Check your trigger warnings. This was a great book. I really enjoyed it. Fast paced and suspenseful with what was going to take place

"Her, Too" by Bonnie Kistler is a gripping and thought-provoking thriller that delves into the complexities of consent, power dynamics, and the consequences of silence. Kistler's storytelling is riveting, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as they unravel the secrets lurking beneath the surface. With its nuanced characters and compelling plot, "Her, Too" is a must-read for fans of psychological suspense.

this book was wow. i have no clue how or why a lawyer would want to defend such a terrible human being but someone has to do it. this thriller is definitely one you want to read with others so you can really discuss what is happening.

What an ending! This is a twisty, powerful, and moving book. Very thought provoking.
Many thanks to Harper Perennial and Paperbacks and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book, I wish I read it sooner. It is hard to talk about the #metoo movement in general, let alone when there are NDAs applied. It is hard to be a lawyer, you are responsible with so many secrets. I liked how this was a few stories wrapped into each other. I look forward to reading from this author again in the future.

Her Too is the story of a lawyer who defends rapists. This time the accused is a doctor who is developing a vaccine to prevent Alzheimer's Disease. Kelly McCann pays for staff to take care of her two grade-school aged children and her husband who has been in a vegetative state for ten years so she can dedicate herself to her law career. After winning the doctor's trial, McCann becomes one of his victims. The story shows how McCann changes her position on defending the rapists. Author Bonnie Kistler provides lots of twists and turns and a subplot on taking her husband off his feeding tube. The novel deals with a harsh subject but offers interesting escape reading.

🔹 My take - 4.25/5

🔸 Her Too is story about Kelly McCann who is an ambitious lawyer who has never bowed down to defeat. She is brilliant in defending her clients who are generally men falsely accused of sexual crimes. She is hated by one and all since people believe she supports and defends wrong people. She is high on her success until one day when she is sexually assaulted in a way and manner which is indescribable as well as brutal deep down to the soul. She cannot speak else that will destroy her career and she cannot afford that with all the support she provides to her family and ailing husband. Follows a journey of soul finding, unearthing the truth, facing her demons and attaining peace with herself so she can carry on her life.

💖 Wows - Clean bowled with this one…. This has been such an amazing read and interesting thriller. The start was paralysing and so painful that my blood literally boiled at what the antagonist did. Absolutely brutal and heartless…but fact is in reality such incidents do happen and it takes a lion’s heart to even hear the experience; let alone the fact of experiencing it. The thriller elements are covered at various junctures in the storyline and reader is always at the edge of the seat.

💔 Ows - At times I did question Kelly’s intentions and line of thought but you can never predict a wounded tigress, can you? Also this is purely a thriller and not a mystery since loads of things were already revealed in the beginning. It was more of an execution as to how Kelly achieved her revenge and did trouble shooting when things went wrong because at every other point; the plan did go haywire. 🙂

💫 This one is roller coaster with thrill, strong woman character, science and master planning rolled into it. Thriller lovers should like it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Thanks to @netgalley and @harperperennial for sharing the review copy in exchange for honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Defense attorney, Kelly McCain defends men accused of sex crimes and does it well. She’s called a traitor to her gender, but she doesn’t care. Kelly loves to win. After securing an acquittal of a renowned scientist accused of sexually assaulting his female employees, Kelly herself becomes the victim of a brutal sexual assault. Who can she tell without destroying the career that she has worked so hard for?

Her, Too is full of twists and turns I didn’t see coming. Kelly joins forces with her rapist’s other victims seeking revenge. Will justice prevail?

Beware this book is full of TW.

Thank you #netgalley and Harper paperbacks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Her, Too was published 7/4/2023.

Her, Too by Bonnie Kistler

A special thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perrennial and Paperbacks for allowing me access to this ARC.

Let's start this review with the tough stuff: triggering content. This is a book focused on rape victims and a rapist. There are misogynistic themes like sexism, violence against women, and a lot of problematic language used to describe rape victims and their situations. Sometimes that problematic content may be used as a tool to further the reader's impression of the protagonist as a troubled woman who can't really continue to bridge the gap between the two worlds she's currently striding. It's possible the language choices were unintentional, even. I don't know. But it is important to note that the protagonist grabbed my sympathy early on because it seemed as though she chose her line of work (legally defending rapists) as a last line of defense against poverty and to care for a family member who unexpectedly and suddenly needed a lot of medical aid. But woven throughout the book, I see these word and phrase choices that belie something different, something darker. It's common to see women team up against women when it suits them; one woman's unerring love and trust of her son versus the word of a girl he dated, for example. It becomes far too easy for us to view each other as antagonists before seeking our commonalities. In Kelly's line of work, this equates to a lot of victim-blaming, -shaming, and so-called settlements - paying women for their silence about their experiences with sexual violence in order for a rich man to save face. No one ever thinks to ask why, if he wanted to "save face", he didn't just act like a responsible human being in the first place.

