entire twist. I’m usually not mad when I figure it out early. If a twists comes out of absolutely nowhere I find that more irksome than using the little clues to figure it out myself. However, the twist in this was way too far fetched for me to take too seriously.

It kept me entertained and I did like the narrators so it wasn’t a total loss. I’m happy to continue reading books by Alice Feeney but unfortunately this one was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC! After falling absolutely in love with Daisy Darker last year I was so so excited for Alice Feeney’s new novel: Good Bad Girl. I’ve always felt that Feeney’s books are all so vastly different from one another, she’s a phenomenal story teller and this may be her best thriller yet (I consider Daisy Darker a mystery - and it’s still my fave)!

This is a total mindf*** of a novel at times, the plot is complex and even confusing at times but it keeps you engaged and trying to figure out the significance of items, relationships and characters’ actions. I was addicted and couldn’t stop listening. Everything comes together in the end and while some parts may come across as predictable others were big surprises. I do think that some things were left a little too unexplained or vague but not in a way that left me unsatisfied as a reader. Feeney’s latest has themes of motherhood and what it means to be a good or bad mother and good or bad person. Highly enjoyable and a great experience on audio!

Daisy Darker was an amazing read so I was so excited to be allowed an arc audiobook for Good Bad Girl. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed with the book. It’s a very slow burn and although I appreciate a good twist, I was left feeling underwhelmed. Still, Alice Feeney’s writing is held up and I’m interested in what she’ll do in the future.

I received an advanced copy from Netgally and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Well this book wasn’t as cringey as previous ones… so that’s good?

The whole story was over-the-top absurd with coincidences and connections. It was very predictable and eye-rolling. The prose made my ears scream: cliches and bumper stickers abound. The author also put in lines as though she wanted them to be highlighted or become memes. My ears were bleeding by the end. The only reason I got through this was because of several spectacular narrators and because of the dog. Sighs.
Thanks netgalley for my ARC

Note: the synopsis given for this book is itself a huge spoiler.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and felt like Alice Feeney did just enough to keep us guessing, without throwing crazy wrenches into the storyline. Quick, fast-paced, and enjoyable!

Alice Feeney is a must read author for me so I was very excited to receive the audiobook from Macmillan Audio.
The blurb instantly drew my attention: Twenty years after a baby is stolen from a stroller, a woman is murdered in a care home. The two crimes are somehow linked, and a good bad girl may be the key to discovering the truth.

The players/narrators are many:
--A nameless woman whose baby is stolen from her stroller right out from under her nose (this is 20 years ago)
--Patience a teenager that works in a care home and lives in the attic of an art gallery
--Frankie, a librarian at the Women's Prison who is searching for her daughter that ran away one year ago
--Edith, a resident of the care home with a close relationship to Patience
--Clio, Edith's daughter

The book starts off with the missing baby in the past then jumps forward to present, rapidly switching between Patience, Edith, and Clio. Little is revealed about these women and how they are unknowingly intertwined. Edith and Clio are estranged and hints are dropped about what may have happened. Frankie is planning to confront Clio but we don't know why. Edith is very trusting and protective of Patience, and again, we don't know why. The story is fast paced and very detail oriented, so if you don't pay attention, you might miss something.

While reading, if you are astute, you can figure out most of how the women are connected so it wasn't as twisty as it seemed like it would be as Feeney laid out the groundwork. I was reading and reading to find out what was going on and then when all was revealed, I pretty much expected all but one of the plot twists. Even though there is a murder and at one point, all of the women are questioned by police, this isn't actually a thriller, but more like domestic drama. We don't spend that much time on the murdered woman at all. About 75% of the way through, it becomes clear where the story is headed and then, its just oh, okay, eh. There are a TON of secrets and half truths and it was a slog to try to remember every lie and figure out motives/pasts of each character.

Still love Alice Feeney but this was just okay. I did read it quickly and would recommend if you like a dense, convoluted cast of characters and plot.

3.5 stars rounded down.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I’ve enjoyed most of Alice Feeney’s novels, so I was pretty excited to get an e-galley of this one! I found the premise to be intriguing. That being said, I found the switches to the various POVs and timelines confusing. It took a while for me to understand what was happening. This made it a struggle to get through the book, but I was committed to figuring out “who dun it.” The reveals at the end, were just okay for me.

