When I saw that this book was dedicated to Mike Omer I thought, “Okay this has gotta be good”.
Then I read the first chapter and my next thought was, “Woah, okay wtf is going on!?”
Two very strong starts. But then as I got a few chapters in I wasn’t so sure. There were quite a few perspectives and it seemed to be centered all around image. Everyone wanted a different life and image - that it they could have just had a life like someone else everything would’ve been better. Hannah wanted to be Rowan. Rowan wanted to be Arabella. Arabella was so sure someone was out to get her. And then she ended up dead.
Next we were introduced to the two detectives of the story: Michael and Ciara. Now things were starting to get interesting. Hannah was losing time, Rowan was convinced someone was following her and all the while everyone was projecting to be someone they weren’t. The elite would do anything to get what they wanted. Ethics went out the window and all narrators seemed unreliable (love this trope by the way), but I still wasn’t sure where this was going or even if I liked the image-oriented plot.
Then, with about 100 or so pages left in the book it was clear there was much more going on than a couple of unreliable narrators. A couple of twists, a psychopath and more than one dark past turned this from okay to really good. I felt the ending came together nicely and that everything got wrapped up. My one complaint was that I had wanted more of Michael and Ciara throughout the story. And then I saw that there will be more to come for them and could not be more excited!
Wonderfully done Eva Robinson, and I’ve already signed up to hear about the next!

it was amazing
Wow, this book was amazing. I typically don’t read thriller books, but I could not put this down. You never knew what was going to happen next and just had to keep reading to find out what was going on. And the twist at the end?! Totally unexpected. I figured everything out...right when the cops did. That’s how good this book keeps you guessing! A brilliant read!

A great story filled with twists and turns and an ending that I did not see coming! The characters were well developed and the story moved at a good pace.

Influenced by Eva Robinson is a psychological thriller with lies, deception, and social media. Hannah is a school psychologist who quits her job and reconnects with an old friend, Rowan, who is a social media influencer. Hannah would love to get Rowans following on social media. Several people in Rowan’s circle of friends are turning up dead and you will be guessing who the killer is. Many twists and turns make this a suspenseful thriller.

Influenced was a roller coaster ride filled with lies, secrets, betrayal and a whole lot of twists that you will never see coming.

I liked Hannah for the most part except sometimes she came across as being desperate and a bit fake. I didn’t really like Rowan because she didn’t really seem to care about anyone but herself. I felt like she always needed the attention of others. My favourite characters were definitely Michael, Ciara and Luke because i found them to be the most intriguing.

I had my suspicions about who the murderer was but of course like usual I was oh so wrong. This was a great book and I can’t wait to see what this author does next.

Influenced is another murderous frenemy thriller. But there is a great twist, the reader doesn’t know which friend is evil and which one is good! The book begins with a bang of a flashforward chapter!

“A sharp blow splintered the back of her head. Pain shot through her skull. [...] Her friend wanted to kill her. [...] A single thought rang out. I don’t want to die.”

Hannah is the sleep-deprived single parent of baby Nora. Nora is the result of a drunken hook-up with her best friend Luke. After friend zoning him, Hannah is having some regrets. After all, Luke is a caring father, a fantastic friend, and handsome as all get out.

One day at work as a prep school’s school psychologist, Hannah panics and quits her job. Unable to find work, bored at home, and still sleep deprived, Hannah begins to look up old school chums on social media. Has that ever ended well in any thriller? The answer is no. I’m going to stop my synopsis there to avoid spoiling the twists ahead. This a very fast-paced read and this summary only covers the first ten percent of the plot.

Ultimately, Influenced is about accepting your own life and not envying someone else’s life. Hannah wants the easy money raised by social influencer, Rowan. Rowan wants the life of Arabella, who is working on a Harvard PhD and is respected for her brains. Somehow, I doubt that Arabella is envying Hannah’s unemployed, sleep-deprived life. Or maybe she is from another dimension. For you see, Arabella is dead after being poisoned.

The twists just keep coming in Influenced. And the ending is amazing. I highly recommend the book. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars.

Thanks to author and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Fun book, really readable and a fast read. thank you to much to netgalley for the advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 4.5stars
Publishing date: 5/14/2021

Hannah, a school psychologist, after quitting her job at the beginning of the book, turns to social media as an escape from her own world that revolves around her daughter, with sleepless nights and constant ant problems. She follows a high school classmate on Instagram and realizes how influential Rowan is on social media and how she wishes she too could make a living off of being an Influencer on Instagram. She reconnects with her Rowan. However, reconnecting with her old high school friend isn't all that she hoped when she becomes a murder suspect…
This murder mystery/psychological thriller was such a great read! It is very fast pace and it grabs your attention right from the start. The author starts with a scene of someone being pushed over a ledge and you don't know who is being killed and who is doing the killing. Throughout the book you end up pointing fingers at every character which shows just how well written this book is that the author gives only subtle hints to the twist. The chapters were broken into different point of views from each of the characters which helped us get varying information from each of them.

I also really enjoyed the plot. 1. it really touched on the downside of social media; the evil that can be social media when it comes to internet bullying, self-esteem issues and the influence that these "influencers" can have on people's lives in the good and the bad. 2. the touch on collage admission issues - both interesting concepts that I have not read in my usual thrillers/murder mysteries.

