Cult vibes meets gone girl.
This mystery thriller follows the lives of two sisters from a troubled family past to their current state of being and the choices they’ve made because of it. while I loved the cult angle this fell a little flat for me, I found it a bit dragging and confusing, there’s a twist more than halfway that thought good, had me wondering what POV I was reading from? There also seemed to be a lack of balance between one POV and the other, I didn’t know who to be really rooting for in this but it maybe have been the writers intent. Very well written and layered however, seemed like maybe this was a good book wrong reader situation.

A six-month stay on an island away from technology-- a surefire way to become your best self? Or a dangerous cult?

That's what Natalie hopes to find out when she shows up at Wisewood looking for her sister Kit, whom she hasn't heard from in more than half a year. Truth be told, though, she's not just there for her sister. She's there to get to the bottom of the threatening letter she received from someone who claims to work for Wisewood.

Be forewarned, you're not going to love all of the characters. Hang in there. You'll love the way it all turns out!

After Stephanie Wrobel's dark and twisty "Darling Rose Gold," I had to read "This Might Hurt." Just like her debut novel, this one keeps you guessing.

I didn’t really have any expectations going into this book. At first, it was a bit slow. But the second half of this book really picked up. There were so many things I didn’t see coming! I really wanted to grab most of the characters and shake them, tell them to wake up. I really didn’t like Rebecca - but I guess that was the point. Cult leaders aren’t usually popular with those who don’t follow them. I wish the book would have ended differently. There were implications but I would have liked a more concrete ending. Overall, I did enjoy the book and it was definitely a page turner. Another think I liked was the multiple points of view and different time frames. I feel like going from present for one character to past for another really brought more depth to the story.

BOOK REVIEW: This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel
Publication Date: February 22

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

T.I.M.E. Recommended Books By Genre | Thriller
T.I.M.E. Most Anticipated Books of 2022

CONNECT WITH THIS BOOK | T.I.M.E. SIMPLE LIVING TIP:
You need a mantra... A phrase that reminds you who you are... ✨😎✨

T.I.M.E. BOOK REVIEW: First-time reading Stephanie Wrobel who is now on my "auto-read" list after one book!... Suspenseful sister dynamic. Isolated Maine island setting. Multiple timelines that keep you guessing... And Houdini?! Boom!... Clear your calendar for a page-turning read... ✨😎✨

Pages: 336
Genre: Thriller
Sub-Genre: Psychological Thriller
Time Period: Present Day
Location: Maine

IF YOU LIKE THIS BOOK THEN TRY…
Book: Last Seen Alive by Joanna Schaffhausen
Movie: The Great Santini

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All my reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at www.thisismyeverybody.com

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for gifting me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Sisters Kit and Natalie haven’t spoken since Kit left for a months-long wellness retreat at Wisewood, a remote center located on an island in Maine. One day, Natalie receives a strange email from a Wisewood account demanding that she tell Kit the truth about a secret she has been keeping from her. Concerned for Kit’s safety, Natalie sets off for Wisewood to see Kit for herself.

Quick thoughts:

I was really excited to be sent this book, but ultimately the story is kind of forgettable (I didn’t write my review immediately after reading like I usually do, and I can remember only bare bones details of the story). I found one of the main characters (and her storyline) to be both annoying and boring in equal measure, and I couldn’t really find anyone to root for.

This book does get points because it kept me reading til the end, but ultimately, this was just ok. I’ve heard stellar things about Wrobel’s debut DARLING ROSE GOLD, and I’m definitely still interested in reading it. This one just isn’t for me.

A difficult read, at times uncomfortable, This Might Hurt is a worthy successor to Stephanie Wrobel’s debut, Darling Rose Gold. Not a novel that will reach every reader’s issues and elicit their empathy, still it will resonate variously in each to recall some specific memory, anguish, conflict, or release. Characters and plot both are intensely imagined and will certainly provoke discussion. For those seeking works with psychological complexity and audacity, Wrobel continues to be an author to follow. 3.5 star rating, rounded up.

I was provided with a digital Advance Readers Copy of this title by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"This Might Hurt" was a little difficult to follow, and I didn't feel as thought it was a strong as Wrobel's first novel "Darling Rose Gold" (despite the misgivings I had about that being a clear rip-off of the Gypsy Rose Blanchard story).

