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Lovely Girls
Listening length: 8 hours, 35 minutes
In this chilling story from USA Today bestselling author Margot Hunt, a mother and daughter try to start over in an idyllic town only to get caught up in cliques, mind games…and murder.
After the sudden death of her husband, Kate Turner is looking for a fresh start for herself and her teenage daughter, Alex. They relocate to the beachside town of Shoreham, Florida, where all is not as sunny as it seems.
Although Kate makes fast friends with a trio of fellow moms, their daughters take an instant dislike to Alex, who attempts to document their bullying in her video diary. Kate brushes off Alex’s concerns—until she receives a series of chilling warnings about the clique of moms from other parents and neighbors. As it becomes harder for her to ignore the malicious undercurrent she senses among her new friends, Kate grows increasingly unsure of who to believe—and who to trust.
As small-town gossip weaves a harrowing web of jealousy, deceit, and betrayal, Kate and Alex discover that whether you’re in or out, the status quo can turn on you deadly fast.
In this chilling story from USA Today bestselling author Margot Hunt, a mother and daughter try to start over in an idyllic town only to get caught up in cliques, mind games…and murder.
After the sudden death of her husband, Kate Turner is looking for a fresh start for herself and her teenage daughter, Alex. They relocate to the beachside town of Shoreham, Florida, where all is not as sunny as it seems.
Although Kate makes fast friends with a trio of fellow moms, their daughters take an instant dislike to Alex, who attempts to document their bullying in her video diary. Kate brushes off Alex’s concerns—until she receives a series of chilling warnings about the clique of moms from other parents and neighbors. As it becomes harder for her to ignore the malicious undercurrent she senses among her new friends, Kate grows increasingly unsure of who to believe—and who to trust.
As small-town gossip weaves a harrowing web of jealousy, deceit, and betrayal, Kate and Alex discover that whether you’re in or out, the status quo can turn on you deadly fast.
9 pages, Audible Audio
First published March 1, 2023
1876 people are currently reading
12298 people want to read
About the author
Margot Hunt
9 books1,294 followersMargot Hunt is the author of LOVELY GIRLS, THE LAST AFFAIR, FOR BETTER AND WORSE, and BEST FRIENDS FOREVER. She has also written the Audible Original novellas TELL HER STORY, THE HOUSE ON THE WATER and BURIED DEEP. Her next book, THE GUESTS, will be released in January 2024.
Learn more about Margot and her forthcoming books at
margothunt.com.
Learn more about Margot and her forthcoming books at
margothunt.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 734 reviews
August 2, 2022
I love it when I end up enjoying a story more than I anticipated I would!
This is my first Margot Hunt book. I like her writing. It's easy to read and follow along with.
The story has Kate, a newly widowed mother and her teenaged daughter, Alex who have recently moved from their home in Buffalo, NY to the little oceanside community of Shoreham, Florida. Alex is traumatized from her Father's recent death and Kate hopes to make a fresh start.
Alex meets 3 girls by accident who attend her new high school. Things do not go well from the start. Meanwhile, Kate meets their Moms and seems to hit it off with them.
All is not what it seems.
I got swept up in this story. I found it pretty realistic to how some teenagers and parents interact. It gives off, "Mean Girls" vibes only this is not a funny story. This one is dramatic and kept my interest all throughout.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for granting me access to this Advanced Reader Copy.
This is my first Margot Hunt book. I like her writing. It's easy to read and follow along with.
The story has Kate, a newly widowed mother and her teenaged daughter, Alex who have recently moved from their home in Buffalo, NY to the little oceanside community of Shoreham, Florida. Alex is traumatized from her Father's recent death and Kate hopes to make a fresh start.
Alex meets 3 girls by accident who attend her new high school. Things do not go well from the start. Meanwhile, Kate meets their Moms and seems to hit it off with them.
All is not what it seems.
I got swept up in this story. I found it pretty realistic to how some teenagers and parents interact. It gives off, "Mean Girls" vibes only this is not a funny story. This one is dramatic and kept my interest all throughout.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for granting me access to this Advanced Reader Copy.
August 16, 2022
3.5 STARS
It was fine.
This was my 4th novel by the author. Another very readable story, but one that doesn't really bring anything new or clever to the genre. There are a few surprises thrown in, but they were pretty predictable.
The mean teenager clique is not a trope I really enjoy, but wanted to see how the author would navigate it.
Alex is the girl being bullied and she keeps a video diary that documents her feelings. She was a sympathetic character and I wanted her to stay strong. Some of the girls were just cruel and it was like watching a collision course. They make some questionable choices!
Not all the characters (even the men) were unlikeable and I appreciate the author giving us some balance. There is quite a bit of family drama, spitefulness, jealously, and all the things. I wanted more lightness or some humor. Her novels usually have some comic relief, but this one had a gloomy feel.
Thanks to NG for my arc! OUT February 7, 2023
It was fine.
This was my 4th novel by the author. Another very readable story, but one that doesn't really bring anything new or clever to the genre. There are a few surprises thrown in, but they were pretty predictable.
The mean teenager clique is not a trope I really enjoy, but wanted to see how the author would navigate it.
Alex is the girl being bullied and she keeps a video diary that documents her feelings. She was a sympathetic character and I wanted her to stay strong. Some of the girls were just cruel and it was like watching a collision course. They make some questionable choices!
Not all the characters (even the men) were unlikeable and I appreciate the author giving us some balance. There is quite a bit of family drama, spitefulness, jealously, and all the things. I wanted more lightness or some humor. Her novels usually have some comic relief, but this one had a gloomy feel.
Thanks to NG for my arc! OUT February 7, 2023
March 3, 2023
Are MEAN GIRLS born….or are they created??
After the sudden death of her husband, Kate Turner and her seventeen year old daughter, Alex, have moved to the beachside town of Shoreham, Florida, in search of a fresh start.
The story unfolds in TWO parts….
“BEFORE SHE DIED”
Before the school year can even begin, Alex, gets on the wrong side of a powerful clique of girls, from the high school’s tennis team. Upon advice from Beatrice, the therapist in Buffalo she had to leave behind, she was recording her feelings on a VIDEO diary-and she decides to begin documenting all of the ways she is being tormented by the girls, as well.
Kate, however, has been embraced by the equally cliquey Moms of these same girls, so it becomes difficult for her to decipher fact from fiction, even as other parents and neighbors begin to warn her about the women she is spending time with.
It also doesn’t help that Alex is hiding the bullying that she is enduring-afraid that if her mom interferes-it will only make things worse.
“AFTER SHE DIED”
Are they just mean girls? Or could they be MURDERERS?
What sets this story apart from the others in this trope is the author-Margot Hunt. She hasn’t disappointed me yet, as she always creates believable characters and plausible plots.
