Wow! I finished this book this morning and I am stunned. I was emotionally invested in this story and these characters, it was as if they were people I knew. Nancy was going through a difficult period in her life and she found a friendship with Ana that she desperately needed. Ana was a free spirit who showed Nancy a different way to live.
Nancy struggled to decide if she wanted to be the woman that she was in the States or if she was going to reinvent herself. Ana made that choice easy for Nancy. As their relationship became stronger, Nancy’s home life started to fall apart.
This was a psychological thriller that read like contemporary fiction. I was hooked. I highly recommend this book.

Swan Huntley, author of We Could Be Beautiful, creates a completely different narrative and a complexity of characters in her second novel, The Goddesses.
In We Could Be Beautiful, Huntley’s main character Catherine never surpassed the first impression of a privileged trust fund endowed woman-child desperate for love and validation, resulting in a major deception. The Goddesses presents a page-turning narrative of female empowerment and a binding conviction that sisters can do it for themselves, even if the sisters are not what they at first seemed to be.

The story is one of female friendship, gradually turned into dangerous obsession and manipulation. But if you were to lump The Goddesses with something akin to Single White Female, you would be sadly oversimplifying it. Nancy, Huntley’s main character, is an outwardly tranquil housewife who has been wronged by her husband Chuck and his adultery.
Not to mention his pitiful halfhearted attempts to remain sober, which more often than not, fail miserably. We can laugh at Chuck and his tries at ‘swaggerness’ when he inserts into his repertoire, phrases like “Whoa, Nelly” especially when his sons are in the room. Conversely though, we can’t help shaking our heads and thinking that perhaps Nancy deserves much better.
In the throes of her disappointment and a family that’s slowly breaking apart, its rupture accelerating the constant acting out of her twin teenage boys, Chuck and Nancy move the family to Hawaii as an endeavor to start over and leave the memories of their failing marriage behind. Huntley’s descriptions of Hawaii are astounding, understandable since along with California, it’s the place she calls home. The lush forests and imposing volcanoes that undoubtedly are her familiar terrain, become the backdrop for Nancy’s quest, a new chance to just be, to begin a new life.
It’s here, in this lavish Elysium that she meets Ana, a yoga teacher abundant with new age speak that Huntley keeps intelligently on the other side of becoming commonplace and stereotypical. This works just fine because we quickly learn that Ana is anything but predictable.
In The Goddesses, there’s a recognizable twinge of Zoe Heller’s Notes on a Scandal as a commentary on the female psyche when a friendship is cemented on a need to dominate and exert power play. And although in John Fowles’ The Magus there is no observation on the nature of female obsession, Fowles’ main character, Nicholas Urfe is swiftly and systematically led to madness (coincidentally on an island) by a powerful and wealthy benefactor.
As Ana and Nancy form a fast and unusual bond, the latter begins pushing her family aside to make room for the stranger who begins referring to herself as Nancy’s “soulmate” and her “twin.” This means dinners missed, less time with her sons who are dealing with demons of their own. Plus, a marriage, that far from being on the road to recovery seems even more cracked at the seams with Ana’s intrusion, as she constantly plants doubts about Chuck in Nancy’s head. The intrusion becomes even more disturbing when Ana moves in with the family as Chuck is moved swiftly out. When Ana leaves a snake in Chuck’s car, she tells Nancy cheekily: “So biblical, right?” which presumably alludes to Chuck’s past adultery.
But there is an interesting reversal in The Goddesses, opposed to other narratives of obsession among women either in literature or in film. It’s not only Ana who absorbs Nancy’s essence; Nancy absorbs Ana’s just as much. We see a void in Nancy from the beginning, which Ana is quick to fill with her abstract way of looking at life and at her own actions.
They feed off each other because they recognize in an astounding way that one has something the other needs, and if anything, it turns a potential story of victim and stalker into mutual self-insertion. This is especially telling in a scene when Ana is remarking on their apparent similarities: “I’m going to call you Nan from now on. No more Nancy. And don’t you see why? Don’t you see how the letters of our names match up perfectly? Nan and Ana! Yin and yang!”
The complicated dynamic between the two women is only exacerbated by Nancy’s refusal to see the truth about Ana even when it’s hitting her in the face. Because the narrative is told in reverse, we know that Nancy has opened her eyes to the reality of who her new spiritual double really is, evidenced in her reflection of a conversation in which Ana relayed the tale of a frog that is put in a pot of boiling water as opposed to the frog that is placed in the pot in which the heat is gradually increased. “In one,” Ana explains, “the frog will jump; in the other, the frog will boil.” Nancy questions why at the time of that conversation, she didn’t think to herself: “Jump.”
The Goddesses has an atmosphere of suspense that almost makes it into a theatrical psychological thriller. As the novel moves forward, we come to realize that there is something really wrong with Ana, something that goes beyond her need for Nancy’s sole attention. But we also grasp onto the fact that Nancy is the custodian of a life-long secret which makes her vulnerable to Ana’s subterfuge. This is not revealed until the end, when we finally understand why Nancy willfully closed her eyes and ears to the many clues pointing to Ana’s true intentions.
With The Goddesses, Swan Huntley validated major missteps involving lack of character development and fortitude in We Could Be Beautiful. Her second novel more than compensates in presenting not just a scary revelation of obsession and the consequences of being blind to it, but also the possibility of redeeming one’s mistakes, along with the beauty of reinvention and true Namaste.

