Joni Ackerman killed her husband. And now she’s left to wonder how to she was able to commit such a heinous act and simply move on with her life. When her brother resurfaces after a decades-long separation, she’s forced to confront the fact that violence may be genetic.

This book dragged for the first 75%. It was very much a character study, rather than a psychological thriller. That is generally not my style, but I can enjoy it if the writing draws you in. This one did not draw me in until the last 25%.

I think that this book is definitely going to be more enjoyable for people who enjoy character driven books over plot driven books, but the writing style still leaves a bit to be desired. With some editing, the flow could be greatly improved and make the characters and their introspections much more interesting.

CW: descriptions of violence, animal abuse, mentions of child abuse

This was such a wild ride! It definitely feels very “Gone Girl”. It also reminded me a lot of Dirty John, I think it would make a very good tv series or movie! Joni is passionate, intelligent, and (at times) a bit unlikable, but somehow I still found myself rooting for her. Val is my favorite character, though, I think. She was very real, very flawed. Supportive, yet everyone has a breaking point (or do they?). Fans of Gone Girl, You, shows like that will love this!

It gives me the same vibe as the series "Dead to me" with Applegate and Cardellini. The crime is only 10% of the story - the rest is just living with it and living with yourself. If you enjoyed that, then I might recommend this.

It's a book that defies genre, adding character study with thriller elements. I want to describe it as "thriller realism." Because thrillers often have a faster pace, and a more mystery element to it, while this book is slower in pace and we're given the crime up front - Joni killed her husband. And while she's gotten away with it and is now running the company he started, her life get's turned around again when her estranged brother suddenly shows up.

We examine female relationships, with Joni, her best friend Val, her assistant Blair, her brothers ex-wife louisa and her daughter Chris.
Her daughter Chris also raises the question of genetics and generational trauma.

My favorite scene was one where Val preps Joni for a meeting where she has to lie and she’s nervous. They do role playing, and it's both funny and exciting. And the relationship between them, as they try to get through the trials thrown at them and still remain friends. Their friendship, the things that pushed them apart and kept them together were the most interesting to me. Especially since Val is happily married and Joni killed her husband. It creates an imbalance that they try very hard to deal with.

In real life, I don't think their friendship would have survived. Or maybe it would, since Joni is loaded; rich people get away with things poor people just don't. Which is also demonstrated in this story.

I honestly thought this was a debut because a few things just felt a bit out of place. Like some vocabulary and using of the simile "Marc rose to his feet like a balloon man pumped with air" in the fight scene where he is killed. I laughed during the most pivotal scene because of this comparison. And I don't think it was supposed to be funny.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

3 stars.

Joni Ackerman killed her husbaned, Paul and now she and her daughter, Chris run the production company he founded. But Paul Lovett needed killin’ (think Bill Cosby.) Everyone believes he killed himself after his secrets became public; only Joni knows the truth.

Out of the blue Joni’s brother Marc shows up to Joni and Chris’s home in Malibu. The two haven’t had contact in years. Marc was a bully when they were younger but he seems to have changed for the better.

Also involved in the tale are Joni’s best friend Val, who was one of Paul’s victims and wrote a book about it. She now works for the production company. There’s also Val’s husband, Russ, Joni’s longtime assistant, Blair, newly hired editor, Frank and a sweet, sweet dog who is only good to everyone (of course.) Joni is beginning to worry she might be a psychopath. Don’t we all, Joni, don’t we all?

So, as you can see from my half-assed description, characters play a large part in this book, but there’s only a small bit of story holding the whole thing together. How much am I supposed to care about all this? I swear the dog is only included to give you someone to root for. It’s not a bad book at all, in that the characterizations are good, there’s just not loads going on.

A really interesting and engaging read, asking the question does psychopath run in families. beautifully executed against a backdrop of strongly written, complex female characters and a deep understanding of female friendship. It had real depth to it, very enjoyable.

Part literary fiction, part general fiction, part thriller, this novel is hard to pigeon hole into just one genre. The plot is as much about these women's relationships with each other as it is about Marc, Joni's manipulative and cruel brother. Many moving parts, so well executed.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

I really liked this book! It was real and I loved the themes of womanhood, friendship, adult relationships, and gender norms. It was so good and it was eye opening and informative while also being funny and enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

#WomenLikeUs #NetGalley is a fantastic book that really had me captivated from the beginning.
The characters in this book are amazing and I read the book in one day, it was that good.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

Women Like Us revisits the question if one person in a family is a psychopath, will there be a close relative with the same diagnosis. We are immediately told that Joni killed her husband years ago and got away with it. Joni now channels her aggressiveness and runs a highly successful production company, begun by her husband. This book is also about the power of relationships and friendships between women. Joni, her grown daughter Chris, and best friend Val are closely intertwined in the business and in everyday life. When Joni’s brother Marc shows up unexpectedly, his reappearance rocks the foundation of Joni’s life and all she has carefully built. Has he changed? This is a very clever book, humorous at times, with fully developed and interesting characters. The story is quickly engaging and the plot moves along seamlessly. I really enjoyed it.

Women Like Us by Katia Lief was the latest read I’ve finished. It was an enjoyable book that I recommend to fiction readers.

Great book. Enjoyed the story and the characters. One untied up part that I would like to know more about, but thoroughly enjoyable.

I really enjoyed this book. It was very well-paced, well-written and suspenseful. The characters were unique and well-developed. My favorite thing was probably the voice; it felt unique and the writing had a lot of depth for a mystery/thriller.