The book moves quickly, told primarily from Kate’s POV, with excerpts from Alex’s dated VIDEO diary.
I read the entire ADDICTIVE story over the course of ONE day, and since these aren’t my favorite themes to read about-that’s a credit to the writing!
It serves as yet another cautionary tale about the cruel side of Social Media, and how you can’t run from what has already been posted.
AND, it also makes a pretty good case, for still having a landline! ☎️
A buddy read with lots to discuss!
NOW AVAILABLE!!
Thank You to Thomas & Mercer for the gifted copy, provided through NetGalley! It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
After the sudden death of her husband, Kate Turner and her seventeen year old daughter, Alex, have moved to the beachside town of Shoreham, Florida, in search of a fresh start.
The story unfolds in TWO parts….
“BEFORE SHE DIED”
Before the school year can even begin, Alex, gets on the wrong side of a powerful clique of girls, from the high school’s tennis team. Upon advice from Beatrice, the therapist in Buffalo she had to leave behind, she was recording her feelings on a VIDEO diary-and she decides to begin documenting all of the ways she is being tormented by the girls, as well.
Kate, however, has been embraced by the equally cliquey Moms of these same girls, so it becomes difficult for her to decipher fact from fiction, even as other parents and neighbors begin to warn her about the women she is spending time with.
It also doesn’t help that Alex is hiding the bullying that she is enduring-afraid that if her mom interferes-it will only make things worse.
“AFTER SHE DIED”
Are they just mean girls? Or could they be MURDERERS?
What sets this story apart from the others in this trope is the author-Margot Hunt. She hasn’t disappointed me yet, as she always creates believable characters and plausible plots.
The book moves quickly, told primarily from Kate’s POV, with excerpts from Alex’s dated VIDEO diary.
I read the entire ADDICTIVE story over the course of ONE day, and since these aren’t my favorite themes to read about-that’s a credit to the writing!
It serves as yet another cautionary tale about the cruel side of Social Media, and how you can’t run from what has already been posted.
AND, it also makes a pretty good case, for still having a landline! ☎️
A buddy read with lots to discuss!
NOW AVAILABLE!!
Thank You to Thomas & Mercer for the gifted copy, provided through NetGalley! It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
January 18, 2023
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!
What’s worse... Mean girls or their mean mothers?
If ever there was a perfect time for a fresh start this would be it. And Kate intends on making that happen. She just lost her husband in a car accident that also involved her daughter, Alex. Kate is determined to turn things around and start anew.
Maybe a quiet suburb in Florida is just the place. Unfortunately Alex immediately gets on the wrong side of the popular girls who vow to make her life miserable. But in a strange twist, Kate feels like she actually hit the jackpot, being accepted by the mothers of these mean girls.
A well-crafted thriller that managed to evoke a lot of emotions. I hate mean girls! Who doesn’t? And I equally loath reading about them! But I persevered and kept going, hoping that karma would eventually win out in the end. Did it? No spilling-the-beans here! You’ll have to read this book to find out!
The fourth book I’ve read and enjoyed by Margot Hunt, and anxious for the next release!
A buddy read with Susanne!🤓📚
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer
What’s worse... Mean girls or their mean mothers?
If ever there was a perfect time for a fresh start this would be it. And Kate intends on making that happen. She just lost her husband in a car accident that also involved her daughter, Alex. Kate is determined to turn things around and start anew.
Maybe a quiet suburb in Florida is just the place. Unfortunately Alex immediately gets on the wrong side of the popular girls who vow to make her life miserable. But in a strange twist, Kate feels like she actually hit the jackpot, being accepted by the mothers of these mean girls.
A well-crafted thriller that managed to evoke a lot of emotions. I hate mean girls! Who doesn’t? And I equally loath reading about them! But I persevered and kept going, hoping that karma would eventually win out in the end. Did it? No spilling-the-beans here! You’ll have to read this book to find out!
The fourth book I’ve read and enjoyed by Margot Hunt, and anxious for the next release!
A buddy read with Susanne!🤓📚
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer
December 6, 2022
3.5 stars
Objectively, this is a perfectly fine novel of domestic suspense, but for someone who hasn't been reading much in this genre as of late, and who also is just squeezing in whatever pages she can muster amongst the blurry, endless nights of feeding a sleepless newborn, I found Lovely Girls to be just what I needed in the moment. If you were to call this a thriller, it would be one of the popcorn variety, and its soapy nature lends it to be both easy to slide down while also refusing to stay memorable for the long term. The characters present themselves as familiar, Lifetime Movie Network creations, and the plot-while somewhat twisty-isn't exactly mind blowing, yet Hunt has a way of creating a story that is difficult to put down amidst the short chapters and changing POV. If you're looking for a quick, beach type read, definitely consider giving Lovely Girls a go in 2023.
Content warnings: bullying, statutory rape.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy via NetGalley.
Objectively, this is a perfectly fine novel of domestic suspense, but for someone who hasn't been reading much in this genre as of late, and who also is just squeezing in whatever pages she can muster amongst the blurry, endless nights of feeding a sleepless newborn, I found Lovely Girls to be just what I needed in the moment. If you were to call this a thriller, it would be one of the popcorn variety, and its soapy nature lends it to be both easy to slide down while also refusing to stay memorable for the long term. The characters present themselves as familiar, Lifetime Movie Network creations, and the plot-while somewhat twisty-isn't exactly mind blowing, yet Hunt has a way of creating a story that is difficult to put down amidst the short chapters and changing POV. If you're looking for a quick, beach type read, definitely consider giving Lovely Girls a go in 2023.
Content warnings: bullying, statutory rape.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy via NetGalley.
February 16, 2023
Lovely girls? Not so much!
Kate and her daughter, Alex, make the move from Buffalo, NY to Shoreham, FL following the death of Kate's husband and Alex's father.
A fresh start or so they say.....
While Kate is fast to make friends Alex struggles to be accepted, in fact, the queen bee's of the school are down right hostile to her. Kate on the other hand has been accepted with welcome arms into the queen bee's mothers elite group. Kate can't understand why Alex is acting so aloof, why she doesn't want to go to school, the girls can't be that bad when their mothers are so welcoming. Until she meets them.
"Their lives were so easy, so blessed. It's why they could afford to be so casual with their cruelness."
Kate, now having met the girls, is starting to see glimpses of that cruelness even among the mothers. It appears the apples didn't fall far from the tree if you know what I mean.
Now a girl lies dead on the beach. Who is it, what happened, and by whom? You'll have to read this to find out!
