This one had an intriguing premise, but the execution didn’t fully live up to its potential. I guessed the final twist pretty early on, which took away some of the suspense, but I still enjoyed the journey. The audiobook narrator did a great job of keeping the story engaging, even when certain parts felt a bit stretched out.
The dual POVs—Maya and Arianna—offered an interesting contrast. While Maya’s storyline had its moments, it was Arianna’s flashback chapters that really stood out. Her slow unraveling and struggles with mental health added depth to the story, making those sections the most compelling. Though not the most unpredictable thriller, it had enough intrigue to keep me listening.

There were times this was incredibly slow. I found the majority of the characters to be unlikable, with the exception of the baby. One thing that drove me crazy was the lack of attention to the child - especially when the main character began worrying someone was out to hurt her.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the chance to read and review this book!

I’d like to thank RBMedia and NetGalley for a preview of the audiobook, “A Girl Like Us”.

I wish I loved this more but it fell flat for me. Former poor thief child turns reality star turns ultra rich and glamorous wife in the huge family dynasty. Maya Miller isn't my favorite heroine. To be honest, I hated almost every character in this book (with the exception of the two people we see the least, A and J). I found that I cared more about their stories than I did Maya, but the diary entries still left something to be desired.

The baby felt like an afterthought most of the time and I kept forgetting she existed (sorry Becca!).

There were parts of this book that made me feel like it was trying to use vocab words from AP English (if I hear "vociferous" one more time...).

Usually I really enjoy family drama and thrillers, but this one just didn't catch me.

Published March 11, 2025
A Girl Like Us by Anna Sophia McLoughlin Narrated by Allyson Morgan
This book had my attention from the start, packed with rich behaving badly, secrets and so many twists and turns. This book had so much drama and tension that left me hooked listening to it to find out what happens next. Maya Miller, a former reality tv star now Sterling wife, thought that she was going to be living a life of luxury. She was rudely mistaken, Maya walked right into a murder, a family who wanted to see her dead and a fortune she never asked for. The Sterlings were a wild dysfunctional family, I mean unhinged.
The twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat, some I saw coming others my jaw was on the floor. The pacing was perfect and suited the book and storyline well. Maya was built different than most, I would have been out of there SO FAST. Allyson Morgan killed it with the narration. She made it seem so real the way a audiobook lover always wants.

Trigger Warning: Death of family member, arson, murder, infidelity, neglectful parents, institutionalization, incarceration, robbery, thievery, alcohol, sexual content

Thank you Netgalley and RBmedia | Recorded Books for the ALC audiobook. This review is voluntary and all my own words.

A Girl Like Us by Anna Sophia McLoughlin; Narrated by Allyson Morgan
Publication Date: March 11, 2025
Mystery & Thriller

This dysfunctional family thriller was quite a ride. All the lies, secrets, family drama, and scandal had me wondering the whole time who could really be trusted and who was the shadiest of them all.
The narrator did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life; making me love them and hate them at the same time.

4/5 Stars

This book ended up being so much better than I was expecting! I loved every twist and turn.

This book is great for revenge lovers, quiet female rage fans, and anyone who likes a great twisty mystery.

The characters aren’t always exactly lovable, but they are so well written that even when you hate what they are doing and saying you can empathize with the decisions.

Thank you so much for this ARC!

Absolutely fabulous debut! Family secrets, wealth, power, murder - this book is full of action and mystery. When a former reality TV star Maya marries into the all-powerful Sterling family, drama is inevitable. But an American ex-reality star becoming the heir to an international multi-million dollar media company after the shocking murder of her husband Colin Sterling’s cousin Arianna, heiress to the Sterling fortune, Maya becomes the primary suspect. “A Girl Like Us” takes us into the world of inordinate wealth.

Told through dual POV, this story is engaging, dramatic, and thrilling. I found myself trying to put the pieces together, but just when I thought I had the situation figured out, a twist was thrown in that made me question everything all over again.

The narrator was absolutely wonderful, fully capturing the essence of each character. This is definitely one to add to your TBR list immediately!

—
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“If you want something, you just have to take it “ at least that’s what Maya believes. She is the epitome of rags to riches- she started out as a child taught to steal, to put food on the table. Made her way onto reality TV and into the hearts of America. And then worked her way into the wealthy Sterling family.

Maya had only just become a Sterling when they find out the “forgotten heiress” to the Sterling fortune has not only died, She was murdered. Maya doesn’t have an alibi for that night, because she has secrets of her own. She soon finds herself on lockdown at the family Estate with all of the Sterlings. A place that is filled with secrets, and enemies.

