This is not a book for the faint of heart, as made evident by the opening pages.

It is a really well-written book, keeping you just on the edge of figuring things out until Wrobel is ready for the foreshadowing to come together brilliantly.

Wisewood promises participants that if they commit to a six month stay without technology, that they will teach them how to truly be fearless. But Natalie has received an email that fills her with fear-that someone on Wisewood, where her sister Kit is currently living, is going to tell Kit a secret about Natalie that will absolutely shatter them both. So Nat sets out to get into Wisewood, find her sister, and tell her herself. But nothing is what it seems, including Wisewood itself.

I have to admit, when I realized what was really going on within the story, I gasped out loud and actually clapped my hands, I was so pleased by Wrobel's cleverness. While there are definitely some parts that can be hard to read, this book is well worth that read.

I'd say the only relationship as complicated as a mother and daughter is sisters. Both have the potential for absolute love and hatred. THIS MIGHT HURT (Berkley) by Stephanie Wrobel explores the bonds of sisterhood threatened by a cult.

Two sisters, Natalie and Kit are raised in the same family by a sadistic father and passive mother. To say they are both damaged is an understatement. They haven't talked in months, since Kit went off the grid to a secluded island off the coast of Maine and joined the self-help group, Wisewood. Wisewood promises to "maximize selves" through some very controversial techniques. Huh? Exactly. When Natalie receives an unnerving email about secrets between the she thinks something isn't right and she leaves Boston for Maine. There is no welcome wagon when she arrives.

After being kept by group leaders from seeing Kit, Natalie is finally reunited with her sister and what can go wrong, goes very wrong. Kit is no longer the little sister who used to hang on Natalie's every word. Natalie finds the whole "Maximizing Selves," which Kit has embraced, nothing but brainwashing and she lets her know.

The twists and turns kept me guessing to the very end. I was actually surprised by the finish, which was quite refreshing. THIS MIGHT HURT takes readers into psychological abuse, manipulation and the long lasting emotional and mental tolls people experience when they become part of a cult.

All Natalie wants is to take her sister, Kit back to civilization, but she finds resistance at every turn. This suspenseful novel finishes with an unforeseen conclusion.

This book fell flat for me. I was super excited to read it because I love reading about cults which is the theme of this book. Unfortunately this book flipped back and forth between two different stories and all different time lines and became way too confusing for me. It was also extremely slow. It took 75% into the book to finally figure out who this second person was and by that point I really didn’t care. I wish this would have been more fast paced with more in depth characters so I could actually tell them apart.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

UGH. I’m so conflicted because I loved this book until the ending. The ending fell flat for me. It was rushed and incomplete. There are various timelines and we have three point of views, which I love. I didn’t mind the slow burn, but I had hope that the ending would make up for it, which it didn’t (at least not for me).

This was the first “cult” book I’ve read and it did not disappoint! I loved the multiple timelines and even though I was confused who I was reading about at first, when I figured that twist out, it was quite the revelation! I loved the character development and the mystery mixed in with the cult setting. Overall, this was a great read and I look forward to more books by Stephanie Wrobel.l!

Told from the point of view of two sisters as we learn of their past, family history and desires. One career driven and accomplished while the other is searching for purpose and community. Mysterious and edgy.

**I received an electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review of this book.

What did I just read?

I’m not sure what I was expecting. From the description maybe a fast paced thriller but this was much more a slow burn.,

I kept trying to guess the twist (which I’m usually pretty good at seeing). These twists ended up being more a dawning then bam twist!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

This story fell a bit flat. It was slow and the conclusion was mediocre. Since this is classified as a thriller, I was expecting more excitement at the end.

After seeing so many mixed reviews for this one, I’ll admit I was a little hesitant to finally pick this one up after being approved months ago-but damn was I glad I did! I think if anything this book falls victim to readers having incorrect assumptions going into it; it’s a cult-y mystery story about what happens to two sisters when one lives in a cult and the other lives in her own lifetime web of lies. I highly enjoy books with a cult premise and this one was no different, highly recommend picking this one up!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkeley Books for providing me with an ARC!

I loved Darling Rose Gold and was really excited to read this one as an electronic advanced reader copy. However, I had to give up on it halfway through because of the alternating POVs and the character names appeared to change between childhood and adulthood. I was getting terribly confused remembering whose point of view I left off reading. Otherwise, the book was intriguing enough that I might finish it after publication in print when I am able to flip back and forth easily.

This Might Hurt is Stephanie Wrobel’s second novel. I loved Stephanie’s debut, Darling Rose Gold, so I was excited to hear about this one! This Might Hurt is a thriller that explores strained family dynamics, claustrophobic vibes, island life, and instinct. The author addresses some heavy subjects throughout the story: child abuse, domestic abuse, emotional abuse. The premise of the story was intriguing. I found this to give Nine Perfect Strangers and cult like vibes which was interesting. It was interesting to see the secrets unravel for each character and to learn more about their pasts. Though I figured out most of the twists early on, there was a small one that I didn’t catch that was pleasantly surprising. I liked the way the book ended as well. I could definitely see this book have a sequel or turn into a show. This Might Hurt was a fun read, but I personally like Darling Rose Gold even though I rated both books the same. I’d recommend picking this one up if you liked Darling Rose Gold!

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.