The Goddesses

by Swan Huntley

The Descendants meets Single White Female in this captivating novel about a woman who moves her family to Hawaii, only to find herself wrapped up in a dangerous friendship, from the celebrated author of We Could Be Beautiful.

When Nancy and her family arrive in Kona, Hawaii, they are desperate for a fresh start. Nancy's husband has cheated on her; they sleep in separate bedrooms and their twin sons have been acting out, setting off illegal fireworks. But Hawaii is paradise: they plant an orange tree in the yard; they share a bed once again and Nancy resolves to make a happy life for herself. She starts taking a yoga class and there she meets Ana, the charismatic teacher. Ana has short, black hair, a warm smile, and a hard-won wisdom that resonates deeply within Nancy. They are soon spending all their time together, sharing dinners, relaxing in Ana's hot tub, driving around Kona in the cute little car Ana helps Nancy buy. As Nancy grows closer and closer to Ana skipping family dinners and leaving the twins to their own devices she feels a happiness and understanding unlike anything she's ever experienced, and she knows that she will do anything Ana asks of her.

A mesmerizing story of friendship and manipulation set against the idyllic tropical world of the Big Island, The Goddesses is a stunning psychological novel by one of our most exciting young writers.

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

310 pages, Hardcover

First published July 25, 2017

About the author

Swan Huntley is a writer and illustrator living in Los Angeles. Her books include Getting Clean with Stevie Green, The Goddesses, We Could Be Beautiful, The Bad Mood Book, You’re Grounded and I Want You More. She earned an MFA at Columbia University and has received fellowships from MacDowell and Yaddo.

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

WHAT DID I JUST READ?

To get right to it: after finishing The Goddesses, I had two main reactions:
-I wish Huntley had gone full "Single White Female" in the end and taken the crazy to 11 rather than a lukewarm embrace in the climax
-Why does this book exist, why did I keep reading this, and who would I ever recommend it to?

Rarely am I stumped for words when trying to review a book. Yet my reactions while reading Swan Huntley's The Goddesses vacillated between the following: being irritated by and empathetic to Nancy the main character; feeling tense as the deeply obsessive bond between her and Ana forms and waiting for the shoe to drop; disappointment and disgust as certain twists I saw coming miles away so wasn't caught off guard or surprised by anything in the climax while Nancy is more or less oblivious until the last possible moment; not caring at all about a late reveal of a critical moment from Nancy's past in the epilogue. This is a 2 star read for me: I didn't completely dislike it, but it really did not work for me in terms of plot or characterization, and I might have given it a higher rating if the climax had gone as full on absurdly insane as the rest of the book. But ultimately I was left wondering why I had read the whole thing, so I can't even say I was entertained.

Huntley is not a bad writer, even if her observational style is not one I typically gravitate towards. The real issue is that the entire conceit is absurd and yet it doesn't go far enough. It's fluffy and dark at the same time; it needed to choose a side and stick to it. Huntley is striking this middle path between a tale of a grifter glomming onto a broken woman and a slow psychological build versus two women becoming dangerously obsessed with each other and leading to horrifying results. But with a foot in each camp it doesn't go far enough either way for me. Ana is crazy, both of the like a fox and batshit variety - we see her instability and dishonesty and dark currents early on - but she's also not quite crazy enough in thinking about her actions at the end. Nancy is a blank slate, homemaker undone by a philandering spouse, insecure and trying to reinvent herself with her family's move to Hawaii. She's mildly dim and though Huntley purports for her and Ana to share similar backgrounds of hardship that had vastly different outcomes, Nancy never once gets an inkling of the wolf in sheep's clothing, in this case yoga pants, that Ana is. And while I could have occasional empathy for Nancy, her negligence of her teenage twins, her lack of a defined personality, and her immediate adoption of Ana to the exclusion of all else made her more irritating and unlikable than empathetic. Unlikable characters can be very compelling reading material and subjects, but this was not the good kind of unlikable where you're desperate to read more about them; rather the kind of unlikable where I questioned why I was continuing to swipe the pages at all. For the depth of Nancy's feeling/obsession for Ana and upending of her life to accommodate and cater to Ana, I was expecting a more emotional reaction from her at the conclusion. And because the climax was a letdown, I was all the more cranky to have continued with a story and characters I wasn't responding to much only to be left empty handed in terms of meeting my expectations.

Most of the side characters are unmemorable or very limited. Chuck is the drunk husband who feels bad about cheating on Nancy but also is in a hurry to just put everything back together with a new Hawaiian sheen. I actually liked Chuck and Nancy's twins, who deserved far better from their parents during this Hawaiian period, but liking them just put into greater focus both parent's negligence, and made me freshly irritated with Nancy for thinking it was a remotely good idea to expose her children to Ana. I did like though that Huntley is making a not so subtle point about trying to outrun one's past or pain: Hawaii may be paradise in a sense but there's nothing that will let Nancy, Chuck or Ana truly escape what hurts and haunts them from the mainland. And as much as Ana swings between perpetuating her good and bad karma, she'll always be hung up on her past, her misfortunes, and the unfairness of it all. Huntley's idea rang true, but it wasn't large enough to make up for the larger missteps, unlikeable and boring characters, and lack of real thrill or fire or action right when things were finally in place to capitalize on the tension. I would not recommend The Goddesses overall: even if there were ok elements, I really don't know who they would appeal to and who I would recommend this to. Not all books are for me: this one most asssuredly was not. I hope other readers have a better experience with it!

