Round up to 3.5/5
This story works well for its time settings of the 1970s and occasionally we reach back in to the 50s for some character build. The remembered social place of a woman has examples shown through work status, men vs. women in a work setting and one of the main character’s friends.

This story is so unhinged with the feminine rage. I have mixed feelings as a woman reading this story about a woman and what she does, more importantly why she does what she does. Satara is a woman with a tough history. Her first experience with sex is bad, traumatizing. Her followed experiences left me with mixed emotions as far as the mc was concerned and how she dealt with them. Let’s just say if the goal was to make the mc unforgivable, then she succeeded. I don’t condone the actions of the men, not by a long shot, but maybe if Satara just laid off the acid, she’d seen things more clearly. I know, self medicating. The journey is definitely thought provoking and the story delivery is quite wonderful, especially for a debut!

As the reader, I sensed early on that there was something beyond unsettling about Satara, and she made me feel uneasy to the point of complete mistrust during the entire book. There are some eventual twists. Maybe it would have been better to know earlier as the reader, it it would have been difficult with the story being in first person. The book name is revealed during the read, which will be another nod to the 1970s period. Pretty clever, I thought.

…, each dalliance a withdrawal from the bank of my patience, until now, when I’m overdrawn and bankrupt of fucks to give. 2%

I’m sure she must think I’m crazy, but what matters most to me is that she doesn’t show it. 8%

I oftentimes think about digging him up just to see him again. 11%

Correction: I’ve gotten revenge on a few people. That’s all. Murder sounds too serious for what I’ve done. 27%

“Repent to me, you idiot. I’m the one holding you at knife point. I am your god right now.” 38%

If she’s going to paint me a villain, I’ll be damned if I don’t dip her in the same ink. 53%

In my head, I marked each chapter of my life with the men I had loved, as if they were bookmarks in the dog-eared novel of my existence. 57%

It turns out that once you step into darkness, it’s impossible to find the exit. 77%

I finished Sugar this morning. I never write reviews immediately after finishing a book, but wow.
You want a murdery, gory, satisfying read for October? This is it.
Sugar is the firsthand account of Satara Stratton and the trail of men who have disappointed her. She doesn't WANT to murder, no - she wants love. But Satara doesn't like when men promise love, take from her, then leave her behind. She won't be used, and she certainly won't let men continue to take and take and suffer no consequences. But Sugar takes place in the 50s through the 70s - there is no such thing as DNA evidence. No one is looking for her - or so she thinks.
Everything spins out of control when Satara kills her husband Dean and noisy neighbor Lilah won't stop meddling around.
Now we're dealing with a Love Witch, cops sniffing around, and Chris - the coworker Satara has set her sights on for husband number 2.
There were some twists that I thought were corny until... they weren't. Author Mia Ballard manages to make every wrench thrown at the story make complete sense. And the ending?
Oh so satisfying.
This is the debut novel of indie writer @galaxygrImia and it's fantastic. I highly recommend it for this spooky season!
Thank you to @galaxygrimia and @netgalley for the advance copy for my review.

When I saw this cover, I skimmed the synopsis and immediately hit Request. If you know me, you know I love some lady rage.

Satara hasn't killed in years, but then she discovers her husband's affair with her best friend. This triggers flashbacks of her past conquests and feelings of rage but also vulnerability. All Satara really wants is love, and she's willing to do all the wrong things to get it.

This could be a good fit if you enjoy:
- campy female rage & revenge stories
- unhinged behavior
- a splash of witchcraft

I'm glad I have friends with better entertainment-related vocabulary than me. When I started Sugar, I was immediately drawn in. Then it felt a little over-the-top, flirting with too unhinged. (Who am I even typing that? 😆) When a friend suggested it may be a "campy" novel, I changed my tune and leaned right in. That is a perfect word for it. Sugar is wild, violent, and unapologetic. I thought the ending was amazing.

Rating: I really liked it! (4.5 rounded up)

⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑
~
Okay this had me HOOKED 🤩
This was a fun psychological read (great for this time of year!) This book was compelling, immersing, twisted and captivating! The delusion, the rage, the revenge UGH!! This was such a good read highly recommend!!

Thanks to Netgalley and the author, Mia Ballard, for the ARC.

