Have you ever noticed that sometimes when you're reading, your books seem to be of a theme? For example, you read a book where the cold, snowy winter is as much a character as the people in the novel, and then the next three books you pick up all heavily focus on winter weather. The last book I finished featured a woman stuck in her own mind, and now Everyone Knows How Much I Love You takes place entirely in the mind of the main character. The difference is that in the last book, the author beautifully developed the protagonist so that I experienced great empathy for her, even though she wasn't necessarily an admirable character. But in this novel, that never happens. The main character, Rose (who I hesitate to call a protagonist), is supremely unlikeable. The book's summary calls Rose fierce, smart, and self-aware. She is none of those things. She is self-indulgent, petty, self-involved, mean, and emotionally stunted. At one point in the novel, she is having a meal with her lover and she wants him to give her some clue about how he was feeling so she could know how she should be feeling. Does that sound fierce??

In a case of life imitating art imitating life, this novel is about a 30-something woman (Rose) who has been working on the same novel she has been writing since college. Flat broke, but on the verge of finally being published, Rose reconnects with her best childhood friend, Lacie, with whom she had a falling out in high school. Rose quickly latches onto Lacie and convinces Lacie to let her move in. The remainder of the novel focuses on Rose's obsession with Lacie, although it was never clear to me why. When her editor suggests that she flesh out the one of the main characters in her novel (which, of course, is about Lacie), Rose goes so far as to snoop through Lacie's bedroom, wear her clothes, and ultimately sleep with her boyfriend. What struck me most was that Ms. McCarthy's editor should have given her the same advice. Lacie never comes alive to the reader. After 300 some odd pages, I knew as little about Lacie as I did in the early chapters. I found this book to be flat in every way. There was no build-up to a crescendo, no climax, and minimal character development. I will say that the prose was beautiful. McCarthy is surely a gifted writer.

I know I'm not supposed to quote from the novel since it is a galley copy, but at one point, Rose thinks something to the effect of: if this doesn't make any sense to you, either you were a suburban white girl in 1998 with your incipient feminism and loneliness and lust, or you weren't. Maybe if you were that suburban white girl in 1998, you'll enjoy Everyone Knows How Much I Love You. I was not and I did not.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This novel will be published on June 23, 2020.

There is something so intriguing about obsession. "Everyone Knows How Much I Love You" drew me in and wouldn't let go. Although there are many books focused on this topic. I found Kyle McCarthy's plot unique and relevant. Brilliantly written, I was buring through the pages but savoring the rich imagery McCarthy gorgeous language evokes.
Reunited by chance as adults, Rose and Lacie give a broken connection as high school best friends another go. Out of the gate is history repeating itself? Do we need to relive our mistakes until we get it right or possibly, get it very wrong? The book explores the intricacies and mysteries of women's relationships from the dark side. I loved it.
Much thanks to NetGalley and to Random House for this opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review. Easy 5 stars and I will be impatiently waiting for Kyle McCarthy next book, an maybe movie?

We have an abundance of novels right now about complex female relationships, from friendships to mentorships and everything in between. Most of these books are about some kind of unspoken obsession, the one plain one being pulled into the orbit of the charismatic and beautiful one. There are so many of them now that it might as well be its own genre. Which means there are plenty of good ones and plenty of bad ones and you don't really know what you'll get. But the bigger the genre gets, the higher the bar is for a book like this to be considered "good." Because the competition gets steeper and the tropes start to feel more and more played out. I probably would have liked this book much better if I'd read it 5 years ago. Now it feels too much like one of many for me to really enjoy it.

At first, this book acts like it is one of the extra-dark entries in this genre, one of the ones where we push past the edge and go straight on into violence and copious self-destruction. But it only ever flirts with that line. Yes, things went wrong between Rose and Lacie as teenagers, but instead of finding out details that make it even more than we suspected, it ends up being even less. A prologue like this one, where a violent act is dangled in front of us, should lead us to find the full details are even juicier than we thought once we're fully invested in the story. Instead it is a letdown, something that is often the case, the prologue being there more to get your attention than something that really makes sense in the narrative structure. (This happens SO MUCH now that I almost feel bad calling it out in this book specifically. I am incredibly tired of the dangled-violence prologue as a way to make a slower narrative seem more interesting.)

