I really wanted to love this book. I think it had a lot of good things going for it that interested me, but ultimately it fell a little flat. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. I really enjoyed the cult plot point in the book. I’m obsessed with all things cults and love learning about why people join and why they stay. I felt like the multiple POVs and changing timelines was a bit choppy and hard to follow at times. There were some chapters that were clearly labeled with a time and POV, but then the next chapter would change to a different time and person without warning. I also felt like it dragged at times, and I kept waiting for a twist or ”AHA” moment that never came. Maybe this book was too deep for me and I couldn’t appreciate the topic or writing style. I would recommend it to others, but ultimately it wasn’t my favorite.

"𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘻𝘻𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘰𝘰𝘭-𝘈𝘪𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘱𝘴." – Stephanie Wrobel

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁 (Swipe->> to read the synopsis)
⭐️Career-driven Natalie has always looked out for her sister Kit, but they have not been in touch for over six months after their mother died and Kit checked into a retreat center.
⭐️Kit has been staying at Wisewood, a highly secretive organization that claims to help clients find their "Maximized Selves" and where cell phones, internet access, or any outside contact is prohibited for clients.
⭐️Natalie receives a threatening email from an unknown sender at Wisewood prompting her to travel to the center and rescue Kit before a devastating secret is exposed that could forever sever their sisterly bond.

𝗜 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁
This Might Hurt is a slow-burn psychological drama told from the points of view of an unknown narrator and the sisters, Natalie and Kit. From the gruesome prologue through the first few chapters, the story appears deliberately confusing, but once the pieces fall into place, the suspense builds as Natalie races to find her sister before it's too late.

This is the first book I've read by this author, and I enjoyed her writing style. Although the book spends some time looking at the inner workings of a cult, I felt the focus was more about sister relationships, dysfunctional families, and the permanent psychological damage of a traumatic childhood. Reading about physical pain always pushes my discomfort level, but it wasn't something that was a timid reader like me could handle.

Oh dang, that was a bit of a letdown. I absolutely loved the author’s previous book, Darling Rose Gold; so my expectations were quite high. This one was super slow, and pretty boring. A bit of a snooze fest, really. It gave me Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty vibes, and I wasn’t a big fan of that one either. I ended up listening to this one, and kept getting the characters mixed up which confused me, and had me scratching my head at the conclusion. Overall, This Might Hurt was a little meh. I’d skip this one if I were you. There’s far better thrillers out there.

I was excited to read this but was ultimately let down. I like cult plots, but it was too slow and not suspenseful.

BOOK REVIEW - THIS MIGHT HURT

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this authors other book, Darling Rose Gold, and couldn’t wait to pick up her newest release! However, this one just didn’t work out for me how I’d hoped.

With two different plot lines, I was wondering how they’d come together but as I was listening to the audiobook, I felt like the pacing just wasn’t fast enough for me. This book was kind of odd with the magician and cultish elements, and while I was intrigued I felt like parts of it dragged on for me.

Pick this one up if you’re looking for:
⏳A slow burn
🥴Unlikeable characters
🏚Secluded island setting
🔮Culty vibes

This Might Hurt” actually really did hurt.
I did not enjoy this book and probably would have given it less stars if I wasn’t so nice!!! I really wanted to DNF it but I decided to struggle through it anyway.
First off, I didn’t realize there were three narrators in the story until the very end. Also I was thrown off with All the various timelines happening throughout the plot.
Next, I did not enjoy the plot!!! One of my triggers is cruelty towards children which was a focus in this story.
With that said … I do believe authors are amazing!!! They are able to publish an entire book which is more than I can ever imagine doing!!!! I’m sure others would love this story, however it’s just not for me.

Blurb (by Goodreads):

On a private island off the coast of Maine, Wisewood’s guests commit to six-month stays. During this time, they're prohibited from contact with the rest of the world--no Internet, no phones, no exceptions. But the rules are for a good reason: to keep guests focused on achieving true fearlessness so they can become their Maximize Selves. Natalie thinks it's a bad idea, but Kit has had enough of her sister's cynicism and voluntarily disappears off the grid. Six months later Natalie receives a menacing
e-mail from a Wisewood account threatening to reveal the secret she's been keeping from Kit. Panicked, Natalie hurries north to come clean to her sister and bring her home. But she's about to learn that Wisewood won't let either of them go without a fight.

