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Good Girl Bad
A perfect life, or a perfect lie?
Rebecca Giovanni has a beautiful life—a job she loves, a new husband who’s a great deal better than the old one, and two charming daughters from her first marriage.
It’s hard not to be smug about how well she’s done for herself.
She trusts her new husband.
Then she wakes to find him and her sixteen-year-old daughter missing. Their dog is dead, and the front door is wide open.
No matter what the police insinuate, Rebecca cannot believe Leroy and Tabby went anywhere together willingly. She’s doing a stellar job, but blended families always have their difficulties. And they'd never leave the house without their phones and wallets.
But where are they? What happened in the house that night? Rebecca’s younger daughter is acting strangely, and her ex-husband is hiding secrets of his own—like where he was that night, and the real reason that he left Rebecca.
A gripping page-turner of family secrets for fans of Lisa Jewell, Gillian Flynn and Liane Moriarty.
Rebecca Giovanni has a beautiful life—a job she loves, a new husband who’s a great deal better than the old one, and two charming daughters from her first marriage.
It’s hard not to be smug about how well she’s done for herself.
She trusts her new husband.
Then she wakes to find him and her sixteen-year-old daughter missing. Their dog is dead, and the front door is wide open.
No matter what the police insinuate, Rebecca cannot believe Leroy and Tabby went anywhere together willingly. She’s doing a stellar job, but blended families always have their difficulties. And they'd never leave the house without their phones and wallets.
But where are they? What happened in the house that night? Rebecca’s younger daughter is acting strangely, and her ex-husband is hiding secrets of his own—like where he was that night, and the real reason that he left Rebecca.
A gripping page-turner of family secrets for fans of Lisa Jewell, Gillian Flynn and Liane Moriarty.
212 pages, ebook
First published January 11, 2022
473 people are currently reading
412 people want to read
About the author
S.A. McEwen
7 books39 followersS.A. McEwen writes nuanced and gritty domestic and psychological thrillers exploring human relationships and how the dark gets in.
She is particularly interested in family relationships.
She is a qualified social worker and works as an educator in youth mental health, and is mum to two delightful boys and a puppy.
She is particularly interested in family relationships.
She is a qualified social worker and works as an educator in youth mental health, and is mum to two delightful boys and a puppy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
December 23, 2021
I’m the first to review this properly, how nice. Reader beware, it is this book's author's opinion that the following review gives away some crucial plot twisting information. I do not agree, but out of respect, it stands to be mentioned.
This is my third read by the author. The author, it stands to mention, who graciously appreciates less than rave reviews, provided they have substance. So, here we go, some more substance…
There are so many of these types of thrillers out there that at times it’s difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff as it were. In fact, they begin to blend together, and it doesn’t help when they use Girl in the title either. What sets this one apart (and the same is true for the author’s other work) is how far she’s willing to go with the murky psychological gloom of things. Almost (though not quite) to the extent of making her protagonist profoundly unlikable. That’s pretty ballsy.
Nearly as ballsy as making the woman be the abuser in the relationship. What? Gasp. What? In this day and age of nearly institutionalized female victimhood with dedicated language and #s and all? If this book was written by a man, it would probably be ripped to shred by the How Dares He contingent. But alas, it’s safe this way, as if somehow reclaimed.
And I like it. It’s fun to turn the tables. In fact, it might have been taken even further for as is much of the abuse and violence takes place off-screen.
So, that when we first meet her, out protagonist just seems like an aggressively Type A sort of person whose studly (second) spouse and gorgeous sixteen-year-old daughter vanish without a trace. Sure, suppositions are easy to make, especially since the legal age of consent in Australia is sixteen, but (as it is often the case with these stories), there’s much more going on here.
For all that, this isn’t much of a thriller, though. It hits the basics, it has a mystery and some plot twists and all that, but primarily it’s a family drama, a dark psychological family drama that wants to address women as abusers. This is frequently the case with the author’s writing, where the theme overwhelms the plot. Still interesting enough, but much more of a case study than a wow can’t-put-it-down thriller.
Nevertheless, strong character writing and good pacing make this one speed by. Whether it’s a trip worth taking will depend largely on exactly what you’re looking for in a thriller.
