This was my first book by Catherine McKenzie and a women's thriller type genre I don't typically read. And I guess I know why.

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for a copy of this book. Unfortunately it just wasn't for me. I was not drawn to the main character Nicole. I found her behaviour unbelievable and inconsistent (wishy washy to start and then an unexpected backbone) and her character lacked depth. The other characters, for the most part, were one dimensional. And the plot itself was kind of unbelievable. Sorry for the negativity, I probably should not have chosen this book.

I have seen many good reviews so I think it's a matter of being careful about knowing what books and genres you like, and what you don't.

Thank you to NetGalley, Catherine McKenzie and Atria for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review. 

I usually read McKenzie’s thrillers when I feel like a popcorn thriller. This one was no different. I found myself going quickly through the first and last quarter of the novel but the middle was just okay for me. Some of the twists were quite surprising so I enjoyed that. I will continue to read what she writes because I do enjoy the way she writes.

I loved the synopsis for this one and it sounded right up my alley. It ended up being an okay thriller. Definitely something I would reccomended to those looking for a quick read!

Catherine McKenzie usually writes a book that will knock your socks off. This one was very good but a fell just a bit short for me. 
It had all the ups and downs that I like. Somewhat likable people. A beginning that drew me in although a little slow. A plot that sounded fantastic. The ending was quite good. But there was something about it that just didn’t keep my interest going as fast as I like. It took me several times to finish this book. I read then put it down. Then picked it back up again. It just didn’t grab me and hold on. But it was well written and still had some good plots going on. I just don’t like the cult feel involved. It could have been that I was not in the mood for it yet. 

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. This is my thoughts about this book. 

3.75 stars

Catherine McKenzie writes terrific books that pull you in and won't let go until the last page. Terrific story and characters. I'm late to the party but I loved it.

I decided to pick up this book after reading Six Weeks Left to Live. We meet this lawyer, Nicole whose both work and home life seem to be struggling. All of a sudden she receives this invite from a super exclusive women's networking group and figures it wouldn't hurt to join and recharge her career. The whole group is suspect from the start but Nicole's desperation for change clouds her judgement into the things already happening around her. From there is a story of manipulation, controls, and lies. I'll admit the story was slow for me in the beginning but it was all for a reason and it was exciting to see all of the pieces come together. Some parts I saw coming but over all the factors were there for a solid thriller story.

Lawyer, Nicole Mueller can’t get no satisfaction with her boss holding her back, but then when a life-changing invitation pops up, she joins…them.

I’m a frivolous thriller reader with particular tastes. Most of my thriller reads are buddy read or book club initiated. But at one point long ago, I was just in the mood. So I hoped on the netgalley machine, spied this aesthetically pleasing cover (it’s my fave color dreamscape) and clicked request. I read it & voilà here we are months after it’s release cause writing reviews for books I don’t care for is definitely not my fave. 

Like me, Nicole signs up for something that isn’t quite what it seems. She accepts an invitation to join an all women’s retreat that promises to provide opportunities to help her achieve her goals. The group’s main philosophy—they’re a girl’s club in a boy’s club world. When she returns home from the trip and her life immediately changes for the better, Nicole can’t believe her luck. But when things seem too good to be true…she begins to think that maybe joining Panthera Leo is the biggest mistake of her life. 

Honestly, I usually enjoy going into books without having read the synopsis, but sometimes I wish I had. I probably wouldn’t have picked this book if I read it. Please Join Us includes some quasi-cultish vibes, sexual harassment and #metoo, a weird housing subplot, and revenge. I’m not big on revenge plots.
I really enjoyed reading about the actual retreat which included some really whacked out group games, but the rest of the book really dragged and the twist was a non-event for me. One other thing to note is that while I really enjoy making lists, I don’t like them in my literature. Here, the author used quite a bit of lists in order to rush the plot forward, which just seemed like pre-edited notes that never got written into sentences. 

Have you ever regretted not reading the synopsis? 

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. It wasn’t a win for me, but it just might be for some thriller fans.

I was so intrigued by the synopsis of this one and it turned out to be a fun thriller! I felt like I was sucked in and couldn’t stop reading! I love that the author is a lawyer-turned-writer. It brought a realistic element to the main character who is a lawyer herself. Recomend!

