Emma's life isn't nearly as perfect as she thought. In fact, it's a house of cards, and it's getting ready to come tumbling down.
A frightened woman in need of help shows up at her door. Emma leaves the room and, when she returns, the woman and her child are gone. There is no evidence that they were there, but Emma knows what she saw. Doesn't she?
She might've been able to convince her friends and family, and even herself, of the truth if that had been the only incident. But it wasn't. It was only the first.
In a few short weeks, Emma goes from belle of the ball to social outcast. Everyone in her life thinks she's crazy. And they might not be wrong. The Kramers have a secret after all, and Emma could be following in her grandmother's footsteps.
I love a good mystery, don't you? I've always loved reading them and watching them, trying to figure them out. Now I love crafting them. It's a mind-blowing blessing to be able to do the work that I truly love every day of the week, every week of the year. I'm living proof that dreams DO come true. Here's to chasing them!
*** NOW LIVE *** (I still bought a copy because the story is truly entertaining and 3 stars are books I would still recommend).
First off, thank you to the author for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review. I am always honored and humbled to review books before they are released.
This a really tough review for me to write. I love this author and have read many of other her books under her other name. I absolutely love her writing style, her character development and the plots she always brings us. However, with this particular book, I don't think it's in the right genre. While I enjoyed the book and it's characters, it missed the mark on the psychological aspect. I wanted to love this book so much more than I did.
Girl On A String is labeled as a psychological thriller but I found the whole psychological portion to be lacking and would definitely label this more as romantic thriller. As a reader of thrillers and suspense books, this book had too much of romance subplot and not enough of the psychological aspect to really drive that home. I wanted to see more of unstable parts of the characters, their emotions and the psychological parts that drive this part in a psychological thriller.
I will say that Girl On A String was gripping and kept me intrigued to the very end, but I was hoping we would get more depth from the characters and what makes them tick; their intricacies.
These characters are from a very affluent area and have been raised with these high standards. As always, not everyone enjoys plastering on that fake smile and acting like all is well, but it's what they do. So underneath all those fake smiles, eventually someone is pushed too beyond their limitations.
I enjoyed the plot and the characters a lot. Leah does a great job with the breadcrumbs dropped throughout the book and the twisted path she leads us down. I was easily able to pick all but two pieces out of the thriller and that was because of how everything played out. There were times where I felt the book dragging too. The ending was too sweet for me in a thriller and certain things wrapped up too conveniently for me. Again - wanting more of the psychological aspects added in to mess with your head - why these characters did what they did - the background, the tripping point, etc would have truly helped make this book more intriguing and drive home that "crazy" facet.
Overall, yes it is a thrilling book to read. A psychological thriller, no. Romantic thriller, yes. This is definitely on the lighter side of thriller aspect as there isn't anything gritty or dark that happens. I think it would be more suited to romance readers who want to dip their toes into romantic thrillers.
Repetition. Repetition. Repetition. Now, if I throw in a few grammatical and spelling errors, you'll know what it's like to read this book. Apparently Leah Montgomery writes books under another name. I hope they're better than this one. What Girl on a String desperately needs is a good editor. And a more realistic plot wouldn't hurt.
It's obvious the author doesn't know what it's really like to be part of the one percent, or even the top five percent. I doubt they are always thinking about how rich they are and how they must toe the line and act the way that's expected of them. If you're born into that class, it's just your way of life. It's normal. You don't have to constantly, constantly think about it, as the main character in this book does. Honestly, if this had been a paper book I would probably have thrown it across the room after the first few chapters. Since I was reading it on my Kindle, I didn't. I don't know why I wasted my time finishing it. As with so many Kindle Unlimited books, I regret the time I spent on it, but at least I can warn other potential readers.
My mind absolutely boggles at the number of reviewers giving this book (I use the term loosely) five stars. Their standards must be really low. And by the way, I don't usually use this many italicized words in a review. I'm just copying the author, giving any potential readers of this review another chance to experience what it's like to read this book. Good writers don't have to italicize because they make it obvious which words they're emphasizing by context. In any case, my first instinct was to give this book three stars, but there are so many flaws I just can't. Two stars, and that's being generous.
Living a life that centers around parties and privilege, Emma knows all too well how important appearances are to status distinctions. When an unexpected visitor show up at her door, Emma finds herself doubted by those in her life when there is no evidence that there was ever a stranger in her home. This encounter started a chain of events where Emma’s use of sleep aids and alcohol became the center of focus.
