The Receptionist by Kate Myles was a hard read for me. I was unable to connect to any of the characters - Emily is married to Doug and Doug is having an affair with Chloe. Doug is an absolute dog of a man and has no loyalty to anyone. While Emily is pregnant she finds out Doug is sleeping with Chloe. The story gets more unusual after that and at times is hard to understand as it gets a bit confusing. Not my style of book.

The reason why I chose this book is because of the catchy book description—In this domestic thriller, sex, ambitions, and disaster burn more intensely than the Los Angeles sun. Being a big fan of mystery & thrillers, this is an easy decision for me. I am surprised when I got very disappointed when I started reading Part 1.

I believe the author has great potential. She was able to come up with the story. But for someone who has read so much mystery & thriller, an author needs to have mystery & thriller writing skills. I can't quite put my finger if this is a domestic/psychological thriller or a contemporary/steamy romance. The characters have no depth. The timeline is too linear. The prologue went well. Then part one was told from Emily's point of view. Part two is where Emily, Doug, and Chloe's voice all come together. But with how the story unfolds, I don't think it necessitates to have three points of view. I can't go inside their thoughts. It is too shallow. There was no warning. The characters so mercurial and no preamble whatsoever of their personality. No depth or history to explain why they are where they are now right now. There's no character development. The characters even got worse in the end.

What I thought was a redeeming quality of the book—women helping other women—was not how it turned out in the end. The characters have no dignity. No personality. Nothing you can relate to or at least I can relate to. The unfolding of events is something I can describe as cut and paste. It's so unnatural. The way the author writes is the way I write in my journal. I can't imagine in my mind what is happening in the story. I can't feel anything. It is shallow and tawdry how the author portrays the characters.

This is the first time I've given a two-star rating on NetGalley. I think that the author has potential. But her writing style is not for me. With that being said, I am not recommending the book.

To be fair, I read the book until the end. I wanted to know what happened to Chloe, Emily, and Doug. I'm just glad this is already a closed chapter in my reading experience.

Nevertheless, I'd still like to thank NetGalley, publisher Thomas & Mercer, and author Kate Miles for providing an advanced reader's copy of the book. All reviews are voluntary, honest, and my own.

Meh. With 3 despicable, mentally unstable characters this story could have been so much more but this is just a slow, drawn out domestic drama. While something does happen at the end, it wasn’t the big deal that it could have been. Not very thrilling.

Great domestic thriller with quite a twist! Loved the characters and type of POV. This also deals with our wants and needs. How do we become completely happy with our given lives.? This one really made me think!
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. This is the first book I've read by this author and I have to say she will now be added to my list of must reads as she managed to keep me in suspense from the start through the last page. The Receptionist is a story full of twists and unexpected turns which will keep you guessing all the way through. I highly recommend this book to everyone! Can't wait to read more by Kate!

I finally read an unpredictable and obsessive thriller again. The Receptionist is an exquisite thriller I read compulsively in one sitting.

This book was everything I needed right now, complete with some of my favorite tropes: intrigue, cheating, rich people and power struggles. The main character, Emily, is a boss talent agent married to her douchebag CEO husband. They are rich and powerful, and even though there are some red flags in his behavior, Emily sticks around for pragmatic reasons. But when Doug becomes involved with his young receptionist Chloe, he doesn't know that she's much more dangerous than she gives away...

And when Emily finds out she's pregnant, Chloe is not going to back off.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and even though it wasn't entirely new in any way (writing or plot-wise), I thought it was great.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book, though didn't feel like the synopsis necessarily best indicated what most of the book is about- for example, the baby really plays a very small part, and I didn't get the indication that this was the thing that drove Emily's decisions. The story goes back and forth between Emily, Chloe, and Doug's POVs. Emily and Doug are married and Chloe is having an affair with Doug. None of these 3 characters is likeable, but the story itself is fast-paced, culminating in some pretty major events at the end of the book. The prologue gives you an idea of what is going to happen, but it takes the rest of the book to see how it will play out.

The first part of the book was a bit of a slow burn, but it totally held my interest. Chloe was unpredictable and there was always a feeling that something really big and/or bad could happen in any situation she was in. The reader learns interesting things about the inner workings of all 3 characters, as well as what is going on in their business and what risks they are willing to take to maintain their lifestyles.

