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💐
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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!

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Stephanie Wrobel takes us down a dark, self-help rabbit hole with This Might Hurt. The story focuses on two sisters, Natalie and Kit who are dealing with the semi-recent loss of their mother to cancer. Kit, who is having the tougher time processing, enrolls herself in Wisewood's retreat center on a remote island in Maine, and cuts off all communication with Natalie.

When Natalie receives an anonymous concerning letter from someone at Wisewood regarding a family secret, Natalie finds herself searching for answers and revelations at Wisewood herself, as she follows Kit down her own journey to self-discovery.

This Might Hurt was a page turning thriller - once we got into the story line. Told between two different narrators, the story was sometimes hard to follow and diluted the tension between Kit and Natalie. Some details felt especially drawn out, while others glossed over. The end was quick moving and left no real conclusion which was disappointing and a bit frustrating.

Thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and the author for the ARC in return for my honest review!

4 stars!

Shocking and strangely addictive!

Cults. Sisterly bonds. Magic. Self reflection. Childhood trauma. Unconventional therapy. Isolation. These are a few of the focal points of this twisted, disturbing and absorbing tale. This novel revolves around the love and loyalty between sisters. The characters were remarkable and memorable.

This is a plot I will NEVER forget. It was unique, bizarre, uncomfortable, creepy and kept me guessing. In many ways you must suspend your disbelief to read this (usually a deal breaker for me), however, the story is so eerie and engrossing that I was consumed and curious from start to finish. The writing is excellent! Told in dual timelines and multiple narratives, the stories wove seamlessly together.

Though I loved the previous release by this author, Darling Rose Gold, slightly more than this, I highly recommend checking this one out too!

Thank you to Berkley for my review copy!

This Might Hurt is a book I was dying to read. I couldn't get my hands on it fast enough. Wisewood is quite the ride. Definitely, not at all what it seems. This story is dark and, at times, hard to read. Told in three POVs at times confused me, but I almost think that was part of the ride. This story would make a fascinating movie.

Such an amazing story with well thought out characters and a unique storyline. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more from this author: highly recommend.

Extremely confusing POVs, slow moving, difficult to follow timelines, and ridiculous ending. Not one character I could find redeeming. What more can I say? I could add that there are a number of triggering incidents that would be upsetting to many. A very dark book that left me uninterested in any further books by this author.

This novel completely surprised me, in the best way. I do read a synopsis before requesting a book and this one gave nothing away. Bravo! This was a vey different take on a suspense and kept me guessing right to the shocking end!

I always look forward to reading a favorite author’s follow up novel, as was the case with THIS MIGHT HURT, after loving author Stephanie Wrobel’s previous book, Darling Rose Gold last year.

There were multiple POVS being told, including Natalie, her sister Kit, and another voice that is later revealed.

I’m having mixed emotions after just finishing though, because for me the pacing felt a bit off with this one. I loved the fact that Stephanie wrote another story with disturbing characters and plenty of twists, but it felt like the beginning was so much better than the middle and ending for me.

As the plot progresses, I ended up losing interest because the buildup just didn’t seem to be going anywhere.

*many thanks to Berkley for the gifted copy for review

THIS MIGHT HURT was the first Stephanie Wrobel book that I've read and I enjoyed it! I'm deeply fascinated by cults so I knew this book was right up my alley. The book was definitely entertaining but it was not life changing.

THIS MIGHT HURT revolves mainly around two sisters, Natalie and Kit Collins. Their mother recently died and they are dealing with her death differently. Natalie is the older sister and has dealt with their mom's death by putting all her energy into work as she is very career-driven. Kit, on the other hand, has been struggling - she spends her days just going through the motions; barely making it at work, going to happy hours every day. She feels that there's something more for out there for her - that's when she decides to go to Wisewood. Wisewood is a wellness center that's on a private island right outside of Maine. Guests are required to stay there for six months and they have to forfeit any access to the outside world.

Natalie knows Kit is at Wisewood but starts to get worried because she hasn't heard from her sister in over six months. Then she mysteriously receives an email from Wisewood threatening to reveal a secret that she has kept from Kit. The email tells her to go to Wisewood to fess up. Panic ensues so Natalie rushes to Wisewood to tell her sister the truth and is determined to rescue her as well.

The book is told in three POVs with multiple timelines plus with many characters so it was hard to keep track who's POV it was and who was who. This was a bit of a slow burn but once I things starting picking up, I couldn't put the book down! The plot is interesting and well-executed but it's not unique in that it's done before (Nine Perfect Strangers, anyone?). The main characters were developed nicely and you know I love unreliable characters.

Rating: 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4).

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley Pub for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.