This was a very fun, fresh take on a serial-killer-story. I loved it! I felt that parts read a bit like a debut novel, but I will be very eager to see what Mia Ballard does next.

Wow this was a WILD story!! This had me hooked from the very first page!!! I honestly cannot believe this is the authors debut novel! I can’t wait to see what else this author writes because this was a fantastic story!! It did get a little long & descriptive at times but the overall story made it super easy to overlook that! The twists and that ending?! Freaking amazing!! I was addicted & honestly could not put this down!

If you’re looking for an amazing thriller that will have you addicted from the very first page about a female serial killer, then this is the story for you!! I look forward to more thrillers by this author now!

I am not really sure what I was expecting with this one but it was kind of all over the place for me, and I am still collecting my thoughts, but I don't think it was really for me. I almost dnf'd a few times!

This read was unhinged in the best possible way - I love a good twisty psychological thriller. Love, betrayal, murder, and witchcraft?! What more could you ask for?

I will always support a book about women's wrongs! Satara is the kind of character who whilst being absolutely unhinged I was still rooting for throughout and really felt that her reasonings were justified, in most cases. I enjoyed the multiple timelines and the way Satara's inner monologue was written. It kept me engaged and wanting to know what happened next. I started this around Halloween for some creepy vibes and it definitely delivered, some of the descriptions of the murders and decomposing bodies had me cringing! It was not what I was expecting, but what I got I really enjoyed. I'll definitely be reading more of Mia Ballard.

After reading bunny I didnt think I could find something more unhinged, Sugar is the perfect amalgamation of female rage & empowerment, spooky vibes and rooting for the villain you could find in a read, loved it!

This was a fun psychological read, immersive and twisty and just unhinged and I absolutely love a good delusion, revenge and RAGE. Feminine rage the musical in book form

I wanted so badly for our main character to come out on top despite the fact that she was a murderer. 🙃😅 This one grabbed me from the beginning and I couldn’t put it down until it was done and wanted more. I love a good rage story and this had plenty. The multiple timelines worked for me and I enjoyed each timeline’s story. Sugar was deranged, feminist, psychological horror and it was done perfectly. I’m super surprised this was a debut, and I cannot wait to read whatever Mia Ballard writes next.

Mia Ballard's debut novel, Sugar, delivers a thrilling ride through the twisted mind of Satara Stratton, a biracial woman living in 1970s suburbia. After discovering her husband's affair with her best friend, Satara embarks on a dark and exhilarating journey fueled by rage, revenge, and a touch of witchcraft. The narrative is engaging from the outset, with a propulsive pace that keeps readers glued to the pages.

This book was wild. If you want a propulsive story with an unlikeable FMC where anything goes, George R.R. Martin style (without the politics), pick this up. I could not predict where this was going. I liked how the story started near the end and then the author retrospectively revealed how the MC came to be there. All is not as it seems with this one. The twist at the end blew me away and I thought it was very satisfying. I also found this to be the perfect ratio or character driven to plot driven. This book was a great time!

My only critique is that there may have been TOO many twists & turns which can sometimes make it more difficult to latch on or become fully invested. It also wasn’t a literary masterpiece but sometimes you just need a good time!

Overall, I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from Ballard in the future!

Quickly draws you in and continues to keep you on high alert. It reads very fast-paced in the best of ways. I could barely look up, but when I did, I’d have to remember where I was and what I was doing - that’s how much the story embodies and envelopes you. The way it is written is divine, in my humble opinion. I love that you think you know the likely outcome but you desperately need to know the unfolding- which for me, is often more important in life in general. Life is a constant, not-always-predictable unfolding. However, I truly loved learning that I did not at all know the outcome and didn’t see it coming! Standing Ovation on this one!

This was such a wild ride. I liked following Satara's point of view as she was such a compelling character. She felt really rich and written really well. The action was done well and I was hooked throughout. The ending was not expecting but it's not like I found it awful. I just thought it might go in a different direction. I would highly recommend this book if you like flawed women being unhinged.

Satara seemed to have a nice suburban life but when she realizes her husband is having an affair things start going downhill. Thinking she can move on with her life she gets in touch with a Love Witch from one of the members of her book club and in a whirlwind of drugs, death, and lust we have a twisty tale of a girl just trying to find someone to love her.

The cover, description, and plot hooked me, and I can't wait to read more of Mia Ballard!

Thank you, NetGalley, Galaxy Press, and Victory Editing for this eArc!
#NetGalley #Sugar

Sugar by Mia Ballard was an absolute ride from start to finish. I do not know what I was expecting, but this catapulted me into a world that was dark, enticing and a very powerful lead character.

