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Society Women
The USA Today bestselling author of the Influencer series delivers a riveting psychological thriller about power, betrayal, and the haunting legacy of family secrets filled with diabolical turns and shocking twists.
Some invitations are meant to be declined. . . .
Ellie works as an accountant at her father’s successful investment company in New York City. She enjoys all the comforts her privileged lifestyle affords—a two-bedroom apartment overlooking Central Park, a generous trust fund, and a devastatingly attractive if often absent husband who works long hours for her father as well. Yet the introverted young woman who wants for nothing feels aimless and untethered. Ellie lost her mother at a young age and still has nightmares about her death. She sometimes sleepwalks at night and finds herself stumbling through the days.
But Ellie’s life takes a turn when she receives an anonymous invitation in the mail, asking her to join an elite women’s club known only as “The Society.” Intrigued, she begins to attend their lavish gatherings where she meets her new close companion, Aubrey, and enjoys the benefits of belonging to the group—friendship, sisterhood, and support from other successful and glamorous women. Then Ellie makes a horrifying discovery about the society and its “philanthropic work.” The women of The Society harbor dark, dangerous secrets—secrets that may implicate Ellie’s own family.
Wickedly twisty, Society Women is a gripping story of prestige, power, and dirty secrets that will hook you with every surprising turn and leave you questioning every truth until the final, shocking end.
Some invitations are meant to be declined. . . .
Ellie works as an accountant at her father’s successful investment company in New York City. She enjoys all the comforts her privileged lifestyle affords—a two-bedroom apartment overlooking Central Park, a generous trust fund, and a devastatingly attractive if often absent husband who works long hours for her father as well. Yet the introverted young woman who wants for nothing feels aimless and untethered. Ellie lost her mother at a young age and still has nightmares about her death. She sometimes sleepwalks at night and finds herself stumbling through the days.
But Ellie’s life takes a turn when she receives an anonymous invitation in the mail, asking her to join an elite women’s club known only as “The Society.” Intrigued, she begins to attend their lavish gatherings where she meets her new close companion, Aubrey, and enjoys the benefits of belonging to the group—friendship, sisterhood, and support from other successful and glamorous women. Then Ellie makes a horrifying discovery about the society and its “philanthropic work.” The women of The Society harbor dark, dangerous secrets—secrets that may implicate Ellie’s own family.
Wickedly twisty, Society Women is a gripping story of prestige, power, and dirty secrets that will hook you with every surprising turn and leave you questioning every truth until the final, shocking end.
256 pages, Paperback
First published December 30, 2025
About the author
Adriane Leigh
61 books2,889 followersis a USA Today bestselling author of multiple novels and novellas. With appearances in publications such as Vogue Magazine and The Montreal Gazette, the award-winning author, in addition to writing, founded RARE: Romance Author & Reader Events, a community of internationally-renowned book conventions that draw thousands of readers and #1 bestselling authors to events around the world each year.
She hosts a podcast, The Rebel Artist, and her books are translated into French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.
She lives on Lake Michigan with her family.
She hosts a podcast, The Rebel Artist, and her books are translated into French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.
She lives on Lake Michigan with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
October 16, 2025
ARC for review. To be published March 24, 2026.
1 star
So, this one took an odd turn. And, and you may think I am mistaken because the Good Lord knows she only mentions it every ten pages or so, but there is no way this FMC went to Columbia. In fact, if I had to guess, the city in South Carolina would be iffy about letting her in there. Because she is dumb. Beyond dumb. Imbecilic.
Can you really root for hopeless, naive idiots? I think you just stick a helmet on them and send them on their ways. An actual line of dialogue from the book: “”You wouldn’t listen. You wouldn’t play your part. Your goodness is a liability.’” And so many plot holes. Just so, so bad.
1 star
So, this one took an odd turn. And, and you may think I am mistaken because the Good Lord knows she only mentions it every ten pages or so, but there is no way this FMC went to Columbia. In fact, if I had to guess, the city in South Carolina would be iffy about letting her in there. Because she is dumb. Beyond dumb. Imbecilic.
Can you really root for hopeless, naive idiots? I think you just stick a helmet on them and send them on their ways. An actual line of dialogue from the book: “”You wouldn’t listen. You wouldn’t play your part. Your goodness is a liability.’” And so many plot holes. Just so, so bad.
April 1, 2026
"They're like a cult of man-hating women. I love it. "
Okay y'all, this is a wild, super-fast read, but you must suspend all disbelief and ignore inconsistencies. Ellie is a meek woman who lives a seemingly perfect life, with a fabulous apartment, a handsome husband, and a job at her father's investment company. However, there's trouble in paradise: she has nightmares and wakes up with bruises she can't remember, her husband works long hours, and she doesn't have any friends except for a new neighbor, Aubrey—who has her own agenda. She receives an invitation to attend a meeting of 'The Society' and takes Aubrey with her, since she's too timid to go on her own. She's inducted into this secret group of older women, and then suddenly begins receiving assignments involving men of ill repute. Unbelievable, that as an insecure person she would take orders from women she just met, but okay, just go with it!
