1.5 stars rounded up.

Before looking into it further, I would have warranted this was someone's first book and that they'd grow into their writing. Come to find out, Ryan is a bestselling author who had the opposite problem, which often happens to bestsellers: they've become too successful to edit. Because this book NEEDED a stronger editing hand.

The concept had promise, but the writing was absolutely painful. The writing felt disjointed and choppy, the dialogue painfully bad. It felt like she wrote the first draft and then was told she needed to add 100 pages so she just decided to go in circles a few more times. It was incredibly repetitive, with the same characters playing the same scenes over and over to the point that they all blended together, and left attempts at misdirection feeling hamfisted and ineffective.

This author is not for me, even if this IS a fairly unedited version of their work. I just wish the story had at least been redeeming. But alas.

I think it's funny, but interesting how differently I'll rate thrillers versus romance or historical fiction. It sounds terrible but it's almost like I don't expect as much from them, which isn't fair. But here we are. This book is getting 4 stars, even though it wasn't anything life changing or overly memorable in the world of thrillers, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and was interested throughout the whole book. It didn't really have my heart racing much and I wasn't super on the edge of my seat, but I was consistently interested in finding out the end and had me guessing for much of it.

This was an overall good book. It was more of a suspense and it did take a bit to build up however there were twists that I enjoyed. It’s also character driven which I liked as I was able to understand and get to know each of the characters better.

I like the main characters Arden who doesn’t love a badass woman who takes charge.

This book was way to slow for me. I couldn't get into it. I wanted to dnf it but I stuck with it. I found it to be very repetitious with unlikable characters.

This heart racing psychological thriller will have you reading and turning pages fast. This author draws you in at the beginning and captivates your attention until the last page. A definite must read for 2024.

3.75 rounded up

Thank you to the publisher for a Netgalley.

I enjoyed the premise of this book and to be honest it is one of HPR's best in my opinion. The reason for the 3.75 stars is the very end was a little cheesy. But I liked the twists and how it all came together.

One Wrong Word is Hank Philippi Ryan’s latest best seller. This is a fast paced, intriguing suspenseful psychological thriller told only in HPR style. The characters are multi-layered, complex and you will love them and hate them!! It is filled with lies, deceit, murder, blackmail and secrets…….ohhhh the secrets! Ms. Phillippi—Ryan had me guessing from the start, constantly going back and forth thinking I had it all figured out until that jaw dropping ending I never saw coming. I read and listened to this one, just to see if I could figure it out faster!! I highly recommend this very talented author and all her books. I look forward to each of her books.

Thank you NetGalley, Forge Books, Macmillan Audio and Hank Phillippi-Ryan for this heart pounding thriller to read, listen to and review. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
#netgalley #forgebooks #macmillanaudio
#hankphillippiryan. #onelastword. #psychologicalthriller

And nowww onto one that was just ok. This author maybe just isn’t for me. I listened to this on audio thanks to @macmillan.audio for seemingly always approving me in exchange for an honest review. So for me, this one didn’t really do much for me. I did like the narrator, and I did like that our protagonist has a job of PR (public relations) where you learn to smooth over the bs of the rich and famous and present their brand or company in the best light regardless of what the truth might be. Ironically, someone’s wife accuses our protagonist of sleeping with her husband- all because they wear the same perfume - and our gal finds herself on her way out of a job. But before she goes, her boss has ONE last client for her and she feels like she CANT protest or refuse her boss who could squash her reputation and make it so she doesn’t work in her field again. She meets with a cagey woman who keeps manically exclaiming how her husband’s accident has inconvenienced her life and made everyone shun her and her son. Frankly from the rip I figured her clients were in a shaky marriage and that the wife was a raging narcissist and I just didn’t like most of the story or the truth. It was a sleazy bunch of people and a weaker plot point in my view so this just wasn’t for me. Did it entertain me in the moment? Yes. Will I remember it at all in a month? Nope. I think I’ll take the hint that this author just isn’t for me. Sometimes if I listen to too many “just ok” thrillers it gets under my skin like as if I wasted my time. I want to be THRILLED or else give me a drama and characters I’ll love. I’m sure many will enjoy this, I personally would rate it a 2.5 or 3 - just eh - so I’m going to be a little more careful with thrillers I request. Thanks so much to the publisher for sharing this with me for review. I wish more positive things to say. If you’ve read this, what did you think? I think the author is a sweetheart and I wish her much success, this just wasn’t for me I guess … 🙄

Unfortunately this was not my favorite. There was a lot of the same scenes with the same characters repeating themselves and after awhile, it all started to blend together. I just never became that invested with the plot. The ending did come together with a few surprises. I do believe that other readers will like this, so I’m not trying to discourage anyone from reading it. It just wasn’t for me.

Hank is back with another cat and mouse thriller that I could not have been more excited about!

I loved the multiple POVs in this one and really enjoyed each of the different characters, especially Pip. As with Hank’s previous books, this thriller is FILLED with secrets, twists, and suspense that builds as the story goes along.

While this one was a tad bit long for my liking, I definitely enjoyed it and will continue to read anything @hankpryan writes! Thriller lovers need to add this one to your radar!

Thank you to the author and @suzyapprovedbooktours for including me on this tour and for my e-copy to read and review!

“Words could be as deadly as a gun or a knife. If your reputation is murdered!”

In Hank Phillippi Ryan’s 16th psychological thriller ONE WRONG WORD, she brings to life Arden Ward, a savvy crisis management expert, who is falsely accused of having an affair with a client. She is given two weeks to leave. Now Arden needs to redeem her reputation and save her professional life. She is aware that her flaw is caring too much, which can be a curse in her profession. Plus, her father has instilled in her the idea of using conscience as her north star. So, she is angry at and heartbroken with her boss, her mentor, Warren Carmichael, who sacrificed Arden’s good work and loyalty to keep his wealthiest client who accused her of the affair based on nothing but the smell of perfume.

