I loved the premise of this book, childhood stars overcoming their addictions on a reality show. What could possibly go wrong? I read this one in a day. Short chapters, different timelines and POV. I could not put it down! It took some interesting turns I did not see coming. I’m still on the fence with how I feel about some of the twists but let’s be honest anything Lucinda Berry writes is great! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

One thing I really love about Lucinda Berry is that her books are always short and easy reads. Nothing is ever dragged out. This was twisty and a good, fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing this book, with my honest review below.

I enjoy Lucinda Berry’s writing and was eager to read One in Four, with faint wisps of memory of The Surreal Life and other early reality shows where stars who were famous for a blink come together and generally have had some tough living in their past. While I got less of the dynamics of the stars in the house they are hoping to get clean in, I got a seriously disturbing story (in a good way). Starting with the death of the youngest castmate, Maddie, we find Laurel, the therapist for the stars and a recovering addict, quickly start to be suspected as the cause behind Maddie’s death.

We learn more about Laurel’s addiction days, her family, and her memories of Maddie along with another mystery perspective of a deeply disturbed young woman who is being bullied after a traumatic event and trying to kill herself. While there are brief moments of what I would loosely describe as gore, Lucinda Berry’s writing is so descriptive I found myself more than a little off put, but equally touched at other points, as this story has some really ‘stay with you’ elements. Without spoiling, the requisite twists I would expect from a thriller / mystery are present but the ones occurring towards the end are completely gut wrenching. If you’re a fan of the genre this story will suck you in!

I have mixed feelings about this one. On one hand i think the writer is so good at writing deeply flawed, complex characters and it shows her psychology and research background. These characters feel like characters i would see where i work with adults with severe mental illness and i think the characters are written very well. I was interested in the plot until like 50 percent where it pivoted to another which was really triggering. It’s nothing the author did wrong it was just a lot of descriptive self harm, violence, body fluids, trauma, ptsd, revenge, kidnapping etc. it was kinda jarring and after the half way mark everything happened so fast and it felt like a huge spiral. Personally it was the violence or self harm that triggered me but the body fluid stuff phew.

I was very captivated by the book, i couldn’t stop reading and stood and read until i finished the book. So the plot is that the fmc is on a tv show and is the substance use sobriety psychologist. We have different patients and one dies and the police are investigating the fmc. Theres a present and post pov and it’s weird because the pov of the past just says her. Everything spirals and I’m not happy with the conclusion and ending of the book. Overall it’s unique and i just was left a little unsatisfied with the ending. Thanks to the publisher for this arc.

Another great book from the author. The twists and turns were expected and made for a fun read. Read it in a couple of sittings as I couldn’t put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC.

I loved some of Lucinda Berry's previous books, and the premise of this one — written around a reality TV show! — immediately grabbed my attention. However, I was a little thrown off by the first few chapters. It feels like so much is being said, yet nothing really happens. I had to go back and reread the marketing blurb to orient myself. I can't put my finger on what exactly didn't work for me, only that some crucial setup was needed before the action began (or at least while it was beginning) .

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc, all opinions are my own.


Well... I'm speechless.
I read the description and saw therapist treating former child stars dealing with addiction and I thought "sign me up" but I didn't know what I was in for. This is a hard book for me, PLEASE check trigger warnings before starting, some parts were difficult to read but I understand they were necessary. You can obviously tell the author has a background in psychology because everything is so well researched and carefully handled, but it is still a lot of trauma on page.
When I started I didn't understand why it was so short, but it is the necessary length because I wouldn't be able to handle much more.
Now about the story, it took a turn I definitely wasn't expecting, I don't know if it's just me because I don't usually read thrillers or if it was just unexpected. Just go with it, don't expect to see a reality TV-murder mystery type of story, this is not it.
If you like to read about psychology, and can handle discussions of trauma, you will probably enjoy this book. I will probably be thinking about it for a while, but I will definitely read something lighter next because I need it.

I enjoyed this, and couldn’t see the plot twist. Wasn’t crazy about the open ended ending, but thought the book was well flushed out otherwise

One in Four by Lucinda Berry A hard to book to read. It is disturbing with triggers of addiction, abuse, self-harm, bullying, and rape. Difficult to believe that there are people who act like this. It is a testament to Ms Berry for her ability to so descriptively and dramatically write the various scenarios.

Thank you to the author, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

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.