Harmless Women

by Rebecca Sharpe, Harrie Dobby (Narrator)

In this pacy thriller, a female con artist chooses the wrong woman as her target, and both women end up on the run for their lives.

Avalon Dale is a masterful grifter. She researches her victims thoroughly, kidnaps and sedates them, cleans out their bank accounts, and uses injections and hair clippers to change their appearance so that when they wake up, they can't easily prove who they are. It gives her a head start and a new identity to get away. She's targeted Primrose Meath for her last big score, and then she'll fade away to a life of ease and luxury--something she's dreamed of since a very tough childhood.

On paper, Prim is the perfect wealthy, workaholic, and distracted by her cheating husband. But when Avalon finds Prim's husband dead, she can't get away so easily--not when she's been mistaken for Prim who's now wanted for murder. The two women, opposites, enemies, are suddenly on the run together, and must learn to get along, to depend on each other, in order to get away. And then, what starts as a cat-and-mouse run to the coast of England becomes a fight for their survival.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Adult, Audiobook

13 pages, Audiobook

Expected publication April 7, 2026

Reviews

[Natalie K · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was bad. I actually ended up stopping about a third of the way through and just skimming. I wasn't even sure what the plot was, i couldn't connect to the characters, and my goodness, it was SLOOOOOOW. I'm shocked that some people called it fast-paced because this book was NOT fast-paced. Unfortunately, I can't recommend this!

Thank you to NetGalley for the free review copy.

[Stacy40pages · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harmless Women by Rebecca Sharpe. Thanks to @minotaurbooks for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️

A con woman has found the perfect target, until the target is involved in a murder and they both are on the run.

If you can suspend belief with your thrillers, give this a try. For me, I was blown away by the plot of dermal fillers being used to hide one’s identity. Girl, you’re not going to be unrecognizable after plumping your lips and getting some cheekbones. That said, I did enjoy the women’s relationship with each other; how it started and how it grew. There were some shocking moments later on, but the middle was a lot of character and relationship development. Overall a good thriller especially for those that enjoy female relationships.

“To be a hero rather than a villain, to be redeemed and celebrated rather than shunned; what a life.”

Harmless Women comes out 4/7.

[Madeline Church · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars! Harmless Women was incredibly fast-paced. There was not a moment when nothing was happening. Rebecca Sharpe did a great job of being able to keep the reader's attention evenly throughout the whole story.

The premise of this thriller is amazing! Before even starting to read, I knew it was going to be a wild ride. I love that two women were the main characters. Having them be opposites was a great dynamic for this story.

It wasn't a completely believable story, but that's a part of the reason why it was entertaining. Twist after twist came without slowing down. You would not be able to tell what would happen next. Overall, it was a good thriller to read, but it is not an absolute favorite!

Thank you NetGalley, Minotaur Books, & Rebecca Sharpe for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Harmless Women is released on April 7, 2026!

[Courtney (why did I request all these!?) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

3.75 stars rounded up

I chose this book because the cover and the synopsis just screamed Cowboy Bebop's Faye Valentine to me. After finishing, I still think so, however, this book was so close to being good and it just fell short.

I don't read thrillers often, but this is my fourth or fifth "feminine rage" story in the past year. The stories ranged from Dark Sisters to Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil but I feel like largely this type of story is not approached well. The problem I see most frequently, the same offender present in Harmless Women, is that authors want to overshoot the feminine rage to the point that every male character is an over the top villain. It is far more poignant to have the overarching societal oppression and death by a thousand cuts that women actually face in everyday life. As always, I appreciate the message being portrayed, but I want to see it done realistically.

My other big issue is the pacing of this book. The first 40% and the final 20% are very fast paced, to the point that the plot almost feels elaborately contrived. But the middle stretch of the book comes to a screeching halt in favor of some character exploration that gives you total whiplash. Add in the third POV character, Bianca, whose purpose is opaque through most of the book, and it's easy to see how there are reviews calling the book fast paced AND slow paced.

I would love to see this book reworked with Bianca's POV and character completely removed, the major plot points spread out more evenly, and less time with Avalon and Prim endlessly hiking across England.

There was a lot about this book I really loved, but it just couldn't quite tip the scales far enough for me. Best wishes to Rebecca Sharpe and their future publications!

