Thank you St Martin's Press for the advanced copy of this book - all opinions are my own.

Yet again, Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen have knocked it out of the park for a psychological thriller and character drama that you just cannot set down.

I was heavily anticipating this read this winter, as I loved their last book together. This was completely worth the wait - this is a story that is fast paced, dark, twisting, clever and written in their signature crisp prose. I fell right into this story as Jess sneaks into a psychological study and finds herself in deeper than she bargained for.

I had previously heard the argument that something like this would never happen, as Dr Shields is in fact a doctor but I disagree - I loved the premise regardless of whether it could or could not really happen. I loved the twisting, psychotic nature of Dr Shields, and I loved that there was no way to sort out what the ultimate motive was for the study itself until the bitter end.

I won't give too much away, as readers will want to enjoy the twists for themselves, but I will say that I think this is the perfect snowy day read - creepy, atmospheric and guaranteed to hold your attention to the very last page.

Let’s just say these two incredible authors collaborations are the best!! They know how to keep their reader at the edge of their seat flipping pages as fast as they can. Totally captivating from beginning to the very end! Their writing style is flawless and seamless! A dynamic duo of authors!! Growing suspense you’ll want to know what happens next!! I highly recommend this one!!!

Thank you Netgalley and to St. Martin’s press for the advance copy for my honest review!!

Makeup artist Jessica Farris sneaks into a psychological study to make some extra money. Just answer some questions honestly and off you go with the much needed cash in hand. Nothing is ever as simple as it appears. Jess becomes enthralled, borderline hypnotized by the very sophisticated, beautiful woman named Dr. Shields who is running the study. Jess becomes extremely paranoid and although she sets out to be as honest as possible, there is information she holds back to protect herself and those she loves. The more data Dr. Shields gathers, the more Jess becomes obsessed with finding answers to the mysteries that unfold during the study. Suddenly an academic view of morality becomes very personal when Dr. Shields is using Jess to uncover her husbands supposed deceit. Full of exquisite twists and turns, it is not clear until the very end if there is anyone left to trust. If you like suspenseful thrillers, An Anonymous Girl will not disappoint. Thanks to co-authors Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, for another unpredictable, unputdownable and truly creepy novel.

Subject 52. Jessica thought she was trading a few hours of her time answering survey questions about morality and ethics for a quick $500. Simple, right? Little did she know that she was getting in way over her head. Who is Dr. Shields and what is her study really about? What does she ultimately want?

An Anonymous Girl was absolutely fantastic! I LOVED Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen's earlier effort, The Wife Between Us, and couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. Once I started reading, I absolutely devoured it. The chapters alternate between Jessica and Dr. Shields and you slowly get insight into each of them and what they really want (and how far they'll go to get it). The pacing is perfect and this book is nearly impossible to put down. Just one more chapter before bed!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The story is divided into three parts. I didn't become very invested until about the 20% mark, but after that it really had my attention. I thought it was impressive how the two points of view never became confusing.

I didn't necessarily like Jessica all the time, but I understood her way of thinking. The authors did a nice job of tightening the net around Jessica gradually, so that it wasn't completely implausible that she could remain in in an increasingly disturbing situation.

Things were resolved in a much simpler way than I was expecting. I didn't think that was a bad thing, but it did surprise me. The very last part left a little bit of a bitter taste for me.

Overall, the story was very interesting and the suspense was beautifully built.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

I have never read a book like An Anonymous Girl. It is so unique with interesting characters and a concept that has you wondering what would I do…

The novels goes back and forth between Jessica and Dr. Shields and just when I thought I had things figured out, the novel takes a different turn. My Christmas holidays were busy, but I found myself trying to find time to read just a little bit more.

I’m giving the An Anonymous Girl a lower rating because I didn’t enjoy it as much as The Wife Between Us (which I also gave 3 stars). An Anonymous Girl had a bit of a slower build and it didn’t have nearly the amount of twists as The Wife Between Us.

Check it out, it’s such an unique creepy read!