Well that was a popcorn popper of a book. I claimed to have been burnt out on the mean girls trope but this one was actually successful and I was tearing through the virtual pages. Am I glad to not be in high school anymore. Geesh, these girls were simply the worst but I have to say that they learned from the very best, their mothers. Yikes! 😧 Margot Hunt definitely got my anxiety kicked into gear. Having said that, there was nothing all that surprising that happens. Once I found out *who* was on the beach I knew by who and the reason why. Still I have to admit to being thoroughly entertained by this one, predictable or not, it was fun. The biggest issue I had with this book is this:
"Could I have a dozen everything bagels and a one pound container of cinnamon raisin cream cheese?"
WHAAAAAT in fresh hell is this? Cinnamon raisin cream cheese on an everything bagel? No, just no.🤢
Jokes aside I am happy to have delved in to the world of the most awful women ever and relieved that I don't have anyone that toxic in my real life. Phew! 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my complimentary copy.
Kate and her daughter, Alex, make the move from Buffalo, NY to Shoreham, FL following the death of Kate's husband and Alex's father.
A fresh start or so they say.....
While Kate is fast to make friends Alex struggles to be accepted, in fact, the queen bee's of the school are down right hostile to her. Kate on the other hand has been accepted with welcome arms into the queen bee's mothers elite group. Kate can't understand why Alex is acting so aloof, why she doesn't want to go to school, the girls can't be that bad when their mothers are so welcoming. Until she meets them.
"Their lives were so easy, so blessed. It's why they could afford to be so casual with their cruelness."
Kate, now having met the girls, is starting to see glimpses of that cruelness even among the mothers. It appears the apples didn't fall far from the tree if you know what I mean.
Now a girl lies dead on the beach. Who is it, what happened, and by whom? You'll have to read this to find out!
Well that was a popcorn popper of a book. I claimed to have been burnt out on the mean girls trope but this one was actually successful and I was tearing through the virtual pages. Am I glad to not be in high school anymore. Geesh, these girls were simply the worst but I have to say that they learned from the very best, their mothers. Yikes! 😧 Margot Hunt definitely got my anxiety kicked into gear. Having said that, there was nothing all that surprising that happens. Once I found out *who* was on the beach I knew by who and the reason why. Still I have to admit to being thoroughly entertained by this one, predictable or not, it was fun. The biggest issue I had with this book is this:
"Could I have a dozen everything bagels and a one pound container of cinnamon raisin cream cheese?"
WHAAAAAT in fresh hell is this? Cinnamon raisin cream cheese on an everything bagel? No, just no.🤢
Jokes aside I am happy to have delved in to the world of the most awful women ever and relieved that I don't have anyone that toxic in my real life. Phew! 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my complimentary copy.
March 16, 2023
EXCERPT: I thought of all true crime television shows I'd watched over the years. Stories about pretty young girls who had vanished, never to be seen again. Every single one of those stories started like this. With a girl who didn't come home.
ABOUT 'LOVELY GIRLS': After the sudden death of her husband, Kate Turner is looking for a fresh start for herself and her teenage daughter, Alex. They relocate to the beachside town of Shoreham, Florida, where all is not as sunny as it seems.
Although Kate makes fast friends with a trio of fellow moms, their daughters take an instant dislike to Alex, who attempts to document their bullying in her video diary. Kate brushes off Alex’s concerns—until she receives a series of chilling warnings about the clique of moms from other parents and neighbors. As it becomes harder for her to ignore the malicious undercurrent she senses among her new friends, Kate grows increasingly unsure of who to believe—and who to trust.
As small-town gossip weaves a harrowing web of jealousy, deceit, and betrayal, Kate and Alex discover that whether you’re in or out, the status quo can turn on you deadly fast.
MY THOUGHTS: I love Margot Hunt. Her books are automatic buys for me, and she hasn't disappointed me yet!
In high school there was always a clique of girls who ruled the roost. You remember them; the beautiful girls who seemed blessed with every possible attribute. Except, perhaps, kindness. We were either one of them, or wished we were, spending our time trying to be noticed and included by them, and/or had our lives made miserable by them. I wonder where they are now . . .
Probably like the mother's in Lovely Girls, they are still in their clique, bestowing favours on the lucky few, but, for the main part, making a lot of people's lives miserable with their snubs, cutting remarks and innuendo.
I didn't envy Kate, revelling in her good fortune at being 'adopted' by Genevieve, Emma and Ingrid, because somehow I knew it wouldn't last and that the fallout would be catastrophic.
Alex doesn't have any such problem. From the outset she is ostracized and bullied by these women's daughters, Daphne, Shea and Callie. And everything she does just seems to make the situation worse.
Where will it all end? With one dead and another fighting for her life, that's where. But who's dead? And who's fighting for their life?
Margot Hunt does what she does so well, imperceptibly ramping up the tension and suspense in this dramatic and well-paced novel. Her writing flows seamlessly and I was drawn into the story immediately, reading this in a little over twenty four hours. Had I been able, Lovely Girls would have been a one sitting read for me, but nasty things from the real world, like work, interfered.
I've read everything that this author has written and I hope Margot Hunt is hard at work on her next book. I, for one, simply can't wait to get my hands on it.
An entertaining and easy to read 'guilty pleasure' novel with a superb final twist.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#LovelyGirls #NetGalley
I: #MargotHunt @amazonpublishing
T: @HuntAuthor @AmazonPub
THE AUTHOR: Margot Hunt is the pseudonym for chick lit and women's fiction author Whitney Gaskell, who has also published several Young Adult books as Piper Banks.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin-MIRA for providing a digital ARC of Lovely Girls by Margot Hunt for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This and other reviews are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage
ABOUT 'LOVELY GIRLS': After the sudden death of her husband, Kate Turner is looking for a fresh start for herself and her teenage daughter, Alex. They relocate to the beachside town of Shoreham, Florida, where all is not as sunny as it seems.
Although Kate makes fast friends with a trio of fellow moms, their daughters take an instant dislike to Alex, who attempts to document their bullying in her video diary. Kate brushes off Alex’s concerns—until she receives a series of chilling warnings about the clique of moms from other parents and neighbors. As it becomes harder for her to ignore the malicious undercurrent she senses among her new friends, Kate grows increasingly unsure of who to believe—and who to trust.
As small-town gossip weaves a harrowing web of jealousy, deceit, and betrayal, Kate and Alex discover that whether you’re in or out, the status quo can turn on you deadly fast.
MY THOUGHTS: I love Margot Hunt. Her books are automatic buys for me, and she hasn't disappointed me yet!
In high school there was always a clique of girls who ruled the roost. You remember them; the beautiful girls who seemed blessed with every possible attribute. Except, perhaps, kindness. We were either one of them, or wished we were, spending our time trying to be noticed and included by them, and/or had our lives made miserable by them. I wonder where they are now . . .