Nice quick read. I enjoyed the location of the novel. I have to say, I wasn't really a fan of any of the characters in the book and kept waiting for the moment Nancy was going to toughen up. I did flip pages pretty quick and loved the pace of the novel. Super quick and easy read.

Swan Huntley.... wow. Her talent is incredible. Reading this, I felt like the author was writing from so deep within the character... like so deep down that its hard to get that far in yourself never mind in a character!! I loved it. I loved her writing style. I enjoyed this book so much and don't want to say too much. It is from the perspective of Nancy, a middle-aged woman with teenaged twin boys, whose husband has recently cheated on her. The family moves to Hawaii to start a new life. Nancy befriends her yoga teacher (whose yoga lines, by the way, are out of this world awesome) and you have no idea where the book is going to take you. I was guessing a lot. I will admit I thought there would be more of an "end".... however, the ride getting there is a 5 star ride. I would say the last 5 or 10 percent was disappointing... but not enough to rate this book lower because I LOVED it.

I would like to thank Swan Huntley, Doubleday Books and Netgalley for giving me this book for my honest review.

Review By Stephanie

Nancy is a scorned by her husband whom was not only an adulterous but an alcholic decided to move her family to Hawii. The twins were excited for the move and Nancy is trying so hard to reinvent herself, while her and her estrange husband are living in seperate bedrooms. She threw herself into her yoga class and became friends with her instructor Ana. The friendship grows quickly and Nancy puts her marriage and children to the side.


The Goddesses was an dramatic book that followed Nancy and her bonding friendship with Ana. The friendship that Nancy thought was based on kindness but Ana had other plans.

Swan Huntley writes a haunting novel the echoed the vibe of Single White Female with its own orginality. I look forward to reading more from Sawn Huntley.

Part of the reason romance books and I don't get along is the "instant love" many feature. You know, when two people meet and a week later they're sure they should be married and serenading each other under the sunset. Gag me. This isn't a romantic book, but it features the same kind of connection, though it's platonic. These two women meet and they're very quickly enveloped into each other's lives. The synopsis mentions Nancy leaving her twins to her own devices, and that made me picture them a little younger but they're seventeen. At first, this annoyed me. They should be able to make themselves dinner. Sandwiches, guys. Geez. But as the book goes on, she's slowly distancing herself more from her family. Since she's been a stay at home mother their entire lives, this understandably rattles them.

I wouldn't categorize this one as a thriller. I wasn't experiencing much suspense, having a feeling where it was going since the beginning of the book. When it's not about the surprise, it's more about the ride to get there. The ride did keep my attention, and I did enjoy getting to know the characters.

Nancy and her family have moved to Hawaii for a fresh start. It's not an unusual story: the husband cheated, the teenagers are acting out, and the wife is trying to forgive him. Chuck is like a dog that's been banished outside: head down, looking for any sliver of affection from Nancy, hopeful for forgiveness. He is cautious around her, giving her space but gently trying to bridge the gap between them. It's driving Nancy nuts.

