This story is a smart thriller about female entrepreneurs and the wellness industry—with a very timely twist. I added this book to the end of my Summer Wrap Up posts telling all my readers to preorder. One of the best books I've read all year.

We all know that sometimes the wellness industry can get… weird. A lack of regulations and oversight in this industry means a lot can go unchecked. This book dives into ‘the dark side of wellness, girl bossing, and startup culture.’ Following an almost billion-dollar wellness start up ‘Radical,’ the story is told from the perspectives of the founder, Rhoda, and two employees. One employee, Dani, is completely bought into the company message and products, while the other employee, Cecelia, is suspicious of of what Radical is selling. When a body is found the morning after the company’s biggest party, the company is in the public eye for many reasons.

This book started slower than I expected, and really picked up about a third of the way through for me. As the story continued, the stakes grew and so did the suspense. I felt this was a compelling commentary on the wellness industry as well as the internet and a culture that breeds toxic ‘girlbosses’ on the daily.

Happy Publication Day to this super fun social commentary!

Snake Oil follows multiple women that are wrapped up in the company Radical.

- Rhoda is the founder with a fiery spirit and big dreams surrounding her project. She can visualize the success of her company and plans to break the billion (with a B) dollar valuation ceiling before the end of this year.

- Dani is a Radigal through and through. She believes strongly in Radical's vision, too, and treats her job in Customer Worship as nothing less than the miracle it is. Working on the Lift team to test Radical's newest supplement has pulled her deeper than ever into the company, and Dani knows that any day now, she might catch her boss's eye for her dedication to the company.

- Cecelia is a skeptic. She sees through the sparkle of Radical to the gritty underbelly and plans to expose the company's toxic side to the world. The only issue? She works at Radical and keeping herself anonymous may be harder than she ever thought.

This book is a great time and really delves into the toxic practices used in the wellness industry. The book gently leads you down the road and is rarely in your face about it, which marks a really good book with commentary; it's easy to fall into heavy-handedness, but Snake Oil avoids that by using dynamic, morally grey characters as its catalyst.

And boy, those characters are morally grey. Not a single one is absolutely good or bad, making them feel very real. All, though, are sympathetic. I found myself rooting for all three at different instances; for Dani to get her promotion and be accepted as a top figure at Radical, for Cecelia to get the fair treatment she deserved, and for Rhoda to keep hold of her company in a male-dominated world. At the same time, I was disgusted by some of the actions of the women in this book and found myself so frustrated when one was taken advantage of or deceived. In short, I really cared about these people while I was inside the world of the book.

On the topic of the plot, I did think the book could be a little shorter. There were a lot of scenes of Dani working the desk in CW or Rhoda scheming in her office or at some mixer. It got a bit repetitive and I think that a bit of it could have been cut or combined for brevity. There are scenes that are extremely gripping, though, and I found myself taking shallow breaths while reading about the aftermath of the valuation party (just read it - you deserve to have that feeling too).

My final point of critique comes from the ending of this book. While the characters do achieve an ending, I felt that many of the big issues in the book were unresolved. I found I felt the same way after reading Self-Care, another book critiquing the wellness, and it might have to do with the genre and my personal taste more than actual deficit with the book. Of course, in real life, chapters aren't always closed with a neat bow. Sure, we get resolution in our own ways over time, but you don't really get that with a set of fictional characters. So, even though, I'm left with questions, I don't feel like a I can really condemn the book for it.

This book is one I will absolutely recommending to people who are obsessed with health and influencer culture like I am. I find these kinds of books really interesting and am happy I found this one - it was a ride I am thrilled to have taken.

Rhoda West is a certifiable #girlboss. As the founder and CEO of Radical, an almost-billion dollar wellness company, she’s ambitious, charismatic, and aspirational. Radical has millions of fans on social media, where every new release of a pill, potion, or lotion sells out in a flurry of excitement. But the viral brand has its critics too; not everyone believes in the woo Rhoda is shilling.