Determined to prove that she isn’t losing her mind, Emma sets out to prove the event actually happened. The only problem? Now – there isn’t just one incident that can’t be explained. There are several unexplained moments that only convince others that Emma isn’t working with all of her faculties. How can this happen? As Emma’s determination to prove she isn’t making up things in her head increases, the doubt of what she actually saw begins to cast a shadow that only grows larger by the moment.
Girl on a String is the first psychological thriller from an author that many have loved for years. This is the first ‘dipping of the toes’ from Leah Montgomery into this specific genre, and I can honestly say that I look forward to watching out for the novels that are on the horizon. The premise of Girl on a String is very easy to imagine, but what transpires as the story progresses isn’t as easy to figure out.
While the novel is labeled a thriller, it’s more of a puzzle that you will find yourself struggling to figure out. The pieces are there, you just need to work out the details. The details are layered with a few family secrets that will throw you off the trail. Emma’s sanity is front and center for the journey. Will you figure out what is lurking beneath the surface or will you learn all of the secrets once Montgomery lays it at your feet? Only time will tell just how skillful you are at figuring out the secrets that lie behind the closed doors of Emma’s life. Good luck!!
Leah Montgomery delivers a wonderful debut with Girl On A String. This is a story of a woman who has had her entire life controlled and what finally happens when she no longer wants to be controlled. It’s addictive and engaging and nearly impossible to put down.
My absolute favorite thing about this book is Emma and how unreliable she is as a narrator. I adore her but as a narrator you can’t trust everything and I love that and I find it so fascinating. I love books with unreliable narrators and Leah Montgomery absolutely nails it. It’s so well done and you feel as if you are experiencing everything right alongside Emma. I also just loved her journey. She is so much more than the front she puts up and I think she’s fantastic.
This book delivered so many twists and turns. I thought I had it pegged. I thought I knew what was going on and oh man was I so wrong and I was taken so off guard. But once everything came to light it just all clicked into place and was awesome.
All in all, Girl On A String is an amazing read and an engaging and addictive psychological thriller. This book gets in your head and under your skin in the best way. I highly recommend.
Bred into a world where appearances and pedigree matter, Emma finds herself bound to a life of obligations. She wants to be free from the strings that bind her.
Overall: An extreme amount of research was put into this story. Michelle wrote one heck of a story. It’s so good that I never questioned who the author was. Michelle has shown immense growth over the years. I remember reading the Madly series and thinking those were so good. Yet, Here we are years later having written a psychological thriller, that I might add is hard to achieve, this book blew my mind. Stories such as this one take skill to achieve. The story flows. The characters are interesting. The delivery and execution works. There isn’t a hair out of place. Everything works according to plan.
I was so consumed by the story that I almost forgot the opening prologue scene. Normally I read impatiently waiting to reach that point of truth, but Michelle did such a fabulous job writing this book that I almost forgot that scene. Michelle tripped me up good with all the twists and turns. This was a phenomenal read.
Wow!! This is the first book from new author Leah Montgomery and my mind is...BLOWN!! Oh, I love nothing better than a good suspense thriller to get the old heart going, push my vivid imagination into overdrive and have me shouting out loud in shock, this book ticked all of those boxes.
Girl On A String is a fast-paced, tense psychological thriller that’s sure to have you on the edge of your seat in suspense and anticipation, as it did me.
My heart was racing. My palms were sweating and my head was hurting from all the twists and turns, I nearly had whiplash. Just when I thought I knew where the plot was going, BAM!, the rug was pulled from under me, leaving me to shout out loud at another jaw-dropping twist. I definitely did not see that one coming!
Girl On A String had me hooked from the first page and I devoured it. I couldn’t read it fast enough, needing to know what happened next. If this is a taste of what’s to come from Leah Montgomery then I can’t wait to see what she brings us next!
STRINGS!!! That is the true basis of this story. Who has them and who’s pulling them??
Leah Montgomery is a new author and Girl On A String is her debut novel. She is off to a promising career when it comes to psychological thriller novels. I found this book to be extremely entertaining and mind twisting.
I can’t really tell you much about the storyline because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. But if you are a fan of a book that will keep you guessing even when you think you know how it will go, then this is the book for you. I was so excited when I thought I had this story figured out, but just when I got comfortable, the author hits us with another twist. I never could’ve guessed how this story truly turns out.
This story is about Emma Sterling….a girl who comes from a family with a lot of money and influence. She is married and happy. But she is also a woman who has had her whole life controlled by someone else. What happens when she decides she wants to break free?? Can Emma actually cut the strings that pull her?? Read this book to find out how this all plays out. You will intrigued and captivated all the way through.
