I enjoyed The Wife Between Us and was excited to receive Hendricks and Pekkanen's second novel from the publisher! My undergrad was in psychology so this one grabbed me from the beginning and kept me hooked. By the time I got halfway through the book, I literally did not stop reading. Though I was irritated with Jess for much of the book (I wanted to shake her and yell "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!") I just couldn't put it down. Like Jess, I was sucked into the crazy story and couldn't look away from the wreckage. Who can she trust? What can she do? How will this end? I couldn't stop reading because I needed answers!

The book was told alternately from Jess's point of view and Dr. Sheilds' point of view, which did give some insight into the story. Dr. Sheilds' portions were written as if she were talking or writing to Jess, which felt awkward to me, but perhaps that was the point. It added to how creepy and weird the whole thing was. An Anonymous Girl is a fantastic, edge of your seat, ignore everything around you until you finish it psycological thriller! Don't miss this one!

I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict that this thrill-writing duo will be the next BIG THING in 2019! Since their first book, The Wife Between Us, was such a huge success in 2018, I wasn't sure if they had what it takes to publish another hit so soon - but they did (and might have even got better!) This story was so twisted and realistic with cringe-worthy moments on every page.

<i>You're Invited: Seeking women aged 18 to 32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality conducted by a preeminent NYC psychiatrist. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed. Call for more details.</i>

This is how the story begins, and how our protagonist gets involved in a cat and mouse game disguised as a psychiatric study. I can't tell you how many times I got goosebumps while reading this! I was completely unaware that my perception was being manipulated at every turn. Once I realized what was happening, I couldn't put it down; I had to ride it out and see who was going to outsmart the other. It's not easy to deceive a seasoned thriller audience but I believe this one has done it!

Hard to say if I liked this book better than The Wife Between Us. I do think in some aspects the writing was more polished if that makes sense and it was fast paced and hard to put down. However it still annoyed me a pinch (won't say - spoiler) that said- I do recommend it and will read books by this team in the future.

This was a book that I really enjoyed reading. It was thrilling and mind boggling. Trying to figure out how all of the pieces fit together was not an easy feat by any means.

Jessica is living life how she knows best. Working to provide for herself and secret medical payments for her family, going out with friends to relieve stress and hooking up with men she has no intention of contacting again. One deviation from her normal routine is all it takes to turn Jessica's world upside down.

Entering the study was easier than Jessica could have ever dreamed of. The extra money will be a big help with the monthly bills, but when an opportunity to make more money is offered Jessica can't help but say yes, no matter what it's going to cost her in the future.

An Anonymous Girl is a is a story that will engage your mind, challenge your thought process and have you racing to see exactly how everything is connected.

This is an amazing psychological thriller. Anonymous is my first book by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen and it won’t be my last.
This novel has more twists and turns, swooping ups and downs than even the scariest rollercoaster ride. The suspense build and you hold your breath waiting for the drop. Who to trust? Who to believe? What’s the truth? At every turn there’s another twist.
Who would have thought that lying in order to participate in a study on ethics and morality would lead to such a wild ride? Was the promise of generous compensation worth the lie?
Read this book! It grabs you from the start and holds you to the end. It is well written and the characters are intriguing. You won’t regret it.
Thank you to #Netgalley and #StMartinsPress for the ARC. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

When you sign up to be in a psychology moral study but you get in my cheating...

Jessica is a struggling make-up artist in New York City. She thinks quick cash, answer some moral questions... easy peasy but she is quickly in over her head. She desperately searches for ways to get away from her involvement with the study & the Dr conducting the study.

This was a good entertaining thriller! I would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

I received this free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my opinion and review. This book is about a questionnaire gone bad. There many twists and turns that had me second guessing who might truly be the “bad guy.” I couldn’t put it down!

This is the type of book where I don't want to say too much in fear I will give something away. But, I will say this, the storyline was so original and captivating that I couldn't put it down! This left me feeling speechless and saying to myself "what did I just read"... but in a very good way!

The writing was brilliant and flawless! I'm waiting on the edge of my seat for the next book these awesome duo writers come out with next. Highly Recommend!

*Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

This was so unlike anything I've ever read that I didn't really know what to expect. Did I love it? Yes. Did it completely mess with my mind? Yes. Did I anticipate a strange and somewhat unsatisfactory ending to a strange, unpredictable plot? No. I loved every bit of this book because it was so unlike any other thriller/mystery novel I've read. I wasn't thrilled with the ending only because I feel like it was a predictable way to end an otherwise unpredictable novel. But this book consumed me all day, from start to finish.

Ohhh mama this was good!! Great way to end my 2018! This author duo has got.it.down. I enjoyed their first book but LOVED this one, read it in a day! It started off strong, and started to lull just a wee bit and then BOOM here is a twist and it never stopped from there! This is a great psychological thriller that kept me guessing on a couple of things, and I love when authors can do that.

