I just finished Open Bar by Dan Schorr and here are my thoughts.

Serena Stanfield uncovers a long time abusive coach who has been preying on teenagers in the university's summer softball program. Putting her job online she refused to let it go and joined forces with a junior associate for an investigation firm and a city councillor, they pursue different paths to obtain justice but they have the same goal.

Yeah this one was different. It didn’t have the tone I have come to expect from a thriller.. It had a ton of POVs and it felt like the author spent more time on the cover up than anything outside of that and it was a tad bland.

There were no twists, it was mostly little ahhh I see moments which really didn’t work for me in this genre. I think it needs to be reclassified because I can see thriller readers being upset with this.

It was a compelling read, lots of parts had my mind just spinning and it mostly stood on the triggers to provide the settings. Again, it didn’t fit the thriller genre for me and I went in looking for that and was disappointed.

The character development was there though and there was some gifted writing…

Real shame!

3.5 stars

Covering up sexual assault is probablt more common that you think. And it's so wrong. In this book, the focus is more on the cevoering up bit than the girls lives and struggles.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this free eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

*4.5 stars

So I went into this book completely blind - my first read by this author and I have not heard much about this title. With that said, I was pleasantly surprised. This was less of the typical whodunit thriller that I’m used to, and more of an immersive multi-POV narrative that leaned toward the exploration of justice, power, and moral clarity.

It was a well-written, quick read with excellent character development that genuinely pulled me in from the start. What really set this book apart is how it sidesteps the typical thriller trope of a single significant twist, and instead opted for smaller emotional and ethical payoffs. It was incredible how the different storylines intertwined with such a variety of motivations. So while it did not feel like a conventional thriller, it still delivered a compelling and intelligent story.

Definitely check your trigger warnings here (sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, domestic violence) but absolutely worth the read! I will absolutely be reading more from this author.

Open Bar tackles a difficult and sensitive subject—assault and the ways young women can be influenced—yet Dan Schorr approaches it with care, nuance, and a strong sense of purpose. The story doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable realities of its themes, but it also provides a narrative that feels relatable and resonant for women from all walks of life. Schorr manages to balance the weight of the subject matter with a compelling plot, drawing you in from the first page and keeping you engaged through every turn.

What makes this novel particularly effective is its authenticity. The characters’ emotions, choices, and struggles are portrayed with honesty, allowing readers to connect with them on a personal level. The pacing ensures that the tension remains steady, but the heart of the book lies in its empathy—it doesn’t just tell a story, it gives a voice to experiences that are often silenced.

By the time you reach the final chapters, Open Bar has not only gripped you with its storyline but also left you reflecting on the issues it raises. It’s the kind of book that’s hard to put down because it matters, both in its message and in the way it’s told. Thought-provoking, emotional, and unflinchingly real, this is a powerful read that lingers long after the last page.

At the center of the story if a sexual assault cover-up. It was disturbing to read out the situation - a softball coach abusing campers.
The story focuses more on the politics and the cover-up of the entire situation and all parties involved.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

Open Bar had all the ingredients for a powerful story with timely themes, multiple points of view, and a serious look at sexual misconduct and institutional failure. I appreciated what the book was trying to do, and the subject matter definitely matters.

That said, I personally had a tough time getting into it. The characters didn’t grab me right away, and it took a while for the story to really take shape. Once it did, I was more invested, but it wasn’t a quick or easy read for me.

Overall, I respect the message and the intent. It just didn’t fully connect for me the way I hoped it would.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Open Bar is a book about all the things that can (and probably do) happen when a sexual assault scandal comes to light. Dan Schorr is a sexual misconduct investigator, and it shows. A lot of the infuriating things that happened after the #metoo are showcased in this book in a fictional setting, and I would hazard a guess that Schorr has used some of his real life experience in writing specific scenarios.

The book has several characters with their own POVs, and all are characters that in one way or another want to do the right thing but have real life complicating the straight path there. It is an interesting look into what can complicate people doing the right thing.