The concept of taking down men who have wronged women is a great one; unfortunately, the set-up and execution were lacking. Ellie's behavior vacillates out of her established character, such as enticing men into compromising positions, and then in the next chapter she's sniveling about her husband's lack of attention and back again. It's all a bit silly and unrealistic—but also fun if you can ignore the implausibility and predictability of the plot. If you enjoy hidden secrets and women taking revenge, then get your butter ready for this amusing popcorn thriller!
____
Thank you to Harper Perennial for my gifted copy. All thoughts are my own and given voluntarily.
Okay y'all, this is a wild, super-fast read, but you must suspend all disbelief and ignore inconsistencies. Ellie is a meek woman who lives a seemingly perfect life, with a fabulous apartment, a handsome husband, and a job at her father's investment company. However, there's trouble in paradise: she has nightmares and wakes up with bruises she can't remember, her husband works long hours, and she doesn't have any friends except for a new neighbor, Aubrey—who has her own agenda. She receives an invitation to attend a meeting of 'The Society' and takes Aubrey with her, since she's too timid to go on her own. She's inducted into this secret group of older women, and then suddenly begins receiving assignments involving men of ill repute. Unbelievable, that as an insecure person she would take orders from women she just met, but okay, just go with it!
The concept of taking down men who have wronged women is a great one; unfortunately, the set-up and execution were lacking. Ellie's behavior vacillates out of her established character, such as enticing men into compromising positions, and then in the next chapter she's sniveling about her husband's lack of attention and back again. It's all a bit silly and unrealistic—but also fun if you can ignore the implausibility and predictability of the plot. If you enjoy hidden secrets and women taking revenge, then get your butter ready for this amusing popcorn thriller!
____
Thank you to Harper Perennial for my gifted copy. All thoughts are my own and given voluntarily.
October 6, 2025
This kicks off with a woman named Kat refusing to use nicknames (Kat being her given name, obviously) and ends somewhere in the realm of one character revealing the existence of a hidden camera broadcasting live to another character who promptly responds by confessing everything. I'm not exaggerating.
January 21, 2026
I’m supposed to believe that a naive, meek woman suddenly becomes a natural “spy” — well I don’t. Also the whole time, main girl is like “I know this is stupid but here I am doing it anyway” — lazy writing imo.
November 1, 2025
I have not read a hot mess of a book like this in awhile. While the action ramps up fast, it quickly runs itself off the deep end. Ellie is immediately suspicious of her husband and we have little to no rationale as to why - there is no suspense building in any plot in this entire book. Her father ends up being this horrible human and he and Ellie maybe have one total interaction before the last chapter? The society plot line, the whole description of this book, is only in the first 40% of the book and hardly mentioned again (though I guess it does connect, but they just stop contacting her, no questions asked). Ellie doesn’t question at all the motives of the group and seems to have no qualms to go on dates with supposed horrible men despite being married. Then in a matter of days she’s carving a man’s chest! A high security government official?! Yet her violent tendencies are hardly found in the rest of this book. I find it quite wild the first person thanked in the acknowledgments of this book is the editor because frankly this book feels like nobody edited it at all. A whole ass mess, truly.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2025
Society Women is a fast-paced, bingeable thriller — I flew through it in under 24 hours. It’s an easy, compulsive read filled with twisted characters and unhinged decisions. The plot goes way over the top — think Blacklist-level chaos — and definitely stretches reality, but it kept me entertained the whole time. A solid 3-star read for when you’re in the mood for drama.
March 22, 2026
Society Women by Adriane Leigh. Thanks to @harperperennial for the gifted copy ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Elle works at her father’s very successful firm with her husband. Life is pretty good if she can ignore the nightmares and sleepwalking. Her life changes when she’s invited to an elite women’s club known as “The Society.”
A fun revenge story, this one is only a little over 200 pages and will fly by. It’s a very easy and entertaining read. There is some disbelief that will have to be held, but sometimes that’s okay for an entertaining thriller. The end was very satisfying and unexpected, after several twists.
“These women are turning the paradigm upside down - quietly taking back their power in pearls and Louboutins.”
Read if you like:
-Me-too revenge stories
-Female empowerment groups
-Mental health or gaslighting thrillers
-Evil men being taken down
Society Women comes out 3/24.
Elle works at her father’s very successful firm with her husband. Life is pretty good if she can ignore the nightmares and sleepwalking. Her life changes when she’s invited to an elite women’s club known as “The Society.”
A fun revenge story, this one is only a little over 200 pages and will fly by. It’s a very easy and entertaining read. There is some disbelief that will have to be held, but sometimes that’s okay for an entertaining thriller. The end was very satisfying and unexpected, after several twists.
“These women are turning the paradigm upside down - quietly taking back their power in pearls and Louboutins.”
