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Cherry
Not yet published
Expected 3 Nov 26It starts as a love song. It ends with murder.
1999
Gifty is a woman adrift in the wake of her wife's death. She's living in stasis, unable to bring herself to enter the bedroom where Helen died after a long illness. Her therapist tells her to confront her grief, but instead she wanders the streets looking for someone from her past.
Fallen nineties pop star Isobel has done everything she can to reinvent herself. Gone is the girlish make-up and provocative manner. When she lands a job working for a middle-class family, she decides to embody the perfect nanny.
Ally has always prided herself on running a successful business and being a good parent to her two children. But when her husband announces that he is leaving them to work in Indonesia for six months, and hires Isobel without consulting her, she is left angry and struggling with her chronic illness.
The women soon become tangled in a dangerous web of obsession and infatuation. Someone is going to die. The question who?
"Rose Wilding writes with a rare and unsettling honesty. A feverish spiral of grief, desire, and betrayal, laced with unease and menace. Cherry is the sort of aching book that smolders to the very last page. A lethal and seductive thriller."—Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb
1999
Gifty is a woman adrift in the wake of her wife's death. She's living in stasis, unable to bring herself to enter the bedroom where Helen died after a long illness. Her therapist tells her to confront her grief, but instead she wanders the streets looking for someone from her past.
Fallen nineties pop star Isobel has done everything she can to reinvent herself. Gone is the girlish make-up and provocative manner. When she lands a job working for a middle-class family, she decides to embody the perfect nanny.
Ally has always prided herself on running a successful business and being a good parent to her two children. But when her husband announces that he is leaving them to work in Indonesia for six months, and hires Isobel without consulting her, she is left angry and struggling with her chronic illness.
The women soon become tangled in a dangerous web of obsession and infatuation. Someone is going to die. The question who?
"Rose Wilding writes with a rare and unsettling honesty. A feverish spiral of grief, desire, and betrayal, laced with unease and menace. Cherry is the sort of aching book that smolders to the very last page. A lethal and seductive thriller."—Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb
Audible Audio
Expected publication November 3, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
September 28, 2026
4.5⭐️ Well… I really don’t know where to start with this one.
Actually, yes I do.
There is a man in a freezer.
A MAN.
IN A FREEZER.
And that was probably the moment I realised Rose Wilding and I were about to have a very different kind of reading experience.
Cherry is a dark psychological thriller set in 1999, and honestly, it is one seriously twisted ride.
We have Gifty, who is struggling to cope after the death of her wife Helen. Instead of dealing with her grief, she becomes completely fixated on finding Cherry, a missing 90s pop star who she believes she has seen again.
Then there’s Ally, who has built the life she always wanted, with her business, her home and her children, but everything starts to unravel when her husband Charles leaves for Indonesia and brings Isobel into the family as an au pair.
And Isobel…
Well.
Isobel used to be Cherry.
The fallen pop star who has reinvented herself and is now determined to become the perfect nanny and leave her old life behind.
Except you know what they say about secrets.
They have a rather annoying habit of coming back to bite you on the arse.
And when these three women become tangled up in obsession, grief, desire and secrets, things start getting VERY dark.
I mean, when you have a dead man in a freezer and you’re wondering exactly how the hell he got there, you know you’re not reading a gentle little domestic drama.
What I really loved was how Rose keeps making you question everyone.
Is Gifty grieving… or becoming obsessed?
Is Isobel really the sweet, perfect nanny she appears to be?
And Ally… well, let’s just say I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near that house when everything starts falling apart.
Everyone has something they’re hiding.
Everyone has a reason to lie.
And everyone seems to have their own version of the truth.
The psychopath element really got under my skin too. There is something particularly disturbing about the way violence sits alongside these ordinary domestic scenes. One minute you’re reading about family life and everyday routines, and the next you’re thinking, HANG ON… WHY IS THERE A BODY IN THE FREEZER?!
That contrast worked SO well for me.
And Rose Wilding’s writing…
Honestly, this woman can WRITE.
Her characters are messy, complicated and sometimes downright disturbing, but they never felt flat. I could understand how they got to where they were, even when I was sitting there thinking, girl, WHAT are you doing?!
I also loved the 90s setting. The pop-star world, the music industry, the obsession with image and reinvention, the drugs, the relationships… Rose brings that whole era to life without making it feel like we’re being given a history lesson.
And the writing has this wonderfully unsettling quality to it. There is always this feeling that something isn’t quite right, even when nothing particularly awful is happening.
You just KNOW something is lurking around the corner.
And then there are the short chapters.
Oh, Rose.
You knew exactly what you were doing.
Just one more chapter.
Just one more.
Oh look… it’s 1am.
What makes Cherry work for me isn’t just the murder or the twists. It’s the women. Their grief, obsession, loneliness, anger and desire all become tangled together until you genuinely don’t know where one person’s story ends and another begins.
It’s dark.
It’s creepy.
It’s completely messed up in places.
And somehow I couldn’t stop reading.
Rose Wilding has written a psychological thriller that gets right inside the heads of its characters and then leaves you wondering whether you should trust any of them.
And that freezer…
I don’t think I’m ever going to look at one quite the same way again.
Rose, what on earth goes on in that brain of yours?!
Absolutely loved the writing and the sheer madness of it all.
Thank you, NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, and Rose Wilding for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Publishing date: November 3rd 2026
Actually, yes I do.
There is a man in a freezer.
A MAN.
IN A FREEZER.
And that was probably the moment I realised Rose Wilding and I were about to have a very different kind of reading experience.
Cherry is a dark psychological thriller set in 1999, and honestly, it is one seriously twisted ride.
We have Gifty, who is struggling to cope after the death of her wife Helen. Instead of dealing with her grief, she becomes completely fixated on finding Cherry, a missing 90s pop star who she believes she has seen again.
Then there’s Ally, who has built the life she always wanted, with her business, her home and her children, but everything starts to unravel when her husband Charles leaves for Indonesia and brings Isobel into the family as an au pair.
And Isobel…
Well.
Isobel used to be Cherry.
The fallen pop star who has reinvented herself and is now determined to become the perfect nanny and leave her old life behind.
Except you know what they say about secrets.
They have a rather annoying habit of coming back to bite you on the arse.
And when these three women become tangled up in obsession, grief, desire and secrets, things start getting VERY dark.
I mean, when you have a dead man in a freezer and you’re wondering exactly how the hell he got there, you know you’re not reading a gentle little domestic drama.
What I really loved was how Rose keeps making you question everyone.
Is Gifty grieving… or becoming obsessed?
Is Isobel really the sweet, perfect nanny she appears to be?
And Ally… well, let’s just say I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near that house when everything starts falling apart.
Everyone has something they’re hiding.
Everyone has a reason to lie.
And everyone seems to have their own version of the truth.
The psychopath element really got under my skin too. There is something particularly disturbing about the way violence sits alongside these ordinary domestic scenes. One minute you’re reading about family life and everyday routines, and the next you’re thinking, HANG ON… WHY IS THERE A BODY IN THE FREEZER?!
That contrast worked SO well for me.
And Rose Wilding’s writing…
Honestly, this woman can WRITE.
Her characters are messy, complicated and sometimes downright disturbing, but they never felt flat. I could understand how they got to where they were, even when I was sitting there thinking, girl, WHAT are you doing?!
