Pretty, Nasty, Lovely

by Rosalind Noonan

Sisterhood has a price . . .

Pledging to Theta Pi at Merriwether University seemed to offer Emma Danelski a passport to friendship, fun, and popularity. But the excitement of pledge training quickly fades, as does the warmth of her so-called sisters. What’s left is a stifling society filled with petty rules, bullying, and manipulation. Most haunting are the choices Emma makes in the wake of another sorority sister’s suicide . . .

It doesn’t matter that no one else needs to know what Emma did, or how vastly different life at Theta House is from the glossy image it projects. Emma knows. And now, with her loyalties tested, she must decide which secrets are worth keeping and how far she’ll go to protect them—and herself . . .

Praise for Rosalind Noonan’s Domestic Secrets

“This suspenseful read is Noonan at her best. Fans will be eager to get their hands on her latest, and it doesn’t disappoint.” — Booklist

“Noonan delivers another page-turning thriller whose deeply flawed characters draw you into a web of family secrets.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Recommended for readers wanting stories of dysfunctional families, scandal, and violence that involve entire communities.” — Library Journal

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Social Issues, New Adult, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

304 pages, Paperback

First published August 29, 2017

About the author

ROSALIND NOONAN grew up in suburban Maryland and enjoyed being part of a large family. "With my four siblings, Saturday mornings were a blast," she says. "There was festival seating on the living room floor as we devoured cartoons and passed the Sugar Pops."

She caught the writing bug in second grade when she won first place in a poetry contest. "The prize was twenty dollars," she recalls. "That was big bucks for a second grader. I thought I was going to Disneyland." Wooed by the taste of fame and fortune, she kept writing.

After attending Wagner College in Staten Island, she remained in New York City where she worked as an editor for various book publishers. Noonan currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, a retired cop from the NYPD, and two children. Although she sometimes misses the rapid pulse of New York, she enjoys writing in the shade of towering two-hundred year old Douglas fir trees.

Reviews

[Deanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

My reviews can also be seen at: https://deesradreadsandreviews.wordpr...

I've read a few of Rosalind Noonan's previous novels. Most recently I read "Domestic Secrets" which I really enjoyed. So when I came across "Pretty, Nasty, Lovely" I was looking forward to reading it.

Emma Danelski, a nursing major at Merriwether University was thrilled to have the opportunity to join Theta Pi sorority. It offered her the family atmosphere and the Sisterhood that she craved. The first semester of her freshman year was everything that she'd hoped for and more, but things quickly went downhill after that.

As the book opens it's Halloween. Emma had been expecting a night of partying and drinking games. However, it turned into a night filled with screaming, crying, and a lot of blood. Emma and the other sisters swear an oath of silence after the horrific events of the night and Emma is left to deal with what happened.

After quite a shocking first chapter, I was a bit confused with what was happening. I wasn't sure of the timeline....if it was before or after that Halloween night. Eventually it became clear, but it made it hard getting back into the story. However, I kept on as I had to know what was going to happen next.

There's been a rash of suicides at the University. Thirteen suicides in two years. The University is trying to do damage control, seeming to care more about their reputation than the students. The students are hesitant to go to them for help, which means many are left dealing with some serious issues on their own.

"The process was always the same. Someone would go in to talk about stress or anxiety, they would mention suicide or the desire to cut and just like that their counseling session turned into a deportation. Within an hour they were strapped onto stretchers and sent to the Psych ward in Portland".

The latest suicide was a sorority sister, Lydia Drakos. Lydia told stories about her rich family and the island they owned in Greece. But as it turns out, Lydia was not quite what she seemed. All of the sisters had secrets but apparently Lydia had more than most. But what made her decide to kill herself?

Interspersed throughout the book are flashbacks that slowly give us pieces of information as to what really happened that Halloween night. There was quite a lot going on. There were many characters and different perspectives thrown in, along with additional story lines that seemed out-of-order in some ways. I was often unsure if events had taken place in the past or the present.

