A young nurse happens to fall in love with her elderly charge. They prepare to marry and suspicions rise regarding intentions, mainly from the kids. Next, a plot ensues to overthrow the suspected sugar baby all to avoid losing an inheritance. Sound familiar? "The Opportunist" by Elyse Friedman takes this entire classic trope, shakes it up, flips it around a couple times, and slams it back on the page, proving her fresh take on an old story to be absolute artistry.

Creating a literary throne for incredible female main characters to rest upon, "The Opportunist" introduces Kelly, a woman who's intelligence far outweighs her age , her strategic mindset wise beyond her experience; A woman that refuses to go down without a fight. Alongside Kelly comes Alana, a seemingly down on her luck, single mom who's made her choices and has her reasons. Connected by the love of Kelly's life, Alana's estranged father, the ladies are joined by Alana's brothers, who want her help with one thing only: Kelly's permanent absence. As original plans take alternate routes and secrets unravel, incidents start happening; strange incidents that turn loyalties on their backs and seek to destroy any semblance of a family dynamic. As the reader approaches the ending, frantically trying to catch their breath from the fast paced plot line, Elyse sneaks in one last detail, stitching the entire plot line together, the twist of all twists. To say I was stunned, doesn't even begin to cover it. This story was spun from gold.

This book felt like Yes Daddy meets The Younger Wife meets Finlay Donovan. I was enthralled. The ending was a little rushed, in my opinion. The strains of family and money driving them farther apart were well-written. Definitely a great pool-side summer read.

BOOK: The Opportunist
GENRE: Psychological Thriller
RATING: 3 stars
THOUGHTS: A fun plot with lots of twists n turns along the way (it was giving A SIMPLE FAVOR in that sense). A whole cast of unlikable characters which were fun to read about. Didn’t really have a lot of substance & the twist at the end was a little underwhelming for me. I didn’t really vibe with the writing & being able to tell despite listening to audio is never good.
RECOMMEND: Yes if you need a quick binge

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with an ARC of The Opportunist in exchange for my honest review!

I'm usually up for any sort of media that dives into the endless greed and ruthless machinations of wealthy families, and The Opportunist by Elyse Friedman turned out to be an enthralling example of that niche. Are you going to root for anyone in this book? Maybe Alana, even though she nevertheless represents some of the conniving and selfish nature of her Shropshire family. Everyone around her is certainly hatable. But Friedman writes them all in a way that keeps me compelled rather than turning me off, making it easy for me to breeze through the plot in all its splashy and twisty glory. It does get surprisingly dark at points, so beware of the heavy material. However, I do wish that the POV could have switched from character to character more smoothly, since it was capable of leaving me puzzled as to where we were in the story. I also think a specific reveal right at the end could have been unveiled more effectively, but instead it left me a bit confused before I then caught onto what was really happening. These are just minor gripes, though, and I'm overall happy with the Screw Rich People domestic thriller that Friedman has created for us.

The Opportunist by Elyse Friedman is a domestic suspense novel that dives into the dark side of a wealthy family. The story does have some flashing back to the past but is mostly told in the present timeline.

Alana Shropshire has been estranged from her wealthy family not wanting to be involved in their cutthroat business dealings. Alana instead chose to fend for herself and raise her daughter away from her family. Life is always a struggle though so when Alana’s brothers make a huge offer she has trouble refusing.

It seems that Alana’s brothers are extremely worried about their inheritance falling into the wrong hands when their seventy six year old father insists on marrying yet again. The marriage just can’t happen or his twenty six year old nurse may prove to inherit the family’s fortune but Alana isn’t too sure she’s up to making the offer for the young fiance to walk away.

The Opportunist by Elyse Friedman is one of those books that is deliciously compelling to see just how horrible the characters can actually be. Lifestyles of the rich and rotten would probably have also been a great title but don’t get me wrong they were an addicting kind of rotten that kept the pages turning. Twists and turns kept coming as just as you think the story is over it just kept untangling the knots. Definitely an author I would read again after finishing this new book!