I also loved the 90s setting. The pop-star world, the music industry, the obsession with image and reinvention, the drugs, the relationships… Rose brings that whole era to life without making it feel like we’re being given a history lesson.
And the writing has this wonderfully unsettling quality to it. There is always this feeling that something isn’t quite right, even when nothing particularly awful is happening.
You just KNOW something is lurking around the corner.
And then there are the short chapters.
Oh, Rose.
You knew exactly what you were doing.
Just one more chapter.
Just one more.
Oh look… it’s 1am.
What makes Cherry work for me isn’t just the murder or the twists. It’s the women. Their grief, obsession, loneliness, anger and desire all become tangled together until you genuinely don’t know where one person’s story ends and another begins.
It’s dark.
It’s creepy.
It’s completely messed up in places.
And somehow I couldn’t stop reading.
Rose Wilding has written a psychological thriller that gets right inside the heads of its characters and then leaves you wondering whether you should trust any of them.
And that freezer…
I don’t think I’m ever going to look at one quite the same way again.
Rose, what on earth goes on in that brain of yours?!
Absolutely loved the writing and the sheer madness of it all.
Thank you, NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, and Rose Wilding for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Publishing date: November 3rd 2026
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
1999.
Gifty Andoh, a talented musician, is grief stricken after the death of her wife, Helen, and is haunted by a terrible mistake she makes. To distract herself from her issues she wants to track down Cherry, once a successful band member and solo artist, who has disappeared from the scene and with whom she has previously been close.
Ally is married to archaeologist Charles, currently on a dig in Indonesia. She’s struggling in many ways, not least with her health and the arrival of Isobel as an au pair for her children, Celia and Felix, is a godsend. However, calm and competent Isobel is not exactly what she seems.
This is a good, well written and dark psychological thriller for which you need to buckle up and brace yourself as lives derail. The pace is quick via short, sharp chapters of character perspectives which gives a clear insight into states of mind. All their back stories are intriguing and it becomes clear there are several connections, interconnections, alongside obsessions, illusions, and delusions. As secrets bubble to the surface, their lives become more entangled, which is accompanied by complex emotions as well as trickery and betrayal.
The characterisation is very good, all are strongly portrayed and central to all is Isobel who becomes horribly fascinating with Celia probably being the only character catching onto the truth – what a smart cookie.
The 90s decade is conveyed very strongly with Cherry’s band experience ringing very true with fame coming at a high price. The ramifications will be felt far and wide.
As the last quarter of the book is reached, there’s a spiralling deeply down and there’s a sense of unreality inside a deluded mind. It’s claustrophobic with walls closing in as danger levels rise. The ending is a race against time, its jet black dark, unsettling, twisted, unhinged, probably OTT at times. However, do I enjoy it? Yes, absolutely, it’s right up my street.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to John Murray Press/Baskerville for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.
Gifty Andoh, a talented musician, is grief stricken after the death of her wife, Helen, and is haunted by a terrible mistake she makes. To distract herself from her issues she wants to track down Cherry, once a successful band member and solo artist, who has disappeared from the scene and with whom she has previously been close.
Ally is married to archaeologist Charles, currently on a dig in Indonesia. She’s struggling in many ways, not least with her health and the arrival of Isobel as an au pair for her children, Celia and Felix, is a godsend. However, calm and competent Isobel is not exactly what she seems.
This is a good, well written and dark psychological thriller for which you need to buckle up and brace yourself as lives derail. The pace is quick via short, sharp chapters of character perspectives which gives a clear insight into states of mind. All their back stories are intriguing and it becomes clear there are several connections, interconnections, alongside obsessions, illusions, and delusions. As secrets bubble to the surface, their lives become more entangled, which is accompanied by complex emotions as well as trickery and betrayal.
The characterisation is very good, all are strongly portrayed and central to all is Isobel who becomes horribly fascinating with Celia probably being the only character catching onto the truth – what a smart cookie.
The 90s decade is conveyed very strongly with Cherry’s band experience ringing very true with fame coming at a high price. The ramifications will be felt far and wide.
As the last quarter of the book is reached, there’s a spiralling deeply down and there’s a sense of unreality inside a deluded mind. It’s claustrophobic with walls closing in as danger levels rise. The ending is a race against time, its jet black dark, unsettling, twisted, unhinged, probably OTT at times. However, do I enjoy it? Yes, absolutely, it’s right up my street.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to John Murray Press/Baskerville for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.
October 25, 2026
Thank you Rose Wilding and NetGalley for the advanced audiobook of this novel.
Some of these characters are completely unhinged and/or naive which made a great combination for some macabre moments and moments of intense obsession.
At the same time there was a good amount of spicy Lesbian scenes that I don't read often but I definitely appreciated. (HOT).
The mixture left its mark on my mind and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Good read.
Some of these characters are completely unhinged and/or naive which made a great combination for some macabre moments and moments of intense obsession.
At the same time there was a good amount of spicy Lesbian scenes that I don't read often but I definitely appreciated. (HOT).
The mixture left its mark on my mind and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Good read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
🖤 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.
Cherry pulled me into its dark, unsettling world with unreliable narration so subtle that I found myself questioning what I’d just heard. I became deeply invested in all three women, and the beautiful prose created an atmosphere that lingered long after I finished.
The late-1990s nostalgia was a lovely bonus, and the fibromyalgia representation meant a lot to me personally. The audiobook is phenomenal, with an incredible voice and superb characterisation.
My one small niggle was how interconnected everyone seemed, which felt a little far-fetched at times.
Content warning: Graphic animal cruelty and child cruelty. Some scenes are deeply disturbing, so please check the content warnings before listening.
Thank you to Rose Wilding, Recorded Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this ALC. All opinions are my own.
Cherry pulled me into its dark, unsettling world with unreliable narration so subtle that I found myself questioning what I’d just heard. I became deeply invested in all three women, and the beautiful prose created an atmosphere that lingered long after I finished.
The late-1990s nostalgia was a lovely bonus, and the fibromyalgia representation meant a lot to me personally. The audiobook is phenomenal, with an incredible voice and superb characterisation.
My one small niggle was how interconnected everyone seemed, which felt a little far-fetched at times.
Content warning: Graphic animal cruelty and child cruelty. Some scenes are deeply disturbing, so please check the content warnings before listening.
Thank you to Rose Wilding, Recorded Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this ALC. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Well, this was unexpected. Cherry is a wild amalgamation of just about every genre you can think of: murder mystery, thriller, horror, obsession, and messy family dynamics. Told through four different women’s POVs over the course of a single month, the story weaves together some genuinely compelling characters and plotlines. These women are all very different from one another, and I appreciated how fully fleshed out some of them felt.
That said, this book can get a little messy. Information is doled out in tiny pieces across 350+ pages, and there were moments when I wanted to shake the story and demand that it just TELL ME WHAT WAS GOING ON ALREADY. But, frustrating as that could be, it also kept me turning the pages. Every new revelation made me want to know what the hell was coming next.
Cherry isn’t necessarily a neat, tidy reading experience, but it’s an unpredictable one, and there’s something to be said for a book that keeps you guessing while refusing to fit into a single genre. I’m still sorting through my feelings about this one, but I have a feeling I’ll be thinking about it for a while.
Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Rose Wilding for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
That said, this book can get a little messy. Information is doled out in tiny pieces across 350+ pages, and there were moments when I wanted to shake the story and demand that it just TELL ME WHAT WAS GOING ON ALREADY. But, frustrating as that could be, it also kept me turning the pages. Every new revelation made me want to know what the hell was coming next.
Cherry isn’t necessarily a neat, tidy reading experience, but it’s an unpredictable one, and there’s something to be said for a book that keeps you guessing while refusing to fit into a single genre. I’m still sorting through my feelings about this one, but I have a feeling I’ll be thinking about it for a while.
Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Rose Wilding for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
June 24, 2026
It's 1997, and we follow Gifty, who has lost her wife Helen, Isobel, a former 90's popstar burned by fame, and Ally, a married mom of two. This is 100% a story of obsession, a la Fatal Attraction Sharon Stone bunny boiling type stuff. I genuinely LOVED our town setting, and the time period it took place in. The POV's are straight forward enough- the pace of this one is so fast, the chapters were short, and the genuine WTF moments never let up. Visceral is a great description for this one, as the way it is written and the content it covers will absolutely make you feel watched, sick, queasy etc. There is on page animal violence a few times, I have to put out as a warning. I wish this one had had a bit more than "mystery and thriller" labeled on it because it's hard to review this book under that umbrella, personally, with how gruesome it gets. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC. All opinions are entirely my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
“it starts as a love song and ends in a murder” caught my eye as I was contemplating what I had just read. Indeed this book begins creepily - I don’t want to give away some of the fun of reading this book so suffice it to say that sentence is a great summation of this twisty psychological thriller.
This is a story of three women, Gifty, Isobel and Ally, whose lives become intertwined through obsession and love. Gifty is adrift in grief after her partner’s (Helen) death. She begins to search for Cherry who was a pop star in the early 1990s but became involved with drugs and disappeared. Gifty had been Cherry’s music teacher. In the meantime Ally has just hired an au pair to help with her children, Celia and Felix, while her horrible husband is away.
Told in relatively short chapters the story is woven over and through narratives of Cherry, Gifty, Ally and Isobel, the au pair. The backstory is filled in and what’s happening in present time 1999 is painstakingly examined over a month in April. It’s difficult to write a summary of this book as so much would be given away so I’d just add that the relationship between the three women is extremely strange and frightfully so but still with a punch of fun for the time spent in reading this strange novel - be prepared to suspend belief at times.
I noticed that the British cover for the book screams red (a red lipsticked mouth open to bite a red cherry) while the American cover is more subdued with lipstick stain. I think the British cover explains the book better. So readers interested in a twisty murder mystery set in the 90s should take a look at this.
My thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for granting me access to this ARC.
This is a story of three women, Gifty, Isobel and Ally, whose lives become intertwined through obsession and love. Gifty is adrift in grief after her partner’s (Helen) death. She begins to search for Cherry who was a pop star in the early 1990s but became involved with drugs and disappeared. Gifty had been Cherry’s music teacher. In the meantime Ally has just hired an au pair to help with her children, Celia and Felix, while her horrible husband is away.
Told in relatively short chapters the story is woven over and through narratives of Cherry, Gifty, Ally and Isobel, the au pair. The backstory is filled in and what’s happening in present time 1999 is painstakingly examined over a month in April. It’s difficult to write a summary of this book as so much would be given away so I’d just add that the relationship between the three women is extremely strange and frightfully so but still with a punch of fun for the time spent in reading this strange novel - be prepared to suspend belief at times.
I noticed that the British cover for the book screams red (a red lipsticked mouth open to bite a red cherry) while the American cover is more subdued with lipstick stain. I think the British cover explains the book better. So readers interested in a twisty murder mystery set in the 90s should take a look at this.
My thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for granting me access to this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was such a fun read! With how much I loved Wilding's previous book Speak of the Devil, I was nervous that this wasn't gonna hit quite the same but I shouldn't have been worried. This is another five star book for me & I'd recommend to everybody needing a sapphic horror/thriller full of female rage & a villain you love to hate.
The prologue had me gripped immediately. The pacing of the book overall was fairly steady, some parts I'll admit felt slightly rushed but not enough to lose my interest. I loved how eerie & mysterious parts of the plot were & the nostalgic feeling of it being set in the 90s. For a good half of the book I was conflicted on how to feel about the main characters & there was a strong unreliable narrator vibe all throughout this which I really liked & thought was executed well, even right up till the end. Isobel was one of the best fictional villains I've read— she was mysterious, strange & so many of the WTF moments in this book revolved around her. I hated her in the way we're meant to hate a villain but I loved how the writing made her so intriguing at the same time, I was desperate to figure out her backstory of which I did predict one of the twists early on.
Speaking of predictable twists, there were a few I could sense coming but this didn't put me off at all. I liked reading how things came together & seeing the plot developing how it did. I loved how fast paced the last few chapters were with the constant quick switches of POV between Isobel, Ally & Gifty. The scenes as it was getting to the end were SO tense, I didn't want to put it down before getting to the final page. All three FMCs were complex & flawed in their own ways but I still can't stop thinking about them long after finishing this.
I would say to suspend disbelief to an extent at times whilst reading this & a warning that there is an on page scene of animal cruelty which almost caught me off guard but none of this was enough to lower my own rating. I had a lot of fun reading this, I was pleasantly surprised by the ending & especially loved the epilogue. I liked how different this felt from Speak of the Devil but with Wilding's same addictive writing style. I'm excited to see what she does next & for more readers to discover this when it's out!
Thank you John Murray Press & Netgalley for my free eARC!
The prologue had me gripped immediately. The pacing of the book overall was fairly steady, some parts I'll admit felt slightly rushed but not enough to lose my interest. I loved how eerie & mysterious parts of the plot were & the nostalgic feeling of it being set in the 90s. For a good half of the book I was conflicted on how to feel about the main characters & there was a strong unreliable narrator vibe all throughout this which I really liked & thought was executed well, even right up till the end. Isobel was one of the best fictional villains I've read— she was mysterious, strange & so many of the WTF moments in this book revolved around her. I hated her in the way we're meant to hate a villain but I loved how the writing made her so intriguing at the same time, I was desperate to figure out her backstory of which I did predict one of the twists early on.
Speaking of predictable twists, there were a few I could sense coming but this didn't put me off at all. I liked reading how things came together & seeing the plot developing how it did. I loved how fast paced the last few chapters were with the constant quick switches of POV between Isobel, Ally & Gifty. The scenes as it was getting to the end were SO tense, I didn't want to put it down before getting to the final page. All three FMCs were complex & flawed in their own ways but I still can't stop thinking about them long after finishing this.
I would say to suspend disbelief to an extent at times whilst reading this & a warning that there is an on page scene of animal cruelty which almost caught me off guard but none of this was enough to lower my own rating. I had a lot of fun reading this, I was pleasantly surprised by the ending & especially loved the epilogue. I liked how different this felt from Speak of the Devil but with Wilding's same addictive writing style. I'm excited to see what she does next & for more readers to discover this when it's out!
