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.

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.

Stephanie Wrobel's new novel is a dark, thrilling story about two sisters caught up in a web of lies. One sister is trapped in a cult, while the other is trying to find her. The novel follows their respective journeys and the secrets they keep from each other. Stephanie Wroebel 's writing is captivating, and her characters are complex and multi-dimensional. If you enjoyed Darling Rose Gold, you would definitely want to check out This Might Hurt.

Still can't top Darling Rose Gold. I am not sure I will love another of her books like that. As always, try for yourself and see!

I’m not sure I’ve read a story with so many wounded characters before! Sisters Natalie and Kit have wounds from their childhood but none as big as the ones stemming from the recent loss of their mom. Kit travels to a retreat on an island in an effort to heal and meets many interesting folks. Here we meet Rebecca, Gordon, and many others who have their share of demons. This is a very interesting and entertaining story!

BOOK REVIEW

BOOK: This Might Hurt
AUTHOR: Stephanie Wrobel
FORMAT: eBook
GENRE: Thriller
PUB DATE: 2/22/22
RATING: 9/10
4.5 stars

Thank you so much @berkleypub and @netgalley for my #gifted advanced copy of THIS MIGHT HURT!

MY THOUGHTS

Phew, where do i begin. I had seen crazy mixed reviews before starting this book and honestly did not know what to expect. @jessbythebook didn’t love it, and @bookclubwithkatelyn didn’t really like it, but @theopinionatedreader LOVED it, and all three of these are opinions I trust. And to my surprise I loved it!

I loved the concept. Cult stories fascinate me to no end. I love the psychological aspect of them; because they’re real, and psychological manipulation is very real. I really enjoyed the POV shifts (more on this further down), and I loved learning about the characters’ childhoods since it so heavily contributed to the present day timeline. I was genuinely invested in each POV and each timeline as if they were all separate plot lines, so to see them come together was really fun to read. I thought the writing was really solid. The characters were perfectly unlikable but also kind of fascinating. I also loved the ending. All of the loose ends were tied while leaving us with a little bit of ambiguity as well, which I always love.

What I wish was done differently was a little bit more of a clear distinction between POVs. I couldn’t tell if it was a tactic used to provide an air of mystery to the story, but when one of the POVs was finally revealed in part II as to whose POV it actually was, my jaw dropped. But after that I was questioning everything I had read up until that point and got really confused.

I definitely recommend this one!! I know it won’t be for everyone but I thoroughly enjoyed this and cannot wait to get my hands on Stephanie’s other book DARLING ROSE GOLD.

WOW what a dark and twisted ride! Cult vibes — read if you loved Nine Perfect Strangers but thought it could be darker. The last sentence —OH MY GOSH! Stephanie Wrobel you crazy thing. I think I liked this better than her first book!

I'm so torn. Such high hopes were had for this book, after LOVING her last book so much. While I enjoyed it, I wasn't fully invested.

This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel was a decent read! It was 100% a slow burn which is not something I typically like in the mystery/thriller genre but this was easy to read and I enjoyed Stephanie's writing style. Ultimately the third point of view from the unknown women is what kept me reading. While this book wasn't my favorite I would check out Stephanie Wrobel's other work in the future.

Trigger warnings - Cult - Child Abuse

After absolutely loving Darling Rose Gold I was dying to read the authors follow up novel. The synopsis sounds so great, I love the cult vibes, the two timelines with one being a mystery unknown character and the many questions that needed answers. It ended up sounding way better than it was for me in the end and this isn't one that I'll be recommending unfortunately. The pacing was odd for me, at times things seemed fairly fast and then it would stall out and I think it's because once Natalie arrives at the retreat too much time is spent on the mundane aspects of life their. I was curious enough about the unanswered questions to keep reading and had hoped that it would pay off in the end and it didn't. The ending was actually the weakest part of the whole thing for me and if you know me then you know I hate nothing more than a weak ending. Overall this one was a disappointment for me. I would try the other again as I loved her first book but this one just didn't work for me.

I loved Darling Rose Gold and was ecstatic to get an early copy of This Might Hurt.

Kit and Natalie are sisters... both living very different lives. Natalie finds out that her sister is having a hard time and decides to go to a private retreat called Wisewood. Wisewood is located on a private island in Maine... where Kit has zero contact with the outside world. This sounds a little strange eh?

I'm definitely such a fan of cult books... and Wisewood definitely takes on a strange turn into the cult vibe.

Dark, disturbing, and some unexpected twists along the way. I felt the storyline dragged a little bit at times and was left confused.

I have to say that I didn't love this one as much as Rose Gold but I'm still a huge fan of Wrobel and can't wait to see what she has up her sleeve next!

3.5/5 stars

Thank you so much to Berkley and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I've been really interested in cults lately and was so excited for this book! I listened on audio and it was a little hard to follow that way because there are multiple perspectives and multiple timelines.

Unfortunately I just could not finish this book. The premise sounded really good but I couldn't get into the characters and the story lagged for me. Thank you for an ARC- NetGalley and the Publisher.

Having loved Wrobel's debut, Darling Rose Gold, I was incredibly excited to dive in to This Might Hurt. Unfortunately, this one did not quite click for me. I will chalk this up to a one off and keep my eyes peeled for her next book!

Natalie has not heard from her sister, Kit, in over six months. Kit took off to a remote retreat, and cut off contact with the outside world. After receiving a cryptic email, Natalie goes to the retreat in search of her sister.

This Might Hurt is told using multiple points of view and timelines. This was somewhat confusing at first, but eventually came together well. The characters were intriguing and unique. The story was complex and engaging.

This Might Hurt is a psychological thriller about sisters, cults, childhood trauma, and therapy. A creepy and atmospheric novel.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 24%

I could not get into the writing style at all, and I couldn't connect with the main character. Unfortunately, this one just wasn't for me!

After loving Darling Rose Gold I was so excited for this one but overall I found it quite boring. The unnamed POV is the only thing that kept me reading because I needed to know how it overlapped with Natalie and Kit, but even that reveal felt lackluster.

I sampled this one and it was okay - I didn't feel inclined to pick it back up. It just wasn't grabbing me at the time, so I did not finish... I appreciate the consideration!

This didn’t work for me at all. It was reminiscent of Nine Perfect Strangers where you’re waiting for more more more and something to happen. Nothing happens. Huge letdown.

After reading Stephanie Wrobel's breakout novel Darling Rose Gold, I was excited to grab a copy of her new book This Might Hurt. The book is about two sets of sisters. The first pair of sisters, Natalie and Kit are very different in terms of lifestyle; Natalie is a corporate icon and Kit is more of a salt-of-the-Earth kind of girl. Kit checks herself into a self-improvement resort in Maine and Natalie doesn't understand how her sister can drop everything to go away for several months. She ends up receiving a cryptic e-mail and decides to go find out what her sister is really up to. Then there is the story of a girl told in the first person. Her sister is nicknamed "Jack" and their father is extremely strict to the point of being abusive. Characters at the resort are taught to practice pushing away fear and finding the strength to overcome it through "Teacher"'s methods.

This book starts off with a fantastic storyline and interesting, intricate characters but then gets messy once Natalie reaches Maine. There are several unexpected reveals that happened but the ending falls flat and the last half of the book seems to lose focus.