This inventive page-turner had me from the get-go. Simon deftly flips points of view in a manner that recalls Henry James's "The Golden Bowl" -- albeit in a contemporary, much sexier context. Anya is an alluring protagonist, and you can see immediately why Greg is attracted to her. As for Anya's tortured calculations -- well, as an artist trying to establish herself in an unforgiving market, she's completely believable, and relatable. Which makes the novel's ultimate twists even more chilling.

I wasn’t entertained, there was nothing new, no surprises, no mystery, predictable characters and outcome. The characters were ho-hum. Perhaps a different age reader would better appreciate this story. I finished the book but wish I’d spent my time differently. I’ve read this author previously and will see what she does in the future. Regretfully this wasn’t for me.
Severn House (via NetGalley) provided an Advance Reader Copy of “The Butterfly Trap” by Clea Simon, publication expected 03/04/2025. These are my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

I love everything that Clea Simon writes. She's got this gritty rock and roll sensibility and she crafts characters that are so relatable and understandable that they make you pause to wonder--would I have done that? What WOULD I have done instead? This mystry had me turning pages so fast I nearly got whiplash. Plus, nobody writes strong female characters like Simon does.

I found this book haunting and fascinating. The author succeeded in tricking me by telling the story from one perspective, then changing the viewpoint and revealing how much I had missed. While there is darkness to the story, the characters feel well-drawn and familiar, and she makes the point that such things can happen anywhere. It makes you ponder the undertones that are present in an apparently stable relationship, and sends you back to catch the nuances you may have missed first time around. The author's language is poetic and the beloved arts milieu of Boston proves a good backdrop for the tale.

3.5 stars. I enjoyed the book and the writing style. I think i would have liked it more if the two povs had been woven throughout the book. The ending felt a little rushed and didn’t quite have the impact I expected but a good read and a good story

I really did like the sound of this book but it just is not for me. I got to 35% and knew.

I struggled to like either of the main characters. It was just too slow for me and I was waiting for something to happen

I was not seeing the thriller aspect of the story at all.

Can't love them all. It does have a great cover though!

Thanks to the publisher for the chance to read this book.

Anya is a struggling artist; Greg a doctor working in research. When they meet, he falls hard for what he sees as her butterfly like beauty. He leaves his job to become a surgical resident so that he can support Anya and her pursuit of artistic success. Despite his friend Pete’s attempt to poison Greg’s view of Anya, they marry. But like many relationships, there are secrets and their relationship slowly dissolves. The first half of the book is from Greg’s POV, the second from Anya’s.

This was well written and the he said she said POVs an interesting approach. Wouldn’t we all like to know what our partner is really thinking, doing? However, I found all the characters truly unlikable. Despite that, it was an engrossing read although I found the ending and denouement a bit rushed.

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the eARC.
The central theme of this book is the relationship between an artist, Anya and the man who adores her, Greg. The first half of the book features their relationship from Greg's pov and the second half that of Anya.
I found the story quite depressing: Greg's obsessive love for Anya, her feelings for him, and Greg's best (and only) friend's treatment of both of them is deplorable and I disliked all three of them. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book.

This is my first book by Simons. It is a great thriller. I loved the twists and turns of this book. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I would highly recommend, and would love to read more from Simons.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

Telling the story of Anya and Greg this intriguing read is about ownership, jealousy and secrets.

It is a psychological tale of a couple who want everything that's good, but will this need keep them together?

I loved how this story unfolded, it is filled with drama, a little bit creepy and is dark and suspensful.

It is very well written and this is a new author for me but I know it will not be the last i read by her.

I predict it is going to be many readers book of the month/year and is well worth talking about..

I really enjoyed this as a psychological suspense novel that I was hoping for and enjoyed the overall feel of this. The characters had that overall feel that I was looking for and enjoyed the way this was written. Clea Simon has a strong writing style and had that overall feel that I wanted.