Incredible debut novel. It had me hooked. It is beautifully written with wonderful plot twists throughout. 10/10 recommend, I couldn’t put it down.
(4.5/5 stars because the version I had needed better editing - which is not on the author but the editor.)
I noticed multiple instances of mistakes within the editing. Sentences not beginning with capitalized letters, past and present tense in the same sentence, a characters’ name being used to speak when it was clearly not that character speaking. Because it is a debut novel, I think these things should be considered and fixed up before publishing so it has the best shot at reaching a great audience, it is such a beautifully written story! I have noted down all instances I saw and would be happy to let the publisher know if need be!

Mia Ballard wrote this beautifully. It was a fast-paced read that focused primarily on Satara's rage but also included book clubs, witchcraft, and so much more. I had so many thoughts about Satara from feeling that she was wronged by men to whom the heck takes this much acid. Overall, the author captures how unhinged Satara is with great detail. You're intrigued by her madness but also disgusted. I was hooked throughout the entire book and was not expecting all the twists. Thank you for the ARC through Netgelly!

This was WILD from. start to finish! I'll be honest I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I started reading this, I just thought the cover and title were absolutely stunning. Truly an amazing story, very captivating and kept me on my toes the entire time. I will say at times it felt a bit over dramatic but overall I did love it. The main character was very much giving Georgia Miller but if she was a psycho killer. I am definitely going to recommend this and I cant wait to go buy it because I still think the cover is beautiful.

GOOD GRAVY I loved this book🫰🏻🫰🏻🫰🏻 Satara is a wild ass bitch (respectfully) Just tripping on acid every day, baking cakes and kxlling people - no problem 🤙🏻 She is such an interesting character, I couldn’t wait to learn everything about her. This book was so much fun. Violence, love spells, and utter chaos. What more could you ask for? 💅🏻

I cannot believe this is a DEBUT NOVEL?! This book was phenomenal. I will have my eyes out for anything Ballard writes moving forward.

3.75/5

A fantastic, twisty and gripping tale of female rage that I had a blast with!

First of all, I loved Mia Ballard’s writing style - it was lush, had swagger and was full of character. I also really enjoyed unfolding the story of Satara/Sugar - the femme fatale at the heart of this tale. We see her murder her husband in the first chapter and then it all goes off from there.

What I especially loved about Satara was her coldness, her commitment to the cause. She was almost terminator-like at times, but also deeply cunning and convincing.

This story is more than just a kill fest though. We get love witches, revenge, a book club, a threesome (not at the book club sadly), cake, kissing, stalking and more…it’s plenty of fun.

Oh, and the twists! By the end I almost had whiplash from the way they were jerking me around. I did see some of them coming, but there were plenty that caught me out too.

The only thing that didn’t work for me was setting the main story in the 70s. I get why - no CCTV, no phones - but it wasn’t used enough, there were no details to tie it to that era. And it was confusing when we were in the ‘present day’ sections when those bits were actually in 1978. I got used to it after a while, but it felt a little clumsy.

Anyway, minor quibbles aside this was a romp and I can see it garnering a cult following. From that incredible cover through to its hell-hath-no-fury story, Sugar is certainly a sweet read!

This is out 29 October, thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the review copy!

First of all, I’d like to thank NetGalley, Mia Ballard and Victory Editing for providing me with an E-ARC of this book!

This book had me hooked from the start. The main character Satara, discovers her partner is having an affair and goes on a downward spiral, stuck between the past and present and discussing her various encounters with men over the years.

Satara is an entirely unlikeable character, which I adored as Ballard did not hold back at all when shaping her personality and motives throughout the story. I flew through this book; struggling to put the book down as I just had to know what happened next.

This book is full of feminine rage as well as witchcraft, making it the perfect book for those who love eccentric characters and unusual stories! It’s the perfect mix of crime and horror!

Sugar has a solid story at its core, but the writing style just didn’t work for me. It leaned heavily on similes and metaphors, which felt a bit overdone and slowed down the pacing. That said, the plot and characters were engaging (and I do love a good dose of female rage), but the flowery prose made it harder to fully connect with the story.

Wow! This book was a wild ride from literally the first sentence to the very last and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I finished.
From the beautiful, brutal writing to the unexpected turns the story took I was GRIPPED.
For my more in depth spoiler free review you can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyxHzyl0y3U

An unhinged dive into madness with a killer at the helm. Whoa! I wasn't quite ready for the chaos of this book. Satara will change everything you think you know about feminine revenge.