Read if you like:
-Me-too revenge stories
-Female empowerment groups
-Mental health or gaslighting thrillers
-Evil men being taken down
Society Women comes out 3/24.
November 20, 2025
Society Women was an addictive, messy kind of read. I liked following Ellie as she gets drawn into the glamorous, secret world of The Society. She’s trying to figure out her life while surrounded by wealth, privilege, and people who seem perfect on the outside but are hiding dark secrets.
I liked the twists and the way the book showed how toxic ambition and appearances can be. The tension kept me turning pages, and the cat-and-mouse between Ellie and the other women had some really satisfying moments. That said, a few plot points felt a little over-the-top, and Ellie sometimes felt more reactive than fully in control of her story.
Overall, it’s a fun, bingeable thriller with plenty of glitz, drama, and secrets. Not perfect, but definitely entertaining.
Looking forward to reading more from this author.
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.
I liked the twists and the way the book showed how toxic ambition and appearances can be. The tension kept me turning pages, and the cat-and-mouse between Ellie and the other women had some really satisfying moments. That said, a few plot points felt a little over-the-top, and Ellie sometimes felt more reactive than fully in control of her story.
Overall, it’s a fun, bingeable thriller with plenty of glitz, drama, and secrets. Not perfect, but definitely entertaining.
Looking forward to reading more from this author.
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.
March 30, 2026
#ad much love for my advance copy @harperperennial #partner
Society Women
< @
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑔𝑚 𝑢𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛—𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑒𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐿𝑜𝑢𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑠 💁🏼♀️
𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘺, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘴 𝘶𝘴…
I’ve loved this author ever since I read her Influencer series, so I knew I’d love this one. Absolutely loved it - I wish it wasn’t fiction 😈
Ellie still tormented by her past. It’s never too far off in her mind. But it’s worse at night, when she’s deep asleep. Still, nothing can prepare her for what’s about to happen. It begins when a random invite to a Women’s Group called the Society, shows up. So sure, why not go? Because nothing bad has ever come from accepting an invite from someone you don’t know - right?!
But now, Ellie is deep in different jobs tasked to her by the Society.
Society Women by Adriane Leigh is a propulsive read that you won’t want to put down. Revenge never read so good. Unhinged but it’ll all make perfect sense to you. The best type of crazy.
The story alternates between Ellie’s and Audrey’s perspectives. Two key players. The chapters read like cat-vs-mouse, but we aren’t really sure which direction the story is going. I enjoyed this angle. You might think you know where it’s going, but then there’s clues that pull you down another road. So it stays a little unpredictable while also being predictable. I enjoyed this balance.
Ellie’s husband, Jack, acts just like Jordan from SLOWM. He literally had that same convo with his soon-to-be ex-wife Jessi. (This book was written way before those episodes released - it’s pure coincidence.)
Not perfect, but pretty close. So many secrets escaping these pages.
Society Women
< @
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑔𝑚 𝑢𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛—𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑒𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐿𝑜𝑢𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑠 💁🏼♀️
𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘺, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘴 𝘶𝘴…
I’ve loved this author ever since I read her Influencer series, so I knew I’d love this one. Absolutely loved it - I wish it wasn’t fiction 😈
Ellie still tormented by her past. It’s never too far off in her mind. But it’s worse at night, when she’s deep asleep. Still, nothing can prepare her for what’s about to happen. It begins when a random invite to a Women’s Group called the Society, shows up. So sure, why not go? Because nothing bad has ever come from accepting an invite from someone you don’t know - right?!
But now, Ellie is deep in different jobs tasked to her by the Society.
Society Women by Adriane Leigh is a propulsive read that you won’t want to put down. Revenge never read so good. Unhinged but it’ll all make perfect sense to you. The best type of crazy.
The story alternates between Ellie’s and Audrey’s perspectives. Two key players. The chapters read like cat-vs-mouse, but we aren’t really sure which direction the story is going. I enjoyed this angle. You might think you know where it’s going, but then there’s clues that pull you down another road. So it stays a little unpredictable while also being predictable. I enjoyed this balance.
Ellie’s husband, Jack, acts just like Jordan from SLOWM. He literally had that same convo with his soon-to-be ex-wife Jessi. (This book was written way before those episodes released - it’s pure coincidence.)
Not perfect, but pretty close. So many secrets escaping these pages.
April 6, 2026
Mehhh
March 27, 2026
Society Women by @adriane.leigh.writer is a dark, twisted thriller about women delivering justice to men for their awful behavior. Thank you, @harperperennial !
It gives all the vigilante vibes of The Collective by @alison.gaylin and They Never Learn by @laynefargo . It’s hard to know who to trust as the story progresses, which made this such a fun read. There are twists, turns, and surprises along the way to a brilliant, satisfying final chapter!
It gives all the vigilante vibes of The Collective by @alison.gaylin and They Never Learn by @laynefargo . It’s hard to know who to trust as the story progresses, which made this such a fun read. There are twists, turns, and surprises along the way to a brilliant, satisfying final chapter!
