THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! One of Newsweek’s Most Anticipated Books of 2020 One of SheReads Most Anticipated Books of 2020 One of PopSugar’s Most Anticipated Books of 2020 One of HelloGiggles’ Most Anticipated Books of 2020 One of Marie Claire’s Best Fiction by Women in 2020 One of Woman’s Day’s Best Fiction Books Coming Out in 2020 The electrifying #1 New York Times bestselling … Coming Out in 2020
The electrifying #1 New York Times bestselling authors of THE WIFE BETWEEN US and AN ANONYMOUS GIRL return with a brand new novel of psychological suspense, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
Shay Miller wants to find love, but it eludes her. She wants to be fulfilled, but her job is a dead end. She wants to belong, but her life is increasingly lonely.
Until Shay meets the Moore sisters. Cassandra and Jane live a life of glamorous perfection, and always get what they desire. When they invite Shay into their circle, everything seems to get better.
Shay would die for them to like her.
She may have to.
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In this third collaboration between the Hendricks’ and Pekkanens’ duo, You Are Not Alone, the authors deliver a story just as spectacular as the two previous contributions to the literary world. They have mastered the art of creating a psychological thriller that leaves the reader wanting for nothing. I don’t think I could have ever guessed what would come from the event that draws Shay into the world of the Moore sisters.
Shay is considered a no-nonsense, analytical thinker. But her heart and emotions still get the better of her, and when she finds herself without a solid job and feeling her hopes for romance with her friend and roommate dashed, she becomes highly susceptible to manipulation. Drawn to Jane and Cassandra Moore and their tight circle, this loner finally feels like she’s found a place. But nothing is what it seems and Shay is so thoroughly deceived, there is simply no way for her to see the trap being set. We are exposed through the truth as we get both Shay’s and the Moore sisters POV’s.
The story unfolds at a perfect pace, leaving me fearful for Shay and in shock of the extent of the malice held by this small group of women. I have to say I connected to the Moore sisters on one level, and I think a lot of readers will. They are agents of justice and for me, I am all about the type of transgressions they are focused on being made right. But, I felt for Shay as she is pulled in and becomes collateral damage. It simply goes against their principles, but they are short-sighted (at best). While this is a key point in the plotline, what motivates the sisters will also become their downfall.
I’ve come to expect the unexpected, but the authors threw me for one than one loop. As events unfold there’s just always one missing piece of information, and it’s always something that could never have been anticipated, which makes for an engrossing and fun read. I was anxious to find out if Shay found any peace as I would guess most readers would. The only thing I’m left fearing is the year-long wait for another book by these ladies. 5 stars and recommendation!
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
A stunning read that will surprise you in so many ways. A group of very damaged young women are being manipulated by a another female who is supposed to be their sister and friend but is instead a sociopath. Shay is the stranger in the wrong place at the wrong time and finds herself in their tangled web. The story is told in the present with snapchats of the past showing how their characters were developed. This is Shay’s story as she tries to entangle herself from the mess she has unwittingly stumbled. It tells a tale of a woman who longs so much for friends and acceptance that she blinds herself to all the clues telling her something is wrong. As the book unfolds you will be surprised by the way the story unfolds and see who the true villain is.
You Are Not Alone is among the most devious books I have ever read!
Shay Miller is a 31 year old who has always been a bit of a misfit. She is lonely and longs to fit in. Obsessed with data, Shay keeps a notebook with her at all times so she can write down statistics she finds interesting. When she witnesses a suicide at one of New York’s subway stations, she becomes intensely focused (ok, obsessed) on finding out more about the woman (Amanda Evinger), who she is, and why she would commit such an act.
When Shay attends a memorial service for the woman, she meets sisters Jane and Cassandra Moore, owners of Moore Public Relations. They are stunningly beautiful, accomplished, and at ease with themselves and others. Everything Shay longs to be. When the sisters immediately take and interest in her and make her feel at ease, Shay is beyond flattered. In the days to come, she crosses paths with the sisters more and more frequently and loves every minute of it. But are the sisters really offering friendship, or is there more to it?
