Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Just published July 10th!
I kept seeing Her Pretty Face all over social media, in various giveaways, and on Goodreads, and was so excited when I saw that it was available on NetGalley to request. I was even more excited when my request was approved by Gallery Books!
Frances Metcalfe is the outcast mother within the Forrester Academy community. That is, until she meets Kate Randolph, a beautiful and funny Forrester mom who connects quickly with Frances. But both women have a secret, and one of them is a murderer.
While the book is categorized as a thriller, it also has somewhat of a thoughtful, literary side as well. At the end of the day, it is truly makes the reader ponder topics of punishment and forgiveness. When has somebody truly served their time? And when somebody does something truly awful, how much punishment is enough? When can somebody be truly forgiven for their sins?
From a philosophical standpoint, I would give this book 4 stars, but from a psychological/thriller standpoint, I would only give it 3 stars. The parts of the book that were intended to be “twists” weren’t very shocking or surprising, and the story was relatively even keeled as far as thrillers are concerned. While it was a good book, it wasn’t amazing. I really wish it had been a bit more suspenseful.
However, I must say from a writing standpoint, Robyn Harding’s style is engaging and kept me reading from beginning to end. It was a quick read and enjoyable from that perspective.
Overall, if you’re looking for something thought-provoking and philosophical in nature, this might be a good choice. But if you’re looking for a really engaging thriller, this might not be top of my list.
-I was gifted this advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley, Robyn Harding, and Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to review.-
Great review! I agree that the thriller aspects weren’t as surprising, but it was very philosophical as well.
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