Lauren Hargrow is a therapist who is treating former child stars of their addictions in a reality show. She is called out when one of the women suddenly dies. It turns out to have been a murder, and Lauren is a suspect. She is searching for the killer.

A very triggering book. Addiction, abuse, self harm, bullying.
I have to say I didn't enjoy this book very much. It was a little rambling, and while it was a good story, there was a lot of violence, which I didn't enjoy.

I have, however, read and enjoyed other books by Lucinda Berry. This just was not my cup of tea.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC.

I was SHOCKED about the last few pages. Wow. This is a mystery that wraps up nicely in the end, no question is left unanswered and the twists keep you guessing until the very end. Everytime I thought I figured something out, I was proven wrong and I loved that. The one star missing on my rating is a result of my lack of motivation to keep reading sometimes because there was no character I was really fond of, not even Noelle. But everything was worth it in the end!

251 pages! multiple pov

Wow! Ms Berry, you never fail to amaze me! This is one of her best yet, in my humble opinion. A mysterious death, an intimate look into the trauma of sexual assault as well as addiction, and the twists and turns I did not see coming!! Bravo. Loved it!!

This was definitely a Lucinda Berry story!! It’s always good to go into her books blind because she will take you on a wild ride with lots of twists and turns.

I blew through it so quickly. Like looking at a train wreck needing to know what happens next. Lots of jaw dropping moments. Do people really act like this? It was a bit out there for me but still an engaging story!

I love Lucinda Berry's books.
She definitely knows how to draw you right into the characters and storyline. Thus one started off more about thevdeatgbsbd police investigation and then moved on the good stuff!!! oohhhh that endng was solid! Loved it!

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an early release of this book.

I devoured this unputdownable thriller!

Dr. Laurel Hargrow's decision to partake in a reality TV show throws her into a whirlwind of drama, secrets, and danger. Tasked with treating a house full of former child stars battling addiction, she quickly finds herself in over her head when one of them is found dead on set. Laurel races to uncover the truth while reminiscing on her own troubled past.

Lucinda Berry delivers twist after twist with psychological tension and whodunit intrigue, blending themes of addiction, manipulation, bullying, and abuse. This story feels like it will keep you guessing until the last page while delivering emotional depth alongside the suspense.

Well, this was a wild ride from the jump! Picture this: a reality show packed with drama, secrets, and, oh yeah, murder. The whole setup was super juicy—former child stars trying to clean up their lives, but things get messy real quick. Honestly, every single person was giving "don’t trust me" vibes, which kept me guessing the whole time. I was living for the drama and the twists!

The main character? Total boss vibes. She's smart and complicated and has her own stuff to deal with while navigating all the chaos. The whole story had me flipping pages like crazy, but let’s be real—it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. There are some heavy themes, so just a heads-up for anyone diving in.

Anyway, this was such a binge-worthy thriller. Totally giving it four stars for being fast, fun, and full of feels.

Big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. 💕

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I am sorry, but I did not care for this :( I have really loved some of Berry’s previous books, but I think she really shines when writing about children. This one was about a group of former addicts filming a reality show. When one turns up dead under mysterious circumstances, Laurel, the show’s therapist, must investigate. A lot of it seemed pretty silly and implausible. Just wasn’t for me.

Lucinda Berry never fails to put out a quick and fast paced thriller that really keeps you engaged. I read this one in less than 24 hours. I really liked the multiple POV’s with the mystery included, it helped to keep the plot going and the reader guessing. I was interested right from the get go, the book starts off with a murder and immediately you are thrown into a whodunit mindset. Sometimes mysteries can get a little confusing with too many characters to follow, but I thought this one was very easy to keep up with, and the characters were clear and recognizable. Although the ending wasn’t something that was tied up with a nice little bow, I really did enjoy the emotional ending.

Spoiler:
What I would’ve liked is more about Noelle. For her to flip so dramatically in such a huge way over a story about a girl she never knew, it didn’t really resonate with me. That part I wanted to hear more about.

This was a really unique, fast-paced, and entertaining book! I enjoyed this little thriller/mystery.

I felt like this had a really unique and interesting concept, following grown-up child stars and their struggles (but with a little murder thrown in).

All of these characters are so questionable, entertaining and dramatic, I really did have a good time with this. You get to constantly be wondering if someone is reliable, lying or just struggling with their trauma in a less-than-healthy way and therefore coming across as suspicious.

As a mood reader who loves character-based books, I would definitely look into this if you want something like nothing you've read before.

But definitely look into trigger warnings: childhood trauma, exploitation, addiction, self-harm (those are the ones I can remember off the top of my head, there might be more).

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.