The story is filled with twists and turns as the POV shifts from past to present. Maya finally has everything she always wanted, but with enemies hiding around every corner- will she stay on top?

I didn’t see the twist coming that Harry wasn’t Harry. I suspected something was off with Helen.

It felt like the final chapter ended too abruptly into the epilogue. Although a lot of things happened very quickly at the end, the ending feels like something is missing?

I listened to this on audio and and thought Allyson Morgan did a fantastic job narrating! It took me a little longer to get into this one but once I did I was hooked. Told through alternating POVS this book was full of lies and secrets and I loved following Maya while she got down to the bottom of things. If you like books about dysfunctional families, rich people behaving badly, lots of twists and turns you'll love this one.

I can’t resist twisty wealthy family dramas and this was a fun ride! I could relate to and rooted for the main character, Maya Miller and found the eccentric heiress voice pretty amusing as well. Maya’s husband Colin was a little cardboard/one dimensional and some of the plot points were hard to believe but overall I enjoyed it and would definitely read more from this author again.

I listened to the audiobook and while I liked the narrator’s voice of Maya, the attempt of posh British accents for the other characters really distracted me and took me out of the story.

This was a good book. I liked the characters and it was twisty and turny . I had a lot of fun figuring out what parts of the story were true because you know a thrillers you never know what is actually true and what is false. The voice actor did an amazing job bringing her character to life.

Thank you NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

A girl like us

Maya is a former reality star who rose to fame through her drama on the show and “party girl” antics.

She is now married to eligible bachelor, Colin Sterling. They had been off again on again, and the most recent “on” was quickly passionate, leading to pregnancy and a marriage that is questioned in the tabloids.

She is labeled as a gold digger and the plot thickens as the heiress to Colin’s family fortune is found murdered. Even more curious, Maya is named as the new heir by Arianna (murdered cousin).

Maya quickly finds herself mega rich and mega suspicious, the family (including Maya) goes into lockdown at their estate for “safety”. Maya is in a missing to keep her secrets hidden but reveal and uncover the secrets of the family.

Reminded me of Inheritance Games and Succession (Lite).

Loved this fun inheritance/ rich privilege thriller / mystery. Thanks to NetGalley and RBMedia for these ALC in exchange for an honest review. Out now- late review !

Thank you to RBmedia and NetGalley for a copy of the audiobook to review!

Overall, this was an entertaining family drama/thriller. As others have pointed out, the story has elements that remind me of "Succession," but also gave me similar vibes as "Stone Cold Fox," another one of my favorite thrillers as we look at the misbehavior, secrets, and scandals of a wealthy family. None of the characters are particularly likable but it kept me engaged to find out what would happen to all of them. The pacing of the book was a bit slow to start but quickly picked up and narrator performance was great- I finished the audiobook within a day.

A Girl Like Us 👑🍾
By: Anna Sophia McLoughlin
Story: ✨ ✨✨ 3.3 /5
Narration: 🎧 🎧 🎧 3/5

I’d like to thank RBMedia and NetGalley for a preview of the audiobook, “A Girl Like Us”.

Maya Miller just couldn’t let Ms. Mayhem go. Who is Ms. Mayhem? Well, she’s Maya’s wild, over the top, alter ego who was created during her time on reality the show, The Springs. And as a former reality star darling, she now spends her days married to the elusive Colin Sterling. The Sterling last name may not mean much in our world, but in Maya’s? It’s everything. When it comes to media conglomerates, the Sterling’s control it all. Think, being married into the Roy’s from Succession.

We meet Colin and Maya as they are returning back to New York from their long-awaited honeymoon. Finally, Maya can start her life as a “Sterling” and leave that “Gold Digger” title so many have blessed her with behind.

Or so she thought…

Ariana Sterling is the current inheritor of the Sterling empire. However, there’s just one problem. She’s suddenly been reported dead. And what’s worse? Maya was the last one to have seen her. Now the family (including Maya) are on lockdown together at the family’s English estate.

Just one night. That’s all Maya wanted before escaping to her new life. And the same night she fled the scene, Ariana went missing. Are the two related? And where did Maya go that night? Find out in “A Girl Like Us” by Anna Sophia McLoughlin.

For those who don't know me, my name is Chanel and I'm everyone's favorite self-proclaimed Book Tea Spiller.