My main grievances with this book was suspending disbelief when it came to the political game. I have worked professionally in politics for over 10 years in the US and elsewhere and I just cannot see the strategic choices being made the way they are. The characters are loose cannons, who despite their professional prowess, make emotional-based decisions that don’t seem real. There are some characters who complicate things but mostly it’s like they’re operating in a world where only the characters mentioned in the book exist. Politics is juggling many interests, at the same time, and making strategic choices to find the path forward. I have a hard time seeing a real-life scenario being played out this way or this publicly.

With that being said, I still think this book can be an interesting read for those who are interested in these types of social issues and who like to rage read a little.

Thanks to SparkPress, NetGalley and the author for allowing me to read this advance e-copy and for the opportunity to leave an honest review.

sadly realistic in how people have their own agendas when it comes to things like this. and more sad because of how that agenda is never to look after or do best for the victims. all of this murky novel felt so desperately close to how horrid life is for many people suffering under the hands of abuse. and why oh why is it seen as lesser than, separate or somehow not as serious. sadly i think sexism has a huge part to play but this isn't my soapbox moment so i will try to step down and just review!
this book did feel like we got a bigger look into the political and cover up side rather than the story which was still an interesting view point.]
its a book about the cover up, and loooong cover up of sex abuse at a university. and our three characters off ways in to three view points coming at this scandal.
there are so dark people but also some good people and the many challenges they face to even try and do the right thing. along the way this is often halted or morally bankrupt people divert it. and there always complexities to what people head in the game is at each turn. and you definitely see and are reminded that you cant rely on people to discuss, listen or come round to see the error of way or their ways. some people really wont.
its quite a sad reminder of how little people actually care about victims and its almost still always the case of saving face or protecting brands, people, careers.
an interesting and different read for me for sure. i don't usually delve into the story from this angle.

** spoiler alert ** thanks to netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

i'd like to give this a 3.5. i feel like this focused more on politics than anything about the scandal itself - of 300+ pages, i think maybe 50 of them actually went into the misconduct and its coverup. while this isn't a bad thing, i think this would be more in line for someone who likes to read political fiction. it's hard for me to consider this a "thriller" - not all that much really happened.

it also definitely finished with some loose ends (and maybe that was intentional) - like did C&R successfully and properly investigate, or was getting coach rob behind bars all they bothered to do?

i didn't find any of the characters particularly enthralling in a way that made me want to root for them - i actually found Evina to be pretty insufferable and hard to sympathize with, constantly making every conversation about herself and sitting there whining. with that being said, i do actually LIKE when characters aren't easy to root for, because they end up actually feeling more human & realistic, so i didn't actually dislike the main characters.

the only thing i think i would change is how much information the reader gets "handed" - maybe it's my own preference, but i felt like there were a number of sentences & paragraphs that kind of...overexplained things that i think most readers would be able to infer? for example, "Rick started with a mock question as he stroked his goatee with no one else but Troy in the room." i never wondered if anyone else was in the room, because the scene had already been set up that just Troy and Rick were in a conference room preparing for an interview. another example: "there was relief to know that this attempt to frame her--because that's what it was--would now disappear."i already knew it was framing her...just some examples of things that i felt didn't need to be totally spelled out.

all this being said, i think that people who enjoy political fiction will enjoy this! i just would not advertise it as a thriller!

I'll be honest, Open Bar really wasn't anything like I expected. The synopsis talks about this scandal and the fallout, etc but in reality, it felt like the scandal aspect took a backseat and the book was actually more about the politics involved in covering it up. That actually could be a very interesting book in itself, but unfortunately, for me it just fell flat. There were so many different characters to keep track of that it made it hard to actually get into the story. There was so much going on and it just seemed to miss the mark.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I’m sorry I can not give feedback on this read because it’s a tough subject so I can read it I didn’t know that it had that subject in there sorry