My head is still spinning from all the lies, and manipulation, and power plays that ran throughout this story. Who is telling the truth? What is the actual truth? Would anyone within these pages even recognize the truth anymore? How is Jess going to get out of this mess? Who is manipulating who? So many questions. I couldn't flip the pages fast enough. I was down to my last 10%. I was breathless. I'm finally going to get my answers and understand what in the hell is actually going on. And, I did get those answers...and sadly I wanted more. I wanted different answers. I expected a more complicated outcome. The writing here is phenomenal. The storyline unique and well thought out. The premise was simply brilliant. I just wanted a more power-punched ending is all.

Jessica (Jess) is a makeup artist who makes house calls during the day to apply makeup to her clients for a special occasion. When she overhears a client discussing a study that pays $500, she is intrigued. She snags the information and shows up. The study is on morality and ethics headed up by a Dr. Shield. She simply sits in a room in front of a computer and types in answers to questions on morality and ethics. She tries to be very honest. But what she thought was to be a short study is now expanding as Dr. Shield shows more interest in her and her answers and now wants to meet her in person.

Jess’s parents don’t make a lot or money and they also have to care for Jess’s sister, who suffers the after-effects of a brain injury. Her therapy is quite expensive and secretly Jess pays for a lot of it with the bit of money she makes. Needing extra money is one big reason she is willing to participate in the study.

As Jess becomes more involved with Dr. Shield, she realizes that she is being asked to do some things that make her uncomfortable but needing the money she realizes she may be in over her head.

This is a well-written, very descriptive story that perfectly describes a narcissist. If I have any complaints at all, it would be the almost text-like verbiage in the book. However, I realize that without it, the book would not be as “real” as it is. Well done, authors!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Ok, if you enjoy psychological thrillers, this one is sure twisted and will keep you page turning.
Obsessive, cunning, and just as good as her previous book that I devoured, The Wife Between Us, and you won’t be able to put it down until you have the answers, and then this one will linger with you for a long time, and maybe looking over your shoulder.
Wow, big brother has nothing on these folks, they seem to know even your personal thoughts.
A don’t miss book that you won’t forget.

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher St. Martin’s Press, and was not required to give a positive review.

Jess is just barely making it in New York City as a professional makeup artist. When she hears one of her vapid clients plans to blow off a questionnaire that would pay $500, Jess smoothly inserts herself into the study instead. Ironic, really, that she lies to get into a study on morality. Things swiftly spin out of control from there. What starts as a series of hypothetical questions about ethics soon expands into the real world with unnerving effects. Jess must grapple with her own demons and the numerous secrets of the enigmatic Dr. Shields in this gripping tale of psychological suspense.

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews on https://www.NerdGirlLovesBooks.wordpr...

This was a very good psychological thriller. The plot was interesting, the action was fast-paced and there are characters you can love and hate. The book is a quick read and I had a hard time putting it down.

Jessica Farris is a young make-up artist struggling to make a living in NYC. Her younger sister has a medical condition that requires expensive treatment and her parents are barely making ends meet. While putting makeup on a young college student, Jess overhears her talking about participating in a morality and ethics psychological study at their college that pays a lot of money. Gambling that the student will blow off the study in the morning, Jess goes to the appointment and takes her place. While the questions are invasive and difficult, Jess rationalizes that a little discomfort is worth it if she's able to help her parents with her sister's medical bills.

Jess is asked back several times by the psychologist, Dr. Shields, to answer more questions. Each session is more invasive than the next, but the payments are just too good to pass up. Then Jess is asked to take the study a step further and perform a variety of tasks at the direction of Dr. Shields. As the tasks become more dangerous and questionable, Jess must figure out what the truth really is and who she can trust.

This was a fun book. The plot is far-fetched, but if you can suspend disbelief and let yourself get caught up in the twists and turns of the book, you won't be mad at it. I haven't read this author before, but will definitely check out the other books. I recommend you read this book!