March 21, 2026
What did I just read - this made 0 sense
Did Not Finish
January 26, 2026DNF at 26%.
Unfortunately this was not for me. The main character here is a wet dishrag. She complains about her husband when she is with her conniving friend, but when she is around him she is begging him to pay attention to her. His treatment is abusive, and she is being used on all fronts. It was hard to care what happened to her.
Unfortunately this was not for me. The main character here is a wet dishrag. She complains about her husband when she is with her conniving friend, but when she is around him she is begging him to pay attention to her. His treatment is abusive, and she is being used on all fronts. It was hard to care what happened to her.
April 3, 2026
★★
Let’s file this one under a Bookstagram made me buy it read.
The first half had me genuinely intrigued. Ellie, who appears to be a thriving professional with an equally successful husband and a highly influential father, is invited into a secret society with a mysterious mission. It’s a strong setup, and I was fully on board. But the more we learn about Ellie, the more things start to contradict each other. I kept hoping it would all come together in an explosive, twisty reveal. Unfortunately, it ends up feeling more like plot holes than clever misdirection.
Some of the biggest issues for me:
The ending felt like a fever dream. I reread parts of it multiple times and still couldn’t make sense of the overly convenient chain of events leading to the resolution. Ellie is so inconsistently written that she feels like three different characters stitched together. Nothing fully connects, and her retrospective explanation of how she achieved “justice” comes across as forced and unrealistic.
I really wanted this to work, but in the end, I wish I had DNF’d.
Let’s file this one under a Bookstagram made me buy it read.
The first half had me genuinely intrigued. Ellie, who appears to be a thriving professional with an equally successful husband and a highly influential father, is invited into a secret society with a mysterious mission. It’s a strong setup, and I was fully on board. But the more we learn about Ellie, the more things start to contradict each other. I kept hoping it would all come together in an explosive, twisty reveal. Unfortunately, it ends up feeling more like plot holes than clever misdirection.
Some of the biggest issues for me:
The ending felt like a fever dream. I reread parts of it multiple times and still couldn’t make sense of the overly convenient chain of events leading to the resolution. Ellie is so inconsistently written that she feels like three different characters stitched together. Nothing fully connects, and her retrospective explanation of how she achieved “justice” comes across as forced and unrealistic.
I really wanted this to work, but in the end, I wish I had DNF’d.
January 20, 2026
ARC for Review:
“Society Women” by Adriane Leigh is a story about Ellie Taylor (nee Thomas) who marries her so-called college sweetheart named Jack, lost her mother when she was a child, grows up believing her powerful and rich father has her best interest at heart, and has a best friend by the name of Aubrey who lives in the same apartment building as Ellie and Jack, but everything she believes is a lie.
I would have dismissed stories such as this one as “far-fetched” years ago, but given the current state of affairs, this story comes off as hopeful for women who want to take their power back. Trigger Warning: This story also contains mentions rape, slight BDSM, blood, mutilation, sexual assault, manipulation, mansplaining, drugging, alcohol, murder, and mystery.
Notes for the Editor and Author:
Pg. 27: Paragraph 7 Should “She reported him, …” be on a separate line from “I’m so sorry,” I breathe? It’s appears to be two different people speaking.
Pg. 29: First paragraph, “says. The slow” should have a period and word separation.
Pg. 33: That second paragraph “I shrug. “Maybe he’s right, but…” is one of the best paragraphs in the book. Thank you!
Pg. 81: Second paragraph, “moment but” needs to be separated.
Pg. 91: Final paragraph, there are two commas near each other in one sentence.
Pg. 98: Final sentence on the page ends in a comma.
Pg. 152: Final Paragraph, the word “like” is missing an “l” in the second sentence.
Pg. 157: Third line: I love “The Incredible Hulk” reference, and it seems fitting for what’s happening in the book at this point.
Pg. 173: First or second paragraph, “after-school special”, please separate school and special”.
Pg. 188: Fifth paragraph, separate “You’re right, I’m sorry.” The comma and “I’m” are right next to each other.
Pg. 208: Second paragraph, drop the unnecessary “f” after “Jason.”
Pg. 235: Final paragraph on the page, “is a” should be separated in the sentence “The glass between us is a mirror on one side”.
Overall, it was a good read. Ellie comes off as a sympathetic character, but Aubrey stays questionable throughout. If that was your goal with Aubrey, it worked out. Thanks for letting me review this book.
“Society Women” by Adriane Leigh is a story about Ellie Taylor (nee Thomas) who marries her so-called college sweetheart named Jack, lost her mother when she was a child, grows up believing her powerful and rich father has her best interest at heart, and has a best friend by the name of Aubrey who lives in the same apartment building as Ellie and Jack, but everything she believes is a lie.