There were a couple times where all 3 characters made decisions that I didn't think were reasonable (though were certainly in character) and there were also a couple times where one of the main characters showed a level of ignorance or naivete that I thought was unlikely based on their experiences and overall intelligence. These were few and far between, though.

Overall, I liked this book and thought it was fun- I enjoy books where you don't like any of the characters but can still find one to root for. I would recommend it for those who like domestic suspense and psychological thrillers. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

From the alluring pink cover with the mysterious silhouette to the intriguing summary, I was looking forward to starting The Receptionist.

Emily fought for her place at the top and loves her life as a high-powered talent agent. Her husband, Doug, is equally ambitious, and together, they are a ruthless power couple with a plan for the future. But Doug's involvement with Chloe, an office employee, proves to be more disastrous than any of them could have anticipated. What follows is a twisty, unpredictable course of events that will keep you guessing until the last page.

I liked this book.

I sat on my review for a few days to figure out exactly what I wanted to say. First, Myles' writing is clear and engrossing. I found the distinct voices to be well-developed and interesting even though I didn't particularly like any of them. I'd go so far as to say you're not supposed to like any of them. Cutthroat. Manipulative. Emotionless. Emily was definitely my favorite of the three. Her position was the most complex, as Doug's wife and the orchestrator of the events which guide the second half of the book. This is a prime example of the extremes of toxic relationships, and I think anyone who's ever encountered a person with this borderline (or even flat-out) sociopathic behavior will recognize the off-putting and troublesome interactions.

And while I didn't like any of the characters, I wanted to see where the story would go. I finished this in two reads and didn't anticipate the ending. No spoilers, but I wanted more from the final chapter. The switch was too abrupt for me to love it, and after weaving together this narrative of violence and self-preservation, it felt a little rushed/out of place.

Overall, The Receptionist is a mix of gritty characters and overarching questions of ambition in an egocentric world. I'd recommend for fans of dark suspense and character-driven psychological plots.

Thank you to Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

What an interesting read. I have no idea how to describe the plot or genre of this book. I almost felt like a fly on the wall eavesdropping on the lives of Emily, Chloe and Doug. All super unlikable characters but you just couldn't turn away from the downward spiral of their lives. I haven't read anything like it before, which was great for me as I was falling into the trap of reading the same old ideas. I had no idea where the plot was going or what was going to happen, I just settled in for the ride. If I had to pick one POV as my favorite, it had to be Emily, her ruthlessness was written perfectly. I wasn't too fond of Chloe's POV, it just didn't do anything for me, but was needed to see all three angles. Overall, held my attention and wanted to see how the author would wrap it all up and I was not disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for my Advanced Copy

Emily is an agent in L.A. with a top earning client, who is on the way to making her tons of money. One day, Chloe shows up at Emily’s office for an appointment, referred by Emily’s husband, Doug. Chloe is a receptionist at Doug’s office. One look at Chloe, and Emily knows she’s likely having an affair with her husband. Emily’s worked hard for their life together, and she won’t let anyone take it from her. Besides, she has a baby on the way that she hasn’t even told Doug about. But Chloe can’t resist Doug’s charisma and charm. And Doug...he can’t resist anything. The three characters’ lives will collide in a way you probably won’t see coming.
Wow. What a page turner. The main characters are so unlikeable, but in a way that keeps you addicted...kind of like reality tv. Overall, I found the story intriguing and entertaining. There were some moments where I considered whether these characters had any redeeming qualities, but Myles does a great job of allowing the characters to defend their actions. The pace of the novel was like watching an oncoming car crash in slow motion, but kind of went into overdrive at the very end.

This is one crazy ride and I loved every single second of it!

Fun twist on the thriller genre...

Emily is a well known talent agent and Doug, a tech investor/entrepreneur, they have a great life; tons of money and all the luxuries. But are they happy? Not really. Doug has a great wandering eye. Insert Chloe, the young, gorgeoua, social climbing, wannabe actress/receptionist, who works for Doug.This could never be a problem, right??
🌟🌟🌟.5
I read some very mixed reviews on this book before I started reading. I didn't mind the book as much as the naysayers. The plot is semi- predictable, which I don't really mind because give me ALL the drama. The really disliked the ending; it was a weird way to sum up/justify what happened to the main characters. But WOW does Doug really suck, he puts a lot of douchebags to shame.