Snake Oil is told through three POVs: Rhoda herself and two employees in the Customer Worship (service) department, one a devotee of the company and the other a hater. Dani is a true believer in everything Radical, singing its praises and continuing to participate in a vaguely shady clinical trial even after she discovers she’s pregnant. Cecelia is on the opposite end of the spectrum, certain that Rhoda is a fraud and skeptical of the company’s health-washed products, and she’s not about to keep quiet about it.

I’m always fascinated by stories with about the culty vibes surrounding beauty and wellness (I tend toward Cecelia’s mind set), so I was immediately drawn to the concept of Snake Oil. The author skillfully uses the multiple POV structure to deftly reveal the inner darkness at the heart of the industry. The portrayal of start-up culture feels authentic and the social commentary is incisive, but the plot gets a bit chaotic with so much going on and some plot points needed more resolution.

This one might be for you if you’ve found yourself fascinated by Goop or enjoyed Rouge by Mona Awad or The Dropout (Hulu’s Theranos series).

Many thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Thank you to Kelsey Rae Dimberg, Mariner Books, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review.

The first half of this book was quite slow, and it took a while for it to actually pick up steam in a way that grabbed my attention. As a "Thriller" book, there wasn't much "thrilling" happening in the first half. However, in the second half of the book, things picked up well, and it started turning into the thriller book that I was looking for. The plot in the second half of the book was great. The mystery aspect in the second half was a great and had good pacing.

The story was told from three different POV's: One being the CEO and founder of the company, one being someone who works at the company and believes in the CEO and the company, and one being someone who dislikes the company, and attempts to discredit the company online, while posting frustrations about the company.

The ending caught me off guard for sure, but I enjoyed the turn that it took and am happy with how things turned out.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Kelsey Rae Dimberg, and Mariner Books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I’m obsessed with anything that has culty/MLM vibes, especially if they’re related to the wellness industry, and Snake Oil definitely fit the bill! Although it’s not set in fall, I found this to be a great transition-into-fall read based on the mystery aspect and somewhat-sinister vibes. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed, as I truly couldn’t put it down. I thought telling the story from the perspective of 3 different women involved in the company was a great way to convey all sides. Even though I know that we as readers weren’t supposed to be on Rhoda’s side necessarily, I definitely found her the most compelling character and was rooting for her even with her misgivings. There was a nice little twist that I didn’t fully predict, and I thought the pacing of the story worked well. My biggest shortcoming with the book is that I wish that Dimberg would have fleshed out Cecelia’s story more. She felt the most one dimensional, and I didn’t like how her arc abruptly cut off. I would have also liked to see more of Dani’s backstory. Shortcomings aside, this was a quick read that kept me hooked the entire time!

Thank you NetGalley and Mariner publishing for this ARC! Snake Oil is a captivating thriller about a startup company in the health and beauty industry! Definitely different from my normal books but I absolutely loved it. I felt it was a perfect read for the fall and really kept me intrigued with the varying POVs!

This is a propulsive, of-the-moment fiction about a Rhoda, an influencer and entrepreneur who would do anything to grow her company. Secrets are revealed, messy drama ensues, and the narrative takes a dark turn. A super fun iteration of the “influencers behaving badly” microgenre. 4⭐️!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review

I was intrigued by the premise of this book and all of the characters. Dani ended up falling a little flat for me. I was hoping for a better character development there but it took a sharp left turn for obvious reasons. This was a slower read for me overall. Once the first big event happened, it seemed like nothing else happened until the last few chapters. Rhoda did fascinate me though. I liked the POV switches, they helped us get to know each character much better. Trevor was weird. Also I still have so many questions about Lift???

