⭐⭐⭐

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**

In this book- which is my first to read of Margot Hunt's- Kate and her daughter Alex move to the coastal town of Shoreham, Florida to start over after losing her husband/dad in a auto accident. Kate soon becomes friends with a group of women while Alex starts to immediately have trouble with their daughters. Alex is immediately targeted by the clique of mean girls on that team. What starts as bullying soon turns deadly in this high drama novel.
This was like Mean Girls to the extreme, minus the comedy. The girls in this novel were ruthless to say the least and I found myself appalled by their actions and the sad part is, most of the things in this do actually happen. Lots of things happening, lots of drama, family meddling, lots of lies and deceptions and deceiving characters. Something bigger is about to happen as the story is told in dual timelines and I had the feeling of a suspenseful moment throughout the story.

Kate and Alex moved to a little seaside community in Florida after the death of Kate's husband and Alex's father. Alex gets off on the wrong foot with 3 girls in school, which is unfortunate because Kate becomes fast friends with their mothers.

Alex starts a video diary to document her feelings of being bullied. Eventually, things spiral out of control.

This story is hard to put down from the very beginning. It had all the drama and angst of being a teenager, but these girls were even more vicious.

Found this to be very average for the most part but the twists were actually really good. I just wish I connected with the characters more. A few plot holes but overall a good thriller. Would recommend for beginners of the genre.

Does the gene for being a "Mean Girl" pass from mother to daughter or is it the result of the environment the child is raised in? Margot Hunt depicts this theory in her book , Lovely Girls. This is not my usual genre for reading however I really did enjoy the experience. It was a fast paced thriller that I would bring to the beach or by the pool. Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy.

This book is called "Lovely Girls", which is an irony because, the story revolves around a group of girls and women who are anything but lovely. In fact, you will be hard put to find more nastier people than those you see in this book.

Kate Turner and her daughter Alex move to the small beachside town of Shoreham, Florida after Kate's husband passes away in an accident, especially because Alex hasn't been the same since the accident; Kate hopes that this change will help her daughter come out of the shell she has been in. What Kate doesn't expect is that Alex and her will have to face more crazy circumstances in the new place.

Alex comes across a trio of girls on her first day in the town and gets on their bad side unfortunately. Kate is welcomed warmly by the moms of the same girls and hence doesn't heed when others warn her against these women. However, as time goes on, things unravel more and more with both Kate and Alex, ultimately culminating in a murder. Do these extraordinary circumstances finally break these already damaged women or do they come out of it unscathed? What are the underlying passions and dark impulses which lead to the murder? Read the book to find out more.

This is a wonderful book which is completely gripping and darkly compelling. There was an ominous atmosphere throughout the book which made it really uneasy for me to read at times. Still, I couldn't stop reading it as well. I feel the author Margot Hunt intended for this book to be a window into the soul of people who tend to do terrible things without conscience and I must say she has been very successful with her objective. Can't wait to read more of her works.

In Margot Hunt’s ‘Lovely Girls’, Kate Turner and her daughter, Alex, embark on a new beginning in the coastal town of Shoreham, Florida, after the untimely death of Kate's husband. However, their hopes for a tranquil existence are swiftly disrupted when Alex becomes the victim of unrelenting bullying orchestrated by a group of girls within the community. Kate initially underestimates the severity of the situation, but as chilling warnings from other parents and neighbors reach her, she starts questioning the true nature of her new friends, the girls’ moms.

Genre: Psychological Thriller/Mystery

Setting: The beachside town of Shoreham, Florida

Main Characters:
1. Kate Turner: A widow and mother who moves to Shoreham with her daughter, looking for a fresh start.
2. Alex Turner: Kate's teenage daughter who becomes the victim of bullying and documents the events in her video diary.
3. Trio of Fellow Moms: Kate's fast friends in Shoreham who hide dark secrets behind their friendly façades.
4. Clique of Girls: The group of girls who target Alex and make her life miserable, their motives shrouded in mystery.

