What do you think?
Rate this book
Invisible Woman #1
Women Like Us
Joni Ackerman was tired of being invisible.
It’s been one year since Joni Ackerman tipped the antifreeze into her husband’s cocktail. One year since he was found dead on the stairs. One year since she got away with murder. At first Joni feared the consequences of her transgression, but she’s learned to embrace the power of recklessness in a way she would have hated to see in anyone else. It was that recklessness, after all, that took her to this rewarding new life.
Joni now runs Sunny Day Productions alongside her daughter, Chris, and her best friend, Val. All is well in life and work until one day the balance is rocked when an unexpected, and unwelcome, visitor appears.
It’s been one year since Joni Ackerman tipped the antifreeze into her husband’s cocktail. One year since he was found dead on the stairs. One year since she got away with murder. At first Joni feared the consequences of her transgression, but she’s learned to embrace the power of recklessness in a way she would have hated to see in anyone else. It was that recklessness, after all, that took her to this rewarding new life.
Joni now runs Sunny Day Productions alongside her daughter, Chris, and her best friend, Val. All is well in life and work until one day the balance is rocked when an unexpected, and unwelcome, visitor appears.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published June 3, 2025
14 people are currently reading
8770 people want to read
About the author
Katia Lief
29 books231 followersThe first thing I ever wrote that received any notice was a one page story for my third grade English teacher. I don't recall what the assignment was, but I somehow found myself writing about a woman at a dinner party who suddenly realizes her teeth are invisible. She sits there, wedged between two chattering guests, wondering how she will eat, how she will talk, and generally how she will get out of the situation without having to open her mouth and reveal her dilemma. My teacher showed the story to my parents with a note to this effect: Katia could be a writer.
What if her note had instead encouraged me to be a dentist?
But it didn't. And so here I am.
So far I've published two literary novels (as Katia Spiegelman, the name I was born with), and seven suspense novels--five as Kate Pepper (a pseudonym) and two as Katia Lief (the name I live by). And to complicated things even more, I'm adding a new pen name to my arsenal-Karen Ellis-with my new novel A MAP OF THE DARK, coming January 2, 2018.
I have loved writing every one of my novels, and hope you will enjoy reading them.
What if her note had instead encouraged me to be a dentist?
But it didn't. And so here I am.
So far I've published two literary novels (as Katia Spiegelman, the name I was born with), and seven suspense novels--five as Kate Pepper (a pseudonym) and two as Katia Lief (the name I live by). And to complicated things even more, I'm adding a new pen name to my arsenal-Karen Ellis-with my new novel A MAP OF THE DARK, coming January 2, 2018.
I have loved writing every one of my novels, and hope you will enjoy reading them.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
January 22, 2025
ARC for review. To be published June 3, 2025.
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.
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.
February 9, 2025
“Joni was dangerous; she came from dangerous people.”
Katia Lief’s tortured protagonist, the acclaimed director Joni Ackerman, returns in this follow-up to Invisible Woman. After fleeing media scrutiny over the suspicious death of her philandering, sexual predator husband Paul, Joni spends five years getting sober and building a budding, women-empowered production company. Though plagued by guilt and confusion about Paul’s shocking demise, everything seems to be going well for her and the women around her: Val, her best friend; Chris, her daughter and co-worker; and Blair, her trusted assistant. But it all goes pear-shaped when her brother Marc shows up on her Los Angeles doorstep with his meager belongings, looking for a place to crash.
Marc has never had a real job, just bounced around life trying to live off the quarter-mil inheritance after their parents’ death through a bunch of failed get-rich-quick schemes. He was a cruel kid but a charming feller as a young adult, charming enough to ingratiate himself to a few ex-wives, one of whom met an early end. Joni’s cautious, but in the first weeks of his stay, he seems to have changed: he’s pleasant, fun, and wonderful with her beloved dog, Stella.
But another twist happens when Marc’s last ex, a New Jersey woman named Louisa, contacts Joni, desperate to know his whereabouts, claiming terrible misdeeds that fall in line with his checkered past. Joni’s torn: does she turn him in, or serve as a family buffer? Then, while she’s deciding…he vanishes. Worse, he takes Stella.
These are two sharp, inventive, and fascinating plot points. Just having an interloper, a suspicious character with a questionable past, enter the stage is one thing. But let’s consider an underlying theme to these books: #metoo. Paul was a great villain: he built his Hollywood success on abusing women and getting away with it – for a time. Marc fits the bill as well: he’ll sneak into your life with a smile, but it won’t be long before his true colors emerge. Lief does a great job describing him, giving us a slow reveal of what a misogynist, abusive dirtbag he is. As the crescendo builds he becomes more and more dangerous. It reminded me of those creepy 90s movies with a shady killer you just can’t nail down.
But even better is the turmoil going on inside Joni’s head. I’m not one for internal monologue, but her questioning her self-image, as beautifully summarized in the quote above, is detailed with style and tension. Joni hated Paul and is relieved that he’s gone, but do her actions or her motive make her just as much a psycho as Marc? Does murder run in the family? Is Joni dangerous?
How it plays out can, as psychological thrillers often do, require some patience from the reader expecting non-stop action. Joni isn’t parkour-ing off buildings or sword-fighting a Yakuza boss. Instead, there’s a good deal of coffee-drinking, staring at the New York skyline, and hardcore brooding. But the brooding is first-rate, full of self-doubt, shame, anger, and all the motive-questioning for which Lief is getting to be known.
I don’t often like perspective shifts, but the occasional change to Val works very well. She loves Joni but there’s a small chasm between them. There seems to be a small part of Val’s conscience that wants to turn Joni into the police, an internal conflict that produces a “will-she-won’t-she” side quest that’s woven into the larger story exceptionally well. Hearing from her and Joni together supports that empowering women vibe that Lief seems to champion in her work.
And the ending, the climax, is really strong. If you’re smarter than me (and there’s a better-than-average chance you are), you saw it coming. But still, the tension and violence make it worth the price of admission. It smacks, again, of those 80s and 90s movies wherein the underdog confronts the villain, but it delivers the shock lying underneath all that mental chaos. The circumstances are suspect and drag all the women (the “Women Like Us,” if you will) into the murderous mire. And the door’s wide open for a tasteful, exciting sequel much in the same style with an outcome very much in doubt.
