Cold, Calculating, and a Little Bland

3.5 stars

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

This Might Hurt is about a cult focused on overcoming fear, its mysterious leader, and the woman in her thrall.

I am not going to get into the plot. It’s your typical cult leader/devotee story with a concerned family member trying to rescue the devotee. However, what makes this stand out is that the cult leader is a very intriguing woman.

The way the events unfold is a little confusing. There are several narrators and several parts to this book. There is one narrator whose identity is unknown for quite some time. For me, it seemed like Wroebel was trying to infuse a twist into the narrative with the unknown narrator, but when it was revealed, it was just rather ho-hum.

This book has all the makings of a solid psychological thriller: it is well-written, intriguing, and a little weird (in a good way), but it wasn't all that thrilling, and something was lacking; I didn’t care for any of the characters, some parts lagged, and the ending fell flat. At the same time, it is well-written and intriguing, especially in the beginning, in which I was enthralled with the story of the unknown narrator.

This Might Hurt was a mixed bag for me. Still, I give it props for some elements of originality and strong writing.

Thank you to Elisha Katz, Berkley Books, and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book!

Sort of odd that I read two books practically back-to-back (I'll Be You - Janelle Brown) about sisters one of whom gets caught up in a cult! Must be a new of interest topic. This one was interesting, and intriguing and I absolutley loooove the cover. It goes back and forth in the past to present. I think Stephanie Wrobel is getting better and better!

This was such an incredible thriller! The character development was superb and I felt very much attached to each character throughout the novel. I found myself really rooting for Natalie to bring Kit home. At first I really loved Kit and her determination for standing up for what she believed in, but grew to hate her in the end. I love when authors can make me feel that type a way of a character. I also really enjoyed the duel timelines. For more than half the novel, I was truly confused as to where the two story lines tied together. It literally kept me guessing the entire time. I didn’t see any of the plot twists coming which I love in a novel. I loved Darling Rose Gold, and after this novel Stephanie Wrobel will be an auto buy author for me.

I could not get into this book! I felt the characters were so disconnected and unlikable. I also didn’t enjoy the layout of the book , switching POV’s but not always knowing when the switch happened, made it confusing and frustrating. I had a lot of eye roll moments in this one! Yikes! The book also ends on somewhat of a cliff hanger and I don’t think this is to be a series, at least I hope not… 😅

I was really intrigued because this book sounded like it contained dark magic, two sisters that are separated, cult activity, and suspense. But unfortunately these topics were just touched ever so slightly, no real connection or emotion in the entire novel. No big twists or reveals that you didn’t see coming from miles away.

This one definitely missed the mark for me. I personally wasn’t a big fan of the authors other novel ‘Darling Rose Gold’. So maybe this just isn’t the author for me!

If you absolutely loved Darling Rose Gold, then maybe you will have a better experience with this one!

Thank you Berkley Books for the advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review!

Hits Shelves February 22nd, 2022 !

What a story! Very well written with absolutely perfect character development! Quite tense, but also very important in many ways! Engaging, intriguing, and unputdownable! If you enjoy books centered on cults, this will definitely be your cuppa! I think it was very mind blowing and even gave me a hangover! Would definitely highly recommend this intense twisted tale!

3.5⭐! Kit and Natalie are sisters, and they have pretty different lives. Natalie is a successful business woman. Kit has been having a hard time dealing with things in her life so she decides to go to this unique retreat called Wisewood. It ls on a private island off the coast of Maine, and you learn to be a fearless person while also having no antact with the outside world while you're there.

Natalie hasn't seen Kit in 6 months, since she's been at Wisewood. One day Natalie receives an email from Wisewood that threatens to tell Kit something Natalie has wanted to keep hidden. Natalie heads off to get to Wisewood and expose the secret to her sister before they tell her, and get her to come home. Once there, she realizes Wisewood is not what she was expecting. It's definitely an unsettling place with some strange things going on very cultish.

The story is told through two timelines. I did enjoy the unexpected twists that happened. The final reveal wasn't what I was expecting, I was hoping for a bit more, but I'd say this book was pretty good, entertaining and worth the read.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy! All opinions are my own!

