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This was good. Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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I had a number of issues with this book, the main one being there was no point to it at all. The premise made absolutely no sense to me, and tried and ultimately failed to create a cult like atmosphere. Nothing really surprised me or had any thrilling elements. The ending was dark but also very abrupt and lacklustre. Unfortunately this was just another on that wasn’t for me.

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I’m not sure what to say about this book, aside from the fact that I didn’t like it.

It’s dark and twisted, but not in the riveting way of a great thriller. This is morbid, with a whole lot of child abuse scenes to wade through. While I (eventually) understood the point of these scenes, we didn’t need to drown in it. A little goes on a long way.

The story execution is convoluted, with unnamed narrators and multiple timelines to figure out.

None of the characters are likable.

I couldn’t find anything to latch onto here that made this reading experience at all enjoyable.

I gave up at the 50% mark.

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I adored Wrobel's previous book, but THIS MIGHT HURT didn't deliver as well for me. There were suspenseful moments, but I just couldn't connect with the characters.

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This is perfect for spooky season. It starts out with a character you can't decide if you're going to love or hate and a secret that is going to be told. Throw in a creepy retreat where something is not right and you have the great set up for a thriller!

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I wanted to love this, and the story really captivated me at first, but unfortunately it didn't keep my attention. It's a story about sisters, and a story about cults, although it takes a long time for the reader to get to that point. The ending felt a little rushed and I was left with more questions than answers.

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This one was okay. It didn't blow me away, and for a book about a cult, I wasn't super engaged. It wasn't particularly "thrilling," but it was engaging enough to keep me reading and keep me interested. It's another take on the sister story where one of them is in a cult, and I feel like I've read a lot of those lately - this one didn't feel especially original. I feel like when I read a book about a cult, I want to be shocked and appalled and if not scared, then nervous. This one didn't do that. I did think the circumstances surrounding the genesis of the cult were interesting, and I liked the weird Houdini aspect, but it didn't wow me. Interesting enough though, so it's a 3-star for me.

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For a book about a cult this was not particularly thrilling. The 2/3 were especially slow. While I found the cult leader's childhood to be interesting and the ending section to be enjoyable, the rest of it didn't really appeal.

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https://www.tiktok.com/@bettysbooklist/video/7077678196656950574?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&lang=en

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This Might Hurt is a dark thriller about two sisters and the cult that one is caught up in while the other tries to save her. It's a fascinating story with unlikable characters and multiple POVs. The story is a slow-burning one, but the suspense ramps up as you get further into the story. The writing is solid. I enjoyed the exploration of the sister dynamics and the psychological damage of childhood trauma. Highly recommended! Be sure to check out This Might Hurt today.

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This book and Femlandia are starting to make me think that female-run cults are not the eutopia we've all been raised to expect! A taunt, enjoyable ride.

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I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

After loving Darling Rose Gold, I knew I had to read this new book by the same author. While Wrobel does write family dysfunction well, this didn't have the same pull for me as Darling Rose Gold. I just wasn't interested in the characters as much and the plot had very dull sections but I did appreciate all the psychology on how to start your own cult.

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It definitely had me very intrigued.

I was a bit confused by the past and present and who was who, since we had multiple different POVs within the different timelines.

However, I was so intrigued and enthralled with the subject matter of almost a cult like setting and the secrets everyone was keeping.

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I really enjoyed Stephanie Wrobel's debut, Darling Rose Gold and was excited about this one. It was very reminiscent of Courtney Summer's The Project, which I enjoyed (I do love a good cult thriller). But I could not get into this book, unfortunately. I'll probably still give her next book a try, but this one didn't do it for me.

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DNF @ 30%

This was my first book by this author so I cannot compare this to her other work but it was just too hard to get into and slow for me. Cut my losses instead of sticking with it.

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This book was ok to me. The story was confusing at times and some of the plot twists didn't hit me the way I think they were supposed to. I enjoyed the authors writing style even though the story wasn't as entertaining to me. I have never read from this author before but seeing other reviews from people I would like to try her out again with her debut novel. It seems that one was loved by more than this one. Thank you, Netgalley for allowing me to read this one!

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A solid beginning that made me think this could be an original plot. Midway through, it becomes apparent that the usual psychological devices and tropes are at play. I don’t wish to spoil the plot for those who want to figure it out for themselves. One might label this a psychological thriller. If allowed, I’d give it 3.5 stars due to a good beginning.but I’m not going to be generous and round up. Thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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CULTS. I LOVE CULTS.

This was a 4.5 star until the very end. I just didn't like how it ended. But I do loovveee me an alternating timeline/multi-POV story and this gave me exactly everything I wanted!! 3.5 stars!

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I had really high hopes and high expectations for this book because of how much I loved Darling, Rose Gold. Unfortunately this one just didn’t do it for me. First off, I was really confused for a good portion of the book between the three narratives. Which it isn’t even very clear that there is three narratives to begin with, but I read a lot of books with dual points of views and dual timelines and this one didn’t quite work. Once I finished the book I can honestly say I think it would have worked better if we didn’t have Teacher’s backstory as a narrative. That could have been explained towards the end as a big reveal and it would have had the same effect, especially with her role in the end. The story was more about the sisters to me and ended with the sisters. Having Teacher as a major character throughout the story was really pointless to me and made the overall storyline this big convoluted mess that felt like it was trying too hard. It stinks because I really like her writing and I was looking forward to this one, but it just fell flat for me.

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This novel starts off with the opposing sister plot line. Natalie and Kit could not be more different for sisters. Kit navigates the world differently than Natalie, which leads her to seeking out a unique resort experience (if you think you know where this is headed you are wrong!) Without spoiling, Natalie ends up tracking Kit down at this resort but what she finds is more unsettling than the secrets she is carrying with her.

Multiple POVS, thriller, engaging, shocking final reveal.

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