A nice note: revitalized 21st Century Brooklyn takes center stage, with all its interesting neighborhoods and cultural and culinary offerings. She employs the borough’s features in the same vein as the great Paul Auster. Truly a setting worthy of Kings. (See what I did there? Ha-cha-cha!)
Tantalizing, frightening, and loaded with palpable tension, Brooklyn’s own Katia Lief delivers once again in the psychological thriller genre.
Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Women Like Us has a publication date of June 3, 2025.
Katia Lief’s tortured protagonist, the acclaimed director Joni Ackerman, returns in this follow-up to Invisible Woman. After fleeing media scrutiny over the suspicious death of her philandering, sexual predator husband Paul, Joni spends five years getting sober and building a budding, women-empowered production company. Though plagued by guilt and confusion about Paul’s shocking demise, everything seems to be going well for her and the women around her: Val, her best friend; Chris, her daughter and co-worker; and Blair, her trusted assistant. But it all goes pear-shaped when her brother Marc shows up on her Los Angeles doorstep with his meager belongings, looking for a place to crash.
Marc has never had a real job, just bounced around life trying to live off the quarter-mil inheritance after their parents’ death through a bunch of failed get-rich-quick schemes. He was a cruel kid but a charming feller as a young adult, charming enough to ingratiate himself to a few ex-wives, one of whom met an early end. Joni’s cautious, but in the first weeks of his stay, he seems to have changed: he’s pleasant, fun, and wonderful with her beloved dog, Stella.
But another twist happens when Marc’s last ex, a New Jersey woman named Louisa, contacts Joni, desperate to know his whereabouts, claiming terrible misdeeds that fall in line with his checkered past. Joni’s torn: does she turn him in, or serve as a family buffer? Then, while she’s deciding…he vanishes. Worse, he takes Stella.
These are two sharp, inventive, and fascinating plot points. Just having an interloper, a suspicious character with a questionable past, enter the stage is one thing. But let’s consider an underlying theme to these books: #metoo. Paul was a great villain: he built his Hollywood success on abusing women and getting away with it – for a time. Marc fits the bill as well: he’ll sneak into your life with a smile, but it won’t be long before his true colors emerge. Lief does a great job describing him, giving us a slow reveal of what a misogynist, abusive dirtbag he is. As the crescendo builds he becomes more and more dangerous. It reminded me of those creepy 90s movies with a shady killer you just can’t nail down.
But even better is the turmoil going on inside Joni’s head. I’m not one for internal monologue, but her questioning her self-image, as beautifully summarized in the quote above, is detailed with style and tension. Joni hated Paul and is relieved that he’s gone, but do her actions or her motive make her just as much a psycho as Marc? Does murder run in the family? Is Joni dangerous?
How it plays out can, as psychological thrillers often do, require some patience from the reader expecting non-stop action. Joni isn’t parkour-ing off buildings or sword-fighting a Yakuza boss. Instead, there’s a good deal of coffee-drinking, staring at the New York skyline, and hardcore brooding. But the brooding is first-rate, full of self-doubt, shame, anger, and all the motive-questioning for which Lief is getting to be known.
I don’t often like perspective shifts, but the occasional change to Val works very well. She loves Joni but there’s a small chasm between them. There seems to be a small part of Val’s conscience that wants to turn Joni into the police, an internal conflict that produces a “will-she-won’t-she” side quest that’s woven into the larger story exceptionally well. Hearing from her and Joni together supports that empowering women vibe that Lief seems to champion in her work.
And the ending, the climax, is really strong. If you’re smarter than me (and there’s a better-than-average chance you are), you saw it coming. But still, the tension and violence make it worth the price of admission. It smacks, again, of those 80s and 90s movies wherein the underdog confronts the villain, but it delivers the shock lying underneath all that mental chaos. The circumstances are suspect and drag all the women (the “Women Like Us,” if you will) into the murderous mire. And the door’s wide open for a tasteful, exciting sequel much in the same style with an outcome very much in doubt.
A nice note: revitalized 21st Century Brooklyn takes center stage, with all its interesting neighborhoods and cultural and culinary offerings. She employs the borough’s features in the same vein as the great Paul Auster. Truly a setting worthy of Kings. (See what I did there? Ha-cha-cha!)
Tantalizing, frightening, and loaded with palpable tension, Brooklyn’s own Katia Lief delivers once again in the psychological thriller genre.
Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Women Like Us has a publication date of June 3, 2025.
June 13, 2025
2.5
The rating unfortunately reflects the point at which I fell out with what I thought began as a promising thriller.
Women Like Us starts out as a fast-moving story about Joni Ackerman. Joni is the CEO of Sunny Day, a production company which was founded by her late husband, Paul. Joni is just as successful as her husband had been although she is not prone to the same urges that led to Paul's untimely death when he was being investigated for sexual abuse of various young women.
As Joni is getting ready to head to New York to do work on a new project she is surprised by her brother, Marc's, reappearance. However all is not as it seems when she meets up with her business partner, Val, only to discover that Marc is just as shady as she remembered him as a child. Joni panics knowing she has left her beloved dog with a man she knows may be a monster.
And so begins an extremely drawn out search for her brother whilst trying to keep her own secrets intact and worrying about just how far she will go to protect herself.
As I said, this book lost me at the point that Jodi turned from a woman who was afraid of her past catching up with her into one who kept going on about what a terrible person she could be and whether psychopathy runs in families. Pretty sure it doesn't, Jodi, or it'd take the Police about 5 minutes to track down murderers.
The whole story descended into farce after a promising start and the denouement of the search for Marc was utterly ridiculous.
All in all, a miss for me.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the advance review copy.
The rating unfortunately reflects the point at which I fell out with what I thought began as a promising thriller.
Women Like Us starts out as a fast-moving story about Joni Ackerman. Joni is the CEO of Sunny Day, a production company which was founded by her late husband, Paul. Joni is just as successful as her husband had been although she is not prone to the same urges that led to Paul's untimely death when he was being investigated for sexual abuse of various young women.