Probably like the mother's in Lovely Girls, they are still in their clique, bestowing favours on the lucky few, but, for the main part, making a lot of people's lives miserable with their snubs, cutting remarks and innuendo.
I didn't envy Kate, revelling in her good fortune at being 'adopted' by Genevieve, Emma and Ingrid, because somehow I knew it wouldn't last and that the fallout would be catastrophic.
Alex doesn't have any such problem. From the outset she is ostracized and bullied by these women's daughters, Daphne, Shea and Callie. And everything she does just seems to make the situation worse.
Where will it all end? With one dead and another fighting for her life, that's where. But who's dead? And who's fighting for their life?
Margot Hunt does what she does so well, imperceptibly ramping up the tension and suspense in this dramatic and well-paced novel. Her writing flows seamlessly and I was drawn into the story immediately, reading this in a little over twenty four hours. Had I been able, Lovely Girls would have been a one sitting read for me, but nasty things from the real world, like work, interfered.
I've read everything that this author has written and I hope Margot Hunt is hard at work on her next book. I, for one, simply can't wait to get my hands on it.
An entertaining and easy to read 'guilty pleasure' novel with a superb final twist.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#LovelyGirls #NetGalley
I: #MargotHunt @amazonpublishing
T: @HuntAuthor @AmazonPub
THE AUTHOR: Margot Hunt is the pseudonym for chick lit and women's fiction author Whitney Gaskell, who has also published several Young Adult books as Piper Banks.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin-MIRA for providing a digital ARC of Lovely Girls by Margot Hunt for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This and other reviews are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage
November 29, 2022
Mocking Birds.*
It didn’t take long to surmise that the title was tongue in cheek.
Or just plain cheeky because all, save two females in this story, range from unpleasant to vile. There’s scant loveliness to be found here.
I was still on board since I love a catty neighborhood - especially one poised on the brink of chaos with a powder keg in development. The probable uprising was an event worth anticipating.
This was a quick page turner and read like a Cozy but topics of bullying, emotional abuse of a child, and murder contrasted the disarming writing style. An interesting juxtaposition in my opinion.
I loved the slight ambiguity in the ending. Not inconsequential, but I was set at three stars when the final chapter bumped it up for me. It also created a volley of comments as a Buddy Read and assisted me in viewing this in an alternate perspective.
Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Margot Hunt for my Electronic Review Copy. Publication slated for March 1, 2023
*Bird: British slang for a woman.
It didn’t take long to surmise that the title was tongue in cheek.
Or just plain cheeky because all, save two females in this story, range from unpleasant to vile. There’s scant loveliness to be found here.
I was still on board since I love a catty neighborhood - especially one poised on the brink of chaos with a powder keg in development. The probable uprising was an event worth anticipating.
This was a quick page turner and read like a Cozy but topics of bullying, emotional abuse of a child, and murder contrasted the disarming writing style. An interesting juxtaposition in my opinion.
I loved the slight ambiguity in the ending. Not inconsequential, but I was set at three stars when the final chapter bumped it up for me. It also created a volley of comments as a Buddy Read and assisted me in viewing this in an alternate perspective.
Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Margot Hunt for my Electronic Review Copy. Publication slated for March 1, 2023
*Bird: British slang for a woman.
March 14, 2023
Lovely Girls was the first book that I have had the pleasure of reading by Margot Hunt. Not being familiar with her writing style I was not entirely sure what to expect. However, once I got to a certain point in the plot where some hidden discoveries were revealed, I found that I could not turn the pages fast enough. Margot Hunt proved to be a masterful storyteller, in my opinion, as she relied on her ability to create a plot that was part mystery, part thriller and involved a murder. She incorporated the themes of bullying, mother/daughter relationships, grief, coping, starting over and fitting in into her book, Lovely Girls. The scenarios and dialogue throughout Lovely Girls seemed authentic and possible.
Kate Turner’s husband had recently died in a car accident. Her daughter, Alex, had been in the car with her father when the accident occurred. Alex had suffered a concussion and was having difficulty remembering exactly what had happened. Since the accident, Alex had become very quiet and withdrawn. Kate and Alex lived in Buffalo, New York and Alex had gone to school with the same group of friends her whole life. Kate thought that perhaps a change of scenery would be good for both of them.
Kate chose to move her and Alex to a beachside town called Shoreham in Florida. Through Kate’s eyes, Shoreham, Florida appeared to be just the kind of new town that both Alex and her needed. Shoreham was so completely different from Buffalo in every way imaginable. Transferring to a new school was difficult no matter what but transferring in your senior year of high school was too difficult to even imagine. Alex and Kate each had totally opposite experiences in their new community. Kate easily made friends with a group of three mothers who had daughters in Alex’s grade. The daughters of those three mothers Kate had easily befriended were as mean to Alex as their mothers were nice to Kate. Alex was belittled and bullied by them. It was hard for Kate to recognize and accept that these girls could be so mean to her daughter. All three of the girls were on the tennis team at the high school. Alex had been a strong and quite good tennis player at her school in Buffalo so she tried out for the team at Shoreham High School. Although Alex easily made the team, it was hard for her to get the coach to notice her or give her a chance to play against other schools. The top spots were taken by no other than the three girls who continued to bully her. By chance, Alex observed something one day that would alter her life in Shoreham even further. As a way of learning to cope with the car accident Alex and her father had been in, Alex’s therapist had suggested that Alex keep a video diary. When Alex observed the unlikely scene she happened to stumble upon, she automatically recorded it. That was the catalyst of worse things to come. What transpired next put both Alex’s and Kate’s life in danger and resulted in a tragic murder.
Lovely Girls by Margot Hunt was told in alternating POV’s between Kate and Alex. When the action really picked up, I could not turn the pages fast enough. I did not want to stop reading. Every chapter ended with a cliffhanger to make me want to continue reading to find out what was going to happen next. I really enjoyed reading Lovely Girls and highly recommend it.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to read Lovely Girls by Margot Hunt through Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Kate Turner’s husband had recently died in a car accident. Her daughter, Alex, had been in the car with her father when the accident occurred. Alex had suffered a concussion and was having difficulty remembering exactly what had happened. Since the accident, Alex had become very quiet and withdrawn. Kate and Alex lived in Buffalo, New York and Alex had gone to school with the same group of friends her whole life. Kate thought that perhaps a change of scenery would be good for both of them.
