A captivating read of intent, deception and the assumption of what our hearts want to believe. This novel is about a couple, the “IT” couple, an actress and film director, America’s sweethearts and their quest to cast a feminist adaptation of a Fitzgerald classic “Tender is the night”. For those who may not “KNOW” who Fitzgerald is, he wrote “The Great Gatsby” in 1925.

My setting was perfect as I read this novel while the “Golden Globes” were on TV. Lila Crayne is cast in the film as one of the main characters and has sought out a well known therapist, Jonah, to help her work through some issues which she thinks might influence her performance. Lila’s fiancé is all but too jealous and seeks to absolve their meetings. There are issues of trust, truth, secrets and revenge as the novel evolves. A few twists propels this novel while intertwining the film industries setting and prose.

You will truly enjoy and appreciate this novel if you have an interest in a film adaptation, its language, its narrative and the drama which unfolds amongst the actors/actresses in the world of screenplay. Author Sash Bischoff developed characters who were imaginative and believable. I appreciated how the plot came full circle in the end, Lila’s surprise. Favorite character, Maggie (Jonah’s fiancé), for reasons of brutal honesty.

I highly recommend reading about the author, Sash, on Instagram or elsewhere to see who is behind this novel. It helped me to respect and acknowledge everything that went into it. To know of her history, where she’s from and a little about her helps to appreciate and promote her very first novel, congratulations @sashbischoff! Keep writing!

Thanks to @simonandschuster and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Such a roller coaster of feelings towards this book. I honestly did not realize that this was a mystery until a solid 75% of the way through the book, so I obviously did not guess the ending. I enjoyed the connection to Fitzgerald and the Hollywood glamour of this book. The twists and turns were incredibly well done. I also thought that the multiple points of view - and the different ways that these points of view were shared was different and enjoyable. However, I did feel like the book was very unnatural and unrealistic at points. Sometimes that can work for a book, it being so far out there that it makes sense, but since this book was not that way, it just did not always feel like a smooth transition to me. Overall, I enjoyed the plot, the twists and turns were very well done and I thought that the characters, although beyond frustrating, were well developed and interesting. Lots of secrets unfolded, which added to the fun of the book.

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

I don’t think I’ve read any of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s work, so any symbolism or references to his masterpieces would have been lost on me. I’m also not sure this is the kind of book one really “enjoys”, given the themes of misogyny, sexual predation, and manipulation, but it certainly got my attention and held it. Lila Crayne is America’s sweetheart, a beautiful and accomplished actress. She and her partner, director Kurt Royall, are setting out to film a feminist adaptation of Fitzgerald’s “Tender is the Night”, and part of her preparation is to work with therapist Jonah Gabriel to dig into her past trauma. The story alternates between Lila and Jonah’s perspectives, their secrets (and characters) slowly revealed not the reader. This is very much a character-driven story, and while they were well-portrayed, I didn’t really like any of them that much. I found the epilogue confusing, but having read the ARC, it’s possible the final published version will make more sense? Overall, this was a moody and largely unpredictable psychological thriller (3.5 stars rounded up to 4).

Lila is about to start work on a new movie. She & her fiancé are about to work on a new adaptation of a classic novel. While preparing for the role, she delves into her own traumatic past to find the path for her character. When things start to unravel and she begins to come to terms with the secrets that are being uncovered, can she make her way through the past?

The story centers around the making of a film adaption of Fitzgerald’s “Tender in the Night” with a feminine twist. Lila is an actress and her fiancé Kurt is the director of the film. Jonah, a therapist is also a fan of Fitzgerald’s work & has been obsessed with Lila since they met at Princeton, despite Lila stating that she doesn’t remember Jonah.

This one didn’t really work for me, it just did not capture the allure I was hoping for, The ending seemed pretty far fetched and hard to believe. It does make me want to read Tender in the Night though!

Thank you NetGalley & Simon and Schuster for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review!

"When a beloved actress is cast in a feminist adaptation of a Fitzgerald classic, she finds herself the victim in a deadly game of revenge in which everyone, on screen and off, is playing a part."

This book was dark and twisty, with unreliable narrator and multiple POVs. The biggest thing to note before reading is that there is graphic, on-page SA. I don't think this is ever necessary in this amount of detail and automatically -1 star because of it.

I really enjoyed the twists and turns of SWEET FURY! Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was thrown for a loop again. This is a twisted story that beautifully ties in the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald. It will have you pondering as to which story is reality and which is the movie being created. This felt like a movie within a movie within a movie and I couldn't put it down!

Lila Crayne is a gorgeous actress who has risen to stardom and is in a new film, directed by her boyfriend and business partner. She seeks out a therapist to reveal past trauma to help her in her new role yet she's actually out for revenge. The revenge turns into more than she expects...

