This is my first book by author Nicole Trope. It starts out a little slow but quickly picks up steam. There are a few twists and turns.

I loved this one! I got into it straight away, I felt for harassed Ava and wasn’t sure how to take Grace! Full of twists and turns you won’t see coming! I really fab read!

I loved this one, it was twisted and clever . Full of characters we love to hate. Nicole has a knack for weaving together just enough twists to keep her readers guessing. This was a good pace and kept me guessing until the end.

𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔. 𝑰 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒎 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒅. 𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒖𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏.

A thriller with female characters I (mostly) adored! That doesn't happen often. Ava Green is struggling. She's vying with a male co-worker for a new CEO role opening up in her company, and a supportive husband would sure make juggling work and home so much easier. Of course Ava is married to a temperamental artist who does the bare minimum and complains incessantly.

When Grace shows up to interview for the role of Ava's assistant, she's a dream, both on paper and in real life. Ava has no idea that everything on that resume is fictional and that Grace is ingratiating herself into her life for a reason.

This was one wild story that I devoured in just a few hours. I had some guesses about the ending, and although I wasn't far off, it didn't deter my enjoyment one bit. Huge thanks to Bookouture for this early read. This title will publish August 12, 2024.

My Review:
Loved!!!!! Another terrific read by this fantastic author. I can’t get enough of her books. I’ve read most of them by now and they just keep getting better and better with time. I zip right through them and read them well into the night. I have to in order to find out what happens and quick. This one was no different. It had shady characters that you could not trust at all. The plot was interesting and kept me very entertained the whole time. Don’t even get me started on that twisty ending. It was such a roller coaster for me and left me speechless. I could not ask for a better book. This one was perfect to me. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

In conclusion, the plot, the characters and all the twists in this book made this book an enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

The Assistant by Nicole Trope is another five star psychological thriller from an author who became an automatic read for me from her very first book.

Ava is in desperate need of someone who can help her to organize her life while she struggles to find a balance between her demanding career and her responsibilitues at home as a wife and a mother of young children. When Grace arrives to apply for an assistant job, it seems that she is the answer to Ava's prayers. But does she really have Ava's best interests at heart, or is she a woman with her own, very suspect, agenda?

Told from the alternating POVs of Ava and Grace, this one will keep you guessing until the final surprising twist.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

The assistant in this book is a woman who ingratiates herself into a family. She interviews with the mother for the job of assistant with a false resume. She gets the job. Unbeknownst to the mother, the assistant has ulterior motives. She knows all about the mother, who in turn knows virtually nothing about her. This thriller picks you up and twirls you around.

A really good assistant knows everything about her employer: her tastes, fears, preferences, tics etc. In fact, a truly good assistant might know a little more about you then you are entirely comfortable with. So you better hope she doesn't decide to use that knowledge to her advantage rather than yours.

Ava Green has two small children, a high powered job, and a million things to think about. so she's desperate for a some help. What she doesn't know is, by bringing her new assistant into her life, Ava might well have bitten off more than she can chew, swallow or digest...

Nicole Trope has delivered another winner - packed with nailbiting suspense, jaw dropping twists, and a whole lot of entertainment. Get some popcorn and start reading this book!










The seaside town of Edge keeps its secrets to its chest. Freya and Lin live there and love combing the beach for treasures.

But they also know of the legends that say that the nearby cliffs are criss-crossed with smuggler's tunnels and that their treasures are hidden within. There are good reasons for staying away from those, however.

When a stranger unexpectedly arrives in town, everything changes...

Can Freya and Lin work it all out in time to save their town?

This is a charming adventure story with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers occupied. The clever mystery that lies at the heart of it all is eventually revealed, but not before Freya and Lin have a far more eventful time than they ever anticipated! This book gets 3.5 stars.

Wow, The Assistant by Nicole Trope was an intense read. Sometimes, I was not sure where the story was headed. I tried to guess a few things, but I wasn’t quite accurate, which added fun to the story to keep me guessing. The story is told from alternative points of view by Ava and Grace.

