Poppi is the Media Relations Director of the Bobcats, an NFL team currently reeling from the student death of their head coach. Poppi finds herself reeling as it's revealed that it was murder and she's forced to face up to what she's doing with her life and how it all started 15 years ago. It's not easy being a woman in a male-dominated world and some things just won't change.

A great example of how tell a tough story about the things women face without resorting to putting the worst of them on the page. It's not just that Staple created an intricate web of people and events that kept me guessing, it's that she also included the importance of having the support of other women and stepping up to offer it. It's not an easy read and Poppi is not always a great example, but it's a worthy read and a good time even with the tough topics it touches on.

There were a couple of things I would have liked a little more exploration of just to get things cleared up, yet I'm willing to accept that it's sometimes better to leave things unsaid simply because I appreciate what the author is doing.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for the fascinating read!

At first glance, this book seemed tailor-made for me. Sports media and female friendship? Sign me up. The blend of Hard Knocks meets Pretty Little Liars-style drama kept me engaged, especially with the dual timelines that gradually revealed Poppy's past. While the suspense was palpable, I found it hard to connect with Poppy. Despite her attempts at redemption, her actions felt like too little, too late.

This is not a book I would normally choose, but a friend mentioned her author had a book coming out and still, not knowing anything about it, I requested this one. I was hooked from page 1. I am not normally one for books based in the sports industry, but this one really worked for me. It had Friday Night Lights meets Suits vibes. I enjoyed the characters, the storyline, the past and present timelines. It kept me guessing the whole time and I couldn't put it down!

If you are the football person and want to know what it means to be one of the admins behind the players, this is a good story to read. You can see how team is not only the guys on the field but everyone behind them.

Also you can see how women are still a minority in that bunch and very likely to have the blame the placed on them when shit hits the fan. Even the woman would attack another woman. (There is a special place in hell for those).

Poppy wasted her life over some ungrateful men who took away her values. She played the game to keep the job she dreamt of, but at what cost? After the death of the famous coach under questionable circumstances, Poppy started to see the sad reality of all of her deeds both good and bad. Now it was time for her to make a decision, which she should have done some time ago

The Snap by Elizabeth Staple is a gripping thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. The story revolves around a young woman who grapples with the complexities of family secrets and personal redemption after a mysterious disappearance. Staple masterfully blends suspense with rich character development, drawing readers deep into the protagonist’s emotional journey. With its unexpected twists and a hauntingly atmospheric setting, this novel is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers.

So much of The Snap was right up my alley! I loved the women in sports angle and I loved the alternating timelines. Something fell short for me and I found myself really pushing through the last third.

Poppy Benjamin has worked her way from unpaid intern to Media Relations Director of Syracuse’s NFL team, The Bobcats. It took her 15 years and giving everything to her job, but in the ultimate boys’ club, Poppy finally worked her way up to the top. There has been so much she has given up for her job and the Bobcats and relies on her fellow WAGS for help. Several other high powered women in spots form the Women Against Groping Shitheads (WAGS) with Poppy and together they help each other through everything. They are all tested when the legendary Bobcats head coach is found murdered and each members of the WAGS is sent a threatening letter to tell the truth or the truth will be told for them. Now as Poppy is trying to keep the Bobcats going, she also has to determine who is threatening dredging up secrets and putting everything she has built at risk.

I went into this one thinking it was gong to be more football fiction based, but it had such a great mystery twist to the plot. I did a 3.5 cat rounded up to 4 cats. This had a very strong start, but fell a bit toward the end. There were still lots of layers to this novel murder mystery fiction to make a quick and engaging read.

So many of the elements mentioned in the synopsis for this one are right up my alley. I'd read about a woman working in the front office of a major league sports team in basically any genre.

And The Snap by Elizabeth Staple started off so strong. The Diet Coke scene made me laugh, which I almost never do while reading. The pacing felt just right - we'd switch to the other timeline right when I was ready. I was enjoying learning more about Poppy's current day-to-day working for the Bobcats (an NFL team in Syracuse), and what her early days on the job had been like.

But I'm afraid the plot fumbled and wasn't recovered. (Too much?) Flag on the play? I didn't love how the plot unfolded in the last third or so, and the characterization and pacing then didn't always make sense either. Ah well, YMMV! And I really did enjoy the first half.

