Every so often I go into a book and I know as soon I as I start reading it that I am going to love it. This was one of those books.

Jane is living two lives. One as a successful lawyer in Malaysia, where she calls all the shots and is a force to be reckon with. Then there is plain Jane from Minnesota. Jane from Minnesota wears frumpy clothes, is docile and works at an insurance company as a data entry clerk.

Jane is living two lives for one reason and one reason only. To get revenge. Steven Hepsworth is her target. He also works at the insurance company. He is a preachers son. He appears to be a well rounded individual. Stephen may not be as he appears and Jane knows it. Jane knows all his secrets. Even though Jane has just met him. Will Jane take revenge too far? Will things turn deadly? Jane is a self proclaimed sociopath and even she isn't sure how far she will go. "I have never killed anyone. I am not that kind of sociopath. But you never know. Desperate times."

I have read some excellent books lately, but most have been slow burns. Taking off and becoming a 4 or 5 star read at about the half way point. Not Jane! Jane had me right from the start. Somehow this author managed to make a suspenseful thriller with a sociopath who is hilarious. There are so many great lines in this book it is too many to count. I found myself actually laughing out loud, literally. This book was so hard to put down that I have to let you in on a funny fact. I went to the eye doctor yesterday and they surprised me by saying I needed my eyes dilated. The first thought I had was NOOOOOO! I am 70% done with Jane, you can't do this to me. Well they didn't care much about Jane. As soon as I could focus my eyes, I got right back to reading about Jane.

This is a must read in my opinion! I loved this book. I am looking forward to reading more from this author. 5 fabulous stars from me!

Thank you so much to Victoria Helen Stone, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this fantastic book!

This book was not at all what I thought it was going to be…it was much better! The author has a very astute view of men’s and women’s roles in today’s society, and she uses her protagonist, Jane, to point out the inequities and hypocrisies. Jane’s ire is saved for one person, and her snarky, sarcastic asides on particular events and interactions save the observations from becoming feminist rhetoric. The characters are very vivid, as is the language that the author uses to illustrate her scenes (Jane has contempt for a “color theme of mud and s***” – which made me laugh). The plot is excellent and moves at a brisk pace. We know that Jane has ulterior motives for her actions from the very start, but the reasons for those motives unfold naturally and appropriately. The author also deftly weaves Jane’s realizations about herself into the main action, so that there are no moments of “wait, how did that happen?”. This book had me reading until after 2:00am, because I wanted to see how Jane’s plan panned out (mainly, I really wanted to be able to throat punch the villain more than a few times). Oh, and bonus points for the cat on top of the cabinet (that is literally where mine is right now as I do this review)! I highly recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and the author for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Meet Jane. Jane is a sociopath. She loved one person and that person is dead. Jane wants revenge.
Meet Steven. Steven is a middle class entitled white boy. I hope Jane kills him.
I loved this book. Jane is a lovable sociopath and you want her to win. Steven is the villain and you want to see him crushed. The author does a great job making the characters believable. I have to give it 4.5 stars because I didn’t love the ending. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick thriller.

Thanks for the early review copy!

I recommend this novel to fans of mystery novels. It was well-written and interesting novel.

I probably enjoyed this book more than I should. Is it normal to be completely absorbed and interested in a sociopath ruining a man’s life? Is it even more ludacris to find our sociopathic friend relatable? Well if it isn’t right, I don’t want to be wrong because Jane Doe is a compulsively good read. It isn’t twisty nor turny, I would not describe it as a thriller. But it is an exceptionally fun story with a darker air to it.

I have such and morbid fascination with our main character: Jane. On one hand, she is incredibly relatable. At least, I hope I wasn’t the only one who found her relatable, otherwise, this review just got incredibly awkward. She was a self-assured woman, who basically did what she wanted. Her whole strong, independent female part of her personality was relatable and slightly empowering. She works as a successful lawyer in another country. She made something of herself despite the most important people in one’s life being unreliable. And the thing I liked most about her was her relationship with books. However, there is one tiny hitch to Jane’s likableness. Oh yeah….she is a sociopath. The good news is she did research and not all of them are serial killers. So she had that going for her. She is a woman who doesn’t care for much, but when she does, she will do whatever it takes to right the wrongs served to those she loves. And yes, that is as menacing as it sounds.

Stone did exceptionally well differentiating the two personalities of Jane. While Jane was being her sociopathic self, she had little feelings or comprehension to human responses. While she was being Jane Doe, she was an entirely different person. Which we know is incredibly common for sociopaths. I just really appreciate the way these sides were presented to the reader by Stone. Some author’s don’t quite deliver the multiple personalities definitively enough to differentiate these "different people" creating a cluster fluck of confusion for the reads. Stone has a knack for the personality disorders and dark humor. And yes, this was intended as a compliment.