But I was still interested in finding out about Lydia and what had really happened that fateful Halloween. There were a couple of good twists that I did not see coming and I was happy with how everything played out in the end. But my earlier confusion, the additional characters, story-lines, and confusing timelines, took my attention away from the main plot and possibly kept me from enjoying the novel as much as I could have.

The author addresses some very important issues in this novel. Suicide, depression, bullying, relationships, University politics, the lack of resources available to many students, and much more.

While this wasn't my favorite book from this author, overall I enjoyed the story and look forward to more from Rosalind Noonan.

Thank you Kensington Publishing for providing an advanced readers copy of this book for me to read in exchange for my honest review.

[Shelby *trains flying monkeys* · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story starts off in the Theta Pi sorority house and a baby has been born. Except then you realize that the baby isn't alive and these girls are going to get rid of it.


Next chapter opens with one of the sisters committing suicide off a bridge at the college. That sorority house is full of girls with secrets.
Lydia is the girl who has died and it comes out that her stories of her rich upbringing are not exactly the truth. These chicks wouldn't know the truth if it walked up and bit them so that kinda works for the story.
I like some juicy secrets so I'm still in the book at this point.



Then my attention started to wander because of several reasons:
There were several things that were NOT well researched (if at all) the randomness of them just jarred me from enjoying the story.
The story seemed all over the place. Flash backs placed at odd times, multiple viewpoints and a disjointed timeline. (I sounded fancy explaining that didn't I??)
Then the characters..I LOVE some mean ass characters but they have to be deliciously bad. Not card board cutouts that I kept picturing as Bella in that silly movie where she couldn't move her face.


The only reason I'm not one starring the critter is because I did want to keep reading it to see how it turned out. (That pissed me off also.)

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma Danelski was very hopeful when she pledged Theta Pi at Merriwether University thinking this would bring friendship, fun, and popularity to her college years. However, Emma found herself in the midst of a horrible secret that she has no choice but to keep amidst the petty rules, bullying, and manipulation she had come to face at the sorority.

But then even more terrible news hits the sisterhood when one of their own commits suicide by jumping from a local bridge. The investigation seems to surround Emma as she finds herself wondering just what had happened to her sorority sister. Now Emma needs to decide what secrets are worth keeping and to what limits will she go to protect hers.

Pretty, Nasty, Lovely by Rosalind Noonan is one of those books that despite it's flaws it still kept my attention and kept the pages turning to find out just what would end up happening in the story. I would warn though that the beginning to this one was quite disturbing as there are hints to a murdered baby but the reader is not given the details to the event until much later on in the book.

Between the shock of the start of the book and then the upcoming suicide the plot was what pushed the book all throughout. The characters didn't seem to be very well developed at times as the book jumps from one event to another. I thought to myself several times I would have liked a bit more development and flow to the action but in the end I would rate this one at 3.5 stars as I did become completely hooked in knowing the outcome.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 2 out of 5]

What time was it? In the red haze of agony, I'd lost track of everything.

Rosalind noonan

I cannot say why exactly I did not care for this except for the fact that I kind of always knew I was reading a book. The story did not become real for me.I do like books about bullying. But not this one. The characters, to me, felt like cliches and I just could not become involved with the story.There are much worse books out there and this was nowhere near a dreadful read. But it did not come together for me and I was rushing to finish. Maybe I have just read one to many books about Sorority mean girls.

[AnisaAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sorority Girls, Murder, and a Web of sister secrets make for a quick and fun pact read.

3.5 stars, rounded to 4 stars.

Emma is excited for her first year at Merriwether University. New friends made at Theta Pi promise to bring a year of great fun and immediate family with the sisterhood. Until one night. A terrible act becomes a secret to hold. Emma faces a choice that becomes a burden, placing her in danger. "I am Theta born. Theta bred. And when I die, I'll be Theta dead".