Can we just take a minute to talk about this cover? This Might Hurt, written by Stephanie Wrobel, has an incredibly evocative cover. You can immediately tell that it's suspense, quite possibly domestic suspense, before ever laying hands on the book.

Natalie and Kit are sisters, but they don't always act like it. For one thing, they haven't spoken in six months. To be fair, the no-contact for six months was planned. For Kit had found a place called Wisewood, which offered six months retreats (of a sort). During this time, no outside contact was allowed.

That time is up, but it isn't her sister that reaches out first, but Wisewood itself. They're threatening to tell Kit the truth that Natalie has been hiding. In a desperate hope to cut the situation off before it gets worse, Natalie intends to head to Wisewood to tell her sister the truth before somebody else can.

"Nobody cared about the pawns. They were too busy watching the queen."

Certain books simply draw the readers in, making it look easy. I thought that This Might Hurt would be one of those books. The title, cover, and description certainly made it seem like it would be the case.

Unfortunately, while I did enjoy This Might Hurt, it wasn't quite the story I was hoping for. Sure, it hits hard (cults and child abuse would automatically do that for most readers), but it almost felt like something was missing? I can't quite put my finger on it.

To me, it seemed like This Might Hurt was trying to make two different points. Or perhaps it would be better to say it was trying to tell two stories? There's the story of a child surviving an abusive family. Then there's the story of a woman getting manipulated into a world of abuse and control (read: cult).

Actually, I'm confident this was the intent, laid out like that. The two stories connect, and that connection is a strong one for the most part. I wish there had been more overlap between the two (courtesy of some creative storytelling methods), but I can't complain too much.

Overall, I would say that This Might Hurt is worth the read, especially for those who love delving into darker personal pasts and the horrors of cults and controlling people.

Book Review: This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel

This Might Hurt is an adult suspense novel about childhood trauma, siblings and cults.
When Natalie receives an odd email from her sister Kit she takes a leave of absence from her fast paced marketing job to track her down. Kit has been living at a wellness clinic (Wisewood) on an isolated island off the coast of Maine under the leadership of a mysterious woman called “the teacher”. The book switches between the POV’s Natalie, Kit and a third narrator that is slowly revealed. As the three POV’s flip back and forth in time a complicated story of secrets, ambition and unresolved grief are revealed.
This is a difficult book to review. The characterizations (despite not being particularly fond of any one character) are top notch and there is a lot of food for thought about how childhood trauma and toxic parenting can manifest in adulthood. The early years of our third narrator are searing and for me, the best part of the entire book (in particular the scene that inspired the book cover). Less intriguing is the day to day life on the island and the influence of “the teacher” has on her students. This was all typical control tactics that we’ve seen in many novels (and news reports) and I didn’t feel like the author brought anything new to the table. The pacing felt slow in these chapters and the entire plot lost momentum. The last ten percent had some interesting developments but it couldn’t quite make up for the slower sections.
Overall, this book had some really interesting ideas and I liked the coming of age story of the third narrator. But it felt like a separate (and better) book from the one that Natalie and Kit were featured in and I would have liked to see less of them. I recommend this one to readers that like complicated family dynamics and thrillers with less action and more tension.
3.5 stars

A shockingly dark thriller (which I mean as a compliment). This one will stick with me for a while. A well-done look at a cult.

I read this book with my local thriller bookclub and went into it having read this author’s other novel (which wasn’t my fave but was still enjoyable). I was open minded and went in blind as always, only knowing it was a cult-based book. My feelings reading this book was that I wasn’t motivated to pick it up throughout the first half of the book. It only became bingable once the action and major plot points took place. I also struggled in liking any of the characters. I think it was a good creepy book but I wanted so much more. Also I don’t like open ended endings and I felt disappointed at the last sentence of the book. I don’t know if I’ll ever read a book from this author again since so far they’ve fell flat.