No means no. Bodily autonomy is tantamount, even to children. No child should be taught they have to hug or kiss - or allow someone to hug or kiss them - anyone they don't want to, even if they're related. No relative, be they grandparent, aunt, or uncle (or drunk second-cousin your mom didn't really trust to begin with so how, exactly did you end up photographed sitting in his lap?) can or should be able to overrule a child's autonomy over their own body. To allow any adult that ability and right is a steep downhill slope for any child, but especially for girls already in vulnerable situations.

Literally the least a man can do to be a decent human being - or at least appear to be one - is take into account other people's feelings, both emotional and physical, and listen to them when they say "no". It's not even difficult, it's only challenging to them because they're so deluded, so high on male privilege, on toxic pride, on a sick form of empowerment that only exists if they're putting someone else down, way down, in the ground, even. It all operates on levels, like how catcalling isn't on the same level as rape, but the guy who catcalls during the day might be the same one who roofies you at night and "date-rapes" you before driving you home like a "nice guy". There are levels of toxic masculinity and masculinity itself isn't innately toxic. (Anyone who tells you otherwise is just trying to start a fight.)

But powerful men find their way out of situations that would hold them responsible for their bad behavior over and over again, in a legal system that enables them, and by paying lawyers who know how to play that game and do so willingly for the right price. And this is one of the facets of power in America; that it won't let itself be taken, and is rarely voluntarily relinquished. Rich and powerful people can pay for almost anything. This is true in many countries, but some people still expect better of America. Some people still have faith in a better America, or at least hope for one. Money should never determine your guilt, or whether you live or die. It certainly shouldn't be the deciding factor in a young woman's decision to commit suicide when she is publicly shamed for "allowing herself to be raped" or for "discussing a settlement" instead of going to the police. The police don't even side with the victims of sexual assault most of the time, so why would anyone who had just been through that want to subject themselves to further humiliation and disdain at the hands of those who are paid to "serve and protect" them?

I've already gone way off-track here, so I guess I'm sorry, but I don't regret anything I've said.

The points I'm trying to make are: Money can buy rich/powerful men freedom and the ability to rape almost whomever they want. Lawyers who work strictly for-profit enable them, but the overall criminal justice system does so as a whole in a much broader sense. Concessions for powerful abusers are built-in. Rapists can and do lurk around every corner, in the darkness and in broad daylight.

**I should also note that this book features an at-home caregiver and a character in a coma, and I think it's safe to assume that any readers who have experience with a loved one in a similar situation might find that this presses their buttons. Take care and hydrate. Your emotions are valid. No one's forcing you to read a book you don't want/don't feel ready to read.

--

And now, on to the actual review:

In Her, Too, writer Bonnie Kistler focuses on one central present-day timeline and tells the plot mainly through the perspective of the main character, Kelly McCann. McCann is a successful defense attorney who specializes in providing legal aid to men who are likely quite guilty of the sexual crimes they've been charged with. As the story progresses, we find that this was far from the case for Kelly, who had to sacrifice a lot, not least of all her scruples and morals, to provide for her family in the unexpected situation in which she found herself.

I'll try to withhold commentary on that twist of events, the humanizing events that characterize Kelly, but I will say there were a few points at the start of the book that made it difficult to continue reading. It wasn't the rape scene; no, surprisingly, I made it through that okay. It was how Kelly's character - at the beginning - seemed to hold such disregard for feminism and rape survivors. There was very little that made me empathize with Kelly at first, and then there was a whole heck of a lot that made her relatable.

I think she's a complex, realistic protagonist and narrator, a complicated person, a woman who had to make hard choices and who had to deal with a lot of difficult scenarios, but who refused to be someone "life happened to". Every time she fell off the proverbial horse of life, she dusted herself off, got back on, and grabbed those reins with newfound vigor and determination. She didn't want to be someone's victim or trophy or anything else that involved passivity.