When Natalie's sister Kit tells her she's going to a six-month wellness retreat, Natalie thinks Kit is just making another crazy impulsive decision in the aftermath of their mother's death. But when Natalie receives an email threatening to reveal a deep secret to Kit that could tear the sisters apart once and for all, she heads to the isolated retreat, run by the secretive "Teacher," and immediately feels that something is "off." Her sister seems happy, but aloof, and someone seems to be tracking her every move. With a storm bearing down on the island and no way of communicating with the outside world, Natalie tries to get through to her sister, while Kit continues to work through the issues that brought her to this isolated locale in the first place.

There are various stories weaved throughout the book: Natalie's in the present, trying to figure out what's going on with the email and her sister at the retreat; a story about a young woman as she grows up and develops into her own person (don't want to give too much away, but it's relevant); and then Kit's perspective applying and driving at the retreat and her journey through the program. It sounds complicated but the author makes it work really well. I really enjoyed getting to see all the perspectives and get the whole story from all the angles possible. The story was able to build and build that way.

The tension and atmosphere in the book just really made the whole story and you could just cut it with a knife - there was such a great feeling of almost being able to cut the air with a knife waiting for the other show to drop. It was absolutely so cool. Very much like waiting for the cult - because the retreat has a very heavy cult-like feel - to finally drink the kool-aid and begin the meltdown.

I just wish that when the big reveal was "revealed" it had a little more "oomph" if you now what I mean. It was more gradual, and with all the build up, it could have been more of a bang. A bit more of a punch rather than a scratch.

But other than that I loved this book. It has so many great elements that come together beautifully to create a tense, chilling read. I would definitely read more from this author!

🔊Song Pairing: Trapped in my Mind - Kid Cudi

💭What I thought would happen:

I thought it would be an instant “cult” classic

🗯Thoughts:

I really enjoyed Darling Rose Gold so I was very much looking forward to this book. But overall this book fell flat.

The ending was not for me and I am curious if this book will actually continue on as a series or a standalone.

There were several plot points that made little to no sense and I just found it was a bit overreaching.

I truly wanted to enjoy this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars, rounded down
I was a big fan of Darling Rose Gold. Wrobel obviously has a thing for twisted parent-child relationships. In This Might Hurt, Natalie is a workaholic with no life outside her job. But when her sister, Kit, disappears for months into a “self improvement retreat”, Natalie feels forced to get involved. Especially after she receives an email threatening to expose a long held secret to her sister.
The POV changes between Natalie and Kit. There are also chapters told from the perspective of a daughter of a tyrannical, diabolical father. Imagine having to accrue enough activity points to be allowed to sleep at night. It takes awhile to figure out who this daughter is.
There are several mysteries here. What did Natalie do to her sister? Why is Kit so messed up she needs this retreat? Whose history are we reading? And what exactly is going on at this retreat? One by one, it becomes obvious what the answers are.
I struggled to stay engaged once the story moved to the retreat, which spends way too much time on the retreat’s teachings. It quickly becomes obvious this place is some sort of weird cult.
I am starting to realize that psychological thrillers just don’t work for me anymore. I found this story uneven, even annoying at times. I had no respect for any of the characters. The ending, in particular, really didn’t work for me.
I’ll give Wrobel another chance, based on Darling Rose Gold.
My thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for an advance copy of this book.

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

After experiencing Munchausen’s by proxy via Darling Rose Gold I knew I was going to be the first in line for whatever Stephanie Wrobel came up with next. I didn’t bother reading a blurb or anything before requesting an early copy. And then I got one! The gods smile upon me!!!!!! Now all I have to say is . . . .

YOU HAD ME AT CULT!

The story here is that Natalie’s sister Kit has been out of touch for over six months. While Natalie knew Kit was signing up for some sort of hippie dippie “wellness retreat” sort of place off the coast of Maine, she can’t figure out why Kit wouldn’t bother reaching out just to say she’s okay. Now Natalie has received an email from someone at Wisewood threatening to expose a secret she has been keeping from her sister so she takes it upon herself to show up in person to not only find out of Kit is really doing alright, but also to confess what she’s been hiding.

