Was there a moment this book pissed me off? Yes. Could I put this book down? No.

Finding out that "Do What Godmother Says" was based on a real patron during the Harlem Renaissance made it even more fascinating and a true page-turner for me. The historical fiction aspect of this book was thoroughly enjoyable. As someone who loves the arts, I appreciated how the author shone a light on the fact that Black artists were often sought after but silenced. This is an important message, not just during the Harlem Renaissance, but also in considering the generational ramifications of such actions down the line.

On a deeper level, there’s so much being said in this book that made me really enjoy it as a read. But even on the surface, there's plenty to enjoy. One could read this and simply enjoy the mix of the fanciful, the occult, the twists, and the turns. Yes, there was a level of predictability, but the author handled this in such a masterful way that, even if you saw one thing coming, there were ten other things you didn’t see.

The story starts off slow, introducing us to a young woman who loses her job, suffers a bad breakup, inherits a painting she doesn’t even want from her grandmother, and deals with terrible anxiety while still reeling from her mother's death years ago. Simultaneously, we follow the journey of a young artist during the Harlem Renaissance, and these two journeys eventually collide. I loved the duality of the stories and this slow build because, once the engine starts burning, choo-choo baby, the train takes off.

The characters all had very strong voices. The minute her grandmother said, “Don’t put your purse on the ground,” I looked over at my bag to make sure it was right next to me. I could feel Shanice’s hesitancy to approach Noah, her dad gives immediate dad vibes, and you could feel the allure of Maude's world while also being disgusted by it. The characters were well-written, and every character had this moral gray area that kept you guessing. Just when you thought you could trust one person, another would lie.

I found Shanice’s relationship with her grandmother was particularly compelling. Her grandmother was authentically herself, and this authenticity made her stand out. There was a complexity in the relationships between Shanice, her grandmother, and her father that felt so raw. Both her grandmother and father loved Shanice and her mother in ways they saw fit—one spiritual and one analytical. Both held secrets and past traumas, and all three were still grieving in their own ways, each with different approaches to what was happening to Shanice. It seemed they were all withering in some ways with the mothers pain and ultimately her choices. Especially the father who presents this as Shanice’s inherited struggle and inability to find strength within herself.

On the broader themes, this book explores mental health, the importance of passing down knowledge, and the challenges of generational wealth and ownership, especially in Black communities. The book also critiques the erasure of Black bodies and the exploitation of Black talent. This was particularly evident in the depiction of white saviorism and how it often comes at the expense of Black lives, art, and safety.

"Do What Godmother Says" was a compelling read that offered a mix of historical fiction, mystery, and a deep exploration of significant themes that more than held my attention. Highly recommend it!

Thanks to Netgalley & Union Square & Co. for the opportunity to read this ARC.

DNF! I love love the cover of this one, but it just didn’t do it for me. I didn’t find myself wanting to pick this one up! I may try again once it’s released!!

Historical fiction and thriller around the art world and the Harlem Renaissance? Yes, please! I loved this book. The dual timeline worked well, and I found all the characters to be compelling. The mental illness representation was well done, too, and that was a pleasant surprise.

Thank you to Union Square and Co and NetGalley for the ARC.

I think this novel is well written and has an interesting story to tell. Unfortunately I just don't think I'm the right audience.

3.5 stars for me

This thriller was a great read.
It does touch a lot on mental health and how it can affect generations, I thought the representation was done fantastically but if this is a trigger for you, please be mindful of that before reading.

The book had me hooked from the start with the past and present POV. I needed to know how they connected and really enjoyed how it was written.

You get to a point where you are questioning everyone and their involvement, which makes it a great thriller.

The portrait has hung in Shanice's grandmother's bedroom for as long as she can remember. It's part of her family history, but until her grandmother gives it to here while they're preparing the house to sell, she's never researched the artist or asked any real questions about it. This thriller tells the parallel stories of Shanice in the present day and the artist, Estelle, in 1927. I loved the historical details, the elements of spiritualism and the occult, and the building suspense as both Estelle and Shanice struggle with what they've become caught up in.

What a wild ride!!

I was so excited to get a copy of this arc based on blurb alone.

I loved the dual timeline and I love how every question I had was answered by the end.