3.5 stars!
When Kit hears about Wisewood, it seems like the solution she needs. It’s a community on an isolated island in Maine, led by Teacher aka Rebecca. Teacher's goal is to help her members walk the Maximized Path through rejecting fear and practising self-acceptance. After Kit’s sister, Natalie, gets an email from Wisewood threatening to reveal a secret she has buried deep, she decides to visit Kit and check on her.

Rebecca’s story was captivating and to be honest that’s where much of my 3.5 rating comes from. We get three POVs between the two sisters and Rebecca. Rebecca’s back story into how she became the twisted leader that she is had me turning pages very quickly, eager to read about her ascent to her Teacher role. I was less interested in the sisters and found some of their parts to drag. I thought the setting was ideal for creating that claustrophobic trapped feeling and it created a lot of tension. The twist at the end was a pleasant surprise! Thanks to @netgalley and @simonschusterca for my review copy.

Sisters. A cult. A magician. 

Sounds intriguing? I'm sure it does. I was hooked from the first page. I would probably say this has the best prologue out of all the thrillers I've read. That's quite an accomplishment. 

I was trying to connect the dots a little too much in this one, because I was actually pleasantly surprised with the twists. There's also a little bit of a loose ending where you can draw your own conclusions without a firm confirmation. I'm into that.

I loved the creepy cult vibes. Can you become numb to pain and fear? Apparently so. All you have to do is join the cult. I really appreciated the multiple components of fear this book detailed. There's much more to be afraid of than spiders and snakes. Don't get me wrong, those are scary, but rejection and failure are pretty big too.

Many of the relationships in this book are toxic. Painful childhoods filled with trauma are a common theme. There are a few triggers so let me know if you have questions about those. 

Overall, a very solid thriller that is delightfully binge worthy. This Might Hurt is available now!

Natalie Collins is a workaholic living in Boston, haunted by the death of her mother. Her sister, Kit, was in a deep depression until she discovered Wisewood, a mysterious retreat off the coast of Maine. It has been six months since Natalie last heard from Kit. When she receives a mysterious email from Wisewood threatening to reveal a deep secret she has been keeping from Kit, Natalie leaves for Maine to tell her herself. But when she gets to Wisewood, she finds more than she bargained for.

Told in dual timelines, This Might Hurt follows three unique voices. Two voices are Natalie and Kit in the present. The other is a young girl with an abusive father, who is constantly challenged to take on increasingly dangerous stunts as she grows up. The two timelines seamlessly blend until the story all comes together.

This Might Hurt is a classic thriller about cults. It’s twisty and I was unsure who to trust, including the narrator. It’s incredibly atmospheric, with a beautiful and creepy setting on an island in Maine. It quickly draws you into the Wisewood cult. I was terrified from the first page. As I learned more about Kit and Natalie, and the enigmatic leader of Wisewood, I found myself completely hooked and wondering where the story was going to lead.

If you like stories about cults, this one is for you!

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the review copy! All opinions are my own.

It’s time for a blog tour today, where I take a break from my usual rom-coms for the thriller This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel.

Natalie and Kit are sisters who haven’t spoken in over 6 months. After the death of their mom, Kit disappeared to Wisewood - no electronics, no contact with anyone and time to focus on themselves for a minimum of 6 months. Natalie receives an email from Wisewood saying her secret will be told to her sister. Natalie heads out to the private island to find her sister and share this secret before someone else does, and save her sister in the process.

The story starts in Part 1 with alternating POV’s of present day Natalie and an unknown narrator from the past. In Part 2 it switches to Kit and the unknown narrator and then we get a mixture from there. The unknown narrator parts made me VERY uncomfortable and anxious as they detailed abuse the narrator and her sister endured from their father while their mother ignored it. We are there for Natalie’s present day actions and we follow Kit on how she joined Wisewood and her journey while she was there (which to me, was the best part of the story).

Overall I liked it, but I wasn’t in love with it. While uncomfortable, I liked reading about the unknown narrator to see where that was going to lead. I kept turning the pages to see what the big secret was, and to see if Natalie would rescue Kit after all.

I didn’t believe Natalie saying that she wanted to “save her sister.” She went for over 6 months without talking to her, only traveled to the cult to confess this secret, and then declares she must save her? It reminded me of The Project by Courtney Summers - I couldn’t buy that sister relationship either.