As Joni is getting ready to head to New York to do work on a new project she is surprised by her brother, Marc's, reappearance. However all is not as it seems when she meets up with her business partner, Val, only to discover that Marc is just as shady as she remembered him as a child. Joni panics knowing she has left her beloved dog with a man she knows may be a monster.
And so begins an extremely drawn out search for her brother whilst trying to keep her own secrets intact and worrying about just how far she will go to protect herself.
As I said, this book lost me at the point that Jodi turned from a woman who was afraid of her past catching up with her into one who kept going on about what a terrible person she could be and whether psychopathy runs in families. Pretty sure it doesn't, Jodi, or it'd take the Police about 5 minutes to track down murderers.
The whole story descended into farce after a promising start and the denouement of the search for Marc was utterly ridiculous.
All in all, a miss for me.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the advance review copy.
Want to read
January 10, 2025I, too, ask myself if crazy is genetic!
February 16, 2025
ARC review! I’m one of those readers *obsessed* with writing style. The way an author crafts sentences can truly make or break a book, period. Some authors overdo it, but I loved Katia Lief’s writing - it’s simple, straightforward, yet brilliant and eloquent. Plus, she’s witty and insightful in her portrayal of a woman’s struggle versus the male specifies. For example:
“When men did their thinking with their penises and women felt empowered by that, the women usually lost when things went off the rails. In the end, men still held most of the power. When they got sick of those women, they still tossed them out like garbage and society still snapped on the lid.”
“After all that, how much had society really changed? Had history just looped in on itself? Was it back to the inevitable ending for women: be quiet or be destroyed?” (Facts.)
Plot-wise though, I struggled. A lot. There were just so. many. plots and subplots that I got lost in; my focus was being pulled everywhere and nowhere at the same time. And let me get into that:
(i) We’re introduced to Joni, who might’ve killed her husband - main plot potential, right?! But it got overshadowed by other plot threads.
(ii) Then Marc shows up (the sleazy brother from the synopsis), hinting at family drama. One would think, “OOOH, it’s starting to get juicy here!” But it didn't quite deliver on its promise.
(iii) And then, we get Marc’s 2nd ex-wife who accuses him of fraud and murder [of his first ex-wife]. (GASP!) (THIS in particular - not only was it unresolved, but it felt [to me] disconnected from the main storyline and contributed almost nothing to it. (Although at this point, I didn’t even know what the main storyline was.)
(iii) And if that wasn’t enough, Marc then pulled a Houdini on Joni and kidnapped Stella, Joni’s beloved dog. (DOUBLE GASP!). It added to the chaos rather than contributing to a cohesive plot. I just… really didn’t get it.
(iv) Oh you thought that was it? No. Because here’s more. When Blair, Joni’s PA, supposedly became unreachable, I was FUMING because instead of pointlessly asking everyone where she was, couldn’t Joni or anyone for that matter just GO to Blair’s apartment to check?? It was these kinds of moments that left me frustrated and questioning the narrative's direction.
Thats not it, by the way. So when I tell you my attention was going everywhere and nowhere, I wasn’t joking.
On top of alllllllllllll that, what bothered me as well was the lack of reaction and urgency from the FMCs that didn’t quite match what was happening and it ended up falling incredibly flat. Everyone was just going through the motions, even when things were getting intense. As someone who loves thrillers, I was disappointed by the lack of it.
Furthermore, the loose ends REALLY bugged me. I mean, for example, what happened to Billy the doorman? And Blair!? Because her disappearance in particular was just left hanging. It was frustrating to be left with sooo many unanswered questions 😭
In the end, the great writing style and tone just weren't enough to make up for the massive drama-filled plot and underwhelming ending. Sigh.
***
Many thanks to NetGalley, Morgan Entrekin (Publisher of Grove Atlantic), and the Grove Atlantic team for allowing me to read and review this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“When men did their thinking with their penises and women felt empowered by that, the women usually lost when things went off the rails. In the end, men still held most of the power. When they got sick of those women, they still tossed them out like garbage and society still snapped on the lid.”
“After all that, how much had society really changed? Had history just looped in on itself? Was it back to the inevitable ending for women: be quiet or be destroyed?” (Facts.)
Plot-wise though, I struggled. A lot. There were just so. many. plots and subplots that I got lost in; my focus was being pulled everywhere and nowhere at the same time. And let me get into that:
(i) We’re introduced to Joni, who might’ve killed her husband - main plot potential, right?! But it got overshadowed by other plot threads.
(ii) Then Marc shows up (the sleazy brother from the synopsis), hinting at family drama. One would think, “OOOH, it’s starting to get juicy here!” But it didn't quite deliver on its promise.
(iii) And then, we get Marc’s 2nd ex-wife who accuses him of fraud and murder [of his first ex-wife]. (GASP!) (THIS in particular - not only was it unresolved, but it felt [to me] disconnected from the main storyline and contributed almost nothing to it. (Although at this point, I didn’t even know what the main storyline was.)
(iii) And if that wasn’t enough, Marc then pulled a Houdini on Joni and kidnapped Stella, Joni’s beloved dog. (DOUBLE GASP!). It added to the chaos rather than contributing to a cohesive plot. I just… really didn’t get it.
(iv) Oh you thought that was it? No. Because here’s more. When Blair, Joni’s PA, supposedly became unreachable, I was FUMING because instead of pointlessly asking everyone where she was, couldn’t Joni or anyone for that matter just GO to Blair’s apartment to check?? It was these kinds of moments that left me frustrated and questioning the narrative's direction.
Thats not it, by the way. So when I tell you my attention was going everywhere and nowhere, I wasn’t joking.
On top of alllllllllllll that, what bothered me as well was the lack of reaction and urgency from the FMCs that didn’t quite match what was happening and it ended up falling incredibly flat. Everyone was just going through the motions, even when things were getting intense. As someone who loves thrillers, I was disappointed by the lack of it.
Furthermore, the loose ends REALLY bugged me. I mean, for example, what happened to Billy the doorman? And Blair!? Because her disappearance in particular was just left hanging. It was frustrating to be left with sooo many unanswered questions 😭
In the end, the great writing style and tone just weren't enough to make up for the massive drama-filled plot and underwhelming ending. Sigh.
