Hank Phillippi Ryan is the queen of the twisty novel. When I pick up one of her novels, I know that I'm in for complete and total entertainment, and One Wrong Word is the latest in her string of perfectly crafted suspense. It's true that one wrong word can ruin you life, and I was frantically flipping pages, fascinated with not only Arden herself, but the predicament she is involved in. I loved it!

Of course fabulous author Hank Phillippi Ryan has done it again. She never fails to satisfy, and satisfy fully, totally, completely. One Wrong Word is thrilling, shocking, non-stop action and suspense from start to finish.

Spreading rumors and telling lies is high school stuff, and it should end when you go out into the real world. Unfortunately, it often intensifies – with higher stakes and bigger consequences. Arden Ward experiences this first-hand. The man Arden worked for and with for many years, the man she considered a mentor if not a friend, chose to believe a lie about her, chose to not even listen to her side, and firing her was a done deal. And as if that betrayal wasn’t disgusting enough, Arden learned that there was so much more to it, so much more at stake, making it reprehensible. And dangerous. Deathly dangerous.

Arden’s job has been to protect and restore the reputations of people who may not have always done very nice things. She thinks she’s savvy and knows the world, knows how to make the system work. She believes in her job, and believes she’s doing a good thing, saving people. But when she’s fired and forced into taking one last job to save her own reputation, she actually falls into the trap of being taken in by what she’s told, allowing her own prejudices to make decisions for her when she’s not entirely sure who or what to believe.

She embarks on what can only be called a mission to get to the bottom of things, to find the truth and succeed in this last job. She goes place to place, person to person at breakneck speed, trying to piece things together, to figure out why her world is suddenly so off-kilter. But Arden is a real person, not a mythical heroine, and that’s what make Ryan’s story such a compelling page-turner. Arden is kickass but careless, worried and wondering, unintimidated but unrealistic, always on the go, always rushing in without caution. Ryan once again crafts a smoothly plotted, expertly written story full of twists and turns and surprise after surprise. She takes a situation that most women have likely experienced – a negative remark is widely taken as fact and a reputation is ruined – and creates a roller coaster ride of a story where one woman fights back, won’t give up.

Thanks to author Hank Phillippi Ryan for providing an advance copy of One Wrong Word via NetGalley. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it without hesitation. It takes its place alongside all the other satisfying Ryan novels on my bookshelves. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

I must admit to enjoying Hank Phillippi Ryan's "One Wrong Word." It delivers a captivating tale of deception, social media frenzy, and the power of reputation. While the core mystery may not be entirely groundbreaking for seasoned whodunit readers, the author's masterful storytelling and well-developed characters kept me engaged until the final reveal, and for someone who feels more at home in the past Century, I must confess to enjoying this Social Media phenomenon!

Arden Ward, the protagonist, embodies the frustration of facing unjust accusations. Her unwavering belief in her innocence resonated deeply, even if her decisions at times felt questionable. This internal conflict fueled the narrative, creating a tension that mirrored the reader's own desire for justice.

The introduction of Cordelia and Ned Bannister, the wealthy couple facing public scrutiny, adds layers of complexity. Their motivations remain shrouded in ambiguity, expertly crafted to keep suspicion swirling. The social media element further amplifies the drama, highlighting the often-toxic nature of online discourse and its impact on individuals' lives.

Ryan expertly weaves clues and red herrings, building suspense and prompting readers to question their initial assumptions. The resolution, though not entirely unpredictable, delivers a satisfying conclusion that ties together the various threads of the narrative.

Overall, "One Wrong Word" is a well-written and engaging mystery. While seasoned readers might anticipate the core plot twist, the journey to the reveal is masterfully crafted, fueled by strong characters and a timely social commentary. If you're seeking a suspenseful read with relatable characters and a thought-provoking exploration of reputation in the digital age, this book is definitely worth adding to your shelf.
I highly recommend it. Thank you #Netgalley #HPR
carolintallahassee

Ryan writes female characters that make you think. I had a hard time getting a handle on Arden, but once I did, I couldn’t help rooting for her. The twists kept me off-balance, even as I tried to figure out the end game. Another must read.