Kate chose to move her and Alex to a beachside town called Shoreham in Florida. Through Kate’s eyes, Shoreham, Florida appeared to be just the kind of new town that both Alex and her needed. Shoreham was so completely different from Buffalo in every way imaginable. Transferring to a new school was difficult no matter what but transferring in your senior year of high school was too difficult to even imagine. Alex and Kate each had totally opposite experiences in their new community. Kate easily made friends with a group of three mothers who had daughters in Alex’s grade. The daughters of those three mothers Kate had easily befriended were as mean to Alex as their mothers were nice to Kate. Alex was belittled and bullied by them. It was hard for Kate to recognize and accept that these girls could be so mean to her daughter. All three of the girls were on the tennis team at the high school. Alex had been a strong and quite good tennis player at her school in Buffalo so she tried out for the team at Shoreham High School. Although Alex easily made the team, it was hard for her to get the coach to notice her or give her a chance to play against other schools. The top spots were taken by no other than the three girls who continued to bully her. By chance, Alex observed something one day that would alter her life in Shoreham even further. As a way of learning to cope with the car accident Alex and her father had been in, Alex’s therapist had suggested that Alex keep a video diary. When Alex observed the unlikely scene she happened to stumble upon, she automatically recorded it. That was the catalyst of worse things to come. What transpired next put both Alex’s and Kate’s life in danger and resulted in a tragic murder.
Lovely Girls by Margot Hunt was told in alternating POV’s between Kate and Alex. When the action really picked up, I could not turn the pages fast enough. I did not want to stop reading. Every chapter ended with a cliffhanger to make me want to continue reading to find out what was going to happen next. I really enjoyed reading Lovely Girls and highly recommend it.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to read Lovely Girls by Margot Hunt through Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
May 29, 2023
That was a trip, thrilling to the end. A flawed novel with mother Kate sharing narrative with her daughter Alex. They do not have a good relationship, just moving from Buffalo to Florida soon after their husband/father was killed in a car accident.
Mean girls on speed, a very toxic community with three mean friends and mean moms in the mix that Alex and Kate get caught up with. There was such vitrol in the girls behaviour that I nearly threw in the towel at the half way point, but I really wanted to find out what was going to happen, of course we know someone dies in the prologue, just not sure who or how.
Good stuff.
Mean girls on speed, a very toxic community with three mean friends and mean moms in the mix that Alex and Kate get caught up with. There was such vitrol in the girls behaviour that I nearly threw in the towel at the half way point, but I really wanted to find out what was going to happen, of course we know someone dies in the prologue, just not sure who or how.
Good stuff.
March 14, 2023
"Lovely Girls" was not a "lovely" choice for me.
WHY?
Even though I don't enjoy books about "mean girls with mean moms" and/or bullying, I selected this book because I am a HUGE Margot Hunt fan.
Half of the book unfolded from the POV of a teen girl's video diary, giving the book a very YA feel.
Since I was not seeking a YA book, the fact that this book really belonged in the YA genre, was yet another reason why this book was not one of my "loveliest" choices.
To the author's credit, the book's pacing was spot-on and the character development was strong.
However, the book was predictable and lacked the wow factor of the author's previous releases.
IMHO, Margot Hunt's "For Better And Worse" was a 10-star read and one of my favorite books of 2018.
This being said, perhaps my expectations were set too high.
I listened to the full-cast audiobook and both narrators did an outstanding job with the narration.
2.5 stars rounded up.
WHY?
Even though I don't enjoy books about "mean girls with mean moms" and/or bullying, I selected this book because I am a HUGE Margot Hunt fan.
Half of the book unfolded from the POV of a teen girl's video diary, giving the book a very YA feel.
Since I was not seeking a YA book, the fact that this book really belonged in the YA genre, was yet another reason why this book was not one of my "loveliest" choices.
To the author's credit, the book's pacing was spot-on and the character development was strong.
However, the book was predictable and lacked the wow factor of the author's previous releases.
IMHO, Margot Hunt's "For Better And Worse" was a 10-star read and one of my favorite books of 2018.
This being said, perhaps my expectations were set too high.
I listened to the full-cast audiobook and both narrators did an outstanding job with the narration.
2.5 stars rounded up.
April 16, 2023
Lovely girls they aren’t. As mean as it comes and then some. Manipulative, controlling and vile. As for the mothers, well ladies you reap what you sow. It’s an easy to read, glide through novel with plenty of drama yet also elements of believability. The mean girls trope is somewhat overdone but this is a good one. Although I’m not too surprised by the ending it’s still good and makes you wonder ….
Finally, cinnamon-raisin cream cheese on an everything bagel whatever that is???? How utterly revolting 🤢 it put me right off my lunch 😂
Finally, cinnamon-raisin cream cheese on an everything bagel whatever that is???? How utterly revolting 🤢 it put me right off my lunch 😂
February 17, 2023
Bad Girls . . . .
While there’s nothing necessarily new when it comes to this story, there’s just something about a mean girl that really hits the spot for me.
As I said, the premise here isn’t one that hasn’t been done before. Mom and daughter relocate for a fresh start. Mom gets taken in by the resident mom squad, but their mean girl daughters don’t do the same for the new girl. It kicks off right from the jump with a dead body, but you don’t find out who said corpse is until Part II, and the rest of the time is spent figuring out whodunit. This gets 4 Stars for being perfectly satisfying. I was in the mood for some Lifetime Stabby Stab action and found this one to be . . .
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
While there’s nothing necessarily new when it comes to this story, there’s just something about a mean girl that really hits the spot for me.
As I said, the premise here isn’t one that hasn’t been done before. Mom and daughter relocate for a fresh start. Mom gets taken in by the resident mom squad, but their mean girl daughters don’t do the same for the new girl. It kicks off right from the jump with a dead body, but you don’t find out who said corpse is until Part II, and the rest of the time is spent figuring out whodunit. This gets 4 Stars for being perfectly satisfying. I was in the mood for some Lifetime Stabby Stab action and found this one to be . . .
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
March 2, 2023
Kate Turner and her daughter Alex are attempting to start fresh in Florida after the death of Kate's husband (Alex's father). Moving from Buffalo is supposed to give them both a new start. Kate quickly makes friends with a trio of local moms, but their daughters dislike Alex immediately. When Alex displaces one of the girls from the lead spot on the tennis team, tensions rise, and Kate realizes that her daughter is a victim of bullying.
LOVELY GIRLS is a quick read that captures your interest from the start. I'm not sure it covers any new ground, but it certainly keeps you reading. It opens up with a dead body and then we hear the story from Kate's point of view and Alex's video diary.
The mean girls in GIRLS are way mean. Wow. And their moms are just as bad. Be prepared for some immense bullying and intensity. GIRLS takes everything to the extreme to the point that you are very afraid of everything and about what will happen to Kate and Alex. (And scared to send your children to high school, in my case.) As the action unfolds, we learn more about Kate's complicated relationship with her late husband--as well as how Alex related to her father. The book gives us an in-depth look at how women raise their daughters, as well as how kids treat each other--and how parents affect that treatment.