I did find parts of this book dragged a bit. I don’t know why, but it just seemed like in some spots things just moved slower than I usually prefer to read. Now that isn’t to say I didn’t thoroughly enjoy this book because I did, it’s just thats the reason I couldn’t give it 5 stars. This is a standalone novel and told primarily from Emma’s POV, but we do get some other POV’s along the way.
Overall I think Leah Montgomery has hit the spot when it comes to writing a psychological thriller and I can’t wait to read more from her. I think this is going to be a wonderful journey and she will be an author I will read anything she writes.
I would 100% recommend this book to readers. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat and blow your mind in the end with how it all works out. Give this new author a try, I don’t think you will be sorry!!!
When starting a thriller I am always skeptical. I make it my mission to figure out all of the twists before it happens which makes reading thriller books hard for me no matter how much I love them.
I did not have to worry about that with this book. Leah Montgomery’s debut novel is a must read. The twists and turns in this book you won’t see coming. Did I guess pieces? Of course but some of the things I was able to guess was only a tiny part. Which is something different and exciting for me.
“There are times when I don’t want to dance. I want to rage against the strings instead. I want to break them and learn to walk and dance and do on my own.”
Emma was a character that I needed to learn to love. For some reason she bothered me in the beginning. She was very cliche rich housewife-ish and she would always make excuses for why she was that way. Always blamed the “bubble”. I grew to change my mind. Watching her grow and change and cut the strings holding them back was a journey. Emma went from a person worrying about being perfect to someone who only wants to love life.
“I slip effortlessly into the comfortable persona I’ve lived within all these years, but somewhere…somewhere just behind the curtain…something new is born. An Emma Sterling I never would’ve believed myself capable of being. But she’s an Emma Sterling I’m very excited to meet.”
Now the twists and plot of the story. This one was unique. I know the whole point of a thriller is for you not to see what’s coming but Leah Montgomery does something above that. She makes you think you’re going on one path only to push you, HARD, onto another unexpected path. Even if you manage to guess one thing you’ll never be able to guess the entire twist and it’s a twist you want to experience.
Over all I thought this story and these characters were really great. I am so excited to read more from this author.
I need to start off my review with a disclaimer that this is not a genre I typically read.
Ok, that said, Girl on a String drew me in from the beginning. I thought I knew for sure how the book was going to go and then I didn't. And then I knew for sure again. And then I didn't. Just when you think you know... you don't.
The characters had depth and were well rounded. Some you loved, some you loved to hate, and some you just hated. And then there were the character twists that had you questioning how you actually felt about a character. One of the best parts, though, was the growth of Emma from the start of the book to the finish. I really enjoyed watching her change throughout the book.
The plot and story line was well thought out and every bump, twist, and turn was relevant and on point. At no time did I think, "seriously, you have to be kidding." I enjoyed every bit of it up to and including the ending. Once started, there was no putting it down for me: I had to know how it was going to end.
This might not have been a genre I would have typically read before, but I would definitely read again from this author.
Girl On A String is a book that will have you thinking one thing and then it totally goes in another direction. This book will have you sitting on the edge of your seat from the very first page. The angst you will feel will have you putting down the kindle for a moment, making you walk away to regroup just to go back to finding out with shock did that really just happen. The story of Emma Kramer will have you questioning your own sanity at times but you can’t help feel for Emma throughout the story. You will watch her go through every emotion you can think of and as your living her story with her you just want her to find all the answers she is searching for. Leah Montgomery has set the bar to the highest level when it comes to psychological thrillers but rest assure you will want to take this ride with her and know that when you see the words The End you just read a book that will leave you amazed.
Psychological suspense books are definitely a favorite of mine and Girl on a String is captivating and filled with mind blown moments! Emma Kramer Sterling has grown up in a life of privilege. Her parents hold the place of highest status and wealth in their social circles and Emma has been blissfully happily married to her husband Christopher for the past 8 years. Emma's life now revolves around throwing "perfectly executed" parties and caring for her husband's needs. So when odd occurrences begin which can't be verified, Emma starts to question if she is going crazy or if stress is getting to be too much.
The author was brilliant in the way she crafted the foundation because once there was a peek into what was around the corner the twists and revelations were almost relentless, shocking even. You will be thinking about this book long after you finish it as it's just that good!!!
Full review to follow Amazing captivating and twisted tale ***************************************
What a captivating read that had me engaged from the first page all the way through till the end. It’s been a long time since I have read a book that I just couldn’t wait to get back to and this book was on my mind even when I had to step away from it.