Many thanks to the author for proving a free copy for review purposes and for being able to accept criticism without turning into…well, into, say, the protagonist of this book. Ok, done.
This is my third read by the author. The author, it stands to mention, who graciously appreciates less than rave reviews, provided they have substance. So, here we go, some more substance…
There are so many of these types of thrillers out there that at times it’s difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff as it were. In fact, they begin to blend together, and it doesn’t help when they use Girl in the title either. What sets this one apart (and the same is true for the author’s other work) is how far she’s willing to go with the murky psychological gloom of things. Almost (though not quite) to the extent of making her protagonist profoundly unlikable. That’s pretty ballsy.
Nearly as ballsy as making the woman be the abuser in the relationship. What? Gasp. What? In this day and age of nearly institutionalized female victimhood with dedicated language and #s and all? If this book was written by a man, it would probably be ripped to shred by the How Dares He contingent. But alas, it’s safe this way, as if somehow reclaimed.
And I like it. It’s fun to turn the tables. In fact, it might have been taken even further for as is much of the abuse and violence takes place off-screen.
So, that when we first meet her, out protagonist just seems like an aggressively Type A sort of person whose studly (second) spouse and gorgeous sixteen-year-old daughter vanish without a trace. Sure, suppositions are easy to make, especially since the legal age of consent in Australia is sixteen, but (as it is often the case with these stories), there’s much more going on here.
For all that, this isn’t much of a thriller, though. It hits the basics, it has a mystery and some plot twists and all that, but primarily it’s a family drama, a dark psychological family drama that wants to address women as abusers. This is frequently the case with the author’s writing, where the theme overwhelms the plot. Still interesting enough, but much more of a case study than a wow can’t-put-it-down thriller.
Nevertheless, strong character writing and good pacing make this one speed by. Whether it’s a trip worth taking will depend largely on exactly what you’re looking for in a thriller.
Many thanks to the author for proving a free copy for review purposes and for being able to accept criticism without turning into…well, into, say, the protagonist of this book. Ok, done.
December 4, 2022
Setting: Melbourne, Australia.
One day, Rebecca Giovanni wakes to discover her new husband, Leroy, and elder daughter, 17-year-old Tabitha, missing from their home - both have left their phones behind, the front door is wide open and their dog is dead in the kitchen. As the police, ex-husband Nate and younger daughter Genevieve get involved in trying to discover the reason behind the disappearances, it becomes clear that many of the characters have secrets to hide as the story reverts back to 'six months earlier' and works forward to the disappearance day, interspersed with the present-day search and occasionally the thoughts of a young girl living in an unhappy household.
None of the characters are blameless in the events that have transpired and it is interesting to see how the author develops this, gradually exposing the reasons behind the disappearances. For the second time with this author's kindle books, I was quite surprised when the book ended at 89%, with apparently several pages of the epilogue still to go! Nevertheless, this was still a good read and, I thought, slightly better than my previous read by this author - 8.5/10.
One day, Rebecca Giovanni wakes to discover her new husband, Leroy, and elder daughter, 17-year-old Tabitha, missing from their home - both have left their phones behind, the front door is wide open and their dog is dead in the kitchen. As the police, ex-husband Nate and younger daughter Genevieve get involved in trying to discover the reason behind the disappearances, it becomes clear that many of the characters have secrets to hide as the story reverts back to 'six months earlier' and works forward to the disappearance day, interspersed with the present-day search and occasionally the thoughts of a young girl living in an unhappy household.
None of the characters are blameless in the events that have transpired and it is interesting to see how the author develops this, gradually exposing the reasons behind the disappearances. For the second time with this author's kindle books, I was quite surprised when the book ended at 89%, with apparently several pages of the epilogue still to go! Nevertheless, this was still a good read and, I thought, slightly better than my previous read by this author - 8.5/10.
January 6, 2022
Looking for something a little different? As a reviewer of mostly Dark, crazy romance, I needed a bit of a pallet cleanser if you will.
S.A. McEwen did not disappoint me.
Good Girl Bad, will have you wondering from page one. A good thriller will throw you down a specific path where you know for sure things are going to go as you see them, but then things just change, often at the end, to show you, you aren't as smart as you think.