Jane’s overall purpose in this story is to ruin Steve Hempworth’s life. While Jane does not have much human empathy, she does feel anger and revenge. She goes out of her way, changes her life in order to con this man. I won’t go into great detail and spoil any of this delectable story. But I will mention one of my favorite elements. The Hempworth family is incredibly religious. Many religious sayings imply that “Only God can Judge Me.” However, this story is heavily revolved around Jane playing judge and juror for the Hempworth men. Which plays out in such a fascinating way. Truly loved this element of the story. In school your teachers always read deeply into the passages of books finding the underlying meaning. Not to toot my own horn, but I feel like I nailed this observation (no pun intended).

Overall, this story had me laughing, researching personality disorders, shocked and devouring this read. I would recommend it if you are looking for a quick, light read. I think others will find it just as addicting as I did.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy and the publishers for approving my request. Even though, I made my request after the official release date. Love the reading community’s generosity!

Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing sending me this book,in exchange for my honest review. This book was very addicting, it hooked me from the start and I didn't want to put it down. You will not be disappointed to read this one, if you love suspense. I very much hope there will be a sequel!

First I'd like to thank NetGalley for providing me with this review copy in return for myfeedback.

I was pretty disappointed with this story after reading a number of exceptional reviews. A lot of the reviews were from women, so perhaps the story struck a chord from women who have come across too many men like the targets in this story. I'll admit that they were low-life scum in their attitudes toward women, but I think Jane was looking too hard to blame them for her friend's unfortunate suicide. She looked very hard at their behavior, much of it imagined, and when she found anything she didn't like, that was enough to condemn them, even to death if it suited her. Although I wouldn't lose any sleep if someone like that died, I really think ignoring him is the right course of action for someone who doesn't treat you with respect unless there is a reason you cannot.

So, I didn't like the guy Jane targeted at all, and felt no sympathy for him or his father. But I didn't particularly like Jane either although I did feel some sympathy for her. But that was difficult, because of her actions.

Aside from this, there was just too much of the same thing over and over, hearing her justifications and reasons for her revenge. I get that she's got this antisocial personality disorder and doesn't really care about people - there's no reason to go on and on about it. I think the story might have been better if she didn't keep trying to justify her actions, and just did her thing a little more like Dexter in his TV show. He never tries to really explain or justify his actions, he just does his thing and tries not to get caught. The book was much longer than it needed to be, and it was hard not to just give up and stop reading.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! This is one of the best psychological thrillers I've ever read. This is a story that one can read all in one sitting because once you pick this one up, you won't want to put it down.

Told through Jane's point of view, Jane is a sociopath out looking for revenge & boy is it sweet! Such a fierce, intelligent, and loyal female that I would definitely want on my side & not the alternative. I loved Jane's love for her best friend and her witty sarcastic humor within her inner dialogue. I sincerely hope that author Victoria Helen Stone has a sequel in store for us readers because I need more of Jane please!!

Thank you for my opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I think it takes real talent to present a heroine who is anything but heroic. Jane is a self confessed sociopath and yet she clearly does have feelings. Jane might by choice be alone but she has one saving grace and that’s her ability to love Meg wholeheartedly . It’s just such a shame that the person she let in behind her walls has recently hit rock bottom and Meg has taken her own life. Jane knows who is to blame and sees no other choice other than to pack her bags and become everything she believes the egotistical Steven somehow wants in a woman. Told entirely from Janes perspective we see how odious and fake the church going Steven said is as Jane systematically inserts herself in his life and all whilst plotting to take it away ! Jane isn’t particularly kind but she deserves some happiness and she sweetly sets up a revenge that I honestly didn’t see coming. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and became completely sucked in.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I thought it was a well written, original, captivating and witty thriller.
This is the 1st book that I have read by this author but, it won’t be my last.
I highly recommend this book to everyone.

After reading a lot of romances lately, I felt in the mood for a mystery type novel. Jane Doe turned out to be more of romantic suspense fuelled with revenge. In this book, we meet a sociopath whom we only know as "Jane Doe." Jane's best friend Meg has died after committing suicide. After receiving a letter from Meg before she died, Jane decides to kill the one person who took away the only thing she ever loved - her best friend, Meg. So Jane goes on leave from work and gets a job at the company that Steven works at and sets her plan into motion and seduce him. During this time, she also runs into an old friend Luke who knew both her and Meg. We read as we can see that despite her sociopathic tendencies that Luke is a good guy and maybe will help her to move on from Meg and replace her love for Meg to Luke. Of course, she won't rest till Steven is either dead or ruined. This was a slower read than I thought it would be but was still good and I was so glad at the end when Jane exacted her revenge on Steven as I hated his character as well. He was such a jerk and hypocrite. He is also the type that gives Christians bad names. If you are in the mood for a bit of a suspense novel, then check out Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone. For those who don't realize Victoria Helen Stone is the pseudonym for the romance writer Victoria Dahl.