This one hooked me from the beginning. It reads like a part legal thriller part domestic thriller. It follows a crisis management expert whose life is unraveling. She is given an unusual case and is desperately trying to find the truth - no matter where it takes her. Even though I did figure out one aspect of the twist/reveal, it kept me interested until the end.

This one releases on Feb. 6. Make sure to check it out! Thanks to #netgalley for the advanced copy. #onewrongword

Would I recommend? Yes

ONE WRONG WORD is Hank Phillippi Ryan’s latest that kept me glued to the pages and guessing from beginning to end. Arden is at the top of her game as a Public Relations Crisis manager. She has just finished securing a plum spot for a client when her boss fires her, but she has a week to redeem her career by helping a man recently acquitted of causing a death while driving under the influence. Stunned at the turn of events, Arden takes the job after meeting Ned’s wife.
The more Arden learns, the more things don’t add up. I loved each twist and turn on this roller coaster ride. Written from multiple POVs, the story unfolds quickly doling out tidbits of information, and just when I thought I had it figured out, something new was revealed forcing me to rethink everything I knew, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Make sure you have time to sit down and appreciate this one because you won’t want to put it down.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#onewrongword #hankphillippiryan #tallpoppywriters #tallpoppywriter #bloomreads

📚: One Wrong Word by Hank Phillippi Ryan
⭐️: 3.5/5 (rounding up on #goodreads)

Arden Ward. Boston PR and crisis management guru.

The Bannisters. Well to do family going through what’s certainly a crisis. The patriarch, Ned, finds himself at the center of a fatal drunk driving accident, facing criminal charges and reputation horror.

When paired together, Arden works to improve the Bannisters lives, only to find so many buried secrets around them and that fateful night.

A solidly 3.5 star read for a bit of a drawn out pace near the middle - and a rounded up score for a twisty ending (while I saw the core ending coming early on, I didn’t see the jaw-dropping twist coming!).

Big thanks to @torbooks & @forgereads via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. One Wrong Word is out this week on 2/6!

Thank you to Netgalley, Tor Publishing Group, and Hank Phillippi Ryan for an advance copy of One Wrong Word in exchnage for an honest review. We meet our main character, Arden, who is a crisis management solver right away as she gets tasked with an interesting last assignment with her current firm. During this assignment, we meet Cordelia Bannister who asks Arden to help salvage her husband, Neds, reputation. We follow Arden, as she investigates what the heck is going on in this "web" of a situation. This book proves that gossip, lies, and your reputation are all such big factors in every situation & just when you think everything is going your way that one wrong turn or one wrong word can change everything. I felt like this one had more of a slower burn throughout the first 60% of the book, but the last 40% or so really drew me in and I just had to find out what happened. Pick this one up for your library on Feb 6th! 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 for GR.

One Wrong Word is a fantastic, complex thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end! I absolutely love books by Hank Phillippi Ryan and One Wrong Word is one of the very best! Arden Ward is a crisis management expert that helps people when they're at their very worst. Arden is very good at her job and loves her work. One day her boss tells her that he has to let her go due to a complaint from one of the firm's most powerful clients. It's because of the perfume she wears and the client's wife thinks she's having an affair with him because he often comes home smelling like that same perfume. Arden tells her boss that there's nothing going on, but he's been forced into this decision. Arden is furious and has no idea what she's going to do.

Warren, her boss, gives her one last case and says it will help her get started in her next job. Cordelia Bannister wants to hire Arden to fix her family's problems. Cordelia's husband, Ned, was on trial and found not guilty by a jury for the death of a young man in a parking garage. Ned was leaving a New Year's Eve party and was one of the last to leave. He knew no one would be coming into the garage at the late hour and was going faster than normal. He hit and killed a skateboarder. He's called the garage killer online and the public hates that he was found not guilty. The Bannister's children are paying the price for Ned's accident and Cordelia wants Arden to help. Cordelia thought once the jury came back not guilty that their life would return to normal. It didn't and it seems to be getting worse.