I would have dismissed stories such as this one as “far-fetched” years ago, but given the current state of affairs, this story comes off as hopeful for women who want to take their power back. Trigger Warning: This story also contains mentions rape, slight BDSM, blood, mutilation, sexual assault, manipulation, mansplaining, drugging, alcohol, murder, and mystery.
Notes for the Editor and Author:
Pg. 27: Paragraph 7 Should “She reported him, …” be on a separate line from “I’m so sorry,” I breathe? It’s appears to be two different people speaking.
Pg. 29: First paragraph, “says. The slow” should have a period and word separation.
Pg. 33: That second paragraph “I shrug. “Maybe he’s right, but…” is one of the best paragraphs in the book. Thank you!
Pg. 81: Second paragraph, “moment but” needs to be separated.
Pg. 91: Final paragraph, there are two commas near each other in one sentence.
Pg. 98: Final sentence on the page ends in a comma.
Pg. 152: Final Paragraph, the word “like” is missing an “l” in the second sentence.
Pg. 157: Third line: I love “The Incredible Hulk” reference, and it seems fitting for what’s happening in the book at this point.
Pg. 173: First or second paragraph, “after-school special”, please separate school and special”.
Pg. 188: Fifth paragraph, separate “You’re right, I’m sorry.” The comma and “I’m” are right next to each other.
Pg. 208: Second paragraph, drop the unnecessary “f” after “Jason.”
Pg. 235: Final paragraph on the page, “is a” should be separated in the sentence “The glass between us is a mirror on one side”.
Overall, it was a good read. Ellie comes off as a sympathetic character, but Aubrey stays questionable throughout. If that was your goal with Aubrey, it worked out. Thanks for letting me review this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2026
After reading this, all I can say is I’m very glad I’m not part of the upper echelons of society.😅
I did consider DNFing at one point because honestly, the main character had me majorly questioning her choices … I was basically yelling at her the entire time and she refused to listen! 😂
That being said, the plot was so chaotic and over-the-top that I couldn’t stop reading…I just needed to know how it was all going to end. It wasn’t a long read so at least it was easy to finish quickly. 🤷🏻♀️
Overall, it’s a somewhat entertaining thriller with some twists I didn’t see coming. If you like domestic thrillers with secret societies and morally questionable decisions and feminist edge, you’ll probably fly through this one.
I did consider DNFing at one point because honestly, the main character had me majorly questioning her choices … I was basically yelling at her the entire time and she refused to listen! 😂
That being said, the plot was so chaotic and over-the-top that I couldn’t stop reading…I just needed to know how it was all going to end. It wasn’t a long read so at least it was easy to finish quickly. 🤷🏻♀️
Overall, it’s a somewhat entertaining thriller with some twists I didn’t see coming. If you like domestic thrillers with secret societies and morally questionable decisions and feminist edge, you’ll probably fly through this one.
April 19, 2026
Society Women by Adriane Leigh
Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫
2.5 stars (generously rounded up.)
I often get really disappointed with myself when I let a synopsis trick me into choosing a novel to read. This is one of those times. “A riveting psychological thriller about power, betrayal and the haunting legacy of family secrets filled with diabolical turns and shocking twists.”
Whomever wrote this synopsis deserves an award (because this synopsis SOUNDS riveting,) and also a heavy slap (because there’s barely a kernel of truth in it.)
I’m pretty confused by this book. Like, how an editor decided this was ready for publishing…how the publishing company doesn’t seem to have checks and balances against their editors? I know that reading is subjective but this…I don’t even have words for what this is.
I don’t think there is a single character worthy of speaking on much. The FMC, Ellie, does not bring main character energy at all. She was raised in money and high society, graduated from Columbia University, married her college sweetheart and they now both work for her fathers company. But, she is meek and submissive, focused only on pleasing the men in her life. She seems to never actually go to work. She has no friends or social life, either.
Then her neighbor Aubrey (I think that’s her name!) moves in and becomes her insta best friend. She receives a mysterious invitation from The Society (this being the most “mysterious” thing that happens,) and is suddenly transformed into a spy. A femme fatale, if you will.
Choppy pacing, way too many plot holes, forgettable characters and absolutely zero build up or tension…in addition to a very poorly executed, baseless psychological mind f*ck near the end.
There isn’t much to this book and there really isn’t a whole lot to say about it. It took me about two weeks to slog through and thats mainly because I’m stubborn and don’t like to DNF (I clearly should have.)
I’m pretty disappointed in this book and I can’t think of a single demographic that I could recommend this book to (not in good conscience anyway.) In fact, this novel pretty much makes the author irredeemable and I have no interest in reading anything else by them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the digital advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
Estimated publish date: March 24th
Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫
2.5 stars (generously rounded up.)
I often get really disappointed with myself when I let a synopsis trick me into choosing a novel to read. This is one of those times. “A riveting psychological thriller about power, betrayal and the haunting legacy of family secrets filled with diabolical turns and shocking twists.”
Whomever wrote this synopsis deserves an award (because this synopsis SOUNDS riveting,) and also a heavy slap (because there’s barely a kernel of truth in it.)
