bad title, bad plot, bad characters. was this a first draft? there was so many little details spelled out to death. the "thriller" is neither suspenseful nor captivating nor fast paced.

A book full of whiny people who complain about everything. That's it. That's the summary.

I think this is a book that isn't sure what it wants to be. A romance? A coming of age story? A mystery? I don't think it fits any of those options because it's not...enough of anything.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

This is the story of El, a young woman who wants to be like the other girls she’s been friends with since middle school. They have money and popularity and El struggles with both of those things. She meets Bryce at a party in the Hamptons and thinks her life could change due to his money and connections. He turns out to be not what she thought. I didn’t really connect with this book, especially the dog metaphors. The story was a little drawn out and there wasn’t any suspense or excitement in my opinion. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader’s copy.

I love the way this starts out. I was hooked on that first chapter and I was ready for the book to continue on like that but it doesn't and that confused me. It ultimately centers on money and I can't relate.
However, I bet someone else will love this!
4 stars for the perfect opening chapter.

Wasn’t a fan of this one. I found it both tedious and unpleasant. Perhaps it may have appeal for a reader younger than I. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

El is without passion or morals. A failure at acting and relationships. Few friends, no idea of what her future should be. Living a lie. First chapter gave me no clue as to what was following. Even dogs were leaving their madters. El falls into a relationship that she really doesn’t care about and opens a door that loses her friendships and almost puts her in danger. Ending is very open ended. OK read but not outstanding.

Thank you, NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for my free copy for review.

"Man's Best Friend" by Alan B. Lytle presents a captivating, slow-burning narrative centered around the main character, El, as she reflects on her past and grapples with the deep-seated desire to be chosen, accepted, and respected by her affluent friends. The roots of her feelings of inferiority trace back to her father's departure, adding a poignant layer of complexity to her character. Despite facing setbacks in her acting career and working at a bakery, a pivotal night at a party in the Hamptons, hosted by her wealthy friend Julia, becomes a catalyst for profound change in her life. Here, the author deftly navigates El's response to her circumstances, including her reluctant involvement with a man she barely likes, leading to the revelation of unsettling truths.

El's character, whom I found unlikable, is depicted with a compelling mix of disturbance and depth. Her pursuit of acceptance from her wealthy friends is juxtaposed with her oversight of the meaningful connections she has already formed. Her transformative actions towards the story's conclusion mark a significant turning point. Rather than succumbing to fear, she seizes control, confronts the truth about her fiance, and ultimately gains not just wealth, but more importantly, autonomy.

This thought-provoking narrative offers a profound exploration of personal agency portraying a character's journey from vulnerability to empowerment. It delves into the intricacies of human relationships and the profound impact of self-realization.

This fell flat for me and just wasn’t for me. I ended up DNFing at 25% I couldn’t get into the story or relate to the characters

Thank you, NetGalley. I wasn't fan of the similar book, NIGHTBITCH, so shouldn't have been surprised that this book wasn't up my alley. Just not for me.

Man's Best Friend 😈🤭🐶💅🏻💰
by Alana B. Lytle
3.5/5 ✨

Thank you to the author Alana B. Lytle, the publisher PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons, and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this e-ARC!

I was hooked on this at the beginning, but as the story went on, I felt like the plot was just sputtering. I'm someone who can easily DNF, but I felt compelled to finish this one, and I'm not mad that I did. This didn't end up feeling like a thriller, more like a reflection on the inequities between the rich and poor, which I can get with. I honestly couldn't even blame El for making the choice she did; being alive every day is exhausting. The murder sprinkled into the plot was strange? but added some *spice*, which was nice. Overall, this was a meh for me, but I'm glad I finished it. 