Poppy runs Media Relations for an NFL football team. When the coach is found dead of suspicious circumstances, Poppy must deal with the media storm, replacement coaches, and grieving but also high maintenance players and staff. When her circle of girl friends who, like her, are receiving mysterious notes start having problems, Poppy reflects back on fifteen years ago when she started with the team and the mistakes she made along the way and her complicated relationship with the now dead coach.

I loved the corporate sports setting and roles in this book and actually really liked how it wasn't the same thing I always read. This felt like a grown-up Good Girl's Guide to Murder. I was a little worried about the Me-Too movement topics being rehashed with a murder mystery, but this book was well done and I thought it was an interesting and fast paced story. Kudos to Elizabeth Staple on her first novel. I would highly recommend this one to female football fans or those who liked the show Ted Lasso for the more serious moments.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

Thank you DoubleDay for the review copy.
This was a really impressive and powerful debut, I really valued how the plot unfolded and the complexity Staple offers to readers. The writing was strong, the plot sucked me right in, and I appreciated the strong pacing of the story, how well the dual timelines worked to help develop the present day mystery and challenges. The standout for me though was how Staple did not hesitate to take on layered themes with women/gender roles, work experiences, and sexual abuse; she allowed the plot to move into the needed shades of grey relevant to the story and the characters, and their work lives. I felt Staple honored the bigger themes she wrote about, even as the themes explored darker edges of the characters' lives and behaviors. I valued the role of female friendship in this book as well, I would have actually liked a little more background/development of that part of the story... perhaps this becomes the start of an interesting series that explores the different connected characters work and personal lives, particularly after the events in this book. My one quibble is that the ending felt a bit rushed but not in a bad way, perhaps I was a little sad to leave a complicated but engaging book and sad to leave behind a complicated, nuanced set of characters.

The main character of this novel, Poppy, is the media relations director for a (fictional) NFL team. At the start of this book, the head coach of the team is found dead - and the next morning Poppy receives a note that says to tell the truth or face the consequences. The book alternates between the present day in the aftermath of the death, and 15 years prior when Poppy was a brand new intern working for the team.

Based on that set up, I assumed this was going to be a mystery and/or thriller, but despite undertones of mystery through the book of what happened to the coach and who sent the note, I’d say that really this book isn’t primarily a mystery. Rather, it’s more a book about the difficulties of being a woman in a male-dominated field, the ways women can both lift each other up and undermine each other, Me Too, and more. I really enjoyed it and it made me think.

A women in a man's world, and her mentor is found murdered. The Snap features duel timelines as we learn about Poppy, and present day. This football mystery has athletes behaving badly, the individuals who cover-up misdeeds and the ultimate consequences for their actions. While the kick-off was great, this book fumbled its way thru the last half.

Thank you, Doubleday Books | Doubleday

A really excellent read Poppy Armstrong is a great character a rare.woman in the upper ranks of the NFL.Sharing her experiences her life and really enjoyed the women supporting women that kept me engaged turning the pages looking forward to more from Elizabeth Staple.#netgalley #doubleday

I liked this, but it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. This is less of a murder mystery and more of a “women should support women” story. I clearly agree with the message here, and have seen women follow the same career arc as Poppy, with likely the same sacrifices. I think the moral is that we can’t fix our past mistakes, but we can band together, and do better together.

What a great debut! THE SNAP follows Poppy Benjamin, acclaimed Media Relations Director of Syracuse's famous NFL team, the Bobcats. Poppy has worked tirelessly to succeed in her career ever since her days as an intern fifteen years earlier, and even when struggles come up, she's lucky to have a close-knit support network—the WAGS (Women Against Groping Shitheads), fellow high-ranking women in sports who understand how tough it can be to thrive in the ultimate boys' club. But what happens when the esteemed Bobcats head coach is found dead in his home? And when, soon afterward, the WAGS start getting secret notes to "tell the truth or pay the consequences?" As secrets are uncovered and past mistakes are brought to light, it turns out that no one is as innocent as they might seem...maybe even Poppy. Can she keep the career she's worked so hard to build? Or is she at risk to lose it all?