The book exists in what I think of as Not Real New York City. It isn't fantasy, really, this version of the city does exist, it's just that it only works this way for a very small number of people. People who have large condos where they never worry about making rent, people whose circle of friends are made up of artists and writers who work at The New Yorker, people who get into impressive residencies and fellowships, people who went to fancy colleges. Our protagonist is one of these people though she doesn't think she is one. Despite having no real income she never worries about money in a realistic way (like many of the people without money in these Not Real NYC novels, she vaguely alludes to maxed out credit cards at one point, but otherwise she seems to move through a money-less world). Everything just seems to work out to her in a way that feels dubious and unreal, especially for someone who's 30 rather than 20. She makes general statements that are so far off reality I couldn't tell if it was the narrator who didn't understand the world or the author. (For example: notes her friend is a rare single woman who can cook (????) and notes her parents are the rare boomers who don't just throw money at their children (??????).) This type of Not Real NYC novel is not uncommon, but I lose more and more patience with it in each one I encounter. Especially since we do occasionally see a glimpse of reality poking through, a recent example would be HEX by Rebecca Dinerstein Knight, the first NYC book in a very long time that felt like it took place in the real NYC. (It is also a complex/obsessive female relationships novel. Like I said, there's a lot of them.) If we'd had a better sense of reality I think it would have brought the book to life a little more.

We need something to bring it to life because the dynamic where the narrator is obsessed with a more interesting person is one that comes with so many built-in flaws that it rarely succeeds. It is hard to describe what makes another person charismatic. McCarthy is better at this than most, she may not get the reader to believe that Lacie is interesting, but she gets us to believe that Rose thinks she is interesting. It is also hard to have a protagonist whose sole motivation is this more interesting person. While it appears that Rose has other motivations (romantic and career-oriented ones) these are actually false motivations, they are just extensions of her obsession with Lacie. It leaves Rose feeling very flat, and her actions become so extreme that we need something more to latch on to, to feel propelled forward with her. To get pulled into her obsession and motivation. Instead she becomes more distant and more unlikable the more time that passes.

What I liked. One thing I appreciated is allowing the usual subtext of obsession as actually being a form of romantic love or lust and making it text. The subtext version is boring and can even verge on queerphobia when you make something so similar to love or lust without ever letting it be that. The prose is sometimes incredibly sharp, though it doesn't always hit its mark. I also found that the idea that Rose is more interesting than she realizes is a good way to turn the trope on its head, though I don't think she fully sees it through. I would certainly be interested in reading more from McCarthy, she is able to propel you forward, build momentum in a notable way. (Otherwise I wouldn't have finished the book!) I just want to see her take on more interesting and unique material instead of something that feels like a retread.

A lot of my complaints here are complaints I have about many many books. It isn't really this book's fault, it isn't doing any of these things more egregiously than is already very common. It just happens to have several of them all coming together, which only makes the whole thing snowball.

This is a story in which the main character recreates the dilemma that occurred with her best friend in high school. Rose is definitely obsessed with Lacie, to the point of wearing her clothes and trying to infiltrate every aspect of her life. The characters were well written and the story had an interesting premise. There is a good sense of foreboding throughout the book. This is the author's first book and I would be interested in reading more of her works in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

A debut novel a book of female friendship.Two high school best friends reunite as adults.There are secrets obsessions.A book that kept me reading late into the night. A book that Is haunting shocking.#netgalley #randomhouse.

Rose and Lacie, both unique in their own way, quickly bond and become childhood friends. They are inseparable until Rose commits the ultimate betrayal in high school causing Lacie to break all ties with her. Now in her 30's, Rose moves to New York to work on her novel and unexpectedly bumps into Lacie. Rose persuades Lacie to let her move into her home where an unsettling bond forms between the two. Rose begins to fixate on Lacie, coveting everything she has...including her boyfriend. The past and present begin to blur as Rose treads a dangerous path that threatens to once again tear their friendship apart.

Everyone Knows How Much I Love You is a contemporary fiction novella involving Rose's unhealthy fixation with Lacie. Although the plot insinuates friendship between the two, it's more of a controlling relationship...along the lines of Single White Female but less chilling. Rose's fixation with Lacie quickly escalates out of control revealing itself in several awkward and cringe-worthy moments. In an attempt to understand why Lacie seems to effortlessly stand out, Rose becomes obsessed with becoming more like Lacie...almost to the point of wanting to become Lacie. The novella transitions between present and past events revealing the story of their initial falling-out and how it parallels with their relationship now. I will give a warning that there are passages in this novella in which Rose's character participates in graphic and often demoralizing sex with men which may not appeal to some readers. Although I didn’t dislike the novella I didn’t love it. The story is about an unhealthy relationship filled with obsession and control which should have been thrilling but it just felt a bit lackluster in its delivery.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for this ARC.