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

When Alana’s father announces he is marrying a woman much younger than him, her brothers are suspicious. She doesn’t really care, until they come knocking on her door with an opportunity – convince the fiancé to accept a sum of money in return for leaving their dad. However, when she arrives in Vancouver, she discovers there is more than meets the eye.

I was missing the suspense here, especially based on other reviews I read. I also was confused by the narrative structure. For the first few chapters, it is all from Alana’s viewpoint, then it starts randomly jumping back without indicators (like 5 months ago, etc.), and not even from Alana’s past perspective. I wish there had been more indicators for the reader.

I'm not sure how I felt about this one. The age gap just screams at the reader from the start. But the brothers telling an estranged sister to intervene just seems odd. What in the world is she supposed to do exactly? And why won't they do something instead?

I just didn't believe the back story enough to continue reading this one. The writing is good and I'm sure many people will love it. It just wasn't for me.

Do the ends justify the means?
Not to the extreme taken in this book, but it's fiction, so let that crazy train ride!

Dark, eat the rich, family drama that goes off the rails when they decide that the rules of society don't pertain to them. Allegiances are formed and broken, leading to some unbelievable twists and turns. Deliciously well paced reveals of family history make this thriller an up-all-night read. The reveal at the end is surprising, even thought there is a big hint (too big, actually) when a character's history is revealed.

Otherwise great read.

This was a quick, fun read with unlikeable, greedy characters. Lol! Alana is a single mom to her daughter that has MS. She's estranged from her family by her choice and seems to be making it on her own just fine. Her family is very wealthy though. Her father Ed, who is 76 is planning to marry his young nurse, Kelly (almost 50 yrs younger than him) Alana's 2 brothers, Teddy and Martin, ask her to help them get rid of this gold digger Kelly, so they can keep this fortune to themselves. Alana eventually caves and flys out to her father's West Coast island retreat. These siblings are all pretty vile and will do whatever it takes. The twists (and characters,) will shock you. There weren't really any characters that you want to root for, but it was so entertaining to see how far people will go for money. The ending definitely caught me be by surprise. This dysfunctional family makes for a really engaging read 

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

No matter how many of these thrillers that I read, I will never get tired of the twists and turns they take.

This bad boy had a huge twist that even had me gasp out loud.

If you want a mind blowing thriller leaving you scratching your head this is the one.

Thank you to #NetGalley for letting me read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. In THE OPPORTUNIST, Elyse Friedman introduces us to Alana, a dedicated mother to a disabled tween, who is roped by her brothers into trying to prevent their father from marrying his much younger nurse in order to preserve their inheritances. This matters to Alana mostly so she will be able to afford to care for her daughter, Lily...but Kelly, her father's fiancee, presents a challenge no one expected. Friedman creates excellent, multifaceted characters to create a windy thrill worth reading, a sort of "Succession" with even more family drama. The perfect windy read to escape into!

3.5 Stars.

May/December relationship between nurse and patient. Patient also happens to be a rich mogul with a long, troubled relationship with his children. Sons, Martin and Teddy, reach out to stepsister Alana, who has long ago distanced herself from the family, for help breaking up this relationship and keeping the family money where it belongs. Story pits siblings against each other with disturbing outcomes.

Far fetched..yes, predictable..yes, until the satisfying ending, which wasn’t what I expected! Well written, but was slow in some parts, drawn out in the beginning until secrets are slowly revealed. Trigger warning: child porn. Characters aren’t very likable, but definitely add to the story.

Thanks to Ms. Friedman, Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

Book Summary:

Alana Shropshire is mostly estranged from her family, though sometimes her family acts like they don't know that, especially when they need something, which is precisely why her siblings are making demands of her right now.

You see, Alana's elderly father has begun dating his young nurse, and her siblings want to stop it. Not to protect their father, but to protect their inheritance, naturally. When push comes to shove, the whole situation gets much darker and more twisted than Alana could have expected.

