Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for my honest review.

To be honest, the reason I decided to request this book was because it was narrated by Carly Robbins, who I have enjoyed narrating other audiobooks. With that being said, this story had a strong start but unfortunately didn't keep my attention. Like other reviewers have pointed out, it seems Hannah started out with one story idea and decided to change it in the middle of the story. It wasn't a bad book, but I did not feel invested in the characters.

All above opinions are my own.

What an atmospheric read! I really enjoyed the first half of this book, but struggled getting through the second half.
It may be that this book just wasn't resonating with me in my current phase of life; or it was a little confusing. Maybe a little bit of both. I did enjoy the book, and it was unique enough I may just try it again later on and maybe at that time I will connect with it a bit more.

We were Pretending - Hannah Gersen

This was a really interesting book.

Leigh is a single mother, co-parenting with a man who has already moved on. She lost everything because she was dealing mushrooms… The kind of mushrooms that help patients at their end of life care, accept death without fear. She was lucky not to go to jail but she ends up landing a job that she can’t tell anyone she has, dealing with the kind of tech the public doesn’t know exists.

She ends up connecting with an old friend and she wants access to the mushrooms. It causes Leigh to reevaluate her life and runs her life off the rails in the most unexpected ways.

I liked Leigh, I understand why she did what she did and her ex… UGH. He was so self righteous and that irritated me. Walking from his family for that? BOUNCE BUDDY!

The plot was ok, it wasn’t earth shatteringly good but it was interesting enough I was engaged the whole way through.

I think had the book had a bit more action, it could have knocked itself out of the park but it plodded on without anything really dramatic happening. Still, I enjoyed it.

4 stars

Rating: 3/5 Stars
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Leigh, recently divorced with an interesting but criminal past runs into eclectic Jenny from high school. It’s then that Jenny comes up with a plan to change Leigh’s life entirely.
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This book was a bit confusing in the beginning. It’s told from Leigh’s POV, but it’s told in a sort of nonlinear timeline, but with absolutely no warning to the reader. I really struggled with who was who in the beginning but was able to get everything figured out. I was never really connected to any of the characters, some were okay, others not so much.
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I really enjoyed the different parts about nature and the more holistic side of healing; but then it seemed like it would veer into AI territory which is kind of on the complete opposite spectrum and I never really figured out how things went hand in hand, unless that is and of itself the point…
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This book isn’t a thriller. It’s more a women’s fiction exploring concepts of friendship and moral dilemmas and interesting concepts of again - holistic healing and AI. It was a slow burn but at the same time held a steady pace leaving me interested enough to finish it within a day.
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I listened to this one via audiobook and it was narrated by Carly Robbins. I think she was great. I have no complaints. I think it would help to have a physical copy in the beginning since I was super confused as to who was who. But overall a good audio.
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Overall, this was an interesting story, it was different a bit disconjointed and confusing at times, it wasnt my absolute favorite but I did enjoy the different concepts explored. I think some people will really love this one.
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We Were Pretending was just released on Tuesday, 8/13 - be sure to check it out. Huge thank you to NetGalley, Brillance Publishing and Hannah Gersen for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

We Were Pretending was an interesting listen. The narrator, Carly Robbins, is terrific, and is probably the reason I was so engaged with the book, finishing it within 24 hours.

After finishing the book, I had to go back and read the first chapter because I felt like the book just stopped, kind of out of nowhere. That helped ease some of my questions, like "what was the purpose of this book?" It really wrapped it up. But funny that I had to go back to the first chapter to find closure.

The story was very interesting but not entirely cohesive. I wish there was maybe a little more depth of the main character. It explored some AI, explored some interesting therapies, and discussed global warming. Not really sure what I was expecting, but it was a bit odd.

It was good enough that I wanted to finish it but does make me question what the author wanted me to feel. What was the goal of the author?

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the advance listen in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow, what an interesting listen. We Were Pretending was so fascinating and such a great story. I definitely recommend this one.

The premise was good and the narrator was engaging but this book fell short for me. The synopsis was a bit different than what was executed in the story. It started strong but fell a bit flat for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review.
3/5

So first I want to say Thank You to #BrilliancePublishing, as I was able to get one of their elusive ARC's prior to publishing (Release date is 8/13/24). For some reason, I am usually denied these, so very happy that I did get it!!

