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.

After loving this author’s first book, I was excited for this one. Sadly, I was very underwhelmed. I liked Natalie’s POV and her issues with her sister and watching her trying to get answers about this group she had joined. But there was also an unnamed narrator and for about half the book, I had NO IDEA who I was reading about and how she connected to the overall story. I think the author was trying to develop a sense of intrigue with the mystery of it, but all it did was confuse me. And the ending was just meh. There was so much buildup for nothing, in my opinion.

Natalie is a successful business executive who receives a cryptic email - essentially blackmailing her into dropping everything to go see her sister, Kit, at a mysterious private island where Kit checked in for a cult-like retreat six months ago. The book is told from two different POVs, with the other following a girl through an abusive childhood, and you don't find out who the girl grows up to be until the last third of the book. The abusive childhood was really disturbing and hard to read, but my bigger complaint was the ending - it's one of those cliffhangers where you're left to imagine a few different outcomes, which I hate. If you're going to tell a story, tell the whole story, including the ending! But I still found it an interesting read.

This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel should come with a trigger warning for repeated scenes of child abuse. The impact of this abuse that defines the present of this book. Unfortunately, multiple narrators and timelines – which are not clearly defined – make it hard to follow. The view into a cult and the idea of living a life free of fear are the main takeaways of the book, more so than the plot or the characters.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2022/03/this-might-hurt.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and a publisher’s blog tour.

Wrobel excels at the multiple perspective thriller once again. I couldn't put this down. An enjoyable ride with a great ending

"Welcome to Wisewood. We'll keep your secrets if you keep ours."

The Collins sisters haven't talked in over half a year. After some butting heads about goals/dreams and the death of their mother, the two become estranged. After receiving a threatening email threatening to tell Kit of Natalie's too-long held secret, Natalie finds that her sister has joined a community on a private island called Wisewood. The guest there are supposed to be focusing on becoming their Maximized Self but between the rules, changes in appearance, odd behavior, and loyalty to "Teacher" Natalie fears there's something more sinister happening at Wisewood.

This Might Hurt is filled with interesting and compelling female characters and a very intriguing, cult-like dynamic that draws you to know more about the community, the members, and the leaders. I enjoyed the book but it is very easy to get confused, so please note that there are three different perspectives: Kit, Natalie, and an unknown narrator and that these perspectives are not completely linear. I would strongly advise paying attention to the headers at the start of each chapter in order to maximize your enjoyment of this book because all three perspectives are really interesting in their own ways.

How far would you go to achieve true fearlessness?

Natalie is appalled when her sister, Kit, tells her she is leaving for a six-month stint at the mysterious Wisewood. Wisewood is set on a remote island and there is little to no information about the organization, except that they promise to help guests become their Maximized Selves and achieve true fearlessness. After six months of dead silence from Kit, Natalie receives an anonymous email from Wisewood saying that her sister will soon find out the secret that she has been hiding from her. Natalie quickly packs her things and sets off to talk to Kit herself and hopefully bring her home. Can she free Kit from Wisewood's grasp?
I was hooked from the very beginning of this novel and couldn't wait to learn the secrets of Wisewood, Natalie, and Kit. This multi-POV story became more and more twisted as I read along, with pieces of the past and present colliding and clicking into place. I found myself shocked by some of the things I was reading in the best possible way. While I did love this story, I also have to say that the ending felt a bit rushed to me. It felt like the tail-end of the story was building up to something really big, and when I turned the page, the story was over. Despite the ending, I truly did enjoy this novel and would absolutely recommend it to anyone who loves a twisted psychological thriller!

I was initially drawn to this story because I swear any summary that has "cult" in it is almost an auto-request for me. I liked that there were several strong female characters and multiple smaller, but fascinating storylines. The layers of psychology had me totally intrigued. This book kept me guessing about which direction the story was going, but as with any mysteries/thrillers I'm cautious to divulge too much. No spoilers here!

This Might Hurt tells the story of two sisters estranged since their mother’s death. Natalie’s sister Kit went off to Wisewood, a retreat on an isolated island, where she was pledged to not contact anyone for six months. But then Natalie gets a letter threatening to tell Kit the secret she has been keeping from Kit.