Snake Oil by Kelsey Rae Dimber, When The book starts we meet Dani, she is handing out samples of Reboost made by the company she works for, Radical. The company was started by Rhoda West she is a lifestyle and health conscious guru who Dani found at the lowest point in her life. Her coworker and friend Cecelia also works for radical but hasn’t drank all the Kool-Aid the way Dani has. Dani it’s also pregnant and is one of the participants for radicals trials for their new pill called Lift. Soon after the latest radical retreat a Tweeter starts a blog not only talking negatively about the company and Rhoda but even has pictures from the retreat to go with it. The tweet will just be the first of many and soon secrets from radical will come out and Rhoda wants to know who’s doing it. As if Rhoda doesn’t have enough problems she is planning a wedding her company is about to go public, yet she is starting to believe her left hand man Jason is trying to replace her despite the fact she started and is the face of the company. Right when it looks like things are back on track and they celebrate unicorning, this is when it looks like Rhoda’s life really falls apart especially when the Monday after the party a body is found with Rhoda‘s key card in the pocket and her jacket on. Radical is chaotic but the one thing Danny doesn’t see is tears. Her life is shaken but Dani thinks she may know what happened. This Book was really good and has so much more in it than what I put in this very brief review. Is someone a charlatan if they also believe in what they’re telling others to believe in? I really like the way the author made the characters real people with flaws and positive attributes and not just color them black or white. I think the author did a great job with this book and although I didn’t like the chapters where in a matter of three sentences she went from being at work to at home on the sofa with Trevor I felt like she just started spitting sentences at me but having already invested in the book I continued reading not all the chapters were like that I really didn’t like that riding style but as I said the book is so good I didn’t want to stop until I knew what happened. Still totally recommend this book that is just a minor negative and the rest was so so good. #NetGalley#MarinerBooks, #KelseyRaeDimber, #SnakeOil,

Three women work at the billionaire dollar wellness company, Radical. After tragedy at a company party, they need to confront their loyalties to the company and their products.

I loved the concept and plot of this one although it was a little slow paced for me. The three women blended together for me and Cecelia annoyed me at times. I enjoyed reading the other two characters and especially about the inner workings of the companies; the gossip and intrigue. There’s a major spoiler in the synopsis and beginning but that leads to suspense through out.

“A product isn’t only its ingredient. A product is a bridge between a hope and a promise.”

Snake Oil comes out 9/17.

A suspense novel set in the wellness industry? Yes please! As a former beauty blogger, I am interested in all things beauty and wellness, including novels set in that world.

In Snake Oil by Kelsey Rae Dimberg we are swept up into Radical, a company created to help women. But of course, everything isn’t as wonderful as it seems from the outside.

I really liked this book and all of the cult-like behavior of Radical and their devotees.

One woman’s elixir is another woman’s poison

Rhoda West is Silicon Valley’s favorite female CEO: the luminously charismatic founder of the fast-growing startup Radical, a wellness company whose core mission is the betterment of women’s lives. Rhoda’s Instagram page offers intimate glimpses of her personal life alongside promotions for the cult-status products developed in the Well, Radical’s secretive lab.

Dani Lang is a “quester,” as Rhoda calls her most avid followers. Dani found Radical at a low point in her life and took an entry-level job just to get in the door. When she volunteers to test a controversial new supplement, Dani wins an opportunity to rise in the company, even to work with Rhoda herself.

Cecelia Cole is a “quasher.” She grinds away at the Customer Worship queue, resenting the entitled customers, the woo-woo Radical jargon, and Rhoda’s smiling hypocrisy. Cecelia, who suffers from a miserable chronic illness, knows that the remedies Rhoda sells can’t cure real sickness.

Just as Rhoda announces another fundraising round that could turn Radical into a billion-dollar unicorn, an anonymous Twitter account begins spilling snarky gossip from inside the startup. Is Rhoda really the nurturing leader she presents to the world, or a fraud? Or is this just another case of a woman in business being punished for her strength and audacity?

Tensions rise and loyalties clash, then tragedy strikes during a company party. In the aftermath of what looks more and more like a crime, even the most faithful questers begin to wonder to what lengths Rhoda will go to protect her company.

Part page-turning suspense, part darkly comic skewering of startup culture, Snake Oil is a gripping exploration of ambition and authenticity, shining a revealing light on the wellness world.

Startup culture vs wellness culture. Is there any question why the beginnings of both phrases start with the word cult? The toxic positivity pressed upon the ill in our society is one of the main themes in the brilliant Snake Oil. When women are searching for wellness, they are told that they just need more: more sleep, relaxation, meditation. The body is the problem after all and Radical has the cure. But are they selling wellness or selling a dream?

