Broad's storytelling is both engaging and thought-provoking, making Greenwich a book worth reading. It's a bit indulgent (but isn't that why we read about the lives of others?)

The first part of the book drew me in as the author did a great job of setting the scene and building tension. As the book progressed, I felt less invested in the narrator’s struggles, which began to feel self-indulgent. Ultimately, I would have liked to see more growth from the protagonist and/or have had another character’s POV to relate to.

A look at privilege from the outside in. There's a sense of isolation in this book that tells the story of a niece sent to live with her wealthy family in Greenwich. The story is heavily foreshadowed that something terrible occurred which casts a shadow of dread over the whole book. The author seats us firmly in the main character showing us her curiosity and confusion and deepening her sense of trespass over time. A very atmospheric and quick read.

I think the book was well written but definitely not a stand out for me. Definitely a quick easy read!


Thanks to NetGallery and St. Martin's Press for this arc

What a ride! This book is a mix of wealth, privilege, and regret served lukewarm in a Greenwich mansion circa 1999. This isn’t the summer of love, it’s the summer of yearning and bad decisions.

Think White Lotus energy without the murder, crossed with the muted sadness of Call Me by Your Name, but swap peaches for pearl necklaces and unresolved trauma.

Rachel Fiske spends the summer of 1999 in her aunt and uncle’s Greenwich mansion, suffocated by secrets she can’t quite understand and a family she doesn’t fit into. There’s a babysitter, Claudia, who’s both a lifeline and an obsession, and the tragic accident that sends everything spiraling. But let’s be clear: this isn’t about what happens. It’s about what doesn’t—what’s left unsaid, unprocessed, and unresolved.

This book isn’t here to thrill you. There’s no big twist, no gasp-out-loud moment—it’s more like walking into a room full of ghosts and realizing they’re all versions of yourself.

This book is a quiet excavation of shame. It’s about how privilege protects, how guilt festers, and how self-sabotage becomes a survival skill when you’re raised in the shadow of neglect. Rachel’s upbringing—a sick sibling stealing all the attention—sets her up to seek connection in all the wrong places. There’s a low hum of compulsory heterosexuality in her fixation on Claudia, a kind of yearning that’s more about identity than romance.

Why It Wasn’t Five Stars:

1. The Description Doesn’t Fit: The marketing around this book does it a disservice. If you’re expecting high drama and shocking secrets, you’re not going to find it here. And that’s not a bad thing—it’s just not Greenwich. This book feels more like Family Trust by Kathy Wang or even Cheer Up, Mr. Widdicombe than anything remotely Moriarty-esque.

2. Missed Opportunities: While the book is rich with introspection, it skirts some of its juiciest themes. Rachel’s queerness feels more implied than explored, and the dynamics of her family (especially growing up as the overshadowed sibling of a sick child) are compelling but not fully developed.

3. Character Growth (or Lack Thereof): Rachel isn’t self-aware, and while that’s clearly intentional, it makes for a frustrating reading experience at times. By the end of the book, she’s technically grown—becoming a trauma surgeon is no small feat—but emotionally, she’s still caught in the same loops of shame and self-doubt.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader’s copy. Greenwich publishes on July 22, 2025, and I’m so glad I got to read it early!

I want to thank St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review the novel Greenwich by author Kate Broad.
Rachel tells her story.
“It was just an accident.”
“Maybe anything could become true once you decided there was no other way.”
“- - were you ever close to someone, really close to them if it tuned out you’d never known them at all.”
Rachel is a senior in high school. She’s 17 years old. Her sister is sick and her parents send her to her aunt and uncles for the summer. There is a nanny but it is expected that Rachel will help out with her cousin. Living there is not all she expected!
And then the reader waits! What happens? And to whom? And how is it resolved?
You’ll have trouble putting this one down!
Greenwich is Kate Broad’s first novel. It is scheduled for publication in July 2025

Summer of 1999 Rachel goes to stay with her aunt and uncle in Greenwich, Connecticut. 17, Rachel is thankful to escape troubles back home but feels lonely and isolated at Greenwich. Her only solace is their nanny, Claudia, who watches Rachel’s niece. When tragedy strikes the family turns against Claudia and Rachel is stick in between.

It took a bit for this one to pick up for me. The first half is slow going but you know tragedy is about to strike so you dread turning the pages. About halfway it picks up, especially once the court room scenes start. You really need to sit with this one and read it closely. It’s not a fast paced suspense that can be sped through; there’s a lot of intent and purpose behind it.

“Maybe anything could become true once you decided there was no other way.”

Greenwich comes out 7/22.

Quick and easy read, showcasing a beautiful moneyed setting in Greenwich Connecticut. The main character, Rachel, is struggling with her identity as a teenager and wishes to escape her current reality, so she convinces her mother to allow her to spend the summer with her aunt. What unfolds after that is not something anyone could have predicted, but could they have prevented? Perhaps.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own

This book really captured and held my attention right away! Even when things in the story seemed to be going just fine I felt a sense of “something” coming at all times. The writing style was excellent, I was very surprised this is the author’s first novel. Definitely give it a read.

GREENWICH is such an engaging and suspenseful read. I especially enjoyed how the author would drop these teasers, mentioning the future trial so that we wonder what happens and how we get there. However, I would not say that it's fast-paced; honestly, it could have been shorter. Some of the college parts could easily have been trimmed and the story would have been stronger. The other thing to mention is that if you are looking for a redemptive narrative, it's not here. There's a definite ick factor in terms of none of the characters being likable. Rachel is a pretty awful protagonist, even if we make some excuses for her youth. Nonetheless I'll admit this is a very gripping novel that's hard to put down. Recommended for fans of Kiley Reid and Rachel Kapelke Dale.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

This was a strong debut novel, it had that element that I was hoping for and enjoyed from the description. The characters worked overall with this story and thought they were realistic. Kate Broad has a strong writing style and left me wanting to read more.