***
Many thanks to NetGalley, Morgan Entrekin (Publisher of Grove Atlantic), and the Grove Atlantic team for allowing me to read and review this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2025
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.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel.
September 14, 2025
#ad much love for the finished book @atlanticcrime #partner
Ahhhhh good ol’ Joni - I loved this character! Joni isn’t a perfect, put-together woman - but she is real and flawed and just so perfect. She’s a mess and has no cares because five years ago she killed her husband and got away with it.
Always looking over your shoulder waiting for the weight of what you did to come crashing down around you just isn’t a way to live.
But Joni picked herself up and now owns Sunny Day Productions with her daughter Chris.
Then enters her family: her estranged brother Marc shows up out of the blue and ends up staying at Joni’s. Maybe he’s changed his com artist manipulative ways - but most likely not. But Joni chooses to forget the past and give him another chance.
I enjoyed this book - it’s fast-paced and wild but also is so relatable. The complexities of family take center stage next to Joni. I also had a few laughs along the way.
Family
Betrayal
Revenge
It’s only a 3 star read bc I struggled at parts and wasn’t enjoying it much. But I liked this book! Def give it a read.
Ahhhhh good ol’ Joni - I loved this character! Joni isn’t a perfect, put-together woman - but she is real and flawed and just so perfect. She’s a mess and has no cares because five years ago she killed her husband and got away with it.
Always looking over your shoulder waiting for the weight of what you did to come crashing down around you just isn’t a way to live.
But Joni picked herself up and now owns Sunny Day Productions with her daughter Chris.
Then enters her family: her estranged brother Marc shows up out of the blue and ends up staying at Joni’s. Maybe he’s changed his com artist manipulative ways - but most likely not. But Joni chooses to forget the past and give him another chance.
I enjoyed this book - it’s fast-paced and wild but also is so relatable. The complexities of family take center stage next to Joni. I also had a few laughs along the way.
Family
Betrayal
Revenge
It’s only a 3 star read bc I struggled at parts and wasn’t enjoying it much. But I liked this book! Def give it a read.
May 31, 2025
Women Like Us by Katia Lief. Thanks to @atlanticgrove for the gifted copy ⭐️⭐️⭐️
When Joni’s brother comes back in her life, he seems like a changed man but her best friend isn’t fooled.
This was an interesting suspense that shows the bonds of friendship, how they are tried and how they stay true. There is a dog in it and I lived anxiously through the entire book afraid she would get hurt! While there are a few twists, there pacing is on the slower side. The ending was exciting though and I loved how it all wrapped up.
“Everyone was telling me not to worry. But wasn’t that what people said when there was something to worry about?”
Women Like Us comes out 6/3.
When Joni’s brother comes back in her life, he seems like a changed man but her best friend isn’t fooled.
This was an interesting suspense that shows the bonds of friendship, how they are tried and how they stay true. There is a dog in it and I lived anxiously through the entire book afraid she would get hurt! While there are a few twists, there pacing is on the slower side. The ending was exciting though and I loved how it all wrapped up.
“Everyone was telling me not to worry. But wasn’t that what people said when there was something to worry about?”
Women Like Us comes out 6/3.
January 27, 2025
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 and violence may or may not be genetic.
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 thri 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.
This book comes out in june 2025, thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the ARC.
I'd say it's a 3,5 - rounded up to 4.
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 and violence may or may not be genetic.
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 thri 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.
This book comes out in june 2025, thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the ARC.
I'd say it's a 3,5 - rounded up to 4.
May 9, 2025
I wish that when I chose this ARC, I had known that there was a book before this one. It may have helped me appreciate this one a little more.
I did learn a lot about psychopaths while reading this book. Joni's brother is obviously one, and Joni thinks she may become one. Well, considering she had killed her husband, I can see why she would worry. Now she has to worry about her daughter. After all, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!
Either Mark Twain or Benjamin Franklin said that "two can keep a secret if one is dead," and this book tends to lean in that direction. So, as everyone's life begins to unravel, we have to worry about Joni killing someone else to keep her secrets. After all, there is only one person alive who knows that Joni killed her husband (maybe). But now three people are holding a totally new secret, and I wonder if the author is going to try to squeeze out another book with this as the theme.
The writing wasn't horrible, but there was no character growth, well, unless what happens in the end you consider growth. The story rambled in too many directions, and there was more trauma about a missing dog than most of the people involved.
I didn't love this book, but I didn't hate it either. However, I didn't lose myself in this book; it did not keep me engaged, but perhaps if I had read the first book? I feel that it was just an okay novel.
ARC supplied by the publisher Atlantic Monthly Press/Grove Atlantic, the author, and NetGalley.
I did learn a lot about psychopaths while reading this book. Joni's brother is obviously one, and Joni thinks she may become one. Well, considering she had killed her husband, I can see why she would worry. Now she has to worry about her daughter. After all, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!
Either Mark Twain or Benjamin Franklin said that "two can keep a secret if one is dead," and this book tends to lean in that direction. So, as everyone's life begins to unravel, we have to worry about Joni killing someone else to keep her secrets. After all, there is only one person alive who knows that Joni killed her husband (maybe). But now three people are holding a totally new secret, and I wonder if the author is going to try to squeeze out another book with this as the theme.
The writing wasn't horrible, but there was no character growth, well, unless what happens in the end you consider growth. The story rambled in too many directions, and there was more trauma about a missing dog than most of the people involved.
I didn't love this book, but I didn't hate it either. However, I didn't lose myself in this book; it did not keep me engaged, but perhaps if I had read the first book? I feel that it was just an okay novel.
ARC supplied by the publisher Atlantic Monthly Press/Grove Atlantic, the author, and NetGalley.
