2 stars out of 5

I really wanted to love this book because the synopsis was so good but it fell short. The story really dragged on and it did not flow well. None of the characters were really that well developed or likable. I guess I was just looking for more. I did like the twists and turns in the book but that was pretty much it. The ending was very abrupt with a bad transition. One minute I was in the story then next it went right to the epilogue. Overall, not my favorite read.

In A Girl Like Us, we meet Maya, a former reality tv star who married Colin Sterling, from the famous Sterling family. It turns out Colin's cousin Arianna was found murdered so the entire family has to go on lock down at the Silver house in England. Maya is thrust into the family dynamics and gets a chance to meet all of Colin's family. It turns out something fishy is going on and Maya discovers she might not be safe at the Silver House.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I WANTED TO LOVE THIS BOOK. i wanted it to be a 4 star so bad. The description and cover sucked me in and it sounded so good, but it felt choppy. The idea and the characters were so intriguing but the story was lacking flow.

If i could have, I would have finished this in one sitting. Loved the dual perspectives of flashbacks vs current. I'm dying for this to be brought to life on screen. The biography was spot on with a cross between Succession and Saltburn. Thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While I did enjoy this overall, I think it was mostly due to the location, atmosphere, and character types (reality tv star, rich family). I struggled quite a bit with the plot though, as almost all of the reveals felt either unrealistic, predictable, or often both. I also think the ending left a lot to be desired for me regarding Arianna’s story and Maya and Colin’s relationship.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read and review!

Maya Miller is a former party girl and reality television star reinventing herself as the new wife to the most eligible bachelor, aristocratic billionaire Colin Sterling.

Everyone thinks Maya is a gold digger, but things take an interesting turn when the heiress to the Sterling fortune is found murdered and Maya is inexplicably named the next in line.

A Girl Like Us is described as Succession meets Saltburn, and this is true in theory. It is a book about insular groups consumed with what they believe they deserve. However, it doesn’t have the build-up of tension that makes Succession so compelling, and the characters are not as eccentric as in Saltburn.

Part of the problem is that Maya falls flat as a protagonist. The author portrays her in such a way that she comes across as pretty and cunning, end of list. She is meant to be clever and scrappy, but she comes across as opportunistic and self-involved, and there were moments when she also seemed to forget she had a baby (and I even forgot, as I only now mentioned her).

In addition to lacking layered characters, the plot starts strong but then hits a wall. The build-up of the first half (where the groundwork for the murder is being developed) is unraveled by unnecessary plot points and a contrived twist at the end.

It is not that this isn’t an enjoyable book; it’s well-written and it will have an audience. It just felt like the author was trying to fit the story into a specific box using trending elements from pop culture to make it feel relevant when she is capable of something more nuanced.

A lot of promise - the book description had me sucked in and it sounded like a fun twist or thrilling play along to Knives Out.

However, the writing was not catchy or smooth. Reading paragraphs felt like chopping wood instead of seamlessly flowing along and being immersed into the story. I didn't find any of the characters or details of the plot to be extremely original than other mystery thriller you could find with a similar description or theme.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the digital ARC.

I received a temporary digital copy of A Girl Like Us by Anna Sophia McLoughlin from NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and the author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Maya Miller has just married Colin Sterling, of the media empire Sterling family. When Colin's cousin Arianna, the heiress to the family's immense fortune, is found murdered, the entire family is forced to go to Sterling House. Maya must navigate her new family members amid a murder investigation and when she is revealed to be the next heiress to the fortune, will she come to the same end as Arianna?

I really liked A Girl Like Us - it did have a similar tone to the Inheritance Games, a series I love. One of the major plot twists really made me question the probability in which someone could get away with that, especially within such a high profile family that would often be photographed by paparazzi, which dropped my rating to four stars. That was a REACH to say the least.

This was fantastic. I really enjoyed reading it and didn’t want to put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

First of all, Maya is SO smart. You KNOW I love a snarky, intelligent, FMC who knows how to get what they want. I loved that fact that Maya refused to back down and dedicated herself to figuring out the truth. I absolutely loved her!

Also, the plot was sublime! I mean, rich family, murder, and secrets? Sign me up! There were so many twists and turns that it was honestly so entertaining and engaging! I absolutely devoured this book in like, 24 hours 😂 I NEEDED to know what happened and I only ended up guessing half of the twists, which is great for me!

I absolutely loved the writing in this book. I loved the story, I loved the characters, basically I loved all of it! It felt like a good “whodunnit” with the modern aspects of celebrity and tabloid shenanigans. Rich people acting absolutely atrociously is apparently my new vice!

So, we have it folks, my very FIRST 5 star ARC! I don’t want to spoil too much but I’m telling you: this is a fun read, with an excellent plot and great surprises!

A Girl Like Us by A. S. McLoughlin tells the intriguing twisty tale of Maya, the Silver family and their secrets.
Maya is the latest family member of the Silver Dynasty. Married to Colin, having a baby, being successful on her own. Live should be great. And it is, till it isn't anymore.
A literally unputdownable read, twisty, raw and gritty, suspenseful, and very well written, this is a winner for sure.