However, this was not at all what I was expecting, but I did enjoy it for the most part.

Leigh is living a kind of fairytale. Her work requires her to LIE about her position, even to her (soon to be ex) husband. The types of things she does on an everyday basis are top secret, which is fine, but it also can lead to a high burn out rate... Although she mostly loves what she does, she sometimes wishes she could just pick up and start over.

Carter is the husband (ex)...depending on what part of the book you are in. I didn't like him at all, and I'm glad that she got away from him! He is very matter of fact, and it's his way or the highway.

Rose is their young daughter. She is sweet and innocent, and just really wants to see her parents get back together.

We start out with Leigh's Mom being very sick, and she is trying to do whatever she can to just make her comfortable. When she hears of this elusive stuff that will eradicate her pain, well...what else can she do? She searches for it... and to her surprise, she is able to locate this 'Hecate's key' for her Mom. BUT...this leads to problems for her down the road... And, it takes some doing to get PAST this part of her life...and move on. But she does!

When Leigh is given an assignment to interview someone she knows (from her past) she is kind of torn. She wants to JUMP at the chance to meet up with Jenny, but... on the other hand, she wants to avoid her at all costs...
But, once they meet up, it seems like they are right back in HS...

I didn't care for Jenny either, and I'm not sure what Leigh saw in her, but she saw something that made her want to be close, and to follow in her footsteps...

We journey with them through many scenarios, and in the end I am left wondering...why???

There were many parts of the book that I loved!
The trees singing and talking...communicating with the world. The search for elusive mushrooms. The chance to be involved with the making of 'state of the art AI paraphernalia' that may actually change lives somewhere in the future... ALL great stuff!!

But, the divorce...the families involved. Their little daughter being placed in impossible situations... The sheer mess of Leigh's mind while trying to figure out just what she wants in life... these were all things I definitely could've lived without reading... BUT, I understand. They were all a part of the story...painting a picture.

And so, I'm going with 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for this one. I enjoyed it, but it was not at all what I expected!

#WeWerePretending by #HannahGersen and narrated nicely by #CarlyRobbins.

Thanks to #NetGalley, #BrilliancePublishing and #BrillianceAudio for an ARC of the audiobook which is due to release in about a week on 8/13/24. Look for it then!!!

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Sometimes you come across a book that in the process of reading it you're struck by how much of a nightmare it must have been to pitch and categorized. Certain sites and the style of the description frame this as a thriller/mystery. At least at the time of this review it's being categorized on netgalley and amazon have it listed under women's fiction and literally. Assuming you picked up this book from the synopsis and have picked it up expecting a tale of dark twists and turns you are going to be disappointed. However, if you are open to exploring something that leans more literary-- you might actually come away with elements to reflect on and maybe even some hope if you have similar fears as our protagonist.

Contrary to the framework provided to give you a hint to what you're going into, while there are certainly questions, tension, and unreliable elements to Leigh's story it is far more a reflection on our choices, our personal world view, moral crisis, climate concern, and even a dash of speculative fiction as it includes directions for technology that are far from fantastical. It is about someone desperately trying to find something to hold onto, to look forward to, and unraveling all the things that brought them to this moment.

Unfortunately, because of my expectation which had been a blend of these genres, I always felt a bit distant from the story as the way it was unfolding and the points addressed weren't unfolding the way I assumed they would with the typical beats of a thriller or even an alternating time perspective tends to. The pacing was slow and steady, not climbing to a focal point and resolving. While there was such a beauty in seeing nature through the eyes of different people, I just never felt connected to the actual characters. As it is so clear that Leigh's perspective is clouded by her current events it's hard to ever catch on to at least leaving room for the plausibility that maybe, just maybe, certain things aren't as sketchy as they seem. Those moments of doubt even fall flat as everything just sort of silently crumbles and everyone seems to just accept the resolution.

Given as publishing is an industry, I can only guess that this was a strategic choice made early on with the goal appealing to an audience that is more likely to pick up something 'catchy'. Understandable from a marketing standpoint. Disappointing that it is likely to garnish more emotionally fueled dismissal as without that wrapping it is a distinct and thoughtful book. Despite my nay saying, I truly did appreciate some of the insights and the internal battles when it came to Leigh facing her past. It was mostly the distraction of not feeling the type of story that left my brain fighting rather than thinking about the words.