Determined to take advantage of the fresh start, Nancy starts making little changes... cooking healthier food, working toward forgiving her husband, trying to grow her own vegetables, and taking up yoga. She's immediately entranced by her yoga teacher, Ana. Determined to be bold, she asks if they can get together socially. Ana is happy to agree.

Nancy finds Ana fascinating. They spend time in her Jacuzzi, talk for hours, and begin little projects that are supposed to help their karma. Tired of her predictable life, Nancy clings to her like a life preserver. Everything Ana does and says is like magic. She simply makes life better. Ana is fairly needy herself, and soon Nancy is spending less and less time with her husband and children... to what end?

My rating is a 3.5 out of 5. I expected a much bigger ending. I did enjoy the setting of the book and a lot of the dialogue.

I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Doubleday Books, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

This story left me so confused with an ending that made no sense. Why did Nancy stay with her husband? Why did she let that other woman take Ana in? The best thing I can say is that it was compelling enough that I had to finish it, even though it was insane.

The Goddesses is the story of Nancy, a stay-at-home mother, and her new friendship with Ana a yoga teacher and breast cancer survivor. But don’t let the premise mislead you. This is not a feel-good, women’s fiction book about the enduring power of female friendship. This emotionally intense novel takes place in the lush landscape of Kona, Hawaii.

When Nancy first befriends Ana, my first reaction one of gladness that Nancy has made a new friend in her new city of residence. As they spent more and more time together my thoughts slowly turned from “Oh that’s nice.” to “Maybe that’s not the best idea…” then finally to “Oh my goodness! What are you doing?!”

Huntley creates this progression with such subtlety she lures the reader into a false sense of security to the point that you are even rationalizing the questionable choices Nancy and Ana continue to make. Until you are suddenly faced with the shocking reality of where their choices have led them.

The Goddesses by Swan Huntley is a dark look at a toxic female friendship set in bright and sunny Hawaii.

Nancy, Chuck and their twin teenaged sons, Jed and Cam, relocate to Hawaii from San Diego after Chuck betrays Nancy with a co-worker. Hoping for a fresh start in a new place, the couple unfortunately soon finds out that they are the same people wherever they live. Though Chuck tries very hard in the beginning to make amends, Nancy's indifference and growing friendship with her yoga teacher Ana soon places a "why should I bother?" cartoon bubble over Chuck's head every time the couple is together. For someone who supposedly wants to revive her marriage, Nancy seems unaware that she must participate in making that happen. Instead, Nancy is drawn to Ana because she is so different; but is she what she seems? The growing obsessive/toxic friendship finds Nancy becoming absorbed by Ana.

How far should you/would you go to protect and preserve a friendship? Even when it begins to make you uncomfortable and crosses boundaries that shouldn't be crossed? How do you extricate yourself from a toxic relationship?

I give this a 2.50 - 2.75 stars because it held my interest. Even though I found Nancy to be insipid, and the male characters rather flatly drawn, I still wanted to see how the author ended her tale.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Doubleday Books for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Nancy, Chuck and their teenage twin boys move to Hawaii filled with the hope of starting over. With her marriage on the rocks and the boys growing up, Nancy does not know what kind of life she wants anymore. Chuck’s job transfers smoothly to the Costco in Kona and the boys seamlessly become star players on their high school water polo team. But what about Nancy? With middle age settling in and her body expanding out Nancy decides to try a yoga class. The class and teacher Ana become Nancy’s new mantra. Eat healthy, focus on the moment and thoughtful words of wisdom that become life changing. Her friendship with Nancy is on a fast track. She immediately begins spending all of her time with Ana who is in remission from breast cancer and sees the world through the bright eyes of karmic resolution. She constantly cajoles Nancy into helping her do what she feels are good deeds to keep the bad vibes at bay. Their sister friendship is instantly overwhelmed with need and emotion which Chuck tolerates as he still carries memories of his own guilty affair from San Diego. As Nancy digs deeper into her own psyche, things with Ana become more bizarre and demanding. Nancy becomes leery of the destructive path this has taken and her boys begin to get into trouble as they sense the unrest in their parents marriage. I wouldn’t call this a thriller but definitely a psychological twisted drama. As I loved author Swan Huntley’s first novel We Could Be Beautiful, I am amazed at how completely different but equally well written this new novel is. Love the characters, love the Hawaii setting, highly recommend The Goddesses. Definitely a thumbs up #SummerRead!

