Full of unlikeable characters. I get that the husbands are supposed to be bad but I didn’t really care for the women either. Very heavy topic but it was handled well in my opinion. The narration was a bit slow paced though it did help to keep the story straight having two.

The storyline was a very interesting one, but it becomes hard to follow. The strong female leads are a great change.

3.5 stars!

THE FAVOR is a gripping debut domestic suspense novel that explores the compassion and depth of what can happen when women, pushed to the limit, take matters into their own hands.

I love supporting a debut author, and I was excited to read The Favor by Nora Murphy. Leah and McKenna are living similar lives, and have a lot in common, but have never met, until one day Leah sees McKenna in a store and decides to follow her.

I enjoyed both the physical book and the audiobook, which was narrated by a cast, including Dylan Moore and Leon Nixon, and Sarah MolloChristensen.

*many thanks to Minotaur and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy for review

(3.5⭐️) With a fresh domestic suspense storyline, this book was a quick read that allowed quality discussion in my buddy read with @book_wine_and_thinker

Two strong, competent women find themselves victims of domestic abuse. But maybe one favor could create a catalyst for the change they both need.

With a focus on domestic violence within the home, Murphy’s acknowledgment of its prevalence alongside the difficulties of seeking help within society is applaudable.

I enjoyed the ease with which this book read and look forward to the next book by Murphy. But it’s necessary to note that while enjoyable, the plotline is not actually plausible and realistic.

As I often prefer, I combined the physical book with the audiobook. The audiobook was narrated by a cast and was well executed.

Many thanks to my partners @minotaur_books and @macmillan.audio for the #gifted copies.

What if the perfect crime did exist, one in which you would never be caught from, would you do it?

The catch is, for it to work you have to hope someone returns the favor!

Leah and McKenna have never met, but they live very similar lives. One day Leah witnesses that McKenna is in the same kind of danger that she’s in and decides to do something about it.

She can’t get out of her situation but she can help someone else.

This is a domestic thriller, but don’t expect any big plot twists. I LOVE my plot twists and this was lacking.

The entire premise of the story starting off strong, until it seemed pretty unrealistic when a “favor” is returned.

TW: Domestic violence

Read this if:
🩸 You like domestic thrillers
🩸 You like multiple POVs

Leah and McKenna live similar lives, although they have never met. Recognizing the similarities between them, Leah begins to follow McKenna, wanting to help her in anyway she can. A split decision makes them entangled in one another's lives.

This book was really entertaining and full of suspense that I flew through in two sittings. There is an alternating timeline between the past, where we learn about how each woman ended up marrying the monsters they now call their husbands, and the present, during the nightmare they are each living. Big trigger warning for domestic abuse, both physical and psychological and gaslighting! I listened to it on audio and think that the narrators did a great job with all three POVs. The biggest complaint about the book that I had was that during the POV of the detective, he kept talking about his partner, and how much he missed them after they had an injury on the job... It just seemed unnecessary to the narrative, and made him feel a bit creepy and obsessive in my opinion. I feel like his POV could have been left out all together and I would have enjoyed the story a bit more.

Definitely didn't feel like a debut, and I'm intrigued to see what the author comes up with next.

I did not see what was coming in this book at all. I loved how it kept me guessing. I would recommend.

I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller! The husbands are absolutely despicable and it was satisfying for the protagonists to escape them and get revenge. The 3-pronged narrator was effective although I felt the ending was a bit rushed and wish we could’ve learned the fate of Mallory (Detective Harrison’s partner) and seen more of a glimpse into how the 2 women were doing a year or more down the road.

Big fan of this one especially if you like Strangers on a Train vibes. This story is told from dual POVs and I loved learning more about each woman, what their story was, what secrets they had, and why they wanted to help save the other woman. Some parts felt a tad bit repetitive since some scenes are visited by each perspective, but overall, was very engaged and this was a great popcorn thriller!

In the favor, Murphy has penned an explosive psychological thriller that sheds light on the flaws behind two picture perfect marriages. When a chance encounter leads to obsession and eventually murder readers are left to uncover the truth of who done it!

Triggers in psychological and physical abuse with a focus on women’s supporting each other and where to find help.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars for this breakthrough devia novel, looking forward to Nora Murphy’s future books.

This debut is an extremely entertaining domestic thriller that brings selflessness to a whole new level. McKenna and Leah have never met, but have much in common in their mirrored lives. The plot has an original spin that took a twist that was unexpected and very satisfying. ” There is something so powerful about the kindness that comes from a person you have never met.” This belief is the driving force that underlies this gripping debut. I look forward to reading future books by this author. The narration added an extra layer of intrigue and suspense. It was well executed and pulled me in instantly. Thank you NetGalley and McMillan Audio for my audiobook.