Carmichael offers her a deal: take on a special client, Cordelia Bannister, and save Cordelia’s husband’s reputation in two weeks. Arden believes that if she accomplishes this, Carmichael will keep her on at the firm.

Cordelia’s husband Ned was accused of murder but acquitted. He drove drunk after a New Year’s party, and as he was exiting the private parking garage, he hit Randall Tennant who was skateboarding. Public opinion, however, has ruined him. A distraught and publicly shunned Cordelia wants Arden to clean up his reputation.

Arden is so focused on saving her own job, however, that she’s lost her professional insight and doesn’t see how much she’s being manipulated by the people around her. When Ned’s lawyer, Naomi, is run down in a parking garage, the coincidence is too much to ignore, especially for Detective Monelle Churchwood who thought Ned was guilty of Randall’s death from the beginning.

To finally figure out who is pulling strings and putting her clients in danger, Arden must focus and use her expert skills in reading people. When she does, she suspects the worst and finds her life in danger.

From Phillippi Ryan’s many years as an investigative reporter, she expertly digs into the world of greed, power, manipulation, and secrets and then twists them into a tale of life and love gone horribly wrong. Arden and Monelle are strongly drawn characters who must learn that instead of being at odds, they must work together to find out the truth.

Phillippi Ryan’s writing, as in her other novels, shines with details that bring the story to life such as how she uses her beloved Boston as a setting. She creatively gives Arden a large tank of fish instead of a cat or dog. The perfume JOY lingers with its scent throughout and is the cause of the accusation against Arden. Arden’s backstory is rich with possibilities as she is the granddaughter of the mayor of Boston and lives in an 1885 house bequeathed by her grandparents. At times the story slows with repetition, but otherwise, ONE WRONG WORD gives us the fascinating world of Arden and how she manages crises and what that entails. Public opinion is a “beast to be controlled” and that is something everyone can relate to. Arden Ward and her professional world in ONE WRONG WORD would make an intriguing start to a series.

Thanks to #NetGalley, Hank Phillippi Ryan, #OneWrongWord and #ForgeBooks for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I had such high hopes for this book because I love Hank so much, but ultimately this fell flat for me. The pacing was very slow and the overall mystery did not excite me.

Thank you to @NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group and Forge Books for my free copy!

Wow. What an excellent, THRILLING, suspenseful read! I thoroughly enjoyed this book as I flipped from one page to the next! UNPUTDOWNABLE! Page-turner!

This kind of read like a legal thriller, which I've come to love. Chock full of surprises and a really good conclusion. I became immersed in Arden's life and LOVED her tenacity!

If you loved Michelle Campbell's 'The Intern', you will LOVE this!

This book was thrilling right from the start. When crisis manager Arden gets fired unjustly and then talked into doing one last case, she didn't realize just what a mistake taking that last case would be. This book was exciting although some slow areas at parts. i would definitely recommend this to thriller lovers.

Did you read that book?

One Wrong Word
By Hank Phillippi Ryan

Plot: One wrong word can ruin your life. And no one knows that better than savvy crisis management expert Arden Ward. Problem is, she's now forced to handle a shocking crisis of her own. Unfairly accused of having an affair with a powerful client, Arden’s life and dreams are about to crash and burn. Then, Arden is given an ultimatum. She has just two weeks to save her career and her reputation.

Review: The writing style of this book is exceptional, Hank is a wonderful author with a strong voice! I love the short fast chapters, which make you feel like you are "flying through" the book. And the different character perspectives keeps you engaged. The storyline was a little predictable but that didn't make it any less enjoyable! I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a solid read with strong characters and a hint of mystery!

Thank you for this ARC for my honest review!

A thriller that was told in such a way that I could almost see everything unfold in front of me like a Netflix series! Arden is a crisis manager who takes on a high stakes case, only to find it bleeding into her own life.

The author does an excellent job of making us doubtful of so many different characters, making it difficult to know who exactly would be the culprit in the end. It was fast paced and yet also lingered a bit in the middle - I think this book would have been just as compelling if it had been 50-75 pages shorter. Regardless, a fully enjoyable read! I was excited to see that the author had a back catalog - will be checking that out for sure!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing this e-ARC. I am anticipating reading this soon and reviewing on my socials.

I’m in awe.
There’s so much I want to say but I can’t spoil this absolutely incredible psychological thriller! Hank Philippi Ryan has hit gold with One Wrong Word! It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time! It’s one of my favorite reads! Hank is so deserving of all her accolades, a #USATodaybestselling & multiple award-winning author!

Thank you, Hank P Ryan, Forge Reads, & netgalley for my copy! All opinions are my own.

One Wrong Word has so many RIGHT words to describe the story.
Suspenseful, riveting, mysterious, courageous, tenacious, strong, lovely.
You CAN'T GO WRONG reading this book.

In One Wrong Word, we see that it often doesn't matter what you say. People will make their mind up no matter what the truth is.

Arden is unjustly fired at the beginning of the book, but then asked by her boss to take on one last important case. While she is not thrilled about doing this, she agrees to do the job. While it initially seems like a fairly straightforward job, she soon realizes that it is anything but straightforward, and finds herself entangled in a web of deceit.

While I guessed part of what was going on, there were some twists that I was not expecting. It was fun to be kept continually guessing as I read. I completely enjoyed this novel, and could not wait to get home each night and continue reading.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.