Cordelia is having a hard time dealing with her new reality. The other mother's at school are hostile towards her and she doesn't understand why. Was it really an accident like Ned claimed? Was Ned guilty of murder? Will Cordelia be able to trust Ned ever again? Will the children be safe with him? Will Arden be able to help Cordelia and her family return to a more normal existence? What will Arden find out when she looks closely into the family? Are they the happy family they claim to be? When another person close to Ned is hit by a car, will it be him behind the wheel? Is he trying to cover something up? Arden has her work cut out for her and is she safe? She notices a car following her. Why would someone be following Arden? Will Arden be able to figure out the truth before it's too late?

One Wrong Word will have you flipping the pages at record pace. This book has so many twists and turns that it will leave your head spinning in the very best way! I rate One Wrong Word 5 stars with my very highest recommendation. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Forge Books for an advanced copy of One Wrong Word in exchange for a fair review. If you love a thriller that is hard to figure out you will love this book! #OneWrongWord

One Wrong Word is a deliciously addictive cat and mouse thriller that will keep you reading until the very last page, with lots of twists and turns it will keep you guessing until the end and every time you think you have figure it out, the book proves you wrong.
This is one of the best books I have read from the author, and I have read a lot from her, it won’t disappoint you, with believable and realistic characters and an engrossing and perfectly written plot this book will grab you from the beginning and won’t let you go until the very end. A page turner from beginning to end.

Im a fan of the author's work and what I know I'm getting when I open the pages is a suspenseful read in the form of a cat and mouse game. And this was no different.

In this novel, we have a "fixer", a murder and a lot of empty holes. The wife of the newly acquitted man has hired Arden to change the media fixation on her husband. He's been considered 'not guilty' in the eyes of the law but in social circles, he is the 'one that got away from justice'. What follows is Arden trying to figure out how much of this is a game (when someone else is hit with a car) and how much of this is about power and money.
The reader just gets to come along for the ride.

I have to say I love when I get it right in suspense books and I did for this one. No spoilers in this review but I did figure out the pieces mid way, I just didn't know how long it would take for Arden to figure it out herself.

I would say this is a classic beach mystery. Not so much a thriller but one that you could read quite quickly. My favourite part being the pieces with the kids, in particular the son Pip.

3.75 stars rolled into 4.
Thank you to the publisher for gifting me this arc! Appreciate it greatly

One Wrong Word is a tour de force! I was caught from the first chapter and could not put it down! Just when you think you have figured it all out, you are wrong! There are more twists and turns to the story than the curves on Lombard Street!

Arden Ward is a crisis management expert hired to help rehabilitate the reputation of a real estate mogul recently acquitted in a murder trial. At the same time, she is dealing with a crisis in her professional life. Nothing is as it seems; who is guilty, who is innocent?

Thanks to Hank Phillippi Ryan for an advance copy in return for my review!

This is another hit by Hank Phillipi Ryan! Great story line and every time I thought I’d had it figured out… Nope! Kept me guessing and turning pages! I highly recommend you add this book to your collection! You won’t be sorry…

Hank Phillippi Ryan never disappoints! I was drawn to the story from the very beginning.
One Wrong Word keeps the reader guessing right until the end. The characters are captivating, and the story keeps you guessing with all the twists and turns. If you have read Hanks books you will love this one and if you haven’t, give yourself a treat and pick this one up. You will be hooked!
A huge thank you to HPR and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an Advance Readers Copy.

Any fan of Hank Phillippi Ryan knows they're in for a treat when she writes a new book. One Wrong Word is no different! More than once I thought I had figured it out only to be taken down another rabbit hole. Keeps you guessing until a very satisfying conclusion. Hank never disappoints, a great read.