I absolutely loved this book. The constant discussion of pain and illness and how women go about the searching for health was tackled with such a profound sense of understanding and compassion. Kelsey Rae Dimberg has a clear understanding of what it’s like to live with chronic illness in a society that doesn’t respect those that aren’t in good health. It’s a place that no one wants to inhabit, and she handles it with dignity and grace. Whether you’re healthy or on your own journey with getting well, you should absolutely check out Snake Oil.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for or an honest review and feedback.

*Snake Oil* by Kelse Rae Dimberg is a sharp, compelling thriller that masterfully unravels deceit, power, and ambition. Dimberg’s captivating prose and intricate plot twists create a tense and immersive narrative. It's a gripping, thought-provoking read that keeps you on edge until the final page.

While it doesn't have the race component in play, this corporate sendup bears a lot of similarities to Yellowface. For instance, the internet outrage machine is in full force. Just sub out publishing for the wellness industry and venture capitalism.

I loved getting the nuanced, morally questionable perspectives of all three POVs - ambitious CEO, her loyal Kool-Aid drinker, and her determined detractor. They, along with a secondary character or two, form a complex cast that ever so slightly blurs the lines of right and wrong. This would make for some really interesting book club discussions as a result!

There are a couple plot twists that are thriller-adjacent, but the book doesn't read like a thriller. It's very much a contemporary satire.

I didn't finish it. I really couldn't get into it, I just didn't care about the characters and I was almost halfway thru. The plot seemed slow and unbelievable. I typically like thrillers, but just this one didn't do it for me.

This just landed a spot in my favorite books I’ve read this year. I personally love books like this about the health and beauty industry due to my job because I’ve experienced the real life bizarre cultish things that get passed off as totally normal. I enjoyed that this story is told through 3 different POVs all giving their own account of similar experiences and seeing how their own truth can be drastically different. I will say this went to some dark and depressing places I wasn’t fully expecting but I have to say the author did a great job in making me feel for each of the 3 women deeply. The reason this book is a 5 star for me was the ending, obviously I’m not giving anything away but just know the ending in my opinion was perfect!
Thank you NetGally and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rhoda West has poured her whole life into her wellness start up Radical. From the outside, her organization looks perfect with matching jackets and free vegan lunches for the staff, and perfect employees like Dani Lang. But the facade begins to crack when allegations of misconduct go viral. Rhoda West fires Cecilia Cole, the Twitter malcontent, but when both women go missing, even true believer Dani isn't sure if Radical is truly all it's cracked up to be.

It feels like Snake Oil was pulled in too many directions: part missing person story, hinting at but never realizing woo-woo wellness horror ala Rouge or youthjuice, part corporate boardroom drama akin to Succession, and part legitimate criticism of the wellness industry and big tech that gets lost in the other plot points. I would have loved for it to narrow its focus and really dig in to one or two of these instead of spreading itself half-heartedly across four. But with its thriller-like fast pace and different perspectives, Snake Oil is still compulsively readable and and enjoyable.

Kelsey Rae Dimberg's Snake Oil can be looked at like social commentary on today's wellness industry.

There is the stereotypical 'girl boss' leading a wellness company that promises the perfect everything. While Rhoda has perfect skin, hair and nails, deep inside, she is driven by her own ambitions while also fearful of a quick downfall. She trusts very few and is reaching desperation to continue her lifestyle and empire.

Dani is a Rhoda acolyte. She sold her house and moved across the country, just to apply to Radical. When Rhoda picks Dani for the dream job, she is quick to learn that not everything is golden on the backend.

Cecile also works at Radical, however in a less glamorous role. She's part of the "Customer Worship" team, which is a nice way to say the complaint line. What no one else knows is that she's also behind the anonymous Twitter account that is set on bringing Rhoda down.

At a company party, a tragedy occurs and the company splits into two parties - the ones who believe in the company, and the ones that see that it's all a facade.

I LOVED this. I am always a bit skeptical on wellness companies overall, so this was an interesting look at a boss and a company.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I love books about the downside of girl boss culture, and while this one was engaging and entertaining, I just feel like this one didn’t pack the same punch that other similar stories have. I feel like the cliffhangers and reveals weren’t executed powerfully enough, but overall the story was enjoyable. Would’ve liked more from the ending as well. A solid read, but not my favorite.