Ava struggles to juggle her family, her job, and the mental toll of being responsible for her household and vying for the CEO position. In steps Grace. The interview goes perfectly because she has made myself into the perfect assistant. Now she just hopes Ava never finds out why Grace is really there. Not before she lets Grace into her home, and she meets her charming husband, and gets to babysit Ava’s children. Because Grace has plans for Ava.

The Assistant is quite a gripping psychological thriller. I cannot wait for Grace to be back.

The Assistant has good storytelling, is intriguing, and had me glued to the pages.

I would recommend this book and this author.

#TheAssistant #NetGalley @Bookouture

This was a great little thriller. It does a great job of keeping you intrigued and wanting to find out all of the secrets everyone is hiding. The twist in the epilogue was a perfect end to this book!

Ava Green is on track to be promoted to a major position with her company. Her husband Finn, an artist, is supposed to take care of her two young daughters but…he needs time to paint even though his wife is the family breadwinner. Ava is behind at work and her assistant has resigned. When Grace Enright applies for the position, Ava hires her almost immediately. She will be perfect for the job, the perfect assistant. And at first it seems that way. Grace greets her at the elevator every morning, leaves fresh coffee on her desk and organizes her files. It looks good on the surface but as Ava and Grace alternate narration, the reader knows there is a problem. Until Grace arrives, Ava has been losing the game of office politics. Grace is a master of manipulation and with a few keyboard strokes, has put Ava back in front. She does get a bit too involved in Ava’s personal life but she helps straighten out her relationship with Finn. Only in the final chapters of this family drama/thriller do we learn Grace’s motivation.

The Assistant is hard to put down. Ava and Grace are strong characters who become dependent on each other. Grace’s machinations help Finn to see that he needs to be a better husband and take a greater role in his daughters’ lives. The ugly side of office politics is revealed and Grace’s tragic background is revealed. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Nicola Trope for this ARC.

WOWZA! I will be honest I requested this book because I am an Executive Assistant and the line 'she knows everything about you' totally grabbed me!

I recently finished "The Assistant" by Nicole Trope. I had not read any of her work before, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought I knew where the story was going, but I was wrong. The storyline was so engrossing, the characters I loved , this was such a fast paced read. The twists & turns in the plot kept me guessing throughout, and I absolutely loved the ending & cannot wait for more :) .

A great read for those that love a good twist, especially one the reader may not see coming.

Thank you to Netgalley & Bookouture

Pub Date - Aug 12, 2024

Grace applies for a job as assistant to Ava Green, who is overworked, stressed and unorganized.
Grace effortlessly organizes Ava's office and then her home.
But why choose Ava?

A gripping psychological thriller by Nicole Trope, who has the formula for a good book down pat.
Not an original plot, but absorbing, nontheless. Told in the POV's of Grace and Ava, and as a letter from an unknown person to her daughter.

I read this in one sitting and can recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book.

This talented author has written a page turner. Secrets and red herrings…family and friends…mystery and intrigue…the recipe for a cannot put down novel. This popular author has once again written a story with surprises. The realistic characters keep the story moving quickly. Enjoy. Thanks Netgalley.

This was an insane book! I loved every twist and turn, you really didn't know what was coming next.
The main characters were really well developed you felt like you actually knew them.

📖The Assistant
✍️Nicole Trope
🗓️Aug 12 2024
📝Bookouture

<b>Genre:</b>
Thrillers, domestic thriller

<b> Series or standalone: </b>
Standalone
<b> Tropes: </b>
✨workplace / assistant
✨struggling mom /working mom
✨ domestic suspense
✨ set in Sydney, Australia 🥰

⚠️: suicide, depression, addiction, alcoholism
<b> POV </b>
Dual, first person POV (Grace) and third person POV (Ava)
I would have preferred one or the other, preferably first person POV. I realised I am not that comfortable anymore with the third person.

<b> 💭 Summary 💭</b>
Your new assistant, that you desperately need to get your life in order, seems to know everything about you. But how much do you really know is about the person you hired? Are you sure you can let her into your life? Be careful what you wish for, Ava…

<b> Cover: </b>
It’s honestly one of these generic thriller covers that you see quite often around. But I know that Nicole Trope writes killer books, so I’ll pick it up anyway!