How far would you go to help a stranger? The Favor was such a fantastic debut! Dark and fascinating! I loved it and will be looking for more from Nora Murphy.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for allowing me an audio copy of this book for my review.

I’m torn on this book. I loved the beginning and the middle. I was a little underwhelmed on the ending. I don’t know maybe I missed something but the rest of the book was terrific.

Tw: domestic violence.

This debut domestic suspense was a fast paced read with an interesting plot line.

Two women in isolated abusive marriages, similar lives, similar neighborhoods, similar cars. How can they save each other?

I could feel the tension and stress each woman felt. While the plot was a bit predictable, I found myself rooting for each of the women to be able to start their life anew. I wasn’t expecting to become as invested as I did.

I also was given the audiobook. I enjoyed the multi-cast narration. They did a good job bring the story to life.

4 stars

Thank you to @netgalley @stmartinspress and @macmillian.audio for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow, wow, wow! Two women who have never met are forever tied together by circumstances. This book truly makes you consider what is moral and how you would respond in their shoes. This was a fantastic debut novel by Nora Murphy and I'm definitely looking forward to what else she comes up with!

A story with an interesting concept and quite a good build up but seemed to fizzle out almost completely by the end.

The Favor follows Leah who ends up following McKenna. Leah recognizes a defeat in McKenna, something that tells her that she may be facing the same problem that Leah has been stuck with for some time: an abusive and controlling husband. Despite never speaking or even meeting, Leah decides that if she can’t really help herself, she could help McKenna instead.

Like I said, it is a very interesting concept and really could make an interesting story. The first halfish of the book is intriguing but it never really ramps up or gets more interesting. We know everything as we are going. There are no surprises in the story. The author tries to add tension through the perspective of a detective investigating what’s happening but that actually removes tension because we know what's happening from all sides of the story now. They also add what feels like a completely useless and unnecessary backstory to said cop which had me wondering ‘why do I even remotely care about this?’ every time it was mentioned. It felt like a word count filler.

Leah and McKenna were sympathetic characters and had the plot ramped up, it would have been an enjoyable journey to watch both of them beat their demons. But really it just all seemed to…happen. It was never bad and I finished it easily and was kept at least moderately entertained throughout but it never really stood up or stood out. I always love women coming together to throw out the trash stories so it still ended up a net positive even if it was lacking a bit in excitement.

I always wonder why so many of these novels focus on the victimization of rich white ladies? I feel like it's an archetype that I have read over and over again and I would love to see something new but this book definitely did not bring it.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. This book was narrated by Dylan Moore, Leon Nixon, and Sarah Mollo-Christensen who all did a great job narrating.

Fantastic debut!

Even though I could guess where this was going, I couldn't stop myself from rooting for these women to succeed.

The book begins with Leah going on her regular alcohol shopping when she sees a woman that resembles an earlier version of herself. She is not sure why, but she decides to follow McKenna Hawkins to her home. When she gets there, she sees McKenna enjoying her time outside with friends until her husband shows up. Leah can tell that McKenna's body immediately stiffens. She knows why. She can recognize the signs after all Leah has been living the same nightmare since she married her successful husband.

Leah will return night after night to see McKenna until she can't avoid interfering.

I thought The Favor was captivating. I couldn't stop myself from wanting to read/listen to one more chapter. It's terribly sad that so many find themselves in a domestic abuse situation. In this case, both were very successful women, one a lawyer, the other a pediatrician who lost themselves by being first isolated and then told over and over how unworthy they were. Not many are as lucky as these were.

The narrators Dylan Moore, Leon Nixon, and Sarah Mollo-Christensen portrayed these characters just as interesting as the story was.

One more thing I should bring up is that I would be very interested in seeing Detective Jordan Harrison and his partner in a future book.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good read, a page turner and a quick one. Well thought out and very different, original storyline.

Thank you NetGalley for the prerelease ebook

If you are someone who enjoys domestic suspense, I would highly recommend this book. Nora Murphy creatively crafts two thrilling situations that become intertwined in a way that you will not want to put the book down.

I listened to this book and enjoyed the narrators.

*Content Warning: Alcoholism, Abusive relationships

This is a debut domestic suspense that was quick and fun to buddy read (thanks to one of my favs @amy_alwaysreading who also gifted me her extra copy 🤗).

The concept was interesting, albeit not quite plausible. Suspending belief is necessary to get through this one. But I do think it would be well suited for an episode of a few of my favorite tv dramas!

I did a combination of print and audio, which is my new favorite way to read all books when I’m able to 🙌

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for the gifted audiobook!

Pub date: 5/31/22 Available Now!