I just did not enjoy this. It was super hard for me to finish. The main character was so annoying. I kept waiting for something to pull me in and it just never happened!

A pointed poke at the wellness business especially in Los Angeles. Anita might be annoying but not as much as those she encounters on her journey through the world of influencers and "wellness". Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, Both irritating and funny at the same time.

This was a pretty funny read. Our MC is irritating, I can’t lie about it, but that somehow made her escapades even funnier. Definitely a read in a oner on the beach type of read.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC. This is my honest review.
I had a rough time finishing this book. I generally read books within a few days but this one took me forever to finish. I could not get into this book at all. I don’t recommend this book unless you really just need something to read.

This was such a clever and sharp read that was just so much fun! I am pretty skeptical and critical when it comes to the wellness industry, so that definitely gave me an extra layer of enjoyment. The main character had moments where she was annoying, but overall I really enjoyed this.

This book was just okay for me and almost a DNF. I found the main character Anita to be annoying and I just don't find the LA influenster scene in novels to be interesting. They just seem so out of touch with reality and they're not interesting enough for me to want to be them like when reading about maybe other rich people. The last few chapters did get interesting finally but it was pretty dull leading up to that.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for access to read this book early. These opinions are entirely my own.

Anita is over her life in New York: her dead-end job, tiny studio apartment, self-obsessed friends, and overbearing mom. So she moves west to Los Angeles in search of a new career, enlightenment, and that nebulous target…wellness.

She discovers an elite workout class called The Goddess Effect, run by a lifestyle guru named Venus who’s the very definition of #goals. One look at her Lululemon-clad acolytes sweating out their demons while dripping with confidence and Anita’s all in. When one of the class regulars takes Anita under her wing, Anita’s sure she’s found her people.

But Anita’s not so smitten that she doesn’t wonder about a few things: an inexplicable invitation to a Goddess Effect retreat, a strange tradition of secret sharing, and whispers about “enhancements” that only Venus can provide. Anita is awakening to a terrifying epiphany: The Goddess Effect isn’t quite what it seems, and it may turn her world—and that of everyone around her—upside down.

I don't know where to start.
I felt a connection to so many characters in this novel, for the good and the bad. The desperation was just flying off the pages, and I so wanted to see happy endings for everyone.

I would probably describe this book as a dark comedy revolving around L.A.'s wellness scene. It reminded me a lot of Amina Akhtar's Kismet, which I read a few months ago, although I enjoyed that one more overall.

Anita was sort of an annoying character. She lived in way too much of a dream world and expected things to just fall perfectly into her lap, although she does have some character growth over the course of the book.

There were also way too many pop culture references and current slang, to the point where it was beginning to border on excessiveness. I feel like it will really date this in just a few years.

I feel like everything happened in the last one or two chapters, with the big reveal and things quickly being resolved afterwards. Definitely a lot of build up for not much pay-off.

This was a light, easy read though that I think would be perfect for a beach read.

A fun read! I always Find it interesting reading novels about our generations influencers. This one was fun and often times sad but overall an enjoyable read!

This is a book that I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. There were moments of absolute laughter because it was ridiculous, but then there were times of me wondering, "What is going on?!" I wanted to like Anita more than I did because who doesn't have insecurities, but sometimes, she was a lot. It's entertaining, but I can't say that I loved it... but I definitely didn't hate it. It was ok.

What a great book! I love everything by this author and this book was no different! I couldn't put this down and was up all night waiting to see how it ended!

This story was just ok…I wanted it to move faster and I didn’t really sympathize with Anita much. I wanted her to get her stuff together. The ending was kind of bizarre and I could have given up on this far earlier.

The Goddess Effect is contemporary fiction that provides a scathing look into LA's wellness industry. Protagonist Anita basically drops everything, and moves into a communal living space in LA in order to find herself and get her dream job. Almost immediately she finds the Goddess Effect, a high end workout class, and falls in love with the idea that she too could become like the rich, white women who frequent the class. Of course, this place is too good to be true, and eventually the cracks start to show.
Anita was not the most likable protagonist at the start, but she did grow on me throughout the course of the novel as she started to learn about herself and question the things she thought she wanted. The novel is quite funny, very over the top in regards to social media and the wellness industry. The second half of the book was more enjoyable to me- ie. the way the Goddes Effect grew more sinister and culty toward the end, as well as the friendship between Ani and Stacy, once they really opened up to each other at the retreat. An interesting and timely read, if a bit hard to get into at first.

This book was okay in my opinion. I didn't find myself as grasped as I had expected. Thanks you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I had a hard time getting through this book because I didn't like the main character. I found her really unlikable and whiny. Maybe she was supposed to be that way so she could get pulled into a cult type workout program that was doing some really sketchy things.

I did begin to enjoy the main character and this book at the very end. The last few chapters of this book were my favorites.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to friends.

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

Anita is stressed to the max and decides to move from New York to Los Angeles to revamp her wellness. She quickly finds a workout class led by Venus, and is thrilled to be quickly accepted by the rest of the group. However, things start to get questionable quickly and Anita begins to wonder what she really got herself into. I enjoyed this book because the plot was well-written and the characters were relatable and real. I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a quick, entertaining read.

I was rather interested in the overall concept: a scathing satire about the wellness culture and influencers. I'm sure the writing quality is great because of all the positive reviews. Sadly I didn't connect with the book and how the plot unfolded. It just wasn't for me.

Wellness culture, startup culture, LA culture, and millennials....all gone wrong. The Goddess Effect was a painfully accurate and scathing portrayal of today's boutique fitness and wellness industry and the lengths to which so many women are willing to go to not just look like they fit in but change themselves entirely to fit into the 'clique'. I felt myself cringing and laughing throughout, but I couldn't put it down. It was smart and savvy and a must read for anyone who's ever found themselves in a boutique fitness class or bought into the latest wellness pyramid scheme.