This is the type of book that seems like it will sweep you off your feet. Be very poetic and deep. But with so many directions, I think that was lost. I wasn’t really sure how to feel about this at the end, and I think that’s maybe because it fell flat. I expected this big build, some new empowering knowledge about women relationships to surface. But the friendship was more obsession and one sided than deep. Maybe it was just me who missed the mark.

Full review on JessPlayin Wordpress (link included), published 5/2/2020 at 9:30 pm est.

"Everyone Knows How Much I Love You" is probably one of the best things I've read in a few years. This is a particularly astonishing achievement for a debut novel. It's a gripping read that delves into obsession, greed, self-loathing, betrayal, and friendship. Once I had started reading I had trouble tearing myself away. A welcome addition to the character studies of unreliable narrators that feels like Single White Female meets Nabokov.

Rose and Lacie were friends in their youth until one fateful night in high school where Rose changes everything. After years of not speaking they rekindle their friendship but are Rose's intentions friendship or obsession?

The writing is so fluid and beautiful The writing is utterly breathtaking. It flows almost as fluidly as the water frequently mentioned throughout. What struck me the most is the vivid imagery that McCarthy conjures for us with passages depicting things like silence passing between individuals as "honey from a spoon."

Descriptions in the novel are not always metaphorically told though. Some are very graphic and fair warning some of the sexual encounters in this book are not only graphic but are BDSM so if you like modesty this may not be your cup of tea. Vanilla is not the flavor for this book.

Mega thanks for this advanced copy! Will recommend to all

I really enjoyed this book, it’s about friendship gone awry when one friend is mainly a “taker” and the other is a giver. And friendship turned into obsession. I recommend.

So I can’t figure out if I really like Everyone knows how much I love you. The plot is good and the book really keeps you interested. But this is the first time in a long time where I really hated the main character. I find it very hard to like Rose. She’s toxic and really creepy in parts of the book. I do give the author kudos for getting me to really hate her!

I wanted to really like this book. It sounded great: a story about high school best friends reconnecting years later after a falling out. We slowly--slowly--learn why they had a falling out and there was little payoff.

There also seemed to be too many story lines. She's obsessed with her former best friend, she's in love with her best friend's boyfriend whom she actually knew before her friend did, she's a tutor to rich kids, she's writing a book--about her former best friend and now roommate. AND we have to go back in time every now and then to learn about how and why these two were fighting in the first place.

Rose, the main character, wasn't very likable. I usually like characters who are kind of hard to root for when you see why they are the way they are, but I never felt like I knew her or her friend Lacie. I hate to say that I didn't care, but I really didn't.

I should have loved this book. Unreliable narrator, bizarre female friendships, Self described strong aware women. I should have rushed through to a satisfying ending. I didn’t. It started well but never really took off and ended on the wrong foot. With some strong editing and tweaks this could be the book I wanted to read.

This book started out pretty interesting. Two friends reconnect as adults after having a falling out as teens. Rose is struggling to keep it together, while Lacie is charming and has it all. Rose starts crossing boundaries and her behavior towards Lacie becomes creepy. As readers, we are shown envy bubbling under the surface and the ugly side of their friendship.

Unfortunately, I struggled with this book. While there were interesting bits at the beginning, I felt like the plot never quite took off. I never felt like there was a pinnacle moment in the story. It just started and then stopped. I don’t know what the point of the story was supposed to be. I didn’t connect with the characters either. I was left wanting more depth or emotions from them. I’m not sure if the aim of the book was to go deep, but everything felt shallow and surface level. I was left wanting more than what I received.

Thank you Ballentine for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I’m am dumbstruck. This novel took me by surprise. Going in, I thought it was a study on female friendships and all of the jealousy, love, angst and sharing that ebb and flow over the years from girlhood to adult. But having finished it, I think it’s more about self actualization. Rose growing into her adult self as a woman, flaws and all.. It was well written, the characters rich, but not really likable or sympathetic. I loved the essays that Izzy wrote, they rang true to her character and to the times. This book will stick with me awhile.