Give this book a try if you like to change things ups and you will not be disappointed.
S.A. McEwen did not disappoint me.
Good Girl Bad, will have you wondering from page one. A good thriller will throw you down a specific path where you know for sure things are going to go as you see them, but then things just change, often at the end, to show you, you aren't as smart as you think.
Give this book a try if you like to change things ups and you will not be disappointed.
January 10, 2022
I don't read that many mysteries or psychological suspense thrillers, but the book blurb for this one drew me in. When a woman wakes up to find the family dog dead in the kitchen and her daughter and her current husband missing, you just need to know what happened.
It would be difficult to say much without giving things away, but I can say that there is also a lot of family history and drama in the story as well as the mystery as to what happened that night. There was a lot of time frame flipping back and forth, but I actually thought it added to the story and the intrigue of what had happened. Well written.
I was gifted a copy of this book by Grey's Promo. All thoughts are my own.
It would be difficult to say much without giving things away, but I can say that there is also a lot of family history and drama in the story as well as the mystery as to what happened that night. There was a lot of time frame flipping back and forth, but I actually thought it added to the story and the intrigue of what had happened. Well written.
I was gifted a copy of this book by Grey's Promo. All thoughts are my own.
December 31, 2021
This was a new to me author and one I'll definitely be reading more from in the future.
There's not a lot that I can say about this book because of the way it's been very cleverly done, nothing will make sense until you have all the many pieces of the puzzle.
This was right up my alley though, continually keeping me guessing and unsure of who to trust. Add to the fact, like most thrillers, there was no romance so you could focus solely on the mystery and you have found yourself a book you'll be unable to put down.
There's not a lot that I can say about this book because of the way it's been very cleverly done, nothing will make sense until you have all the many pieces of the puzzle.
This was right up my alley though, continually keeping me guessing and unsure of who to trust. Add to the fact, like most thrillers, there was no romance so you could focus solely on the mystery and you have found yourself a book you'll be unable to put down.
January 12, 2022
4 STARS FOR GOOD GIRL BAD!! Wow, this Book kept me guessing and shaking my head. I enjoyed this story so much, wow, I am still not sure what to think. I can't wait to read more from this author.
January 14, 2022
Within a few chapters, I knew I wasn't going to be doing anything else until I finished this book. I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest through several scenes as I considered how I would feel if my husband and child were missing. We are given flashbacks that add more twists and turns to the psychological aspect and just when you think you're putting pieces together, someone comes in and flips the table on you. I loved how it went back and forth between past timelines to present. Kept that intrigue high! This book explores the ripples that a modern-day controversy causes for families and friends while tying in the past of how everything came to be. Coming from a dysfunctional extended family of my own, there are a lot of underlying tells that lit a lightbulb for me. Definitely a great read for the year! Looking forward to checking out more form S.A. McEwen.
I was gifted a copy of this book by Grey's Promo. All thoughts are my own.
I was gifted a copy of this book by Grey's Promo. All thoughts are my own.
January 11, 2022
What a trip this book was! So many secrets, so many twists and turns throughout the story. As the reader, you discover how not dealing with a tragedy affects the mind of the MC, how an adult can convince a teenager to have a “love” affair, and how just brushing things under the rug and presenting a “perfect family life” can all crumble down in the worst of ways.
McEwan gives the reader an intriguing thriller wrapped up in so many other issues that you can’t help waiting for the next shoe to drop. But in the end, you find within the fear, some hope that broken things can, in time, be fixed.
McEwan gives the reader an intriguing thriller wrapped up in so many other issues that you can’t help waiting for the next shoe to drop. But in the end, you find within the fear, some hope that broken things can, in time, be fixed.
November 23, 2023
Why do so many authors appear to feel it necessary to use language that is, to many people, highly offensive? It is totally unnecessary - read the Jack Reacher novels for proof of that! Of course, Muslims are never offended - authors know that they would retaliate!
January 13, 2022
Oh my goodness - what a ride this book was! I absolutely could not put this thriller down, and McEwen is definitely getting added to my auto-buy list.