Alice Feeney has quickly become a household name for her twisty and tangled thrillers.

Struggling to survive the newborn days and nights Clio's daughter is stolen one day from her buggy in a supermarket. Woven together amongst Edith, Patience, Frankie and Clio's points of view this tangled web of lies, deceit, murder come to an unforseen head in Feeney's latest.

Wow!! That ending was one I didn’t see coming! This is such an excellent book. It starts terribly slow but at about the 60% point it picks up. It doesn’t really have any major twists but the ending is unpredictable.

Good Bad Girl
By Alice Feeney
Audiobook
Narrated by Katherine Press; Stephanie Racine
Pub Date: 29 Aug 2023
Macmillan Audio
General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers
Rating: 5/5

Good Bad Girl is a gripping, mind-bending story that no one can tell better than Alice Fenney. There is an unexpected connection between four women throughout the story that is told in both the past and present.

Past:
During a grocery store visit twenty years ago, a baby was snatched from her carrier. Her caregiver turned her back for a minute, and the baby disappeared. A master weaver of stories, Alice Fenney uncovers the extraordinary past behind the kidnapping as she explores the darker side of these women's secrets and struggles.

Present:
Currently, a nursing home is the scene of a murder in a twisty plot. The motive for the murder remains a mystery, leaving investigators to unravel the clues and piece together the truth. Uncovering secrets and lies along the way will expose generations of buried truths.

My Thoughts:
In spite of the fact that Good Bad Girl is complex and requires your full attention, it is also brilliant at the same time. The two narrators are Katherine Press and Stephanie Racine. Their retelling of the book is captivating and entertaining. For multiplex thriller fans, this is a must-listen.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review this audiobook. This is another shocking thriller by Alice Feeney. I loved every minute of it!

#GoodBadGirls. #AliceFeeney #Audiobook

This thriller will keep you guessing up until the very end. Readers who have enjoyed Feeney's previous novels will gravitate toward this one as well.

Good Bad Girl follows Edith, Clio, Frankie, and Patience--all women with secrets that tie them together in unknown ways. The slow build of this book allows plot points to appear in a purposeful manner to help the reader tease their way through the many mysteries that are unfolding.

I read this as an audiobook, so the multiple perspectives was rough at first but got better over time. I liked how the narrator(s) used accents to provide clues for the listener--this is not something that you'd experience when just read the book yourself!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audiobook copy!

Three suspects, two murders and one victim.

The story is told from the POV’s of four different women whose stories will all intersect. Much of the novel focuses in on the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters and convoluted family dynamics. Alice Feeney writes these relationships with so much feeling, truth and humor that her work is a joy to read.

Good Bad Girl has an ambitious plot, but it works well in this author’s capable hands. I enjoyed the surprise twists and how the stories all came together in the end. The audiobook is beautifully narrated by Katherine Press and Stephanie Racine. I’ve enjoyed every single one of Alice Feeney’s books and rumor has it she just completed her seventh novel which will be published sometime in 2024. I’m looking forward to it.

Thank you to @netgalley @macmillan.audio @alicewriterland for an advance audio copy of Good Bad Girl. I loved it! ♥️

“People love to collect gossip. They feed on it, gobbling it down too greedy to know when to stop. So they get fat on the stale sugar of other people’s lives.”

“My daughter is the villain in my life, I am the villain in hers. We both believe our stories are true.”

“Strangers are less likely to let you down than people you know.”

Alice Feeney’s newest novel is a little different than her other hit novels, but in a good way! Typically, @alicewriterland explores the dark side of romantic couple dynamics, such as in His & Hers and Rock, Paper, Scissors. However, in Good Bad Girl, she switches to the mother-daughter relationship. This book is still filled with her trademark twists and surprising revelations. The audiobook is well narrated and while there are 4 different POVs, I did not have a problem keeping track of them.

I highly recommend listening to this audiobook or reading the book. 🖤

Thank you @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

Rounded up to a 4 because I'm unclear if the plot was too hard, or I am too slow. When in doubt, the tie goes to the author.