💐Book Review💐
*
Happy Easter ! Today my husband and I are just laying low and celebrating the holiday together. We saw family yesterday, so I figured I would post this belated review.
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Summary: Welcome to Wisewood. We’ll keep your secrets if you keep ours.

Natalie Collins hasn’t heard from her sister in more than half a year.

The last time they spoke, Kit was slogging from mundane workdays to obligatory happy hours to crying in the shower about their dead mother. She told Natalie she was sure there was something more out there.

And then she found Wisewood.

On a private island off the coast of Maine, Wisewood’s guests commit to six-month stays. During this time, they’re prohibited from contact with the rest of the world—no Internet, no phones, no exceptions. But the rules are for a good reason: to keep guests focused on achieving true fearlessness so they can become their Maximized Selves. Natalie thinks it’s a bad idea, but Kit has had enough of her sister’s cynicism and voluntarily disappears off the grid.

Six months later Natalie receives a menacing e-mail from a Wisewood account threatening to reveal the secret she’s been keeping from Kit. Panicked, Natalie hurries north to come clean to her sister and bring her home. But she’s about to learn that Wisewood won’t let either of them go without a fight.
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
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My thoughts: Thank you @netgalley and @berkleypub for the advanced copy! This one had SO much potential but fell really flat. The premise was great, a really unique creepy cult on an island (sign me up to read that!). But overall I kind of hated the characters, the story was all over the place with twists and turns. Sometimes I find that thriller books will do so many twists that at the end you’re like wait what just happened ? Overall 3 stars for the setting and writing style but this was just not for me 🤷🏼‍♀️

The book pulled me in from the start. In fact, the first third of the book really held my attention. It was the latter half where I stalled in my reading.

As a most anticipated book, I was hoping for a page turner until the very end. It was only the first portion of the book that had me whipping through pages. Let's just say I love a good "cult" story.

Overall, I gave this book 4.25 stars. And I'll look for the next Stephanie Wrobel story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book pulled me in immediately. I love books with multiple POVs and dual timelines, both of which we have in this book. It took me some time to sort out who was narrating the various POVs, making the story much more thrilling….until about mid-way through when I figured out most of the mystery. From there, I felt like the book dragged for a bit, becoming redundant and a bit boring. However, the ending redeemed itself, pulling this from a 3 star to a 4 star for me.

A great thriller/family drama!

Full disclosure - the plot was slow moving for my taste, so I had to put a pause till I got the audiobook from library! The audiobook was addictive and I wasn’t expecting it to be so. Darling Rose Gold is a different type of thriller, and I loved it so much. This might hurt is 10 times more mad and weirder than DRG. With insane characters, sister dynamics and a cult-y plot This Might Hurt was interesting to read through. I highly suggest the audiobook if you are not into slow burn thrillers.

Many thanks to Berkley via Netgalley for the reader’s copy.

I had to sit on This Might Hurt for a few days before I wrote a review. I really couldn't decide how I felt about it. On the one hand, it was compulsively readable. On the other, I felt like something was missing. It was a quick engaging read, but left me wanting more. There is a great thread through the book with an unknown narrator providing their POV in the past, and that was my favorite part. This one would make a great book club pick, because there's a lot of ambiguity and you'd certainly have plenty to discuss.

What would you do if you found out that your sister was stuck in a cult?

This is the story of Natalie and Kit. Kit felt like she was just going through the motions until she found Wisewood a seclusion retreat that was supposed to last only a few months. Natalie is dealing with the aftermath of her and Kit's mother passing and has had no contact from Kit until she receives and email threating to reveal a secret that Natalie has been keeping from Kit. Now Natalie is going to find Kit because she is afraid that something sinister might be going on at this retreat center.

This story had me gripped from the beginning. I was so invested in finding out what was going on at this retreat center. I know for me cult books are something that really pull me into the story and this is one that I will be recommending to everyone. I found the writing engaging and the plot fast moving while not feeling rushed. I also felt like the snippets of the past timeline that we were getting added to the eerie nature of the story.

If you liked books like The Girls by Emma Cline or The Project by Courtney Summers I definitely think you should pick this one up.