What did I think of this book? See below for my Final Sip ☕️:

Overall, the combination of mystery and scandal throughout this story is enjoyable. I thoroughly enjoy when there’s a plot twist that also explains the connection between two characters. It allows the reader to feel as if we’re in on a secret that no one else knows about. Overall, I give this read a 3.3/5. There were points throughout that the storyline felt lost, however felt enticing as a whole.

I love stories about messed-up rich people and their messed-up rich people problems.

This feels like Saltburn meets Succession. These characters are conniving like the characters from Succession but have the messed-up characters from Saltburn, though not quite as eccentric as the characters from Saltburn. Those characters take their wealth for granted, these characters feel greedier.

Overall, this was fun and had drama, but it wasn't as exciting or action-packed as I wanted it to be. The pacing is what I think really made it feel not as captivating as I expected it to be. It was a bit slow and lots of conversations were drawn out too long. I get that it was for an impact, but I found it to just make me lose interest at times.

Our FMC married into a very wealthy family, but she's not taken too seriously given she was a reality tv star. She has to navigate being a part of this new family and their pettiness and scheming.

I could actually see this working really well as a movie, a rich and dysfunctional family with lots of secrets and petty drama is always a fun watch!

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook 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.

Secrets secrets secrets. Inheritance games-vibes filled with rich people behaving badly and closing ranks in a time of crisis. Freshly married Maya fights her way through the ruthless “meet the family” to understand what happened and why she is the heiress to the Sterling name, with a huge target on her back. It was easy to speed through this psychological thriller. There were a few things I could see coming but it was still a nice read. I think the narrator did a great job with the book.
Thank you Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an audio copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 stars! 🌟 Huge thanks to RBmedia | Recorded Books for the ALC through NetGalley! 💌

Okay, rich people behaving badly + a locked-room thriller + a morally gray MC?? SIGN ME UP. This book had all the drama and tension I crave, and I devoured it like the drama-loving gremlin I am. 🍿

Maya Miller—a former reality TV star turned Sterling wife—thought she was stepping into a life of luxury. Instead, she walked straight into a murder, a fortune she never asked for, and a family who would rather see her six feet under than at the top of their empire. Listen, I LIVE for a cutthroat, backstabbing, scandal-ridden family, and the Sterlings? A+ in dysfunction, 10/10 in being absolutely unhinged. 💀

This story had twists on twists—some I saw coming, some that slapped me in the face. Was it over the top? Absolutely. Did I care? Not even a little. The pacing was solid, the tension kept climbing, and that eerie, claustrophobic atmosphere at Silver House? CHILLING. I would have been OUT of there at the first sign of danger, but Maya? She was built different. 🔥

And let me take a sec to shout out Allyson Morgan’s narration—she KILLED IT. Her performance made Maya feel so real, adding layers to her character that made me even more obsessed. Audiobook lovers, this is the way to go! 🎧

The only tiny hiccup? Some moments required suspension of disbelief, but honestly? When a book is this addictive, I’m more than happy to look the other way. 😉

Final verdict: Drama? ✅ Twists? ✅ A morally gray heroine playing a dangerous game? ✅✅✅ If you love messy, toxic rich people and an MC who knows how to survive among wolves, this one’s for you. ✨

A Girl Like Us didn't really give me Saltburn vibes, but it did scratch the itch that I've had since Succession ended. It's a fun, fast-paced thriller that takes the reader deep into a world of power, unimaginable wealth, and juicy, devastatingly dark family secrets. The story follows Maya Miller, a former reality TV star who marries Colin Sterling, the heir to one of the most influential families in the world. What starts as a Cinderella-like dream quickly turns into a dangerous game of survival when Colin’s cousin, Arianna, is found murdered, and Maya unexpectedly becomes both the next heir and the prime suspect.

While the book felt a bit slow in the middle, the ending more than makes up for it with a series of jaw-dropping revelations. The narration was fantastic. Overall, A Girl Like Us was a satisfying, twist-filled ride and a really fun read!

Thanks you to NetGalley and RBMedia for this advance reader copy.

A former reality tv star marries into a modern family dynasty just as the heiress is murdered. She’s forced to hunker down with the whole family as the details of the case unfold.

This was an engaging read with some twists that keeps the reader guessing until the end. I enjoyed the narration from two different perspectives, the complex family dynamics and more lighthearted reality tv aspect to parts of the book.

The audio narration was easy to follow with the different voices for the characters and the voices seemed to match the character’s personalities.

I’d recommend this book to anyone that enjoys thrillers, reality tv or family dramas.

I was expecting this to be a dry psychological thriller. I was not expecting to really get as invested as I did. The characters were flawed and greedy but entertaining not annoying