The supporting characters in Her, Too, are mostly relatable, too, although none are anywhere near as fleshed out and full-feeling as Kelly McCann. There are a few people she knows through work (either coworkers or clients/recipients of hush money) who feel pretty real, but strangely, I felt the most connection was through Kelly to her memories of someone dear to her whose living presence wasn't actually in the book. Their relationship is so lovely and I could almost feel how close they were despite insurmountable odds and impossible amounts of time separating their living bodies. This character (name withheld to prevent spoiling) is described and quoted entirely as memory, and it's a terribly sad and humanizing aspect of the book that adds another facet that I think makes this book stand above the rest. Not that there are many that I know of that focus on this type of story (rape-revenge-thriller and forgiving oneself), as far as I know, anyway. Maybe it's a hidden gem of a genre I just didn't know about.

Kelly's coworkers and contemporaries are relatable. Some remind you of people you've probably worked with or at least have read of before, some might be a little too good to be true, and some might have just enough sass to make you jealous and wish you could be as bold, honest, or 'bitchy', even (because what woman who says 'no' and lets her needs and wants be known isn't seen as a bitch?). Kelly has two children, and I actually felt real emotion for them, too. It's strange, the ability of a book to transport you, to make you care about someone, especially someone and events that don't exist and didn't happen. I guess it's just the magic of storytelling, the magic we're built to give and receive.

The conflict in Her, Too is quickly paced once it really picks up, but it does take a while to get there. I didn't find it slow getting there, and I didn't ever find myself disincentivized to pick the book back up and keep reading, so I think it kept at a good pace, even the slower parts. There are sections that are quite thrilling, where you anticipate something of a "hunt" and you aren't sure who to suspect. (It's not who you think! I mean, it is, but there's more!)

The setting is Her, Too seemed almost negligible to me. It's obviously America (United States) so if that is foreign to you, that might be a consideration, but beyond that, I know some of the locations that scenes took place in (places in Pennsylvania, etc) but I don't know how much they mattered. They could really have been anywhere in the states, anywhere with a significant law and pharmaceutical presence. Anywhere there is big money. So, anywhere. I'd say it was realistic. The only thing it was 'missing' was setting-specific dialect. I didn't notice any from any region that I can recall. Therefore, I do not think any geography-specific information is necessary before reading this book, although knowing that it is taking place in the northeastern quadrant of the USA might be helpful for reference.

The theme of Bonnie Kistler's novel Her, Too is about the pressures we place on ourselves, especially as women, how to forgive and love ourselves, and pursuing justice in a world that was built to silence and stymie us. It's about "gender traitors" and walking a mile in someone else's shoes, and not judging someone before you know what they're going through. It's about the harm we do to each other as a society when we belittle, condemn, and silence accusers and victims. It's about vengeance, revenge, fairness, and peace.

I recommend Her, Too, to readers over age 18 (or highly mature young adults above the age of 16 with the supervision of an adult to discuss the topics with in a safe space). I recommend it to rape victims as well as those who have not been raped, to those who know people who have been sexually assaulted, and those who do not. It was somewhat cathartic to me, to see the story play out as it did. It could have gone other ways, but I think the way it went turned out pretty darn good, all things considered. 4.5/5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

A defense lawyer reviled by the 'Me Too' movement turns the tables after becoming 'Her Too' in this gripping thriller.

Though the lead starts out as an anti-heroine, she becomes much more appealing once the reader learns her back story and what has led to her lucrative defense of men accused of sex crimes.

Kistler is well worth following!

A badass lawyer who defends men accused of sexual assault. How dare she. She's a traitor to women everywhere. Until she becomes a victim.

When Kelly McCann defends and wins a case against a rapist then falls victim to an assault herself things change. They change in a way you might guess at. She works with other victims of this man to bring him down. Not through the law but... People are dying. Someone knows?

This book will keep you turning the pages and cringing along the way. It's a little bit hard to read in places as it's about sexual assault. You get to know this character, Kelly, very well. Her family and friends. Her life before and after the attack. It's very well written. It does contain some triggers so be warned.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.

4.5 stars

This is a story of a badass, clever attorney that defends men accused of sexual assult. Women consider her a traitor to her gender. One night, she becomes a victim. Things change for her.
She makes a plan to turn the tables 👀

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for gifting me a digital ARC of this gripping story by Bonnie Kistler - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Kelly McCann is a lawyer, specializing in defending men accused of sex crimes. Her detractors call her a traitor to her gender, but it doesn't bother her because she simply loves to win. The story opens with yet another victory, securing an acquittal for a famous scientist who developed an Alzheimer's treatment. But later on that day, she too falls victim to a brutal assault. If she reports it, she loses her career. But Kelly comes up with a plan and joins forces with her rapist's other victims. However, someone is on to them because people are dying.