The story itself was intriguing and had me guessing at every turn. While I should have guessed the way it ended it completely caught me off guard.

Such a great read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for this advance copy in exchange for a honest review.

WOW! I truly loved LS Strattons' first novel, and this second one surely did not disappooint. I love the dual timelines. Also, I love that this was inspired by an actual person. What a great thriller read. I would recommend this to anyone! I love the historical aspect as well. Can't wait to see more from this author.

RATING: 4.5/5

"Do What Godmother Says” is told through historical past and then present times. I would say it's more of a creepy story than scary. I liked how the story had a slow build, but you still got a sense of the eerieness to come. Like most thrillers, aspects of the story went in one direction only to take a left turn. And with the past and present telling, it made it more exciting.

Thank you, @thenerdfam and The Union Square & Co, for the gifted advance reader copy of "Do What Godmother Tells You."

Union Square and Company provided an early galley for review.

I had the pleasure to hear Shelley speak about her book at PLA2024 last month, and she was very excited to bring this story to readers. Her passion as well as an intriguing title and concept convinced me to check this one out.

Usually books with two narratives do not always work for me, especially when they split between the present and the past. I find myself invested more in one over the other, and then I am disappointed when we jump away from the one I am enjoying the most. Here, I was instantly pulled into the story of Estelle in the past while finding Shanice's story to initially be a little slower. As we spent more time with Shanice, I got more into those plot threads as they too started to ramp up in their own mystery.

At a certain point, I felt I had pieced together an important connection but needed to figure out how it might play out in the end. There were definitely several more twists to go, right through the final chapters, so it kept me guessing on how it would all come together.

In the end, I am intrigued by the Harlem Renaissance and want to learn more about it and the people involved.

Do What Godmother Says is a dark, atmospheric, historical fiction thriller. The unique genre bending story first follows Shanice, who inherits an important painting and her journey to discover more about the artist. Then, we are brought into the artist’s world in the 1920s, as Essie adjusts to her patron, Godmother. The concurrent timelines blend so seamlessly together, what results is a beautiful, tragic story of psychological suspense and historical significance. This is my second book by L.S. Stratton and I am so impressed.Thank you to Union Square Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Wonderful reading experience!

So this was kinda creepy (and I do mean only kinda), in a good way!!! 100% page turner and I was obsessed with the story from the beginning!
There is so much to uncover in this story that you will not be able to put it down!
It a mix of a historical fiction and thriller (which was a first for me) but L.S. Stratton’s writing was so intriguing especially with us going back to the past!

I was so grateful and lucky to have gotten an ARC from TheNerdFam and NetGalley!

Do What Godmother Says by LS Stratton is absolutely stunning! Due out on 11 June 2024!

As you may or may not know by now due to the exceptional amount of squees I give for the genre, I am a huge lover of historical fiction. To mix historical fiction, contemporary fiction, art and a gripping gothic style thriller? Scorch marks were left in the race to sign up!

I was not disappointed! What a fantastic premise. Dual timelines/ povs, present day and renaissance Harlem and a mysterious painting tying both together

Shanice Pierce is a writer in the present day, when her life suddenly implodes, losing her job and her relationship in the same day. This gives her the opportunity to clean out her grandmothers house, where she comes across a painting by Estelle Johnson, a renaissance artist. A murder, a stalker and a connection, but what is it, what is the truth and will Shanice be the same again?

A thriller like a carousel ride that has gone out of control. You think you are safe and secrure, holding on tight as the storyline undulates, up and down, round and round, but hen it gets faster and your grip loosens until you are clinging on for dear life! An utterly thrilling novel and I look forward to seeing more!

Thank you to Netgalley, The NerdFam, the incredible author L.S Stratton and Union Square for this stunning ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

First the cons:
Unironic use of “favs” not faves, not favorites. Not my cup of tea linguistically.
A very uncharitable depiction of mental illness. Untreated mental illnesses can obviously be debilitating but this is so gratuitous and it does feel like it’s used as an excuse for a lot of questionable choices Shanice makes. The generational trauma and mental illness can play into the story (and obviously make Shanice second guess her reality) but something about the way her mental illness is portrayed really doesn’t sit quite right with me.
I think I saw just about every twist coming except two. Obviously you also feel vindicated when that happens, and surprises without breadcrumbs and foreshadowing are often ridiculous, but I wanted to be a little more surprised.
Because of said gratuitous use of “I’m mentally ill!”, a lot of Shanice’s choices and how on earth she’s made it this far in life baffled me.

