Sash Bischoff's debut novel, Sweet Fury, is perfect for fans of Michaelides books. A homage to Fitzgerald's famous works, the Great Gatsby and Tender is the Heart, this novel is the perfect blend of both with its revenge plot, lavish parties, opulent wealth and fame. The fast-paced story made this novel unputdownable.

Thank you, Simon & Schuster

TW: This book is about rape survivors, and there is rape depicted on page as well as in descriptions.
I expect important people will rave about this book: the writing, the plot, the characters! The writing comes across incredibly pretentious. There are colons everywhere: at times multiple in a single paragraph. The opening page is a clear homage to Fitzgerald's writing style, which is also often privileged and pretentious. And don't you know everyone here went to Princeton?! Well, except for a side character who only went to Yale. I genuinely couldn't tell if this was meant to be satire. The ending was both predictable and unsettling. I did not enjoy reading this book. Every relationship is toxic. Everyone is out for themselves. The villain monologue is backwards.
I'm not sure what the goal is of this narrative, which includes retelling and reframing of Fitzgerald's work. It cannot be considered feminist as the women are either angry and self-absorbed or angry and underdeveloped. The prose is a solid mimic of Fitzgerald tinged with purple and certainly including much more stylistic variety.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for this ARC; I am genuinely disappointed I did not enjoy it more.

I love it when my mysteries have a literary twist and this one was both a love letter to and a feminist questioning of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s works. I had only read The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald before but Bischoff managed to sneak in a whole thesis on Tender Is the Night into this one and managed to make me feel like I was on very familiar territory. It managed to not only build suspense through characters and some smartly placed clues, but was also thought provoking.

Lila Crayne, an established Hollywood movie actress in her thirties, has worked behind the scenes for years to bring about a movie she can star in that does a feminist retelling of Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald. She gotten Kurt Royall, her famous filmmaker, to direct it as well as to pull together the funding for the shoot. They’ve moved into a luxurious West Village apartment in NYC and become the social toast of the town as Lila dramatically proposes marriage to Kurt at a large surprise fiftieth birthday party for him that she hosts.

Meanwhile, Lila has sought out Jonah Gabriel who specializes in early childhood trauma to help her undergo psychotherapy for the role. Turns out that Lila’s abusive father died in a car accident when she was in the back seat, and she has no memories of the accident itself. Lila also tells Jonah that Kurt has been abusing her, but that she can’t leave him as she fears that all men will eventually abandon her, and she’ll end up all alone. Jonah finds himself smitten with Lila and distancing himself from his fiancé Maggie.

While determined to make the film about female empowerment, Lila on set relentlessly manipulates all those around her, from the young actress Celia she’s recruited who looks just like Lila’s younger self, the timid script writer, and Kurt himself.

Condemning men who have preyed on women over generations, Lila seemingly want to flip the tables. Who is preying on who? And what does or should justice look like for victims?

Secrets and reveals swiftly pile up until a final twist at the end that YOU DO NOT SEE COMING! And you finish the book breathless and taking a long moment to think back over the plot to truly put the ending in context!

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

I love when a story keeps me completely in the dark, and this one did just that. I had no clue what was going on, and honestly, that’s exactly what made it so enjoyable. There was no need to guess or try to figure things out — the story just flowed, and I was along for the ride. I didn’t feel lost or frustrated, because even though I didn’t understand everything, it all felt like it was happening for a reason.

The pacing was perfect. There weren’t too many twists to keep track of, and the reveals came at just the right moments. It felt like everything was measured out just right — enough to keep me intrigued, but never so much that it became overwhelming. I never had to pause and think about what just happened, which made the whole experience feel smooth and satisfying.

It’s rare to find something that knows how to balance mystery without overloading you, but this story did it effortlessly. Even though I was completely in the dark, it all came together in a way that was satisfying and just right.

Wow!!! This was intense and so good!!! I was turning thhe pages in disbelief how sick this revengeful game was becoming and growing more and more concern for the MFC.
Well done.

Sweet Fury is a fast-paced suspense thriller with many twists and several points of view (therapist, Lila, therapist’s journal, and patient journal). Tension builds slowly through the sessions and diary entries. Character’s obsession with Fitzgerald was over the top 😅, but it served well for the story and it was easy to follow all references even not being super familiar with his work.
Overall, I flew through this thriller and didn’t see ending coming. So check this one out in January!