4.25⭐

"sugar" was a trippy ride i did not expect when going into this book—in a good way! i've read quite a few female rage revenge thrillers just this month alone, and they somehow always end with the anti-hero protagonists victorious against those who wronged them (however they got there). but satara stratton aka sugar gave us a villainous unhinged woman who is unapologetically so.
the narrative alternates between "present day" (actually the 1970s, which confused me at first) and her past killings, while satara loses control of the people around her and quickly descends into madness. the main twist is revealed almost at the very end chapter and at no point in the book could i guess what would happen next.

Sugar? A female serial killer? Say less. 🍰

This book was surprisingly better than what I thought it would be. The witchcraft mentioned in the synopsis threw me off a little, however during the story, it makes soooo much sense.

We rarely get any serial killer females, so this was a great read for me. There are a few trigger warnings listed in the beginning, so be sure to read them before you dig into this gory story.

Would read again and again! Loved the plot twists.

Huge thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for my honest review!

I stand for women’s rights AND women’s wrongs!

This book is my favorite read of the year so far. This has everything I have ever wanted in a book.
Feminine Rage? ✔️
Witch Craft? ✔️
Murder? ✔️

I picked up this book because of the cover. I mean come on! Look at it, it is absolutely amazing. Sultry and intriguing.
Then I read the blurb and knew that this book would be perfect for me. It has everything I want, and it DELIVERED.

In Sugar, we follow Satara, a 35 year old woman, in the 1970’s. We watch as she discovers her husband's infidelity with her best friend. We see as she exacts her revenge on him in the most dramatic of ways. As we move through the book, we see how Satara lives her life following her decisions of revenge against her husband, and how she has gotten to this point through the last two decades.

I loved the dual timelines of the book. It allowed us to see Satara in her life now, as well as what built her into the woman that she is now.
I loved the prose. This was a beautifully written horror novel.

I couldn’t get enough of this book. I read it in 3 days, and fell asleep reading it twice trying to read as much as possible!

I highly recommend this book if:
- You love feminine rage books
- You love women-centered horror
- You enjoyed American Psycho
- You enjoyed Jennifer’s Body

Thank you to Galaxy Books, Mia Ballard, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book! I squealed when I got the notification that I was approved for this book!!🩷

I was so excited to be approved to read this galley. Thank you to the publisher! I so enjoyed this novel and will be purchasing a physical copy for my library.

<b>Love, for all its beauty, is fragile. It can slip through your fingers or be buried under the lemon tree in your backyard</b>

This book brings out the perspective of a female serial killer who kills for love. It was fast-paced, funny, a bit creepy or <s>very creepy</s>. The story brings you back and forth revealing old and new criminal acts. I liked the aspect of witchcraft but the last visit of the MC, kinda had me questioning things.

So if you are looking for book with a badass female serial killer and a big plot twist, you might not suspect. A book that will show what women may do for love. Grab this baddy!

The author won me over with her debut, so madam I'm patiently waiting for your next work. Because your writing style is my jam!

Also not to forget, thank you so much netgalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this amazing 5-⭐ earc.

This book was amazing. I rarely give 5 star reads and this deserves all the stars. This story focuses on a serial killer in search of love and she will do anything to keep it. I loved how the story unfolded day after day and I was captivated from the killers perspective. Satara was my absolute favorite and I hope that doesn't make me sound crazy but she was so insane that I loved her character. She was so specific and detailed with her choices and rationalized stalking and killing. This book let me dive into the mind of Satara and see how passionate and methodical she was while seeking for a deep connection from anybody who she gravitated towards. Mia Ballard, congrats on the debut album and you will forever be on my reading list <3

“Sugar” is a psychological thriller that follows the life of 35-year-old Satara Stratton, who finds herself in a tumultuous situation after discovering her husband Dean’s affair with her best friend, Lilah. This betrayal plunges her into a familiar world of deceit and death, as she has previously disposed of men without consequence. The narrative explores Satara’s descent into chaos as she grapples with her emotions and the consequences of her actions.

The novel intricately weaves themes of love, betrayal, female empowerment, murder, and witchcraft against the backdrop of 1970s suburban chaos. It highlights systemic sexism during that era and showcases Satara’s fierce feminine energy as she defies societal norms in pursuit of autonomy and power.

“Sugar” provides a darkly compelling journey where desire intertwines with devastation. As Satara navigates through love and manipulation, the quest for affection becomes increasingly lethal.