So I’m going to be completely honest here and say the big “secret” wasn’t a real humdinger for me and also when it came to the subplot regarding magic??? Well, it took me a bit out of my culty yum yum mindset. But that’s just a personal preference. I’m not a fan of “mindbenders” or illusionists and I’d rather join a cult myself than even have a cup of coffee with a weirdo like David Blaine. So take that gripe with several grains of salt. This story kept my attention right from the start despite me not being gung-go for magic tricks and I looooooooooooved the grand finale.

4 Stars.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

3.5 stars....

I was SO excited to read this, as I loved Darling Rose Gold.

I read the e-galley (thank you @netgalley & the publisher for my early read). Sometimes I find with e-books that I struggle to connect as well as I would with a tangible book. Mainly, because with a physical book you can see the parts, chapters, and alternating POV broken out better. Especially with e-arcs, they are sometimes convoluted, missing relative headings, or jumbled. So, for that alone, I feel as though I would’ve connected more if I read a physical copy.

For the most part – aka up until 75%, I was heavily confused. The alternating POV & past/present timeline was puzzling and not well laid out. As the reader, I honestly felt like I was reading two different books (up until 75%). I couldn’t see the two connecting, and the only connection I thought I found – turned out to be mistakenly incorrect. The present chapters were labeled with “Kit” or “Natalie”, along with dates. The past chapters were not labeled AT ALL. Maybe this is intentional (?), but I found it extremely bewildering.

Overall, the ending wasn’t as fulfilling as I would’ve hoped. This will take a backseat to the author’s debut, which I treasured.

OK. Maybe I've been sucked into the cult trend but This Might Hurt should be retitled

.Get Some Riot Gear because this Might Kill You.

The sister dynamic (lack there of is brilliant). The twists along the way and that ending? 🔥👏

There are also so many amazing discussion points about what is more important... the mission/purpose or the leader?

This is a journey... hold on tight.

Kit Collins is unhappy with her life when she learns about a place called Wisewood, that she is certain can help her. She decides to sign up for a six month self-improvement program which is on a remote, private island in Maine. The catch however, is there is no contact with the outside world allowed, no phones and no internet. One day her sister, Natalie, receives an email from Wisewood saying, “We know what you did. Would you like to come tell your sister - or should we?” Natalie decides she needs to see her sister immediately and tell her a secret she has been keeping. Once Natalie is on the island, very mysterious things begin to happen and she knows that her and Kit are in danger. Will they get off the island and make it home?

This was the first novel that have I read by Stephanie Wrobel, but will surely not be my last. The story is told in alternating past and present timelines. We get several points of view; from Natalie, from Kit, and from a mystery person that we find out the identity of closer to the end of the story. I found myself absorbed in the novel, the cult aspect is fascinating. It's definitely not one I will soon forget. If you want to read something different, THIS MIGHT HURT is for you.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

Natalie and Kit are sisters who are estranged from one another. Kit has gone to Wisewood and has found her purpose. Located off the coast of Maine, Kit idolizes the head of Wisewood. Wisewood is a place to go to let go of your fears and free yourself; yes it's somewhat cultish. When Natalie receives an email from Kit, she decides to go to Wisewood to find her and reveal a secret from their past. But when Natalie arrives, she is less then welcome. So how will this all end? Will both sisters make if out of Wisewood alive? Will they make it out at all?

This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel is considered a mystery/thriller. and while this story did read quickly, I found myself skimming over parts of the story. This one just didn't work for me.

This Might Hurt releases on February 22, 2022. Thank you @berkleypub and @netgalley for allowing me to review this book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Natalie and Kit Collins are sisters, who haven’t been close since their mother’s death. Kit quits her job and joins Wisewood, an isolated community on the islands of Maine, and Natalie doesn’t hear from her for months. When Natalie gets a mysterious and threatening email, she decides to go find Kit… but will she come back?
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Thank you to @netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Maybe like a 3.5 for me, personally. I dug the premise, and REALLY dug the twisty execution, but didn't think it all added up in an impactful way. The ending didn't really land for me, personally.