This review is shared on my blog on 7/19/17 @ https://mommasaystoreadornottoread.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-goddesses-by-swan-huntley_42.html
The author has a wonderful writing style that pulls a reader in and this one was quite interesting at times and had great potential. My problem with it is that I felt like I was reading a soap opera with some not so likable characters. In my opinion, the most likable characters in the book were Nancy's teenage sons and even they had their moments.
Nancy was boring and judgmental, more often than not, at least until the end. She's so concerned about her marriage that she moves to Hawaii, but then proceeds to spend as much time as possible away from that family. I understand and can sympathize with her situation, but as a married woman and a mother, I couldn't get on board with her actions. Ana is certainly a psychopath and it was easy to see her manipulation of Nancy and the situations they were in, but I was disappointed with her endgame. After everything that happened, I expected much more. The wayward husband, Chuck, does at least try to make things right, and honestly, his actions were the only ones that made sense to me - I didn't agree with them, but they did make sense.
There is an interesting twist at the end that I didn't see coming, but by the time I got there, it was too little, too late for me to have much more than a meh feeling about the whole book.

The Goddesses by Swan Huntley tells the tale of Nancy and her family after they've recently made a move to Hawaii for Nancy's husband's job. They are thrilled to be living in what appears to be paradise. Nancy is trying to get to know people so she decides to attend a yoga class led by Ana. Nancy and Ana form a friendship that becomes closer and closer and eventually leads to some life-changing situations for not only Nancy but also her family. This book keeps you riveted as you silently curse out Nancy for making some horrible decisions. Read and enjoy!

Title: The Goddesses: A Novel
Author: Swan Huntley
Publisher: Doubleday
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:

"The Goddesses" by Swan Huntley

My Thoughts....

What will happen when Nancy want a change in her life as she 'jump starts her family' by moving to Hawaii? This poor lady had been through so much with that cheating husband Chuck and twin boys that seemed to in into something one way or another. With all of this drama going on in Nancy's life would moving to Hawaii cause her some happiness? What happens when she moves to Hawaii with her family? Who is the woman Nancy will meet and what affect will she have on life? What will happen when Nancy finally gets out of this disillusion that she had felt so apart of? This is a interesting part of the read as the story shows just how people often look for happiness in the wrong place. I will say that was quite a toxic friendship. Will Nancy learn that one can't live through other people? Be prepared for lots and lots of drama! I will also say that author really knows how to give the reader a good entertaining read of thrills and suspense that will keep one reading to see what will happen next in this beautiful Hawaiian setting. I found "The Goddesses" quite a interesting read that even thought it was captivating it could be somewhat a frustrating read at times too.

Thank you to Net Gallery for the read.

I recevied an ARC from NetGalley for this book. Although I liked the writing style and the book was well thought out with good characteriztion and a plot that moved forward, I didn't like the story. We have a pathetic woman who lived through her husband and children only to be let down by them. They "escape" to paradise after her husband cheats on her to start over. She finds a new friend and tries to live through her. Didn't work the first time, not going to work the second. I hate weak women in books. Posted on Goodreads.

It’s a rarity to find a true friend. You’re lucky if you have one you can call a friend. Nancy Murphy had a pretty decent life. And by that, I mean, it was mundane and boring. Her husband Chuck worked for Costco as a manager and pulled a nice salary. Nancy and Chuck needed a break from the norm. Unfortunately, Chuck made a break of the worst kind. He had an affair on his wife and both he and Nancy needed to have a fresh start.

So, Chuck moved his family from San Diego to Kona, Hawaii. What better place to start fresh than in the beautiful paradise of Hawaii. How could anyone stay mad in a place that was heaven on earth? Chuck was lucky that his company had a branch in Kona, so he could resume his work there. But Nancy, on the other hand, still wasn’t happy. She was trying to get her life back on track and struggling to trust her cheating husband.