Thank you John Murray Press & Netgalley for my free eARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Cherry by Rose Wilding. Thanks to Minotaur for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fallen nineties pop star, Cherry, has reinvented herself as an au pair for a middle class family. She seems the perfect nanny for Ally and her family, whose patriarch is away on an archeological dig. The women of the story soon find themselves wrapped in a dangerous web of obsession.
I skimmed the synopsis and had no idea just how dark this one would get. It changes in a split second and starts the reader on watching a downward spiral. There are multiple point of views AND timelines, which normally would be confusing for me but it was well done and easy to follow. The background for each person was well developed and unique.
“What is he is just Spam? If she cuts him down the middle, maybe she’ll find that he is just a pallid, blotchy slab of reformed meat that has learned to talk.”
Read if you like:
-Obsession tropes
-Au pair stories
-Sapphic fiction
-Celebrity stories
Cherry comes out 11/3.
Fallen nineties pop star, Cherry, has reinvented herself as an au pair for a middle class family. She seems the perfect nanny for Ally and her family, whose patriarch is away on an archeological dig. The women of the story soon find themselves wrapped in a dangerous web of obsession.
I skimmed the synopsis and had no idea just how dark this one would get. It changes in a split second and starts the reader on watching a downward spiral. There are multiple point of views AND timelines, which normally would be confusing for me but it was well done and easy to follow. The background for each person was well developed and unique.
“What is he is just Spam? If she cuts him down the middle, maybe she’ll find that he is just a pallid, blotchy slab of reformed meat that has learned to talk.”
Read if you like:
-Obsession tropes
-Au pair stories
-Sapphic fiction
-Celebrity stories
Cherry comes out 11/3.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Netgalley, Rose Wilding and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.
How can a book feel so incredibly REAL while having such a wonderfully outrageous, almost unbelievable plot?!
Cherry absolutely hooked me. Rose Wilding has somehow managed to take a completely bonkers premise and fill it with characters, emotions and relationships that feel so authentic that I found myself believing every ridiculous, terrifying twist.
The characters are brilliantly written. Ally's struggles, her vulnerability and the way she begins to question herself felt painfully resonating to me. Isobel is wonderfully unsettling, and the creeping sense that something is very, very wrong builds beautifully throughout the book.
And Celia! What an absolutely fantastic character. Observant, intelligent and so much more perceptive than the adults around her. I adored her.
I also loved the North East setting. The little details, the language and the atmosphere made everything feel familiar and grounded, even as the plot became increasingly unhinged.
The final stretch was an absolute rollercoaster. Just when I thought things couldn't possibly escalate any further, something else happened. I genuinely couldn't put it down.
And the ending? SO satisfying. After all the tension, twists and psychological manipulation, I loved how everything came together.
This is one of those rare books where the plot is utterly outrageous, but the people within it feel completely human. Somehow, Rose Wilding makes the unbelievable believable.
Dark, clever, disturbing, occasionally completely bonkers, and utterly addictive.
An easy five stars from me! 🍒
How can a book feel so incredibly REAL while having such a wonderfully outrageous, almost unbelievable plot?!
Cherry absolutely hooked me. Rose Wilding has somehow managed to take a completely bonkers premise and fill it with characters, emotions and relationships that feel so authentic that I found myself believing every ridiculous, terrifying twist.
The characters are brilliantly written. Ally's struggles, her vulnerability and the way she begins to question herself felt painfully resonating to me. Isobel is wonderfully unsettling, and the creeping sense that something is very, very wrong builds beautifully throughout the book.
And Celia! What an absolutely fantastic character. Observant, intelligent and so much more perceptive than the adults around her. I adored her.
I also loved the North East setting. The little details, the language and the atmosphere made everything feel familiar and grounded, even as the plot became increasingly unhinged.
The final stretch was an absolute rollercoaster. Just when I thought things couldn't possibly escalate any further, something else happened. I genuinely couldn't put it down.
And the ending? SO satisfying. After all the tension, twists and psychological manipulation, I loved how everything came together.
This is one of those rare books where the plot is utterly outrageous, but the people within it feel completely human. Somehow, Rose Wilding makes the unbelievable believable.
Dark, clever, disturbing, occasionally completely bonkers, and utterly addictive.
An easy five stars from me! 🍒
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Holy unhinged! If an unreliable narrator, 90s nostalgia and some twisty twists are your jam look no further. Told in three POVs, I was invested from start to finish. They are messy and complicated. So many times, I wanted to ask all three of them what the hell they were doing.
The setting of 90s, pop diva world of the unsettling seedy belly of the music industry and all the nostalgia it brought up was done with just enough information without it being over the top. Lots was insinuated which made it even more insidious.
Obsession (especially in female friendships) is one of my favorite tropes, and this was deliciously dark, blood soaked and straight cuckoo for cocoa puffs. I loved the spicy sapphic scenes and the deranged way we saw it all unravel.
I also want to say YAY for a fibromyalgia rep! I don’t think I have read about that yet and it is something that should be written about more. Thank you @macmillian.audio for my copy! The narration was great!
Trigger Warning: animal violence/cruelty***
The setting of 90s, pop diva world of the unsettling seedy belly of the music industry and all the nostalgia it brought up was done with just enough information without it being over the top. Lots was insinuated which made it even more insidious.
Obsession (especially in female friendships) is one of my favorite tropes, and this was deliciously dark, blood soaked and straight cuckoo for cocoa puffs. I loved the spicy sapphic scenes and the deranged way we saw it all unravel.
I also want to say YAY for a fibromyalgia rep! I don’t think I have read about that yet and it is something that should be written about more. Thank you @macmillian.audio for my copy! The narration was great!
Trigger Warning: animal violence/cruelty***
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5/5
This book has a little bit of everything, genre-wise, so I think a lot of different kinds of readers could have a really good time with this. That made this book intriguing, always having something going on. And I appreciate that. I was never bored.
This is also for readers who love stories about obsession (and how that can twist).
I did find worrying about the dog peeing in the house during murder time to be absolutely hilarious. And relatable. Worrying about dog pee is totally valid, but maybe you have bigger fish to fry in that moment.
I would recommend looking up trigger warnings (I'm sure some other reviews have also included some).
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
This book has a little bit of everything, genre-wise, so I think a lot of different kinds of readers could have a really good time with this. That made this book intriguing, always having something going on. And I appreciate that. I was never bored.
This is also for readers who love stories about obsession (and how that can twist).
I did find worrying about the dog peeing in the house during murder time to be absolutely hilarious. And relatable. Worrying about dog pee is totally valid, but maybe you have bigger fish to fry in that moment.
I would recommend looking up trigger warnings (I'm sure some other reviews have also included some).
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of *Cherry* before publication. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
I really enjoyed the atmosphere of *Cherry*. Set in 1999, it follows three very different women whose lives gradually begin to overlap in ways that become darker, stranger and more dangerous.
Gifty is struggling after the death of her wife and becomes increasingly fixated on finding Cherry, a vanished nineties pop star who seems to have been forgotten by almost everyone else. Isobel, meanwhile, is trying to erase her own past and reinvent herself as the perfect nanny, while Ally is fighting to keep control of the family and successful life she has worked hard to build.
What I liked most was the way the book explores obsession. Each woman is clinging to something — grief, identity, family, desire or the version of herself she wants other people to see — and gradually those obsessions begin to collide. There is a constant sense that something is going to go very wrong long before you know exactly how.