[Mandy K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harmless Women (audio) 3.5⭐️

I enjoyed listening to this book. Avalon is a unique con artist and has a very detailed plan, but her latest target, Prim, brings her own surprises into the mix. Soon both women are on the run and dependent on each other for their survival.

Then there’s Bianca. Her chapters had me constantly frustrated. 1. Because I was anxious to find out how she fit into the overall story, and 2. Because she such a horrible mother. She wants nothing more than to be *perceived* as the perfect wife and mother, while choosing her emotionally abusive husband over her kids and shaming her daughter until she leaves and never comes back. Ugh…but so well done and realistic to evoke all those emotions.

While main characters, Avalon and Prim are not perfect, everything was made worse by the male narratives. I found myself cheering them on and hoping for the best. Oh how different both of their lives would be if they hadn’t been physically and emotionally hurt by men in their life.

TW for sexual assault.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio
for this ALC. This review will be shared on NetGalley and Goodreads.

Pub Date Apr 07 2026

[MrsHarvieReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harmless Women by Rebecca Sharp is a feminist thriller featuring Avalon, a con artist who targets Primrose, a successful professional. When Avalon’s plan goes wrong, she and Prim team up and go on the run across England from a possible murder charge. A third woman, Bianca, decides to hunt down the two women herself.

I was intrigued by the story’s promising premise and the strong start initially kept me engaged. The pacing and the plotting became murky for me at around the halfway point. I had difficulty determining the aim of the story (a blend of female friendship, feminism, vigilantism). And the addition of Bianca’s storyline and point of view did not advance the plot. I listened to the audiobook primarily and think the production would have benefited from multiple voice actors. Unfortunately this promising novel did not resonate with me. 2.75/5⭐️

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for an advanced listener’s copy and Minotaur Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

[grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

slightly suprised that all the reviews say fast paced… it was good but very slow
i think this has some mature themes, but the complexity of the writing failed to match that. the writing style felt very elementary

[Alyssa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

1.5 stars.

I just could not get into this one. The premise sounded so cool! But the execution was not good.

I didn’t care about any of the characters. Especially Bianca. I never enjoyed her chapters. She was so annoying, I couldn’t stand her. I really didn’t even understand the point of her character being in it. Even with the ending.

The beginning was very boring. I just did not care. By part two it got better, but I still wasn’t super engaged. The pace of the book picked up, but by then I was checked out and couldn’t get more invested.

A lot of this felt very unrealistic too. I can suspend my disbelief sometimes, but this it was too much. Especially in the way Avalon tried to make her victims unrecognizable. The ending was kind of unrealistic too. I am glad the way things played out, but it doesn’t seem like it would be possible at all.

I will say I really enjoyed Avalon and Prim’s friendship. How they grew to care about each other and Avalon realizing what it is like to have someone in your corner; it was really beautiful to see. That was the best part of the book. But I still needed more.

I received the audiobook for this as well. The beginning I listened to the audiobook, the middle I tandem read and listened to it, which made it easier to get through. Then the end I physically read it.

I really wish I enjoyed this more because the premise did sound up my alley. Maybe someone else would get more out of it than I did.


The audiobook was really good. The narrator had a good voice, and really brought life to the story. I just wish the plot was good enough to carry it!

[♡Lala · Rating 4 out of 5]

•ALC Review•


{𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑾𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒃𝒚 𝑹𝒆𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒄𝒂 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒑𝒆}
🩷 Release Date: April 7 2026 🩷
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy!
★★★★☆

Harmless Women is a thriller that’s more about messy, complicated relationships than plot twists, and honestly, that’s what I loved most. Friendships, loyalty, and trust feel real, especially when everything starts falling apart. Avalon and Prim's personal struggles give the story extra weight and make it feel bigger than just the thriller plot, which I really appreciated.

The pacing is steady and never boring, allowing the story to build organically. Some moments actually had me stressing, and the world felt alive without being overwhelming. Harrie Dobby's narration just makes the characters pop even more.

Overall it’s a really solid read/listen. If you’re into thrillers with layered, messy female friendships, this one’s pretty satisfying.

[Corinne’s Chapter Chatter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled quite a bit with this one, so I’m going to keep my thoughts fairly brief.