This is a book where things are DEFINTELY not what they seem. To say much more would be to take away from readers’ joy of watching things fall into/out of place. The machinations at work here are really something else, and I guarantee you will be surprised!
This is a delicious read. Congratulations to Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen for another sure-to-be best-seller!
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions stated here are my own.
4 kept me guessing stars!!
Ok so this book was good!! I still am like wth happened the last couple chapters of the book!! There were so many characters and you had to make sure you knew them all. It was like a game of Clue.
I will say this book would go a little stagnant every now and then. The beginning did not pull me in but the story line kept progressing, I couldn’t walk away. Once I got halfway it was on!!
I enjoyed the story being told from different point of views and backstories were amazing. I even had to go back and re-read to make sure I read things write and I didn’t. I had assumed it said something and went with it. Therefore my theory was off. That’s when you know it’s a good book!!
This is definitely a book you want to check out.
**I received this ARC from St. Martins Press and in return gave my honest review**
This is the third book from this amazing writing duo! As with the previous two, this one is excellent – highly recommend! Do you ever think about odds or your odds within this whole wide world? It’s a handy thing to know for the protagonist in this book. She is slowing roped into a truly terrifying orbit where she will not know which end is up or which way is right or wrong. Coincidence? Or not?
This book took me a little over half way to hold my interest. The big “wow” towards the end was worth it, but I spent the whole first half of the book wondering what “The Sisters” had planned. This book is told from the perspective of Shay and Cassandra and Jane. Then interspersed throughout are chapters about the other women in the group, Beth the lawyer, Stacey the ex-convict, Daphne the boutique owner, Valerie the actress and Amanda the nurse. I will not give any more details because I feel they would all be spoilers. This is not my favorite book by this duo, but I don’t hate it. It wasn’t one of those books I couldn’t put down.
Mixed feelings about this book. It is a suspenseful, thriller with an interesting story. That said, I just couldn’t connect with the story. Read to end and it was good conclusion but just guess i was not feeling the genre this week. Maybe will reread again in future to see if enjoy as much as others then.
Shay Miller is lonely, needy. She’s fallen for her roommate, who unfortunately is in a committed relationship. On her way to her temp job, she witnesses a suicide. This completely makes her come unhinged, rightfully so. She becomes somewhat obsessed with the victim. Enter the Moore sisters and their band of merry women. As Robin Hood would steal, this group wants to teach lessons in a profound way. Vigilante justice with crazy thrown in.
Writing alone is a labor or love, but writing as a duo, where you need to come together cohesively, could be a nightmare. But, this best selling duo do it seamlessly. This is a fast-paced psychological thriller. I do enjoy their writing style, this cast of characters and their story line, but for all but one slight twist, I didn’t find it particularly shocking! Loved that Shay got her point across. I recommend this book that will be hitting stores on March 3.
Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC! I look forward to Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen’s next endeavor. Add them to my list of I’ll read whatever they’re writing!
You Are Not Alone, the third book from the “power duo” of Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, is their best yet. I am a huge fan of the women’s two previous books, The Wife Between Us and An Anonymous Girl. I can honestly say that You Are Not Alone is superior to both books. I could not put it down.
The basic plot revolves around Shay Miller, a data analyst whose life is not going as well as she would like. Her job is a dead end temp job, she has few friends, and she is roommates with Sean, a man that she has fallen for. Unfortunately, Sean has a girlfriend named Jodi. While walking to catch a subway one muggy morning, Shay witnesses a young woman, Amanda, jump to her death on the subway tracks. Unable to forget Amanda, Shay attends her memorial service, where she meets the mesmerizing Moore sisters, Cassandra and Jane, who were friends of Amanda’s, and is drawn into their orbit. But things are not as they seem with the Moore sisters, and soon Shay finds herself in a dangerous (and puzzling) position.
It’s difficult to say much more without spoiling the story. Authors Hendricks and Pekkanen use the device of alternating and multiple points of view. It is particularly effective in this story, because it creates doubt as to what is really going on, what really happened to Amanda that drove her to suicide, and who the “bad guy” is. A bonus is the inclusion of facts from Shay’s “data book”, a notebook in which she keeps data about situations she encounters. The data at the beginning of each chapter relates in some way to the events in the chapter. A note from that authors at the beginning of the book states that the data included in the book is true to the best of the authors’ knowledge.