On a final note, if this hadn't been set in Hawaii, I probably would have never picked it up. Hawaii is my favorite place on Earth, the one destination I've visited most often and spent the most time, and so I do like to read fiction (or nonfiction) set in Hawaii. If you're looking for Hawaiian set fiction (and non), here are some other things to look at instead: Moloka'i, This Is Paradise: Stories, Diamond Head, From Here to Eternity, The Three-Year Swim Club: The Untold Story of Maui's Sugar Ditch Kids and Their Quest for Olympic Glory

-received an ARC on edelweiss thanks to Doubleday

[Caro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about Nancy who recently moved with her husband Chuck and their teenage twins to Hawaii. In the island she meets Ana (pronounced "O-na") who is a yoga instructor, among other things. They start a friendship where Nancy is more of a traditional stay-at-home mom and Ana is sort of an adventurer, their personalities complement each other.

When I started reading I thought the book was mainly about female friendships and bonding and to some degree it is, but soon turns out to be darker than it appears after some events and this is where it gets very interesting. I will not go into any details as I love discovering things as I read and will not spoil the fun for you. 

This is the second book I've read from the same author, the first one was We Could Be Beautiful which I loved.

Overall I enjoyed the book and recommend it to all those who love self-discovery journeys, themes of female friendship or just a good contemporary book.

Thanks to NetGalley, Swan Huntley, and Dobleday for providing me with a copy of this publication in exchange for an honest review.

Review also posted on blog

About the author:
Website
Twitter

Last note, here's a beautiful and relaxing picture of Hawaii...



Source: http://sbhawaii.com/

[Sarah Joint · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of the reason romance books and I don't get along is the "instant love" many feature. You know, when two people meet and a week later they're sure they should be married and serenading each other under the sunset. Gag me. This isn't a romantic book, but it features the same kind of connection, though it's platonic. These two women meet and they're very quickly enveloped into each other's lives. The synopsis mentions Nancy leaving her twins to her own devices, and that made me picture them a little younger but they're seventeen. At first, this annoyed me. They should be able to make themselves dinner. Sandwiches, guys. Geez. But as the book goes on, she's slowly distancing herself more from her family. Since she's been a stay at home mother their entire lives, this understandably rattles them.

I wouldn't categorize this one as a thriller. I wasn't experiencing much suspense, having a feeling where it was going since the beginning of the book. When it's not about the surprise, it's more about the ride to get there. The ride did keep my attention, and I did enjoy getting to know the characters.

Nancy and her family have moved to Hawaii for a fresh start. It's not an unusual story: the husband cheated, the teenagers are acting out, and the wife is trying to forgive him. Chuck is like a dog that's been banished outside: head down, looking for any sliver of affection from Nancy, hopeful for forgiveness. He is cautious around her, giving her space but gently trying to bridge the gap between them. It's driving Nancy nuts.

Determined to take advantage of the fresh start, Nancy starts making little changes... cooking healthier food, working toward forgiving her husband, trying to grow her own vegetables, and taking up yoga. She's immediately entranced by her yoga teacher, Ana. Determined to be bold, she asks if they can get together socially. Ana is happy to agree.

Nancy finds Ana fascinating. They spend time in her Jacuzzi, talk for hours, and begin little projects that are supposed to help their karma. Tired of her predictable life, Nancy clings to her like a life preserver. Everything Ana does and says is like magic. She simply makes life better. Ana is fairly needy herself, and soon Nancy is spending less and less time with her husband and children... to what end?

My rating is a 3.5 out of 5. I expected a much bigger ending. I did enjoy the setting of the book and a lot of the dialogue.

Spoiler alert! When Ana says that Nancy's house burnt down at the end, I initially thought it was a threat. Nancy had no reaction and Ana didn't expand upon it, so apparently it wasn't... but I kinda wish it had been, because Ana's brand of crazy ended up being a little underwhelming.

I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Doubleday Books, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Reasons I bailed:

This entire book reads like a Costco advertisement, kind of like the way tv shows these days ever so nonchalantly throw in product placement. If you find yourself craving a Costco ham + pineapple pizza or Red Vines, stop and think. It never stops.

The author will sometimes shift into foreboding metaphor at the end of a chapter and then slam it down the reader's throat. I do not need that much help, and rather than building tension, I was just annoyed. I can't quote directly since I have a review copy but one example is roughly "lava is destructive but somehow I ignored this and IN OTHER WORDS IT WAS ALREADY TOO LATE."

I feel like I need the author to assume I'm smarter than that. To think that I'm connecting the dots, seeing a problem with some of the characters' actions. It would have been more unnerving for her not to comment on it, really. I wasn't willing to continue after the third time this happened.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley. I've heard her earlier books are good, and I might need to check them out instead.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enough with the bad reviews! This is a brilliant book, and has a lot to offer, especially on a deeper level. That seems to be a strength of author Swan Huntley, the ability to write from inside someone's mind, their soul even.

Nancy is a woman who's had her heart broken, and, not to sound cliche, is having a mid-life crisis of sorts. She feels unwanted, unneeded, and wonders if she even likes herself at all. When her family moves to Hawaii for a change of scenery, she vows to make changes in herself. She's a vulnerable character, and we see into her and get a peek at her innermost thoughts, feelings. Feelings many of us have had ourselves. On her route of self-discovery, she meets two women who are potential new friends: one a bit boring and one more exotic and exciting. She embarks into a close relationship with one which seems amazing initially, but how long will that last? Is Ana everything she claims to be? Are we able to see when things become toxic in our own lives? As the reader, you want to at times shake certain characters and make them see what you see. But as in life, people learn best when they experience it themselves. How often do we as people not see the value in what is in front of us? In what we have already? Forever looking for something better, something More. This is an insightful, different read, and I invite you to read it with the open mind and heart it deserves. I hate that many readers didn't receive what this book has to offer.

**Huge thanks to Doubleday and NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review!**

[Holly B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I previously read Swan Huntley's first novel, We Could Be Beautiful and I loved it so much that I was excited to read this next novel . WCBB had lots of twists and wasn't predictable. This one didn't really capture my interest and I didn't find that I liked any of the characters. I almost gave up on it several times, but wanted to "give" it a chance. I was underwhelmed when it came to twists and overall plot. The ending was just not interesting/thrilling and it left me feeling unsatisfied.