I didn't expect to love this perfectly scheming, web-of-lies, twisty dysfunctional family saga, but I did! And I didn't expect to connect with the main character, Maya Miller, who is the gambler's thief daughter and an ex-reality show star who gained fame by being a menace and presumed gold digger. She seduces Colin Sterling, the most eligible bachelor, becomes his wife, gives him a baby girl, and finds herself in the center of Manhattan's socialite scene. Raised by a conman after being abandoned by her mother, and making ends meet by cleaning rich people's houses, she finally catches her golden ticket! Atta girl!

While I'm certain something must have been missing here - it wasn't quite cohesive or satisfying in the way a really well crafted story of this nature is - I'll be damned if I can tell you where the deficit is.

It’s not so often that I read Mystery-Thriller books because it’s not just right up my alley. But when I came across this one in Netgalley, there’s something about that cover, title, and synopsis that gripped me and so I made a request. Little did I know that it would blow my mind away in the most dizzying and delicious way.

Told from two alternating point of views, A Girl Like Us has wrapped me around its pages from start to finish. Why? Because reading it made me feel like I am watching a teleserye with all the salacious secrets our characters hiding inside their closets and all the while, relentless at making me guess who killed the not-so innocent heiress.

A Girl Like Us is not for the fainthearted and for those seeking some lovable characters to cuddle with at the end of the day. The Sterlings with the inclusion of Maya Miller are one of the most hateful beings you’d prolly encounter in literature. Entitled, haughty, and cunning, these unrepentant despots shouldn’t have deserved all the wealth and extraordinary privileges that they have but unfortunately, their outstanding contribution to the global GDP made them what they are. And because of their circumstance, it cannot be helped that ordinary people like Maya Miller, the protagonist of our story, would aspire to become one of the Sterlings despite her questionable background. With her cunning and manipulations, Maya Miller actually made her dream come true, to become one of the rich despots.

When she finally tied the knot with the handsome and gentle Colin Sterling, Maya thought that she’d finally reached the pinnacle of her social climbing career. Unfortunately, instead of enjoying her newfound wealth and drowning herself in marital bliss, a mind-shattering event happened to the family. The Sterling heiress was dead, and while Maya has nothing to do with the heiress as they haven’t met as far as she knows, all evidence seemed to point to Maya as the culprit. And Maya is not exactly the model of prim and proper as her personal background is also riddled with intrigue and horrifying scandals.

There was just no room for relaxing as I devoured every page of A Girl Like Us, afraid that I would lose the trail of the culprit if I’d read slower, afraid that the hateful Sterlings and Maya will corrupt me if they ever catch up to me. While it’s easy to get lost in the sweeping setting McLoughlin has created in this book, it was difficult to ignore the bile that rose up in my throat every time one of the characters’ skeletons in the closet was revealed. Reading all the things that had happened prior to the horrific death of the heiress and the eventual actuations of the characters involved, it was hard to maintain my composure and stop myself from murdering most of the members (except for the kids and Colin, perhaps) of such loathsome and unredeemable family.

There was just so much darkness contained in this book that I found myself drained after finishing it. McLoughlin definitely knows how to craft her mystery/thriller that A Girl Like Us had me on tenterhooks as I navigated the maze that is the Sterling Park mansion and the thoughts of Maya and Arianna. If you want something dark to make you question what’s wrong with humanity, give A Girl Like Us a try.

Finally a thriller that is worth the name. The prologue was very intriguing and beautifully written. The whole book has a certain quality about it. The only thing I would have liked a little bit less of was the constant reminder of how well the Sterling family is off and how big of a difference it was to Mayas old life. In the beginning it was written many times on the same page.

Anna Sophia McLoughlin’s A Girl Like Us is a poignant and engaging contemporary novel that delves into themes of identity, resilience, and personal growth. The story follows a young woman navigating the challenges of her turbulent life, exploring her past traumas while striving for a better future.

McLoughlin’s writing is both heartfelt and incisive, capturing the complexities of her protagonist’s emotional journey with depth and sensitivity. The novel’s compelling character development and relatable struggles make it a powerful and immersive read. Overall, A Girl Like Us is a beautifully crafted story that resonates with authenticity and empathy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing this book, with my honest review below.

I loved the ideas in the blurb around A Girl Like Us and luckily they all came together when I read, leaving me loving this book!

A bit of a nostalgia read (for me) given the setting in 2004 and our female main character, Maya, being a party girl reality star during a time where the obsession was toxic. While this wasn’t capitalised on as much as it could have been I was surprisingly okay with that given the story. We indeed follow Maya after she suddenly becomes an heiress to the Sterling fortune she just married into by the reclusive and unstable Arianna. Maya has a big secret to hide but not that she killed Arianna expecting a windfall. Throughout the course of the story Maya battles the truly terrible Sterlings, who outright accuse her of gold digging, to solve the mystery of who killed Arianna and exactly what is happening with this toxic family.