I’m pretty confused by this book. Like, how an editor decided this was ready for publishing…how the publishing company doesn’t seem to have checks and balances against their editors? I know that reading is subjective but this…I don’t even have words for what this is.
I don’t think there is a single character worthy of speaking on much. The FMC, Ellie, does not bring main character energy at all. She was raised in money and high society, graduated from Columbia University, married her college sweetheart and they now both work for her fathers company. But, she is meek and submissive, focused only on pleasing the men in her life. She seems to never actually go to work. She has no friends or social life, either.
Then her neighbor Aubrey (I think that’s her name!) moves in and becomes her insta best friend. She receives a mysterious invitation from The Society (this being the most “mysterious” thing that happens,) and is suddenly transformed into a spy. A femme fatale, if you will.
Choppy pacing, way too many plot holes, forgettable characters and absolutely zero build up or tension…in addition to a very poorly executed, baseless psychological mind f*ck near the end.
There isn’t much to this book and there really isn’t a whole lot to say about it. It took me about two weeks to slog through and thats mainly because I’m stubborn and don’t like to DNF (I clearly should have.)
I’m pretty disappointed in this book and I can’t think of a single demographic that I could recommend this book to (not in good conscience anyway.) In fact, this novel pretty much makes the author irredeemable and I have no interest in reading anything else by them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the digital advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
Estimated publish date: March 24th
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
This was a very twisted book! l loved the turns it took and the surprisingly good character development.
March 31, 2026
I'm not too picky with thrillers even if they are a little formulaic as long as they entertain, but this one didn't work for me. It seems like the main character went from 1 to 100 so quickly, that I didn't find it even vaguely believable. She joins the society and is suddenly doing their dirty work without any struggle of consciousness or questioning. Part of what makes thrillers so great is having an average person be dropped into serious and life-threatening situations and having to struggle to make the best decision. Sometimes they make morally-gray decisions. Sometimes they make terrible decisions. Seeing the internal struggle and how the characters react to situations and change through hardships is what really hooks readers. Ellie fell flat for me. She just went along with everything with minimum questioning and no real internal battles except for hurting her father. I felt like I'd missed a chunk of the book because of how comfortable she was with all the tasks she was assigned.
Interesting concept. Not well executed in my opinion.
Interesting concept. Not well executed in my opinion.
March 23, 2026
SOCIETY WOMEN
📖 book review • out 03.24.26
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
thank you @bibliolifestyle @harperperennialbooks #partner for my gifted copy!
did I read this entire book in just a few hours? Sure did, once I picked it up I just wanted to know everything going on and basically didn’t put it down unless I *had* to do something (adulting🙄) but came right back to it.
I’ve read several by this author and all of her books are like that. They just flow so well and you want to know what happens! I was highly invested and couldn’t quite figure out what was going on, couldn’t decide who’s side I was on, and it just never let up until the last page. Definitely give this one a read!
📖 book review • out 03.24.26
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
thank you @bibliolifestyle @harperperennialbooks #partner for my gifted copy!
did I read this entire book in just a few hours? Sure did, once I picked it up I just wanted to know everything going on and basically didn’t put it down unless I *had* to do something (adulting🙄) but came right back to it.
I’ve read several by this author and all of her books are like that. They just flow so well and you want to know what happens! I was highly invested and couldn’t quite figure out what was going on, couldn’t decide who’s side I was on, and it just never let up until the last page. Definitely give this one a read!
April 19, 2026
I really liked this book. If you're a fan of Fern Michaels' The Sisterhood series you'll love this. The Society Women are definitely out to right the world for the damages done to other women. The story of Ellie, Aubrey, Kat, and Jack is well written, the characters are well-developed and have a good history. I never expected the ending but it worked for me. I hope the author intends to make this a series, I'll buy all the books!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
nice book
April 22, 2026
Not even sure it should get two stars. Made no sense. Rolled my eyes for most of it. Not sure how this was published.
May 5, 2026
Interesting storyline, and it kept my interest but very unrealistic. Quick read.
April 17, 2026
Definitely an interesting plot. I felt like the concept of the "society" was too brief and was not "phased out" well enough. It was different though, which made it enjoyable to read.
April 24, 2026
I hated this book so much. I only finished it so I could write this review about how much I hated it, as I would feel guilty writing a bad review for a book I didn’t finish. The main character is an imbecile. Everyone in her life is awful. There wasn’t a single redeeming page in this book. 👎👎
April 26, 2026
That was really good. Plot twist. Engaging writing style. Kinda basic but still really good. Great pool read
November 30, 2025
This is my first read from Adriane Leigh. I wasn't able to finish. The story doesn't flow for me. First off the author has a few things right off that tell me she didn't research. Stolen evidence is inadmissable in court. The check stub.