Themes:
1. Betrayal and Deceit: The story explores the consequences of trust and the dangers of relying on appearances alone.
2. Small-Town Dynamics: The narrative delves into the power of gossip, the pressure to conform, and the lengths people will go to maintain their social status.
3. Mother-Daughter Relationship: The bond between Kate and Alex is tested as they navigate the challenges of their new environment and unravel the truth together.
4. Bullying and Its Effects: The novel examines the impact of bullying on the victim and the broader implications it can have on a community.

Plot Twists:
1. The trio of moms, initially seen as supportive and friendly, are revealed to be orchestrating the bullying against Alex.
2. Kate receives warnings that the moms are dangerous and involved in sinister activities, leading her to question her friendships.
3. The motives behind the bullying become clear, uncovering a dark secret that the clique of moms is desperate to protect.
4. Alex's video diary captures a crucial piece of evidence that turns the tables and exposes the truth, leading to a thrilling climax.

Ultimately, ‘Lovely Girls’ is a gripping psychological thriller that explores the dark side of seemingly idyllic communities, revealing the lengths people will go to in order to maintain their status and the importance of trust and resilience in the face of betrayal.

Bad girls. Talking 'bout bad bad girls.

While there’s nothing necessarily new when it comes to this story, there’s just something about a mean girl that really hits the spot for me.

As I said, the premise here isn’t one that hasn’t been done before. Mom and daughter relocate for a fresh start. Mom gets taken in by the resident mom squad, but their mean girl daughters don’t do the same for the new girl. It kicks off right from the jump with a dead body, but you don’t find out who said corpse is until Part II, and the rest of the time is spent figuring out whodunit. This gets 4 Stars for being perfectly satisfying. I was in the mood for some Lifetime Stabby Stab action and found this one to be . . . so fetch.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

I loved this book !! I am such a huge fan of mean girls with mean moms and the karma that comes back to bite them in the ass. This book was unique also with the alternating chapters from Alex's video diary. I loved that form of media mixed in. This book was like mean girls and big little lies mixed together and I LOVED IT!!

I don't enjoy books about "mean girls", whether teens or adults, but I loved the author's book, FOR BETTER OR WORSE, so wanted to give this one a chance..

The story is intriguing and the characters well-developed but the fact that a large chunk of the book is written from the pOV of a teen girl gave it a YA feel, and ruined it for me.

This was a fail and "it's me, not the book" review. Not every book is for every reader, however, I look forward to reading more from the author if there are no teen narrators.

I truly loved this story; this is my first book by this author. This story is crazy take on Mean Girls and their mothers, what we would do for daughters and where to draw the line. This book should be added to every book club because there is so much to discuss. We all want to fit in and make friends, but when your friends become your enemies what do you do to save your daughter and yourself?

Kate just lost her husband and wants a fresh start for her and daughter, so they relocate to beach town in Florida. What they find there is something so menacing that is hard to even believe when you say out loud.

I can't say too much without giving it away but read this book you will not forget it, promise.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Mercer for copy of this book for my honest review.

Lovely Girls was an irresistible and twisty suspense novel that kept me interested from start to finish.

I've previously listened to a few short stories from Margot Hunt, but this is the first full length novel I've read and listened to. I was happy to have the Lovely Girls e-book and audiobook. It was great being able to switch back and forth again.

Seeking a fresh start, Kate Turner and her seventeen-year-old daughter Alex make the move to Shoreham, Florida. Kate knows that Alex is still very upset over her father's death. Kate is also still grieving the unexpected loss of her husband.

Kate is very worried about her daughter. They have both been through so much. Kate tries her best to be patient with Alex. Her once happy, determined, exuberant daughter is now sullen, anxious, and extremely angry. Small town Shoreham seems like the perfect place for both of them to start over. Kate is determined to make this move work out well for them.

Kate makes friends with some of the local mothers right away. Alex struggles to fit in and is quickly targeted by a group of mean girls. Bullies who set out to make her life a living hell. At first Kate isn't sure who or what to believe. Things continue to escalate. Until one night the unthinkable happens.

The story was quick and engrossing and I only put it down a couple of times. It is told from both Kate and Alex's point of view and I really liked the short chapters. It was maybe a little predictable at times, but I was still very entertained. I thought the two narrators of the audiobook were also very good.