**2.5-stars rounded up**

Hoping for a fresh start, Kit Collins signs up for Wisewood, purportedly a Wellness Retreat, set on a remote island off the coast of Maine. This could be just what she needs to get her floundering life in order. Initially, her stay was to be 6-months, where she would be completely cut off from the outside world, including from her older sister, Natalie.

Natalie, pretty much her younger sister's opposite, is a successful business woman with a fairly structured life. All that gets thrown for a loop, however, on the day Natalie receives a seemingly threatening email stemming from Wisewood: 'We know what you did. Would you like to come tell your sister - or should we?'

That's enough convincing for her. Natalie packs her bags and off she goes on a mission to save Kit; and let's be honest, to save her secret too.

Over the course of this story, we follow both Natalie and Kit's perspectives, but we also get a historical perspective from an unknown third character. Eventually, the person's identity is revealed, but basically, this perspective is following a charming little girl being psychologically abused by her domineering Father.

Most interesting to me was following along with Natalie as she arrives at Wisewood and slowly deciphers what it is all about. The whole-vibe is quite cultish and I feel like Wrobel did a nice job with that. I also really enjoyed the historical perspective of the little girl, growing up the way she did and what she chose to do with her life.

In other areas though, this fell short of my expectations. The pace was quite uneven for me, with my interest level waxing and waning heavily throughout. By the end, I really couldn't be bothered to care anymore. I finished this 2-weeks ago and already have completely forgotten what the big secret was. That's not a great sign.

Wrobel definitely has a knack for exploring complicated familial relationships. They certainly abound in this story. Truthfully, some of the circumstances are difficult to read, so if you feel like you could be sensitive to any plot involving significant mental abuse, and at times physical danger, you may want to proceed with caution.

Overall, I personally could have used higher stakes with a lot more suspense and intrigue. This is still a solid story, if a bit lackluster. With this being said, I'm sure many Readers will enjoy it. Sadly, it just wasn't my cup of tea. Please don't take my word for it though. As we all know, reading is highly subjective. If the synopsis sounds interesting to you, pick it up and give it a go!

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Even though this one didn't quite knock it out of the park for me, I still enjoy Wrobel's writing and ideas. I would definitely pick up future works from her.

I wasn’t a huge fan of this authors writing style but the story was good. It has all the makings of a good psychological thriller, it’s intriguing, and had some very original elements. It just wasn’t all that thrilling and the ending completely fell flat for me. I was completely enthralled in the beginning but then it hit a lull and never quite recovered. I’m sure fans of slow burn thrillers will enjoy it though.

Wrobel.... you gave me magic, cult vibes, abuse, madness and just a crazy ass cast of characters. This book slapped me across the face from the very beginning and I was instantly obsessed within the first few chapters. Sir is a character I hope to never ever meet and if I did, well, I would put him through what he put his kids through (-150 points for him, +1675 points for me). But I also found his way of doing things somewhat fascinating as well. I am who I am.

The most fascinating character for me? Rebecca. Oh she's delusional as fuck but I see where she's coming from.... sometimes. I swear for a few chapters all I could think about is that if you swallow glass shards, how awful it would be when your body got rid of it... OUCH.

Now, would you be able to give up all contact with the outside of world for SIX MONTHS? No touching, no cell phones, no FUN! I honestly don't know if I could. And I certainly wouldn't shave my head to be a part of any kind of circle, inner or not. But hey, people will do what they need to in order to feel better about themselves - even if at times it's really a detriment - but who are we to judge on what works for people?

I did find the book lull in some parts, but I think that's just because of how strong the beginning was. And I'm not quite sure how I feel about that ending. I even slept on this, and I still don't know how I feel. However, I love ANYTHING with culty vibes and love the uniqueness in what Wrobel brought in Rebecca's character. And how she shows there's so many layers to characters within Kit.

A VERY solid second read of this author, who I will absolutely continue to pick up.

I really enjoyed this novel! I loved Stephanie Wrobel's last novel, but she has outdone herself here. I was filled with curiosity and intrigue throughout the book, and each twist and turn kept me incredibly interested. On top of this, it was one of the most unique thriller plotlines I've ever read. Truly one of a kind. I'll definitely be purchasing a finished copy of this one!