I love books about cults! But this one was just ehhhh. Something was missing. I’m not sure what. Maybe some plot holes? It had a good premise though.

3.75 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for the E-ARC. I love a good friend thriller and the bigger the s*&t show the better and let me tell you Sara Shepard did not disappoint. The story follows Lenna reuniting with her friend Rhiannon at a womens communte where not everything is at it seems. These characters seem unhinged and then there are more women that come into the story and you get their POV as well and its just goes off the rails and I was here for all of it. This was so fast paced and enjoyable

When Lenna gets a call from her old friend Rhiannon, who disappeared years ago without a trace, she is surprised but also intrigued. So intrigued that when she finds out she also has a son and lives on a woman’s commune she spontaneously makes the decision to visit her. The time away will help her to make sense of her current life choices. Nowhere Like Home is fast paced but with an ease to listen to flashing back and forth between past and present from the POV of multiple characters. The narrator did an excellent job of painting the picture and tone of this story…. And the ending! It will have you retracing all the details in the timeline trying to figure out how you missed it! Superb way to end it.

Oh I enjoyed this one! The twisting POVs were fabulous, and the author withheld information brilliantly to keep the reader guessing. I had a bit of a hard time with the ending, but it was still a fun, fast-paced read.

Thankful to Netgalley and Dutton for the arc!

I'm unfortunately DNF'ing this book. I got about 10% in and have tried multiple times to pick it back up and get back into it, but the premise and how many characters it has is not catching my attention. So far everyone seems a bit unlikeable and I just haven't been as big of a fan as normal when it comes to unlikeable main characters. I am rating this three stars because so far the writing is good and if I get back into a groove with this style of writing, I would consider picking it back up.

I received "Nowhere Like Home" by Sara Shepard as an ARC from NetGalley, and it was a thrilling read. The novel follows Lenna, a new mother struggling with her baby's constant crying and feeling isolated in her marriage. When her old friend Rhiannon, who disappeared years ago, invites her to a secluded community called Halcyon in the Arizona desert, Lenna decides to visit, hoping to repair their friendship and find some peace. Upon arrival, Lenna discovers that Halcyon is a "mommune" where women live off the grid, raising their children together. However, the community has strict rules: no outside phone calls, no questions about people's pasts, and a padlocked gate that only the leader can open. As Lenna navigates this new environment, she becomes suspicious of the community's true intentions and realizes she was brought there for a reason. The story delves into themes of complicated friendships, trauma, and the secrets that bind and divide us. The setting of the remote desert adds to the suspense, and the character development is strong, particularly with Lenna and Rhiannon. The multiple perspectives and timelines enrich the narrative, making it a compelling and thought-provoking read. I look forward to reading more from Sara Shepard in the future. #netgalley #nowherelikehome

This book just didn’t do it for me. The characters were so unlikeable. It was a quick read but the plot stalled at some points.

This book falls flat with clichéd characters, an overly predictable plot, and a lack of genuine emotional depth. The pacing is sluggish, and the narrative fails to engage or surprise. Despite the potential for a compelling story, it ultimately feels shallow and uninspired. A real letdown.

My girl Sara Shepard. I've loved her since Pretty Little Liars and will continue to like her books. This one unfortunately fell a little short for me. The plot was there but something was missing for me.

Reading in Between the Wines book review #108/130 for 2024:
Rating: 3 🍷🍷🍷
Book: Nowhere Like Home
Author: Sara Shepard
Available now!!

Sipping thoughts: Pretty good mystery that was summed up pretty well. I loved the social media aspect of it and was interested in hearing a POV from almost like an eavesdropper. One of the characters seemed to bat fill- in-the-blank crazy but it was hard to tell where truth and fiction lies. I think the ending was pretty satisfying.

Cheers and thank you to @PenguinGroupDutton and @Netgalley for an advanced copy of @NowhereLikeHome.

#NowhereLikeHome #SaraShepard #PenguinGroupDutton #NetGalley #ARC #advancedreader #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

Ooof. Sara Shephard mainly writes books for young adults, and you can tell - it was good, but definitely not what you would expect from an author who writes regular fiction as opposed to YA fiction. 3 stars.