Unfortunately, I found myself feeling lost through much of the story as the prose didn’t flow very smoothly for me. At times it felt a bit like an early draft that could have benefited from additional editing. Because of that, I had difficulty connecting with the characters and staying fully engaged in the narrative.

In fact, writing this review a few days after finishing it, I realized I needed to revisit the plot description to refresh my memory, as the story didn’t leave a particularly strong impression on me.

On the bright side, Harrie Dobby did a wonderful job with the audiobook narration. Her voice is warm and comforting, and her performance added a level of polish that helped carry me through the listening experience. Without her narration, I’m not sure I would have finished it.

I am thankful to have received a complimentary ALC from Macmillan Audio via NetGalley, which gave me the opportunity to share my voluntary thoughts.

[ReadingTilTheBreakOfDawn]

Harmless Women had good potential with the blurb alone. I love a morally grey FMC, but this one had me suspending all sorts of stuff. Between Avalon, Prim and a dose of Bianca, I wasn't impressed with the characters, although I did like the relationship that formed between the women. It was the content and the pacing of the story. It just seemed to drag on and on.
Now, the narration of the audiobook by Harrie Dobby was good and kept me somewhat pulled in with her performance, but that's where it ended. I found myself not caring and skimming the book.

Overall, a good premise, but the thriller itself just fell flat.

[vicky hirschbeck]

unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me. the premise sounded cool and totally up my alley, but I couldn’t get into it. I told myself I would listen until 50% before dnf’ing, so that’s where I ended up stopping.

the audiobook itself was well done, and I did like avalon and prim’s growing friendship. other than that, the story was just very slow-paced and I struggled to stay interested.

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC.

[Addison Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this in a Goodreads giveaway and am so glad I did!

[Melissa P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

👗Won in a giveaway 🏋🏻‍♀️

This was a fun read. Two women on the run for different reasons are thrown together. The story of survival and friendship kept me fully interested. The chapters are labeled with the two main characters' names. There was a third woman's name for the chapters and at first I couldn't figure out what she had to do with the story. Then you find out she has a role to play. This is very well written. There are some intense situations. I definitely recommend this one. Thank you to the author, Rebecca Sharpe, Minotaur Books and Goodreads for my advance reader's edition. Happy reading!🏕

[Jaime Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story intrigued me from the start and I couldn’t wait to dive in. Let me say, it did not disappoint. It was paced well and kept me on my toes and really paying attention to what was going on. This author took thriller to another level. Would recommend to others who love this type of read.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those weirdly wonderful books that had me guessing until the end! Avalon and Primm are on a "journey" even though they just met as both are on the run--one from a murder and one who's a survivor and grifter. As they travel across country, they are wary of strangers but stick together as they seem to need each other even as each isn't quite sure about the other. And although the novel isn't for the faint of heart, it is a testament to the meaning of true friendship as these women fight for each other when they can't fight for themselves!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harmless Women is a Thelma and Louise-ish thriller I received from NetGalley about a con artist who steals from a wealthy woman, only to end up on the run with her victim after the victim kills her husband. The official publisher synopsis for the book says that the con artist was mistaken for her victim, which is confusing because that was not exactly what happened in the book. Honestly, I found that plot point a little fuzzy because it did seem like the con artist could has escaped on her own without anyone knowing who she was or connecting her to the murder.

It must be the week for being entertained by and enjoying mysteries with fuzzy premises, since I likewise thought the show How To Get To Heaven From Belfast had a shaky foundation for its catalyst, but would also still rate that four out of five stars. Harmless Women pulled me in immediately because it launched straight into the action without wasting any time. For as much as I read, I often get a bit sluggish getting through the first chapter or so of a new book as it sets up the narrative, and I did not have that issue here.

One of the things I really appreciated was the very reluctant alliance between the two women. I think a less skilled author would have had them get to an enthusiastic friendship too quickly, but Rebecca Sharpe really took her time to lay out the foundation in their pasts that made it plausible they would end up getting along, and then also very slowly start to earn that relationship bit by bit. Even at the 60% mark they were not fully willing to be traveling together.