I first have to say that I was nervous about picking up a sorority thriller. I would never join a Greek house, but I have always been intrigued by the rush, rituals, and camaraderie. But the sorority is more of a backdrop to the story at large.

Pretty, Nasty, Lovely is a well-written novel with a gripping story line. The opening scene is exciting and fast, setting the tone for the plot. Emma has blood on her hands and has fallen into disfavor with the other sisters. Jumping forwards, a rash of suicides haunts the university campus. This time the death brushes the sisterhood. Lydia has jumped off a bridge. Because of Emma's past, she wants to find out answers, but it leads her into a dangerous web of lies. And to a system that is failing its students. The plot is a great concept, but there are some issues in its execution. The story jumps around. At times it is choppy. Storylines executed in one chapter slowly return well down the table of contents. At times the story sets off into tangents that you are wondering if it is important. But what redeems the novel are the twists and the turns at the halfway mark that navigate you down several paths until the culmination in the final few chapters.

The characters within the book remind me of those in the movie Cruel Intentions. Some were better developed than others. In particular, Emma is a down to earth with deep emotional wounds from the loss of her mother and sister. She is not a typical member of the sorority but hoped her membership would improve her popularity. She is thoroughly likable. Defiance, Emma's roommate, pops out as a unique presence in the Theta house: dark, edgy and clairvoyant. We see the Roma background in full expression when Defiance takes Emma to her family home for Thanksgiving. Other Theta Pi sisters, Tori, Isabel, Courtney and, Meghan, were on the 2-D level with conversations that did nothing to round out the characters.

Several current issues brought into the spotlight include suicide and mental illness on college campuses. The reality today is that suicide is currently the second most common cause of death among college students. Noonan does a great job using the storyline to highlight the isolation, depression, high-performance pressure and substance abuse that contributes to the grim statistics. The novel excels at making these social issues universal.

Overall a fun mystery that I read in 2 days. If you enjoy sororities, campus life, and deceptive characters you will enjoy Pretty, Nasty, Lovely.

Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I've written quite a lot about film noir and have to embrace noir as my favorite movie genre (ahead of another genre about which I've written fairly extensively, animation, although sometimes the competition between the two is fierce), there are times when, I admit it, given the choice between the latest rival to Out of the Past, or even the new Studio Ghibli offering, and some anonymous Hallmark Channel Original Mystery, I'll choose the latter.

And thoroughly enjoy it, even if I do find I've forgotten it by the next morning.

I say this because I was reminded of this guilty secret of mine a lot while I was reading Pretty, Nasty, Lovely. Its primary narrator and central character, college student Emma Danelski, has some guilty secrets of her own and some traumas to confront, not least an unacknowledged miscarriage and the deaths in a car accident of her much-loved mother and sister. When a "sister" in Emma's sorority at Merriwether University dies in an apparent suicide, the cops become interested in Emma because, at least to judge by outward indications, Emma (and perhaps also diamonds) was the dead girl's best friend.

As you'd expect, it turns out Lydia was murdered. By the time of that revelation, Merriwether, whose policy on matters like student depression and female health has been neanderthal, if not australopithecene, has begun taking steps to improve matters. But will it be too little, too late? And does Lydia's killer now have Emma in his sights?

This is not a book that's going to change your life but, as with that Hallmark movie, to dismiss it on this basis would be to criticize it for not being something it never sets out to be. Its ambition is to be a piece of good entertainment, an enjoyable way to pass the time; and in that it succeeds admirably. At the same time it does manage to bring in a fair number of quite serious issues, such as youthful suicide and campus bullying, issues that our hypothetical Hallmark movie would likely avoid. (Also avoided would be the fact that, entirely offstage, our characters mostly have a pretty active sex life, and some have the sexual standards of . . . well, I don't want to start getting letters from angry alley cats.) Add in, too, that the cast members offer a splendid diversity - almost self-consciously so -- and you can see this is a thriller with its heart, and its ethics, very much in the right place.