When I saw that Sara Shepard had written a new book, I was very excited to read it because I am a huge fan of her work and I loved her book series Pretty Little Liars. I was also happy to see that this new novel would be targeted towards adult readers, and that a group of mothers would be the focus of the story. Each of the mothers featured in the story has a difficult past and their own drama surrounding themselves and their family members. Lenna, a new mother, is the main character of the story and she ends up receiving a call from a friend who disappeared years ago and who Lenna hasn't heard from until she receives the phone call. I like that the book centers around themes including friendships and trauma that still affects individuals and their actions long into their adult life. I thought this book was just okay and I honestly expected more from it; parts of the story were a bit boring and seemed to drag on a little longer than necessary.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this novel. I highly enjoyed it and will be recommending it to others.

Thank you to Sara Shepard, Penguin Group Dutton, and NetGalley for an eARC of Nowhere Like Home.

I'm not quite sure how I felt about this book. Once I got about halfway through I started to enjoy it, but I was initially put off by the premise of a woman taking her child away from their father for "a few days" without telling him where they were going or how long they would be away - especially when they were heading to a cult-like community. I got an instantaneous ick feeling from the main character. As I kept reading, though, the other characters were generally worse so Lenna didn't seem so bad. .

This one was definitely slow to start, but got much more interesting as the book went on and the plot began to unravel. While I can't say I truly liked any of the characters, the story itself kept me entertained and wanting to know how everything wrapped up.

Overall I'd give this one a 3/5.

I love shepherds writing and this is no exception. she really draws you in from the first page and has you on the edge of your seat. the un trustworthy characters are interesting and you never know what's going to come out next.

Nowhere Like Home is an adult thriller by Sara Shepard, best known for her Pretty Little Liars series. This story alternates between timelines and is told from multiple points of view.

Lenna, a new and overwhelmed mother, receives an unexpected call from her old friend Rhiannon, whom she hasn’t spoken to in two years. Rhiannon, now also a mother, invites Lenna to stay at Halcyon, a remote women-only community.

Though hesitant, Lenna agrees, seeing it as a chance to repair their friendship. But once there, she becomes suspicious of Halcyon’s strict rules and isolation from the outside world. Meanwhile, Lenna has her own secrets she wants to keep hidden.

This was my first read by Sara Shepard, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was intrigued given her success with Pretty Little Liars. While the cult-like setting didn’t initially grab me—it felt predictable at first—the story picks up toward the end with more action, though you may need to suspend disbelief. Overall, I’d give it a solid three stars: not my favorite, but a decent read.

Nowhere Like Home by Sara Shepard

Published: February 20, 2024
Dutton
Genre: Women’s Psychological Fiction
KKECReads Rating: 4/5
I received a copy of this book for free and leave my review voluntarily.

TICK TOCK CULT OCLOCK. There were so many red flags for me throughout this book. I found parts relatively predictable and a bit juvenile, but the pacing moved quickly, and it held my attention.

I didn’t know Sara Shepard wrote the Pretty Little Liars series, though I never read the books or watched the show. I can see the appeal of her storytelling.

The alternating narrators kept things flowing and the mystery of this “momune” kept the pages turning.

Overall, while I would not fall into this type of life, I can see how and why it appeals to these characters. Several social issues were topics that I found important.

How difficult motherhood can be, especially when your partner isn’t addressing your needs. Bullying among adult women and how catty adult friendships can get.

None of the characters were overly likable, and I didn’t feel any connection to anyone, but I found the writing engaging and the dynamics and power play well coordinated.

Very beautifully written! I was so shocked when I found out who the author was! The ending was a little crazypants 🤣 but I will definitely be reading more by this author!

i had read her other books, which were for younger readers, which was kind of the vibe of this. a thriller for people just coming off of YA and looking for something to sink their teeth into thrillers, but aren't ready to commit to something deeper than that. it was serviceable, but nothing memorable.

3.25 stars, rounded down

A quick, twisty thriller that will leave you wondering what in the world is going on. It was a solid thriller, there just wasn't that wow factor that set it apart from thrillers. To me, it also almost felt more like a domestic suspense for the first 80% of the book then switched to a thriller for the last 20%.

I didn't connect with any of the characters which made it somewhat difficult for me to fully get into. They weren't bad or poorly written, I just didn't connect with them and didn't overly like them.

There was a lot going on in this. Like a lot a lot which I felt took away from the book. I wish there would have been slightly less side plots in this and more time focused on the main plot points and I probably would have liked it better.

Over all, a solid thriller. I would definitely read Sara Shepard's next thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.