I can’t recommend this book highly enough. It is full of twists and turns that the reader doesn’t see coming, and will keep you up late into the night. I can’t wait to see what these two women come up with next.
An exciting psychological thriller! Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen really make the reader think about what would you do to have friends that like you and understand you. Shay is at a crossroads in her life as her best friend and roommate Sean is in a serious relationship and it’s not with her. She witnesses something horrible and would change most everyone’s view of life but she takes it to another level. As she gets more involved the authors take the reader on a thrilling ride. This is a must read, can’t put down until finished chilling thriller of a book!
Thank you in advance to the publisher, St Martin’s Press for providing an advanced review copy (ARC). A positive review was not required. All words and thoughts are my own.
This is the third book by duo authors Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Their first being “The Wife Between Us” and “An Anonymous Girl” – both of which I was able to get ARCs of.
The books are not a connected series, thus they are standalone reads.
Trigger warnings may include:
* Sexual Assault
* Suicide
In their signature, multi-part and multi POV (point of view), the writers start this book off with quite an impact – literally. This is told in third person with the characters of Shay; Cassandra and Jane; Amanda (past), and Valerie featured more prominently.
PART ONE is told through the POVs of Shay, Cassandra & Jane (sisters), Amanda (past as she has died at the end of chapter one), and “group” members – Daphne (a sexual assault victim), Beth, and Valerie (someone VERY protective of the sisters).
It is at this point the reader meets Shay Miller, who is at an interesting point in her life – her best friend/roommate Sean is seeing someone and you could tell that his girlfriend Jody didn’t like Shay. Also, Shay’s statistics job is dead-end.
That’s not the worst thing to happen – it’s what she witnesses: someone’s suicide right in front of her. Amanda, the women who took her own life, had secrets, deep secrets.
While Shay is “numbers smart”, and as a result has a “Data Book” journal to chronicle her thoughts and musings using statistics, she isn’t people smart.
In what, to me, seemed like an honest inquiry, and one to put her mind at rest – Shay starts seeking out what made Amanda take that leap. A literal one.
Shay is spotted leaving a flower where Amanda once lived. But, it is when she attends the memorial that things start rolling. It is there she meets the Moore sisters. Glamorous, famous, and successful – everything Shay is not. While she doesn’t seek them out – they seek her out.
After Shay sees Amanda’s “ghost” near the subway, the sisters start trying to help her … or are they?
PART TWO switches the narrative solely to Shay, Cassandra & Jane (sisters), Amanda (again the past), and Valerie.
I want to start off with a shout-out and thank you to the writers for mentioning a pizza restaurant I love in my own hometown – Grimaldi’s. It started in Brooklyn and with all the stories centered in New York, this is the first time I read it in a book.
It begins with a makeover for Shay, and here is when readers need to start paying attention, if they haven’t already.
Since Jody and Sean want to move in together – Shay needs an apartment, and finds a cozy, yet affordable one. What luck … or is it. Turns out it belongs to someone the sisters once knew.
Over the course of part two, the reader watches as the sisters start using Shay and even those in their circle to enact their plan. The manipulation is grotesque as they are even manipulating their own friends.
After what Valerie has done at the end of chapter 50, part two reveals the sisters true plot in be-friending Shay – and in looking back at part one, it is easy to see the signs.
It is here the reader gets the full impact – the sisters, and their friends (mainly Valerie) are drive by revenge, not justice. And, we also learn why Amanda did what she did that day on the subway platform – guilt.
And, at the end the readers find out what the real plan for Shay was …
PART THREE begins with a bang … or rather a knock on the door.
The writers have the same four person POV here as in the previous part: Shay, Cassandra & Jane (sisters), Amanda (again the past), and Valerie.
The police are being led to believe one thing about Shay, who has found out the sisters’ true manipulative nature. Shay is being framed. Shay also learns that the job she thought she had was fabricated as well.