There are some small irks. I could have done without one character's apparent psychic abilities (she's a Roma, too, so you know where the cliched tea leaves came from). Unless I nodded off at a vital moment, there's an unaccounted-for set of remains at the bottom of what I mentally came to call Suicide Gorge. When Emma's supporting a character who's just upchucked we have this:

"You're the best friend ever," she gushed.

In other words, Pretty, Nasty, Lovely is not without its little imperfections, but point me to a book that is.

Overall, though, the novel fulfilled its function absolutely admirably. Roll on the next of Hallmark's Emma Fielding Mysteries, is what I say.

[Tia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I enjoyed it. I figured many things out quite early, but I wasn't bothered by that. The dynamic of the characters and their weaved relationships kept me intrigued. I like how the author had side stories for some of the characters. Dr. Finn, Tori, the skater, Graham, the roma chick name starts with D and Emma herself. These are just notes. I know a bit about Greek Life, but am always willing to read about or watch all the scandals.

[Shruti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted on This is Lit - Book Blog.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

I love the idea of Pretty, Nasty, Lovely. It has a brilliant synopsis, and the story sounds like it would work on paper. It falls short in some areas, but is still an interesting read, nonetheless.

While the writing is great, the characters aren’t written that well. Some of the dialogues seem artificial. It’s not the characters that carry the story forward–it’s the plot. This is entirely a plot-driven book. It’s fast paced and the plot keeps the reader hooked till the end.

Pretty, Nasty, Lovely is a watered down version of what it could’ve been. Some story lines are opened up and then completely abandoned for the next few chapters until the author is ready to explore them again. The characters don’t show any development.

It may feel like I’m listing a lot of negatives, but here’s why I still think this is an interesting read. It explores many topics that aren’t discussed much–suicide, mental illness, and women’s health.

This book would work so much better if the characters showed signs of life and the plot were thickened in the currently choppy areas. You should still check it out if you want a quick, interesting read on scandal, sororities, and violence.

[OutlawPoet · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, in Pretty Nasty Lovely, we’ve got some very unlikeable characters. They fit the bill for the pretty and nasty part – maybe not so much for the lovely part.

But, despite the unlikable characters, I did like the book.

You’ve got a very solid mystery. I was engaged and I really wanted to know what had happened – was it suicide? Or something even darker?

The descriptions of Greek life were terrific. I eschewed Greek life when in college. I did go to a sorority rush party that was on the beach a few miles from campus. I was so bored that I literally walked back to campus rather than suffer another minute. (I do wonder if they ever figured out someone was missing from that charter bus.) However, in this book, I sort of got why some people do like sorority life. The descriptions seem fair – to both the dark side and the benefits of the life.

There was one sub plot that rather bored me involving a sort of help group that the students and a teacher were involved in. No spoilers here – I’ll just say that at times it seemed to devolve into a platform for the author’s own opinions on the subject and it detracted from the story a bit.

Over all, though, I really enjoyed the read. I enjoyed discovering if I was right or wrong about our mystery (I was right!) and ended up – still not actually liking our characters – but getting them.

*ARC Provided via Net Galley

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book kept me guessing right from the start. A baby is born and someone disposes of it, however, you don't know who it is. You know that it happens in a sorority house, but not if it's in the past or something that is yet to come.

Little pieces of the puzzle are given to us throughout the book. However, I could not complete it myself until the character spoke up about what happened. And, it's not what you think. Well, maybe not, it certainly wasn't what I thought.

A book that I could put down and did. It has your usual characters in a sorority house. Some friendly, some not and some horrible. However, I think the ending more than made up for some of the extra wording I had to plow through to get to the finale.

I found this book to be a good read, although sometimes some of the unnecessary additions bogged me down a little.