On a good note, I did enjoy the setting of Hawaii and the plot did pick up toward the end. She is a talented writer, but it fell flat for me. It is an easy read if you are looking for something light.

Thank you to netgalley and publisher for my arc
Publication date 7/25/2017

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m pretty conflicted trying to decide exactly how I feel about this one, there were many things that I really liked and then there were also many things that bothered me. Middle of the road reviews are my least favorite kind, I have the hardest time writing them, but I think I’ll stick to the format that’s worked best for me in the past. I’ll share what I liked, then what didn’t work for me with the hope that I’ll give you guys enough information to decide for yourselves if you want to try this one or not.

The premise of this is great, I loved the mention of Single White Female and there is definitely a SWF vibe here. Huntley is a really strong writer and I loved her prose, there was something really delicate and pretty about it that was uniquely her own. It’s set in Kona and she also did a fantastic job of bringing the setting to life, it felt like a secondary character and the imagery was great. There are several scenes where Nancy and Ana are in Ana’s jacuzzi that overlooks the ocean and I could imagine these scenes easily.

The basic bones of the plot were solid and I was really curious to see where things were headed but unfortunately in the end, everything fell flat for me. I feel like it could’ve been executed better, again everything was set up for something SO great but then I was really underwhelmed by the conclusion. I knew Nancy was on a downward spiral the whole book, that’s part of what made this a compulsive read, but then it sort of just…ends with no resolution and it was anticlimactic at best.

Classifying this as a suspense/thriller is a mistake, I think readers expecting a story filled with tension and twists will be disappointed, any twists were predictable, especially if you’re a reader of the genre. If you are looking for a book that focuses more on characterization and female relationships with a side of intrigue, this could work for you. Or, if you don’t read many thrillers but want to dip your toe into the water, this would be a good place to start. Bottom line? A well written book with strong writing and interesting characters but was lacking in terms of the overall plot and sense of closure.

All of my reviews can be found on www.novelgossip.com

[Nikiverse · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nancy is a stay-at-home housewife and her husband Chuck works at Costco. Chuck has recently cheated on Nancy so they decide to move to Hawaii (with their two sons) to start a new chapter in their life.

Nancy starts taking yoga with Ana (pronounced On-a). Ana starts calling Nancy "Nan" and they start to hang out in a jacuzzi and hand out sandwiches to homeless people in their personal crusade to feel better about themselves (Sandwich Sistahs, holla). Nan starts leaning out and dressing boho chic while she rolls her eyes about her other stay-at-home housewife friends who are still dressing in mumus and 10# overweight.

As they story progresses, Nan starts bail out on her family by hanging out with Ana instead (and LIES about it for no god-damned reason).

Without spoiling the book - Ana starts to have serious trouble in her life and, as a result, Nancy helps Ana. Ana does some bullsh*t to which Nan responds by shrugging her shoulders and "going with the flow."

I hate the characters. Nancy's reactions didn't make sense. Her choices didn't make sense and she's a horrible representation of a 40-something mother trying to get her groove back. She lies or omits the truth from her family ("I settled on a half-lie"), she does not protect them, she runs from her problems, and has little to no meaningful growth throughout the book. She's also judgmental af.

EXAMPLES

Nancy is making leis with another housewife and comments how her friend "pushed her small wire-framed glasses up her big nose." Un-necessary.

Making leis with the other housewives: "I eyed the other women and thought they were homely. And very serious about their leis- almost sadly serious, because this was obviously the highlight of their day. I may have felt a little superior knowing it would not be the highlight of mine. I may have noted that my laid-back position in the chair and my who-cares workout attire suggested I had a life beyond stringing flowers. I may have also noted that everyone at the table had covered their flabby middle-aged arms with distracting floral fabrics while my shoulders were proudly exposed."

Nancy on her husband, Chuck: "On the side of the pool, Coach Iona with his hands on his knees said something to Jed [their son], and Jed untied his cap and smacked it on the concrete. Great, anger is inherited. Or learned. Either way, it was Chuck's fault." Dude can't fucking win.

Then, towards the end of the book, her son has a pretty life-changing experience (as a result of Nancy's choices), and Nancy seems to want to parent the child WITH the child and not include the father in the conversation.
"Are you going to tell Dad?"
"No," I said. "You're an adult [this is false, btw]. You choose what you want to tell your dad."

Nancy lies or omits the truth during the WHOLE book. She never calls herself out on her own bullshit.

This whole book is #whitepeopleproblems and has no soul. I can not wait to delete it off my Kindle.

EDIT: I got this book for free via netgalley bc I liked the book cover, so some of these quotes might not be accurate to the final copy. Maybe the author changed the whole book and it's not god-awful anymore too.

[Marjorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things haven’t been too great for Nancy and her family. Her husband has cheated on her and her teenage sons are lighting illegal fires. It’s time for a change. Their move to Hawaii is an effort to make a fresh start. And things do seem a bit better there. Nancy and her husband have some romantic evenings and she’s hopeful that their relationship has a chance. She begins a yoga class where she meets Ana. Ana is very different from Nancy. She isn’t married, has no children and is a free spirit. Nancy is quickly pulled under Ana’s spell. Instead of calling her Nancy, Ana calls her Nan, which is the letters of the alphabet contained in both of their names – ying and yang. But as their friendship grows and Nancy is pulled more completely into Ana’s world, things take a darker turn.

The blurbs I read about this book promised an emotional punch but I never became emotionally involved in this book at all. I didn’t care about any of the characters and found the two women to be quite annoying. The story does pick up towards the end and I found some interest in it. I was saddened to see the teenage boys taking the brunt of their parents’ poor choices. Overall to me it was an average book with some entertainment value.

This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.

[Bam cooks the books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the October, 2017 read for the Keep Turning Pages Group. Many thanks to Doubleday for providing me with a copy in their giveaway.