Rebecca Giovanni woke up to the worst possible situation: her husband and oldest daughter are gone, the car is gone, and her youngest daughter isn't even awake yet. And as more people get involved - her ex-husband, her friends, her daughter's friend, the police - the story only gets more convoluted. What happened the night her family was torn apart? And was Rebecca herself the one responsible? Told in multiple, fragmented perspectives leading readers down a dark, twisted road, Good Girl Bad is an unforgettable thriller about the lengths we'll go to in order to feel love and connected.
Good Girl Bad was such a fabulous, twisty read. Right away, McEwen pulls readers in with the unknown: what happened to Leroy, Tabby, and Charlie? Readers will spend the rest of the book jumping through multiple perspectives - both ones in the know and ones that have no idea what really happened that fateful night and what caused it all to fell apart for Rebecca and her family. I thought the characters were all so well done here; with everyone telling their own side of the story, it was easy to simultaneously feel hatred, shock, and sympathy towards the main characters. I don't remember the last book I read where I felt this emotionally attached to pretty much every single character. Oh, I definitely wanted to hate certain characters - the ones society would quickly label villains - but McEwen did such a wonderful job at humanizing them all and it was hard to be cold to even the worst personalities. None of them were perfect, but they were exactly what the story needed to succeed.
I thought the chapter layouts were nicely done. McEwen does jump around a lot in the timeline and switches perspectives frequently, but it was easy to follow along even when narrators were not readily identified. I actually thought rushing from perspective to perspective so blindly was exhilarating, adding to my inability to put this story down.
There was a lot involved in this story, and much of it I can't comment on without giving away the plot. Suffice to say that I loved the way McEwen wrote this thriller; with so many voices, it's hard to know who is reliable and who isn't - and many characters end up crossing that line as the story evolves. The amount of unknowns in the plot pulled me in right to the very end. These characters give nothing away until the end, and I thought the story was even more thrilling because of it.
I definitely recommend Good Girl Bad for thriller fans who love a sketchy narrator (or two).
Rebecca Giovanni woke up to the worst possible situation: her husband and oldest daughter are gone, the car is gone, and her youngest daughter isn't even awake yet. And as more people get involved - her ex-husband, her friends, her daughter's friend, the police - the story only gets more convoluted. What happened the night her family was torn apart? And was Rebecca herself the one responsible? Told in multiple, fragmented perspectives leading readers down a dark, twisted road, Good Girl Bad is an unforgettable thriller about the lengths we'll go to in order to feel love and connected.
Good Girl Bad was such a fabulous, twisty read. Right away, McEwen pulls readers in with the unknown: what happened to Leroy, Tabby, and Charlie? Readers will spend the rest of the book jumping through multiple perspectives - both ones in the know and ones that have no idea what really happened that fateful night and what caused it all to fell apart for Rebecca and her family. I thought the characters were all so well done here; with everyone telling their own side of the story, it was easy to simultaneously feel hatred, shock, and sympathy towards the main characters. I don't remember the last book I read where I felt this emotionally attached to pretty much every single character. Oh, I definitely wanted to hate certain characters - the ones society would quickly label villains - but McEwen did such a wonderful job at humanizing them all and it was hard to be cold to even the worst personalities. None of them were perfect, but they were exactly what the story needed to succeed.
I thought the chapter layouts were nicely done. McEwen does jump around a lot in the timeline and switches perspectives frequently, but it was easy to follow along even when narrators were not readily identified. I actually thought rushing from perspective to perspective so blindly was exhilarating, adding to my inability to put this story down.
There was a lot involved in this story, and much of it I can't comment on without giving away the plot. Suffice to say that I loved the way McEwen wrote this thriller; with so many voices, it's hard to know who is reliable and who isn't - and many characters end up crossing that line as the story evolves. The amount of unknowns in the plot pulled me in right to the very end. These characters give nothing away until the end, and I thought the story was even more thrilling because of it.
I definitely recommend Good Girl Bad for thriller fans who love a sketchy narrator (or two).