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Let's just pretend you're Jess. Late twenties and a hardworking cosmetic artist, you need to find a way to make some extra cash to send home to cover the expenses of a disabled sister. 
An opportunity presents itself.
You take it.
At first, getting paid to be the anonymous subject in an ethics study seems pretty harmless. It's an easy way to make some good extra cash. Just sit at a computer and answer some questions. Ok well the questions start to get personal and you convince yourself that no one will ever know. Just type your answers and collect your money. Done.
But one day, you aren't subject 52 anymore. You are the sole subject in Dr. Shield's study. You meet her. Your relationship gets personal. You reveal things about yourself that seem to flow out of your mouth. Dr. Shields seems so helpful, so professional. Will you regret getting involved? But the money is so good. Her help is so welcomed. Why YOU? Does Dr. Shield's want to help you or does she have an ulterior motive? 
This is a chilling story of a vulnerable young woman who has some secrets she is hesitant to reveal to a Dr. who also has secrets she is hesitant to reveal! LOVED this story. Two talented authors strike again!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving and advanced copy. Rating 2.5 stars

I loved “The Wife Between Us” and was ready for another no holds barred, twisted ride with Jessica, Subject 52, who signs up for a psychological study on morality and ethics. Do you think you’re in trouble when you lie your way into a study on ethics because you need the money? Dr. Shields takes a special interest in Jessica and lures her in with expensive gifts, high paycheques, and what is amounting to free therapy in exchange for following her instructions in what appears to be testing the mettle of a married man. Written in alternating POV between Jessica and Dr. Shields, this cat and mouse story tries to keep you off kilter as you see how Dr. Shields spins her web, always having an explanation for putting Jessica in situations that don’t feel right, in fact they make Jessica feel icky. But by this point Jessica has spilled her guts to this woman who knows all of her dark secrets and insecurities. Dr. Shields is not only beautiful, self assured, has impeccable taste and always seems to know the right thing to say to put Jessica’s fears to rest. She also knows whenever Jessica is not being completely honest. When Jessica finds out that the married man is Dr. Sheilds’ husband, Thomas, she knows something is not right. But when Thomas warns Jessica that Dr. Shields in dangerous, Jessica knows she is in trouble.

Hendricks and Pekkanen write really well together, but this was not as exciting a story as their first novel. There was some suspense, but nothing like the thrilling tickle when you don’t know who is lying and who is telling the truth and will the protagonist make it out alive! There isn’t any surprising twist that you can’t see coming. This one just leads you down the path until the end. You know who that bad guy is and you can guarantee the protagonist is going to survive and yes there is some information revealed but no wow factor. The seduction of Jessica is interesting enough to keep reading but I needed more. I want that “can’t-put-it-down” feeling, or at least some doubt as to whether the doctor or Thomas is the bad guy. A lot was left untapped with Jessica and the minor characters like Lydia, and Josh, to name a few where more could have been done to create tension. Just an okay read for me.

An Anonymous Girl is the second psychological thriller by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen.
Jessica Farris (Jess) is in need of money and signs up for a psychological study conducted by Dr. Shields. Jess got more than she bargained for in this morality study. Dr. Shields seems to know what Jess is thinking and is always step ahead her. Jess is naïve, honest, and questions herself and Dr. Shields. Dr. Shields is mysterious, manipulative and cunning.

An Anonymous Girl is a fast paced page turner with twists and turns in every chapter. The story is told from both Jess and Dr. Shields views. It is full of lies, guilt, obsession, betrayal and suspense. I highly recommend this book. Thank you for Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.

The blurb tells you all you need to know about how Jessica gets involved with Dr Lydia Shields. From the get go, I wasn't really into the psychological study aspect. I found it strange and unbelievable. I have no problem suspending my disbelief, but for me, this entire plot was just TOO unbelievable. Maybe it's because I have a background in psychology but the Dr's in this book were so far out of the realm of realistic, I just couldn't be on board with most of the plot.