Thank you @simonbooks for gifted ARC. #simonbooksbuddy #freegift

Lila Crayne seems to have the ideal existence - she and her fabulous fiancé director are producing the movie she has always dreamed of making and acting in - a retelling of Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night. However all is not what is seems in Lila’s life and with her relationship. As she tells her story to her psychiatrist she hopes to dig into the trauma of her past and use it on the screen. But there are so many secrets among everyone that nothing is what it seems.

This novel started off in a direction I didn’t expect, I couldn’t really tell where it was going. And then as it professed I was excited for a psychological twisted story with unreliable narrators, but it never really delivered for me. I had both the audio from @simon.audio and the ebook but what was great about the audio was that the author read it, this could maybe go either way but she brought it to life in a way I’m not sure another narrator would have. For me, I just wasn’t invested in the characters at any point so the story wasn’t engrossing, so it was a fine read but nothing lasting in my memory.

3.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC to review

Sweet Fury by Sash Bischoff is a bold and intricately plotted feminist reimagining of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s themes, bringing a fresh perspective to American classics. The story is layered and compelling, with enough tension to keep you turning the pages.

However, the big "twist" fell flat for me—I saw it coming well before the halfway point, which made its eventual reveal feel lackluster. Still, the narrative itself is strong enough to carry the book, and fans of richly woven, character-driven tales will likely find much to love here. If you enjoy literary easter eggs, this one is worth a read!

I’m so sorry but this was very difficult for me to get through. Nothing happens until the last 50 pages. Even then, the messaging on feminism is extremely difficult to support.

Initially drawn in by the ode to F. Scott Fitzgerald, readers will quickly learn Sweet Fury is a tragedy much like many of the author’s characters and parts of his own life.

Film star Lila Crayne and her director fiancé are adapting Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night for the big screen, but with a feminist bent. To prepare for the role, Lila starts therapy with the highly recommended Jonah Gabriel. In therapy, Jonah helps Lila work through trauma from her childhood and figure out how it is impacting her relationships as an adult. Over the course of filming, we discover not everything is as it seems, and things begin to unravel.

This reads like a frame story or even a film within another film, and makes readers really question each point of view as the chapters progress. Though the actual filming carries the reader through the narrative, the characters themselves create their own production even better than the adaptation they are filming. With a host of unreliable narrators, readers will rightly question every character’s dialogue and behavior.

Sweet Fury is a novel for fans of The Silent Patient, but with more depth. The twists are creative and put the film industry’s misogynistic behavior on full display. Sash Bischoff’s main character Lila had some zingers in her dialogue that had me saying “hell yeah” while reading. If feminists thrillers are your jam, this debut won’t disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, and of course the author Sash Bischoff for the advanced copy of the book. Sweet Fury is out on January 7th! All opinions are my own.

What a great debut! It had me on the edge of my seat until the very end. I loved the pacing and characters. It gave me lots of Gatsby vibes. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy!

I was little scared to continue reading this book because the first half the book is slow, but halfway through it picked up. Someone had told me to go into this blind and I completely agree. I was surprised and happy how Sash Bischoff was able to completely twist the plot and still make sense. Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this digital copy.

ARC by NetGalley and the publisher.

Newly engaged Hollywood “it” couple, actress Lila Crayne and filmmaker Kurt Royall are living the dream. A gorgeous new apartment in coveted West Village and an exciting film project in the works with Lila being placed as the leading lady. To help prep for the part, a feminist take on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night Lila seeks out therapy in order to aid in researching for her new role. Enter therapist Jonah Gabriel, both charming and accomplished to be the one to walk Lila thru her past traumas. However what begins as the harmless pursuit of research slowly turns Lila’s perfectly tailored life into one filled with revenge, deceit, and secrets where actors aren’t the only ones who are playing parts.