GIRLS gets crazy at the end (okay maybe it's crazy for a while) but it's an addictive train wreck kind of insanity. 3.5+ stars.
I received a copy of this book from Thomas&Mercer and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
LOVELY GIRLS is a quick read that captures your interest from the start. I'm not sure it covers any new ground, but it certainly keeps you reading. It opens up with a dead body and then we hear the story from Kate's point of view and Alex's video diary.
The mean girls in GIRLS are way mean. Wow. And their moms are just as bad. Be prepared for some immense bullying and intensity. GIRLS takes everything to the extreme to the point that you are very afraid of everything and about what will happen to Kate and Alex. (And scared to send your children to high school, in my case.) As the action unfolds, we learn more about Kate's complicated relationship with her late husband--as well as how Alex related to her father. The book gives us an in-depth look at how women raise their daughters, as well as how kids treat each other--and how parents affect that treatment.
GIRLS gets crazy at the end (okay maybe it's crazy for a while) but it's an addictive train wreck kind of insanity. 3.5+ stars.
I received a copy of this book from Thomas&Mercer and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
April 24, 2024
Such a fun read! Fast paced! These girls make Regina George look like a saint and their moms are giving Real Housewives vibes. Get your popcorn and enjoy! Will be reading more Margot Hunt for sure!
February 20, 2024
4 Stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Lovely Girls? No.
Mean Girls? Yes.
I’ve been hesitant to pick this one up for several months, mainly because of the “mean girl” trope. I feel like it’s really overdone and the books that I have read with that plot line haven’t really been that great. However, this one was pretty darn good! I listened to the audio version (something I’m new at) and really liked the narrators too.
Kate and her daughter Alex moved to Shoreham, FL from Buffalo, NY to get a fresh start after her husband’s death. Although Kate quickly makes friends with a trio of moms, their daughters despise Alex immediately. Soon, Kate and Alex get caught up in a web of deceit, small-town gossip, lies and murder.
This is a super entertaining thriller that had quite a few unlikable characters. Not only are the three mean girls positively vile, but their mothers are just as despicable. Like mother, like daughter. My anxiety was kicked into high gear while reading this. Bullying is no joke in today’s world. I’m glad my school days are decades behind me!
Somewhat predictable, all the way entertaining. Highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Margot Hunt for my advanced copy to read and review.
Lovely Girls? No.
Mean Girls? Yes.
I’ve been hesitant to pick this one up for several months, mainly because of the “mean girl” trope. I feel like it’s really overdone and the books that I have read with that plot line haven’t really been that great. However, this one was pretty darn good! I listened to the audio version (something I’m new at) and really liked the narrators too.
Kate and her daughter Alex moved to Shoreham, FL from Buffalo, NY to get a fresh start after her husband’s death. Although Kate quickly makes friends with a trio of moms, their daughters despise Alex immediately. Soon, Kate and Alex get caught up in a web of deceit, small-town gossip, lies and murder.
This is a super entertaining thriller that had quite a few unlikable characters. Not only are the three mean girls positively vile, but their mothers are just as despicable. Like mother, like daughter. My anxiety was kicked into high gear while reading this. Bullying is no joke in today’s world. I’m glad my school days are decades behind me!
Somewhat predictable, all the way entertaining. Highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Margot Hunt for my advanced copy to read and review.
September 1, 2023
I liked both main characters
and the bullying drama but
the ending made me wish
the author had kept her
aces up her sleeve. :x
and the bullying drama but
the ending made me wish
the author had kept her
aces up her sleeve. :x
December 11, 2022
4 who is lovely? stars
Mother and daughter Kate and Alex are ready for a fresh start after a tragedy. They head to Shoreham, Florida. Little do they know; they are not going to find things any easier here. Alex quickly runs afoul of the mean girls in town (and their mothers) and things go from bad to worse.
Alex documents events in her video diary and I thought that was a clever way to tell the story. These girls twist events in their favor and the stakes get higher and higher. Soon Alex and Kate are questioning everything and learn that they can’t trust anyone.
The book is broken up into “before she died” and “after she died” and I was anxiously waiting to see who “she” was. This was a quick read and I was invested in the story and the characters.
My first book by this author, but won’t be my last! This one made for a great buddy read and I could definitely see it as a strong book club book.
My thanks to Thomas and Mercer for the opportunity to read and honestly review this one. Scheduled to release on 3.1.2023.
Mother and daughter Kate and Alex are ready for a fresh start after a tragedy. They head to Shoreham, Florida. Little do they know; they are not going to find things any easier here. Alex quickly runs afoul of the mean girls in town (and their mothers) and things go from bad to worse.
Alex documents events in her video diary and I thought that was a clever way to tell the story. These girls twist events in their favor and the stakes get higher and higher. Soon Alex and Kate are questioning everything and learn that they can’t trust anyone.
The book is broken up into “before she died” and “after she died” and I was anxiously waiting to see who “she” was. This was a quick read and I was invested in the story and the characters.
My first book by this author, but won’t be my last! This one made for a great buddy read and I could definitely see it as a strong book club book.
My thanks to Thomas and Mercer for the opportunity to read and honestly review this one. Scheduled to release on 3.1.2023.
January 10, 2023
Lovely Girls is my first Margot Hunt novel and I’ll be sure to read more of her works. The story unfolds from mother and daughter points of view across two timelines. This method of storytelling really works for this particular novel in that the reader is immersed in the different perspectives.
The characters are developed enough for a YA/teen novel. And Hunt manages to deftly capture the bullying nature of the “lovely girls” clique of Daphne, Callie, and Shae. So much so that I really despised each and everyone of them, including their parents. On the flip side, there are the victims Alex and her mother Kate. I didn’t quite care for them either due to their laid back nature. I just wanted to reach into the novel and give them a good shake! But that just means Hunt did an excellent job in Alex and Kate’s character building.
The plot is fairly straightforward, but there are some twists that were mildly surprising. But the ending was as expected.
Overall, Lovely Girls was an impressive read for a new to me author. Four glowing stars.
I received a digital ARC from Thomas & Mercer through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
The characters are developed enough for a YA/teen novel. And Hunt manages to deftly capture the bullying nature of the “lovely girls” clique of Daphne, Callie, and Shae. So much so that I really despised each and everyone of them, including their parents. On the flip side, there are the victims Alex and her mother Kate. I didn’t quite care for them either due to their laid back nature. I just wanted to reach into the novel and give them a good shake! But that just means Hunt did an excellent job in Alex and Kate’s character building.
The plot is fairly straightforward, but there are some twists that were mildly surprising. But the ending was as expected.
Overall, Lovely Girls was an impressive read for a new to me author. Four glowing stars.
