As a 30-something middle-ish-class woman, I have been approached by a lot of MLMers through the years, and even joined a few (for the discount, of course). Essential oils, beauty products, 'adult' things, jewelry, children's books, and even packaged food and mixes. I know how they operate. I know the jargon they use and the sickly positive vibes they project like the batman spotlight for encouragement and motivation...and damn, if this book did not capture that vibe perfectly.

Vicky is a high ranking Puremetics consultant looking for the next great team member to recruit and push her up over the next line of promotion in her business. She is currently the fastest growing upper tier star of the company and wants to keep up the momentum. When she meets Anna, a new member of their community, she pounces on the opportunity to get her (and her contacts back in Oregon) in her downline. But a mistaken address leads Anna to a different sort of meeting that will change the course of both their lives. Instead of a spy-day style girl's night to sample Puremetics products, Anna has stumbled upon one full of anti-MLMers looking to take down the beast that is Puremetics and its enigmatic leader.

This is a scathing commentary on MLM pyramid scheme style direct-sales marketing companies and the way they prey on the vulnerable (women, mostly, but really any and everyone new consultants can convince to join). While the book does not mention any real MLM companies (except a brief reference to the OG Avon) and is perhaps a caricature of some of their most despicable practices & of those who lead companies like these, it certainly takes a stance against them.

Religion is another rampant theme. Vicky's husband's career is in the Mormon church, and her family has always been devout in that religion (yep-it's set in Utah, how'd you guess?). I'm not sure if it was a critique of this religion in particular, or stringent religious beliefs which encourage deep life-long guilt for making very human mistakes, and sometimes simply being who you are in general. Either way, the issues are characterized well within the plot of the novel, driving character decisions and living rent free in the character's heads. There may also be a nod to scientology mixed in there somewhere that I didn't miss (but seriously, where are you Shelly Miscavige?!).

The perspective shifts between a few characters to show many aspects of the issues. There is the diehard 'business owner' Puremetics consultant, an anti-MLM hero with a personal vendetta, and a normal-ass chica with her own problems who gets swept up in all of it. The 'mission' to take them down gives the novel clear focus and makes it so compelling.

I don't watch a lot of reality tv myself, but I imagine fans of it would eat this novel up. It's got suburban drama with a side of Stepford going on. I loved it, I think you will too.

This was a fun novel bringing out the ridiculous aspects of MLM, friendships, and religion. It's silly, fiction, but obviously based on reality. I loved it, smiled a lot, and loved the lighthearted way the author talks about this subject. Bravo!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I’m afraid this was an extremely rare DNF for me as I just couldn’t get on with the narrator. Giving it 3 stars as I feel it’s “not you, it’s me”. Maybe I’ll give the non-audio version a try.

This is book is hard to put down (or in my case the audiobook is hard to pause). The plot keeps you engaged.

Victoria Sterling is an influencer, mom, wife and needs another recruit to reach the top in an MLM company.
She finds Anna Price, that is new in town and seems a good fit. But the plot thickens when Anna is recruited by a team of activists that want to take down the MLM company.

I do not have much information about MLM companies,
but from what I know, the minority get rich on the majority’s work. And most of them get stuck with merchandising and debt.

My favorite part of the story is Vicky’s development as a character and the way those ladys worked together. You have a story about family, friendship and corruption.

Thank you Netgalley and Strong Stories for an advance copy of the audiobook. This is my honest opinion.

The book is narated by the autor who did a good job.
I have to check out her other books.

As someone who has no first hand knowledge of MLM or the condition of women in religious Utah, I found the setting of this story quite frightening.
But I really liked this book. The story is interesting and very entertaining, the characters are fully developed and show a lot of heart, and it is darkly funny at times.
The narration of the audiobook by the author herself was great.
It also played on of some of my favourite tropes of old women spreading chaos, women supporting women and found family.
I had a great time and would gladly recommend it.

This was a sneak peak into the wild, crazy and messed up world of MLMs at it's best! Set in Utah, this book gives us a glimpse into both the Mormon lifestyle and MLMs all at once and I was there for it. Right from the beginning I was sucked in by the story and the characters were all so well-developed making for an engaging and fun experience all the way around. The way this one ended was perfect too!