The late-1990s setting also gives the story a distinctive feel. The pop-culture and music-industry elements make it more memorable than a typical psychological thriller, and I liked the slightly messy, darker atmosphere surrounding fame, reinvention and the lives people create for themselves.
This is more of a slow, character-driven spiral than a straightforward fast-paced thriller, so there were moments where I wanted it to move a little quicker. Some of the characters are also difficult to like, but I think that is intentional and actually adds to the uncomfortable tone of the book.
Overall, *Cherry* was dark, unsettling and very different. I enjoyed the three-woman structure, the late-nineties setting and the way grief, obsession and betrayal gradually become tangled together. It is not a conventional thriller, but that is also what made it interesting.
I really enjoyed the atmosphere of *Cherry*. Set in 1999, it follows three very different women whose lives gradually begin to overlap in ways that become darker, stranger and more dangerous.
Gifty is struggling after the death of her wife and becomes increasingly fixated on finding Cherry, a vanished nineties pop star who seems to have been forgotten by almost everyone else. Isobel, meanwhile, is trying to erase her own past and reinvent herself as the perfect nanny, while Ally is fighting to keep control of the family and successful life she has worked hard to build.
What I liked most was the way the book explores obsession. Each woman is clinging to something — grief, identity, family, desire or the version of herself she wants other people to see — and gradually those obsessions begin to collide. There is a constant sense that something is going to go very wrong long before you know exactly how.
The late-1990s setting also gives the story a distinctive feel. The pop-culture and music-industry elements make it more memorable than a typical psychological thriller, and I liked the slightly messy, darker atmosphere surrounding fame, reinvention and the lives people create for themselves.
This is more of a slow, character-driven spiral than a straightforward fast-paced thriller, so there were moments where I wanted it to move a little quicker. Some of the characters are also difficult to like, but I think that is intentional and actually adds to the uncomfortable tone of the book.
Overall, *Cherry* was dark, unsettling and very different. I enjoyed the three-woman structure, the late-nineties setting and the way grief, obsession and betrayal gradually become tangled together. It is not a conventional thriller, but that is also what made it interesting.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Set in April 1999 and 1989, somewhere near Newcastle in the North of England. There’s a host of characters in the start of this story - and there is not as some die and some are murdered. It’s a thriller. It’s a story of an obsession by one woman with another to the extent of wanting them all to herself.
Ally is married to Charles. Their children - Celia and Felix. Ally has fibromyalgia with many days of pain and lethargy. She is a pharmacist.
Isobel is their au pair hired by Charles as he has gone to Bali on an archaeological dig, and is probably going to be away a year. Isobel is able to make herself indispensable to Ally. Ally’s older sister is Elaine.
Gifty was with Helen for over 20 years before she died. (They met in 1980). Gifty is in therapy with Sasha. She carries around Helen’s ashes in an urn and is not coping well. Cherry is someone whom Gifty regards like a daughter, is missing. In 1989 Cherry was a child pop star in a group called Sweet Dreams. She had a brief solo career before being consumed by drug addiction.
Ally goes to Scotland with the children to see her sister and family. Isobel stays behind. Charles returns from his dig unexpectedly. He says that Isobel is no longer needed now as his dig has been put on hold (Ally kept sending letters as if from a firm of lawyers disputing access to the land). However, Isobel appears to have something she can blackmail Charles about. SPOILER ALERT: He threatens her but she is able to stab and kill him with a knife.
Gifty is trying to find Cherry. She drives to Newcastle and finding a bar with an open mic night discovers Cherry there. Singing her own hit single Firefly gives her away. The lives of the women are somehow all connected. Like Speak of the Devil this is another well written, female centred narrative. Four stars.
Ally is married to Charles. Their children - Celia and Felix. Ally has fibromyalgia with many days of pain and lethargy. She is a pharmacist.
Isobel is their au pair hired by Charles as he has gone to Bali on an archaeological dig, and is probably going to be away a year. Isobel is able to make herself indispensable to Ally. Ally’s older sister is Elaine.
Gifty was with Helen for over 20 years before she died. (They met in 1980). Gifty is in therapy with Sasha. She carries around Helen’s ashes in an urn and is not coping well. Cherry is someone whom Gifty regards like a daughter, is missing. In 1989 Cherry was a child pop star in a group called Sweet Dreams. She had a brief solo career before being consumed by drug addiction.
Ally goes to Scotland with the children to see her sister and family. Isobel stays behind. Charles returns from his dig unexpectedly. He says that Isobel is no longer needed now as his dig has been put on hold (Ally kept sending letters as if from a firm of lawyers disputing access to the land). However, Isobel appears to have something she can blackmail Charles about. SPOILER ALERT: He threatens her but she is able to stab and kill him with a knife.
Gifty is trying to find Cherry. She drives to Newcastle and finding a bar with an open mic night discovers Cherry there. Singing her own hit single Firefly gives her away. The lives of the women are somehow all connected. Like Speak of the Devil this is another well written, female centred narrative. Four stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2026
4/5
Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author Rise Wilding for gifting me with this ARC to review!
Liked:
-oh this chick is actually crazy. I’m not even joking when I’m telling you that Cherry/Isobel’s obsessions and delusions are next level, I’m not joking. The way she justifies her actions and swings wildly from seemingly being a “normal” loving person to psychologically deranged one is crazy. She constantly needs to be the center of attention to whoever she’s fixated on and if she feels like she not then the cuckoo starts slipping out.
-I liked the multiple POVs. I could’ve maybe done without Gifty’s (they weren’t bad but they just felt a bit unnecessary in the being) but I enjoyed watching the story and lies unraveling through the 3 women. Gifty has a lot of guilt she hasn’t really addressed surrounding both her partner (rip Helen) and Cherry. Ally is a chronically ill mom whose husband is a piece of garbage and has an au pair that can do anything. Isobel is a woman obsessed and will do anything to make sure she gets who she wants.
Disliked:
-The wrap up and ending felt a bit rushed to me. I thought the pacing was pretty good up until the last couple of chapters. It just felt rushed and that we were going from one scene to the next and scrimping on more detailed scenes.
-Ally you kind of suck as a pharmacist lol. I feel like you should be able to recognize certain symptoms happening after you take your medication. I refuse to believe you are going to blame everything on your illness and magically forget why you think something might be off with your meds. You’re smarter than that, I would hope.
Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author Rise Wilding for gifting me with this ARC to review!
Liked:
-oh this chick is actually crazy. I’m not even joking when I’m telling you that Cherry/Isobel’s obsessions and delusions are next level, I’m not joking. The way she justifies her actions and swings wildly from seemingly being a “normal” loving person to psychologically deranged one is crazy. She constantly needs to be the center of attention to whoever she’s fixated on and if she feels like she not then the cuckoo starts slipping out.
-I liked the multiple POVs. I could’ve maybe done without Gifty’s (they weren’t bad but they just felt a bit unnecessary in the being) but I enjoyed watching the story and lies unraveling through the 3 women. Gifty has a lot of guilt she hasn’t really addressed surrounding both her partner (rip Helen) and Cherry. Ally is a chronically ill mom whose husband is a piece of garbage and has an au pair that can do anything. Isobel is a woman obsessed and will do anything to make sure she gets who she wants.
