Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC

This was my first experience with a Minka Kent novel. It won't be my last. I loved the concept of a sociopathic mother trying to protect her family. Cam was a fun character perspective to read from. Her twisted thoughts were highly entertaining. I did feel that the story became a bit repetitive along the way. It wasn't perfect for me, but I did have a great time.

“Psychopaths are both sociopaths are made..” Minka Kent never disappoints and is always delivering a great psychological thriller.

Camille Prescott appears as a beautiful, smart, family-loving woman who is in the upper-income group with a devoted doctor husband and two children.. she’s living the perfect life!

But underneath all this shiny look, there is a real truth about Camille that she’s tried so desperately to mask. She has created this perfect mother and wife image but.. Camille is a sociopath.

Camille is a highly functioning sociopath who is aware of her diagnosis and also had been in therapy for a long time. The amount of effort Camille goes through to hide herself and keep everything perfect and on track, in a situation where even her doctor husband has not notice her sociopathy yet.

In the first few pages of the novel to get an idea of Camille is capable of: After attempting to drown her mother in the bathtub, Camille leaves the house where she lives with her mother at the age of 17, after her mother threatens to kill her if she meets her again.

But something happens in her life one day: Camille, who strives to prevent her children from experiencing anything she has experienced, senses a danger to the family she first established with an imaginary friend her little daughter made in kindergarten. Then, the details in her memories about the biggest criminal who ruined her life begin to reach Camille through another "silver haired friend" her daughter made at school. From this point on, we read Camille as a guided missile aimed at finding and destroying the danger. We read about Camille's search for this mysterious new friend and the secret behind it, and even her tracking -which will turn almost into an obsession.

Although Imaginary Strangers stands out with a "sociopath mother", it actually ends with a picture that shows that nothing can be completely black or completely white. On the one hand, a sociopathic Camille who is ready to do anything to not be a bad mother, and on the other hand, Camille's mother Lucinda, a terrible mother, is with us throughout the novel as a "fact". However, in the finale pages of the book, we also see another side of being a mother, the side that Camille cannot feel. Is the threat to Camille and her family shaped by a mother's love or
hatred?

Thanks for @Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the whole premise of this book! A married woman and mother battles with her dysfunctional upbringing while trying her best to keep her family safe. I loved all the twists and turns at the end and how the story didn’t lead you to a super predictable conclusion. If you like reading psychological thrillers, definitely give this book a try!

Well, this was a fun and creepy page-turning thriller. Camille is a fierce and smart FMC who will stop at nothing to protect her loved ones. From the outside looking in she has the perfect life, but we all know nothing is ever quite as it seems. I really enjoyed reading this novel which kept me at the edge of my seat. Thanks to Minka Kent, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Oh my goodness. If creepy ass kids are in your Top Five Things That Scare the Snot Outta Me (and you want to be freaked out) or if you want to see what it's like inside the head of a sociopathic mother, this is your jam. It's kind of rare that a thriller will keep me guessing until the end like this one did! The sequel is scheduled to come out next July and I've already added it to my TBR.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and based on the premise I wanted to like it. It was well written, but something about it just fell a bit flat for me.

For being a thriller, the tension was lacking. I think more could have been played into with her daughter knowing things she shouldn’t. The twist was unexpected, but again, just fell flat for me.

I’m giving this a three star because of the unique premise. It’s not that it was written poorly, or even executed poorly, I just think it could have had a bit more tension to it.

Imaginary Strangers
By Minka Kent
Main Characters: Camille and Lucinda
I voluntarily and honestly reviewed this book without bias or persuasion from the author.
4 out of 5 stars
I have read and reviewed all of this author's books and true to form, it is very well written but the main character is less than likable to me. Camille is a sociopath. She is married and has a young daughter who recently said she has a new friend called Imaginary. This has Camille worried about her daughter and herself, thinking this Imaginary knows a little too much about Camille's upbringing by her mother Lucinda. This is a psychological thriller and I would make a terrible detective because it took almost to the end of the book to figure out who Imaginary was. I am looking forward to the next book.

Camille is happily married to her kind husband and they have two lovely children together. They've recently moved from Chicago to San Diego for Will's job as an anesthesiologist and life seems perfect.

Until....

Her daughter starts saying things to her. Things that no one else knows. About her traumatic childhood being raised by her psychopathic mother. Who is telling her daughter these things? Camille is hell bent on figuring it out. If it's her mother coming back to haunt her then she will be ready and waiting. BRING IT ON!!!

This was a fun one!

Camilla, a diagnosed sociopath due to her horrific upbringing, was surprising easy to root for and relate to. I felt so terrible for her and her situation. I should say that she has undergone years of intensive therapy in order to maintain as much normalcy as she can. While she is incapable of love and empathy she is intensely loyal to those that care about her. She will do anything to protect her family. Mama Bear on steroids, if you get my drift. It's for those reasons that, I as a reader, had sympathy for her. She was always trying to her very best even if at times it was only acting on her part.