The narration of the audio version was exceptional. I don't often say that there's a book I'd read again - but this one would be on that list. I definitely recommend putting it on your TBR. You're in for drama, humor, suspense and even a touch of romance - it's got it all. Check it out!!!

This was a very fun read. Vicky Sterling is just one recruit away from hitting her goal in her MLM (multi-level marketing) Puremetics business. But when her recruit target - Anna Price is befriended by the OWLS, (an underground activist group of old ladies) Anna is talked into becoming a mole to infiltrate Vicky's Purmetics group and bring down what is in reality a pyramid scheme. The head of Puremetics, Christian White is as sleazy as they come and has hurt many women with his ponzi schemes in the past. The OWLS are out to get him any way they can. The fact that these women were mostly Mormon and very devout threw an extra layer into the mix. Mormon pyramid schemes, who would have thought! I really liked the way that all the characters grew in one way or another and became more inclusive and open minded by the end. There is a lot of humor and heart to this book, really a lot of fun. The author Robin Strong narrated the audio version of the book I listened to and she did a wonderful job. Highly recommended. 4.5 stars.
Many thanks to Net Galley and Strong Stories, LLC for a chance to listen to an audio version of this entertaining novel. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Audio ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for allowing me a copy of this audio book in return for an honest review.

Mormon mum Victoria Sterling needs one more recruit to level up in Puremetics, the MLM business she is succeeding in. A chance meeting at the supermarket introduces her to Anna Price, a single mother who has just moved into the area. When Anna turns up at the wrong address she finds herself being talked into becoming a mole to bring down Puremetics by a group of elderly social justice warriors.

Robin Strong narrated her novel, and did an excellent job at giving each of the characters their own voices. I did find the narration a little slow and noticed a couple of fumbles but when I sped it up to 1.5x this wasn’t a problem.

What I liked: This was a fun book, the plot twisted around and kept me interested. The primary and secondary characters were all realistic and I found myself at times fuming at certain behaviours, a sure sign I’m invested in a story.

What didn’t work for me: I have no major complaints, some things I saw coming but there were no notable flaws in the story. It’s just another case of not meeting my personal spark factor that would net this as a 5 star review.

Final thoughts: A cleverly spun tale set in the world of Mummy bloggers and MLM schemes.

Who would enjoy this: Fans of contemporary fiction.

Review to be posted on Instagram 14.09.2024 at 19:00PM: @jordieslittlelibrary

Good book! This is an easy read and kept me hooked. It’s the first time I’ve come across this plot with MLMs and it was a great mix of lightheartedness whilst still having an enjoyable serious aspect.
I highly recommend this if you’re looking for a nice comfort read! I hope you enjoy this as much as I did! Following all the twists and turns was so much fun!

Listened to this during a trip away and it was well suited and not too heavy, it made me laugh aswell as keeping me hooked. Liked the character development. Also the cover art made me look twice which is a good thing as it will hook in potential readers or listeners. Will look for more from this author

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced audio edition of Splendid Little Schemes by Robin Strong.

Ummm, you're telling me that you've written a book about a bunch of MLM's in Mormonland Utah, and a group of women conspires to bring the pyramid scheme down from the inside? Sign me right up!

This book was so silly, and I loved it. There's a ton of LDS culture and vernacular, and if you're sensitive to the less savory aspects of them being exposed, approach with caution. But listen, there's a reason that Utah is known as the scam capital of the country, and I think it's okay to acknowledge why.

The story primarily revolves around Victoria, a high ranking seller of her MLM that specializes in par-quality skin care, and Anna, a fresh fish that just moved to Utah and desperate for friends. Victoria will stop at nothing to recruit Anna to her company, but what she doesn't know is that Anna has already been caught. The OWLs, another group of ladies have employed Anna to join the MLM in order to expose the predator who runs it. The scandal runs deep, and hands get very dirty, and people might even be disappearing...

Campy, fun, kind of goofy. It doesn't take itself too seriously, but also, if you've lived through the Mormom MLM boom of the last few decades, you GET IT.

I enjoyed listening to Splendid Little Schemes, written and read by Robin Strong.