I do think that this book requires being willing to suspend your disbelief a bit to enjoy an adventure. I'm a speculative fiction fan and don't mind a bit of the fantastic, but a lot of the scenarios and turns that the plot takes would probably annoy someone who wants their fiction to be more grounded in reality. Most of the plot takes place while the main characters are traveling by foot and by bike, and it did veer close to overstaying its welcome in the descriptions of them setting up their tent at night and all the bodily aches and injuries they acquired. For me, the developing friendship between the characters overrode anything that I felt less favorable about.

[Penny Sherek · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually love Rebecca Sharpe’s books, but Harmless Women wasn’t my favorite. It was a little hard for me to get into at the beginning, and I struggled to connect with the story at first. Just when I was about ready to stop reading, though, the narrative pulled me in enough that I needed to see how everything played out. I especially wanted to know what happened to Bianca’s daughter and how things would unfold between Avalon and Prim. Unfortunately, we never really learn what happened to Bianca’s daughter, which left that part of the story feeling a little unfinished to me.

Avalon is the ultimate con artist and sets her sights on Prim and her husband, Reuben. Reuben is selfish and cheating, basically living off Prim while she works herself to death at a job she hates. Prim knows he’s cheating but somehow ends up blaming herself for it. Avalon ends up taking over Prim’s life, but through a series of events the two women become bound together. Their relationship doesn’t start well, but over time they build a deep and unexpected friendship.

Bianca is another complicated character. She wants everyone to believe she has the perfect family, but the reality is very different. Her husband was abusive and she chose to ignore it, and in trying to keep her children “good,” she becomes abusive toward them herself. Eventually her children leave, and her daughter disappears from her life completely.

When all of their lives intersect, Bianca becomes fixated on Prim because she sees her as a “good person” and believes she can replace the daughter she lost. As the story progresses, Bianca spirals further out of control.

This book includes difficult topics such as sexual assault, abuse, murder, and cheating spouses. While the narrative can be difficult to follow at first, it does improve as the story moves along. It also felt different from Rebecca Sharpe’s usual style, as her books normally pull me in right from the start.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. #NetGalley #RebeccaSharpe #MacMillanAudio Pub Date April 7, 2026

[Ciara Hartman · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎧 Audio Review: The narration was pretty good, the accents felt real to the characters.

📝 Story Review: Overall pretty interesting! A little less of a thriller and more a joint survival story I felt. Suspenseful, but not super twisty.

Avalon is a grifter who’s good at what she does. One final job and she’ll be set for life. She plans ahead and is meticulous when picking her targets. - But something goes awry after she drugs Prim and enacts her final plan. Because Prim did something unexpected and now they’re both on the run and forming an uneasy alliance. With Prim’s face splashed all over the media and cops searching for both of them, nowhere is safe and they don’t know who to trust.

This was a journey! Seeing everything they battled, including each other, and how hard they fought for their freedom while somehow befriending one another after much mistrust. - The only thing I wasn’t a huge fan of, was that there was a third MC in this book, Bianca I think her name was?, and for most of the story I was stumped every time her POV came up because I had no idea what part she played in the story! However, she finally came into play towards the end and then I understood why it kept going to this random persons POV. She was a bit of a nutcase (sorry for lack of better word) and it’s easy to see how she was manipulated into being the way she was as her story slowly unfolds throughout this book. Tragic really.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

Vibes: Suspenseful; female friendships; fighting till the very end for yourself and your friend.

Tropes 👇

- Con artist/grifter
- On the run
- Unlikely allies
- Some plot twists

CW’s 👇

- Mention of child abuse (verbal/emotional)
- SA/rap£ (mostly off page)
- Cheating husband
- Flashbacks of prior SA
- Mentally unstable person
- Attack with a knife

Audio Release Date: April 7, 2026
Audio Run Time: 11 hrs, 3 mins
Narrated By: Harrie Dobby
Genre: Thriller/Women’s Fiction
POV: Multi; Third Person

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC in return for my honest review.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

👩‍🦲 𝑻𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝑨𝑳𝑪 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 👩‍🦲

𝑁𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟: 𝐻𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑒 𝐷𝑜𝑏𝑏𝑦
📖 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔: ⭐️⭐️
🎧 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝑅𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝐷𝑎𝑡𝑒: 𝘈𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘭 7𝘵𝘩

“sʜᴇ sᴛɪʟʟ ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴇᴅ ɪᴛ. ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀ ʜᴇʀᴏ ʀᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴀ ᴠɪʟʟᴀɪɴ. ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ʀᴇᴅᴇᴇᴍᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴇʟᴇʙʀᴀᴛᴇᴅ ʀᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ sʜᴜɴɴᴇᴅ. ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀ ʟɪғᴇ.”

𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒚
When con-artist and grifter Avalon Dane targets Primrose Meath, a workaholic with a big bank account who ends up on the run for murder, both women forge an unlikely alliance to evade capture.

Unfortunately, this one didn’t live up to expectations mostly because the author really struggled to blend modern social themes and organic storytelling. And although I loved the early banter between Avalon and Prim, their characters were clearly only used as vessels for a specific social agenda.

There was a lot of potential there because they both complimented each other and brought out their mannerisms. But, in the end, both women fell flat.

Their relationship progression was also very non-linear. They would be bickering, and then linking arms and laughing, and then back to cursing each other out. I just couldn’t nail down what their relationship was supposed to be.

And I didn’t need a play-by-play of every single thing they did while on the run. I don’t know if these scenes were supposed to compensate for character development, but these chapters read like super boring diary entries.

Finally, there was a third POV that was extremely confusing and seemed to have no relevance to the rest of the story, so I’m not sure what the author was going for there.

🎧: The narration was great at the beginning! I loved her voice, and she really brought out Avalon’s smug, sarcastic, and take-no-crap attitude. However, as their stories converged, the story definitely would’ve benefited from multiple narrators. This may have helped each woman have a distinct identity, even if it only existed through their voice.

ALC copy of this audiobook was gifted as part of the Macmillan Early Listeners Program! So thank you Macmillan Audio for this ALC!

[Barbara Schultz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: Harmless Women
Author: Rebecca Sharpe
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Harrie Dobby
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: April 7, 2026
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pages: 384

The blurb describes this story as a ‘ pacy thriller’.
I had to look ‘pact’ before requesting.

A "pacy" thriller" (or "pacey thriller") refers to a book, movie, or story that is exciting, fast- moving, and keeps the audience hooked by having events occur rapidly in quick succession. A fast read or watch with little downtime, often using short chapters, intense action, or frequent twists to maintain momentum.


So I went into this story as the blurb grabbed me, plus I like narrator Harrie Dobby. However the reviews are all over the place but I decided to give it a chance.

The story is told from the POV of three women – Avalon, Primm and Bianca – told present as well as flashbacks.

Avalon is a con artist and steals from the wealthy. Her next mark is Prim. Only things don’t go the way she planned and the two of then end up on the run – together!
Along the way they must depend on one another which is not typical of neither of them .They discover they may have found a friendship each has never had. Might they have found something they been looking for without really looking?

Well ! The blurb did Deliver as the chapters are short,
Ms. Dobby Delivered and even the reviews being all over the place - Delivered. My reaction is that it I didn’t love it but also didn’t hate it.

I want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for delivering this Audiobook.
Publishing Release Date is April 7, 2026.

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up. A high-stakes friendship caper that's super fun in theory, but didn't stick the landing for me.

Premise - Avalon Dale, a skilled con-artist, figures the hyper-privileged Primrose Meath will make the perfect final target. She plans to temporarily assume Primrose's identity, only long enough to retire wealthy. Easy-peasy, right?

But then Primrose's philandering husband is found dead, after Avalon has already begun passing herself off as Primrose. Now the two women, opposites and enemies, have to work together to evade both the law and an even bigger threat...

The premise has so much to love, but the way the women acted and their friendship developed felt super unnatural to me. They kept behaving and thinking in ways that seemed counter not only to how people behave, but also to how their own characters are written.

... also, Avalon is basically just giving the women she cons some Botox and fillers, and yet we're supposed to believe no one can recognize them (even the cops? even themselves?). I expected full face surgery! Yes, injectables can make a person look different... but that different is still anchored to their base face. It's just too much of a stretch.

I listened to the audio ARC, narrated by Harrie Dobby. She was a delight and the reason I didn't DNF a quarter of the way in! That, and the fact that I'm a completionist (especially with ARCs).

Thanks, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. I'm sorry I didn't enjoy this more, I really thought I would!

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Going into this, the premise had me convinced I’d be completely hooked, but even with such a strong setup, the story didn’t end up grabbing me the way I expected.