Meet beautiful self-proclaimed sociopath, Jane Doe. Jane is on a vendetta to avenge her best friend, Meg's suicide after being demeaned by boyfriend Steven. Jane takes an entry level job at the company where Steven works and quietly insinuates herself into his life by playing the coy ingenue who is simply flattered by his attention. Yes, she plots his demise. Yes, she gets caught up in his family and learns there is even more at stake as his pastor father and he harbor secrets that could ruin many people. And yes, this is reminiscent of the #MeToo movement--with role-reversal-- as Jane preys on this man with no mercy. She is witty, she is snarky, she is cunning in her ability to suss out his weaknesses and gain the upper hand. Quite frankly, I loved her and this very relevant novel that is poignant (no, not terribly realistic) and so well-written that I couldn't put it down. It has all the elements of a great thriller: pacing, snappy dialogue, a twisty plot, revenge plans, and a heroine you will root for even when she's plotting evil. And maybe, just maybe she's a sociopath with a heart! This is a must-read!

Thank you SO MUCH for this copy.

I had never read a Victoria Helen Stone book before and let me tell you...now I am a HUGE fan and will be downloading the others asap.

Jane Doe was fabulous. The writing is so simple and blunt but utterly captivating. The sarcasm and wit had me cracking up at some points. There are so many books based on revenge plots but this one could actually be real! Scary! Love love love. I hated when I was getting closer to the end but so happy to now be ready to read her next book.

Keep writing!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

First of all let me just say this, I never ever finish books in one sitting. Books normally don’t hold my attention for very long, maybe 1-2 hrs tops. But this all changed today after I picked up Jane Doe.

This book is amazing. It’s captivating. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It was flawlessly written, the story so very well developed. It was perfection. It’s a must read.

I loved Jane. I loved her messed up thoughts and her determination to avenge Meg’s death. Luke was the best possible thing that could happen to her. He totally got her and understood her.

The ending was satisfying. Well done. I can’t wait to read more by this author. I’m just so thankful I came across this book. It has moved to my top 5 favorite books of the year. I love the cover, it’s absolutely gorgeous.

P.S. Dear author, you’ve got a gift, a gift of telling a story that has not been told before. Thank you for this breath of fresh air. This book and this story will stay with me for a long time. Please keep writing beautiful, memorable stories like this one. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

First, let me say many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me access to an advanced reading copy of "Jane Doe" by Victoria Helen Stone. So rarely do highly touted novels live up to the hype for me but this book certainly did, for numerous reasons. To avenge her best friend Meg's suicide, whom Jane felt the closest to, she takes on a new identity to lure her ex-boyfriend (and largely believed to be the cause of the suicide) into a false relationship so she can use what she knows to destroy him. She inserts herself into his family life, his church, etc. She'll stop at nothing to achieve her means.

I thought Jane was a stand-out character, with acerbic, sarcastic wit and I enjoyed reading her on the page. There were a lot of gems I highlighted on my Kindle! From start to finish, this book moves along at a nice pace and I felt engrossed on every page. I really admired her dedication to revenge and making sure Steven was punished for his part in Meg's demise.

Okay, I have to agree with my fellow Goodreads friends that have read this book.....

THIS. WAS. SO. MUCH. FUN.

I don't think I have ever adored a sociopath before but there you have it. Jane Doe is so bad ass. I loved her so much. Seriously! She had me giggling throughout this entire book. If you like your humor dark then this is definitely a book for you.

I will warn some that this book is basically a middle finger salute to Christian hypocrisy which I happened to love but it may be a trigger for others that are religious.

I beg Victoria Helen Stone to write a sequel because I'm not ready to say goodbye to Jane yet. 4.5 stars!

I would like to thank Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone is quite a book! It is very much not my usual type of book, but the premise was intriguing to me and once I started I could not stop reading. Briefly, Jane Doe is the story of a woman who is a self-diagnosed sociopath who takes on an abuser who caused her best friend to kill herself. This the ultimate revenge book, but is more than just that. While I enjoyed some of the revenge plotting, and loved how that turned out, it was Jane who kept me reading. I only gave the book 4 stars because I wasn't entirely convinced by the authenticity of Jane's character, I would have liked to have understood her a little bit better. But overall, it was a good story and different to anything else I have ever read.

Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone is a psychological thriller without twists... just a crazy, fast read about revenge. I devoured it in a day. Jane is a self-diagnosed sociopath and I loved her. I want to be friends...she definitely looks after her friends! This book came out on August 1st, so do yourself a favor and get it. 🖤 This is my first read by Stone and now I’m looking to get her others!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.33 stars. Beware of Jane Doe! She's on a revenge mission, and she gives no quarter.

Jane Doe is an intriguing new suspense novel about a self-described sociopath. Jane is plotting revenge against the guy who emotionally abused her best (really only) friend Meg, a kindhearted person who is now dead. Although Jane feels some guilt for not having been present more in Meg's life to help her, by and large Jane lays the guilt for Meg's death solidly at the feet of Steven Hepsworth. Killing Steven isn't enough; she wants him to really experience pain. What kind of pain, Jane isn't exactly sure yet, but she's sure she'll figure it out.

"This relationship will be tedious and nearly unbearable, but the ends will justify the means. Maybe I'll destroy his family. Maybe I'll set him up for embezzlement. Maybe I'll kill him.

"I'll find out what is most important to him and then I'll take it away. However that plays out is fine with me."

So Jane leaves her job as a high-powered international lawyer and takes a low-level data entry job at the company where Steven works as a middle manager. Jane remakes herself in the process, changing her last name, her hair and dress, and generally toning down her looks and behavior to match the vulnerable type of woman that appeals to Steven. It only takes three days for Steven to take the bait.

Jane has no problem using lies and sex to further her plans, but then things get unexpectedly complicated. There's someone who recognizes Jane from her past life ...

I had some issues with this novel. The author sets up Steven and his family as too-easy targets to hate: religious hypocrites of the worst sort. They pretty much have no redeeming qualities, and as such they're very thin characters. Jane takes several potshots at religion generally and the Hepworth's brand in particular. Jane has casual sex with several guys during the course of her escapade (some purely for her revenge plan), so if that's not your type of read, you won't care for this book. And I thought the ending pulled its punches.

Jane is a really interesting character, though. She's generally coldhearted and may be sociopathic, but she's not really the murderous type. She has no compunctions about using people, but she cared deeply about Meg. She adopts a cat (she loves its standoffish personality, of course) and doesn't name it ... but she still cares about it.

Overall I'd say the plot buildup is a little too slow, with some repetitive elements that could have been trimmed. Still, I have to say I couldn't put it down! I read the whole thing in one evening.

Jane’s days at a Midwest insurance company are perfectly ordinary. She blends in well, unremarkably pretty in her floral-print dresses and extra efficient at her low-level job. She’s just the kind of woman middle manager Steven Hepsworth likes—meek, insecure, and willing to defer to a man. No one has any idea who Jane really is. Least of all Steven.

But plain Jane is hiding something. And Steven’s bringing out the worst in her.

Nothing can distract Jane from going straight for his heart: allowing herself to be seduced into Steven’s bed, to insinuate herself into his career and his family, and to expose all his dirty secrets. It’s time for Jane to dig out everything that matters to Steven. So she can take it all away.

Just as he did to her.- Goodreads

I requested this book on Netgalley by a referral from another book reviewer. The premise of the story sounded great and when I jumped into, I was genuinely looking forward to reading this. I know this intro sounds like I didn't like the book but I did but I also know what it is.

Jane Doe is a slow burn to a predictable conclusion. Yup, that is the book in a fairly completely nutshell. There are things that are great about this book but it is simple. Like all revenge novels, the book is slow. There needs to be a build up of suspense and as a reader you need to get to know the characters.

Jane is dull and completely uninteresting. The author did nothing to really spice her up but played on the fact that she was a plain girl that was extremely intelligent when it came to manipulation and seduction.  I can see why the author did this. She wrote Jane to be as unemotional except for the reason why she is seek revenge. She made her really lacking to make what she was doing even more spectacular, for the lack of a better term. Jane, despite her non-existing personality, there is something about her that you know if you passed her on the street, you may do a double take.

As I mentioned this book is a slow burn. It takes its time to build up because although Jane's plan is predictable it is the perfect plan. Not a whole lot happens, so if you are expecting Jane to be diving in and out of cars and sneaking into office buildings for files in the middle of the night, don't pick up this book. Jane does her stealthy thing but the mission impossible theme music or even thrill is not to be found in this read. 

Overall, if this is your first time reading a revenge book, I would highly recommend it. Its a solid read and I enjoyed it. It was the perfect book for a road trip.

3 Pickles