Talk about a tangled web. And, we learn even more about the sisters …
Not trusting anyone, Shay now has to find out the truth – what is going on, why are they using her, why have they turned, and what is in store for her.
Readers will have to read right up to the end (chapter 66) for the huge reveal and motive.
One problem I did have was how the sisters and even their “friend” thought they were going to get by with how they were acting as if it was Shay stalking them.
Shay had the text messages on her phone; Sean had seen them and talked to them at the apartment; in addition to other things. While that could’ve seemed like a plot hole – the writers covered it over in a believable manner. The Moore sisters are creepier than the twins in “The Shining”.
This, to me, is by far one of their better novels. Third time’s a charm!
The short chapters made this an easy read, though it’s quick pace made it difficult to put down. And, yes I did finish this in one day, though not straight through.
It was definitely a gripping, edge-of-seat read as I didn’t know what was going on or where the authors were taking this diabolical, sinister, and disturbing story.
You Are Not Alone is their best story yet! So many twists and turns and twists that you don’t see coming! Thank you St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!
I received this advanced reader’s edition of You Are Not Alone from St. Martin’s Press. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Shay Miller: working temp jobs, living with her room mate Sean whom she is in love with (and he has a girlfriend, Jody), no friends nor social life, a very lonely, down on her luck young woman.
Shay witnesses a suicide on the subway platform as a young woman (Amanda) seemingly jumps in front of the oncoming train. After giving her statement to the detective, she finds out the name of the young woman and becomes obsessed with finding out what Amanda was like and why she would feel that suicide was her only option. She attends a memorial service where she meets the Moore sisters, Cassandra and Jane. They “befriend” her and while Shay believes that her life is finally taking a turn for the better, she has no idea where she’s truly headed.
I absolutely loved this book!!! I couldn’t put it down. It was full of twists and turns. I never knew what to expect when I turned the page. It was unpredictable. Read this!! You will not be disappointed!!!
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
Shay Miller wants what most people want, a fulfilling job, a meaningful relationship and close friends. Instead, she lives in New York with her friend Sean after she loses her job. She’s been living there for 18 months after breaking up with her boyfriend and enjoys the companionship until his girlfriend Jodi moves in.
Soon, Shay finds herself looking for an apartment as well as a new job. She has a statistical mind and hopes to impress on her interview with Global Metrics. Unfortunately, as she misses her train and awaits the next one she observes another person on the platform. Distracted by a shining object, Shay bends over to pick it up and as she looks up she sees a woman in a polka dress throw herself in front of the oncoming train.
The witnesses trauma immobilizes her and greatly affects her life. Severe panic attacks prevent her from even going into the train station let alone ride it again. Shay becomes obsessed with the mystery girl who committed suicide before her own eyes. Questions keep her awake at night and finding ways to get around New York with using the train system proves expensive and time consuming.
Shay looks for closure by finding out more about the woman and visits her apartment where a small gathering of flowers are present at the door. She leaves a bouquet of yellow zinnias and notices an invitation posted to Amanda Evinger’s memorial service. Although she was advised by Detective Williams to move on and not get involved, Shay decides it might help if she stopped by the memorial service.
From the moment Shay enters the memorial service her life begins to become more complicated than she is aware possible. She goes from being a lonely unemployed woman to a person with hope and support regarding her future. She finds it unbelievable that she would be welcomed by the intimate gathering for Amanda. Suddenly, she feels the warmth of friendship for which she always yearned.
Cassandra and Jane Moore are sisters who enjoy a comfortable life running Moore Public Relations. They take Shay under their wing when they see how distraught she appeared at their friend’s memorial service. It isn’t long before Shay begins to trust and rely on the friends for advice and help.
How well do we ever really know someone? Is a person more trustworthy if they appear affluent and polished? Do people’s physical appearance reveal their personality or values. What are people truly capable of doing if desperate?
These are questions that swirl around all the characters in this book. I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy psychological crime stories with diabolical characters and unbelievable stories.