Harmless Women follows Avalon, a con-artist who targets Prim Meath for her next scam, until she finds Prim’s husband dead and everything unravels. The two women end up thrown together, facing danger, mistaken identities, and a race to stay ahead of whoever’s really pulling the strings.

One thing I did enjoy was the dynamic between Avalon and Prim. Their complete opposite personalities give the story a steady thread of tension. The pacing stays fairly tight, and the book leans into identity, danger, and messy moral choices in a way that held my interest. And I have to say, the slightly off-beat character names were intriguingly refreshing. They added a fun, unexpected flair to the cast.

On the downside, the story didn’t hit with the intensity I was hoping for. The premise set me up to expect something more gripping, but the execution felt a bit uneven, and there were stretches where the momentum dipped. Some of the emotional beats didn’t land as strongly as I expected, and I struggled to stay fully invested in certain moments. Overall, it just didn’t come together in that all-consuming way I was looking for.

Even though this didn’t hit home with me, I’m interested in seeing what Rebecca Sharpe does next, especially since this was her debut novel.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

[Hope Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harmless Women is one of those thrillers that starts with a bang and then proceeds to sprint wildly down the road, occasionally tripping over its own shoelaces. The premise is great. A con artist picks the wrong target, a dead body appears, and suddenly two very different women are forced into an unwilling road-trip-from-hell while being chased for murder. I was in immediately.

The pacing is fast and chaotic in a mostly fun way. There’s a lot of running, hiding, mistrusting each other, and making questionable choices under pressure. If you enjoy thrillers where everything keeps escalating and no one ever stops to take a deep breath, this definitely delivers.

That said, the characters never fully won me over. I liked the idea of them more than I liked them as people, and some of the twists felt like they were showing up right on schedule rather than surprising me. I also found myself occasionally thinking, “Sure, why not?” when the plot made a sharp turn that required a generous suspension of disbelief.

Still, I didn’t regret reading it. It’s entertaining, easy to fly through, and works well if you’re in the mood for something dramatic and a little over the top. Harmless Women may not be groundbreaking, but it’s a fun ride as long as you don’t ask too many questions along the way. Three stars for a thriller that knows how to keep moving, even if it sometimes runs past logic waving cheerfully behind it.

[The Page Ladies Book Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

If chaos were a reading mood, this stack would be it!👑🔥✨

I accidentally read four books in a row where absolutely no one is making calm, rational decisions, and I loved every second.

A Lady for All Seasons by T.J. Alexander gave me Regency gossip, a marriage of convenience, secret identities, and a bigender lead navigating love and society with wit and heart. It’s dramatic, queer, tender, and delightfully chaotic. I was grinning the entire time.

Heart's Gambit by J.D. Myall has time-traveling rival families who are cursed into a deadly magical duel. The yearning. The secret letters. The “we’re supposed to kill each other, but what if we kissed instead” energy? IMMACULATE.

Then Dawn of the North by Demi Winters
raised the stakes with Viking-inspired romantasy, sisters separated by war, a shard of a god whispering in someone’s mind, and brutal political maneuvering. It’s icy, intense, and emotionally feral in the best way.

And when I thought I needed a break, Harmless Women by Rebecca Sharpe said absolutely not. Female con artist. Wrong target. Dead husband. Now, both women are on the run? The tension had me stress-reading at 1 a.m.

Romance, curses, gods, and grifts this reading era has RANGE.

✨️Thank you, Vintage Books, Macmillan Audio, Delacorte Press, Podium Audio, Minotaur Books, Netgalley, T.J. Alexander, J.D. Myall, Demi Winters, and Rebecca Sharpe for sharing these books with us!

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore con artist stories, so the premise of this debut thriller really appealed to me. I was happy to find the book to be lots of fun and quite well-written for a popcorn thriller. I am excited to have experienced this great new book and will be looking forward to reading more from this author!

Avalon is a con artist, and she has been working on her latest job for many months. The plan is underway, but an unforeseen complication throws her off course and threatens to make her escape nearly impossible. Her indomitable tenacity keeps her moving forward, and the ride proves to be very enjoyable.