Official pub date is 1/8/19. Go get it as soon as it is released!!!

Thanks to NetGalley for the electronic ARC in exchange for my review. All opinions above are my own.

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen was one of those books I couldn’t put down. I pretty much read it in one day. I kept turning pages trying to figure out what was going on with Dr. Shields and where the story was going to go next. The readability was definitely a strength of this book. However, some of the reveals were a letdown and became somewhat predictable. I kept waiting for an explosive event. Instead this books proceeds at an even, though intense pace. Regardless it was an interesting book that got me thinking. Recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley And the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!

. Morality and truth are difficult parts of life. The author explored this theme through the eyes of Dr. Shields, her husband and the subjects of her morality study. I enjoyed how the authors developed characters that were believable and for which I found myself alternating between love and hate for all of the main characters. The story builds to a conclusion that leaves the reader unsure what the truth is until the final word.

Sometimes a test is so small and quiet you don't even notice it's a test.

Uhm. Wow.

What starts as a study and answering a few questions, escalates to something way bigger than Jess had anticipated. She wasn't supposed to be part of the study, but she lies in order to secure a spot because she could really use the money. Before she knows it, she is pushing moral boundaries and wondering why Dr. Shields is asking her to do these things. After some digging, it all comes to light. And it's way more than Jess bargained for.

An Anonymous Girl sneaks up on you. You start reading and before you know it, you're engrossed in the story. I liked that there wasn't a HUGE plot twist like in The Wife Between Us. There were smaller, shocking moments, that kept the momentum of the story going. It just kept picking up speed, until all is revealed at the end.

This one is a definite Must Read.

If you’re into screwed up marriages, twisted sociopaths and brilliant stalkers, then you’d better grab a copy of An Anonymous Girl when it publishes on Jan. 8, 2019. Because this psychological thriller from bestselling authors Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen will give any lovers of Gone Girl, The Widow, or Girl on the Train their fix.

THE STORYLINE
An Anonymous Girl begins by following Jessica (friends call her “Jess”)—your typical poor, young makeup artist living in New York City. Like many struggling artists in The Big Apple, Jess has secrets from her past she doesn’t want to face, which makes finding a relationship a tad difficult.

When the opportunity for some easy cash practically falls onto her lap during a makeup session one day, Jess signs up for a mysterious study on morality from the esteemed Dr. Shields. But as Jess becomes Subject 52, she begins to learn this study isn’t what it seems and now she’s in so deep, she’s not sure she can make it out alive.

WHAT I LOVED
The story’s pace is so fast—with its short chapters and cliffhangers—I found it hard to put down (even when I was exhausted from a long day at work). An Anonymous Girl switches point-of-view between Jess and Dr. Shields, which adds a layer of psychological depth to their newly forming, toxic relationship.

I don’t go for cheap thrills, instead preferring story arcs that allow me to understand a character’s motivations. I want to know the why and An Anonymous Girl delivers, developing a complex, fascinating and terrifying villain in Dr. Shields. In the end, you might find yourself empathizing with this cold, calculating doctor.

WHAT NEEDED WORK
I wanted more punch from the end. The story’s intensity developed so well, but the end wasn’t as strong as the buildup. It wasn’t ­bad, per say; in fact, the final note still completed the story nicely and gave me a sense of satisfaction. It just wasn’t enough.

THE FINAL NOTE
A story of obsession and control, An Anonymous Girl will chill you to your bone and leave you pondering its intricate and dark characters. This is a strong book, a quick read—and I promise, it will be worth your time.

“It’s easy to judge other people’s choices... We all have reasons for our actions. Even if we hide the reason from those who think they know us best. Even if the reasons are so deeply buried we can’t recognize them ourselves.”
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I loved The Wife Between Us; it was one of my top reads from 2018. I was so excited when St Martins Press sent me this ARC of An Anonymous Girl. Between the cover and first page, I was lured in. It was a slow start for me but once I hit halfway I couldn’t put the book down and breezed right through to the end.
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Jessica Farris is a 28 year old, struggling makeup artist traveling from client to client in NYC. Her life was normal and uneventful until one 45 minute makeup secession lead to one overheard voicemail about an upcoming NYU psychiatrist’s study and Jess makes a snap decision that changes her life. I don’t feel like I can say much without giving anything away. But Jessica is asked a series of questions based on morality and ethics and given various scenarios. Based on her answers she becomes the perfect subject for a study conducted by Dr. Shields. Jessica becomes Subject 52, and no only discovers the premise of the study but also more about the past she, herself, had previously hidden.
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“A secret is only a secret if one person holds it.”
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An Anonymous Girl is out January 8, 2019. A must add to your January reading if you haven’t read it already. Thank you St Martins Press for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jess is a cash-strapped young woman who lies to get into a study on ethics and morality. Ironic, no? I was immediately hooked.