I received a digital ARC from Thomas & Mercer through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
January 19, 2023
3.5/5
As a straight up popcorn thriller this one was alright. I enjoyed it in the moment and found it to be entertaining but will I remember it later? Probably not but that’s ok with me because sometimes a book being good in the moment is really all I need. Most of it was fairly easy to predict too, especially if you read a lot of thrillers but there was definitely still something that compelled me to keep turning the pages. There’s something to be said about an author that has that ability despite a plot that’s not super exciting. I was pretty confident this would be a three star read until the last chapter and the way it ended makes me want to bump it up a half star. In the end this would be a easy one to devour over a weekend, or better yet on vacation as it’s mindless entertainment.
As a straight up popcorn thriller this one was alright. I enjoyed it in the moment and found it to be entertaining but will I remember it later? Probably not but that’s ok with me because sometimes a book being good in the moment is really all I need. Most of it was fairly easy to predict too, especially if you read a lot of thrillers but there was definitely still something that compelled me to keep turning the pages. There’s something to be said about an author that has that ability despite a plot that’s not super exciting. I was pretty confident this would be a three star read until the last chapter and the way it ended makes me want to bump it up a half star. In the end this would be a easy one to devour over a weekend, or better yet on vacation as it’s mindless entertainment.
March 11, 2024
There’s some mean girls up in here!
(Review massively delayed due to illness!)
⏰ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫: Kate Turner and her daughter Alex have moved to Florida for a fresh start after the death of Kate’s husband, but right off the bat Kate senses something wrong in this Stepfordian town, namely with its “mean girl” vibe. Who is behind all the sinister behavior and is it possible Kate truly doesn’t know her daughter at all?
💡𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: This was a solid read. Mean girl mentality on full display, which mostly made me want to reach into my Kindle and smack some chics down 😆. After that, I found the plot fast-paced and the characters likable (or deliciously unlikable). Kate is an “every mom” and gave me someone to cheer for. The mystery of Alexis and her intentions was a fun read and loved the alternating perspectives.
📚𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Domestic thriller
😍𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: A quick entertaining beach-like mystery. Quick and dirty.
🙅♀️ 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: If mean girls are not your thang.
Thank you to the author and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC and the mean girl romp in exchange for my always-honest reviews.
(Review massively delayed due to illness!)
⏰ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫: Kate Turner and her daughter Alex have moved to Florida for a fresh start after the death of Kate’s husband, but right off the bat Kate senses something wrong in this Stepfordian town, namely with its “mean girl” vibe. Who is behind all the sinister behavior and is it possible Kate truly doesn’t know her daughter at all?
💡𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: This was a solid read. Mean girl mentality on full display, which mostly made me want to reach into my Kindle and smack some chics down 😆. After that, I found the plot fast-paced and the characters likable (or deliciously unlikable). Kate is an “every mom” and gave me someone to cheer for. The mystery of Alexis and her intentions was a fun read and loved the alternating perspectives.
📚𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Domestic thriller
😍𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: A quick entertaining beach-like mystery. Quick and dirty.
🙅♀️ 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: If mean girls are not your thang.
Thank you to the author and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC and the mean girl romp in exchange for my always-honest reviews.
September 25, 2023
Review coming soon.
March 19, 2023
4 and a half stars. Per usual, my favorite kind of book. A single mom, Kate and her daughter, Alex move to a new town to start fresh, after he husband was killed in a car accident while Alex was in the car.
Kate immediately befriends a group of woman who are the "popular" clique. Unfortunately for Alex, their group of daughters have targeted her and are typical "mean girl bullies." Other people in the neighborhood have warned Kate not to trust these woman, that they have turned on friends in the past badly. Alex has been video blogging her own personal diary and has captured the girls bullying her on camera. A body of a young naked girl has washed up on the beach and no one knows who or what happened.
The book goes back and forth between Kate and Alex's video diary.
My blood was boiling, as always, when I read about how horrible people treat others. And when their mothers are in denial and say "not my child". It is so infuriating! To know there really are people put there who act like this. I think kids really do have it hard when it comes to bullies. Teen bullying is real and mental health is so important. Teach your kids to be kind. To treat people with respect. As much as I can't stand this subject, I enjoy Margot Hunts book and this is my favorite one yet.
Kate immediately befriends a group of woman who are the "popular" clique. Unfortunately for Alex, their group of daughters have targeted her and are typical "mean girl bullies." Other people in the neighborhood have warned Kate not to trust these woman, that they have turned on friends in the past badly. Alex has been video blogging her own personal diary and has captured the girls bullying her on camera. A body of a young naked girl has washed up on the beach and no one knows who or what happened.
The book goes back and forth between Kate and Alex's video diary.
My blood was boiling, as always, when I read about how horrible people treat others. And when their mothers are in denial and say "not my child". It is so infuriating! To know there really are people put there who act like this. I think kids really do have it hard when it comes to bullies. Teen bullying is real and mental health is so important. Teach your kids to be kind. To treat people with respect. As much as I can't stand this subject, I enjoy Margot Hunts book and this is my favorite one yet.
December 6, 2022
I received this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review
What in the Netflix highschool drama is this? It's so obvious that the author has never met a teenager in her life. She has this stereotypical idea that teenager's lives revolve around sex and hating their parents. And let's not forget the book was supposed to be a thriller but there was nothing thrilling about it, no shocking plot twists. Everything was predictable. But props to the author for making it a short and fast read, I didn't really enjoy it but it was still readable.
What in the Netflix highschool drama is this? It's so obvious that the author has never met a teenager in her life. She has this stereotypical idea that teenager's lives revolve around sex and hating their parents. And let's not forget the book was supposed to be a thriller but there was nothing thrilling about it, no shocking plot twists. Everything was predictable. But props to the author for making it a short and fast read, I didn't really enjoy it but it was still readable.
August 13, 2024
I went into this one without knowing anything about it I just thought it would be fast paced easy to read pop corn thriller. I mean it was all that but not super fast paced. It was just an okay one for me no depth in it at all.
September 3, 2022
Why do girls have to be so mean???
We are not going to get along in this book. Not at all.... We have Kate and her daughter Alex who move to Shoreham, FL: A beach town to start their lives over after losing her husband/dad in a auto accident. Kate soon becomes friends with a group of women while Alex starts to immediately have trouble with their daughters. Like big time trouble as they ruthlessly start to bully her. Things start to intensify until it builds up to a deadly climax.
What works: In a nutshell, I just really liked this book. It was very engaging and easy to read while at the same time didn't shy away from the intensity. There was never a time when I was at ease with this book and there was always a sense of dread with no comic relief. Margot Hunt is a talented writer and she ropes you in pretty quickly. The main characters are also written well. Kate is a badass as she goes into mom mode to protect her daughter. Alex is also strong as well as she handles their bullying as well as anyone could. She makes some very bad decisions that start to train-roll this book but even when you're cursing her for being so dumb you also can't help but "get it" to why she snaps and makes some of the decisions she does.