Main character Satara has found out that her husband has been cheating on her and to say she is angry is a big understatement.

Set in the 1970s, Sugar is a brilliant read and we learn about her backstory and how this shaped her into the woman that she is.

Fabulously written by Mia Ballard this novel will be in one of my top 5 reads for 2024.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I went into Sugar not knowing what to expect but following Satara's story was a wild and enjoyable journey that I was captivated by. I felt that the blend of the self confessional style of writing combined with the discussions on injustices that women face all tied up in a female serial killer package was really well done.

I think my only drawback was the ending where I felt like it was a little weaker in the big reveal but that didn't stop me from really enjoying the rollercoaster that the book took me on!

The narrative is really tense. We enter this story at the moment when the protagonist decides to take action after realizing her husband is having an affair with her best friend. When he disappears, the best friend—who is unaware that the main character is aware of the affair—becomes increasingly concerned and begins to look into it, posing queries and creating issues. We follow the protagonist as she tries to hide her actions while obtaining what she desires from other people. As we watch to see if she gets caught or gets away with it, we are in her wake.

"I wasn't a murderer—I was just a woman wronged."

Satara discovers that her husband, Dean, is cheating on her with her best friend. She decides to deal with it by taking him to bed… and stabbing him! Satara is unfazed, and her life continues as usual between baking, book club and lusting after her office crush. The rest of the world isn't as quick to move on, though. We follow Satara as she works to avoid being caught and reflects on the events — the wrongs, bloodshed, obsessions — in her life that shaped her into the woman she is today.

Satara is the perfect mix of both iconic and absolutely insane — and she knows it. That knowledge makes the story even more compelling, combined with author Mia Ballard's visceral writing and an intoxicating aura reminiscent of the film "The Love Witch. She thrives in this messy and dark space she's trapped in and remains relatable with her desperate need for love despite this. It's easy to find yourself rooting for Satara along the way.

"This is how I viewed love: not just as the most important thing, but as the singular narrative thread weaving through the tapestry of my life. It was a strange, almost clinical obsession, a need to have my identity mirrored and validated by the man who occupied my thoughts. When I looked at a photo of myself, I could pinpoint exactly which man had been the center of my universe at that moment. Each captured smile, each distant gaze was a timestamp of obsession . . . Their ghosts lived on in the most mundane details of my life—a favorite perfume, a song on the radio, the way I styled my hair. My lovers, those lost obsessions, were etched into every aspect of my being, haunting my steps, my choices, my very breath."
Unfortunately, the last portion of the book becomes something else entirely. Mia Ballard's gorgeous writing gets lost in the sudden barrage of twists. The story becomes something else too far along in the plot for these new "twists" to be perceived as anything other than sudden and completely unnecessary. It almost felt like the publisher or editor demanded that every loose end be tied up, leaving the last portion feeling like something entirely different.

That aside, "Sugar" is a well-deserved addition to the list of Unhinged/Female Rage books. It's easily found a place amongst my top books of 2024.

Thanks to the author, NetGalley and Galaxy Press for the advance copy in exchange for my review.

An energetic and entertaining slasher punk thriller for women with a great killer girlie MC. Fun, wild and just slightly outside the realms of probability. Great stuff.

When Satara discovers her husband’s affair with her best friend, she plots revenge, and not for the first time. What follows is a twisted tale of rage, getting wilder with every page, with murder, witchcraft and turns you don’t see coming.

I loved how unique this was, mixing elements of psychological thriller and literary fiction, and very much focusing on supporting women’s wrongs which I’m always here for. Satara as a character was incredibly compelling, and I like that we got to find out about how her past experiences had affected her, with insightful commentary on sexism in the sixties/seventies.

A wild and gory ride that quickly spirals out of control. I’ll definitely be looking out for more by this author!

*I received a free e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Sugar, by Mia Ballard, follows Satara Stratton, a biracial serial killer who targets men that have wronged her. Set in 1970 suburbia, Satara stops at nothing to get what she wants while keeping her secret from spilling all over the neighborhood. Obsessed with finding love, Satara seeks the help of a witch that will bend her targets to her will.

This is one of those books I COULD NOT put down. Satara is completely unhinged and if you’ve been following my booksta, you know that is 100% my jam. I also enjoyed Ballard’s use of language; I think she is talented and knows how to expertly engage the reader. My only issue is the twist at the climax of the story. I won’t spoil it but it’s not what I expected and not in a good way, but overall I enjoyed it very much and will continue to read what Mia Ballard published in the future.