Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Elizabeth Rose Quinn's “Follow Me” is a gripping and darkly entertaining thriller that delves into the murky world of social media influencers and the cult-like pressure cooker of motherhood. At the heart of the story are twin sisters Chiara and Adrienne, whose lives take dramatically different paths after Chiara goes missing following an influencer event. A year after her sister’s disappearance, Adrienne, determined to find out what happened, begins her own investigation, uncovering shocking secrets along the way. If you’re in the mood for a unique mystery that focuses on the dark sides of influencer culture and the expectations placed on mothers, you will definitely enjoy this book, though be aware that the last 25% of this book is absolutely unhinged (in a good way) and essentially becomes a slasher, which I was not expecting.

The book kicks off by alternating between Chiara’s experiences at the influencer event and Adrienne’s messy life, which includes drug use. Chiara, a relatable, overwhelmed mother, feels increasingly out of place among the artificial and extreme behaviors of the other "Mom Squad" influencers. These influencers seem to be part of a cult-like group, obsessed with maintaining their online personas to dangerous lengths. While the beginning is somewhat slow to start, as the story takes time to set up the characters and the twisted influencer world, it picks up momentum when Adrienne begins her investigation, which becomes the real driving force of the plot around the 20% mark.

The portrayal of social media’s dark side is one of the book’s highlights, exposing the pressures of curated perfection that often mask deeper issues. The influencer moms, while exaggerated (especially towards the end), are memorable in their portrayal of how far people will go for validation. The competitive, almost frenzied atmosphere among them feels both disturbing and believable, drawing attention to the psychological toll of living life for likes and shares.

Adrienne’s relationship with Bernice, one of the book’s more grounding elements, provides some emotional depth. Bernice acts as a voice of reason amidst the chaos, and their dynamic offers a brief respite from the unraveling madness. The story also occasionally shifts to the detective investigating Chiara’s disappearance, adding a procedural layer to the mystery. However, I did find myself wishing for more from this perspective, as it provides a fascinating contrast to the influencer world but is not explored as fully as it could have been. For example, having the detective investigating these different influencers.

As Adrienne digs deeper into the mystery of her sister’s disappearance, the tension escalates. The last quarter of the book is where things truly go off the rails—"Follow Me” morphs from a psychological thriller into something resembling a slasher movie, complete with wild twists and shocking reveals. The frenetic pace, while entertaining, may feel a bit over-the-top, especially with the Mom Squad characters becoming completely artificial archetypes of mom stereotypes and were extremely overexaggerated. The plot takes several unhinged turns, with the final showdown delivering a spectacle of violence and chaos that’s as thrilling as it is unrealistic. It’s a fun, fast-paced finale, but one that requires some suspension of disbelief.

While the ending is undeniably crazy, it manages to circle back to a satisfying conclusion. The book doesn’t shy away from exploring deeper issues like the pressure to be perfect, both in motherhood and online, as well as the dangers of unchecked social media influence.

“Follow Me” is an engaging read with plenty of twists to keep you hooked, even if some of the plot developments are predictable. Quinn’s writing flows smoothly, making it easy to devour in a few sittings. Despite the exaggerated nature of the influencer moms and the wild ride the book takes toward the end, the underlying themes about the pressures of perfection, motherhood, and social media obsession resonate. If you’re looking for a popcorn thriller with a unique angle on influencer culture and don’t mind a bit of craziness, “Follow Me” delivers a satisfying and entertaining ride.

I loved this book as it has so many things i like:: sketchy people, detectives, secrets, lies, and a secluded location! Chiara is excited to be going to a "mommy-influencer" retreat that will help new moms to rejuvenate and appreciate the role they are meant to assume. But the other women there are a little too "gung-ho" and willing to shout out the responses the leaders ask for. She doesn't "connect" with any of them and wonders why she even came. But when she doesn't return home, her husband worries; after a year he asks her sister, Adrienne to help. Once a drug user, Adrienne has cleaned up her act, but he's not convinced and hopes she can help. But what they discover is not like anything they imagined and may turn you away from anything you aren't sure is real!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Chiara goes missing from an influencer retracted so her sister, Adrienne, infiltrated the group pretending to be like them to attempt to find out what happened. It’s a good book, predictable in parts, I didn’t feel invested in the characters though!

enjoyed the book however some parts were very predictable, the reaction to two of the main characters being drug users was very realistic, the amount of times police fail to investigate as it’s put down to drugs is a lot.

I also enjoyed showing the dark side to social media and the influencer events, honestly the story could have been a true crime one and I wouldn’t have been shocked.

It was well written and flowed nicely which I appreciated as it made an easy read

In the past year or so I've noticed that the publishing industry has a new trend of books that center influencer culture. I love this book because so often we see beautiful influencers, living beautiful lives, with their beautiful families. We rarely get to peak behind the curtain and this book does a great job at showing the psychology and the reality of people who live their lives on camera. It can be dark at times because the author really goes there but it was so quick paced and enjoyable to read.

Her mind was a one-screen movie theater, the only film available was Final Destination: Baby Edition, and that horror show was playing on repeat." Follow Me: A Thriller Elizabeth Rose Quinn

Follow Me: A Thriller is about two twin sisters: Chiara and Adrienne. Chiara goes missing after going to an influencer event and after a year with no answers Adrienne goes on the search to find out what happened to her sister.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story telling in this book. We start the story with Chiara's point of view and then switch to Adrienne's as we get more and more into the mystery and detective work. Even when I figured out 'who done it', I was still invested with finding out the why and how and could not stop flipping the pages to see what would happen next.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Follow Me
By: Elizabeth Rose Quinn
Pub date: May 6, 2025
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Chiara has gone on a mom-influencer weekend and her husband encouraged her. Sadly, she comes up missing.
Her twin sister Adrienne is trying to find out what happened to her because the authorities have no clue even after a year.
I was never invested in these characters, so it was not one I would read again. The premise of this novel sounded good. I will still recommend reading this one.

Can mom rage and anxiety lead to murder? The majority of this book is amazing: it captures the joy and judgment, the stress and sisterhood in being a mother - all of which are compounded on social media. However, the end of the book becomes suddenly very different in tone, full of cheesy quips and too gleeful amidst gruesome death, only seeming to remember at the very end the tragedy of losing the heart of a family. I still found the book very engaging, and it raises important philosophical questions. The second-to-last part of the book just seemed to lose its way a bit before ending with a more satisfying conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the free eARC. This review contains my honest opinions. This review will be cross-posted to Goodreads and retail sites closer to publication.

Wow! Well that was dark and a bit crazy!! But I loved it!! It was like the stepford wives and crazy mommies combined! This book had great suspense, intriguing, action, plenty of gory murders, mystery, a crazy who done it and some dark twist and turns! The story was very interesting and kept me glued to my kindle! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley, the author and the publishers for sharing this book with me!

A terrific novel combining elements of the influencer culture with a cult setting. Powerfully written and ominous at times!