My Review:

If you like a good family drama read with lots of thrilling twists, you've got to read The Opportunist. I'll admit that I wasn't sure how to feel at first, but that was before I got into the narrative. It's easy to make a quick assumption based on the description – but what you'll find inside is so much more.

Like many thriller novels, The Opportunist takes place at multiple points in time. More accurately, there are two key time periods to be concerned with. That can make it a bit confusing at times, but overall it helped to build the intrigue and mystery of it all.

This book is full of characters you'll love to hate – that much I can promise you. Each one is greedy and has their own motives and secrets, all of which are about to be blown into the open. Enjoy!

Highlights
Greedy family
Family Politics
Lots of twists!

I will be withholding my review until Harper gives their Harper Collins union workers a fair contract. Thank you again for the copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC. Alana is a single mother to an 11 year old girl with special needs. She has a wealthy family but tries not to have anything to do with them - a wealthy father in his 70's and two brothers, Teddy and Martin. When Kelly, a young caregiver, sets her sights on their father's fortune, the brothers attempt to entist Alana's help in ridding the family of her. Salacious, salty and scandalous are the words to describe the clever nature of the characters in their attempt to salvage their father's fortune from the hands of a gold digger. A quick but fun read - a great beach read.

WOOOOW what a wild ride! The writing was so thorough and descriptive, yet kept me intrigued throughout the whole story. This book is very twisty & VERY dark. Sometimes I found some of the disturbing plotlines a bit pointless - and the story could've done without them. But otherwise, I really enjoyed this story and the jaw dropping ending!

Oh wow! I was really surprised by this book! The characters really started to grow on me from the beginning and I loved how there was some thrill in it! Very good read!

I flew through this book. While the concept isn’t new, a potential gold digger trying to get money from a rich old man, there was something that held my interest. While I had no idea where this was going from the start, I figured out the twist long before the reveal. But I still enjoyed the read.

I’ve been on a roll of cat and mouse thrillers, and I liked this one because I wasn’t always sure if there was a cat and mouse and if there was, exactly who was involved. I was not a fan of any of the characters, but I think that was intended. As I made my way through the book, I kept changing my mind on who I thought the title was referencing. All of the characters are quite the opportunist at one point or another, but who was the most opportunistic?

This does read more like a family drama than a thriller, but with so much at stake and going on, it really does fit the bill of a psychological thriller.

If you love fast paced melodrama, you will love joining in the game of cat and mouse.

Alana is a single mom to Lily who has muscular dystrophy. She is a sweet young girl who requires round-the-clock care. Alana works for a women’s shelter which gives her much satisfaction.

Alana’s stepfather, Ed Shropshire, is an extremely wealthy 76-year-old man. She has been estranged from the family for many years. But when her stepbrothers, Martin and Teddy, call her asking for help, she is intrigued. Their father, Ed, is ill following a stroke and has a young nurse named Kelly, 28, caring for him. It appears that Ed and Kelly have fallen in love and plan to get married without a prenup. Her brothers have worked hard for their father over the years and need Alana to visit and see if she can help stop the marriage.

Kelly is very outgoing and appears to really care for Ed. The brothers are desperate to get her out of the picture and don’t know how to do it as Kelly is very cunning and they don’t trust her. Thus begins a war of seeing who can outlast who.

I really liked this story and wasn’t expecting the things that happen in this book. There are lots of surprises and the ending is totally outstanding. No spoilers here. Just know that you have to read this one.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Opportunist is what I would consider domestic suspense, but it also leans into the psychological thriller genre. Yes, there is a difference between the two, although they run pretty close overall. Whichever this one is, it's a gritty, engrossing story that keeps you guessing. Chances are if you think you have it figured out, you probably don't, and the next big twist will prove it. At least, that was my experience. And the characters? Honestly, I can't say that I liked a single one of them. - I did dislike some more than others, and I let that sway my guesses along the way. I'll stop there before I start giving away details. Suffice it to say that Elyse Friedman has crafted a twisty tale of wealth, privilege, conniving, and secrets.