There were times I thought the book didn’t explain as much as it could have but it was such a thrill ride that I didn’t mind it. A different read but one that’s truly satisfying. And finally, a flawed main character who hit just the right balance for me! Pick this one up, it’s as good as its gorgeous cover.

Maya knew she was going to fight hard to get what she wanted. Like her Dad taught her, she always had to have the ace up her sleeve and be one step ahead. Maya wanted to be heard and seen and during her stint on the reality show, she knew that acting brash and speaking her mind, would get her noticed. A reality show's success is based upon lies and deception. Yet, even when Maya married Colin and became part of the esteemed and emulated Sterling family, that she would experience lies and deception beyond what she could fathom. The one thing this family had was the means to pay themselves out of their behavior which made them able to change the story. And what a story they could change was result of the fire that had always been told as resulting in the death of Harry's best friend and daughter. The heiress to the Sterling empire, survived but in doing so, required complete isolation to be protected. What Arianna was told time and again that she had made up Jessica and it was her hallucinations that made her incapable of living beyond the walls of the place that she was forced to live in. Caro broke her out but as Maya discovers the identities of those who live and the woman who was killed in Mexico, that nothing was beneath the family to close ranks. It almost was shocking that Colin was a good father to Becca and husband. The behavior of all other family members such as Helen and Julian was purely dictated by what they could achieve at the sacrifice of others. A truly captivating book and I had a hard time putting it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC of A Girl Like Us.

Honestly, I really dragged myself through this book. I’m not sure if it’s just a case of it not being a book for me or if it just doesn’t hit the way it’s meant to.

I didn’t find any of the characters likeable and the twists fell flat every time. It felt like not much happened to really push the story forward the majority of the time as well.

The premise is interesting and the setting had a lot of potential but it just didn’t feel like there was enough pay off.

Writing style is good but just wish it gave me a bit more!

Well, The Inheritance Games meets Succession (though not much like Saltburn, in my opinion, because I found the Sterlings greedy and ruthless but not as eccentric, bohemian, or creepy as the Cattons in Saltburn) with psychological thriller elements blended into several well-executed, smart twists that will burn your last standing gray cells!

I didn't expect to love this perfectly scheming, web-of-lies, twisty dysfunctional family saga, but I did! And I didn't expect to connect with the main character, Maya Miller, who is the gambler's thief daughter and an ex-reality show star who gained fame by being a menace and presumed gold digger. She seduces Colin Sterling, the most eligible bachelor, becomes his wife, gives him a baby girl, and finds herself in the center of Manhattan's socialite scene. Raised by a conman after being abandoned by her mother, and making ends meet by cleaning rich people's houses, she finally catches her golden ticket! Atta girl!

But her dreamy Manhattan life changes when they return from their honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta. They find out Colin’s cousin Arianna, the heiress of the family, has been murdered. As per family protocol, the entire clan must gather in lockdown at Silver House, the family’s ancestral estate in the English countryside, giving off gothic house vibes with secret tunnels, dusty corridors, and disturbing family portraits.

Initially, meeting the entire ruthless family is challenging for Maya, who already lost her first rodeo with Aunt Helen, who made her sign a prenup with well-assessed bullying. But meeting the monsters may be the easiest challenge she has to face! When the lawyer arrives to read the will, they find out Arianna left everything she had to Maya. She’s the new heiress! But how? She didn’t know Arianna existed until a few hours ago. Why would that problematic, infamous party girl, who spent a great deal of time in an asylum, raised under the shadow of a paranoid, control-freak father until she rebelled, leave everything to her?

We catch snippets of Arianna’s past life through her diary, helping us realize there are more sinister things going on around the Sterlings, who can go to any lengths to get what they desire.

Unfortunately, Maya has no alibi for her whereabouts during Arianna’s murder, which turns her into a prime suspect. If she comes clean about whom she met, she could lose everything she’s worked for, and the revelation may crack the last forming bonds of the Sterlings.

Maya must find her way to clear her name and find the murderer before becoming the next victim. She’s smart and resilient enough not to go down without a fight. Let the inheritance games begin.

Overall, this is a fascinating, riveting, twisty, unputdownable, and irresistible thriller that I highly enjoyed. Reading this book has put Anna Sophia McLoughlin on my radar, and I look forward to reading more of her works in the near future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for sharing this riveting thriller’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thank you to SourceBooks for my arc in exchange for review!


This was so good!! I can definitely see the links to Saltburn with how Maya was in a rags to riches situation. I loved the family secrets aspect and the plot in this case moved a little quickly for my taste, right at the climax you get this big reveal and the the book is all of a sudden just wrapped up. I would've liked to see that drawn out a tiny bit more vs what we got. But i loved getting Maya's character growth, I just wish we also got to see more of the Sterlings besides Gigi.