Told in multiple POVs, You Are Not Alone has a varied cast of characters with the main ones being the Moore Sisters and a somewhat of a loner, Shay. Shay is taken in by their charisma and their empathy. But of course, the sisters are not what they appear to be. They incite vigilante justice and are seemly addicted to sweet revenge. The duo of Pekkanen and Hendricks write awesome dark, twist-filled thrillers that keep you on the edge and hooks you from the beginning. Full of mind games, which the authors excel at, leaving you with a wonderful, never see it coming ending that leaves you so happy to experience this page-turning thriller. Not my favorite from this author team, but it was definitely entertaining, engaging, and I’m eager for their next book to come out.
Fantastic read that I finished in 2 days because I could not put it down. Shay is a very insecure young woman with what appears to be low self-esteem. While waiting for the subway, she sees a young woman jump in front of it killing herself. The young woman, Amanda, was an emergency room nurse and nobody could understand why she took her own life. Shay’s curiosity got the best of her and she went to Amanda’s memorial service where she met some of the young nurse’s friends, namely sisters Cassandra and Jane, who seemed to take an instant liking to Shay. What could go wrong with this scenario??? From here on, strange things begin to happen and there are plenty of twist and turns which made this a unputdownable book. This is one of the best thrillers I have read in a while and I highly recommend it. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this highly addictive book in exchange for an honest review.
I’m on a great streak of thrillers right now and I’m happy to report You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen continued it!
I listened to the audio and I adored the narrators Barrie Kreinik & Dylan Moore. They were both excellent and really added to my listening experience. I loved the inclusion of all the statistics in the book, and especially liked that all of Shay’s chapters started with one. That added a little something extra to an already excellent book for me and I feel like I learned a lot of interesting facts!
As soon as I started it I knew I was going to be addicted and I was right. I listened to You Are Not Alone in just a couple of days and it was another one of those books where I found every excuse possible to listen to it. Short chapters, multiple viewpoints, a mix of past and present, and for the most part I had no idea what was going on or where it would all end. These things together helped make this book perfect for me! The pacing was on point as well which is something I’ve come to expect and love about this writing duo.
Final Thought: You Are Not Alone surprised me constantly, and it was definitely a twisty book. I liked Shay a lot and I thought she was one of the most likable characters by far. This is a unique novel full of surprises and I highly recommend it, especially on audio. Plus the end was solid gold and I loved it. I can’t wait to see what this duo writes next!
Thank you to Libro.fm and the publisher for both my advance listening copy and advance review copy via NetGalley. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
All I can say is WOW! This book gives a whole new meaning to the word friend! Shay is waiting for the subway when she sees a women jump in front of an oncoming train. The image haunts her so badly she flubs a job interview and just can’t seem to get the woman out of her mind. Shay finds out the name of the victim and where she lives and feels she needs to place flowers on the steps of the woman’s home. It’s after this that a group of women befriend her. Shay is in desperate need of friendship. Her roommate wants his girlfriend to move in so now she needs to find an apartment and a job. She loves the attention her new friends give her but after awhile doubts about their reasons begin to appear in her mind and her suspicions grow. Are they really befriending her because they truly like her or is there another darker reason. There are so many twists and turns in this book that you will have a hard time putting it down. Highly recommend!
So rarely does a book fully encompass the psychological aspect of a psychological thriller. You Are Not Alone is a spine tingling, can’t-put-it-down culmination of equal parts optimism and abject horror. Hendricks and Pekkanen hone in on every loners goal; a tight knit group of fabulous friends who will do anything for you. Shay finds a group of women who seem perfect who also seem to want her just as much, but she can’t stop asking herself why… and neither can the reader. Perfectly timed and impeccably written, the anticipation at every point will eat you alive.
Wow, if you want a psychological thriller, than this is for you. I’ve read their first two novels, and this one really is chilling from the beginning until the last chapter. Hendricks and Pekkanen blend their creative talents, with the development of strong sinister characters, and weave a gripping tale of deceit and manipulation!
Shay is a low esteem woman with little confidence and is very lonely, which makes her easy prey for this group of dangerous women, who use her insecurities to enact revenge on others. As they draw her into their web, using gifts, flattery and companionship, they set the scenario for her to take the fall for crimes that they have committed.
My thanks to #NetGalley #StMartinsPress for my ARC, it certainly will have
me looking forward to their next one.