<b> main characters : </b>
Grace Enright (52) & Ava Green (35)
<b> Side cast: </b>
Ava’s husband Finn and her two daughters
Grace’s estranged family
Their workplace

<b> Diverse cast of characters?: </b>
We have two women who could not be more different and not more similar to each other at once. What’s their connection?
We meet Ava and her family and get to know snippets of Grace’s past. The cast is minimal, but I think that suits the novel really well.

<b> character development </b>
Very slowly we’re fed little bits and pieces of what happened and how both women are connected. It’s infuriatingly delicious torture to figure out what on earth is happening. Is Grace really delusional or is everyone against her for no reason? How does Ava fit into this? I enjoyed figuring this out!

<b> Location: </b>
Sydney, Australia 🇦🇺

<b> Fluency/Writing: </b>
Nicole Trope is one of my auto request/buy authors. She writes, I read, it’s really that simple! Her books are full of action, sometimes subtle, sometimes head on. She writes relatable characters and believable stories. And with this novel she really tortured me, by feeding me tiny bits and bobs of information here and there! It was a challenge to figure out the connection, and I loved it.



Range of emotions: 🤔😳😱
🌶️: 0/5
😱: 4/5
😭: 0/5
❤️: 2/5
⭐️: 4,5/5

<b> Do I recommend: </b>

This might be one of her best works so far ❤️

⭐️Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own, I was under no obligation to review.

I love Nicole's thrilling books and this one is just as good as her others.

I was hook, line and sinker from the beginning. So many twists and turns and a surprising story line that I absolutely loved. A definite recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book! This was my first introduction to Nicole Trope. I was interested in this because it mentioned readers who like Lisa Jewell would be interested. I 1000% got Lisa Jewell vibes from the overall plot, writing style and characters.

Dual POV's are always a win for me, I love getting into the head of our two main characters and that device worked very well in this book. The twist at the end was something I did not see coming, but it made so much sense.

I would not describe this book as a psychological thriller, it read more like women's fiction/ soap-opera. For me, it was more interesting than it was thrilling.

I'm rating 4 stars because I literally read this in less than 2 days and really enjoyed the writing style! I’d like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture, and Nicole Trope for my ARC. All opinions are my own!

How much do I love Nicole Trope's books? I love them SO much, that when I was approved to receive an ARC copy of this book, I immediately put down the Harlan Coben book I was reading and started right in on this one. The Assistant might be her best one yet. As usual, the characters were totally real and believable. I am sure the majority of working moms with babies will easily relate to and sympathize with Ava and her struggles trying to balance her job and her new baby, and many readers will also be able to relate to her finding out that the man-child she is married to isn't going to suddenly grow up just because he is now a father. The storyline itself is very well written. We see Grace put a lot of effort into making sure she got this job, so I was totally confident I knew where this was going - maybe not WHY yet, but I assumed I would learn that in time. And when she noticed how handsome Finn was, I was totally sure I knew what her plan was. And then she manages to get Ava to let her stay at her house while her own apartment is being fumigated, and I was even more sure that I was right. I was totally wrong. And yes, eventually I had a tiny inkling of what was really going on , but I never really gave my idea serious thought once I thought back to other things that had happened earlier in the book. But the ending totally blew me away, and that is saying a lot since I read enough psychological thrillers that either I know what is coming or I feel like I've been cheated because the ending seemed to have fallen out of the sky. But not this one. I am still thinking about how clever Nicole Trope is to have been able to parade clues in front of our faces, and we don't recognize them because they were all so much like real life to us - things we, as women and mothers, take for granted about ourselves. And I alternate being sad at how it ended and being amazed at the power of love we saw. I hope every mother who reads this will think about the ending and then take a look in the mirror and realize that she would have done the exact same thing.

This was my first introduction to Nicole Trope and I will definitely read more of her work. I thought I knew where The Assistant was going from the start. I was wrong, and the twists were pleasant surprises. Without giving away spoilers, I loved the ending.

This book does bounce from past to present and from Ava to Grace. I enjoyed Grace’s back story, and grew to really like this character. I especially liked the interactions between Grace and Ava. The very beginning was a little slow, but once it got going, it was a page turner I could not put down and finished it in two sittings.

A great read for those that love a good twist, especially one the reader may not see coming.