June 3, 2025
Joni and her daughter, Chris, are running the production company her husband started. The husband, Joni killed a year ago, and has so far gotten away with. When Joni’s estranged brother shows up at her door, buried secrets are uncovered and Joni’s closest relationships are tested. We know from the beginning that Joni is responsible for her husband’s death but we don’t learn the reason until later. This was a quick read with, mysterious sub-plots, interesting characters, and interactions. There’s even some dog drama that plays a major role in the mystery. 3.5 ⭐️
January 29, 2025
Thank you to Grove Atlantic for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
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
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
March 20, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and Katia for the ARC!
This one just didn't do it for me, with the blurb I was expecting something completely different. Although not always a bad thing, I just didn't enjoy the direction it went.
Unfortunately this one was really slow and boring for me. None of the characters had any depth and the writing was sub-par. I couldn't really care less about any of the characters and I noticed this one was a huge tell don't show kind of novel and it made it hard to get into.
My main issue is its just not a very interesting plot at all, and a lot of what happens has no emotion or anything really behind it because you aren't invested in the story and certainly not the characters.
There were parts where I read it and went "really, that's it?" since I always do no spoiler reviews, Ill just say Things that are definitely a big deal get shrugged off. Some things that happen your really just like " Yeah not shit bud??"
The book has been read!
This one just didn't do it for me, with the blurb I was expecting something completely different. Although not always a bad thing, I just didn't enjoy the direction it went.
Unfortunately this one was really slow and boring for me. None of the characters had any depth and the writing was sub-par. I couldn't really care less about any of the characters and I noticed this one was a huge tell don't show kind of novel and it made it hard to get into.
My main issue is its just not a very interesting plot at all, and a lot of what happens has no emotion or anything really behind it because you aren't invested in the story and certainly not the characters.
There were parts where I read it and went "really, that's it?" since I always do no spoiler reviews, Ill just say Things that are definitely a big deal get shrugged off. Some things that happen your really just like " Yeah not shit bud??"
The book has been read!
June 25, 2025
Women Like Us by Katia Lief
I wasn't aware of this when I requested this ARC, but Women Like Us is the second book in the Invisible Women Series.
In the first book, set five years earlier, Joni kills her (abusive? it wasn't clear to me) husband by putting antifreeze into his cocktail. He's found at the base of the stairs, and it would appear that she's gotten away with his murder; everyone seems to agree at least that he deserved it.
After spending time hiding away in Bali, Joni now runs Sunny Day Productions with her daughter, Chris, and her best friend, Val. This part of the storyline explores the complexities of female friendships, which is the strongest aspect of the story. There is a simmering tension between Joni and Val, as Val at least suspects that Joni killed her husband.
Joni's brother, Marc, resurfaces after a twenty-year estrangement. Joni wants to believe that he will be different now that he is older, but Val remains skeptical. Marc ultimately betrays Joni and her production assistant before fleeing and stealing Joni's dog. A private investigator approaches Joni, leading her to discover the hidden truths about Marc's past. As she learns more, Joni starts to believe that psychopathy may be a family trait.
Women Like Us is marketed as a literary thriller/mystery, but it doesn’t quite fit that description; the thriller/mystery elements felt weak. I enjoyed the story overall, but I found myself needing to re-read the ending a couple of times because I thought I had missed something, only to realize I hadn't. My ARC copy of the book didn't include cover art, so I was surprised to see the cover design, I'm not exactly sure how hula-woman fits with the storyline, but I like the idea of it.
Mild thumbs up.
Body Count = 1 (in this book).
@groveatlantic #groveatlantic @netgalley #NetGalley #WomenLikeUs #invisiblewoman #Bookstagram #booksdeevaareads #2025bookshelf #goreadabook #allthebooks #booknerd #Designer #GraphicDesign #DesignNerd #designdeevaa #CreativeLife #DesignInspiration #ArtAndDesign #Designer #Grapicdesign #DesignNerd #FashionDesign #AustralianAuthor #Melbourne #NewRelease #ArtAndCulture #SupportArtists
I wasn't aware of this when I requested this ARC, but Women Like Us is the second book in the Invisible Women Series.
In the first book, set five years earlier, Joni kills her (abusive? it wasn't clear to me) husband by putting antifreeze into his cocktail. He's found at the base of the stairs, and it would appear that she's gotten away with his murder; everyone seems to agree at least that he deserved it.
After spending time hiding away in Bali, Joni now runs Sunny Day Productions with her daughter, Chris, and her best friend, Val. This part of the storyline explores the complexities of female friendships, which is the strongest aspect of the story. There is a simmering tension between Joni and Val, as Val at least suspects that Joni killed her husband.
Joni's brother, Marc, resurfaces after a twenty-year estrangement. Joni wants to believe that he will be different now that he is older, but Val remains skeptical. Marc ultimately betrays Joni and her production assistant before fleeing and stealing Joni's dog. A private investigator approaches Joni, leading her to discover the hidden truths about Marc's past. As she learns more, Joni starts to believe that psychopathy may be a family trait.
Women Like Us is marketed as a literary thriller/mystery, but it doesn’t quite fit that description; the thriller/mystery elements felt weak. I enjoyed the story overall, but I found myself needing to re-read the ending a couple of times because I thought I had missed something, only to realize I hadn't. My ARC copy of the book didn't include cover art, so I was surprised to see the cover design, I'm not exactly sure how hula-woman fits with the storyline, but I like the idea of it.
Mild thumbs up.
Body Count = 1 (in this book).
@groveatlantic #groveatlantic @netgalley #NetGalley #WomenLikeUs #invisiblewoman #Bookstagram #booksdeevaareads #2025bookshelf #goreadabook #allthebooks #booknerd #Designer #GraphicDesign #DesignNerd #designdeevaa #CreativeLife #DesignInspiration #ArtAndDesign #Designer #Grapicdesign #DesignNerd #FashionDesign #AustralianAuthor #Melbourne #NewRelease #ArtAndCulture #SupportArtists
May 7, 2025
First, thank you to Grove Atlantic for the Advance Reader Copy of this book. It will be published on June 3, 2025.
The story follows Joni Ackerman, a woman who has spent five years rebuilding her life after secretly murdering her husband. Now, she runs Sunny Day Productions alongside her daughter and best friend, but her world is shaken when her estranged brother resurfaces, forcing her to confront dark family secrets and unsettling truths about herself.