There needs to be more descriptive scenes. Elly not having her phone, struggling with Matt then running out of the apartment and her phone is in her pocket. Who leaves their phone lay to use a virtual strangers bathroom then comes back there's a struggle and she now has her phone in her pocket?
I really struggled with the entire plot of a group of women who hate men and want revenge. Elly and her husband living virtually separate lives and her suddenly getting this invitation, the neighbor best friend ish Aubry that also felt a bit off.
The story did not hold my interest. Details other than fashion, setting the scenes and having the story play out, unfold in a readers head is lacking.
Review posted on Goodreads for Netgalley will follow onto Amazon once available. Thank you to Netgalley for the advance reading copy.
April 16, 2026
Ok before you read my review, here is an example of how I kinda felt throughout the whole book that I kept thinking about — and to me, really represents my sentiment of the entire story, the plot, character development. I know it is probably dumb and may not make sense to most but here it is:
In college during the first weeks of freshman year, I made friends with a group of people, we hung all the time — then some of them decided to play a “prank” on me. And the prank was, they told me that two of my new friends were now dating. That’s it. That was the big prank: telling me that 2 people are now dating. So when they “revealed“ this “joke” I just took it as a piece of info that I now knew. It was like OK nice good for you guys. It had zero shock effect for me because none of us knew each other that well and it’s very plausible that they’re dating, I don’t know why it would be strange if they were dating?? And that is how most of this book landed for me, we were just told these revelations or pieces of info, but there was no buildup or backstory or character development so it fell flat, the way that “prank” landed for me.
Ok, with that being said, here is my review:
This book had a premise that should have worked for me. A wealthy woman pulled into a secretive group targeting powerful men is the kind of setup that could make for a really sharp psychological thriller. The atmosphere and themes are interesting, and the first part of the book had enough intrigue to keep me reading. Unfortunately, the execution never really delivers on that promise.
My main issue was how underdeveloped everything felt. Major conflicts, relationships, and revelations appear suddenly without enough buildup to make them believable. Characters jump to extreme emotions or decisions with little context, and important information is often dropped into dialogue rather than shown through the story itself. Instead of events unfolding naturally, it often felt like the book was rushing to get from one “twist” to the next.
The dialogue made this more noticeable. Many conversations feel unnatural or overly convenient, as if they exist mainly to push the plot forward. Significant discoveries or accusations happen abruptly, and characters react in ways that don’t match what we’ve actually seen happen in the story.
Ellie as a protagonist was particularly frustrating. She’s repeatedly framed as strong, clever, and in control, yet her actions rarely support that. She constantly uncovers disturbing information and then either confronts people at the worst possible moment or reveals what she knows far too quickly. Instead of feeling like she’s learning or adapting, her behavior shifts unpredictably depending on what the scene requires.
Several major elements of the story also arrive with almost no setup. Characters are suddenly redefined, motivations appear out of nowhere, and revelations that should feel shocking end up feeling confusing instead. By the time the book reaches its conclusion—which clearly aims to land as a big, dramatic moment—it doesn’t feel earned.
What makes this disappointing is that there is something here. The mood is strong and the premise has real potential. But the story never fully develops the characters or the plot in a way that makes the twists and confrontations feel satisfying.
I finished it mostly because the concept kept me curious, but in the end the writing never quite pulled the story together
In college during the first weeks of freshman year, I made friends with a group of people, we hung all the time — then some of them decided to play a “prank” on me. And the prank was, they told me that two of my new friends were now dating. That’s it. That was the big prank: telling me that 2 people are now dating. So when they “revealed“ this “joke” I just took it as a piece of info that I now knew. It was like OK nice good for you guys. It had zero shock effect for me because none of us knew each other that well and it’s very plausible that they’re dating, I don’t know why it would be strange if they were dating?? And that is how most of this book landed for me, we were just told these revelations or pieces of info, but there was no buildup or backstory or character development so it fell flat, the way that “prank” landed for me.
Ok, with that being said, here is my review:
This book had a premise that should have worked for me. A wealthy woman pulled into a secretive group targeting powerful men is the kind of setup that could make for a really sharp psychological thriller. The atmosphere and themes are interesting, and the first part of the book had enough intrigue to keep me reading. Unfortunately, the execution never really delivers on that promise.
My main issue was how underdeveloped everything felt. Major conflicts, relationships, and revelations appear suddenly without enough buildup to make them believable. Characters jump to extreme emotions or decisions with little context, and important information is often dropped into dialogue rather than shown through the story itself. Instead of events unfolding naturally, it often felt like the book was rushing to get from one “twist” to the next.
The dialogue made this more noticeable. Many conversations feel unnatural or overly convenient, as if they exist mainly to push the plot forward. Significant discoveries or accusations happen abruptly, and characters react in ways that don’t match what we’ve actually seen happen in the story.
Ellie as a protagonist was particularly frustrating. She’s repeatedly framed as strong, clever, and in control, yet her actions rarely support that. She constantly uncovers disturbing information and then either confronts people at the worst possible moment or reveals what she knows far too quickly. Instead of feeling like she’s learning or adapting, her behavior shifts unpredictably depending on what the scene requires.