January 2, 2022
I really enjoyed Good Girl Bad by S.A. McEwen. Good Girl Bad is the first book that I have read by S.A. McEwen and am looking forward to reading other books. I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading Good Girl Bad. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I kept trying to figure out what was really going on. Who does not love a psychological suspense thriller with a surprise ending? S.A. McEwen has shown that she is a master storyteller. I love how she developed the story line and the characters. It was an incredible psychological suspense thriller and had me guessing who was behind all the happenings. I could not put it down and loved every moment on every page of this wonderful page turner. I enjoyed how the book was told from the perspective of the characters in the book, that way the reader gets to know what the character is really thinking and feeling. I love how S.A. McEwen incorporates the book title and the picture on the cover into the story. The story started out slowly, but once the plot twist was revealed the storyline quickly picked up. Never saw the was really going on with Tabby in the story until it was revealed. It truly took me by surprise. Good Girl Bad is the story of Rebecca Giovanni, her husband Leroy, daughters Tabby and Genevieve, and her ex-husband, Nate. The story begins with Rebecca discovering that her husband, Leroy and daughter, Tabby are missing and the family dog, Charlie is dead. As Nate searches to discover the truth about the recent events in Tabby’s life, he discovers more than expected about both Tabby and Rebecca. Events prior to the disappearance are included in the story, so that the reader is aware of details leading up to disappearances of Leroy and Tabby, it was not my favorite way to tell the story, I felt like the story was constantly jumping around between the past and current day. I love how the last chapter takes place a couple months after the events of the story, and how all the characters changed because of the events in the story. My favorite part was the surprise ending when all the truths are revealed. It was an incredible thriller. Looking forward to reading more books by S.A. McEwen. Looking for a great thriller, then I highly recommend Good Girl Bad.
January 1, 2022
Thanks to an ARC from Grey's Promotions and S.A. McEwen, Good Girl Bad (GGB) is my first foray into books by this author. I'm not sure if I will read another. Let me explain why. I will do my best to not include spoilers, but no promises.
GGB's lead character, Rebecca Giovanni, is a very strong and unlikable person. On the surface level, she appears to be nearly perfect. She has been very successful in her career, has a beautiful home masterfully decorated, an extremely handsome husband who is only slightly more eye-catching than her ex-husband, and two gorgeous daughters making up their "perfect" blended family. Behind closed doors, Bec is anything but perfect in any way. She is savagely emotionally abusive to her eldest teen daughter, Tabby.
When Bec finds Tabby's dog dead and her husband, Leroy, and daughter Tabby have disappeared, things start to get very twisted. (I found myself lost at many points during this read.) Bec's ex-husband "moves in" to help protect their younger daughter from the unknown danger. Did Leroy and Tabby run off together? Are they both missing, but in an unrelated manner? Are they OK?
Suddenly, Bec's estranged parents of nearly 20 years show up to help find the missing family members. Now, is when things start to come into focus. It seems the deep psychological damage in Bec is profoundly rooted, over decades, from early childhood trauma as was left untreated by her parents. (I don't want to go into more detail here so as not to ruin the story for those who want to enjoy it.)
In my honest opinion, GGB is more a story showcasing how undiagnosed and unaddressed trauma can manifest later in life than a "Thriller". I pray no-one ever takes their deep-seated rage and allows it to erupt as savagely as Bec's does in GGB. If there is one positive to Good Girl Bad, it is to remind us to take care of ourselves, not just physically, but emotionally as well. Message received!
GGB's lead character, Rebecca Giovanni, is a very strong and unlikable person. On the surface level, she appears to be nearly perfect. She has been very successful in her career, has a beautiful home masterfully decorated, an extremely handsome husband who is only slightly more eye-catching than her ex-husband, and two gorgeous daughters making up their "perfect" blended family. Behind closed doors, Bec is anything but perfect in any way. She is savagely emotionally abusive to her eldest teen daughter, Tabby.
When Bec finds Tabby's dog dead and her husband, Leroy, and daughter Tabby have disappeared, things start to get very twisted. (I found myself lost at many points during this read.) Bec's ex-husband "moves in" to help protect their younger daughter from the unknown danger. Did Leroy and Tabby run off together? Are they both missing, but in an unrelated manner? Are they OK?
Suddenly, Bec's estranged parents of nearly 20 years show up to help find the missing family members. Now, is when things start to come into focus. It seems the deep psychological damage in Bec is profoundly rooted, over decades, from early childhood trauma as was left untreated by her parents. (I don't want to go into more detail here so as not to ruin the story for those who want to enjoy it.)
