Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I have a hard time giving overall feedback - I really enjoyed the first half and the premise was interesting but I struggled with the second half. I’m glad I finished the story but the characters were generally unlikable and aspects felt really far fetched.

This was a NetGalley book AND an Amazon kindle free pick, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Unfortunately, this book was so bizarre to me and did NOT do it for me. The entire concept is about Claire Ross, bestselling author of a romance novel that swept the world, who disappears on her wedding day without a trace.

Nina Travers, a private detective, is pulled in by Claire’s family to try and locate her. What really bothered me about this book was how obsessed everyone was with this author of ONE successful book. Like, paparazzi, tons of TV appearances, throngs of wild obsessive fans. It just seemed so unrealistic to me - even the most famous authors aren’t generally THAT famous to my knowledge.

As the book unfolded, things went completely haywire and I was seriously confused and disappointed by the “shocking” ending. Ultimately, I hate to say it, but this book felt immature to me. The writing, Nina’s perspective and voice, it all just felt painfully ridiculous to me. I was hoping for a good mystery/thriller, and this novel did not deliver.

I DNFed at 30%. It just wasn't for me, I was bored and couldn't connect to the story.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and Little A for providing me a free copy of My favorite terrible thing by Madeleine Henry.

Eccentrically weird and creepy. 

Detective Nina Travers has put her past aside and excels in her job occassionally using unorthodox methods. But something feels amiss, she knows it and when a renowned and adored author of an epic romance - Claire Ross goes missing on her wedding day, she realizes finding her will be the breakthrough moment she's been looking for.

I've been putting off writing this review as it might come across as harsh but this was an utter disappointment. The synopsis intrigued me, so I quickly downloaded and started reading, even with limited time. The first half of the story was promising as the writing is easy and the chapters are short. However, it all went downhill after that as the execution was poor causing the story become irreparably messy.

Overall, the premise is intriguing and makes for a good binge read while snacking on popcorn. A detective searching for clues to find the bestselling author of an epic, time-transcending romance within her own book naturally piques your curiosity, prompting you to form your own theories. There were unexpected twists. However even they couldn't salvage the story, which ultimately fell flat.

The beachiest of beach reads. This novel begins in the Hamptons. The protagonist is an outsider looking in, a shadowy outsider with secrets of her own and a dangerous ability to blend in. Her love of a good story helps her slip into characters and discover hidden motives. As her pursuit of a missing author gets twistier, the novel's pace picks up, bringing the reader on a dramatic adventure where all is not as it seems.

It's an unusual plot and I have difficulty to select a genre. It's not really a thriller -there's not much thrill or suspense. It starts great, the writing is very good, Nina is interesting. Past traumata play their role, fame and obsession too.
This book is actually too books, the one about Nina and the one written by Claire. It's intersting, intriguing but also a little disappointing at the end.

So unfortunately, this was simply not it for me. The twists were twisting =(like the switch up when you realize that actually Nina is crazy - didn't see that coming) but the overall plot was just meh. I was never super invested, and finished this only because every time I was about to put it down, I felt like something would happen to make me pick it back up.

I'm seriously questioning why I kept reading. At some point in the first half, it became apparent that the book was just boring, the author tried different approaches with the genre but they all flopped.
It wasn't a thriller, nothing was even vaguely thrilling about. For seasoned thriller readers, the whole search arc was pretty underwhelming, if it weren't for the author saying through the MC how the book was kind of a trail map, no one would have thought it was all connected. It was a case of the-author-wanted-it-that-way.
It was definitely the kind of book that tested your patience.
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

4.5 Stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and Little A for sharing an advance copy of MY FAVORITE TERRIBLE THING.

This novel hooked me from it's strong opening page. It follows Nina, a private eye, as she tries to track down the missing celebrity author Claire Ross. Nina's voice is compelling as she describes the world of the Hamptons and her place (or lack thereof) in it. Forever an outsider, she must contend with her dark past, Claire's obsessive fans and her privileged family, and the case itself, which has plenty of twists.

For me, MY FAVORITE TERRIBLE THING combined the momentum of a thriller with lovely, lush writing. A great read for fans of Peter Swanson and voice-driven thrillers. Easy to read in a day and helpful for getting out of a reading slump.

this was,, interesting. genuinely unlike anything i've read before. it starts as a literary mystery with immaculate vibes (winter on the beach, old money, the hamptons). then it takes a strange turn-which i'm not going to spoil-, and that's where it started to become less enjoyable to me. if you're into intellectual main characters and weird fever-dream plots, try this one!

My Favorite Terrible Thing by Madeleine Henry is a masterclass in suspense and intrigue. From the moment I picked up this book, I was drawn into the world of Detective Nina Travers and the mysterious disappearance of bestselling author Claire Ross. The novel’s blend of mystery and psychological depth is nothing short of brilliant.

Henry’s writing is sharp and evocative, crafting a story that is as much about the characters’ inner demons as it is about the external mystery. The way she weaves the narrative through the clues hidden in Claire’s novel is ingenious, keeping me guessing at every turn. The exploration of toxic fan culture and the dark side of literary fame adds a compelling layer to the plot that resonates in today’s celebrity-obsessed society.