I really enjoyed this book! In some ways, the drama reminded me a little bit of Pretty Little Liars, only set in the sports world, which had me hooked from start to finish. I liked getting insight into the corporate realm of sports—I believe Elizabeth Staple has some experience in this area, and it was super fascinating to read about! I also personally appreciated that while the story had plenty of mystery/thriller elements, the core focus seemed to be a more character-driven narrative about Poppy, about what it's like to be a woman in a heavily male-dominated field, and how the ways in which women treat each other, whether they do or do not support each other, in these spaces, can lead to far-reaching consequences. The balance between the tension-filled, more suspenseful aspect of the story and the primarily character-focused side was so well-done! Whether you know next to nothing about the world of professional football (same), or are an avid fan, I'd definitely recommend THE SNAP for a rollercoaster ride of a read that will have you unable to put it down. Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the ARC.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for gifting me a digital ARC of the debut novel by Elizabeth Staple. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Poppy Benjamin is working her dream job as Media Relations Director of Syracuse's NFL team, the Bobcats. But nothing came easy for her as a woman in a man's world. Ever since she started as an intern, she's worked long hours, given up relationships and family events, and dodged inappropriate advances. She has a group of five female friends also working in the sports field that allow for support. They've dubbed themselves the WAGS (and it's not Wives and Girlfriends). But when the Bobcats legendary coach is found dead, the WAGS members all receive threatening notes. Who knows about their group and their secrets?

I loved this book! It's a fascinating peek inside the NFL world from an author who's been there. It's a look at how difficult it is for a woman to make it in this male-dominated world, and just how important female friendships can be. It also shows how dangerous it can be to ignore or excuse situations in the workplace that make us uncomfortable. There are two timelines - the year when Poppy began her career as an intern with the Bobcats to now, 15 years later, when Red is dead. It's a twisty mystery as to how Red died and who is sending the WAGS the notes, threatening to expose their secrets. Fabulous debut - and Go Browns!

A quick engaging read perfect for fans of sports, drama, and women joining together against male-dominated businesses.

The Snap is a novel that you have to have a little patience with. It starts off with you meeting a bunch of characters and you wonder where is this book going and what is going to be about. When you get about 30 pages in you're like oh I see what is going on and then you just keep turing the pages to find out about the death whether its a murder or accidental death. It's a novel that deals with football and sexual harrassmet and the main charcter trying to fit in the man's game of football. The main charcter's name is Poppy Benjamin and she is in charge of media relations for an NFL team named the Bobcats. She shows up to work and just deals with the men behaving badly until one day she gets a message that says' "tell the truth or pay the consequences." She is also in a group called WAGS (Women Against Groping Sh*Theads. Does the group have anything to do with it. You'll have to read to find out. It's a great end of summer read that has a great message. Great for a book club discussion to talk about work place harassment. Thank you to Netgalley and Doubledy for the arc. Look forward to spreading the word about this book.

This was such an intersting look into working in the NFL as a woman. I loved seeing the community that the women built and how they helped each other in a word dominated by men. Now are there a few things that bothered my deep in the soul - at one point they called it “tipoff” instead of “kickoff” and kept referring to the conference championships as a conference final. Both of these are basketball terms not football but I have an ARC so hopefully it’s corrected in the final copy. Either way, this made me ready for some football!

The Snap by Elizabeth Staple ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Why I Chose It: I love sports, and women in high-ranking positions in the sports world appealed to me.

The blurb led me to believe this one was 1) a thriller and 2) WAGS was going to be a main part of this story. Both of those statements were false. 1) It was way too slow to be a thriller. I would describe it as more contemporary fiction with explorations of what it means to be female in a male-dominated industry. Sure, there was a mystery aspect to it, but I didn’t consider that to be a driving force of the story. 2) The WAGS group was not as prevalent in the book as I thought they would be. This book was Poppy’s story, and while some of the WAGS were involved, they were side characters and didn’t come into play early or often.

As a character-driven novel, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the football talk and seeing how Poppy did her job. I liked the timeline jumps and thought that provided an insight into who Poppy turned into.

Fans of sport settings, character-driven novels, and explorations of females in male-dominated spaces will enjoy this one!