The narrative flows quickly with short chapters and three different points of view, with some portions of the story being flashbacks. The third perspective begins as a separate story and eventually weaves its way into the main plotline. The book is full of twists and interesting character development, making it certain to appeal to fans of suspenseful thrillers of the con artist variety.

A little added bonus that particularly tickled me is that Avalon is a fervent fan of fermented food, which is a passion of mine that I rarely see mentioned in the books I read!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Brooke Boyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book. I was expecting Avalon to steal from tons of people and change how they look and be on this crazy spree..... and it happened to one person. When I first started this book, I read a few chapters at a time, but it was pretty slow and boring, and I read other books. I'd go back to this one and read a chapter here or there. I finally told myself to just finish it. For me, this book didn't really get interesting until over 50% into it and it wasn't until part 3 that it really made me want to keep reading.

There is so much walking and riding through fields and randomly running into people walking their dogs and I have no idea if they were on paths or if everyone just walks through fields. Bianca's story drove me through the wall, and I feel like that story wasn't even complete. And the author made just about every man in this book a creep.

I was actually telling a coworker about this book, and talking about it out loud to someone makes it sound like one crazy book. I honestly don't know if I should recommend it because of how wacky it is, or that be the reason why i don't.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this ARC.

[Bethany Mock (bethanyburiedinbooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you @minotaur_books @macmillan.audio #partner #macaudio2026 for the gifted copy of this book!

Harmless Women by Rebecca Sharpe immediately pulled me in with its premise. At its core, this is one of those gritty character driven stories about two women on the run - both are criminals. There’s a constant sense that something bigger is simmering beneath the surface which made the opening of this book especially strong. I found it pulled me in quickly.

One thing I really appreciated was the dynamic between the two women. Their relationship didn’t feel blindly romanticized. Considering how they paired up the author did a nice job keeping their relationship complicated and more realistic given the circumstances they found themselves in. I just really appreciated the dynamic between the two of them.

I listened to this one on audiobook and the narrators truly did a great job with the voices and tone of the characters. That said there were some definite parts that I lost steam in because the story moved across different points in time. I personally found the timeline a little difficult to track in audio format. I mention it because I think in this book the format might help to also eyeball it.

Still, I really admired the fresh premise and the direction the author took with these characters. I do think this will land especially well for a specific niche of readers who enjoy character focused suspense and morally complicated situations.

This is perfect if you like:
✨ women on the run stories
✨ character-driven suspense
✨ complicated relationships
✨ thrillers that focus more on psychology than action

[Shawna]

Harmless Women

DNF @ 50%

Avalon Dale is a master at being a grifter. She researches her victims thoroughly, kidnaps them, sedates them, empties their bank accounts, and then changes their appearance so they can’t prove who they are easily. Now, Avalon is targeting Primrose Meath and is guaranteed to make a great deal off of this hit. But, when she find’s Prim’s husband dead, she realizes she’s made a big mistake — especially when she’s now mistaken for Prim. Now these women are on the run together.

This sounded like it really had potential. The cover grabbed my attention, and the little bit of the description I read sounded so intriguing. And honestly, at first, it was. It started off strong and caught me by surprise when she found Prim’s husband (I didn’t read that much into the description). All I could think was — KARMA! But just as quick as my attention was grabbed, it was lost. I made it through 50% before I had to call it quits. The story felt slow moving and uninteresting. I found myself not connecting with either female and not caring about where the storyline was leading. It may get better, but this one was just not for me.

Thank you St.Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a free copy of this eARC and to Macmillan audio for a copy of the ALC.

[RavenReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harmless Women came very close to being a five star read for me. Overall, this is a gripping, twist heavy thriller with strong themes and a deeply satisfying emotional core. My main struggle was with the third POV in the opening portion of the book. As with many thrillers, its purpose becomes clear later, and the eventual payoff is absolutely worth it. However, that character felt frustratingly flat for much of the story, which made those early chapters difficult to get through despite their importance to the larger narrative.

That said, once the pieces began to fall into place, I was fully invested. The novel is packed with sharp twists, morally complex and often unlikable characters, and meaningful redemption arcs. Sharpe does an excellent job weaving suspense with emotional depth. What stood out most to me, though, was the emphasis on female strength, solidarity, and friendship. The feminist themes are thoughtfully explored and give the story real weight beyond the mystery itself.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Rebecca Sharpe, and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.