The study starts out with her answering simple ethics questions for which she gets paid handsomely. Apparently, Jess forgot these adages: 1) if it looks too good to be true, it is too good to be true and 2) you don’t get something for nothing.

As the financial compensation increases, Jess is required to do field work in real life scenarios, which makes her increasingly more uncomfortable and suspicious. Jess soon finds herself up against a diabolical schemer.

The first half of the book is a slow burn. It was interesting enough, but I had no trouble putting the book down. However, in the last half, the suspense builds and I finished the book in one sitting.

Twisty tales that deliver twists only for the shock value leave me cold. But twists combined with secrets, obsessive love, the psychology of motives, honesty, and ethics and I’m in 100%. I was kept guessing as to who was the villain and which one would outsmart their opponent in this cat and mouse game. One twist I saw coming but it didn't ruin the fun and the ending still surprised me.

For me, a psychological thriller has to be fun, and this one delivers. Plus, it features a psychiatrist, always an added plus, since I love to delve into what makes people tick. There are a lot of interesting themes explored that kept me invested. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a stickler for believability but who cares about total believability when you’re having this much fun?

The book is broken up in three parts and I really consider DNFjng during the first part but I had a lot of people tell me to just keep going because things will get better and I’m glad I did. I didn’t get hooked into the book until part 2. What I liked is how the book has short chapters but I didn’t like the second POV chapters. They creeped me out lol. I can’t even go into the details of the story but this book was really crazy. I never knew what to believe and I feared for Jess every time she was with Dr. Shields. Who is a crazy lady may I add?

I may have to read the authors first book because this one was fairly good.

This was a fast-paced psychological thriller that I gave 3/5 stars. I enjoyed it, but I found the ending to be slightly anticlimactic. I did like the protagonist, a young woman named Jess who does makeup for a living, but gets herself caught up in a psychological experiment that doesn't turn out to be quite what she expected. It was an interesting read, and I liked the way the psychologists perspective was written as though it was her notes. Objective. Scientific. And, I guess the ending did fit with the rest of the plot when I think about it now, it just makes sense, but I thought with such an uneven playing field between antagonist and protagonist, it would've been a lot harder for our young heroine to triumph.

This book is already earning a lot of hype, so when I was given an ARC By NetGalley, I was excited to be one of the firsts to read it.
I liked this book, and it was different from other thrillers but, I found Jess the protagonist a little annoying. Jess was annoying because she was earning and saving money to help her family out, due to a secret she carried for many years. Call me selfish, but I would never work that hard to give all my money to my parents to care for my sister. There is another layer to the plot, a woman you later meet named April and I would’ve liked to learn more about her and less about Jess’ horrible secret, that really wasn’t even a big deal.

I am most certainly in the minority with my feelings on this book, if the other reviews here are any indication. Wondering if that will change once the book is released.

The premise here is an intriguing one. Jessica Farris, the struggling makeup artist, finds out via one of her clients that there is a psychological study paying $500 for a few hours, and elbows her way in. It's a study on morality and ethics, so she's already winning by lying her way into it. After answering some essay questions in the strangest TMI manner ever, the doctor behind the study takes a very real interest in her, and decides to make her the focus of their entire study.

Or so it seems.

The number of times I could hear the stage cue for dramatic music throughout this book was so painful.

This book is just so freaking dramatic, and honestly, there was no need for it. The plot, while not the best thing I've read this year, was really decent. My biggest complaint about The Wife Between was that the authors included WAY too many out of nowhere twists. And in this case, we didn't actually have any twists.

Or, if we did, they were way too gentle and felt more like steady curves in the road, rather than abrupt bends.

But I swear to god, every time we got a Dr Shields POV, I could picture them in a dark trench coat, in a poorly lit room, with the light only shining on their eyeline. And whenever we had a Jess chapter, she was huddled in a corner, or walking down a street hunched over, casting glances behind and all around because she was so damn paranoid.

It was so. un.necessary. Especially considering that for the first 70% of the book, Jess thinks Dr Shields is a totally normal human being with no dastardly agenda. Like, the summary of this book kind of ruins that turn of events by saying Dr Shields Knows Too Much About Her.

I don't know, this book felt so disjointed and I couldn't take any of the events seriously. It never felt like Jess was in real mortal peril. Was Dr Shields manipulative as shit? God, yes. Was it annoying? Incredibly so. Was Jess a real moron for handing over so much information to this "anonymous" study, and for spilling her verbal diarrhea all over the place with these questions?

Good grief, what even were those answers?

I will say one thing, though. While trying to figure out where this was going, I came up with a hell of a plot that would fix this. Maybe one of the British thriller authors can pick that one up. They're impressing me more and more lately.