Several major elements of the story also arrive with almost no setup. Characters are suddenly redefined, motivations appear out of nowhere, and revelations that should feel shocking end up feeling confusing instead. By the time the book reaches its conclusion—which clearly aims to land as a big, dramatic moment—it doesn’t feel earned.
What makes this disappointing is that there is something here. The mood is strong and the premise has real potential. But the story never fully develops the characters or the plot in a way that makes the twists and confrontations feel satisfying.
I finished it mostly because the concept kept me curious, but in the end the writing never quite pulled the story together
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: March 24, 2026
“Society Women” by author Adriane Leigh is a revenge thriller that delivers pulse-pounding suspense and delightful redemption.
Ellie grew up wanting for nothing, being handed everything she ever wanted on a silver platter. Raised by her real estate magnate father, after her mentally ill mother tried to burn down their house when she was a child, Ellie still considers herself to be very lucky. As an adult, she works as an accountant for her father’s real estate empire, alongside her father’s partner, and her husband, Jack. When she receives a mysterious invitation in the mail, asking her to join the super secret “Society”, she initially feels that it was received in error. Then Ellie shows up to the mansion of the Society’s founder and realizes that she if she accepts, she may find herself in too deep to turn back.
“Women” is narrated by Ellie (and less frequently by her friend and neighbour, Aubrey), in the present day. Readers experience the early days of Ellie’s relationship with Jack through Ellie’s flashbacks, and we learn about Ellie’s mother through her mother’s journal entries, but overall, the novel is told in the current timeline. Initially, Ellie seems guileless and self-conscious, willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to make the men in her life happy, men who continue to gaslight her at every turn. But it doesn’t stay that way and boy, does Ellie seek her revenge in an epic way.
Overall, the story flows well. Any questions from the story line are given satisfying answers by Leigh and the numerous twists and turns provide the right amount of suspense and intrigue. There aren’t a whole lot of characters to keep track of, so there’s more opportunities to connect with Ellie, and there are a heck of a lot of unlikable characters that mix in with the likable ones, so expect a big range of emotions.
Aubrey’s character came completely out of nowhere, as she simply appears as Ellie’s friend and neighbour right at the beginning, with no introduction, but right away it was obvious that she was pertinent to the plot. I was on the fence about Aubrey’s motivations from the get-go, but I have a feeling that that is what Leigh intended, and I was not disappointed by how Aubrey’s story turned out.
“Women” will bring about the inner societal rage in all of us, and it’s quite refreshing to see vengeance being sought in such memorable ways. “Women” had me raging, and cheering, right through to the final pages. I loved the girl power vibes this book inspired, and the ending was absolutely all I wanted it to be.
Expected publication date: March 24, 2026
“Society Women” by author Adriane Leigh is a revenge thriller that delivers pulse-pounding suspense and delightful redemption.
Ellie grew up wanting for nothing, being handed everything she ever wanted on a silver platter. Raised by her real estate magnate father, after her mentally ill mother tried to burn down their house when she was a child, Ellie still considers herself to be very lucky. As an adult, she works as an accountant for her father’s real estate empire, alongside her father’s partner, and her husband, Jack. When she receives a mysterious invitation in the mail, asking her to join the super secret “Society”, she initially feels that it was received in error. Then Ellie shows up to the mansion of the Society’s founder and realizes that she if she accepts, she may find herself in too deep to turn back.
“Women” is narrated by Ellie (and less frequently by her friend and neighbour, Aubrey), in the present day. Readers experience the early days of Ellie’s relationship with Jack through Ellie’s flashbacks, and we learn about Ellie’s mother through her mother’s journal entries, but overall, the novel is told in the current timeline. Initially, Ellie seems guileless and self-conscious, willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to make the men in her life happy, men who continue to gaslight her at every turn. But it doesn’t stay that way and boy, does Ellie seek her revenge in an epic way.
Overall, the story flows well. Any questions from the story line are given satisfying answers by Leigh and the numerous twists and turns provide the right amount of suspense and intrigue. There aren’t a whole lot of characters to keep track of, so there’s more opportunities to connect with Ellie, and there are a heck of a lot of unlikable characters that mix in with the likable ones, so expect a big range of emotions.
Aubrey’s character came completely out of nowhere, as she simply appears as Ellie’s friend and neighbour right at the beginning, with no introduction, but right away it was obvious that she was pertinent to the plot. I was on the fence about Aubrey’s motivations from the get-go, but I have a feeling that that is what Leigh intended, and I was not disappointed by how Aubrey’s story turned out.
“Women” will bring about the inner societal rage in all of us, and it’s quite refreshing to see vengeance being sought in such memorable ways. “Women” had me raging, and cheering, right through to the final pages. I loved the girl power vibes this book inspired, and the ending was absolutely all I wanted it to be.
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