“They say that people who lose everything – in a fire, or a flood – often feel an odd exultation. I had never understood that until now.”

Everyone Knows How Much I Love You by Kyle McCarthy won’t make my favorite list and the reason for that is mostly because the main character and narrator is just awful and quite frankly creepy, narcissistic and possibly sociopathic. I couldn’t connect to her on any level and she didn’t have one redeemable quality that I could grab on to. Now, that would be fine if the author had intended this but Rose is described in the summary as self-aware and fierce. Not the character I read, sadly. Reading from her point of view was just awkward and basically unpleasant, I kept plugging along because I really felt that eventually she’d gain some insight into her behavior. Nope.

The plot line, although familiar in some ways – popular pretty girl is best friends with weird plain girl scenario - was interesting and the complexity of Rose’s friendship with Lacie kept me reading. I was waiting for things to get a bit darker but there just seemed to be more weirdness from Rose and a strangely anti-climactic ending. All in all, this was a disappointing book for me and I struggled to get to the end.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing me with a DRC in exchange for my honest review.

An unusual mix of character study and emotional attachment. The reader sees life through the eyes of Rose beginning in elementary school and continuing to the present. Rose becomes enamored with Lacie who she sees as everything Rose is not. The girls lose contact with one another for years. When they meet again in New York, Lacie invites Rose to be her roommate. The odd obsession Rose has with Lacie resumes. Rose denies being envious of Lacie because "To envy her showed no imagination."

Kyle McCarthy has a beautiful relationship with words. She is a great storyteller. There were times I was surprised by how the story unfolded. The ending seemed a bit abrupt but it fit the story perfectly.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from the author and Ballantine Books through NetGalley.The opinions expressed are entirely my own.
#EveryoneKnowsHowMuchILoveYou #NetGalley

I was really excited to read this one, but it was just too bland, jumped sporadically from character to character. I skipped pages as nothing was happening.. I couldn't finish it.

I hate to say this but, this book was just very, very…bland. Between the writing, and the characters, I had a lot of trouble with it from the start.

The synopsis made this book sound very much like my cup of tea (better yet, cup of coffee, because I love and drink coffee even more so than tea) and everything about it sounded very much right up my alley: toxic rivalry, obsessed relationship dynamic between female friends, betrayals, cheating, lies, etc, etc!

But while it seemingly had all the right ingredients, the story itself ended up falling very flat for me, and was definitely not my cup of tea, nor my cup of coffee.

I had quite a bit of trouble making it through this book, as much as I wanted to like it. In fact, I almost ended up Dnfing it at several points. It never ending up hooking me from the very beginning, and I had a hard time getting invested or caring about the story at all. It was missing that certain something.

The writing style, for one, wasn’t for me, as it never ended up captivating me at any point and pulling me into the story and making me want to read more.

I found the main heroine, Rose, to be extremely unlikeable, and while that doesn’t always make for an unlikeable story or book, that just didn’t work in this particular book’s favor, and only added to the list of reasons why I wasn’t fond of this story.

I didn’t care for the character Lacie either, and didn’t understand Rose’s obsession with her, making their entire toxic “friendship” a drag to read about, instead of the twisted, heady intoxicating dramatic unfolding that I was hoping it would be.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t bring myself to care about either of them or the dark betrayal that was dangled and promised in the prologue.

This book will definitely work for some, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me.

3.5 stars

A novel of toxic female friendship. Rose and Lacie were childhood friends, with Rose almost idolizing Lacie. Rose sleeps with Lacie's high school boyfriend, and they have a falling out. About a decade later, Rose moves to NYC and convinces Lacie to let her move in. The past and present swirl together as Rose is doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past. Meanwhile, Rose is writing a novel about her relationship with Lacie in high school.

At first I wasn't sure where the novel was going. But then it took an interesting turn as Rose was encouraged to write parts of her novel from the perspective of Lacie the character. And then the novel becomes almost like Roses novel - where and how will it end? Will there be a satisfying conclusion? What does it mean to write? The lines between self-perception and reality.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book for my honest review. Yayy I was so excited that I was chosen to read and review this book and I really wanted to love it unfortunately I did not. I did not like the characters and I felt like the story lacked a bit.