In my honest opinion, GGB is more a story showcasing how undiagnosed and unaddressed trauma can manifest later in life than a "Thriller". I pray no-one ever takes their deep-seated rage and allows it to erupt as savagely as Bec's does in GGB. If there is one positive to Good Girl Bad, it is to remind us to take care of ourselves, not just physically, but emotionally as well. Message received!
December 30, 2021
This is the first book that I read by this author and it was very different to what I have experienced before and it did take some getting used to. The main protagonist was emotionally abusive and quite unlikeable. Even as the reasons behind this abusive behavior are revealed, it failed to make her any more engaging. Both the ex-husband and the current husband come across as spineless and although they do gain more backbone as the story progresses, it feels like too little too late. This story involves three generations of a family and the psychological damage that can permeate through the years. This actually turned out to be less of a thriller and more of an emotional roller coaster read.
When Rebecca's husband and daughter disappear, there is no logical reason why they would take off and leave all evidence of their life behind in the house. No one can believe that Leroy (the new husband) and Tabby (her daughter) were involved in some form of romantic relationship. The story jumps back to before the disappearance and then to the present day.
Enjoyable and engaging, worth reading.
When Rebecca's husband and daughter disappear, there is no logical reason why they would take off and leave all evidence of their life behind in the house. No one can believe that Leroy (the new husband) and Tabby (her daughter) were involved in some form of romantic relationship. The story jumps back to before the disappearance and then to the present day.
Enjoyable and engaging, worth reading.
January 9, 2022
**3.5 stars**
This is my first read by Ms. McEwen.
The blurb to GGB intrigued and piqued my interest in the book.
It’s a suspense filled story that kept me on edge and always guessing as to what was happening.
The family dynamics is certainly not all it seems to be.
The saying “Looks can be deceiving” fits here to a tee.
It’s hard to say anything about the plot because it would be easy to give away what readers might to see coming.
But it is intense, surprising and original.
The characters are complicated and complex.
My feelings for them are mixed.
My heart went out to Tabby and Genevieve.
Leroy and Nate were silent about what was going on for so long it made matters worse.
And Rebecca was living in her own make believe world.
I liked the way the author laid out the story and how she unfolded it.
What I wasn’t used to is the writing style.
I believe it’s called third person narrative.
So there is not a lot of conversation or dialogue between the characters.
But a narrator telling and describing feelings, situations and circumstances.
It felt somewhat impersonal to me.
Overall a good fascinating story.
This is my first read by Ms. McEwen.
The blurb to GGB intrigued and piqued my interest in the book.
It’s a suspense filled story that kept me on edge and always guessing as to what was happening.
The family dynamics is certainly not all it seems to be.
The saying “Looks can be deceiving” fits here to a tee.
It’s hard to say anything about the plot because it would be easy to give away what readers might to see coming.
But it is intense, surprising and original.
The characters are complicated and complex.
My feelings for them are mixed.
My heart went out to Tabby and Genevieve.
Leroy and Nate were silent about what was going on for so long it made matters worse.
And Rebecca was living in her own make believe world.
I liked the way the author laid out the story and how she unfolded it.
What I wasn’t used to is the writing style.
I believe it’s called third person narrative.
So there is not a lot of conversation or dialogue between the characters.
But a narrator telling and describing feelings, situations and circumstances.
It felt somewhat impersonal to me.
Overall a good fascinating story.
January 9, 2022
This is a new author to me, but I will certainly be looking out for her work in the future. Rebecca has the perfect life with a job she loves, new husband, and two daughters from her first marriage. When Rebecca wakes up to find her husband and eldest daughter missing, the family dog dead, and the front door standing wide open, the mystery begins, as her youngest daughter is acting shifty, and her ex-hubby moves in to protect her daughter from danger, and he has secrets of his own. No spoilers: - this is a must read for all dark psychological thriller lovers. This is a well written story which has a complex and in-depth plot, and is filled with secrets, twists, suspense, drama, family, mystery, truths, surprises, and is a thought-provoking riveting page turner. The only downside, and this is my opinion only, is that the story felt a tad disjointed in parts, however, I look forward to reading more from this author in the future, and I recommend this story.