The ending was a total surprise. I thought I had it figured out somewhat but I never once suspected that this was how it was all going to go down. Obviously to say more would put this review in spoiler territory but points awarded to Minka Kent for that tricky late game maneuver. Well played! 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my complimentary copy.

I stumbled across a Minka Kent book on NetGalley a few years ago and was instantly taken with her writing. She writes psychological thrillers that are so good that when I see her name on a book, I automatically know I have to read it. I honestly believe I’ve read every book she’s ever written. Imaginary Strangers is the story of Camille. She appears to have the perfect life. She’s happily married to a wonderful, kind and loving doctor and they have 2 perfect children, a girl and a boy. They live in a beautiful home where everything appears to be perfect but Camille is keeping secrets. Camille had a horrible childhood, her mother was a sociopath. Because of this Camille has issues of her own. Even though she has sought counseling for her mental health, she feels it necessary to keep her past secret from everyone involved. It isn’t until her young daughter learns things about her from someone at her school that Camille realizes that someone is on to her and that the perfect life she has built for herself has become threatened. This is a story with a lot of twists and it kept me turning the pages late into the night. I am surprised to say that I did actually figure out who it was that was threatening Camille’s peace of mind by attempting to expose her previous life. I don’t normally figure things out but with this story I just had a feeling. But even though I was right, it still didn’t take away from my enjoyment in reading it. I’d like to thank NetGalley for the arc to read and review. This is a story I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys reading psychological thrillers. I’m giving this book a 5 star rating and I look forward to reading any and all future books by Minka Kent.

After loving The Stillwater Girls, Unmissing, and After Dark by Minka Kent, I was so thrilled to receive an advanced reader copy of Imaginary Strangers.

Kent's writing style is so easy to binge, with short chapters that leave you wanting more and quickly turning the pages. This one was no exception!

Imaginary Strangers follows Camille, who is living in California with her husband and two children. Through flashback chapters of Camille's therapy sessions, we learn about her (hard to read at times) difficult upbringing. Which leads us to today, where Camille is freaked out. Her daughter has started behaving strangely, talking about her new imaginary friend who is teaching her secrets Camille thought she buried in the past- secrets no one knows.

I was trying to untangle this story the whole time and while I was surprised at the end, it felt a little bit too convenient for me and I wish it would have ended a bit differently. I don't want to say too much as not to spoil it. The very end does indicate there is more to come in this story- so I am still eager to check out the next book when it comes!

Check this one out if you like
- short, binge worthy chapters
- past / present timelines
- eerie kid storylines
- a MC with some serious secrets in the past

Imaginary Strangers is out now! And available on Kindle Unlimited!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this one!

What lengths will a mother go to to protect her children?
This is one mother's slow decent into madness trying to do just that. Camille is trying to keep the dangers of her estranged abusive mother away from her daughter but trying to do that is harder that it seems. Is it what it seems?
This is so frustrating and it gets scarier and scarier with each new incident that involves her daughter.

Excellent read!

I rated this book a 3/5 ⭐️. It was very interesting to read about a sociopath’s perspective in a book. I felt bad for the character at times. The reason why I’m giving it a 3 was because I have so many unanswered questions and was wondering what happened in some parts. There were some parts in the story that actually creeped me out, but it kept me entertained to keep reading. It was not my favorite book, but I still enjoy books by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minka Kent for giving me this ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

✨This is a page-turner psychological thriller that’s full of suspense and twists. Whenever I read a thriller, I don’t want to see any twists coming or guess them. And this one took me by surprise. If you’re looking for a thriller that will keep you guessing on the edge of your seat, then I highly recommend this one!

✨We slowly find out Camille’s secrets through her therapy sessions, and through her daughter’s imaginary friend. I was so eager to learn what was true and what wasn’t. Camille is a closed box and every glimpse of her childhood had me shocked. Every time her daughter would act on whatever the imaginary friend had said, it created such an eerie feeling. The ending left me with my jaw on the ground.

✨Imaginary Strangers has:
🤍 Childhood trauma
🤍 Imaginary friend
🤍 A dark past
🤍 FMC with ASPD
🤍 A mother who will do anything for her child

✨Blurb: Camille Prescott has it all. A doting husband and two children. But behind her polished mask lurks a much different Camille—one with a padlocked vault of secrets. Raised by a vindictive and psychotic woman, Camille has gone to great lengths to bury her past and for good reason: if her mother ever finds her, she will kill her. But nothing can prepare Camille for the day her six-year-old daughter, Georgie, has an imaginary new friend who casts a disturbing influence on everything the little girl says and does. Worse than that, Georgie’s imaginary friend knows things about Camille’s childhood, things Camille has never told a soul. Is it a coincidence or is Georgie’s imaginary friend not so fictional after all?

I am truly still reeling from this one.

Pretty sure this is my first Minka Kent book definitely won’t be my last. What a crazy wild read. I’m usually pretty good at figuring thrillers out but man this got me good.. a mother who’s a sociopath a perfect husband and a perfect family from the outside. Camille has it all two kids a doctor for a husband and a traumatic childhood. Has Camille’s mom resurfaced and infiltrated her family thru her daughter. CANNOT wait for the next book about Camille!!!!!