Otherwise, I really enjoyed this book. The tension was consistent and the shifts between perspectives/timelines made sense in the context of the story as a whole, rather than shifting for the sake of shifting. I could’ve easily devoured this book in a day or two. The writing was compelling and definitely made it easy to read quickly. This was a good choice to reintroduce me to thrillers in my adult reading renaissance.

I read this book through a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

"Do What Godmother Says" is a thriller mystery mixed with some history. I really enjoyed the story and the elements that were included. Shanice is a new reporter trying to make her way in DC and grappling with anxiety and superstitions when she inherits a painting that has been passed down in her family for generations. Things get weird after that. I loved the mystery and twists that the story took. Reading about Maude Bauchman and the Harlem Renaissance was so interesting, I wish there had been more information on both but it lead me to do some googling myself about the period.
Great fast-paced mystery thriller.

This book started off really slow for me. I had a hard time getting into it. After Shanice meets Noah and she acquires the painting it picks up. Once I got about half away I was able to finish the book in a day! There is definitely turns the book takes to keep you
On your toes!! Love the suspense and how it kept me guessing

Shanice has a string of back luck. She loses her job, her financial stability, and her boyfriend all in the same day. When her superstitious grandma asks her to come help clean out her house things start to get weirder for her. One of the things she gathers is an old painting. As far as they know, this is just a normal painting that has been passed down in their family. But when Shanice starts to look into it, she realizes this is not the case. Now she must find the truth and protect her self while telling her story.

This book was SO good! I read it in 24 hours I did not want to stop reading it. I love the dual timeline. The story of Essie was so tragic but I liked all the resolution this book gave me. There were so many twists and I thought I knew what was going to happen and I was wrong a few times. I knew historically Black artists were “accepted” because of their art. But I did not know Godmother was based on a true person who actually was called “Godmother” (make sure to read the Authors Notes at the end because she discusses the inspirations and clarifies any differences).

All in all I loved this book. I only knocked down one star because I would have loved for Shanice to know the true ending, even though we as readers know. And one other thing that I can’t say due to spoilers haha

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the Publisher for a copy of this work in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are that of my own!

3.25 ⭐️

The first chapter started out strong, but it was the strongest in the entire book.

Instead of increasing in intensity towards a climax, I feel like the story was on the same level the entire time. That may have been because it was somewhat predictable with the moments that were supposed to be ‘OMG’ becoming more ‘yup, saw that coming’. Yes, the vibe was mysterious, and yes, messed up things were happening, but without the surprise it didn’t hit quite right.

I do think the dual timelines were done nicely, and the added immersion to the unraveling of the mystery was cool. I found myself more interested in the past storyline and wanting more of that! That could have been a book all by itself!

•Harlem Renaissance
•Historical Fiction/Thriller
•Artist/Writer
•Mystery
•Anxiety
•Superstitions

Favorite Quote:
“The maid would let out a scream that would wake the entire household, maybe even the dead.”

Title: Do What Godmother Says
Genre: Gothic Thriller
Pub Date: June 11, 2024

⭐️ 4/5

✨️ Occult and Superstition
✨️ Paranoia
✨️ Mental Health Rep
✨️ Dual Timelines
✨️ Multiple POV

If you're looking for an interesting slow burn thriller, you won't regret reading Do What Godmother Says.

The dual timelines/multiple POV helped move the story along while adding suspense, although it doesn't feel like your average thriller until about 65% in when some of the odd occurrences start falling into place, maybe mystery would be a more apt classification. I liked both Essie and Shanice, especially because Shanice's anxiety disorder really resonated with me.

Thank you @netgalley, @unionsqandco and @thenerdfam for the digital review copy!

Very original book plot and thought it was a wonderful idea. I wouldn’t say this is my preferred mystery/thriller, but maybe someone else’s!

Regardless it was a page turner and I don’t have anything really negative to say about it. It’s just one of those reads that you have to force yourself to get into before it gets good. I was not a fan of the past POV and enjoyed the present more, but that is just me!