Disliked:
-The wrap up and ending felt a bit rushed to me. I thought the pacing was pretty good up until the last couple of chapters. It just felt rushed and that we were going from one scene to the next and scrimping on more detailed scenes.
-Ally you kind of suck as a pharmacist lol. I feel like you should be able to recognize certain symptoms happening after you take your medication. I refuse to believe you are going to blame everything on your illness and magically forget why you think something might be off with your meds. You’re smarter than that, I would hope.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Set in 1997, this was a compelling and unsettling read, centred around obsession, grief, fame and the dangerous lengths people can go to when desire takes over. Following Gifty, who has lost her wife Helen, Isobel, a former ’90s pop star, and Ally, a married mother of two, the story explores these lives through multiple perspectives, gradually revealing how their experiences connect.
The concept was intriguing, and I particularly enjoyed the small-town setting and the nostalgic time period. The short chapters and shifting viewpoints made the book easy to move through, with plenty of shocking and genuinely disturbing moments along the way. The writing creates an increasingly uncomfortable atmosphere, and the story certainly lives up to its darker, more visceral elements.
That said, I did find the pacing a little uneven in places, and I struggled to connect with some of the characters. While the mystery had some strong moments, I felt the book could have benefited from a little more depth in certain areas. I also think it’s worth noting that this is considerably more gruesome than the typical “mystery and thriller” label might suggest, with animal violence and other disturbing content that may not suit every reader.
Overall, this was an original and memorable read that kept me curious, even if it wasn’t a personal favourite. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy dark, character-driven mysteries, psychological suspense and stories that explore obsession in deeply unsettling ways.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy. All opinions are my own.
The concept was intriguing, and I particularly enjoyed the small-town setting and the nostalgic time period. The short chapters and shifting viewpoints made the book easy to move through, with plenty of shocking and genuinely disturbing moments along the way. The writing creates an increasingly uncomfortable atmosphere, and the story certainly lives up to its darker, more visceral elements.
That said, I did find the pacing a little uneven in places, and I struggled to connect with some of the characters. While the mystery had some strong moments, I felt the book could have benefited from a little more depth in certain areas. I also think it’s worth noting that this is considerably more gruesome than the typical “mystery and thriller” label might suggest, with animal violence and other disturbing content that may not suit every reader.
Overall, this was an original and memorable read that kept me curious, even if it wasn’t a personal favourite. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy dark, character-driven mysteries, psychological suspense and stories that explore obsession in deeply unsettling ways.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Cherry by Rose Wilding weaves a menacing and dark story of grief,desire and unrequited love.
The story follows Isobel, a woman living a quiet life working as an efficient and loving au pair. As the book progresses through numerous points of view, we uncover the chilling layers of her past and there is a creeping sense of menace that does not let go.
Wilding brilliantly explores the toxic psychology of faded fame. Through shifting perspectives we start to understand how a young teenager thrown into the entertainment industry is exposed to its dark and seedy underbelly where drugs feature heavily. Then, how losing the spotlight shattered Cherry's sense of self, distorting her understanding of connection into a dangerous need for complete ownership over another person; she wants exactly one person to be her perfect partner—forgiving them absolutely nothing while remaining entirely oblivious to her own manipulative, suffocating nature.The delusions born from her fractured mental health and desperate need to be loved create menace and tension as thick as the syrupy lip gloss on the cover of the book.
The other women are equally interesting, Gifty is a fractured adult dealing with guilt and deep-seated grief.Ally feels inadequate and unloved, and struggles with her physical health.
Gradually it becomes clear that all the women's stories are inextricably connected and the book draws to THE most tense conclusion.
Highly recommended for fans of character-driven, dark psychological fiction that explores the heavy price of early stardom.
The story follows Isobel, a woman living a quiet life working as an efficient and loving au pair. As the book progresses through numerous points of view, we uncover the chilling layers of her past and there is a creeping sense of menace that does not let go.
Wilding brilliantly explores the toxic psychology of faded fame. Through shifting perspectives we start to understand how a young teenager thrown into the entertainment industry is exposed to its dark and seedy underbelly where drugs feature heavily. Then, how losing the spotlight shattered Cherry's sense of self, distorting her understanding of connection into a dangerous need for complete ownership over another person; she wants exactly one person to be her perfect partner—forgiving them absolutely nothing while remaining entirely oblivious to her own manipulative, suffocating nature.The delusions born from her fractured mental health and desperate need to be loved create menace and tension as thick as the syrupy lip gloss on the cover of the book.
The other women are equally interesting, Gifty is a fractured adult dealing with guilt and deep-seated grief.Ally feels inadequate and unloved, and struggles with her physical health.
Gradually it becomes clear that all the women's stories are inextricably connected and the book draws to THE most tense conclusion.
Highly recommended for fans of character-driven, dark psychological fiction that explores the heavy price of early stardom.
October 26, 2026
Cherry is a psychological thriller set in 1999, following several women whose lives become dangerously intertwined. Ally's world starts falling apart after Charles leaves and Isobel, the au pair, moves in. Meanwhile, Gifty is wandering aimlessly, searching for Cherry, a pop star who has since disappeared, while also grieving the loss of her partner Helen and carrying a heavy guilt over her death that threads through the story.
Isobel seems a bit off from the start, and the further the story goes, the clearer it becomes how unstable she really is. Cherry was Isobel’s stage name, but as the story unfolds, the line between the two becomes something far more complicated.
The story occasionally jumps back twenty years to revisit moments from Ally and her sister Elaine's past, and those flashbacks fill in the gaps the present-day story needs to tie more of the dark tragic story together.
The pacing moves at a steady clip, which keeps things engaging with steady tension throughout. I simultaneously listened and read, and really enjoyed the narration.
There is one significant character who ties all of these women together, and that connection fuels a dark and deadly obsession driving the story to its conclusion.
Overall, this is a solid read for fans of psychological thrillers with layered characters and a twisty plot.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts shared here are my own.
*Trigger warning: animal death/cruelty*
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you Minotaur Books for my gifted copy!
Rose Wilding’s writing is like quicksand. It is poetry. It is a painting of scenery I have longed for all my life. Cloyingly atmospheric and addictive.
I loved Speak of the Devil so much. I remember the moment I finished it, feeling like my world had been altered. So when I got the email from Minotaur inviting me to read Cherry, I jumped. I was all in. And from the second I opened this book, it consumed me.
I am a sucker for an unreliable narrator. And we meet a cast of them. Whew. The last time I felt this way was The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. She cemented the unreliable narrator trope, and while it has been over- used and hung out with the wash, a few authors still manage to nail it, Rose Wilding being one.
I can’t say much without spoiling it, but you’re truly in for a ride with this one. It made me recoil in horror, cringe in disgust, gasp in surprise. I am not exaggerating. There were some scenes that had me crawling my back to the wall just to support me to the next chapter. I love whatever is wrong with your mind, Rose Wilding. Please write more, because wow. Just wow.
This book was brilliant. It deserves all of the hype.
Rose Wilding’s writing is like quicksand. It is poetry. It is a painting of scenery I have longed for all my life. Cloyingly atmospheric and addictive.