The story is about a group of women, who want to expose the owner of the pyramid selling company Puremetics as a fraud with the help of Anna who was signed up by Vicky. Vicky is an ambitious high ranking Puremetics executive who lives the perfect Mormon life.
I found it very interesting how the religious beliefs and blind trust in a company affected some of the characters in the book.
It only took me a few days to complete the book as I was hooked and wanted to know how it ended. I did, several twists and turns later.

This audiobook is well worth a listen to.

Splendid Little Schemes written and read by Robin Strong is a fun listen. The story touches on both lighthearted and heavier topics and kept me entertained the entire time. The story also gave me a lot to think about - both the Mormon religion/culture and MLMs. Have you ever been to an MLM party? You might want to check this bad boy out.

There was a lot to like about this book. The three main characters and their unique lives and problems and how their story intertwined was quite entertaining. I think I listened to this one in 2 days. This is a good one to read while sitting by a pool, possibly sipping on a fro-fro drink or iced coffee (gasp!).

Thank you to NetGalley and Strong Stories, LLC for this advance audio copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to Strong Stories LLC, the author and NetGalley for the eARC!

I sometimes have a hard time with audiobooks, but I loved the author’s narration of this story - although I did listen at 1.5 speed.

The author really had a good handle on the MLM world and appeared to have an understanding of the Mormon lifestyle. There are 3 main characters whose lives are intertwined and the author does a great job of keeping each story line interesting and fast paced.

This was a really good story. As most of us have at least some experience with MLMs, whether you’ve been asked to participate in a “party”, join one or have actually worked with one, this is something most of us can relate to even if it’s just on the surface. I definitely recommend this book, although there are some trigger warnings- DV and SA, but nothing graphic or too detailed. Overall I loved it!

Splendid Little Schemes by Robin Strong follows the lives of three woman effected by a MLM company in various ways. It was a compulsive read, especially if you have ever been preyed through "Hey Hun" cold messages or the false promises of 6 figures if you just invest in XYZ company and get real comfortable hearing the word "no". Though fiction, there is a lot of familiarity in the way these operations work and I would love to meet some OWLs in real life. Humorous, with a bit of heavy relationship challenges (TW: domestic abuse and sexual harassment ) intertwining the three women's lives. You'll root for the underdogs and keep listening/turning the pages to see if they will succeed in their takedown attempt.

Thank you to Netgalley and Victory for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to Strong Stories LLC, the author and NetGalley for the eARC!

I tore through this book in just two days - I was popping my earbuds in to listen any time I had the chance!

It was clear from the onset that the author really knows her stuff; Strong is well-versed in all things MLM and is fluent in Mormon-ese. The reader is immediately immersed in Vicky’s world and will be furious at the blaring injustices before we even meet Anna, who is both the target of Vicky’s scheming and the game changer. Come ready to get angry and then have your heart melt a few times over! This was just the white collar thriller I was looking for. 4.5 stars rounded up for exceeding my expectations of the book’s premise/genre.

Per publisher request:

You can find my review for this book on Goodreads now (linked) or on Instagram @rockingchairreflections on the “mom” Story Highlight — scheduled to post on 10/9 ahead of publication date

A splendid contemporary novel set in suburban Utah. There were no reviews yet, but I’m glad I decided to take a chance on this novel skewering multi-level marketing schemes and devout Mormons, two subjects that need bright lights trained upon them. It’s also about secrets and the lies we tell ourselves. Most important, it’s about female empowerment, and how none of us has to go it alone. The overall tale has a predictable but entertaining storyline and satisfying ending. A fun read with some character growth. The author does a good job narrating it. 3.6 rounded up.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for early access to #SplendidLittleSchemes for review purposes.

I feel absolutely terrible saying this, and I truly don't think it's the Robin Strong's fault - it's a "me" thing... But I can't stand her narration. I tried to put it aside and finish this anyway, but I kept finding myself completely tuned out because she annoyed me.

I seriously feel SO bad saying this, but pride myself on being honest in these reviews. Especially if I can't get all the way through this; Since I gave it 3+ strong efforts though, I've decided to post my opinions here so the publisher and/or author knows why I'm not rating/reviewing this publicly.