First, the pluses... Cults are fascinating and I loved the idea of one in so remote of a location. I thought the ideas the devotees exposed were well chosen. Like most cults, it's a philosophy just rooted enough in generic self-help to both seem reasonable AND allow people to distort it into more disturbing ideas to serve more nefarious purposes.

I thought the structure of the book was amazing. (Though I can see where, for some, it might rightly be confusing.) Current events are interspersed with past reflection that you assume are for one character but are, in fact, for another. Even once you figure out the pattern, the author still throws a few tricks in there to surprise you.

But this twisty structure was also a bit of the book's undoing. The past tense reflections are so disturbing and dysfunctional, you actually expect the present reality to be even more messed up than it is. Basically it creates a fascinating backstory for a character that, in the present, seems a little lifeless.

I think all of that build up also prepares the reader, psychologically for a finale that is very thrilling and very dangerous. Instead the book (for me) kind of fizzed out with some gently backstabbing, abandonment, an "offscreen" death and an ominous omen. That's not the sort of ending you expect from a book that begins with a woman cutting off her own tongue.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for my copy - all opinions are my own.

This is an INCREDIBLE read and holy crap, I still don't think I am over it! I admittedly picked this one up expecting to read a few chapters before bed one night and ended up binging the entire book in one sitting, it is THAT addictive.

Give me any story that ties back to the workings of what is so obviously a cult dressed up as a self help center. There is something fascinating about the way human psychology can be so easily manipulated - and this book offers up twists and turns and menacing doom in spades.

I loved the messy dynamic between the two sisters, and the flashbacks from past to present. I loved the incredibly twisted history that slowly unfolds keeping you glued to the page. And I LOVED the twists, whether I had an inkling of them coming or not.

Completely delicious reading that is a MUST for winter reading lists everywhere!

A sweeping drama full of secrets, lies and surprise!

I love anything about sisters and the strange twists of sisterhood gone wrong, so I expected to love this one...and I did at times.

I loved the rural Maine island setting, the cult and the secretness of it all, but got lost with the multiple points-of-view chapters.

I could have read a whole book about the sisters or Teacher and her death defying stunts, but combining the two felt clunky and confusing.🤷🏻‍♀️

Six months ago, while still mourning the loss of their mom, Natalie’s sister Kit decided to go to Wisewood. Natalie hasn’t seen or heard from Kit since then. One night Natalie gets an email from a Wisewood account that says only, “Would you like to come tell your sister what you did—or should we?” Although visitor’s aren’t welcome on Wisewood, Natalie knows she has to get there and see Kit and she’ll stop at nothing to make sure that happens.
Wisewood is a private island off the coast of Maine. In exchange for a six-month agreement to stay with no internet, phones, or contact with the outside world, guests are promised that they will achieve total fearlessness and become their Maximized Selves. When Natalie does manage to get to the island she finds the secrecy and security is more than she ever imagined and now she is more concerned about Kit than ever.
This Might Hurt is the latest thriller from Stephanie Wrobel. It opens with a Charles Manson quote (which put my mind in a whirl wondering just what the hell I was getting into) and then follows with a shocking opening chapter. Things do slow a lot for the first half of the book, but there’s an interesting split between the past and present of Natalie and Kit as well as the history of another character that’s important for the progression of the story. The end is a bit of a surprise in some aspects, but I wouldn’t call it shocking.
Overall This Might Hurt is an entertaining thriller and delves into some truly dysfunctional family and personal dynamics. This Might Hurt will be released February 22, 2022.

*I received an ARC of This Might Hurt from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

All I can say is, what an ending! I honestly needed to sit with this book for a few days after finishing before I could write a review. The book is told between two different times/perspectives that converge in later parts of the book. There is sweet Kit, troubled Jeremiah, fearless Rebecca, overbearing Nat, mysterious Gordon, trusting Gabe... With a cast of characters to build the tension, the story was suspenseful, but perhaps a bit slow in the middle. That said, the ending completely made the book for me - I don't know if I loved it or hated it, but is has stuck with me. This book should definitely be on a 2022 TBR list.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. #netgalley #ThisMightHurt

Rating: 5/5