The theme of the story is powerful, especially for women. It tackles family and friendship. How long will you take to protect your loved one? What are you willing to do to totally bury your past just so your present becomes perfect?
From the very beginning, it was an easy read and made me think a little—I really enjoyed it. However, as I got further into the book, it became flat and didn’t make sense anymore. This book feels too biased. Of course, I love women’s fiction, but I don’t know... this felt too unrealistic for me.
Still, I love how the story unfolds the complexities of women's friendships—what brings women together and what drives them apart. This book has a lot of potential, but I just wish it had been written in a more engaging way. Also, the fact that this is book two in Invisible Woman—which I was not able to read—really affected me in a negative way. I just wish I had known that before starting. But this can be read as a standalone—it’s just me, promise.
Overall, though this wasn’t what I expected, I’m still grateful and enjoyed reading it. It’s really a different feeling being inside the mind of a woman.
The story follows Joni Ackerman, a woman who has spent five years rebuilding her life after secretly murdering her husband. Now, she runs Sunny Day Productions alongside her daughter and best friend, but her world is shaken when her estranged brother resurfaces, forcing her to confront dark family secrets and unsettling truths about herself.
The theme of the story is powerful, especially for women. It tackles family and friendship. How long will you take to protect your loved one? What are you willing to do to totally bury your past just so your present becomes perfect?
From the very beginning, it was an easy read and made me think a little—I really enjoyed it. However, as I got further into the book, it became flat and didn’t make sense anymore. This book feels too biased. Of course, I love women’s fiction, but I don’t know... this felt too unrealistic for me.
Still, I love how the story unfolds the complexities of women's friendships—what brings women together and what drives them apart. This book has a lot of potential, but I just wish it had been written in a more engaging way. Also, the fact that this is book two in Invisible Woman—which I was not able to read—really affected me in a negative way. I just wish I had known that before starting. But this can be read as a standalone—it’s just me, promise.
Overall, though this wasn’t what I expected, I’m still grateful and enjoyed reading it. It’s really a different feeling being inside the mind of a woman.
June 5, 2025
Joni’s husband, Paul, died about a year ago. It was supposed to be by suicide but she knows she is the killer as she added antifreeze to his cocktail.
Paul was the originator of Sunny Day Productions but when Joni learned that he had raped and abused young women, she could not take it anymore. Joni is now the CEO and Executive Producer of the company along with their daughter, Chris.
When Joni’s brother, Marc, knocks on her door, she is shocked because she hasn’t seen nor heard from him in many years. He says he has been working as an IT specialist on cruise ships and is ready to settle down somewhere. Skeptical of him as their childhood relationship was not good, she invites him in to stay for a bit. He gets along with her daughter, Chris, and Joni’s beloved dog Stella.
When Joni and Chris need to head to New York for a few days, Marc promises to take good care of Stella while she’s gone. However, his promises blow up when Joni learns more about his past that shows he has been lying. They’ve left him with Stella!
This is a very tense book that brings up the old saying: “He Needed Killing.” That certainly holds true here. There is a lot of angst and guilt expressed in this book. The characters are well developed which makes for a tense and scary story here. I enjoyed it and hope other readers will as well. My favorite character? Of course that would be Stella, the GoldenDoodle.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Paul was the originator of Sunny Day Productions but when Joni learned that he had raped and abused young women, she could not take it anymore. Joni is now the CEO and Executive Producer of the company along with their daughter, Chris.
When Joni’s brother, Marc, knocks on her door, she is shocked because she hasn’t seen nor heard from him in many years. He says he has been working as an IT specialist on cruise ships and is ready to settle down somewhere. Skeptical of him as their childhood relationship was not good, she invites him in to stay for a bit. He gets along with her daughter, Chris, and Joni’s beloved dog Stella.
When Joni and Chris need to head to New York for a few days, Marc promises to take good care of Stella while she’s gone. However, his promises blow up when Joni learns more about his past that shows he has been lying. They’ve left him with Stella!
This is a very tense book that brings up the old saying: “He Needed Killing.” That certainly holds true here. There is a lot of angst and guilt expressed in this book. The characters are well developed which makes for a tense and scary story here. I enjoyed it and hope other readers will as well. My favorite character? Of course that would be Stella, the GoldenDoodle.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
February 17, 2025
I read this book quickly and felt that it moved at a fast pace overall, but it fell a little flat for me. The story centers primarily on Joni, who runs a production company with her daughter Chris and best friend Val. Joni has gotten away from suspicions that she killed her husband 5 years ago and is just living her life when her estranged brother Marc shows up and she worries he has an ulterior motive.
There are some pretty major events here (Marc's arrival and subsequent disappearance, the dognapping of Joni's beloved dog, the fact that Marc might be leading a double life, etc.) but those tended to get buried in day to day miniate and Joni's internal dialogue. I felt like really huge things were not taken all that seriously in some cases, while smaller things seemed like they got more attention. The whole dynamic between Joni and Blair (and even Val, at times) didn't seem real I found myself questioning the depth of some of these characters. Overall, I enjoyed the plot twists but wish that there had been more detail attached to some of them rather than staying surface level. I thought the ending fit the rest of the book, though there was no major event that tied everything together.
Overall, this was an OK read but there were a few things that caused it to fall a bit flat. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
There are some pretty major events here (Marc's arrival and subsequent disappearance, the dognapping of Joni's beloved dog, the fact that Marc might be leading a double life, etc.) but those tended to get buried in day to day miniate and Joni's internal dialogue. I felt like really huge things were not taken all that seriously in some cases, while smaller things seemed like they got more attention. The whole dynamic between Joni and Blair (and even Val, at times) didn't seem real I found myself questioning the depth of some of these characters. Overall, I enjoyed the plot twists but wish that there had been more detail attached to some of them rather than staying surface level. I thought the ending fit the rest of the book, though there was no major event that tied everything together.
Overall, this was an OK read but there were a few things that caused it to fall a bit flat. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 31, 2025
This is the second book featuring Joni Ackerman. I haven't read the first but had no trouble at all reading this as a standalone story.