Thanks to Kensington Books and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

[Ahmad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blogs in my email tryna scam
Middle finger to the press, bruh bruh (middle finger)
It's a lot of blogs still rapping
I don’t mean no disrespect, bruh bruh (it is all love)
Four seasons, all four seasons
Now I'm really 'bout to flex, bruh bruh (yeah, flex)
Tryna get this money and make it last forever
Keep sweat, bruh bruh (yeah, keep sweating)
I'm just doing me, why you mad
At my Tribe Called Quest, bruh bruh (know why you mad)
Couple label contracts at my Facebook
What's the catch, bruh bruh? (this ain't what we said)
Probably just a couple cars and some shades
But I'm not impressed, bruh bruh (I can't do that)

[Phyllis Krall · Rating 3 out of 5]

The secrets of a sorority are revealed which are mind boggling to say the least. The self absorbed sorority sisters influence Emma to do things she would never dream of against her better judgement.
She realizes what really motivates her "sisters" when it is almost too late, and her life is on the line.
I had a hard time getting into this book and the second half was much more suspenseful and interesting. I disliked the sorority sisters who were selfish and conniving. Emma was the only character who saw through them and tried to redeem herself. Bullying and suicide are some of the issues that are focused on.
I received this book from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

[☘Tara Sheehan☘ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to experience two different kinds of sororities in college. The first one I joined had the pretty outward image but once you got involved I quickly learned that beauty truly was only skin deep. We luckily didn’t have anyone commit suicide but I also didn’t stick around long enough to be part of any other felony like behavior which turned out to be a good thing because they ended up getting into TONS of trouble during my time at the university. The second one, and where I met my true lifelong sisters who are still involved in my life today, was the complete opposite and were exactly what sorority life claims it wants to be about. Based on my experiences Noonan did a fairly good job of creating a realistic portrayal of the dark side of ‘some’ Greek life.

Speaking of dark side…

This novel is rough, not like bad writing rough, more like at times I felt like I needed a mental shower rough because she really goes for the jugular and she starts in chapter one where no punches are held back.

Despite that there is something addicting about needing to know how this is all going to play and where Noonan is taking you. The pace runs fast which is a good thing because the characters don’t feel fully developed and the story feels like at times she wrote it on notecards tossed them in the air then just put the story in order of what card she caught first then next and so on.

Normally with all the issues I would be severely irritated to have spent my time on this BUT the suspense, twists and back half of the book make up for the pitfalls. She is handling a highly sensitive issue of suicide particularly on the college campus level which has become more prevalent or at least a spotlight is being shown on it more today than in years past. I was happy with how she handled those rougher aspects of the story as it was done respectfully and like she was trying to call attention to this growing problem.

It’s not a perfect book but it is one worth your time.

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

*2.5 stars rounding up*

I had such high hopes for this book. As a former sorority girl myself I'm well versed on the drama that can happen...as well as the tight-knit bonds of your sisters...but I found this book to be a real cardboard cutout of characters. It didn't live up to my expectations which was a real disappointment.

My copy is 287 pages and with the exception of the first chapter which drops a major bomb, not much else really happens until ~page 150. I found the story to drag and it was a lot of people talking in circles. The flap copy sets the scene (not a spoiler) where one night one of the sisters of Theta Pi commits suicide leaving the sisters to grapple with what happen and the university to try to understand why Lydia jumped off a bridge on campus. Apparently this school has a lot of bridges and a lot of distressed students jump off them.

What I think could have been an interesting story took a turn to focus on the lack of support from on-campus health services.....okay......and did little to show the true culture of a sorority. Missed opportunity IMO.

I also found the viewpoints to be confusing as we had Emma in first person and everyone else in third....sometimes in the same chapter so it was hard to adjust to just who we were following. At the least start the POV changes in a new chapter. There was also a series of flashbacks chucked in at random times and, as another reviewer pointed on, the first chapter timeline doesn't quite get explained right away in relation to the story so I was wondering if Chapter 1 was a year ago or present day.

Ultimately I wanted to find out what happened to the characters and the second half of the book was a fast read. There was also a new mystery introduced ~75% of the way in that never got solved. Ugh! Unsatisfying.