Her twin sons, Jed and Cam, were in high school and doing their own thing, so Nancy had to discover hers. She joined a yoga class and met some eclectic personalities—one, Ana (pronounced On-Ah). Nancy couldn’t believe her luck. Ana was all the things she wanted in a friend, not to mention, all she wanted to be. The two of them became fast friends doing everything together. There was only one problem. Ana was dying.

Yes, Ana was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and only had so much time to live. Talk about luck, if it wasn’t for bad luck, poor Nancy wouldn’t have any. The one person who finally got her was going to be ripped away—to leave only her memories on Nancy’s aching heart. Their friendship grew so quickly, she soon began forgetting about her responsibilities at home. Jed and Cam had to fend for themselves, and Chuck, oh…who was that again? Yes, Nancy was having the time of her life with Ana.

Soon Nancy and Chuck were back at their crossroads, once again, and neither of them was doing anything to help save their failing marriage. In fact, Chuck began to get jealous of the relationship his wife shared with Ana. And that, readers, is where all the fun begins. When you think about people you know, and I’m not talking about just knowing of a person, but truly knowing a person, do you believe what that individual is showing you? At the end of the day, all you have is a person’s word.

When you have a bestie, there’s not much you wouldn’t do for them, right?

As you delve into Nancy and Ana’s relationship, it will make you examine your own relationships with people who are close to you. How much are you willing to do for another? How much love is too much love? Is there such a thing? Oh yes, this book raises many questions and challenges to the reader and I absolutely fell in love with this story.

OMG, Huntley wrote the hell out of this book! She takes you down so many paths, you’re not quite sure which road you’re on and when you get to the end, oh my! In the description of this book, I noticed it mentioned Single White Female and I thought of that while reading, but, I must say it had an entirely different vibe than SWF. I can’t say any more without revealing what happens, but this was one dynamic story. It’s well written and a page turner. You will not get enough of this story.

Mello & June gives The Goddesses five friendly high-fives! Outstanding read and quite entertaining. This would be a great book to take on vacation and get lost in Nancy and Ana. Wow, just amazing! I couldn’t get enough. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I’m a fan. She takes an old subject and gave it new life! This was a hot read for sure. The Goddesses goes on sale Tue., July 25, 2017. Don’t just add this to your to-read shelves, download and start immediately. You will not be sorry you did.

I love Swan Huntley, her writing style, her plots, and the gorgeous covers that grace her books! This one was no exception. As soon as I knew it was coming out, I knew I had to have it.

This book was better than her first. Well thought out, well executed, and a breeze to read. I will continue being a fan of her work. Nancy frustrated me, and I was irritated with just how much Anna took control of Nancy and her life. I would in no way let a friend have that much power. There is really a fine line between this friendship of theirs. I wanted Nancy to be a strong female character. Someone who would put her foot down, and get what she wanted. Sadly, that didn't really happen in this book. However I really still enjoyed it!

I really wanted to like this book. There are so many elements that drew me in ~ a life in transformation, Hawaii, yoga, friendship, but in the end it didn't deliver characters that are likable or even believable (especially the antagonist whose name I've already forgotten). Enough said.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. What in the heck did I just read? I didn't get it! Maybe if I could have related to the characters more, it would have worked for me. I kept waiting for the punch and it just never came. I expected more. I'm sure the story will find its audience, but very disappointing for me.

This book was great it held my attention from the first moment . I found it so easy to relate to the characters and feel their emotions. I loved the problems they were dealing with. I loved this book and will highly recommend it.

My rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

This book is about Nancy who recently moved with her husband Chuck and their teenage twins to Hawaii. In the island she meets Ana (pronounced "O-na") who is a yoga instructor, among other things. They start a friendship where Nancy is more of a traditional stay-at-home mom and Ana is sort of an adventurer, their personalities complement each other.

When I started reading I thought the book was mainly about female friendships and bonding and to some degree it is, but soon turns out to be darker than it appears after some events and this is where it gets very interesting. I will not go into any details as I love discovering things as I read and will not spoil the fun for you.

This is the second book I've read from the same author, the first one was We Could Be Beautiful which I loved.

Overall I enjoyed the book and recommend it to all those who love self-discovery journeys, themes of female friendship or just a good contemporary book.

Thanks to NetGalley, Swan Huntley, and Dobleday for providing me with a copy of this publication in exchange for an honest review.