I loved Speak of the Devil so much. I remember the moment I finished it, feeling like my world had been altered. So when I got the email from Minotaur inviting me to read Cherry, I jumped. I was all in. And from the second I opened this book, it consumed me.
I am a sucker for an unreliable narrator. And we meet a cast of them. Whew. The last time I felt this way was The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. She cemented the unreliable narrator trope, and while it has been over- used and hung out with the wash, a few authors still manage to nail it, Rose Wilding being one.
I can’t say much without spoiling it, but you’re truly in for a ride with this one. It made me recoil in horror, cringe in disgust, gasp in surprise. I am not exaggerating. There were some scenes that had me crawling my back to the wall just to support me to the next chapter. I love whatever is wrong with your mind, Rose Wilding. Please write more, because wow. Just wow.
This book was brilliant. It deserves all of the hype.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Baskerville for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
I requested this on NetGalley after spotting a quote from Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb, which I really enjoyed. She described it as “A feverish spiral of grief, desire, and betrayal, laced with unease and menace.” That was enough to persuade me, and I'm glad I gave it a go!
Set in 1999, the story follows three women whose lives become caught up in secrets, obsession and murder. At the centre of it all is Cherry, a missing nineties pop star who everyone seems to have forgotten except Gifty, who's determined to track her down.
It's a strange mix of thriller, mystery and horror, with some pretty messed-up characters and lots going on. Told from different perspectives, the connections between the women gradually become clear.
It does get a bit messy at times, with plenty to keep track of and information drip-fed throughout. There were moments when I just wanted to know what on earth was going on, but that's also what kept me turning the pages.
I raced through it! Dark, unpredictable and a bit bonkers in places, but a really enjoyable read. I've even added Rose Wilding's previous novel, Speak of the Devil, to my wishlist, which is always a good sign!
I requested this on NetGalley after spotting a quote from Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb, which I really enjoyed. She described it as “A feverish spiral of grief, desire, and betrayal, laced with unease and menace.” That was enough to persuade me, and I'm glad I gave it a go!
Set in 1999, the story follows three women whose lives become caught up in secrets, obsession and murder. At the centre of it all is Cherry, a missing nineties pop star who everyone seems to have forgotten except Gifty, who's determined to track her down.
It's a strange mix of thriller, mystery and horror, with some pretty messed-up characters and lots going on. Told from different perspectives, the connections between the women gradually become clear.
It does get a bit messy at times, with plenty to keep track of and information drip-fed throughout. There were moments when I just wanted to know what on earth was going on, but that's also what kept me turning the pages.
I raced through it! Dark, unpredictable and a bit bonkers in places, but a really enjoyable read. I've even added Rose Wilding's previous novel, Speak of the Devil, to my wishlist, which is always a good sign!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I have been reading a lot of very serious, very literary fiction and non-fiction recently. So this was a little thrilling thriller light relief amongst that forest of literary marvels.
For the genre I’d probably give it a 3.75. Did I have a good time reading it? Yes. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Would I recommend it to someone who likes this kind of book? Absolutely.
But did it rock my world? No. Did it change the way I see something, make me question something I hadn’t thought about before, or leave me lying awake thinking about it afterwards? Also no.
And I think that’s probably why I land at 3.75 rather than 4 or 4.5. It was a really fun read and I had a good time with it, but it didn’t do much to me beyond that. And that’s fine! Not every book has to change your life. Sometimes you just want to read something entertaining, get completely caught up in it for a few hours and then move on to the next book.
Cherry is exactly that kind of read. I loved the 90s Northern setting, I loved that it was touching on the unhinged and was fast paced. A few plot holes along the way but who cares tbh, I think people will love this book!
For the genre I’d probably give it a 3.75. Did I have a good time reading it? Yes. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Would I recommend it to someone who likes this kind of book? Absolutely.
But did it rock my world? No. Did it change the way I see something, make me question something I hadn’t thought about before, or leave me lying awake thinking about it afterwards? Also no.
And I think that’s probably why I land at 3.75 rather than 4 or 4.5. It was a really fun read and I had a good time with it, but it didn’t do much to me beyond that. And that’s fine! Not every book has to change your life. Sometimes you just want to read something entertaining, get completely caught up in it for a few hours and then move on to the next book.
Cherry is exactly that kind of read. I loved the 90s Northern setting, I loved that it was touching on the unhinged and was fast paced. A few plot holes along the way but who cares tbh, I think people will love this book!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks NetGalley for this ALC. All thoughts are my own.
In 1999, Gifty still mourns the loss of her wife. She's frozen in time, unable to move on or enter the bedroom where her wife Helen died. She's told to confront her grief, but instead looks for someone from her past. Isobel is an ex-90s pop star who has done everything to erase her past. She lands a job working for a small family, taking on the role of the perfect nanny. Meanwhile, Ally has run a successful business and is a loving mother to her children. When her husband leaves for Indonesia for six months, he hires Isobel as an au pair without her permission. Ally is left angry over her husband's decision and absence while she struggles with an illness. Isobel is now in Ally and her family's life, and Gifty is looking for her. A dangerous web weaves between these women, that can only end in someone's death.
3.25/5 stars. Finishing this, I'm left wondering what the hell just happened. I was so convinced that I would know where this was going, and I was partly right, but it was still a wild ride. This reminded me of a few movies/novels out there based off the plot, but it was still an interesting one.
In 1999, Gifty still mourns the loss of her wife. She's frozen in time, unable to move on or enter the bedroom where her wife Helen died. She's told to confront her grief, but instead looks for someone from her past. Isobel is an ex-90s pop star who has done everything to erase her past. She lands a job working for a small family, taking on the role of the perfect nanny. Meanwhile, Ally has run a successful business and is a loving mother to her children. When her husband leaves for Indonesia for six months, he hires Isobel as an au pair without her permission. Ally is left angry over her husband's decision and absence while she struggles with an illness. Isobel is now in Ally and her family's life, and Gifty is looking for her. A dangerous web weaves between these women, that can only end in someone's death.
3.25/5 stars. Finishing this, I'm left wondering what the hell just happened. I was so convinced that I would know where this was going, and I was partly right, but it was still a wild ride. This reminded me of a few movies/novels out there based off the plot, but it was still an interesting one.
October 26, 2026
looking for your next unhinged read with multi-povs & an unreliable narrator?👀
•cherry🍒- rose wilding•
if you love a book that’s gonna have your head in a spin and send you on a journey filled with: grief, fame, obsession, mystery and chronic illness, then… THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU!
4 povs, travelling through time from past to present and unravelling some dark secrets along the way.
following one lead of a 90’s pop star, who from a very young age was kept going by dr*gs, lust, obsession & promises.
i found it very interesting to see the psychological impact that fame could have on someone,
especially from such a young age and how dark and gritty things could get. the way the mind would evolve and change over time, putting oneself into dangerous situations, trying to escape it all and then believing their own delusions.
i guess the most pondered question is, how far are you willing to go for fame?
but then it also begs the question, once you’re in it, how far are you willing to go to escape it?
release date: november, 5th💫
thank you to @netgalley & @johnmurrays for the arc approval✨
•cherry🍒- rose wilding•
if you love a book that’s gonna have your head in a spin and send you on a journey filled with: grief, fame, obsession, mystery and chronic illness, then… THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU!