This book is a triumph of storytelling, with twists that left me shocked and a conclusion that was both satisfying and unexpected. It’s a thrilling hunt through mind games and twisting suspense that had me riveted until the very last page. For anyone who loves a good thriller that challenges the mind and tugs at the heartstrings, My Favorite Terrible Thing is an absolute must-read!!

A private detective gets hired to find a missing person - her favorite author. This twisty page-turner engaged me from the very first page and kept me on my toes the whole time! The twists were twisting. I didn't see some of them coming and they SHOCKED me! If you're looking for a whodunnit that will keep you guessing, this book delivers!

Unusual story which starts off in the mystery genre but ends up as something else. Nina is a private investigator who works in the Hamptons and tries to fit in with the rich clients who hire her. Nina herself had a rough life and we hear over and over how she washed dishes at Harvard while secretly sitting in on lectures so she considered herself as having a college degree. Nina is hired by a woman named Miranda Ross whose daughter Claire is missing. Claire is one of the most famous authors in the world having written a epic novel called Starlit Ballet which is about star-crossed lovers who meet over many lifetimes. Claire disappeared on the day she was to get married to Roger, an everyday kind of guy she met online.

Nina starts her investigation by moving into Miranda's home and then she spends most of her time talking about Claire's book and asking kind of basic questions. This narrative is interspersed with Reddit postings from Claire's fans and since these were heavily peppered with emojis, I found them very distracting. There are a lot of tropes about writers pouring their heart into their work, not being normal and spending every waking moment on their craft. At some point you realize the plot has changed somewhat and it is more about Claire's novel than anything else. This book also had a bit of a "Single White Female" vibe to it and I think it if focused on that aspect from the beginning I would have liked it more. I do enjoy books about writers but this one had a lot of cliches about writers that made it seem overwrought. I would also have liked to hear more about Claire's character as it would have been a good counter-point to the craziness that was Nina. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.

“My favourite terrible thing” follows a plot about a missing author, “the world’s most famous author” in fact. Everybody is dying to find out what happened to Claire Ross, her fans are obsessed and there are endless Reddit forums discussing her whereabouts.

Nina is a private investigator hired to look into the case. There are lots of twists and turns.. some seem to go completely separate from the original story which some readers seemed to dislike and others appreciate. For me I find myself in the middle. There is merit to the idea and some of the twists kept me turning pages, however I did find myself getting distracted and losing interest at some points.

Thank you to Little A, Madeleine Henry and NetGalley for the EARC.

Pub date: May 1st 2024

The first half was great and an easy read, but it became more unenjoyable as it went on. I felt my time could have been better spent reading something else.

This was my first book from this author, and I was super excited to start it and see what this author wrote.

I love the fact that the author was very thorough with parts of this story when it came to having to write a story within a story and being able to connect them both, in a way that was not to obvious.

Unfortunately, although I did completely finish this book, I went through the entire book not really connecting with any characters in a way that I was able to be invested in the story. The entire book was very detailed, but I do wish that sometimes it did not drag on so long, and more was happening within the story.

Nina was the main character that seemed a bit one-dimensional at the beginning and then gained more traction as the book went on. As you read more of the book, you learn more about Nina and what she is truly thinking, and she becomes more than the one-dimensional character that she started out as.

The Author says that what the main character finds is so shocking she never saw it coming, and I also didn't see it coming. I went into this book expecting one thing from the synopsis, and about halfway through, it ended up straying from that and turning into something very confusing for me and completely different from what I expected, and maybe not in the best way. Towards the end, I did have a hard time following all of the new developments that I was being hit with.

I don't think that this book was for me. However, if this book sounds like something that would interest you, definitely give it a try! You never know how you'll feel about it until you read it for yourself

My Favorite Terrible Thing by Madeleine Henry was a pretty good quick read!
The authors style is descriptive, character-driven but with an excellent mystery that will leave you flipping the page’s.

Thank You NetGalley and Little A for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Even a pretty cool unexpected twist couldn't completely save this book. It definitely helped though. I'm not upset I read it; it's right in the middle for me.

While I truly enjoyed the slippery twist in the middle, the last 20 minutes of this were so chaotic I wasn't even sure where to look. Also, there were several points at which I had a tough time remaining in the story because someone would do something, well, ridiculous.

This book has a lot of merits. The missing author, Claire Ross, seems to have a devoted following, with fans almost bordering on obsession. The story delves into Reddit forums where fans discuss their intense fascination with her.

Private Investigator Nina enters the picture when the police hit a dead end in their investigation. Her methods are unconventional, including moving in with the family involved.

Midway through the story, Nina takes off on a lead without informing the family, leading to some seriously strange developments.

While some reviewers have criticized the book for veering off into unexpected territory, I'm still processing my own feelings about it.

What I appreciated was how seamlessly Claire Ross's work was integrated into the narrative, and the unexpected twists and turns kept me engaged.

Nina's perspective may not be entirely reliable, but it's not quite that she's an unreliable narrator either. My dissatisfaction with the resolution stems from my own impressions of her character, but I won't spoil anything by going into detail.

Despite my reservations, I would still recommend this book, especially in audio format where the narrator truly shines, particularly in her portrayal of sister Kiera - she's absolutely hilarious!

I want to extend my thanks to Netgalley and Brilliance Publishing for providing me with an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.