Minka Kent has done it again! She's written a page-turning book that I didn't want to put down! I loved Camille!! She worked so hard to hide her secrets and was fiercely protective of her kids. She was also quite amusing at times! I enjoyed the mystery of how Georgie knew so much about Camille's past, and I never saw the big twist coming at the end!

I believe that this is the first book in a new series, so hopefully, I'll get to visit Camille again one day soon!!

We have to talk about this book. Cam is so relatable that I had to stop for a bit and ask myself "Am I a sociopath?"
She has this fierce crazy love for her kids though. She says she doesn't but she is like manic about them. I loved it. I was not expecting the twists. I loved the ending too.
I was really sad about the childhood parts.
You really have to read this one.

Minka Kent is absolutely extraordinary at concocting intricate and flawed characters. Her books are incredibly riveting, and you won't want to stop once you start reading. I was thrilled to discover that "Imaginary Strangers" is just the beginning of a series, even though I normally don't gravitate toward series.

Camille appears to have the perfect life with a loving husband who's a doctor and two wonderful children. Even her mother-in-law is supportive and always there to help out. However, Camille harbors a massive secret from her family. Despite all the support, she has been hiding the fact that she grapples with sociopathic tendencies stemming from a traumatic childhood, which she also hides from her family. Can you imagine living in constant fear of your true self being revealed?

This book is a real page-turner, and I found myself yearning for more with each turn of the page. The twists at the end were shocking, taking me completely by surprise! I'm anxiously awaiting the release of the next book in the series to see where the story goes next.

I highly recommend this book and it's even on Kindle Unlimited!!

Sincere thanks to Minka Kent and Thomas & Mercer for providing this ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

#ImaginaryStrangers #MinkaKent #ThomasMercer #AmazonPublishing #KindleUnlimited

Thank you @netgalley and @amazonpublishing for my ADC!

I really enjoyed this one!

The story delves deep into the seemingly perfect life of Camilla, married to a doctor, Will, and mother to two small children. But as the story unfolds through haunting flashbacks, the reader is pulled into the darkness of Camilla's past. Raised by an abusive and neglectful mother, Lucinda, Camilla’s childhood was a nightmare. These traumatic experiences have shaped her into a sociopath, a truth we uncover through her sessions with a therapist.

I loved how Kent masterfully contrasted Camilla's outwardly flawless life with the tumultuous inner world she was hiding!

Camilla is determined to protect her children from the horrors she once faced. But when her six-year-old daughter begins talking about an imaginary friend, the narrative takes a spine-tingling twist.

This supposed friend morphs into a real woman at her daughter’s school, someone who inexplicably knows intimate details about Camilla’s traumatic past—secrets she has never divulged to anyone.

Kent’s narrative is gripping, creating a psychological thriller that keeps readers on edge. The interplay between past and present, the unraveling of Camilla’s psyche, and the eerie knowledge of the imaginary friend all build a sense of foreboding that is hard to shake off.

Loved the unexpected twists. I was constantly on edge, wondering if Camilla's sociopathic tendencies would take over or if she would manage to overcome her darker instincts.

This novel deals with the life of a sociopathic mother who will do almost anything to protect her marriage and the lives of her children. She wants to be perceived as the perfect wife and mother.
Who is Camille Prescott? From outward appearances, she is attractive, has a loving husband, two adorable children, and lives in an upper-class neighborhood. While her husband is employed at the local hospital as a doctor, Camille tasks herself with running the household and managing the children and the everyday life of her family. She appears cool and collected… until she is not. Camille is hiding a huge secret from everyone, including her husband. Her mother-in-law provides her much needed support since she is estranged from her own mother.
Camille was raised by an extremely abusive mother. She has tried to put it all behind her- even claiming that her mother is deceased.
Camille’s life begins to fall apart when her young daughter begins kindergarten. While Camille is a helicopter parent, worrying about every little thing, she encounters some challenging factors at her daughter Georgie’s school. Georgie begins to talk about an “imaginary friend” who has befriended her. Camille signs up to be a class parent to find out more about this person. Georgie has made friends with ‘a gray-haired woman’ and opens up to Camille things this woman has shared with her- secrets that Camille has told no one.
This story is told in numerous time lines which were easy to follow. Part of the story includes her therapy sessions and what she is willing to admit to her therapist
This is an intense psychological thriller, one filled with suspense and tension. There is a major twist at the end, one that I did not see coming. I am hoping to enjoy more of Minka Kent’s novels.

Many thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Published on July 23, 2024.

I found this fascinating. And frightening. Camille’s life, what goes on in her head, her “condition”. Her life growing up was horrible. She manages to persevere & get a lovely life, 2 kids & a husband. Everything was great until one day her daughter says something that chills her to the bone. And from then on, not so lovely anymore. It’s chilling, psychologically nerve wracking, and suspenseful. I can’t wait to see what’s next!