This was my first book by Rosalind Noonan and I bought it on a whim. Unfortunately it didn't totally hit the spot for me.

[Ashley Gillan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the perfect fall guilty pleasure - a beautiful college campus plagued by secrets, death and drama, all of it surrounding a campus sorority. Plus, that cover is gorgeous, right?!

The story starts with Emma being told to get rid of the body of a stillborn baby born in the sorority house. Then, one of her sisters, Lydia Dakos, commits suicide. It’s almost too much for Emma to bear until it all gets worse: the police seem focused on Emma’s relationship with the dead sister, and Emma’s finding out that Lydia was a lot more complex than anyone realized. The result is one month that will change one campus forever.

I loved how atmospheric and ominous this novel was. It made it perfect for a good, spooky pre-Halloween thriller. The whole time you just feel like you’re walking on a beautiful, fall foliage-covered college campus that is holding dark secrets.

And there are some dark things in this book. These girls are in college, but damn, they have the evil of some seasoned monsters. It’s interesting because it creates an atmosphere of distrust and mystery.

I still had some questions after the book ended, which is why I gave it four stars, not five. Some of the revelations came pretty fast-and-furious toward the end, so maybe I just missed something.

But overall, I really enjoyed this book. Anyone who enjoys a good, dark thriller will find this one enjoyable.

[Marcee Feddersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://www.anurseandabook.com/2017/10...
This was a quick little read. Emma grew up missing a sense of family after her sister and mother were killed in a car accident. So she took a year off after high school to save the money needed to pay for pledging a sorority. Sit back and absorb that. It was so important to her that she pushed back her education and career to pledge a sorority. Bonkers.

So she's joined a sorority, and she feels a strong sense of sisterhood, but I don't really know why. The older girls are hot messes and not nice to her to boot.

There are flashbacks to a dead baby in a laundry basket. And a sorority sister who jumps off a bridge -or did she?

I enjoyed the book, don't get me wrong. But it could have been even better. The professor and the dean were cardboard characters that didn't really add to the story.

Some things were brought up that caught my interest, but never really explained or explored further. Did Emma's sister purposefully try to kill her family? The second baby that was found in the gorge was a brief mention without any follow up. These are kind of big plot twists to just mention then drop.

I'll look for her next book, there's a lot of talent there, just needs a little better execution.

[Fluff Smut & Murder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley.com for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’m partial to a good sorority book – even though most of the nationally known Greek houses are technically women’s fraternities; in the grand scope of things, it doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that you find your niche with the ones you connect best with in your house, have a general sense of compassion and caring towards the sisters you may not like, and show up for rush events. Seriously – we got fined if we were late.

What I loved: Of course there were some great twists and turns towards the end but I think my favorite part of the book was how Emma’s view of Defiance changed as they grew closer over Thanksgiving break.

What I didn’t love: It’s a little choppy in parts – I think more could have been drawn out between the professor and his creepy stalker girlfriend. I also think the entire health center (or Death Center as we called it back in the days) mental illness thing with Dr. Cho could have been its own book as it seems a little Gestapo like and very off.

What I learned: I think I want to have a tea reading

Overall Grade: B

www.FluffSmutandMurder.com

[Leith Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars.

I really liked this book. Set at an Oregon college at a sorority house, it's a suspenseful and surprisingly moving read about how the decisions and pacts we make affect the lives of those around us. I was in a sorority and I knew stereotypical girls like the ones in the book, although thankfully none as awful as the girls in the book, whose traits were exaggerated for purposes of the plot.

Emma goes to Merriwether University and joins a sorority to meet people and make friends. Her experience is typical until her sophomore year, when she as a nursing student, she gets caught up in a disaster not of her own making. There are a lot of bridges on campus, and when one of the sisters goes over, no one is sure if it was suicide or murder.

The mystery was interesting and kept my attention, and the book was well written. Some of the characters were better drawn than others. I liked the descriptions of the interactions between the sorority sisters in the house, they were true to life.