This was my first read by author Catherine McKenzie, and it just wasn't my favorite. It felt slow and didn't grip me the way a solid thriller does. The build up felt a bit anti-climatic. While I did like the double twist at the end, it lacked luster. The author did grab my attention enough to hold on through the storyline to find out how deep the lies went and to figure out what in the world was going on. People aren't always who you think they are, and main character, Nicole, is asking herself this question, but also wondering if she is who she thinks she is. 
Only time will tell. 

Thank you to Atria Books and the author for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. 

Review being posted to Amazon and B&N (awaiting approval) and my bookstagram account.

The benefits of professional networking, until they provide too much and ask too much in return. This is a page turner! Enjoyed the characters and the premise of this story so much..

This book was a page turner! It kept me on edge the entire time wondering what was about to happen and I couldn’t get enough.

I really could not get into this book. It felt, redundant in a way. Like I'd heard this story before? It felt like a character study more than any kind of thriller. It's a good example of how an incredibly gullible person could get sucked into a cult but this wasn't meant to be a gullible person. This really seems like a caricature of a cult. Very much not for me. 

**Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC**

I typically really enjoy Catherine McKenzie's books, but this book about a cult group and the Me Too Movement fell a bit short for me. When Nicole Mueller is not awarded the partnership level at her law firm, she is discouraged. She doesn't understand - she had the billable hours, she has done the extra work. So, now she is at a crossroads. Surprisingly, she receives an invitation from Panthera Leo, a group of women that she believes will bring in more business for her. She goes to their retreat, and meets several prominent women. But, what she doesn't know is that she is a pawn in their plan to exact revenge on men they believe wronged them. 
The positive things - the book read quickly, the plot was well planned.
The negative - I just didn't believe it, and I wanted a more psychological feel to it.

This was a fun, quick read for me. Very entertaining with some drama, great twist at the end, and a pro-feminist theme.

- boss babes getting revenge
- take down the patriarchy
- THAT ENDING
- issues with your in laws
- legal/law setting

The authors writing was smart but made it easy for us to follow, which is always appreciated. It was a great, unique story!

Huge thank you to the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review. 

I can honestly say that i was very pleasantly surprised by this book. I thought this was gonna be another basic cult books but it was definitely not that at all. It was a cult book with a mix of NSFW if you have read that. I love the strong female vibes, as always. There was a lot of twist and turns that make this book fun to read throughout. Honestly really enjoyed this book would recommend to any thriller fan!

Nicole has had a major setback at work but then receives an invitation to join an empowering women's group called Panthera Leo. She is hopeful this will help her career get back on track but instead she is drawn into a web of lies and mind games. I thought this was twisty and highly entertaining.

What a perfect and intriguing title! Cult premises have become my guilty pleasure and I found this one to be such a fun and refreshing take on the trope! 

While focusing on women empowerment, I enjoyed the mysterious aspect as Nicole begins looking into this perplexing network called Panthera Leo! I was totally engrossed from start to finish and that end?! 👀 I relish in a great twist and this one delivered. 

If you liked this entertaining page turner and the idea of secret societies, make sure to check out The Collective and The Last Invitation!

I've been a fan of Catherine McKenzie for many years and have read most of her books, and while this wasn't my favorite one, it does showcase her incredible talent in executing some flawless twists. Nicole was a fairly unlikable character, which made it difficult to connect with her on the level I would have expected, but again, the twists at the end more than made up for the slow pace for the first two thirds of the story. I'll be eagerly awaiting the author's next release!

I read this a while ago and forgot to review it. So my thoughts on it aren't exactly fresh but I  remember being slightly disappointed after reading her previous book about the clone.

For fans of Nine Perfect Strangers and The Herd this feminist thriller follows the life of Nicole as she joins a network of powerful women who will stop at nothing to get what they want.

I love a good cult thriller and this one did not disappoint. I loved to hate all of the characters and sit back, relax and watch the plot unfold. The pace at times was a bit slow and convoluted but that’s also because it’s certainly not a whodunnit mystery. It was fun never quite knowing who to trust and what was real and this would make a fabulous screen adaptation.