Nancy and Chuck Murphy move to Hawaii with their twin teenage sons hoping to recharge their troubled marriage and get a fresh start, but as usually happens, they bring some of those same problems with them. And worse, their sons start acting out.

Nancy is stay-at-home mom who wants to break away from what she thinks of as her boring persona as 'mom' and try some new things. She begins with a yoga class taught by a charismatic woman named Ana (pronounced On-a, not Ann-a). Nancy pursues a friendship with this woman and soon they are sharing Ana's Jacuzzi and going out together to pass out sandwiches to the needy. But there is a dark side to Ana and Nancy doesn't notice when she's being manipulated, like the frog who is slowly boiled in the pot. Just how far can Ana get her to go?

Swan Huntley's second novel is hard to put down--quite the crazy plot!

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe 2.5 stars - I didn't completely dislike it, but would not recommend it to any anyone. I'm going to Kona, Hawaii on vacation next month so liked the setting - not the characters.

[Elaine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I disliked Ms. Huntley's debut We Could Be Beautiful more so for the ridiculous plot and less for the shallow, hollow, empty characters because I'm a native New Yorker.

I've pretty much seen and met them all.

When I won a copy of The Goddesses from a Goodreads Giveaway, I was excited because Duh! It's a free book!

That meant I came into this with no expectations, no assumptions, no likelihood and no chance of me actually, possibly perhaps enjoying this.

And I was right. And I do love it when I'm right.

I don't know what's worse; the dull, boring characters no one likes or cares about.

No one is hateable, just not interesting. No one is particularly bright, or diabolical, treacherous or kind. They're just...you know, blah.

I definitely didn't want to have dinner with any of these morons (and you won't either).

I liked Ana more than I like Nancy but that's a weak like to begin with.

Once again, adultering does poke its ugly head here but its more of a side note here, a reminder of why Nancy's husband is a stupid dickhead.

Then, there's the thriller aspect or lack of one. Nothing happens, and when it does, it occurs as a blurb, a bump in the night (pun intended) and then...nada. Nothing. Happens.

Nothing is resolved, nothing climatic, nothing traumatic, just...nothing. A big 'ol goose egg.

And that pretty much sums up this book.

It's nothing you want to read about.

The only plus: the gorgeous setting of Hawaii. But even that couldn't save this book.

But you can save yourself from reading it!

Run for your life!!!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid 3.5! Its always interesting when you pick a book from the staff recommended shelves at the library. I hadn't heard anything about it, but I scooped this one up.

You guys know I don't like to give away much of the plot, more describe my reactions to it. I would say this book is about a woman who moves to Hawaii with her family, to work on her marriage and start fresh, after the discovery that her husband cheated on her, and the older twins were also having some challenges. All of this we know from the book jacket and from the first two pages. She is struggling to find herself, and along the way she makes a compelling friendship, that becomes part of her self-discovery. The book is a crazy ride from then on. I thought it was very well done, and I enjoyed it.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nancy and her husband, Chuck relocate with their twin teenage boys to Hawaii. They move there in order to rediscover their love for one another after he cheats on her. To them Hawaii is paradise - a perfect location for their fresh start and to escape all the reminders of their previous unhappiness in San Diego. When they arrive it seems like they made the right decision. The beautiful and romantic landscape begins to have a positive effect on Nancy and Chuck's relationship which is slowly getting back on track.

After spending the evening with some new friends, Nancy realises that they are living the same life she was unhappy with, but in a prettier setting. She decides to try something different and signs up for a yoga class. There she meets Ana, who appears to be open, honest and most importantly, has an almost instantaneous understanding of her. With the slow reveal of her family history and experiences, it is understandable why Nancy is drawn to Ana and how her attachment to her develops.

The majority of the book revolves around the relationship between Nancy and Ana. The other characters are almost superfluous, which increases the feeling of claustrophobia between these two central figures.

Huntley writes with a certain dreamlike quality that made me feel like I was immersed in Nancy's almost hypnotic state. I wanted to shake her and wake her up to the encroaching potential disaster I knew had to be coming. There is an undercurrent of creepiness throughout the story. The apprehension doesn't so much build as constantly simmers beneath the surface.

More domestic drama than suspense, The Goddesses is an interesting novel that questions what we choose to see in ourselves and others. It explores the boundaries of friendship and what one is willing to do to hold onto it.

Thank you to Random House for the eBook copy to review.

[Linda Zagon · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Review of "The Goddesses" by Swan Huntley

First of all I would like to thank Doubleday Books and NetGalley for the Advanced Reading Copy of "The Goddesses" By Swan Huntley for my honest review. I would rate this story as 3.5 stars. 

The genres for this novel are Psychological Thriller, Women's Fiction and Adult Fiction. The timeline of this story is set in the present. I do like the way the author describes the scenic areas in Hawaii, where most of the story takes place.

The author describes the characters as complicated, complex and flawed. Nancy and her family move to Hawaii to get away from the disturbing fact that her husband had cheated on her, and her twin adolescent boys had been acting out. Her husband is able to get a job transfer to Costco in Hawaii making this move possible. Nancy meets a Yoga instructor, Ana, and the two become best friends. They have some unusual adventures, and a mysterious and perplexing friendship. Nancy's friendship with Ana, and her relationship with her family appear to be quite dysfunctional.  At times there is a feeling of danger, or going too "far".

There are times where it seems that the characters are "acting" or trying to be what they are not. I appreciate that the author has written an unusual story. I would recommend this book for those readers that like a light Psychological thriller. Happy Reading!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure why I disagree so much with other reviewers, but I actually loved this book. I loved reading about the setting in Hawaii, and I felt that the main character, Nancy, to be very identifiable. The toxic relationship she developed with Ana was fascinating. And, I found the ending to be a realistic take on what could happen in this situation. This book certainly wasn't a thriller. However, the psychology behind what can happen when one is desperate for life satisfaction makes this a page turner!