Thank you again to everyone for the opportunity to read and review this title!

i think this one was my bad. with comps like Nightbitch and Talented Mr. Ripley, it's not a surprise to me that i was drawn in, but this turned out to be a story that centered money and those stories often frustrate me, especially with no commentary about how poisonous the few having excessive wealth can be to both their own emotional states and obviously the huge toll it takes on society.

el is resourceless, always coming in late for her bakery job, and simply a sad mess. i found this relatable, though i also think something about the way this story was written made me feel like i was meant to feel sorry FOR her instead of putting me in a place of solidarity WITH her.

anyway - el has a chance to reconnect with old, super-wealthy "friends". the quotations being operative because there's nothing authentic about these old friendships. el is miserable, constantly comparing herself, and just generally obsessed with all the things that she doesn't have, namely fame and money via an acting career that never was.

el loses her ID at the party where she met up with her old friends, casually cutting lines of cocaine in a bathroom. it falls in the hands of a guy named bryce who coerces her into a date so that she can collect it. bryce from the start you know is gross and a manipulator and i think intuitively el would have to had she stopped focusing on status-climbing for ten seconds.

so, i don't know. ultimately less of a thriller, just a book about insufferable rich people doing drugs and drinking and partying and a girl who is very broken down by the inequity of having to work like most of the rest of us refusing to make a singular good decision when options are presented to her.

honestly, cover alone, i thought this was going to be unhinged girl lit where we get a hot woman covered in blood. absolutely my bad.

i suspect this will be a banger for those that love the work of emma cline, though it certainly wasn't for me.

Middle school girls are hell on earth.

Thank you to Netgalley ! !

El is lost and Bryce is … there
I guess .

This one unfortunately did not do it for me, between an incredibly frustrating main character & a mildly convoluted plot that took itself waaaay too seriously I cannot in good faith recommend this.

If you’re an avid thriller reader - you can skip this one. If you’re just tipping your toe into the genre give it a try! But know that you can also skip it and not feel left out.

I really did not enjoy this one. I did not like the main character at all and I was not rooting for her. I found myself bored and did not like the writing.

"Man's Best Friend" by Alana B. Lytle

TW: murder, unprotected sex, drug use

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for permission to read this work before publication.

El is a middle-class kid, attending a wealthy high school when she meets Julia and Anna. El feels inadequate because of her family's lack of resources and considers herself to be a "less hot" version of Anna, who is also petite with short, dark hair. Her feelings of inadequacy lead El to destructive practices, then eventually to Bryce. Bryce is a passive, unremarkable man with failed relationships who wants El's approval and seems to get it because he's wealthy and she wants to feel a sense of belonging with her friends. When their unhealthy relationship (equipped with love-bombing and a rapid marriage proposal) takes off, El starts to notice that something is off with her new benefactor/lover...

I DID NOT enjoy this thriller. I think the plot should have been more refined. 75% of the book is about El's obsession with wealth and Bryce's simpering, then quickly switches to Bryce's potential as a stalker and killer. I could have rationalized this switch-up if the plot was refined and detailed enough to explain Bryce's duplicitous nature.

"A failed actress must decide how much she will give up - and what lies she will overlook - in order to live a life of luxury, in this irresistibly suspenseful and slightly surreal debut that is The Talented Mr. Ripley meets Nightbitch.

Ever since her year as a scholarship student among the ultra-wealthy at a Manhattan private school, El knows what it is like to feel rich - to feel chosen. And being not chosen is her current living nightmare: at age thirty, she has given up her dream of becoming a famous actress, she has no passions, no great love, nothing to look forward to.

Then El meets a mysterious trust-fund Cambridge grad who holds the keys to the world she has long dreamed of. Bryce may not be particularly good-looking, charming, or interesting, but he has chosen her. El allows herself to be lulled by the ease and safety that his wealth provides, becoming Bryce's little pet, and giving up her job, friends, and apartment in short order. But when a series of disturbing and slightly surreal events reveal that Bryce is not quite what he seems, but something entirely more sinister, El must face the consequences when his darkness - and her own - are unleashed."

Always question those who you give up everything for...

This was okay. I never felt too invested in any of the characters, though. I love an unlikeable character but they have to be fun or have some depth. None of these did.

I’m genuinely upset that we got no explanation (or I completely missed one) about the significance of the dog theme. I get there were dogs present during significant scenes but like…..explain, please 😂

I love a good revenge story so the ending made me happy. Kind of. Idk, El was pretty off-putting. I’m so conflicted, clearly.