As for Jessica, I would say she was the most developed character but I would've liked more character development with everyone overall. Around the 50% mark I started to enjoy the cat & mouse that developed when Jessica finally started to take matters into her own hands and stopped being so passive when it came to Dr Shields and another character. The story is told through alternating perspectives of Jessica and Dr Shields; however, Dr Shields speaks in the second person for her sections - as if she's talking directly to Jessica - I wasn't crazy about this technique.   This very much boiled down to a story of  manipulations, lies upon lies, and who's really the dangerous one. For me, I found it to be too drawn out (I skimmed here and there) and ultimately predictable.  However, the very reasons this wasn't for me are the reasons so many are loving this (especially if you love psychological thrillers),

4.5 stars rounded up!

You're invited: Seeking women aged 18 to 32 to partcipate in a study on ethics and morality conducted by a preeminent NYC psychiatrist. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed. Call for more details.


Jessica is a woman in her late twenties trying to make it in NYC. She loves to do makeup and that's what she does for a living. She is employed by a company that does on demand, at home, makeup application. She dreams of doing makeup for broadway and different shows one day. For now, she's just making it as much as she can. She also has a sister who has a disability and she secretly helps support her parents with her sister's medical costs. Basically, Jessica is just scraping by.

One day she is doing a college girl's makeup and the client is talking about doing a study - that's worth $500. This interests Jessica and she secretly takes the info when the girl is not looking and plans on posing to be her at the study. Jess ends up going to the study only to tell them who she really is but ends up being a very interesting subject - Subject 52 to be exact, for Dr. Shield's and her team. Dr. Sheild's can't get enough. She asks Jessica back for more and has her answer some really deep questions. She makes her dig deep and if she thinks the answer is not deep enough she says "try again."

Eventually this evolves into a 1-on-1 study in Dr. Shield's house. Dr. Shield tells Jessica she will pay her a ton of money but things are about to go even deeper. Jess has bills to pay and family guilt to take care of so she agrees. What transpires in the rest of the book is insane. Love, lust, guilt, adultery, lies, etc. You name it, it's probably in here. Is all comes down to the question: "Is it worth it?"

I read this book in under 24 hours. If I didn't have to go to work today, I would have easily stayed up and read this all night and finished it in a few hours. I was so excited for the Wife Between Us by Greer and Sarah early last year but this one, in my opinion, is even better! I loved the short and fast paced chapters. They are not named with Jessica or Dr. Shield's names but you get a general gist of who's chapters are who's when you dive in.

I think what really won me over in this book was the overall complexity of each character. Just when I thought I had them figured out they really turned another way. Were there some parts that were predictable and maybe not as shocking as the anticipation in the beginning of the chapter made it out to be? Sure. But the weaving of the character's throughout each chapter and how many turns there were kept me engaged and hooked in for the ride.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my ARC of this book. This comes out, tomorrow, January 8th, 2019 and I highly recommend you pick it up!

Well, this book was definitely unique. After having read Greer Hendricks’ and Sarah Pekkanen’s debut novel The Wife Between Us, I was really excited to read their next collaboration. And this book did not disappoint. This was a fascinating psychological, cat-and-mouse with a great story-line and excellent characters. The chapters alternate between Jessica (Subject 52) and Dr. Shields (the person conducting the morality and ethics research project). It was fast-paced, full of suspense and drama right up to the end. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of Greer Hendricks' "An Anonymous Girl" in exchange of an honest review.

When Jessica Farris decides to sneak her way into a psychological study, she thinks the extra money will be good to help out her family and her own struggling finances. Dr. Shields seems like a caring doctor who while going through the study seems to be helping Jess with her own issues. But she's in for more than she bargained for. When the Q&A portion of the study is over, Dr. Shields sends Jess on different tasks throughout the city some of which turn out to be dangerous. Will she be able to get herself out of this situation before it takes a turn she can't undo?

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I have been looking forward to this book ever since I found out it was coming out at the end of last summer. Now it is finally here for everyone to enjoy.

This book is unlike any other book I have ever read. It kept me on the edge of my seat from the beginning to the end. Just when you think you know what is going to happen, there is a twist and you're like What the ... ?

Jess Farris is a makeup artist in New York City. She has a few close friends, but she works just to live and to help her parents pay for her sister's medical bills. Jess could be any young woman in America. Trying to find her place in the world. When an opportunity presents itself, to earn a few extra dollars, who wouldn't jump on that? While reading this book, I could really feel myself in the characters shoes. I don't know that I would have been brave enough to do some of the things that Jess did, but trying unconventional things to earn money I can totally see myself doing.

