After the sudden death of her husband, Kate decides it is time for a fresh start. Kate and her teenage daughter, Alex, move to a beachside town in Florida. Kate settles into her new life much easier than Alex. She befriends a trio of mothers. However, the daughters of these women do not like Alex at all. Not only do they dislike Alex, but they bully her. Alex tries to document the bullying through video diaries. One day, Alex captures something that will change the course of the teenagers and their mothers lives.

This was my first Margot Hunt book. I really enjoyed her style of writing. I will definitely be reading more from her in the future. She does an excellent job at diving into the characters while interspersing suspense. "Mean girls" are so common in society these days, especially in an era of social media. Margot Hunt does an excellent job showcasing the realities of how mean teenage girls can be and the consequences that follow. Although this plot has harsher consequences than what we see day to day, most of what was featured in the novel (ie the bullying) is spot on with reality. The author also explores the nature vs nurture debate, and does an excellent job diving in.

This is a very quick and easy read! I finished it in a day, finding it very difficult to put down! Highly recommend.

Thanks you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love Margo Hunt. When I first read one of her books, I binged read her entire back list within a week. These books are easy to read and they hook you! This one is no different. I absolutely loved this one as well and can't wait to read more of her books!

The chapters alternate between Kate's perspective and Alex's video diary. This narration adds suspense to the storyline as Alex recounts the bullying she is enduring. Kate's chapters are a little heartbreaking as she continues trying to reach Alex. She overlooks unpleasant traits in her new friends but will she finally listen to other people's warnings about them?

I love thrillers about bitchy, snobby moms acting up so this was right up my alley! Nice, twisted characters. A solid thriller in the private school, badly behaving moms trope

Fantastic book loved the friendship dynamics - loved the way the control was described - loved the way it was written - loved the way the book flowed

3 stars- this is a quick read filled with suspense. thanks netgalley & the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

A quick and easy read that is full of suspense and twists and turns. If you're looking for a good psychological thriller set in a small town, this one is for you!

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

A suspenseful and creepy story, and scarily realistic.
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Completely riveting and disturbing, once I finally picked this up I couldn't put it down! The multiple POVs were equally intriguing and kept the pages turning. These girls are really messed up and I loved to hate them while reading this novel. Highly recommend to the thriller lovers!

Interesting and well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. Difficult to follow at times and a little slow. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

After the sudden death of her husband, Kate and her 17 year old daughter Alex move to Florida. Here they meet Emma, Ingrid, Genevieve and their daughters Shae, Callie and Daphne. While the mothers seem nice to Kate at first, she and Alex soon find out how mean some people can be, with deadly consequences…

Lovely Girls is marketed as a mystery, but if you go into it expecting to play detective the whole book, you should manage your expectations.

This book is more of a character study of mean girls and their mothers, with the mystery aspect of the story only starting at around 70-75%

THE ENDING THOUGH, oof it’s good, greatly improved the rating. But seriously, if you like character driven plots with a Mean Girls or Heathers-esque friend group that focusses on the question of if evil is born or made, you should for sure pick this one up.

A twisty insane thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. I could not put it down. Thank you to the publisher.

This is a quick, easy to read story with lots of Mean Girl vibes. Set in a small town it is full of drama. While I enjoyed this book, there wasn't any big twist or turns along the way that I typically enjoy. I've read other books by this author that knocked my socks off, this one just wasn't my favorite of her work.
If you're looking for an easy to read book, that would be great to read when at the beach or sitting at the pool, this is for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for this gifted copy.

What it is like living in a small town everyone knows everyone else's business and sometimes it can be really chilling. This book is a enjoyable read with a physcological twist.

Lovely Girls will resonate deeply with anyone who spent any time living in a small town. There advantages and disadvantages of living in a small town, and this book does an awesome job of touching on all of it. Good read!

A dark story, about a mis-step as the new kid and a mother trying to start her life over.

I liked the mom, Kate. I liked how she gave us the ugly sides of both her marriage, her husband, and the life she was leaving behind. I liked how she tried for a new start and how naive and how much she misunderstood what her kid was going through, because it felt very realistic.

I also liked Alex. Her misunderstandings, her silences and her struggles felt very realistic as well. Sure, the story derailed and got over-the-top but I expected it and, even though it was hard to read at times because of the bullying, it was interesting and kept me interested. The turns were well paced and I liked the ending and how it all wrapped up.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I think what really turned me off to this book was the mean girl trope and the excessive bullying. I'm personally not a fan of either of those pieces in a mystery/thriller. This book also gives off Big Little Lies vibes so I'm sure if a reader enjoyed that book, they would enjoy this read.

I would like to say that Hunt's writing flowed and was easy to read for me. I just personally couldn't get pasted the tropes mentioned above.

This story is easy to read, but it doesn't have any new or smart ideas in the category. This story shows how Social Media can be mean and warns that once something is posted, you can't get rid of it. This book was really good because the story moved at just the right speed and the characters became very interesting as the story went on. The book shows us how mothers raise their daughters and how children treat each other, and how parents can make an impact on this treatment. Bullies exist among teenagers, and taking care of our emotional well-being is crucial. The story is pretty simple, but there were some unexpected surprises. The conclusion was not a surprise.

Thank you to the author and publisher for a chance to review this book!

WOW. I was blown away and couldn’t put this one down. Go in blind and thank me later!

5 STARS

YOU NEED TO READ THIS

⭐⭐⭐

Lovely Girls by Margot Hunt is a gripping story about Kate Turner and her teenage daughter, Alex, who move to the beachside town of Shoreham, Florida for a fresh start after the sudden death of Kate’s husband. Kate quickly befriends a group of moms in the town but her daughter, Alex is bullied by their daughters, which she documents in her video diary. As Kate starts receiving chilling warnings from other parents and neighbors about the clique of moms, she begins to sense a malicious undercurrent among her new friends. The small-town gossip weaves a harrowing web of jealousy, deceit, and betrayal that reveals how fast the status quo can turn deadly.

The book’s title is tongue-in-cheek as there is not a single ‘lovely girl’ to be found here. This author has an easy-to-read writing style that keeps readers engaged throughout the book. It was a relatively quick read that I finished in one go. The plot itself isn’t too different from other teenage bully type books, but it still manages to be entertaining and captivating.

Overall, Lovely Girls is an enjoyable read that delves into the darker side of small-town gossip and social hierarchies. Any fan of psychological thrillers or mysteries should definitely give this book a try!

**ARC Via NetGalley**