The ending is very chilling..... I re-read the very last sentence several times.
What doesn't work: It's just a thriller? You have read this before. The plot is very simple overall but you could easily take that as a positive. In fact, once the plot starts to steamroll this one becomes more character then plot driven which I really liked.
On the whole I highly recommend this book. You will read about some very mean girls and intense bullying in a expertly written and engaging novel.
I really appreciate Thomas & Mercer for giving me the opportunity to review this book and it has a publication date of March 1, 2023.
I received this advance reader copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
We are not going to get along in this book. Not at all.... We have Kate and her daughter Alex who move to Shoreham, FL: A beach town to start their lives over after losing her husband/dad in a auto accident. Kate soon becomes friends with a group of women while Alex starts to immediately have trouble with their daughters. Like big time trouble as they ruthlessly start to bully her. Things start to intensify until it builds up to a deadly climax.
What works: In a nutshell, I just really liked this book. It was very engaging and easy to read while at the same time didn't shy away from the intensity. There was never a time when I was at ease with this book and there was always a sense of dread with no comic relief. Margot Hunt is a talented writer and she ropes you in pretty quickly. The main characters are also written well. Kate is a badass as she goes into mom mode to protect her daughter. Alex is also strong as well as she handles their bullying as well as anyone could. She makes some very bad decisions that start to train-roll this book but even when you're cursing her for being so dumb you also can't help but "get it" to why she snaps and makes some of the decisions she does.
The ending is very chilling..... I re-read the very last sentence several times.
What doesn't work: It's just a thriller? You have read this before. The plot is very simple overall but you could easily take that as a positive. In fact, once the plot starts to steamroll this one becomes more character then plot driven which I really liked.
On the whole I highly recommend this book. You will read about some very mean girls and intense bullying in a expertly written and engaging novel.
I really appreciate Thomas & Mercer for giving me the opportunity to review this book and it has a publication date of March 1, 2023.
I received this advance reader copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 28, 2022
Great characters and a clever spin on mean girls and murder. Very entertaining and readable. I think readers will love it!
May 9, 2023
Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not effect my rating or review.
Honestly, not a bad book, but at times you wonder where Hunt is going with things because some of the plot takes a while to get going. But I did like the dueling points of view of Kate and her daughter Alex. Hunt is able to give you a sense of how messy and vindictive teenage girls can be and how the parents of said girls are not far behind. The main reason why I gave this 4 stars is that the book's ending came out of nowhere and didn't really feel realistic. We already got so many twists and turns in this one, I didn't think the last one was really necessary.
"Lovely Girls" follows Kate and and her daughter, Alex. Kate has moved them both from Buffalo to Florida so that Alex can start again. You don't know what happens outside of Kate's husband dying in a car accident, but you know that part of the need for the move was for Alex to get a fresh start. Kate takes Alex to her first day of school and in the end meets the Queen Been moms and their offspring. Though Kate is warned off on hanging with the women, she does anyway because she misses having friends and someone to talk to. However, she quickly realizes that the teen girls are not nice (in essence truly mean girls) and she realizes that the leader of the pack, Daphne, is bullying her daughter Alex.
I found Kate very naïve at times. She really just doesn't seem to get that moving her daughter away for her final year of high school may not work out. She starts to tentatively see someone, but she still is caught up in her dead husband and how their marriage turned sour.
Alex I thought had a clear eyed view of people and the teen girls she was going to school with.
The other characters are interesting. I thought the whole thing about these Queen Bee mothers teaching their daughters to be bullies because they didn't want them to be victims was an interesting choice.
The writing was good with the book jumping back and forth between Kate and Alex. The flow was a bit up and down though. There's a reveal, another reveal, and then a twist which was fine, but in the end the book did feel a bit unfinished to me.
Honestly, not a bad book, but at times you wonder where Hunt is going with things because some of the plot takes a while to get going. But I did like the dueling points of view of Kate and her daughter Alex. Hunt is able to give you a sense of how messy and vindictive teenage girls can be and how the parents of said girls are not far behind. The main reason why I gave this 4 stars is that the book's ending came out of nowhere and didn't really feel realistic. We already got so many twists and turns in this one, I didn't think the last one was really necessary.
"Lovely Girls" follows Kate and and her daughter, Alex. Kate has moved them both from Buffalo to Florida so that Alex can start again. You don't know what happens outside of Kate's husband dying in a car accident, but you know that part of the need for the move was for Alex to get a fresh start. Kate takes Alex to her first day of school and in the end meets the Queen Been moms and their offspring. Though Kate is warned off on hanging with the women, she does anyway because she misses having friends and someone to talk to. However, she quickly realizes that the teen girls are not nice (in essence truly mean girls) and she realizes that the leader of the pack, Daphne, is bullying her daughter Alex.
I found Kate very naïve at times. She really just doesn't seem to get that moving her daughter away for her final year of high school may not work out. She starts to tentatively see someone, but she still is caught up in her dead husband and how their marriage turned sour.
Alex I thought had a clear eyed view of people and the teen girls she was going to school with.
The other characters are interesting. I thought the whole thing about these Queen Bee mothers teaching their daughters to be bullies because they didn't want them to be victims was an interesting choice.
The writing was good with the book jumping back and forth between Kate and Alex. The flow was a bit up and down though. There's a reveal, another reveal, and then a twist which was fine, but in the end the book did feel a bit unfinished to me.
April 11, 2023
I had a huge problem with the lack of mystery in this mystery.
April 24, 2023
4 Stars!
I really enjoyed Hunt's previous books: For Better and Worse: A Novel & The Last Affair, so I was really looking forward to her latest.
This was a fast, quick, popcorn thriller; mean moms & mean girl daughters. It takes place in Florida, after Alex & her mother moved from Buffalo, following her father's tragic death. As a Buffalonian, I absolutely loved all the buffalo related references - Albright Knox, etc.
Recommend if you’re looking for an easy, fun, popcorn thriller – would be perfect for the beach, or just a weekend read.
I really enjoyed Hunt's previous books: For Better and Worse: A Novel & The Last Affair, so I was really looking forward to her latest.
This was a fast, quick, popcorn thriller; mean moms & mean girl daughters. It takes place in Florida, after Alex & her mother moved from Buffalo, following her father's tragic death. As a Buffalonian, I absolutely loved all the buffalo related references - Albright Knox, etc.
Recommend if you’re looking for an easy, fun, popcorn thriller – would be perfect for the beach, or just a weekend read.
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