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

[Kimberly Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a rarity to find a true friend. You’re lucky if you have one you can call a friend. Nancy Murphy had a pretty decent life. And by that, I mean, it was mundane and boring. Her husband Chuck worked for Costco as a manager and pulled a nice salary. Nancy and Chuck needed a break from the norm. Unfortunately, Chuck made a break of the worst kind. He had an affair on his wife and both he and Nancy needed to have a fresh start.

So, Chuck moved his family from San Diego to Kona, Hawaii. What better place to start fresh than in the beautiful paradise of Hawaii. How could anyone stay mad in a place that was heaven on earth? Chuck was lucky that his company had a branch in Kona, so he could resume his work there. But Nancy, on the other hand, still wasn’t happy. She was trying to get her life back on track and struggling to trust her cheating husband.

Her twin sons, Jed and Cam, were in high school and doing their own thing, so Nancy had to discover hers. She joined a yoga class and met some eclectic personalities—one, Ana (pronounced On-Ah). Nancy couldn’t believe her luck. Ana was all the things she wanted in a friend, not to mention, all she wanted to be. The two of them became fast friends doing everything together. There was only one problem. Ana was dying.

Yes, Ana was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and only had so much time to live. Talk about luck, if it wasn’t for bad luck, poor Nancy wouldn’t have any. The one person who finally got her was going to be ripped away—to leave only her memories on Nancy’s aching heart. Their friendship grew so quickly, she soon began forgetting about her responsibilities at home. Jed and Cam had to fend for themselves, and Chuck, oh…who was that again? Yes, Nancy was having the time of her life with Ana.

Soon Nancy and Chuck were back at their crossroads, once again, and neither of them were doing anything to help save their failing marriage. In fact, Chuck began to get jealous of the relationship his wife shared with Ana. And that, readers, is where all the fun begins. When you think about people you know, and I’m not talking about just knowing of a person, but truly knowing a person, do you believe what that individual is showing you? At the end of the day, all you have is a person’s word.

When you have a bestie, there’s not much you wouldn’t do for them, right?

As you delve into Nancy and Ana’s relationship, it will make you examine your own relationships with people who are close to you. How much are you willing to do for another? How much love is too much love? Is there a such thing? Oh yes, this book raises many questions and challenges to the reader and I absolutely fell in love with this story.

OMG, Huntley wrote the hell out of this book! She takes you down so many paths, you’re not quite sure which road you’re on and when you get to the end, oh my! In the description of this book, I noticed it mentioned Single White Female and I thought of that while reading, but, I must say it had an entirely different vibe than SWF. I can’t say anymore without revealing what happens, but this was one dynamic story. It’s well written and a page turner. You will not get enough of this story.

Outstanding read and quite entertaining. This would be a great book to take on vacation and get lost in Nancy and Ana. Wow, just amazing! I couldn’t get enough. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I’m a fan. She takes an old subject and gave it new life! This was a hot read for sure.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably 2.5 total but rounding to 3 stars for the Kona, Hawaii setting and how the author captured the Big Island vibe and feelings of a recent Hawaii transplant.

I wanted to love this book, pulled in by the Hawaii setting (I am a sucker for Hawaii-set books) and a premise that sounded intriguing and interesting but ultimately it fell flat and didn't deliver what I was looking for. I found the story predictable when I was hoping for plot twists and surprises and I wanted it to be a darker, more twisty tale. Also, really none of the characters were very likable and I mostly wanted to shake or smack Nancy, the MC and to throat punch most of the others.

As mentioned above, I very much liked the descriptions of Hawaii and that gets it to three but the story was just OK.

[Bitchin' Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book a quick read, which is normally indicative of a good book for me, but I find myself conflicted. You see, though I breezed through it, it wasn't a "I want more, more, more" drive that had me flipping pages and scanning the words at an abnormal quickness. Oh no, it was more of "where is the moment I start to like this book?" The more pages I turned and found myself still feeling the drag of disconnection, the more I forced myself to go, go, go until I ended up at the conclusion.
.
What was supposed to be an exhilarating, albeit dangerous, female relationship between Nancy and Ana fell somewhat flat. What was supposed to be a family falling apart at the seams and moving to Hawaii as a means to come together, only for Nancy to realize--surprisingly (go figure)--that her family is as dysfunctional and falling apart as ever also didn't seem to come together (pun intended) as the author attempted to make it.
.
But I will say this: there was this somewhat dreamy quality to the writing where the secondary characters fell to the background and Nancy and Ana are at the forefront, accentuating the suffocating quality of their relationship. Though I felt that relationship felt flat in the end (darn overhyping got to me), I admire how Huntley's writing worked to bring that aspect alive.
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Do I recommend this book? Not really, but simply because it was meh. If someone brought the book up, would I encourage them to read it? Well, I would explain what I liked and didn't like, but I would encourage them to read it for themselves and form their own judgment. Taste is subjective; what I dislike may be the next person's treasured read.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had really high hopes for The Goddesses based on the synopsis. However, it was an utter let down of monumental proportions. Let’s start with the premise: Nancy and Chuck, along with their twin teenage sons Jed and Cam, have moved to beautiful Hawaii to start afresh after Chuck’s affair and his heavy drinking. This seems like a great thing with the beautiful island of Kona as the backdrop and a new start for the family.

It would be except Nancy soon meets Ana (pronounced On-a) on her new journey to self-discovery. Initially, their friendship is relatively harmless: helping the homeless by handing out sandwiches and hanging out in the jacuzzi talking about their problems. Then it got bizarre…maybe it was when Nancy suddenly became Nan! Oh yes, the yin to Ana’s yang. And Ana calling Nan her “soulmate”. That should have sent Nan running, but instead, it set the stage for their toxic relationship.