I highly recommend this book. It's an interesting mystery with a twist.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review also found at https://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/...

3.5 stars

received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

I didn't know what to expect with this story, I just took a chance and luckily for me it was a good gamble.  My issue is that I am not sure I can put in to words my thoughts on this story as for some reason I am struggling so please forgive this clumsy attempt.

I guess this story would be considered a suspense/mystery.  There are a whole lot of secrets being kept throughout the story and some clever play on words that keep it twisting and turning.  All I can say is that after reading this book, I am glad that sorority life was never a factor for me.

While the story started a little slow, it was building the foundation for what was to come later when the secrets and lies get tangled at a frantic pace.

While the story ended somewhat predictably for me, there were a couple of things that I didn't figure out so I was pleasantly surprised.  I will definitely read more work by Noonan.

[Michelle Trainor · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my first novel by Rosalind Noonan and I would give it 2.5 stars. The concept of this novel grabbed my attention right away, university life focusing on a sorority and promising secrets and scandal. The novel opens in Emma's first person POV on Halloween night where there has been a stillborn baby born in the Sorority house and the characters are discussing getting rid of said baby. Then the next chapter opens with two new characters told in third person who witness someone jumping off a bridge. The formatting of this book drove me crazy, it was a mixture of first person POV and third person POV and sometimes it would change in the middle of a chapter. At times throughout the novel the actual timeline was not clear. I found this confusing and frustrating however at the end everything did come together nicely. I did not enjoy any of the characters in this book however I was still invested in wanting to know what happened. This book was not for me but I do think other readers may still enjoy this as it touches on bullying, mental illness and university politics.
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining, if a bit confusing

Emma Danelski is a student at crisis-ridden Merriwether College, a good school with a big problem...thirteen student suicides in the past two years. Some blame the student health center, which immediately ships off and withdraws students suffering from depression so that no student feels safe seeking mental health care. Others blame the campus itself, with its beautiful system of bridges and gorges.

The latest victim is Lydia, Emma’s Theta Pi sister, but something seems a bit off about her death. Was it really a suicide? And, if not, was one of the cast of LOADS of characters to blame? And can the student health center be improved? Dr. Scott Finnegan, professor, thinks so and recruits Emma for his task force.

I’m usually a sucker for books set in a sorority, but this was so all over the place. Take all of the above, add often jarring changes to Finn’s POV, his marital issues, a love interest for Emma and a huge mystery from the first few pages which then kind of disappears until toward the end. Maybe a bit too ambitious for one standard thriller? Quarantine read and currently available on Kindle Unlimited.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma Danelski has had quite a bit of traumatic experiences. However, she uses those experiences to educate herself and others. The book description states “Pledging to Theta Pi at Merriwether University seemed to offer Emma Danelski a passport to friendship, fun, and popularity.” Despite this passport, Emma does not see herself as better than her peers. She is very down to earth.

The university has had a string of suicides but Emma and her sorority sisters were shocked that one of their members committed suicide.The author found a way to broach the subject of suicide especially on college campuses without it being perceived as a lecture. There are a lot of characters throughout the book but they are all people who one could imagine on a college campus.

I enjoyed reading this book, it was very fast paced and a great thriller. I give it 4 out 5 stars. The expected publication date is August 29, 2017.

* I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Leslie McKee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rated this 4.5 - TOP PICK! when I reviewed it for RT Bookreviews Magazine : https://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-re...

Intricate details combine to form a web of secrets in this edge-of-your-seat mystery showing that silence has a price … and it can sometimes be deadly. The suspense grabs the reader from the first page, taking them on a ride that will have them guessing until the end. When you think you have it all figured out, Noonan throws in another twist. The fast pace makes it difficult to put down until reading “just one more chapter.”