Tell me a book is a thriller and I am there. Unfortunately, this was not a thriller, nor could I get into this book.
El had a short taste of being liked by two rich girls in middle school and now the rest of her life is built on being rich and deserving to be rich. She dreams of meeting a rich and handsome man and falling in love and marrying him. Even the falling in love is not a necessity. Who she does meet is a somewhat unattractive man, but he does seem to have the rich part, so one seems enough to placate her. I found the partying, drinking and drugging tedious and uninteresting to me. I unfortunately gave up on reading before finishing and thus never did find the ‘thriller’ I was seeking. Thank you Netgalley and G P Putnam for the arc. This may well be a book others will enjoy, but not for me.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of publication! My review will appear on my blog on (5/7/24). I will also feature the review on Instagram that same day and post my review to Goodreads, The Storygraph, Fable, and retail sites.

Review:

Last year, I read "The Guest" by Emma Cline and loved it. At the same time, many people hated it and felt that it meandered far too long and eventually went nowhere. I have a feeling that this book will be just as polarizing this year, and I hate to say it, but as much as I wanted to like this book, I'm going to be on the "what was this all for?" side of things.

The book focuses on El, a young 20-something who comes from a broken home. Since junior high, it's been El and her mother after her dad left her for the secret other family he'd been hiding from them. While in middle school, El befriends Julia and Anna, two rich, popular girls who take her under their wing and make someone out of El - or at least until middle school ends and Julia and Anna go to a private high school while EL goes to a performing arts high school. The three remained close, but as years passed, Anna moved on, and El and Julia rarely saw each other.

At the top of the novel, EL is working at a bakery and has finally decided to give up on her dream of becoming a famous actress. She's unsure of where her life is taking her, and when Julia invites her to a weekend at The Hamptons to celebrate Julia's birthday, she decides to leave her worries behind and have a little fun. A weekend with rich friends who have no cares in the world is just what EL needs. She can at least pretend she's one of them for a few days.

While there, El loses her wallet, and a man she briefly remembers from the party messages her on Facebook letting her know he found it. He lives in the city, and El agrees to meet him for drinks. Bryce (the dude) isn't exactly handsome, but he's super rich, and he seems smitten with El, so she agrees, and it's not long before the two are dating. El always saw herself becoming rich and famous with a gorgeous man by her side. She may be willing to give up the gorgeous man and fame if it means she could be financially free. What's wrong with being a kept woman? But then she learns something about Bryce that shakes her - he may not be the awkward, doting man she thought he was. But he's rich and gives El whatever she wants - maybe she can use this to her advantage?

The relationship between El and Bryce is at the heart of the story, and it is a twisted and compelling dynamic, but it doesn't build up to the suspenseful climax it could have. With his aura of wealth and privilege, Bryce exerts a magnetic pull on El, drawing her into his world of deceit and manipulation. As the layers of Bryce's true nature are peeled back, the reader is left questioning everything they thought they knew about him and about El herself. When El learned his secret, I felt for sure the book would (finally) move in a direction that would make me invested in her journey, but then El did what El did, and I was back to hating her.

One of the things that drew me to this book was that it sounded like it was going to be a thriller - in my opinion, it wasn't. It's nothing more than a story about a woman in her 30s who feels entitled and is pissed that she never became rich and famous. She had several chances to redeem herself along the way but refused to care about anyone or anything other than herself and what she felt she deserved. I felt zero connection to her and absolutely zero empathy. I also didn't care about Bryce or any other characters, and it's really difficult for me to enjoy a book when I don't care about anyone in it.

While some may find morally grey characters and unsettling themes off-putting, I typically love them (provided I can empathize with or see some humanity in one of the MCs). Lytle's unflinching exploration of power, wealth, and the lengths people will go to obtain them is both gripping and thought-provoking but gets lost in a plot that is almost as shallow as its characters. I mentioned Emma Cline's "The Guest" earlier, which had a somewhat similar protagonist, but the difference between that book and this one is that despite all of the crap that Alex (the protagonist in that book) did, I felt empathy toward her. She was messed up and made some horrible choices, but I still wanted her to be okay. Had El shown any sort of empathy for anyone other than herself, I may have liked this one more.

I enjoyed this book! Not a ton happens, but the prose was pleasant and I have a massive appreciation for unlikeable but well-written FMCs. My only gripe is the dog POV chapters/moments in the story. I think the book would be better without the dog POV chapters because it was a bit confusing and removed me from the main story. And as far as the dog bits in the main story, I wish they were either expanded upon to make the story more ominous and subliminally suggest the main point, or left out entirely because the point is made in the end: El is no longer a docile, inferior pet to be used, discarded and called upon at the convenience of others.

I would absolutely read future books from this author.