Wow - this was intense from the beginning until that unexpected ending. Obviously there are triggers here, but this was a wonderfully-crafted relevant tale that I couldn't put down. I loved the personal story of Kelly and her family, and how it all intertwined. To me, that personal side softened the brutal reality of the main story plot. Plus, this brings up other aspects that are always thought-provoking, such as the responsibility of defense attorneys. This author was new to me and now I can't wait to read more from her!

This book was intense. It was about a woman than defended men from sexual assault. She was the best too. She got many men off even when she knew they were guilty. One such man was George Benedict. He was known for curing Alzheimer's. He was very close to a vaccine and the science world loved him as did the world. He had one problem he committed sexual assault on many woman and then expected Kelly McCann to negotiate a NDA along with a settlement.
After a tragic event happens Kelly decides she needs to get in touch with several of the women who signed NDAs so they can plot revenge against Benedict. It seems so simple but quickly becomes complicated. Their plan gets messy and dangerous as people from the group start getting murdered.
This was s.uch a great book driven by character development and twists. So many of the characters were unlikeable and I was routing for them to get what was coming to them. The author kept me engaged the whole time. I found it so hard to put this down. Twists, murder, running, and lying were the best words I can use to sum up this psychological thriller

Part legal thriller, part dramatic suspense, Her, Too is more than a revenge story, more than a story about a woman being victimized by the very person she just legally defended, and more than a story about whether it is worth risking her career—this is a story about the very nature of these crimes, about there being no stereotypical victim, and about how people are much more than they may seem to outsiders.

Plot

Kelly McCann is a defense attorney who has made herself a national name due to her work defending high profile clients accused of sex crimes. Her success often means defending men who may be guilty of what they were accused of (though not always). But Kelly has a family with unique needs who depend on her income. She has to admit she also is also driven by a strong desire to win, which is part of what makes her so successful.

The other part—the part less within her control—is that she is an attractive female attorney in a field largely defending accused men against the allegations from women. This puts her in the unique position of helping to level the playing field, which allows her to use her determination and laser sharp focus to win the cases.

In her most recent case, Kelly has successfully gotten the charges against Dr. George Benedict dismissed. Dr. Benedict is a renowned scientist who leads a company and research team who may have discovered a cure for Alzheimer’s. He was also accused and tried for sexually assaulting a former researcher of his, Dr. Reeza Patel.

It is a short-lived victory for Kelly McCann, however. After winning the case she agrees to have a brief dinner at Dr. Benedict’s home to celebrate, and he sexually assaults her too. In the wake of her assault, Kelly knows she can’t report it without destroying her own career and reputation in the process.

Kelly doesn’t back down from a fight and she certainly won’t now. She has information on her side—she knows about three of Dr. Benedict’s other victims, and she knows how to hit him where it hurts. Joining forces, the four women set out to seek revenge.

But someone may be out for them as well, and they are going after them one-by-one. Can they get their revenge before someone gets to them?

Review

This is an absolute five-star, unputdownable stunner of a legal thriller. I went into this book with an entirely different idea of who I thought Kelly McCann would be as a character compared to who she really was. Kelly isn’t the heartless, competitive woman I expected. She is deeply complex and empathetic. Her back story absolutely captivated me.

Through flashbacks, we understood each decision Kelly made that led her to this trial and then to her own assault at the hands of her client in a heartbreaking fashion. But I also liked that Kelly was fiercely strong both before and in the wake of what happened.

Another interesting element to this book is the three NDA women, as they’re called, who she enlists to help her. These are women that Dr. Benedict admits may have a case against him to join Reeza Patel in the trial, and Kelly approaches them for a pay-off and non-disclosure agreement to keep their story to themselves and out of the courtroom.

They remind the reader that there is no profile or type who is victimized by men like Dr. Benedict. That one is a former girlfriend who is smart, bold, talented, successful, and stunning, one is a mousy, respected researcher with a PhD, and one is a meek, waifish housekeeper who would have never felt confident reporting in the first place after a lifetime of abuse by men, doesn’t go unnoticed.

Add to that Kelly as a victim—a woman who successfully got the charges dismissed that it now becomes apparent he was guilty of, in addition to so many other crimes—and it becomes clear that victims defy stereotyping. None of them asked for it. There isn’t a fault in the victim responsible for what was done to them. These crimes affect women from all walks of life.

