I enjoyed this book but it did remind me of something else I have read before: the dual timeline, the eventual university reunion and a secret that four friends want to keep hidden. As a result, whilst I liked this thriller, it wasn’t too unexpected in the plot development.

All of the characters are incredibly shallow and this is emphasised by the flashbacks to university life. Jules is desperate to fit in with the pretty, popular girls and finds herself in a friendship group where beautiful Emily, is the ring-leader. Jules is keen to ensure she remains Emily’s “pet”, even if it means turning on outsiders that also want to share this glory. I disliked how much Jules changes to keep in with this crowd and, despite even Jules describing the friendship group like a snake pit, cannot stop the addiction of the power that comes with being Emily’s “friend”.

Yet, events at university lead to tragedy and, in present day, Jules and three others are being reminded of this when they are contacted by “Jenny”. Despite the fact that it is made clear this character is dead, the women believe she has come back for revenge. I found this quite puzzling and wanted the characters to think more level-headed: ascertain who would want to bring back these memories and why they are getting in contact. True, things become quite tense when Jules suspects her apartment is broken into, but I never got a sense of the women being hunted. I think it’s because none seem to show any remorse or responsibility for their involvement at university.

Undoubtedly, the writer uses stereotypical characters when presenting the university scene. The girls are desperate to be liked – a constant popularity contest – with mean groups, “geeky” outsiders and those who are easily influenced. It isn’t a pretty picture. On the other hand, all the males in this book seem to be sex-driven, egotistical idiots who are driven by lust and not an ounce of respect. Personally, I didn’t like any of the men in this book and actually sympathised with Jules’ husband because of how she treats him. Jason was the only one who seemed to have a shred of respectability about him but this is just trampled on by his self-centred wife.

I liked seeing how the mystery unfolded, even if the plot didn’t feel that original. The ending was very neatly wrapped up and I found the sub-plot involving Jules’s workplace could have been expanded on to add more impact to the novel. As a result, I don’t think the overall effect was particularly suspenseful and I think this is why I found the ending just a bit too convenient.

Reading this book will leave you disappointed in how boys and girls behave when let loose with some freedom. However, it does end on some optimism when it is evident that Jules has learned, finally, from her experiences. As far as thrillers go, it was a pretty good read but not the most original of stories.

With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was really intrigued by the premise of this one and it did not disappoint. It was filled with tension and twists, the perfect thriller.

Such a gripping read. Loved the interspersion on the past and present. Lots of tension and it moves along at a good pace.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book and the front cover, but I struggled with the pacing and writing style, and sadly had to DNF about a third in. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher!

I did enjoy this book - particularly the movement between the two time periods. Lots of twists and turns too. Highly recommended.

The basic plot of the book reminded me of the Pretty Little Liars tv series, someone that supposedly died is suddenly making contact with her friends again. How can that be... this sets the tone of a very psychologically read that keeps you intrigued until the end.

Firstly, thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book.

I did enjoy it, but the plot was not really original. The story of Jules, who is a lawyer, and married to Jason and when her past comes back to haunt her it puts everything she has at risk. It is written in two time lines and I don’t mind this at all, but you do have to concentrate.

Well worth reading.

Twisty tale filled with secrets and lies! Juliana is living her dream living in a Manhattan apartment, married to a great guy, and working as an attorney. Her amazing little world is thrown into chaos the day she receives an ominous message from an old college friend, Jenny. But that can’t be possible….Jenny died….didn’t she? Juliana’s other 3 college friends receive the same message which sends them all into a cat and mouse game of ‘who is this ghost and what do they want?’ I think people who enjoyed Pretty Little Liars will also enjoy this one. Thank you Netgalley, HQ Digital and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. Available now

I struggled to get into this and gave up about a quarter of the way in.

Sorry, just not one for me.

A fast paced mystery surrounding the death of a college student and the after effects on a group of her contemporaries. The narrative switches from past to present quite fluidly, though the story was overlong. I enjoyed it.

Read in 2 sittings. So good it’s 4.40am as I couldn’t stop reading it despite being Monday morning! Better than anything I’ve read for ages. I did not see the twist and I was unsure who was good and who was bad. 5:5

Loved this book. Contemporary women who seem to have it all, the story goes back and forth between the past and present as the tale unravels. Gripping and intriguing.

Once again, I loved a thrilling mystery from Stephanie DeCarolis!

Jules has a great life according to any outsider looking in (her husband included 👀). She’s a lawyer working on her biggest promotion to date and is happily married to her husband, Josh. But prior to law school, Jules was your average young adult trying to find herself in the early days of undergrad. That is where she met her new friends Emily, Nessa and Tori and a few other girls but soon typical cliquey behavior leads to an unfortunate tragedy.

This book was highly entertaining and the short chapters will have you reading well past bedtime. This is a debut novel by the author and I cannot wait to read more from her! Perfect for fans of “The Perfect Marriage”. If you want to leave your life on pause and delve into someone else’s drama, pick this up today (only $2.99 on kindle 😱)! Review can also be found on podcast The Book Reporters, episode 9 from 12/6/21.

This book was everything I look for in a book. It was so exciting. The plot was fantastic. It really had me on the edge of my seat, and my heart racing. It was very well written and flowed well.

I really enjoyed this one. The chapters alternate between the present & what happened in the past from when Jules first arrived at the college. I found that the main character was fairly easy to relate to. I especially liked the final third of the book when the action moves to the 10th reunion at the college.

I just finished this and, honestly? I didn’t like it. I thought it was very long and I lost interest half-way through. The plot very formulaic (as well as shallow) and, on the whole, I did not enjoy it. Sorry :(

Four college friends receive a text message from Jenny, a friend that died fifteen years ago. But that’s impossible, because she’s dead. Jenny is now blackmailing them, threatening to expose their secrets, either someone in the friend group is lying, or someone else, other than the four of them, know the truth.

Buckle up! Because this one will take you for a ride!

It’s Pretty Little Liars, meets Mean Girls.

You had me at the blurb. I needed to know everything about this book. It held my attention from the first page till the last page.

This book was so good! I want to see more from this author in the future!! I couldn't put this book down. What a page turner!!!

Deadly Little Lies by Stephanie DeCarolis (Mystery/Thriller, November 2021) (c/o Netgalley) Juliana lives in the city and has a boyfriend, a good job, and her friends. All that is jeopardized when she receives a text from Jenny. The Jenny from college that she thought was dead. Juliana reconnects with her college friends who also received the same message. Jenny somehow knows secrets that each of them have and is blackmailing them. The story alternates between the past and present as we learn what happened to Jenny and if she is really dead. Unfortunately, I didn’t care for any of the characters and thought the book was just an okay suspense read.