January 9, 2022
This is the first book by this author that I have read. I found this book personally a bit challenging to read as it goes between the past many years ago, the past a week ago, the past the day a character goes missing and then current day. I have not read a book that had so many time variations if you will in it and so I started and stopped reading quite a few times before I made it to the end. I did find the book to be well written and the characters other than Rebecca were likeable, however I think that the storyline just personally wasn't for me. I found this more centered on the families dysfunction/issues and not what I personally consider a thriller, but with that being said it was a book of trying to figure out what happened and who did what and I did not see it playing out the way it did.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review provided by Grey's Promotions.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review provided by Grey's Promotions.
January 10, 2022
All reviews posted at Tales of Love, Life, and Murder
There’s not much I can say about this story without being a spoiler but I’ll do my best. This isn’t a romance so not my typical fare but I enjoyed it. This was a first for me in that I expected Rebecca to be the protagonist but she’s really not, which is a good thing because she’s utterly unlikable. She’s a terrible person and every other character would have been better off without her, but she’s at the heart of their lives and everything that happens. This is tragic and sad and infuriated me at times but it’s well written and thought-provoking.
January 3, 2022
❗😰Good psychological drama: what a family!
I really liked the unpredictability of this story, with family members disappearing, the family pet suddenly dead on the doorstep, and so many questions about what is really happening to them all. Mom presents herself as the perfect woman and it's trying for her two teenage daughters to live up to the storybook image she wants them to help her project. And no one seems to know the full story. The shifting point of view gave good sight into the turmoil of each family member and a tragic event in the past key to the present problems.
I found it a fairly quick read that kept me involved and looking forward to the next page. At least until the very end which I felt dragged on a smidgeon too long after the dramatic end to the search.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.
I really liked the unpredictability of this story, with family members disappearing, the family pet suddenly dead on the doorstep, and so many questions about what is really happening to them all. Mom presents herself as the perfect woman and it's trying for her two teenage daughters to live up to the storybook image she wants them to help her project. And no one seems to know the full story. The shifting point of view gave good sight into the turmoil of each family member and a tragic event in the past key to the present problems.
I found it a fairly quick read that kept me involved and looking forward to the next page. At least until the very end which I felt dragged on a smidgeon too long after the dramatic end to the search.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.
March 29, 2022
Well thoughtfully composed
In "Good Girl Bad" S.A. McEwen took sensative subjects most families either have gone through or someone close to them have experienced but less talked about for certain reasons. The author took pieces of families all over the world that go through the tragedies no one seems to speak out about such as a woman being the abuser, or the man being abused. Topics hardly talked about, the realization hits when asked to refer the ex-wife to anger management instead the ex-husband. To add to the affliction, raising teenage daughters only brings mixed emotions that only adds doubt on how to be a parent. Admitting to failed at any point as a parent is unthought of so most certainly unspoken of, and this book opens at all up. Delicately written, thoughtfully expressed, and intrestingly to read.
In "Good Girl Bad" S.A. McEwen took sensative subjects most families either have gone through or someone close to them have experienced but less talked about for certain reasons. The author took pieces of families all over the world that go through the tragedies no one seems to speak out about such as a woman being the abuser, or the man being abused. Topics hardly talked about, the realization hits when asked to refer the ex-wife to anger management instead the ex-husband. To add to the affliction, raising teenage daughters only brings mixed emotions that only adds doubt on how to be a parent. Admitting to failed at any point as a parent is unthought of so most certainly unspoken of, and this book opens at all up. Delicately written, thoughtfully expressed, and intrestingly to read.