Joni Ackerman's life has been sailing smoothly. She and her daughter Chris run their successful company, Sunny Day Productions. Life is so much better compared to the tragedy twelve months ago when Joni's husband fell down the stairs and died. Of course, nobody knows that Joni had mixed antifreeze into her unfaithful husband's drink before he fell down the stairs (and she'd like to keep it that way). When Joni's problem brother turns up on her doorstep, proclaiming he's a changed person, she can't help but be wary of him. What does he want and why is he really here? Has he really changed? When Joni finds out what he's been up to these last few years, she questions whether crazy may just run in her family and therefore whether she should be worried for her daughter.
It's difficult to pin down the genre of this book - it's a crime/thriller/mystery which also focuses on the female friendships and relationships in the story, as well as Joni's interactions with her manipulative brother, Marc. The characters are sharp and interesting and the writing biting. I enjoyed this read but am not sure I'd want to get on the wrong side of anyone in this family. 😂
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the opportunity to read and review this book
Joni Ackerman's life has been sailing smoothly. She and her daughter Chris run their successful company, Sunny Day Productions. Life is so much better compared to the tragedy twelve months ago when Joni's husband fell down the stairs and died. Of course, nobody knows that Joni had mixed antifreeze into her unfaithful husband's drink before he fell down the stairs (and she'd like to keep it that way). When Joni's problem brother turns up on her doorstep, proclaiming he's a changed person, she can't help but be wary of him. What does he want and why is he really here? Has he really changed? When Joni finds out what he's been up to these last few years, she questions whether crazy may just run in her family and therefore whether she should be worried for her daughter.
It's difficult to pin down the genre of this book - it's a crime/thriller/mystery which also focuses on the female friendships and relationships in the story, as well as Joni's interactions with her manipulative brother, Marc. The characters are sharp and interesting and the writing biting. I enjoyed this read but am not sure I'd want to get on the wrong side of anyone in this family. 😂
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the opportunity to read and review this book
December 11, 2025
Joni Ackerman. Five years before the story begins, she spiked her husband’s drink with antifreeze, and he died. yes, she got away with murder. She has since tried to start a anew and build herself a new life. She runs a production company called Sunny Day Productions, alongside her daughter Chris and her longtime best friend Val. Everything finally seems perfect: her success and stability after so much of a battle with her previous life. Cue in the estranged brother Marc. 20 years, and Marc has resurfaced! He is known to be a conman, yet this time around, he seems to be changed; calm. He ends up staying at Joni's to dog sit while she travels to NYC for business. Hidden truths start to unravel as Val, unconvinced of Marcs change, finds evidence of his conman ways. Joni is left to choose between clinging to the illusion she built or confront the truths underneath.
At its heart, the novel starts on Joni and Val’s friendship, built on trust over many years. But then takes a psychological thriller theme about trust, identity, and whether darkness can ever truly be escaped.
Themes:
Female friendship, loyalty, and betrayal
Family trauma and generational patterns
Identity and survival, manipulation
A Character driven story with tension suspense and emotional turbulence.
Thank you, Netgalley, for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review
At its heart, the novel starts on Joni and Val’s friendship, built on trust over many years. But then takes a psychological thriller theme about trust, identity, and whether darkness can ever truly be escaped.
Themes:
Female friendship, loyalty, and betrayal
Family trauma and generational patterns
Identity and survival, manipulation
A Character driven story with tension suspense and emotional turbulence.
Thank you, Netgalley, for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review
February 28, 2025
“She would be this: a woman who excavated the forgotten lives of other women and thereby saved herself”
Women Like Us explores female relationships, what binds and breaks them, and the age old questions, is evil an inherited trait?
Joni is a truly unlikable character, yet for the entire book I found myself rooting for her and many cases, relating to her. The guilt she feels over the death of her husband, her constant questioning of if she is a bad person because her parents were and her brother is. Will her daughter, Chris, also be a terrible person? If I wasn’t wanting to throttle her, I was wanting to hug her.
Her friendship with her childhood best friend Val is balancing on a precarious thread that is pulled tighter the whole book due to a tainted history and Joni’s inability to accept the truth of her brother and you have to wonder, “when is it going to snap?”
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Women Like Us explores female relationships, what binds and breaks them, and the age old questions, is evil an inherited trait?
Joni is a truly unlikable character, yet for the entire book I found myself rooting for her and many cases, relating to her. The guilt she feels over the death of her husband, her constant questioning of if she is a bad person because her parents were and her brother is. Will her daughter, Chris, also be a terrible person? If I wasn’t wanting to throttle her, I was wanting to hug her.
Her friendship with her childhood best friend Val is balancing on a precarious thread that is pulled tighter the whole book due to a tainted history and Joni’s inability to accept the truth of her brother and you have to wonder, “when is it going to snap?”
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
January 14, 2025
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. susanh_bookreviews
May 29, 2025
1.25 🌟
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book much. I didn't realize it was a sequel - maybe reading the first book would have helped. However, even Goodreads lists this as the first in the series rather than the second one.
The characters were all flat and highly unlikeable to me. Not in a fun or twisted way, either - just utterly boring. The writing was confusing; I found myself re-reading paragraphs here and there to try to parse out which pronouns were referring to whom. I skimmed the last 40% because I wanted the book to be over with by that point. There's a twist or two, neither of which is surprising. I don't know. This book did nothing for me at all.
I'm clearly not the target audience here, but I'm not sure who the right audience would be. 🤷🏻♀️
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC.
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book much. I didn't realize it was a sequel - maybe reading the first book would have helped. However, even Goodreads lists this as the first in the series rather than the second one.
The characters were all flat and highly unlikeable to me. Not in a fun or twisted way, either - just utterly boring. The writing was confusing; I found myself re-reading paragraphs here and there to try to parse out which pronouns were referring to whom. I skimmed the last 40% because I wanted the book to be over with by that point. There's a twist or two, neither of which is surprising. I don't know. This book did nothing for me at all.
I'm clearly not the target audience here, but I'm not sure who the right audience would be. 🤷🏻♀️
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC.