Thanks you Kate Myles, Thomas& Mercer, and Netgalley for this ARC.

Thank you for the advanced copy - I appreciate it!

I was not really a fan of this book - I just didn’t like any of the main characters. Too much whining and conniving? And add some confusion. Not one of my favorites.

To be completely honest, this book was pretty chaotic to read and none of the characters were likeable. I thought the book started off slow, and picked up in the middle with a pretty predictable plot. Overall, I would say it was an interesting premise and I was intrigued.

2.5 rounded up

TW: murder, parent abuse, sexual harassment + I may add more if they come to me later

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer, the author and Netgalley for providing a copy for review.

Wild ride of a book with some crazy characters. Impossible to put down, once you start learning the back stories of the characters you learn these are some truly narcissistic people. Lies, infidelity, and murder make this book a train wreck you can’t look away from in the best possible way. Excellent razor sharp writing, highly recommended.

I was intrigued when I read the bio of The Receptionist but struggled getting in to it. I pushed through but didn’t love the plot, characters or ending.

I read Kate Myles’ “The Receptionist” in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down. The story is compelling and resonates for this age when it seems sociopaths are ascendent. At the same time, “The Receptionist,” harkens back to the best of L.A. noir, where the vulnerable and the damned were often one in the same and in the end no one comes out clean. The action takes the reader from the rarified salt air of Malibu to the salt sweat of Van Nuys; from the boardrooms of Hollywood to the Tech Bros and of course, the bimbos. It’s cynical. It’s brutal. It’s also a lot of fun. Myles made these horrible people a delight to hate read.

This book starts out with a quote from Our Town: Whenever you come near the human race, there’s layers and layers of nonsense. Boy howdy! This wicked satire’s three main characters, Emily, Doug, and Chloe, try to hide their brutality behind intelligence, money, looks, and power (or, in the case of Chloe, just good looks). Just when you think you can sympathize with one of them, they go off and do something depraved. Then – forget sympathizing -- you just enjoy the bumpy ride into hell!

When a baby enters into the mix, the frenetic energy ramps up even more. With baby Grace on the scene, we also see some half-hearted attempts at humanity and love… and a possibility for change. But can baby fix crazy? Hmm..

Some of the secondary characters –co-workers, and some extended family members -- watch what’s unfolding in horror (and not a little judgement). Most of us have watched acquaintances make disastrous decisions – in this book, the choices are deadly, but the Los Angeles scenery is fabulous.

This fast-paced, character-driven thriller is also quite funny at times. Looking forward to more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book definitely hooks you from the start and makes you want to keep going! It does start to get a little confusing as the book alternates from multiple people’s point of views, timelines, etc. and essentially is telling multiple different stories that are a little difficult to piece together. I do like the storyline a lot and I also like the characters, I just wish it was a little more streamlined. I would definitely read more from this author. Thanks Netgalley and thank you to the publishers!

The Receptionist by Kate Myles is one hell of a book. I could not stop reading. There is so much deception, lies, immoral behavior and just when you think you have found a protagonist to root for, the rug is pulled out from beneath you and you then realize that character is just as bad as the others. Emily and Doug are married. While Emily is the dog eat dog publisher who will stop at nothing to succeed, her husband is not that driven and quite frankly would be nothing without her. He owns a business and has a receptionist, Chloe, that he has been having an affair with. Doug is a manipulative liar who continues to wreck havoc everywhere he goes. Something happens that will change everything. Emily learns of her husband’s infidelity and then learns she herself is pregnant. She must find a way to end Doug and Chloe’s affair. Just as she is about to take the reigns, Chloe becomes enraged and obsessed. Who will be the victor in this cat vs cat fight? This book is full of twists and turns as you read through till the end. The characters are well developed as well as somewhat unlikeable. I had a hard time really deciding who I would root for which made it slightly hard to fully engage in the beginning. Afterwards though, it was extremely hard to stop reading and put it down.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.