When I saw the audio arc for Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney, I requested to review immediately because I adored Daisy Darker and it's Agatha Christie (and now Ruth Ware) vibes.

Narrators Katherine Press and Stephanie Racine did excellent jobs keeping me listening, BUT, I struggled with catching on (and keeping up) with the multiple characters, pseudonyms, and alternating timelines. There was a lot going on. As I stated earlier, that could be entirely on me. Nearing 60, with all the accompanying brain challenges of aging, along with an audio vs paper version of the book, made Good Bad Girl feel harder to process.

But, Feeney always tells a good story and the ending was satisfying. My one criticism which lays squarely with the author - there was not a single character I liked or could identify with. That makes it challenging as a reader to root for anyone, or be invested in their good outcome.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I’m a huge Feeney fan & was so excited to be able to listen to the audio of Good Bad Girl . Thank you @macmillanaudio!!

This is a slow burner, domestic drama/thriller which initially takes a little while to get going as the four main characters & their relationships are established. This is by no means her darkest novel, but the premise is excellent as she explores the good/bad idea through an examination of motherhood, especially those struggling with situations such as postpartum depression, mother- daughter relationships . Feeney always has such clever nuances weaved throughout her stories & Good Bad Girl is no exception.

I think you need to go into this book knowing as little as possible, if you’ve read this author previously , you know why.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story on audio & found it easy to follow. The dual narrators brought the characters to life & were so much fun to listen to.

RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: August 29, 2023

Many thanks to Macmillan audio & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the alc in exchange for my honest review. How many pov are too many for a thriller my answer anything more then 2 so 4 pov makes its very hard when their voices sound so so similar. Also i must have missed something i didnt get the twist.... i loved her previous work this wasnt my favorite.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed with this one. I am a huge Alice Feeney fan, and her books are an auto-read for me, but this one missed the mark.

Patience ran away from home a year ago and is working as a caregiver in an elderly care home. It wasn't clear how old Patience was, because at one point she is referenced as being 18, at another point you get the feeling she is just under 18, and then there is reference to her being 20. Patience also isn't her real name. Edith is an elderly woman living in the nursing home. Patience busts Edith out of the home. Frankie is Patience's mother and has been searching for her for a year. Clio is Edith's daughter, and searches for her missing mother. All of their worlds collide after a murder at the elderly home.

First off - there were way too many POV's at the beginning and in true Feeney fashion, they were mixed in with mysterious POV's where you didn't know who was going to turn out to be the narrator. That issue resolved itself a little once I got going with the story.

This book was a little bit of a hot mess express, where there were too many stories going on at once, and when they came together, they fit so unrealistically perfectly that I couldn't help but role my eyes. Everything just so conveniently fell into place, including the detective. It was too much.

Every single character was a terrible person, and it was frustrating that there was no communication between them.

My biggest personal pet peeve in thrillers is leaving every single chapter hanging with a reference to a secret the narrator is keeping. I much prefer when the narrator finds out a secret with the reader, or when the narrator is unreliable, and the reader didn't know they had a secret. The whole ending every section with, "and no one knew the secret she was keeping," just feels like an annoying cop out to me.

I had no issues with the narration of the audiobook. And the writing was very good. It was the story itself that didn't hold up for me,

Thank you to Flatiron Books for the advanced copy. I didn't necessarily care for this one, but I will continue to be an Alice Feeney fan and wait patiently for her next book.

Wow - this book is a trip! It's comprised of four points of view from four individual, strong women who have each endured varying levels of hardship and have made questionable--largely illegal--decisions. A detective is nosing around, talking about three suspects, two murders, and one victim...

I read this (audio)book in a day, partially because I didn't WANT to put it down and partially because I was worried that I would get confused if I put it down for a while and came back to it! This is a rare audiobook that caused me to pause and take a few notes. I love audiobooks, but I am a visual person and was beginning to get confused with four separate points of view. Once I had a few notes written on each character, I was all set! This would have been a GREAT candidate for an ensemble cast of four rather than two similar voices.

Watch for this book to be released in late August! Thank you, sincerely, to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for early access!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audio ARC. This book had so much potentially, but it just didn't work for me. There were way too many points of views that I found myself confused on who was who in the book. I don't want to have to take notes when I am reading fiction.