Emma Danelski joined Theta Pi in hopes of finding friends, fun and popularity at Merriwether University. However, she finds that sorority life is not what she expected, especially after one of her sisters commits suicide. Emma suddenly finds herself in the spotlight, faced with decisions she never expected to make. She will quickly learn what the price is for loyalty, as well as silence. Is it a price she is willing to pay? (KENSINGTON, Sep., 292 pp, $15.00)

[Chic Thrills · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first read by this author. There were a few surprises and twists and the overall story kept me engaged. However, there were a few problems that irked me.

First, the many, many POV changes. I was able to keep up but they were so random and disjointed.
Second, the build up was great but the climax felt rushed.
Third, and this may be just me but black woman....even biracial women do NOT say things like 'you go girl!'. We haven't said that sh** since 92. Please stop. It's 2021. Time to retire stereotypes. Thanks!

I would also like to note she tried with the diversity here. I appreciate that since this more of a young adult book. There were different races, sexes, religions and a minor mention of someone who was transgender. Representation seemed important here and I commend the effort.
Overall it was an okay read. I'd try another book by this author.

[Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't LOVE love this book, but it was pretty dang good. It was mostly the "mean girl" aspect of it that I didn't enjoy. I liked the rest of it, though. Emma's story was really interesting. I liked the way it was spread out, so that we knew she had a secret, and went through a traumatic experience involving a baby, but we didn't know the truth of that until the end... I'm not entirely sure what was up with Dr. Finn's part of the story, though. I get how it was important up until we find out the truth behind everything with Emma, but after that, we got another short section with him, and I didn't really get why. But anyway. I really liked this story.
Note: I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.

[Patty Nobles · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Pretty, Nasty, Lovely” by Rosalind Noonan is an inside look into a sorority on a college campus in Oregon where secrets abound and a death leaves a heavy shroud upon the sisters. Emma joined a sorority to help ease the pain of losing her sister and mother in a terrible accident, but she begins to be disillusioned about the atmosphere in the house when she is forced to be the keeper of a terrible secret. This novel by Ms. Noonan is a fast-paced thriller that makes the reader question just how far a person would go to help another person. I was given an advanced copy of this book, and all of the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Vnunez-Ms_luv2read · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could not wait to begin reading this book. The synopsis had me so excited. I settled in ready to enjoy this book, I was a little disappointed. The book was not as good as the synopsis lead one to believe. Sorority sisters, mean siprited and just nasty but very one dimensional. A few areas n the book could have done with a bit more explaining of the scenario. Also, the book at times seemed to jump quite a bit. Is it enough to hold your attention? Yes, because you will want to know the secret and the outcome. But for me, it just was an ok read for me. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

[Toby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out very promisingly — the first 40% I was expecting this to be a solid 4-star read. But then the last 60% kind of ruined it for me. I’m not exactly sure what happened, but the tone changed and became less creepy, less eerie, and more preachy and predictable.

So I’m giving it 3 stars but honestly by the end, it was closer to a 2.5 in my opinion. Unfortunately. The beginning was good but it felt like Noonan changed the direction the story was going to make it more “sanitized” and less eerie. I’d be curious to find out if she had been planning a different ending than the one that was written...

[Margie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rosalind Noonan can weave the best stories. She wove a good story again this time, but it was not one of my favorite books from her. The subject was hard to read and I didn't love the characters.

When the story moved from past to present it was confusing some times. I wasn't sure what order events happened in. There were also so many other side stories going on that took away from Lydia's story.

Throughout this whole book I felt like I was being told the story, but I never felt a part of it. I will read Rosalind Noonan again.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I suspect that this will generate strong feelings on those who either love or hate sororities because it really does focus on a lot of negatives. That said, it's a well plotted suspense novel with at least one likable character in Emily. Emily has choices to make- and you might not agree with some or all of them- about what secrets to keep and which to share. Did Lydia commit suicide? No spoilers but while this is the catalyst for the novel, it's of less interest than how these women interact with each other (and no surprise, it isn't nicely.). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.