There are chapters interwoven featuring a young girl being horribly abused and seeking to escape via magic. She becomes fascinated with Houdini and the idea of being an escape artist. In time, she comes to found the Wisewood retreat. I don’t know who is to blame for it, but I spent a good portion of the novel thinking that this young girl was one of the sisters.

Natalie goes to the island to see Kit. It seems as though there is a conspiracy to keep them apart. There is, but it’s not the conspiracy she thought it was.



A book that confused me from the beginning cannot help but be disappointing. Even if the confusion is my fault because I read it late at night, the error should have become obvious to me long before it did. But then, this book was so much about misdirection. Though I guess the person you provided the most misdirection was not the magician.

I thought the ending was nonsensical and did not see the motivation for Kit’s behavior nor did I see Natalie’s secret as the big appalling bad thing. Her secret was a disappointment. Kit remains inexplicable and the book was disappointing.

I received an e-galley of This Might Hurt from the publisher through NetGalley

This Might Hurt at Berkley | Penguin Random House
Stephanie Wrobel author site

Natalie is disillusioned with her job and quite frankly her life. She misses her sister, Kit. The girls grew apart when they left home, but always connected via phone and emails. Natalie has not heard from her sister since she left for the Wisewood Wellness & Therapy six months ago. One night after a long day at a job she doesn’t like, she receives an ominous email from Wisewood stating, “Would you like to come tell your sister what you did – or should we?”

Shaken to her core, but determined to make sure Kit is okay on the small secluded island. Natalie arranges a visit, planning to be there just over 24 hours. Unfortunately, she is not at all happy with the situation and events she experiences when she initially arrives on Wisewood. Most importantly, her sister seems radically changed.

The woman in charge of everything and everyone at Wisewood takes pleasure in control. She teaches others that pain is merely something that can be ignored if you are strong enough. Based on her own experiences she feels as though she is an expert on the subject. She is not happy to see Natalie, but feels confident she can break her like she broke Kit and everyone else at Wisewood. She has bit off more than she can chew this time.

This is a deliciously twisted novel. I was almost to the end before I realized the true identities of some of the characters. There is violence throughout the plot, but I felt it was important to the overall story. The characters are interesting and complicated. Their pasts are explained in flashback chapters.

I really liked this book. It is multilayered, interesting and a quick read that will leave you thinking about the twists long after the last pages. This Might Hurt may not be for those that do not like to read about violence.

This is the first book I have read by author Stephanie Wrobel. It is her second novel, the first is Darling Rose Gold.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from the Author and Netgalley and the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. Copyright © 2022 Laura Hartman

What a great book! I loved all 3 main characters and the creepy vibe of this book. The plot was unique, and it had me turning pages well past my bedtime!

Sisters Natalie and Kit haven’t spoken for six months. Kit has gone to a retreat called Westwood , this wellness retreat sits on a private island off the coast of Maine. One afternoon while going through her email Natalie is shocked. There sits an email from Westwood , and their threatening to reveal a secret that Natalie has never told Kit. How do they know and why are they threatening her? Unable to reach Kit since part of the package of Westwood is no contact with the outside world which includes phones and TVs, Natalie packs a bag and heads to Westwood. Natalie isn’t sure what she’s walking into is this some kind of cult?
Westwood’s promise is to maximize themselves to become fearless and to let go of past pain. Their methods to reach this is a bit odd, when Natalie finally sees Kit shes let’s say different. Kit has embraced Westwood and never wants to leave she admires “Teacher”. Natalie is determined to save Kit but at what cost and what is the secret she’s been withholding? Told in two timelines and when you finally reach the conclusion you will find yourself saying what?? Four stars!

I struggled to get into this book, it took me quite awhile to get into the story and unfortunately I found the many different POVs to be confusing at times. I love the idea of a book about cults but this one just didn't really do it for me. I did appreciate that the book was well written, and the twists and turns at the end were unexpected and exciting. But the first half of this book dragged on for me quite a bit.