No longer was Nancy a wife trying to fix her marriage or even a responsible mother taking care of her kids. No, she was Nan the mother who let her boys sit around smoking pot and the mother who all but ignores their arson attempts around town that keep getting the cops involved. Nan also completely ignores Chuck, and he starts drinking heavily again. Then Nan begins to lie to her family, spend her nights with Ana, lets Ana move into her house and her bedroom while poor Chuck has to live in the guest cottage, and commits numerous illegal acts without any consequences at all! But wait, Ana is her new best friend and she is suffering and in need! Yes, I know I'm being a bit obscure about Ana's suffering but if I go into detail about why Ana needs Nan so much, it will almost be the entire plot of the book since as soon as it was introduced in the story, I knew what was coming and rolled my eyes at Nan for falling for Ana's con job! But back to Nan...of course, she is going to completely abandon her husband and teenage sons for Ana. That’s what best friends do, right? Seriously, this entire scenario between Nan and Ana was my biggest problem with the book, and why I could not enjoy it like I wanted to. It was not so much the amazingly terrible things Ana talks Nan into doing toward the end, because yes, they are terrible. It was the 40-ish-year-old woman choosing her new bestie over her family every single time!

Yet, that is in part what this story is about: a middle age woman coming of age again. Trying to find where she fits into her own life after her husband's betrayal and her boys are almost grown men. Ana is abhorrent and Nan is unlikeable, but I had to remind myself that in Nan's unnatural attachment to Ana she was showing her hurt to her husband betraying her in the worst possible way and her insecurities at having children who really didn't need her anymore. So, no, she may be a terrible wife and an awful mother, but it was realistic for her to want a friend. Too bad she met someone set out to use her and try to destroy her, but I'm not going to go into detail here either about how Ana attempts to do this or why. To be honest, even I haven't figured out the why unless Ana was just a sociopath. It was never explained in the book and the ending just sort of, well ended without tying anything up, which was another disappointment since the end was full of drama (the only part that was!) but nothing was ever explained and the reader is left either guessing or shaking their head in bewilderment. I did a mixture of both.

Still, it was a not very well thought out plot, the pacing was ridiculously slow until the last 30%  of the book, which was when I actually wanted to keep reading it, and the characters were pretty boring, again up until the end. It was as if towards the end Huntley got into a groove and became excited about her plot and characters! I wanted to join Chuck for a drink while reading it; I may have needed the drinks more than he did! The only redeeming parts of this book, in my opinion, is Huntley’s admirable prose and the writing skill she shows on and off in spurts throughout the book, which is one of the only things that kept me reading, well that and the lush Hawaiian background. I have a feeling that Huntley is a good writer, but this book just did not work out the way she quite intended. There is nothing suspenseful about the book since the plot could be figured out about 2 seconds after meeting Ana-Single White Female this is not although if it did have that kind of suspense this certainly would have been a much better book. I honestly cannot recommend this book even though I hate to ever give that opinion about a book. Unfortunately, this was just a 2.5 Star read for me.

**Thank you Edelweiss, Doubleday, and Swan Huntley for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for my fair and unbiased review.**

[The Geeky Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is going to be a another tough review for me, because I don't really have a lot to say about this book. I checked to see if I'd left any comments on Goodreads as I was reading, and found only one:

July 26, 2017 – 51.0% "First half was a slow burn, but hasn't lost my interest. Seems to be picking up the pace a bit at the start of the second half. Curious to see where the story goes from this point on."

Quick Recap: Nancy and her family move to Hawaii after her husband cheated on her, hoping for a new start. Ana leads a yoga class, which is how Nancy meets her. Nancy is captivated by her wisdom and approach to life, and before you know it, the two are inseparable. Nancy neglects her family in favor of Ana, and finds herself doing things she would never have done without Ana's influence—good things, as well as bad things.

I didn't dislike this book (if I had, it would have been relegated to the virtual DNF pile), but I didn't love it, either. And I'm pretty sure that's because I had Ana pegged as a manipulator with an agenda from the start, and it flabbergasted me that Nancy was clueless about it for so long.

It's no surprise Nancy fell under Ana's spell... she was feeling vulnerable after her husband's affair, living far from home in a place where she doesn't know anyone, and her teenaged twin sons are becoming juvenile delinquents. What bothered me is how rapidly it happened. It felt unrealistic to me that a woman newly arrived in her new home, determined to work on her marriage and give her sons the guidance they (desperately) needed, would toss all of her responsibilities aside to spend (all) her time with a woman she barely knew.

Not only that, but Ana almost immediately starts telling her sob stories about how incredibly hard her life has been—and Nancy feels more and more sympathy for her with each one, rather than becoming suspicious. Is it just me, or is that odd? Maybe her reaction strikes me as being unrealistic because I've been around that particular block of manipulation before. Regardless, it just didn't ring true for me. If Nancy were a younger woman, perhaps it would have felt reasonable that she did that... but not a middle-aged woman.

This is a novel that struck me as having a lot of potential for a great story, but it didn't quite get there, in the end. The explosive finale I envisioned as I read the last pages never happened, which is such a shame because the way it ended was lackluster compared to what I expected to happen.

Having said all that... I did keep reading all the way to the end, and I thought Huntley's writing was pretty good, even though the story itself didn't enthrall me as I'd hoped. So I'm going to rate this one at three stars (even though I considered changing it to two and a half stars) based on that.

I think this is one of those novels that each individual reader needs to judge for themselves—based on their particular likes and dislikes—whether or not this is a good fit for them as a reader. A quick skim through the ratings on Goodreads shows ratings from low to high, so clearly—while this may not be a book everyone enjoys reading—some people will.

It's your call, readers.

I received an advance review copy of this book courtesy of Doubleday Books via Netgalley.

[AnisaAnne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.

The island of Hawaii is the perfect place to restart a new life. Across the Pacific, Nancy can wash away the past of her husband's infidelity and her subsequent insecurities. With a fresh start in Kona, Nancy decides to focus on her health and appearance. With her children in school and a working husband, Nancy has some free time and takes up yoga. Ana, the yoga teacher, becomes a fast friend and helps Nan finds her true self. But did she find more than she bargained? The more time she spends with Ana, the less time Nan spends with her family. Nan and Ana quickly develop a destructive relationship entangled in lies and secrets.

The story in set in the lush and tropical setting of Kona and Swan Huntly takes us on vacation. This part of the narrative I enjoyed. However, I could not connect with the main character Nan. In the first few pages, Nancy's raw emotion is displayed in a stream of consciousness. The account was repetitive and difficult to read. Once I got through the rambling, the story started to capture my interest. Nancy, highly critical of herself, seeks not only to loose the forever "five pounds" but shake up her everyday routine. I think that some people can relate to Nancy's vulnerability at one point or another in their lives. Who has not thought about losing a few pounds or wanting to change the way their lives look? The friendship with Ana vividly exposes the layers of Nancy making her somewhat likable. But as Nan gains a superiority type confidence we start to see that it is the same insecure Nancy from San Diego. This unappealing trait is shown from the outset and is amplified with Nancy's constant undermining of her husband and friends. These flaws prevented me from truly engaging with the character. Nan is just generally unappealing.

I do have another bonified criticism of the novel which made me take the rating down to three stars. Initially, I was drawn to this story for its comparison of "Single White Female." The plot had some intensity, but I was less convinced as Ana emerged as disingenuous and an annoyance throughout the pages. Ana was unlikable and two-dimensional.

The Goddesses is not a complicated story but it was entertaining. After all, I do watch the Real Housewives with great pleasure and with the same criticism. I would recommend this book with the above caveat.

Thank you Netgalley and Doubleday Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Big Time Book Junkie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished this book and all I could think was WTH did I just read? Then I pondered what I was going to say in this review. I waited a day to let it sink in and to figure out what I wanted to say.

I never read Ms. Huntley's first novel so I can't compare the two as some reviewers are doing. This is the first I've read by her and I'm just shaking my head. How in the world did "Nan" as she came to call herself not see what a huge, stinking mess her life was turning into? Hawaii was supposed to be the big reset button in this family's life, in Nan's marriage and in the very unwise choices her sons had been making. Instead everything ran off the rails and evidently Nan was oblivious.

How anyone can suddenly spend the night at a friend's home that has only been a friend a short time, leaving her teenagers that have been known to burn things and break the law and her husband who has again succumbed to his nemesis alcohol, is beyond me.

There was such a heavy hand with the foreshadowing in this novel that I almost quit reading several times. Anyone could see where it was going, but I kept thinking there had to be some redeeming feature ahead of me. I mean, the book made it to publication, right?

The utter lack of consequences really irritated me. All the things that were done in this book that were illegal and there just were no consequences at all. I know you have to get an ending in place, but did you have to ignore all that went before or just turn it into a minor thing?

I'm sorry, really sorry, to have to leave a review like this, but people should know what they're getting into before they purchase this book. I appreciate the fact that Netgalley, the publishers and the author made the early reader copy available. I just wish I had liked it.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nancy, Chuck and their teenage twin boys move to Hawaii filled with the hope of starting over. With her marriage on the rocks and the boys growing up, Nancy does not know what kind of life she wants anymore. Chuck’s job transfers smoothly to the Costco in Kona and the boys seamlessly become star players on their high school water polo team. But what about Nancy? With middle age settling in and her body expanding out Nancy decides to try a yoga class. The class and teacher Ana become Nancy’s new mantra. Eat healthy, focus on the moment and thoughtful words of wisdom that become life changing. Her friendship with Nancy is on a fast track. She immediately begins spending all of her time with Ana who is in remission from breast cancer and sees the world through the bright eyes of karmic resolution. She constantly cajoles Nancy into helping her do what she feels are good deeds to keep the bad vibes at bay. Their sister friendship is instantly overwhelmed with need and emotion which Chuck tolerates as he still carries memories of his own guilty affair from San Diego. As Nancy digs deeper into her own psyche, things with Ana become more bizarre and demanding. Nancy becomes leery of the destructive path this has taken and her boys begin to get into trouble as they sense the unrest in their parents marriage. I wouldn’t call this a thriller but definitely a psychological twisted drama. As I loved author Swan Huntley’s first novel We Could Be Beautiful, I am amazed at how completely different but equally well written this new novel is. Love the characters, love the Hawaii setting, highly recommend The Goddesses. Definitely a thumbs up #SummerRead!

[Katy O. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Doubleday Books for providing me with a finished copy of this book for review purposes - all opinions are my own.

I couldn't put this book down - I classify it as one of those "train wreck" stories that you are upset with while you read, but just can't stop reading anyway. Disturbing and full of characters I did NOT love, THE GODDESSES hits readers with an addictive relationship in a beautiful setting. The cover is deceptively calm for a story that holds so many twisted people and events - be aware. And honestly, that's why I liked it so much. It sucked me in with the serene image and the promised Hawaiian setting, and then glued me to the pages with Ana's despicable character and her attempted ruin of Nancy's life. Or was it an attempt to ruin her? Still trying to figure that out!

This isn't a frothy beach read, it's a glimpse into the desperation many of us fall into when we are forced into a situation where loneliness looms and nothing is familiar. Nancy's attraction to Ana reminds me of how desperate I was for ANYONE to hang out with when I was a stay-at-home mom of an infant and all of my friends worked......I ended up at some girl's house for a pitch about a pyramid scheme thingy because we met at Target and had babies the same age for goodness sakes! Nancy isn't the best mom and she isn't the best wife and she isn't the best anything.......but neither are the rest of us.

Recommended for readers who love a slow burn and don't mind reading on the dark side.

[Gretchen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not really sure what I just read.

At the end of the day, all this book did was serve to remind me why I stay away from books classified as "chick-lit". If we're being honest, I picked it up because I was in the mood for something fluffy. I figured between the cover and the fact that the book is set in Hawaii, I'd get lots of fluff. I did get some fluff. Right up until about the last 30% of the book, there was all kinds of fluff. Then at the 70% mark, the book completely went off the rails of the crazy train. In more ways than one.

Nancy made me want to pull my hair out. I just can't abide bad mothers. I know they exist. I know there's nothing I can do about it. That doesn't mean they can't still drive me bonkers. Nancy drove me bonkers. She completely ignores her teenage twins (Which, as a mother of twins, I can tell you that's a mistake at any age. They are crafty little turds.) and then gets upset when they start misbehaving. Really?

Ana. Don't even get me started on Ana. I guess the thing that irritates me the most is that Ana is clearly suffering from one (or several) mental illness(es). The author had an opportunity with Ana to bring attention to mental illness and instead she decided to go all Fatal Attraction on the reader. I guess we are just suppose to accept that people act this way and it's completely normal.

It's all my fault really. I should just stick to my guns and stay away from "chick-lit".

[Diana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly might be one of the worst books I have forced myself to finish. Nothing was cohesive. How did a publisher and editor let it slip by? Why did I finish? Readers guilt, I think. I kept waiting for Ana to do something big. I kept waiting for Nancy to not be Nancy. There were many times I rolled my eyes reading the conversations between these two nut job women. Run far away from this nightmare.

[Candi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m convinced this book was sponsored by Costco. Multiple references to Costco in every chapter. Storyline was flat. The ending was anticlimactic. Dialogue with the teenagers in this book was not at all realistic. Lots of subplots introduced but never explored. This book was highly irritating.

[Leah Bayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3, maybe 3.5 stars. Really like 3.25

I feel like recently I have read a lot of sophomore books from authors where I enjoyed their debut work a lot. But, for various reasons, the second work of theirs never seems to quite live up. Universal Harvester, Swimming Lessons, The Fire Child... all books I just didn't love quite as much as the author's first. And, sadly, The Goddesses falls into that category. I really enjoyed Huntley's first book, We Could Be Beautiful: it was kind of amazingly fun given the themes and content. I was hoping for more of the same here. I do wonder if it's because authors have a lot of time to perfect and hone their first work while shopping it around, but there's such a push to get out a second novel in 1-2 years that the sophomore work is much more rushed.

Anyway, onto the actual book in question! Nancy, our protagonist, could not be any more different from WCBB's Catherine. Nancy is an overweight, overworked mother of twin boys. Her husband has an affair, and they decide to move to Hawaii for a 'fresh start.' While there, Nancy becomes friends with her eccentric yoga teacher Ana and things kind of spiral out of control.

I do love stories about destructive female friendships, and that aspect of the book was great. Nancy and Ana have an instant connection, but the reader can tell that something is not quite right from the very beginning. Nancy is alone and vulnerable, and Ana clearly has more to her than meets the eye. Nancy's increasingly bad decisions do make sense because Huntley takes the time to make us really know her: like in WCBB, the first-person narration is wonderfully done. Nancy is a complex, deep character. By the end of the book you really feel that you know and sympathize with her, even if she isn't the best person in the world. Then again, who is?

My main problem here is similar to the one I had with WCBB. There's a lot of heavy-handed foreshadowing that shit is eventually going to go down with Ana, and I felt like the character-driven parts of the book were much better than the ~what's going to happen~ mystery elements. It went a little off the rails at the end: this is a domestic drama, and the action gets much bigger than what I expected at the climax. It almost didn't fit the tone of the book, and I was quite disappointed at how quickly and neatly things are resolved. There's basically this slow but huge buildup to a big event, and when it finally happens there's like 30 pages where we get a neat wrapped-in-a-bow ending. That doesn't mean that it has a good ending in terms of how things wrap up for the characters, but it felt very neat and this is a messy book. Messy in a good way: we're in the middle of the mess Nancy has made of her life, and the clean conclusion was such a tonal shift.

Though the setting (Hawaii vs NYC) and main characters (image-obsessed single woman vs dowdy middle class mom) couldn't be more different, this is indeed very similar to WCBB in a lot of ways. There's snarky humor, a lot of character-driven drama, great first person narration, a backburner mystery, flawed characters, and a focus on the mundane details of life. If you like one, you will probably like the other, but this just isn't as strong as Huntley's first novel. I wasn't as compelled by Nancy's story, and I think the ending needed quite a bit of editing before this went to press.

[arc provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own]

[L Y N N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Certainly did NOT like this as well as We Could Be Beautiful. I guess I am a bit underwhelmed at the “you can’t trust anybody” story arc. I want to trust people. Having been betrayed by several people in whom I had explicit trust, I realize many cannot be trusted, but I refuse to believe every single new person with whom I have contact is not to be trusted.


One thing I did appreciate in this book is that each character’s flaws and foibles are depicted. And that is true. Each of us has characteristics which are not exactly likeable and anyone living with us must learn to deal with those as well as the “good” aspects of our personalities. None of us is perfect.

The irony was not lost on me that Nancy had indeed dealt with her past and learned to move on in a healthy respectful manner, though her life probably seemed to be very dull and boring to those looking on. Whereas Ana appeared to be a totally “free spirit” and was only lying to herself and everyone else, and never truly learning to move on, but rather masking herself and her past behind a facade that was dangerous and damaging to others. I feel for poor Glenda!

I believe Ana appeared at exactly the right time and place in Nancy’s life to be influential. I was glad that Nancy and Chuck were together and moving in hopes of repairing their relationship. Though I again wonder WHY MEN CAN’T/WON’T keep their pants zipped. It seems simple to me; you’re in a long-term committed relationship and shouldn’t have sex with anyone else but your partner. What is so difficult about that?!?