June 2, 2025
This is a 3.5. I liked it a lot, but a little less than the first in the series. Why? Well, hopefully for something that someone else caught while reading a galley and fixed before pub date. But it was a small something that really bugged me. (I might try and check out a final copy and see if has been corrected and if so change my review.) Also, like the first in the series, I felt like I knew exactly where the story was going. Sure this one took a little detour but that just seemed to slow down the inevitable. I think I like a little less transparency in my books. But, I also loved the inclusion of the history of Caedmon Records! Yes, this woman owned/run studio really existed! I do love when I learn something even while reading fiction. I wonder where book three will take us?
Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
December 20, 2025
This one never fully pulled me in. Women Like Us sets out to explore obsession, secrets, and complicated female relationships within a suspense framework, but for me the execution didn’t live up to the premise.
While there are moments of intrigue, the tension felt uneven and the characters never quite clicked into focus. I struggled to feel invested in their choices or the emotional stakes behind them, which made the twists land with less impact than intended. I could see what the book was aiming for, but I stayed emotionally detached throughout. An interesting idea that ultimately didn’t come together for me.
⭐️⭐️
𝗩𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸:
🕶️ muted domestic suspense
🫀 distant emotional stakes
🧩 scattered tension
𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗳:
You need strong character connection and sustained tension to stay engaged.
Many thanks to Grove Atlantic for the gifted eARC.
While there are moments of intrigue, the tension felt uneven and the characters never quite clicked into focus. I struggled to feel invested in their choices or the emotional stakes behind them, which made the twists land with less impact than intended. I could see what the book was aiming for, but I stayed emotionally detached throughout. An interesting idea that ultimately didn’t come together for me.
⭐️⭐️
𝗩𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸:
🕶️ muted domestic suspense
🫀 distant emotional stakes
🧩 scattered tension
𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗳:
You need strong character connection and sustained tension to stay engaged.
Many thanks to Grove Atlantic for the gifted eARC.
April 7, 2025
I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review:
Women with secrets are dangerous, especially when battling dangerous men. A messy web of secrets connects Joni, her husband, her best friend, and her brother. When the web starts to fray, the fallout could be tragic.
It is hard to say more than that without getting too close to giving away spoilers.
The mysteries in the plot are predictable, but it was still an enjoyable and satisfying read. Despite the sketchy behavior from everyone, you still want to root for them and hope that they become a better person in the end. It’ll make for a great summer read. This is a super quick and engaging read that can easily be done during the weekend or while on vacation.
Women with secrets are dangerous, especially when battling dangerous men. A messy web of secrets connects Joni, her husband, her best friend, and her brother. When the web starts to fray, the fallout could be tragic.
It is hard to say more than that without getting too close to giving away spoilers.
The mysteries in the plot are predictable, but it was still an enjoyable and satisfying read. Despite the sketchy behavior from everyone, you still want to root for them and hope that they become a better person in the end. It’ll make for a great summer read. This is a super quick and engaging read that can easily be done during the weekend or while on vacation.
June 10, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley & Grove Atlantic for the chance to read this book
Had a little trouble keeping up the pace with this one, nothing wrong with it just not my genre or the type of book I normally read. So just took me a little longer than I like to read one book, felt like it dragged on a bit, I did not read the first book so maybe that's why I wasn't as invested as i should have been in the characters stories, other than that it was well written. IMHO I think the Blair part fell flat for me, I mean i didn't love her as a character anyway but then she was just gone and they kept bringing her up with the main storyline but I just felt I didn't really get enough of her part of the story or maybe some more back round on her might have helped.
Had a little trouble keeping up the pace with this one, nothing wrong with it just not my genre or the type of book I normally read. So just took me a little longer than I like to read one book, felt like it dragged on a bit, I did not read the first book so maybe that's why I wasn't as invested as i should have been in the characters stories, other than that it was well written. IMHO I think the Blair part fell flat for me, I mean i didn't love her as a character anyway but then she was just gone and they kept bringing her up with the main storyline but I just felt I didn't really get enough of her part of the story or maybe some more back round on her might have helped.
May 24, 2025
This book was a slower paced literary thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed. We learn about Joni’s crime right from the start. She killed her husband and she is now running the company that he owned, while navigating through life knowing what she did. When her estranged brother randomly shows up, and she knows something isn’t right about this.
This one will definitely take you on quite the wild ride. The characters are very likable and the writing is super descriptive. I totally was not expecting the ending, but I couldn’t help but smile. If this book sounds like your jam, I highly recommend it.
This one will definitely take you on quite the wild ride. The characters are very likable and the writing is super descriptive. I totally was not expecting the ending, but I couldn’t help but smile. If this book sounds like your jam, I highly recommend it.
May 31, 2025
Those who read Invisible Woman will remember Joni's loathsome husband Paul and her friend Val, as well as her daughter. And they will remember Joni's struggles before she offed Paul. But now, she's sober, running her company with the help of Val and her other friends and all looks good until her brother Marc shows up. Marc was a difficult sibling and as it turn out, he is also a difficult husband. When he disappears taking Joni's dog with him, well, no spoilers. This has delightful turns of phrase but the characters, except for the poor dog, are not especially likable. That's ok. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. For fans of literary fiction looking for something light.
October 9, 2025
I enjoyed this one, it was a quick read that was great via audio. Joni is quite a character, she is flawed, I mean, she killed her husband after all and got away with it. We know this up front but don’t know why. Then her brother shows up at her door and it just continues to spiral from there. It was interesting to watch these characters interact while trying to figure out what was going on, and I liked how it ended. I thought this was an entertaining read, more character focused than plot driven which worked for me but others might need to be aware going in.
Thank you to Atlantic Crime #partner for the gifted copy to review.
Thank you to Atlantic Crime #partner for the gifted copy to review.
dnf
December 13, 2025DNF at 50 pages. I liked the writing style but at the same time, I got confused about characters. I am not sure how to describe this, but it was hard to follow who was talking or who the plot line was referring to. This was not the reason I DNF’d though. I liked the premise but it just wasn’t captivating enough. I thought I was getting a psychological thriller but everything was just laid out (except for what I mentioned above). I didn’t feel the mystery or the intrigue and I didn’t care about the characters enough to want to follow them through another 200+ pages. I’m not really sure who this book is for.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews