There was too much going on in this story, too many POVs and just too much to follow. I finished the book but honestly I was kind of bored the entire time. I did appreciate the ending twist but it was also predicitible. If there were less characters to follow, more story and less background it would have been a more fun read.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was a fan of Ellery Lloyd's first book, People Like Her, so when I got a chance to read The Club, I ran for it. An exclusive celebrity club? Secrets and murder? Definitely intriguing.

I really enjoyed this behind the scenes look of a celebrity hot spot. The story was told from 4 different points of view, and each story intertwines by the end of the book. Think of the movie Valentine's Day or New Years Eve, where the multiple storylines are all connected throughout the story. I didn't find it difficult to follow along, as each character is distinctive enough to stand out on their own.

This entertaining story had me thinking one thing, then changing my mind, both with my opinions of the characters and where the story was taking me. What started as me being jealous over wanting to be there, by the end I was very thankful I was not well known and not on an island! The twists and turns worked so well. For the characters I didn't like, the ones that were interesting more than made up for it.

If you are looking for a fun whodunit and why, then this might be the book for you. I give this one 4 stars!

The Club by Ellery Lloyd was a page turner for me. It was like a train wreck that you just have to see what is going to happen next. I thought it was going in one direction and then all of a sudden it totally changed. I was on the edge of my seat and couldn't put this down! Between family drama, celebrities and all their drama, mean boss, and people who aren't who they say they are - this was woven together so well.

I really hate to DNF (Do Not Finish) a book, but I know how important it is to authors to have honest reviews!
I tried and tried again to get into this book. I picked it up, put it down and restarted it a couple of times; thinking that I just wasn't in the right headspace for this book. Sadly, this was not the case! Seeing that this was Reese Witherspoon's book club pick I thought it had to be good, but boy was I wrong. At the beginning of the book, the first couple of paragraphs were promising. It tried to draw you in but then it just fell flat. The more I read, the more characters introduced, the more lost I became. I felt like there was so much going on, but nothing really happening, if that makes sense. There seemed to be too many characters for me to keep track of, and i got lost and bored.

⭐️ The Club by Ellery Lloyd

I gave it the old college try. At page 100 I threw in the towel.

There was so much going on but yet nothing really happening. I couldn’t differentiate between the characters enough to know what was happening (or not happening) to whom. I started skimming paragraphs and searching for dialogue and yet could not stay interested. Ned and Adam, and the celebrities who were part of the club needed a good butt whooping — they were so annoying and disagreeable. I hate to be so negative on a book because I imagine writing a book is difficult but there was nothing redeeming about the first 100 pages that made me want to continue. 😕

DNF’d this one. Sorry. But thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

An exclusive club, and a three-day launch party that is dazzling yet disastrous. This is such an intriguing premise, and I started it off with a lot of curiosity and interest. I enjoyed the writing style, and I always like a story with multiple perspectives/timelines as the story builds with each new chapter.

However, as time went on I felt as though I was getting so much background, that I wasn't really getting much story. I felt like I lost interest. In the end, it came together in a way where the details made sense, however by that point it just did not do it for me. I would definitely read more from this author, this just wasn't my favorite.

This was so fun, but I would say I liked but didn’t love this one. I loved People Like Her, but thought there were too many POVs in this story. Still a fun and fast read about the rich and elite.

This book was fantastic! Loved getting to read before publishing date and will be recommending on Instagram, goodreads, and Amazon.

The Club centers around a murder mystery that has happened on an island resort that is part of The Home Group, an exclusive celebrity club. The Club shifts among the perspectives of various characters and newspaper clippings telling the story of the events leading up to the murder and coverage of the fallout.

The Club is a perfect spring/summer read. I read it while on a flight and during time off on a work trip and it helped me feel like I was on vacation. Even though none of the characters were real celebrities, Lloyd wrote about them in a way that was totally believable. The twists and turns kept me engaged and I never wanted to put this book down. If you're looking for a beach read, or a book to help you pretend like you're on vacation enjoying a beach read, I highly recommend this book.

It’s launch weekend for Island Home, the latest in the Home group of ultra-exclusive clubs for the rich and famous, and Ned Groom is finalizing the plans. Or rather, his staff is finalizing the plans. The guest list for this Halloween weekend party is small, meaning Annie Sparks’s phone is constantly buzzing with celebrities and their PAs trying to finagle a last minute invitation. As Head of Membership, she is expected to be available to their 1500 or so members, but she has no openings to offer for Island Home. Everything has been planned well in advance, and there are no empty rooms available.

But for the first night, Thursday, Ned only invited a handful of members, actor Jackson Crane and his wife Georgia, artist Keith Little, film producer Kurt Cox, and talk show host Freddie Hunter. Although Freddie did encourage his friend singer Kyra Highway to come with him, and she brought her 8-year-old daughter Lyra. After dinner, Annie made the announcement that soon they would be receiving new contracts to sign with an updated membership fee. In addition, they’ll all be getting an extra gift delivered to them.

What these exclusive guests don’t know yet is that the “gift” they’ll be receiving is a personalized flash drive that Ned has put together for them. What they don’t know yet is that those new membership fees include a hefty spike in what they will owe the Home Group moving forward. What they don’t know yet is that there are cameras all over the Home clubs, from the Manhattan Home to Cannes Home to Shanghai Home and all the other clubs around the world.

What Ned doesn’t seem to understand yet is that he is handing each of these individuals a reason for them to want him dead.

As the weekend goes on with its celebrations, its meals in the underwater restaurant Poseidon, its easy access to alcohol and drugs, people begin to disappear. Jackson Crane is holed up in his cabin with a Do Not Disturb in the system, so no staff will go near it. Ned Groom himself has gone missing, with his only communication a short email to his PA, “Gone to London.”

As secrets get revealed and emotions run high, the people at Island Home grow increasingly paranoid. And the more wound up they get, the more it becomes obvious that not everyone will make it off the island alive. But who will end up a villain, and who will end up a victim?

Told through a lengthy Vanity Fair article as well as the viewpoints of several Island insiders, The Club is a look inside the most exclusive and extreme lifestyles of the rich and famous. Filled with delicious secrets revealed and a slow burn story that takes its sweet time before making it clear what all happened that fateful weekend, this thriller is cunning and layered.

I listened to the audio book for this one, and I thought narrator Tamaryn Payne had the perfect voice for this novel. I loved her reading, and I thought it elevated this novel, making the slower moments more palatable.

I did like The Club, but it’s not perfect. Many of the characters are unlikable, and they get more so as the story goes on and more is revealed of their choices. There are parts of the story that are a little slow, and it took me a while to really understand who was who, but once I was in, I was in. If you’re a reader who loves books about the rooms behind the velvet ropes, you might really love this book. If you love a good thriller, you might like this book. If you’re a picky reader, you might want to skip this book, or at least read (or listen to) a sample before you decide. Like an exclusive club, this book is not for everyone.

Egalleys for The Cub were provided by Harper through NetGalley, but I bought the audio book myself through Audible.

What happens when the elite are trapped on an exclusive island? You have to read the club to find out! Perfect if you’ve ever found yourself thumbing through a celebrity magazine. A lot of juicy fun along the way.

WOWZA! I read a little bit of this book and thought, ho hum, there’s not much here, but very soon I was proven wrong. This is a tense story of secrets about the hyper-elite and the not elite, set on a private island, where every important character has something to hide, which we discover as the story unfolds.

Told from not only the point of view of the characters but interspersed with “excerpts” from a long newspaper report on what happened on Ned Groom’s latest “Home” venture (“Home” is the name of Groom’s and his brother Adam’s empire of resorts so exclusive you have to be a very, very, very wealthy person to be invited to join - and then meet the brothers’s criteria for eligibility, which are teased out as the story gets darker and darker), a remote island in the North Sea, if memory serves - my apologies if I don’t remember the exact location. Here a large, hyperbolic in its conception and description, inaugural party will be held for the rich and famous intelligentsia, artists, musicians, and actors and actresses. Here we see starkly the difference between the haves and the haves not: while the guests are lodged in Uber-deluxe cabins, not one visible from another, and each one styled to fit the unique desires of the resident, while the staff is housed out of sight in what can best be described as a barracks.

I like stories where the narration switches back and forth between characters; if written well, as is this book, the reader gets a good look into the point of view of each narrator. And, while I initially thought the back and forth between several chapters and the journalist’s report was a cheap trick, again I was surprised at how effective it was as a literary device.

To describe the plot beyond my brief synopsis is impossible without revealing spoilers: I will just note that characters who appear benign are anything but, and the Groom brothers are as crooked as a very winding road.

Highly recommended.

I received this book from the publisher and NetGalley as an ARC. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Although well-written, I do not believe The Club is for me. I thought it was going to be something different than what it turned out to be and the celebrity aspect of it just turned me off. I thought it was going to be more action-packed than it was and maybe it just wasn't meant for me at this time.

I loved reading this!! How long can you wait until you get your revenge on someone? I don't want to give anything away... suffice it to say some can wait a long time.

This book was ok I was not as thrilled as I expected but nonetheless a solid read. I just was missing something and could not connect to the characters.

The Club includes a hand selected group of high profile individuals who want to be protected from prying eyes in order to indulge in excess and vice. The members of The Club pay top dollar to be part of this exclusive group and The Home Group offers them the secrecy that they want.

When Island Home opens on a tidal island off the English coast, The Club is invited to a 3-day launch party. During the weekend the CEO of The Home Group puts the financial squeeze on four of The Club's members. The money he is asking for is obscene but the secrets that could be revealed are even more shocking.

This book is fast paced with the first half of the book setting the reader up with lots of clues and unanswered questions. Then the authors proceed to lead the readers through a series of shocking reveals and the dots begin to get connected.

I found the previous book of this duo, People Like Her, to be chillingly captivating and interesting, and I was super excited to read The Club, since it sounded right up my alley. I love reading about rich people problems and ugly behaviours, and while I expected something even darker, it did not disappoint. Each character had some unique traits, a convincing backstory and a recognisable voice, their motives were credible and made sense. It wasn’t incredibly original, but there were still a few surprises, some smart twists I didn’t see coming, and I appreciated that. The writing was very good and it got me hooked just a couple chapters in. A good thriller with an interesting, original premise and a smart execution. It was as mind-blowing as People Like Her, but I still enjoyed it a lot and I’m definitely excited for Ellery Lloyd’s next story! Thank you to the publisher and the authors for providing this advanced reader copy! 4.5 stars.

The club is about an exclusive club that has a chain of high end hotels across the world. The newest hotel opening is called Island Home, where a three day long celebration will be held. Unfortunately, a murder happens that weekend and the story is unfolded from four perspectives. Jess the housekeeper, Adam who is Ned the CEO’s brother, Annie who is responsible for club membership and then becomes acting CEO and Nikki who is Ned (CEO) personal assistant.

The book is very well written but it has a little bit of a slow start. A lot of introductions to characters and their backstory. Once you get to know the character well, the second part of the book takes off. The second half of the book is very intense and will leave you on the edge of your seat.

For anyone who enjoys reading about the lives of the Uber rich and famous, the exotic vacations and indulgiances, and a good who did it, this book is for you. I highly recommend this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I was a fan of the author’s first book so was excited for this one. Unfortunately the story moved quite slow and it was hard to keep track of all of the characters. The book could have been shorter with less descriptive text. The descriptions just seemed to go on and on and didn’t add much.

The book had A LOT of characters and switched between viewpoints. For me, it was too many characters to easily keep track of and I got confused on and off throughout the book.

There was also a lot of time spent talking about how awesome the club was rather then continuing the plot.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy to honestly review.