What a great way to start 2019 with this amazing book. I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I did. I can't wait to discuss it with you. My first book and first 5 star. I hope the rest of my reading year goes as great as this first book does.

An Anonymous Girl, by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Short Take: I am never doing one of those surveys for money again. Like, EVER.

(*Note: I received an advance copy of this book for review.*)

I don’t know about all of you, but I’m always up for making a few extra bucks, and one of the easier ways to do so (if you have lots of free time & a high tolerance for being asked the same question 50 different ways) are those online survey sites. What’s good/bad about those things is how mundane and standardized they are - no matter how you answer a question, the next question is the same for everyone. I’d venture to say that most in-person research surveys function the same way (I haven’t done those, it’s too people-y out there). But the most important aspect of research surveys of either flavor is that they don’t impact your “real” life at all.

Enter Jessica Farris. A struggling makeup artist in New York City, she rushes from job to job, scrambling to make enough to cover her bills, and to send money back home to help care for her disabled sister, Becky. So it’s obviously Too Good To Be True when she is admitted (read: scams her way) into a lucrative gig. Take a survey on ethics and morality, with a few follow up sessions, and make several hundred dollars per session.

What Jessica doesn’t know is that Dr. Shields, the psychiatrist running the study, has an agenda that goes far beyond academic research, and it doesn’t take long for the tasks to move from a computerized survey to real-world “experiments”. Go to this hotel bar. Wear a black dress. Flirt with this man.

Jessica (of course) becomes increasingly uncomfortable with the entire process, but she has already confessed her Darkest Secret to Dr. Shields and is now unable to extricate herself without risking her relationships with everyone she cares about. As she desperately tries to find a way out, the doctor is just as determined to keep the experiment going, using every type of manipulation in a psychiatrist’s toolbox (and WHOA, there are a WHOLE LOT).

I’m just gonna stop with the plot description right here. If you’re reading this review, chances are, you’ve read a lot of psychological thrillers, and you already have a handle on the whole cat-and-grossly-outmatched-mouse thing. So I’m just going to say that Ms. Hendricks & Ms. Pekkanen knocked that one out of the park. Dr. Shields is brilliant, obsessive, and ice-cold, and Jessica’s anguish and confusion as she dives, headfirst and unprepared, into a thorny tangle of relationships, betrayals and lies is palpable.

As far as villains go, Dr. Shields is a really, really good one. I’ve spent a lot of words in the past about the obnoxious “criminal mastermind” cliche, and although the not-so-good doctor is scarily smart and observant, her genius runs in one compulsive direction. There’s no “psychiatrist who is great at studying and manipulating people who’s also a master hacker, bomb maker, and bazillionaire who has a torture palace the size of a city block that nobody knows about” here.

I have to add, also, that the chapters from Dr. Shields’ point of view maintain an unnervingly clinical, detached tone. It’s chilling, and maybe does more for the story than the actions and plot itself.

In the end though, An Anonymous Girl suffers from, well, the end. It’s not terrible, but kind of predictable and handled in an abrupt way that focuses on one character and leaves several plot threads involving others hanging. I would’ve liked some kind of epilogue, an update on [spoiler]’s life after the climactic final confrontation.

In the end though, An Anonymous Girl is a fun, twisty little thriller, and the research/experiments angle is something new & different.

The Nerd’s Rating: FOUR HAPPY NEURONS (and some grapes and brie - the snack of champion psychos!)

This is a pretty fascinating thriller from the authors of The Wife Between Us. Jessica Farris is a young woman living in NYC who is barely able to make ends meet working as a make-up artist, when she hears about an easy way to earn a quick $500--by taking part in a study on ethics and morality. But there is more going on here than meets the eye and Jess finds herself drawn into increasing questionable situations. Moral dilemmas are examined here--what would YOU do for money? When do you draw the line?

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley for my honest review. Many thanks!