The big reveal of the secret was a bit of a letdown. And WARNING - the ending is ambiguous! I kept flipping the pages shouting “wait so what happened?” JUST TELL ME! It left me feeling unsatisfied.

This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel is a thriller novel. The story in This Might Hurt is one that is told in different timelines and by changing the point of view between the characters with one being an unknown character with a late reveal.

Sisters Natalie and Kit have been out of touch for the last six months with Kit having gone off to a private retreat known as Wisewood. Natalie has always looked out for Kit so when she gets a note from Kit she immediately heads out to Wisewood to find her sister not letting the remote setting and unwelcoming residents get in her way.

I really thought that his Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel would be a book that was right up my alley and I’d fall in love with it but unfortunately that wasn’t the case. This one was sort of confusing with the timelines and point of view changes that I’d often find myself trying to figure it out and I never really felt connected with the characters due to this. By the end I found that some parts were actually likable so it was a shame that it got off to the rocky start leaving my rating at two and a half stars.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

3.5-4 stars
What a wild concept this book is. We have sisters, just remember this plays big in the book. There is a cult disguised as a program to help you be your best. To maximize yourself. We have an island off the coast of Maine, a wild and active character in the book. Perhaps my favorite part is buried in this book. The history of a major character, her sadistic father and how it formed her.
This book won’t be for everyone but I found it intriguing and I wanted to see how it all pulled together. The cult and it’s mission were easy to relate to after seeing others ripped from the headlines. I’ll always wonder what type of person is drawn to them, the same type that send their money to internet scams?
Let me also add I’ll never go swimming in cold water…ever! I’m also happy that my sister seems fairly balanced. Read and enjoy!

What I loved:
-Multiple POVs
-Multiple timelines
-Cult vibes
-Mystery narrator
-A strong sense of foreboding
-Unreliable narrator/s
-Madame Fearless' terrifying and wild stunts
-The setting - I kept envisioning the sleepaway camp where I spent my summers growing up
-The ambiguous ending - I love an ending that makes me go "wait whaaaat?!"

What I didn't love:
-The pacing - way too slow, though the reveal of the mystery narrator was very well timed
-I had a hard time connecting to any of the characters
-I was fairly bored with 90% of the story
-There were a couple good twists but nothing overly surprising or shocking
-The storyline between Nat and Kit was too drawn out so when the "big reveal" finally happened, I had already moved past it

This was definitely a good read and had so many elements I love in a good suspense novel, however, it just didn't quite work for me. It took me a LONG time to get through book and I think I just grew a little tired of it. Wrobel is still a must read author for me and I'm definitely looking forward to her future work!

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a copy of this novel.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review and participate on the blog tour!

Link to 2/22/2022 Instagram post:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CaSqq5lLZbP/

This Might Hurt is a thriller about two sisters -- one trapped in a cult and the other in a web of her own lies. Natalie hasn't heard from her sister Kit in 6 months since she left for Wedgewood, a place for healing and finding your maximized self on an island of the coast of Maine. When Natalie receives an email from Wisewood threatening to share the secret she's been keeping from Kit she decides to head up to bring her sister home but once she arrives on the island she finds it's not what it seems....

This book is definitely a little creepier and disturbing than my usual book, but I enjoyed it. Westwood gave off creepy vibes and the flashbacks to someone sharing their childhood is definitely disturbing. I haven't read Wrobel's first book yet, but I'd like to after reading this!

Natalie is kind of estranged from her sister. She has not talked to her in several months. So, when she receives a strange email from Wisewood, Natalie knows it is time to confess her big secret.

There are lists of moving parts to this story. And I will be honest, some are hard to read, especially the part with Sir (you will have to read this to find out!) I wanted to rescue his family! Then there is Natalie and Kit. Their dynamic is not unique but it is still tragic in its own way.

Now, this story is confusing in places. It is told in several different voices and time periods. And you really don’t know why or how these are connected. You have to trust that the author is leading you somewhere. And boy is she ever! This is definitely twisted and just plain wicked!

Need a good psychological thriller…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy of this one.