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October 20, 2025she is married to 2nd husband, 2 girls from 1st husband
she gets home , the door is open, the dog dead on the kitchen floor. her husband wallet and daughters phone are there but they are missing. her other daughter asleep upstairs
she calls her first husband and the police
they find her 2nd husbands dead body but not her daughter
her parents who she didnt talk to for 20 yrs show up, the granddaughter called them
the step dad was trying to help her from her mean mom. her mom was mean cause she tried to teach her little sister to swim and she drowned when they were young
the step dad fell off the bridge and drowned
the girl was having a affair with her best friends married dad and he wouldnt help her
the sister found where she was hiding and they brought her home
she gets home , the door is open, the dog dead on the kitchen floor. her husband wallet and daughters phone are there but they are missing. her other daughter asleep upstairs
she calls her first husband and the police
they find her 2nd husbands dead body but not her daughter
her parents who she didnt talk to for 20 yrs show up, the granddaughter called them
the step dad was trying to help her from her mean mom. her mom was mean cause she tried to teach her little sister to swim and she drowned when they were young
the step dad fell off the bridge and drowned
the girl was having a affair with her best friends married dad and he wouldnt help her
the sister found where she was hiding and they brought her home
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2025
this book is full of twists and not what I thought it would be. for myself it was very hard to listen to at times as I have dealt with this in some form with my own mother and in some past relationships. I do like the author showed a woman as an abuser and how trauma causes trauma and keeps the cycle going until people receive help. didnt care for the father of one of Tabbys best friend was sleeping with Tabby and found it a bit disheartening thats legal in Australia. but glad the other worked to find a path forward for the main family. Nancy imparts wisdom to her daughter but also deals with her own emotions in a healthy way. she is probably the best character in the book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2021
I was blown away emotionally by this book. It was heavy and it made my heart cringe with the despair and anger that permeated throughout the book. Our words have such long lasting consequences that they are often harsher than a slap or a punch. This author deals with subjects not often talked about or brought into the light in such a way that make you reevaluate your own actions.
I read and reviewed a copy of this book.
I read and reviewed a copy of this book.
May 15, 2022
The plot of this is decent, if a little predictable in places, but it didn’t seem well written to me, that said, I got this as an ebook, so I’m not sure if it’s meant to be in the young adult genre, which personally I’m not a fan of, I find them a bit simplistic linguistically for my tastes (apologies if that sounds pretentious!), if so, for YA I’d give it 3 stars, for adults, I feel like I’m being generous with 2.
January 14, 2022
This is the first book I've read by S.A. McEwen and I was not disappointed! Rebecca wakes up to find the dog dead and her husband and oldest daughter missing? Did they run off together? Was it something else? You think you've got it figured out, but you don't. I loved the twists and turns and the different view points of the characters. This was such a great story!
March 25, 2022
how did this mother hide so well?
I was disappointed to see the brutality that Rebecca showed toward her daughters and the pain that she felt to cause this brutality. I would recommend the book and have to admit that I found it difficult to put down, once I got started, but it was still a real gut rencher.
I was disappointed to see the brutality that Rebecca showed toward her daughters and the pain that she felt to cause this brutality. I would recommend the book and have to admit that I found it difficult to put down, once I got started, but it was still a real gut rencher.
April 8, 2022
This dark psychological family drama isn't the same old plot. The basic structure involves good pacing and strong characters, making it a can't put it down thriller. You know it's good when you wake up in the middle of the night "for just one more chapter". Unless I missed something, I didn't see the end coming. Good job!
January 12, 2022
Page Turner!
S.A. McEwen gives us a clever, twisted, magnetic read!!
Good Girl Bad is a story that will keep you guessing until the very end! I was on the edge of seat, waiting to see what would happen. I could not put this one down.
I was completely hooked! I read this one in one sitting!
S.A. McEwen gives us a clever, twisted, magnetic read!!
Good Girl Bad is a story that will keep you guessing until the very end! I was on the edge of seat, waiting to see what would happen. I could not put this one down.
I was completely hooked! I read this one in one sitting!
April 26, 2022
Unexpected ending
Without spoiling the
solution, I can say that it will open your eyes to all the mistakes you make every day. Life is not a bowl of cherries. Most of us live in the pits.
Without spoiling the
solution, I can say that it will open your eyes to all the mistakes you make every day. Life is not a bowl of cherries. Most of us live in the pits.
July 30, 2022
Wow, I flew through this and was invested in each character. I enjoy books where I can try and guess the twists and mysteries along the way and this certainly gave me that opportunity. Will definitely be reading more from S.A. McEwen
October 7, 2024
I really enjoyed this thoughtful story. Elegant writing and very smooth, tight storytelling. Effective use of misdirection, no padding or filler. I found the characters to be fully fleshed out and their dialogue and interactions had ring of authenticity.
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