Leah Montgomery knocked this debut out of the park by creating a scintillating tale full of twists and turns with a female character that had you pulling for her the whole time. Just when I thought I may have figured something out there was another plot twist to keep me invested.
If you enjoy suspense and books with a twist look no further. Go check out Girl on a String and take the ride. All I can say is I am looking forward to future books from this author.
The lesson here is don't betray people. "For people lile my family and those in our cirlce, there are standards to uphold. It's a bubble within a bubble and in places like Seaborne, there is a strict code of conduct."
Emma is seeing things that noone else sees (people, things etc.) Something happens that pushes the family to intervene and Emma goes on "a luxury vacation" ..Maybe not everything is an illusion? Or maybe we are all just crazy? Am i crazy? I feel a bit crazy.. This book brings you through twist and turns that have you questioning everything including yourself. Holyyy crap, grab this book!! I was sucked in needing to know the truth and scared of it all the same!! Brilliant story!!!
What would you do for love, commitment, power, money, or just the thrills? The kind of thrills that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up? The uncontrollable palm sweating, heart racing thrill.
What would you do for sanity? What keeps you sane? Does the mind play cool tricks or is it the painstaking harsh truth of reality?
Think you have it all figured out? Then let me introduce you to the affluent world of Emma Kramer. Dive into her parallel universe full of glamorous lifestyles, paranoia, manipulation, and distorted perception. Indulge in an all consuming page turner you won't be able to put down.
What an amazing ride. I was hooked by the end of chapter one. You will have twists and unexpected turns that you won't see coming. LM has a brilliant mind that takes you a crazy ride.
Emma sees and experiences that put her in the spotlight as being troubled and borderline crazy. Not everything is as it seems. Get ready for twists and turns that will leave your jaw dropping.
Emma comes from money and she wants for nothing. But the love of her husband means everything to her. When things start to go weary, she begins to suspect things that may just change everything.
I can't say much more because its so easy to give the story away.
Read it!!! DEVOUR THE BOOK. ITS FREAKING AMAZING!!!!
This was a great debut read by Leah Montgomery. One I had trouble putting down.
Girl on a String will have you on the edge of your seat from the beginning to the very end. You're not sure who's pulling the strings throughout this entire story. Just when you think you have it figured out Montgomery throws another curve ball at you and adds another Puppet Master in the mix.
This book will have you wondering who to trust and who not to trust.
I can't wait to see what comes next from Leah Montgomery.
What a story ! I was on the edge of my seat from the first chapter. Just when I thought I knew what was going on, there was a twist and it completely shocked me. Christopher and Emma are quite a couple and when things hit the fan, it gets intense. I can’t even give a small detail away. The best part was the smile on my face when I finished the story! Amazing writing, as I was totally immersed into the story. It was everything you want in a psychological thriller. Total Must Read!
Wow. Great book! Sometimes, the perfect life is not so perfect.... I thought I knew where it was going and bam! It went a different way. I thought I figured it out again and it twisted again. So if you're looking for a boring read, a story that follows the obvious path, this is NOT for you. But, if you're looking for a highly intriguing book that will keep you guessing until the end, you MUST read this!
EEEEKKKKK. I couldn't put this down. In the beginning I thought I had the whole thing figured out, but boy was I wrong. The twist and turns just blew my mind. The character development was also pretty fantastic and I was really impressed with the ending. I would highly recommend this thriller.
Thank you to the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date is July 10, 2019.
Wow! This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Emma is the “perfect” wife whose life is nothing as it seems. The author wove a brilliant tale that allowed some pieces to click together for me as a reader. But she managed to still surprise me with the ending. Suspense books are not the typical ones I pick up but I’m so glad I read this one!
Oh this was SOOOO GOOD! You hear people say they couldn’t put a particular book down but I literally couldn’t. I needed to know what happened next. There were so many twists that it really kept me guessing until the end. Great Book!❤️
Girl on a string is a mindblowing debut from Leah Montgomery. I usually don't read psychological thriller genre but this book had me on the edge of my seat. The plot twist and angst will have you not wanting to put this book down. This book was definitely worth the read.
LOOOOVED IT!!! OMG!!! Girl on a String leaves you in shock at the wicked twists and turns in this page turning, suspenseful thriller! I true MUST READ!!
I loved this book! Definitely had me thinking one thing but then it turned out a completely different way. I couldn’t put this book down even to sleep.
Could not put this book down!!! So many twist and turns that I had to know what was going to happen!! Highly recommend this book and can’t wait for the next book from Leah Montgomery!!