This had an interesting premise but I think the book was ruined by the unnecessarily confusing plot. The book was told in 3 perspectives and one was a mystery one- so you didn’t get a label for those chapters. There was also a character who had different names in the book. It seems like it could use some more editing. This one wasn’t for me.

Kit has never made the best decisions. She dropped out of college to tour with her boyfriend’s band, then went through a revolving door of dead-end jobs. Her older sister, Natalie, a take-no-prisoners ad executive has always been there to rescue her. But when their mother dies, not even Natalie could assuage Kit’s grief.

When she overhears a coworker talking about Wisewood, a remote wellness retreat that gave her a new outlook on life, Kit immediately knows it’s what she needs, even though she has to commit to a six-month stay without any electronics or contact with the outside world, all to focus on the journey to become her Maximized Self.

Although Natalie argues against Kit’s departure, Kit is determined to leave. Natalie hasn’t heard from her for over six months until she receives an unsigned email from Wisewood instructing her to come to the retreat center. If she doesn’t, Kit will learn a terrible secret that will tear the sisters apart.

Visiting Maine in winter is the last thing Natalie wants to do, but she follows the travel instructions, once again prepared to rescue her little sister. But when she arrives, she feels a distinct hostility towards her. Moreover, both staff and guests display an unquestioned reverence for “Teacher.” Women’s heads are shaved, and cabins have no window coverings. All signs point to Kit having joined a cult—and Natalie will have to use all her wiles to get herself and Kit safely off the island.

The book shifts between different points of view, one unlabeled. The unlabeled narrator has a father who goes by “Sir,” requires his children to earn a certain number of points per day, and is generally cruel and sadistic while their mother stands by impotently.

Like Wrobel’s previous novel, Darling Rose Gold, This Might Hurt is populated with outrageous and unlikable, but fascinating characters. However, I found the pacing slower than I would have liked. Out of the major twists, two were clear to me early on, and I think I missed part of the experience not having the surprise reveal.

Wisewood reminded me of the discredited cult NXIVM, and what I liked most about the book was how Teacher developed their principles and manipulated their followers, as well as how Kit was susceptible to exploitation.

This story is told from three points of view - Natalie, Kit, and an unknown third person until later in the book. I have to admit, for some reason, I was confusing the third person with Natalie or Kit and am not sure why, but maybe because they weren't named?

I will forewarn you that there could be some triggers for parental emotional abuse for the unknown third person. While I don't have any trigger issues normally, the descriptions of the scene with the third person and her father were hard to read. He basically treated his wife and two daughters as if they weren't good enough and forced the girls to earn points to be able to sleep. It got harder as they got older and what would "count". It is no wonder that they both wanted to get away from him, yet his wife wouldn't leave despite knowing it would have been for the best for everyone. Over time, this unknown person finds her way but many would wonder about her chosen field and the lengths she goes to for "art". Perhaps it is the extreme that draws people into her and the fear of allowing themselves to be in her shoes. Perhaps that is why she calls herself Madam Fearless.

Natalie and Kit have a strained relationship despite being all that they have left when it comes to family. Their mother has passed away and while they lead separate lives, they try to stay in touch, at least for a time. That is until Kit decided that she needs a change and ends up at a remote retreat location in Maine. I can see the good and the bad about this place, no technology and getting in touch with your inner demons. However, there are some fishy things happening with the owner and the staff that are revealed to us over time. Kit has learned to resolve some of her issues and thinks she knows what she wants from life but Natalie can't seem to accept this. Natalie may be right, but she may be wrong, and what she learns (or the reader learns) is that everything may not be as it seems.

Despite the synopsis describing what is going on with Natalie and Kit, that doesn't seem to be the main focus of the book, at least not until about 1/2 way through. There is a lot of back and forth in the chapters with Natalie and the unknown person, which might explain why I thought it was tied together, until much later. We know that Natalie is heading to Wisewood to tell her sister what she did based on an email she received and that if she didn't, an unknown person will tell her. When the secret is revealed it doesn't seem like that big of a deal but I can see Kit's viewpoint on that secret.

The last 25% has some crazy twists that I didn't expect and the ending does leave you wondering what might happen next.

There is a lot to unpack with this book and while I enjoyed the book, it did feel a little scattered and didn't really start coming together until about 2/3 - 3/4 of the way through the book.

We give this book 3 paws up.