This one really kept me up all night with its twists and turns - I JUST HAD to know what was going to happen!

Such a great read and highly recommended!

Thank you to the author, publishing company and NetGalley for this electronic review copy in exchange for my honest review!

Annie is a single mom to two year old precocious Nora. As a school psychologist, Annie experiences tremendous pressure from parents - pushing her over the edge, Annie quits.
She's been losing a lot of sleep, not just from Nora kicking her head at 3 am. Annie feels like she's losing it - lack of sleep causing her to become obsessed about minor details - something I have experienced many times as a single mom to my own intense toddler.
Rowan is an Instagram star- she has spent years building her brand, with the help of her agent. But Rowan can't stop obsessing over all the negative comments. Alcohol and drug abuse certainly don't help. Rowan desperately wants to be smart, to be more than an image. More like her PhD candidate friend, Annabella.
When Annabella dies in the ER, Michael and Ciara are assigned the suspicious death.
Fast paced, excellent writing, intriguing characters suck you in.
Great read.

The plot of this book was very interesting, something I hadn't read before but the dialogue killed me! It all seemed very forced and I couldn't really get into it like I wish I would have.
Thanks to Netgalley for the digital copy in exchange for a review.

For me, this book felt like a little too much of everything. While I felt it was well written and the the twists were good, it just wasn’t for me. That being said, I feel certain that many people will absolutely love it for the very reason I did not.

This was an ok book. A few too many POVs to keep all straight but go there in the end. I'd definitely give this author and series another go

I wanted so badly to like this one more. It had some great parts. I generally love multiple POVs, but found myself struggling to keep everything organized in my mind. Not a bad read, just not as organized as I’d wished it was

Social media, murder, psychology, single motherhood, alcohol and drug abuse, friendship and college admissions all combine in Influenced, the first in a new series featuring detectives Michael Stewart and Ciara Munroe.

Psychologist and single mother Hannah quits her job in frustration. Sleep-deprived and lonely, she reconnects with Rowan, a friend from school. Rowan is an “influencer” whose posts of styled photos and poetry bring her praise and vitriol. She introduces Hannah to Stella, a beautiful, independently wealthy free spirit. Things go downhill from here. Many things that Hannah believes are shown to be not only false but dangerous.

Michael and Ciara are new partners, just learning to work together. The theft of a computer and what might be a poisoning lead them to Hannah, Rowan and Stella. Can they solve this complicated case before there is another murder?

Michael and Ciara are the stars of Influenced. Although at times I thought that the plot was overly complex, burdened with unlikeable characters, I rate Influenced a 5 star read because I want a sequel! I want to know more about Micheal and Ciara.

Thank you to NetGalley and Eva Robinson for this ARC.

This book blew me away. I read in one day, which is something that happens when I find a book entertaining. Why is it so great? 1) the characters: all are well-developed, distinct, and many of the characters have something sinister about them, which adds to the mystery behind the murder; 2) interesting setting and premise: I've read many thrillers about influencers. I found the world of prestigious prep schools and ivy league schools interesting. And; 3) the big reveals are well-done. I want to read more books from this author. Thanks for the ARC.

Wow! Hannah is a school psychologist who is at the end of her rope with her thankless job at a high school. When she reconnects with an old acquaintance who is an Instagram influencer she thinks that could be a new beginning for her. As Hannah and Rowan both have their own secrets and a shared history involving suicide/possible murder, their connection is tenuous at best. Extremely twisted and told from several characters points of view this book is impossible to put down. Excellent psychological thriller.

I loved the characters and the overall plot. It was an amazing thriller and this book was very entertaining. Hannah and Rowan were pretty complex characters which were fun to read. I enjoyed the multiple POVs. Once I picked this book up I couldn't put it down.

Influenced
By: Eva Robinson
Publication Date: May 14, 2021

This book opens with a bang and we find out there will be a murder but who is murdered and who is the murderer is the big question. From then on you are riding a psychological roller coaster of two women Hannah and Rowan as they slowly unravel. Taking on issues of social media and college scams this book kept me reading way past my bed time.

Hannah has just walked out of her job as a school psychologist and as a single mom she needs to find a way to make money fast. Why can’t her life be more glamorous like her old high school classmate, Rowan? Rowan seems to have it all, she is a social media influencer, author and gorgeous. But being perfect is taking a toll on her and the secrets she keeps are rotting her from the inside. When these two reconnect, not unintentionally, they both see the other as who they should be more like. As their friendship grows and they slowly start to unravel, bodies and secrets start showing up.

I could not get enough of this book. I was hooked from the beginning and loved that nothing was given away too early on. In Influenced, we follow unemployed psychologist Hannah as she reconnects with her old high school friend turned influencer Rowan. From the outside, Rowan has a carefree life being a rich influencer, and as Hannah gets closer to her, she learns that Rowan's world is falling apart. Both have secrets they don't want to be shared, and when their friends are murdered, they worry their secrets will be exposed, and that they will be next. This is a psychological thriller that captures the toxic world and mental effects of social media and college admissions for the privileged. I would definitely recommend this book! Thank you, NetGalley!

I waited until I was 40%+ in & STILL couldn’t follow. I’m accustomed to multiple POVs & the like but if by this point, they have no common ground, I’m out. May very well be my loss but I need more cohesion.