Mystery • Thriller • Suspense • Film Industry
Publication Date • 7 Jan 2025

Happy publication day to @sash.bischoff and thank you to @simonbooks for the complimentary e-ARC!

·.¸¸.·˙✧˖° 𝙰 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘 𝙵. 𝚂𝚌𝚘𝚝𝚝 𝙵𝚒𝚝𝚣𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕𝚍, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 ♪♩·.¸¸.·

Read if you love:
• an unreliable narrator (or two)
• a dark romance subplot
• classics from a bygone era

Or if you enjoy:
• the underbelly of the film industry
• glamorous lifestyles of the rich and famous
˙✧˖° ⋆｡˚..with secrets lurking below the surface

Sweet Fury opens to a bloody murder scene. The remainder of the book is separated into 3 Acts, screenwriter style. Chapters alternate between 3rd person present POV and written notes from Lila’s therapist summarizing their sessions.

Even with just The Great Gatsby under my belt — which coincidentally is all that the main character Lila Crayne had initially read — we get enough backstory to contextualize the film being re-made: Tender is the Night. Fitzgerald aficionados will get even more from the parallels between his worlds and this one.

The writing style has a lyrical quality similar to The Great Gatsby, with the answer always slightly out of reach, just on the cusp of being in hand, and then elusively flitting away, out of grasp.

The plot held my interest with a few unexpected twists. I like closure, so with a slightly open ended finale, I’m still thinking about what the ending meant…

A bingeable debut and an author that I’ll be keeping my eye on!

Thank you Netgalley & Simon& Schuster for an eARC ♥️🔥


As I read through the story, I found myself drawing parallels to my own life. The way the author explores themes of identity, power dynamics, and the performative nature of social media really resonated with me. I think we've all been there - trying to present this perfect image to the world while struggling with our own insecurities and doubts.
The story centers around Lila Crayne, a Hollywood actress who seems to have it all. But as the story unfolds, you realize that nothing is as it seems. Everyone's hiding secrets, and the lines between victim and perpetrator are blurred. I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical of Lila at first - she seemed too perfect, too polished. But as the story progressed, I found myself really empathizing with her. She's a complex, multifaceted character, and her struggles felt deeply relatable.
What really stood out to me was the author's sharp commentary on the darker side of human nature. They tackle topics like misogyny, power dynamics, and identity with such insight and nuance. It's clear they're not afraid to get real and confront some hard truths. There were moments when I felt like I was reading a mirror reflection of our own society - it was uncomfortable, but also necessary.
Sash Bischoff weaves together multiple plot threads like a pro, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the very

Lila Crane is the Julia Roberts of this story, an actress beloved by all. Her fiancé, Kurt Royal, lives up to his last name, making movies everyone adores. But this, their feminist adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night, is set to be their magnum opus. Lila even starts seeing a therapist, Jonah Gabriel, to help her truly prepare herself. But there are secrets and hidden dangers everywhere…

This is a deep book that, while being a psychological thriller of sorts (perhaps more suspense?), also tackles very deep issues: how women are treated compared to men, what is expected of women, what justice truly is…all while being a story that keeps you turning pages desperate to know what’s next. I would recommend this book.

Lila Crayne, actor and "America's sweetheart," is deep in the production of a modern-day interpretation of Tender is the Night when she gets engaged to her lover, much-older Kurt. She almost immediately suspects he is having an affair with a costar, but is willing to overlook it. After all, isn't that how their relationship started?

At the same time, she is exploring her traumatic childhood and her relationship with Kurt with a new therapist, Jonah. She and Jonah share an interest in F. Scott Fitzgerald, perhaps inevitable as they both attended Princeton, Fitzgerald's own alma mater. Although their time at Princeton overlapped, they never knew each other. Or did they?

Told from multiple unreliable points of view, this is a psychological suspense novel with so many twists your head will be spinning. And a special shoutout to author Sash Bischoff for the mention of Princeton's Mudd Library where I once worked. #SweetFury #NetGalley

Sweet Fury is a wild, twisty ride that pulls you in and doesn’t let go. Lila Crayne, America’s sweetheart, seems to have it all—until her perfect life starts unraveling in the most shocking ways. With secrets around every corner and no one being who they seem, this story keeps you guessing till the end.

Bischoff’s debut is sharp, bold, and packed with drama, all while taking a hard look at power, misogyny, and the stories we tell ourselves. If you’re into psychological thrillers with a side of Hollywood glam, this one’s for you.