This fast paced debut suspense female rage driven thriller was truly an absolute wild ride that felt incredibly relevant to current events.Told over 3 acts, diary entries, therapy session notes, and multiple narrators we are given a twisty thriller as we unravel who to trust and not trust in this book.I especially loved the slower tension filled building of seeing Lila’s therapy session notes, it had me thinking early on that I knew where the plot was going but each time I found I was wrong.The mixed media story telling format considering that we are following the makings and prep for a Hollywood film felt right and beyond clever to tell the narrative in this manner. I also have to add as someone who is not too familiar with F. Scott Fitzgerld and his works(other than The Great Gatsby)I was a tad worried that I would find myself lost with the references,however I most definetly was not. Bischoff’s writing style and way of weaving these little tidbits was done with care to connect all the aspects so that someone like myself wouldn’t get lost in it all.That being said I immediately after finishing this went and began goggling more on Fitzgerald as now I want to know more. In the authors notes Bischoff also mentions how she is a long time fan and I love the fact that she took something she enjoyed and reworked it to create this feminist thought provoking and twisty tale she gave us in Sweet Fury. Overall I was simply blown away and at the edge of my seat with this debut thriller. I look forward to future works by Bischoff as I definitely see this one being a huge success.
If you are a fan of twisty feminist driven thrillers that mix Silent Patient vibes with Hollywood life then you have got to check this book out! Sweet Fury comes out January 7th,2025. Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sweet Fury is a great suspension filled thriller that have twists you'll never see coming. It blurs the line between reality and performance, between power, misogyny , justice and identity.

Sweet Fury by Sash Bischoff ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Rich people behaving badly summed this one up. Full of manipulation and suspense, I kept reading to see how all the pieces would fit together. It did all come together in the end, albeit a bit predictably.

I enjoyed the ode to Fitzgerald and his works (not just Gatsby). I also appreciated the film industry lens and the focus on female strength and resilience. I found the therapist lens also successful but I think that’s where it got predictable for me.

If you are looking for an entertaining, surface-level read, check this one out. Fans of books with unlikable characters, rich people behaving badly, and the film industry will enjoy this one.

Thank you to the publishers for emailing me an early copy of this book! This was one of those mystery/thriller type reads where at the end i'm asking myself "what did I just read?". This had a pretty compelling storyline, but the story took some odd turns. Towards the end I felt like this was kind of trying to be like The Silent Patient. I enjoyed that this was short, and entertaining. It was a good pallette cleanser and a good time.. But not anything that will stick with me.

Lila Crayne is America's sweetheart. She and her fiancé, Kurt Royall, have settled into apartment and are getting ready to begin filming their feminists adaptation of Fitzgerald's Tender Is the Night.. Lila starts working with a therapist as part of research for the role to dig into the trauma of her past. However, what appears at first to be a straightforward story about a toxic partner is actually anything but. Because in this story, nothing - and no one - are what they seem.

I had a tough time getting into the first part of the story. It was a bit slow at first. It didn't hook me until later. It was twisty and I didn't see what was coming.

A great feminist thriller with the Hollywood vibes. Looking forward to the next book by this debut author.

Thank you for NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this complimentary copy for my honest opinion.

5/5 stars

Thank you Simon & Schuster for the advanced reading copy!

I LOVED this book. First of all, the author narrated her own book, which is badass, AND she absolutely nailed it. Her storytelling added so much to her already-enticing words, and I could NOT put this down. This book was sooo twisty and surprising. I am not super well-versed in F. Scott Fitzgerald -- beyond Gatsby, of course -- but felt like the references to his work were well explained and didn't leave me feeling confused at all when coming in with little prior knowledge.

All of the characters were pretty f*cked up, which was incredibly fun to read; I was truly entertained form start to finish. I wanted to punch Jonah on multiple occasions, and pretty much had a love/hate relationship with each character at times. The story was atmospheric and dark, while listening to it felt almost cozy and enticing.

I already loved this book before I knew it was a debut novel, and that knowledge just increased Sash Bischoff's impressiveness ten-fold. Loved it, can't stop thinking about it! Would read/listen to anything else written and/or narrated by her in the future!

Attention literary thriller lovers!

Add this stunner to your 2025 TBR pronto!
@sash.bischoff’s debut is out JANUARY 7th and you’re gonna wanna read it.

I loved her writing and the story kept me on my toes the entire time. I love a book that builds and builds to an intense, twisty end and this one certainly delivered. Pick it up if you love F. Scott Fitzgerald, the film industry, epistolary elements, and female rage!

CW: sexual assault/coercion

Thank you @netgalley and @simonandschuster for the ARC!