Overall, this was a quick and exciting domestic suspense story about gossip, jealousy, lies, betrayal, and murder.

As I mentioned before, this was my first full length novel from Margot Hunt. However, it DEFINITELY won't be my last.


I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

This was my first read by Margo Hunt and I really enjoyed it! I couldn’t wait to get to the end to see how it would all unfold. There was something about this book that felt familiar; mean girls and the women who raise them and protect them. This book had an interesting cast of characters, from the cruel teenagers and their mothers, to the nosy neighbor, and the new love interest. I enjoyed the relationship between the mom, Kate, and her new love interest, Joe. Some parts of the book were hard to read. The cruelty and those that went along with it. I often wanted to shake Alex and just yell at her to tell the truth! Tell her mom what was really going on at school and with the other girls. I liked how this book looked at the small decisions we make and the domino effect they can have and how technology and social media plays a role in it as well.

4 Stars!

I really enjoyed Hunt's previous books: [book:For Better and Worse: A Novel|38350063] & [book:The Last Affair|43483465], so I was really looking forward to her latest.

This was a fast, quick, popcorn thriller; mean moms & mean girl daughters. It takes place in Florida, after Alex & her mother moved from Buffalo, following her father's tragic death. As a Buffalonian, I absolutely loved all the buffalo related references - Albright Knox, etc.

Recommend if you’re looking for an easy, fun, popcorn thriller – would be perfect for the beach, or just a weekend read.

Domestic suspense that hooks you from the beginning. This is a quick, twisty thriller with distinct viewpoints and from mother and daughter.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced e-reader.copy! This book had potential a new girl in town, gets targeted immediately by the mean girls of the school because she's a threat to their spots on the tennis team. But then Alex records the tennis coach and a student. Then the bullying becomes more sinister. The characters were just undeveloped. I think this could have been better. 2.5stars rounded up to 3

This was such an addicting book. I picked it up and was like "okay, I'll read a little bit before bed." Before I knew it, I was 40% in and completely obsessed with finding out how this one would end.

I liked the idea of Alex and her video diary. That was a nice switch up and POV change as you continued hearing about the horrible bitches at her school.

While I went into this blind, it wasn't difficult to see where this story might lead. I love stories about rich families and horrible parents and their evil children.

I liked Kate, even if sometimes I think she could have pushed her daughter harder to find out she was being bullied. I also wanted her to destroy the lives of everyone involved, but it didn't go that route.

The ending was good, even if it went off the rails a little bit. I wasn't expecting it to go that way, and it felt a tadddddd dramatic. The ending is why it didn't get a full five stars, because this was seriously so easy and fun to read. It went by quick and the pacing was awesome. I just wish the ending was a little less dramatic.

But I love Margot Hunt and will read anything she puts out!

Lovely Girls - Margot Hunt

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this captivating eARC.

Be prepared to finish this suspenseful novel in one sitting, as you follow this story of a mother and her teenage daughter relocating to escape rumours and bad memories, only to be emotionally tortured by the resident "bad girls".

Survival isn't a given in modern day suburbia when you have to fight for each scrap of recognition.

Margot Hunt writing shines in this novel, which showcases her excellent character development and pacing,as she delivers a storyline with more than one "hook" to keep you on the line.
Until Next time...

P. S. I LOVED this clever psychological thriller!

Absolutely addicting! Kate moves with her daughter Alex to a small seaside town in FL for a fresh start after the death of her husband. Instead of peace and new beginnings, they find themselves embroiled amidst mean girl cliques. This is gripping, fast paced, and suspenseful at every turn! I couldn’t put this one down! Thanks to Margot Hunt, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this e-ARC!

WOW. I didn't expect to like this as much as i did. Stories centering around mother-daughter relationships always gets me and this was no exception. A murder mystery about mean girls and mean moms, how a 'newly moved into town' mom-daughter duo navigate the monstrosities of these meanies. Some bits regarding back stories of certain characters felt unpolished but it didn't affect my liking for this overall. Recommended for those who love small town with people and big attitudes kind of thriller!