In a line up of “who’s who” Lila Crayne is the main event and soon to be engaged to the tour de force director Kurt. And even without the author throwing out an “All About Eve” reference, even if there were too many references (like we get it, it’s channeling F Scott Fitzgerald) being thrown out, the line of “fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night” was still the summarization in my mind of the whole story. Even with her own Eve, in the form of Celia. Soon filming begins, where an obvious take of life imitating art.

For about the first half of the story, you are in the Lila’s POV either recounting her to her therapist or where she is filming and manipulating every aspect of her life. I think a missed opportunity was writing her more genuine. However, about 40% of the way in, you find out the therapist, Jonah, may have more on his mind.

At times, I appreciated where the author was delicate in handling the sensitivity of some of the trauma in the story; but other times felt dismissive. Because of how Lila was written as such a suspicious character, everything she confessed felt manipulative and fake. So unfortunately the twist doesn’t pack the punch it should, since Lila seems so disingenuous . Overall, I liked the ending. But the final chapter in the epilogue was unnecessary and made it abrupt where it didn’t need to be so I hope the final copy leaves it out. Please check trigger warnings on this one

I would like to thank NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Publishing and the author Sash Bischoff for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Sweet Fury. The book fell flat for me as I really didn't like any of the main characters resulting in my not relating well to the novel. The storyline premise is interesting, Lila Crayne, a well-established actress, and Kurt Royall, her long-term partner and director embark on a feminist adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's Tender Is the Night. While not a book I thoroughly enjoyed it is clever and creative. 3 stars.

This was quite a captivating book that left me curious until the very end. I found that the language was a bit unnecessarily flowery and showy, and I really, really hated Jonah's parts, especially when it was not clear what type of involvement he had. I felt that a lot of his part had to have some suspended disbelief, but by the end, it was clear why it was set up in that.

Overall, would definitely recommend, especially to F. Scott Fitzgerald fans.

This story had me absolutely hooked from the beginning. Granted, I never read much of Fitzgerald's work outside of Gatsby, so maybe I would have known more of how this would play out, but I think not knowing made it that much more entertaining to me. I felt this was such a fresh story and different from so many others that I read. It felt a bit like reading Gatsby but yet new. I could not put this book down!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been wanting to read Fitzgerald for a while now, and for some reason, I’m more drawn to Tender is the Night than The Great Gatsby. So when I came across Sweet Fury by Sasha Bischoff, a feminist retelling of Tender is the Night, I was curious to see how it would play out.

Lila Crayne and Kurt Royall are Hollywood’s golden couple—an actress with a stellar career and a director known for his groundbreaking work. When an ambitious young writer sends Kurt a feminist retelling of Tender is the Night, Lila sees it as their big chance. As the movie begins to take shape and Lila becomes deeply invested in the script, she realizes it's time to face her own demons. There's more to her life than meets the eye and Kurt is a different person behind closed doors. So she decides to start seeing a therapist. *Enter Jonah* who, as you'll soon discover, has his own agenda.

The author clearly did a lot of research on Fitzgerald, and that’s evident throughout. But book didn’t quite capture the allure I was hoping for. The writing is simple enough, but something about it just kept me from getting fully invested. The only parts I really enjoyed were the conversations between Jonah and his fiancée, Maggie (who honestly felt like the only real, tangible character - I'd totally read a book about her)

And while the climax did take me by surprise, it felt messy and hard to believe. Lila’s motivations are all over the place and it made it hard to empathize with her.

Overall, the premise had great potential, and I should have enjoyed it more, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

This was touted as the MFC being a victim in a game of revenge. While in reality she uses past victimization as the catalyst for victimizing everyone around her. No one is safe from her but she’s the one who walks away unscathed and celebrated? No. This story did not do it for me.

Lila is an actress and her fiancé, Kurt, is the director of a movie based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel Tender is the Night. Lila, in preparation for making the movie seeks the help of, Jonah, a therapist who is obsessed with Fitzgerald. As the therapy gets deeper into her past the professional lines begin to cross and then things become complicated as truths come out. There are lies mixed with truth and deceit changes relationships. No one is who they seem or what they say is completely truthful.

Thank you Simon & Schuster and NetGalley

An incredible debut! I stayed up way too late to finish this book. At about the half-way mark, this book became unputdownable.

Filled with twists and clever plotting, I was fully invested in this fast-paced thriller from Sash Bischoff. Told over three acts, Sweet Fury has multiple narrators with tangled backgrounds and lots of tension. I love when narratives (especially thrillers) are told through different kinds of mediums, and this one has diary entries and therapy notes to enhance the story.

Read if you enjoy:
🎥 Hollywood settings
✍️ mixed media supplementing the narrative
🎥 twisty psychological thrillers
✍️ blurred lines between truth and reality
🎥 a mix of character-driven and plot-driven storytelling

My rating: 4.5⭐️