Five Stars!

I’ve been a fan of Hank Phillippi Ryan’s books, and skillful writing, for many years. One Wrong Word certainly lives up to expectations.

Wrongly accused of having an affair with a high-profile client, crisis-management expert, Arden Ward is dismissed from the “perfect job”. In what appears to be a token going away gift added to her severance package, she’s asked to take on one more client.

Cornelia Bannister’s husband, Ned, was recently acquitted of a hit and run homicide, however suspicion as to his guilt or innocence remained. Abandoned by friends and others in her social network, Cornelia pleads with Arden to help clear his (and her) name so she, her husband, and their children can step out from under the dark cloud that follows the verdict.

Arden agrees, but no sooner does she believe her efforts will succeed, another incident throws suspicion back on Ned.

Hank has the knack to keep readers on their toes. In one chapter I felt sympathy for a character, and then disliked them completely in another. Up to the climax, I wasn’t sure any were loyal, trustworthy, or simply trying to “gain” the system. If you’re able to guess the ending, then you’re a better sleuth than I!
Very well written, engaging, multifaceted characters with heaps of suspense. I was so eager to get to the end I sometimes skimmed over paragraphs, but then realized I might have missed a clue. Trust me, (another great Ryan book) you don’t want to miss a single word of this tension-filled narrative. Especially since you might miss that One Wrong Word in the process.

Highly recommended for suspense readers, or those who simply love a true page-turner.

This was my first Hank Phillipi Ryan book.
This book is about crisis manager Arden Ward getting entangled in drama surrounding Cordelia and Ned Bannister.
Even though I enjoyed this book, I found the pace to be very slow. I think the book was a little too long.
Even though the middle dragged for me, I still enjoyed the ending.

I know when I start reading one of Hank's books that I'm going to be tempted to read it all the way through in one sitting - I have to force myself to take my time and savor every minute of suspence, and every twist and turn in the plot as it moves forward to its climactic end! One Wrong Word was no different - it drew me in from the very beginning, and the plot kept up (and ramped up!) the intrigue until the very end.
How did Arden end up working for Cordelia, who harbors suspicions about her husband Warren, who was just acquitted of murder? And why is she protecting Warren, who may in fact be the murderer, yet seems to be taking all the hatred and threats against him in stride? Who are these people, really?
You'll have to read the book to find out. I loved it!
Hank, you are the best!

What happens when Hank Phillipi Ryan paints a portrait of unforgettable characters whose lives fill the pages of her next book? I can answer this question. The reader cannot look away from such a book. The characters’ conversations, the description of their lives and the settings will draw the reader into the plot.

A courtroom case and the resulting verdict set the stage for continuing drama in the personal and professional relationships of the characters in this wonderfully crafted story..
Office politics and secrets in a crisis management firm are tightly woven into the lives of a recently acquitted husband whose wife seeks help in normalizing their family’s day to day existence. Each page brings new twists and possibilities. Every reader will want to find the answers to each question that is raised and will keep turning the pages to find them.
One Wrong Word is a masterpiece created by Hank Phillipi Ryan. Readers will be captivated.

I thank Net Galley for this early ARC and highly recommend this book!

So, unfortunately, this book just didn’t really work well for me. I was very frustrated with the back-and-forth banter between Arden and Cordelia. I also couldn’t understand why Arden was so dedicated to helping Cordelia when she was so manipulative and in general just not a good person. I did not enjoy the fact that the characters names first and last were repeated several times within even one page. All of the characters were annoying, very wordy with their descriptions, argued back-and-forth over the same repetitive things, and in general, I didn’t like them. Arden was so upset about her position at work and losing her job and very repetitive about this. The only redeeming character, pip, the son of Cordelia, whom I found to be a nice addition to the story.

I have read other books by this author, and love them, so I am not sure exactly why this one rubbed me so the wrong way.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Forge books for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.