This is a very timely novel, about guilt and wealth, and those caught in the web. Rachel comes to visit her wealthy relatives and becomes involved with their nanny, Claudia. The novel centers around the accident which is life changing. Rachel is forced to walk a fine line and protect her family, wealth and reputation, while Claudia is left with the burden of victimhood.

I enjoyed this very well written novel. The author provided an excellent sense of closure for me.

I thank Netgalley for this ARC.

In 1999, Rachel Fiske is on the cusp of leaving for Swarthmore, ready to start her college journey. But with her family consumed by her younger sister’s illness and her once-close friends icing her out, Rachel jumps at the chance to escape to Connecticut to help her glamorous aunt care for her three-year-old cousin, Sabine.

Upon arrival, Rachel is drawn into a world of wealth and tension, one where her aunt and uncle’s marriage shows cracks beneath the shiny veneer of privilege. But what truly captivates Rachel is Claudia, Sabine’s live-in babysitter. Still reeling from the pain of her friends' betrayal, Rachel is thrilled when Claudia befriends her, offering the kind of connection she’s been missing. As their bond deepens, Rachel finds herself both fascinated and bewildered by Claudia.

Through Rachel’s eyes, we glimpse the unspoken tensions simmering within the household—the subtle manipulations, the secrets, and the simmering rivalries between her aunt and uncle. Broad weaves in themes of race and class, skillfully portraying the complexities of privilege, envy, and ambition within the family’s wealthy Connecticut community.

From the outset, we’re aware that a tragedy will shatter this delicate balance, adding a layer of tension and suspense as we watch Rachel navigate her way through this world of power plays and veiled threats. Broad’s storytelling keeps us guessing: What will Rachel do in the face of this tragedy? How will it change her? The answers are both surprising and thought-provoking.

This novel is a compelling exploration of family, friendship, and the quiet dramas that unfold behind closed doors.
#stmartinspress #greenwich #katebroad

After being on the outs with her high school friends from Cambridge, Rachel moves to Greenwich to live with her aunt, uncle, 3 year old cousin and the summer nanny. Rachel believes that the nanny wants to be her friend, but she will later learn that the nanny, Claudia, is being paid to also supervise her.

Ms. Broad superbly describes Rachel's life in Greenwich, and the day to day decisions that Rachel needs to make. After a weekend in Block Island where Rachel believes that she and Claudia have become close, tragedy strikes the family with the death of Sabine, Rachel's 3 year old cousin. But who is responsible for her death? Is it Claudia or is it Ellen, Rachel's aunt, who was in the house when Sabine died?

A great novel with a wonderful plot. Many important topics are not discussed but inferred.

this was a quick read, reminiscent of "yellowface" and "while we were burning." similar type of main character to yellowface but not as easy to follow her thought process and motivations. i wasn't a huge fan of the foreshadowing present from the first chapter where the narrating character (Rachel) would jump to her thoughts on the events years down the line. pretty solid ending though after the main event.

thanks netgalley and st martins press.

I'll admit I could have done without the near-constant foreshadowing of doom. You realise early on there is no way these people can be in the same space without something dramatically awful happening eventually, so let's not dwell on it, you know? That said, it won a whole star back for that sneaky ending.

Greenwich is a coming of age novel set in the affluent suburb of Greenwich, CT. Rachel asks to spend the summer there ostensibly to take care of her aunt who is recovering from a fall. The real reason is that Rachel is trying to escape her own life, dominated by friend troubles, before she leaves for college in the fall. She is pleasantly surprised to be welcomed with open arms by Claudia, the nanny employed to take care of three year old Sabine. In Claudia, Rachel finds the easy friendship she has been craving. We soon understand that the relationship she is craving is actually much more than just friendship. Early on, we understand that a terrible tragedy has occurred and the unfolding story provides intrigue throughout the book. This is an engaging story and I enjoyed getting to know Rachel and Claudia, not to mention Rachel's aunt and uncle. All have struggles that lead to their actions that summer. The story culminates with a struggle for Rachel between family loyalty and doing the right thing. I highly recommend!!

I fell fast at this story! Broad's creative story telling abilities drew me in and I couldn't put this book down. I thought I knew a lot about rich communities in Connecticut, but there was a lot more to uncover, and Broad does just that with Greenwich. I look forward to more books from her. Excellent writing and characters that are intriguing.

This was a pretty intense family story.. Recent HS grad Rachel goes to visit her Aunt and Uncle for the summer--her Aunt is recovering from something (I don't think it is explicitly named, but it involves her back) and Rachel is to keep her company and help out if necessary with the couple's young daughter Sabine. We know from the start that something bad happens that summer but as we read on there's so much darkness in that house and Rachel has to try to figure out how to deal with it all--with the help of Sabine's nanny, Claudia. I could not stop reading this book. It toucnes on themes of money, power, corruption, race, family loyalty--so interesting.

Rachel is spending the summer with her aunt and uncle in Greenwich. Her cousin has a live-in babysitter Claudia who Rachel wants to be friends with. But then a tragic accident occurs and the family turns on Claudia. Rachel is the only one who knows what really happened and she has to decide what to do.... I do not want to give too much away. The story was well written and I liked how privilege/wealth was handled. This book could have been shorter since the accident happens much earlier in the book but I still felt like it was different than other books I have read. I give this a 3.5.