4 povs, travelling through time from past to present and unravelling some dark secrets along the way.
following one lead of a 90’s pop star, who from a very young age was kept going by dr*gs, lust, obsession & promises.
i found it very interesting to see the psychological impact that fame could have on someone,
especially from such a young age and how dark and gritty things could get. the way the mind would evolve and change over time, putting oneself into dangerous situations, trying to escape it all and then believing their own delusions.
i guess the most pondered question is, how far are you willing to go for fame?
but then it also begs the question, once you’re in it, how far are you willing to go to escape it?
release date: november, 5th💫
thank you to @netgalley & @johnmurrays for the arc approval✨
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
There are very few novels that come my way that make me want to throw up. Oddly, two of them arrived in the last month. The first I gave up after about 30 pages of incessant gore. Cherry is in another category entirely. It is, in fact, well written and psychologically well thought out. It is, in essence, an indelible description of one character's horrifying descent into delusional insanity. The novel is relentless in this regard. It affected me greatly in a visceral way. It's not an easy read, though it starts out as such. In fact, the setup at the beginning is eerily reminiscent of The Housemaid, but believe me when I tell you that's where the similarity ends. Oddly, some of the characters are depicted at a remove, so you never really get under their skin. One in particular grieves constantly throughout the book; it gets to be too much and her singular feature. This is one where you'll have to make up your own mind. Just remember: you have been warned. Rated 3 1/2 stars.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’ve really been struggling with thrillers lately...everything I’ve read has just been kind of predictable or flat. BUT! I really enjoyed this one! It follows three women whose lives are intersecting with each other in different ways, a dangerous obsession blooming, and of course a POS man. It was definitely a page turner and kept me invested. I think maybe two-thirds of the way through or so I started to kind of figure out where it might be going, but the ending was really well done. Cherry is DIABOLICAL, and I thought this was super dark for a thriller. I kind of love that it was the teenage girl who started to figure her out first? All of the characters were relatable in some way, they were all lying to themselves in one way or another, and they were all looking for someone to really see and love them. Super fun and quick read. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for opportunity to read this ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book had me intrigued from the prologue. The journey it then took me on was wild; while I felt the pace slowed down quite a lot at times, the feeling of dread kept me turning the page. The cleverly woven plot revealed itself through three points of view and multiple timelines. The story was highly unique, which made it all the more captivating. In fact, I think this book features one of the most unhinged female characters I have read in a while.
The story follows the lives of three women: Gifty, a music teacher; Ally, a pharmacist and mother of two who is married to an archaeologist; and Isobel, an au pair who is trying to improve herself.I don't want to say to much more other than buckle up.
The narrative covers grief, betrayal, obsession, and some totally unhinged behavior. I would recommend this book, but please note that it contains two instances of animal cruelty.
The story follows the lives of three women: Gifty, a music teacher; Ally, a pharmacist and mother of two who is married to an archaeologist; and Isobel, an au pair who is trying to improve herself.I don't want to say to much more other than buckle up.
The narrative covers grief, betrayal, obsession, and some totally unhinged behavior. I would recommend this book, but please note that it contains two instances of animal cruelty.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of Cherry. Being from the North East I was aware of Wilding’s work, and having read Speak of the Devil was excited to see her next offering. Cherry certainly didn’t disappoint. The book was a pacy and very satisfying thriller which moved between the narrative viewpoints of Ally, Gifty, Isobel and Cherry across two decades. The book pulled me in immediately - it was engaging and well written, and the gradual reveal of different characters’ pasts and connections to one another was really well handled. Fair warning that you’ll need to suspend your disbelief a little in laces, and there were a couple of very convenient plotholes that frustrated me a little, but it was an incredibly compelling read. A more controlled and skilled sophomore offering from Wilding, and I’m definitely going to be keeping an eye out for her next book.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I read this one straight through. It was a very fast and engrossing read.
I loved the time period and how the characters were all flawed and you were never quite sure - until near the end of the book - if any of them were reliable narrators.
I loved the various backstories of the characters - Cherry/Isabels awful journey as a child pop star, Gifty’s falling in love, Ally’s sad choices when meeting and committing to Charles.
I really enjoyed the chapters being from different points of view. This was especially effective towards the end where you read the same scene from both Isabel and Ally’s POV. And you know Ally has been so drugged up and confused and you’re thinking Isabel is probably psychotic.
Overall it was exciting, thrilling, absorbing. I very much enjoyed.
I loved the time period and how the characters were all flawed and you were never quite sure - until near the end of the book - if any of them were reliable narrators.
I loved the various backstories of the characters - Cherry/Isabels awful journey as a child pop star, Gifty’s falling in love, Ally’s sad choices when meeting and committing to Charles.
I really enjoyed the chapters being from different points of view. This was especially effective towards the end where you read the same scene from both Isabel and Ally’s POV. And you know Ally has been so drugged up and confused and you’re thinking Isabel is probably psychotic.
Overall it was exciting, thrilling, absorbing. I very much enjoyed.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
When Gifty's partner dies, she distracts herself with the mystery of 'Cherry' who is a missing nineties pop star. She will find out where she is, if it's the last thing she does.
'Cherry' by Rose Wilding is an absolute rollercoaster of a thriller! Just when I thought I had the plot and the connections between Ally, Isobel, and Gifty figured out, another mind-bending twist completely blindsided me. The pacing is masterful, the multi-POV structure is INSANE, and the story feels genuinely unique and fresh!
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
If you like:
☑ Dark Thrillers
☑ LGBTQIAP+ Non Fictions
☑ Twisty Plots
Then you're going to **love** this book.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Thank you to NetGalley and Baskerville for access to this ARC. All opinions are my own.
'Cherry' by Rose Wilding is an absolute rollercoaster of a thriller! Just when I thought I had the plot and the connections between Ally, Isobel, and Gifty figured out, another mind-bending twist completely blindsided me. The pacing is masterful, the multi-POV structure is INSANE, and the story feels genuinely unique and fresh!
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
If you like:
☑ Dark Thrillers
☑ LGBTQIAP+ Non Fictions
☑ Twisty Plots
Then you're going to **love** this book.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Thank you to NetGalley and Baskerville for access to this ARC. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book was SO MUCH FUN. There was not a boring moment, it definitely hooked me immediately and the excitement never let up.
I loved the '90s setting, the teen popstar storyline, and the way the story is pieced together across multiple POVs and timelines. Rose Wilding did an amazing job of distinguishing between her characters POVs, and I LOVED Eilís Konstantina's narration.
Cherry is an unhinged and unique thriller, I had an absolutely blast listening to the audiobook and finished it in a little over 24 hours as I found it so compelling. Definitely recommend for your next thriller fix.
Thanks to NetGalley, RBmedia, & Rose Wilding for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the '90s setting, the teen popstar storyline, and the way the story is pieced together across multiple POVs and timelines. Rose Wilding did an amazing job of distinguishing between her characters POVs, and I LOVED Eilís Konstantina's narration.
Cherry is an unhinged and unique thriller, I had an absolutely blast listening to the audiobook and finished it in a little over 24 hours as I found it so compelling. Definitely recommend for your next thriller fix.
Thanks to NetGalley, RBmedia, & Rose Wilding for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
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