The book starts as a legal thriller, takes a turn towards revenge thriller, but ends as a compelling drama exploring the fallout of the abuser at the center of it all and what it takes to try and bring someone like that down. At the end of the book we find Kelly, a woman who was his defender, his victim, and finally the person who made it her mission to expose him. Kelly’s growth arc throughout the book and her story, both involving Dr. Benedict and outside of him, sung to me. She’s a character I cares deeply for by the end of the book and I wanted to understand how this would impact her life and family.

Powerful!

The pacing in this can be a little grating if you're not into slow starts and a slower build-up. Regardless, and if that's something you like or can ignore, this can be a really powerful and necessary read for you. It's unflinching and sometimes brutal in its narration. The plot and how it played out, however, did not work for me.

Pub date: 7/4/23
Genre: thriller
Quick summary: Kelly McCann is a legal eagle who defends men accused of terrible crimes. But when she is raped by a client, she decides enough is enough and teams up with his victims to seek revenge.

I have not seen enough of this thriller on bookstagram or Goodreads! Kistler writes such a propulsive story - I was hooked from the first page, and I would have stayed up late to finish the book if I had been able to. Kelly was a great protagonist, and I loved seeing her and the other woman organize. These women came for all walks of life, reminding us that sexual abuse and assault victimize women across social strata.

I'm not a big fan of revenge in real life, but I love a revenge novel, and this one did it right. I'm also a woman in STEM, so I loved that the plot also involved a company searching for a cure for Alzheimer's. If you want a "popcorn thriller" that will still make you think, give this one a try!

Trigger warning: rape, assault, murder

Thank you to Harper Paperbacks for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“Revenge isn’t justice.”

After private defense attorney Kelly McCann’s stellar courtroom performance, Dr. Benedict, the potential founder of the cure to Alzheimers, is acquitted of raping a brilliant female scientist who worked for him. No one knows McCann’s legal team assisted Benedict in this victory by paying out hush money to the handful of other women he assaulted. The unlikely group of women victims band together to seek revenge without breaking the NDAs when Dr. Benedict strikes again. But soon it becomes apparent someone is also after them..

As a criminal defense lawyer myself, I loved this one! A creative plot despite there being a bajillion legal thriller/suspense books out in the world. I got really into this one and finished in only a handful of days. There is a major twist really close to the beginning that snagged my attention very quickly and I was interested to see how it resolved. This was my first Kistler book, but I look forward to reading more from her in the future! Especially if legal thrillers are her specialty.

Thank you so much to Harper, the author, and NetGalley for the digital review copy.

⚠️ CW: SA, homicide, suicide, violence

"Defending an accused rapist, a high-powered lawyer learns firsthand the terrible truth about her client . . . a discovery that propels her on a quest for justice and revenge".

This book is a fast paced, couldn't put it down ride that had be holding my breath! There was a trigger warning about rape, and although I don't enjoy reading about that, this thriller was a well put together story, involving a strong woman just trying to be. Overall, this is a new to me author and I cannot wait to get my hands on more of their stuff!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for the copy of this book in exchange for a review!

I know something you don’t know!!!

But, guess what? I can’t keep a secret so I’m about to tell you.

Her, Too, is destined to be a best seller and you do not want to miss it!

Bonnie Kistler, shines within the pages of this emotionally traumatizing novel and although the content can destroy your soul, I’m telling you, this is a must read. Kistler has a writing style all her own that will pull you in early on and never let you go.

It can happen to anyone…

This phrase is about to haunt you as much as this book will.

Fun facts about Bonnie Kistler, she is the author of The Cage and House on Fire, as well as penning other psychological thrillers as Bonnie MacDougal but this rockstar is also an attorney!

Teaser:

Defending an accused rapist, a high-powered lawyer learns firsthand the terrible truth about her client . . . a discovery that propels her on a quest for justice and revenge in this addictively readable thriller from the author of The Cage.

Kelly McCann is a fighter. She’s fought to build a successful legal career, fought for the special needs of her family, and tirelessly fought for her clients. Her specialty is defending men accused of sex crimes––falsely accused, she always maintains. Her detractors call her a traitor to her gender, but she doesn't care. Badass and brilliant, Kelly simply loves to win, and as the story opens, she's done it again, securing an acquittal for a renowned scientist accused of sexually assaulting his female employees.

But the thrill of her victory is short-lived. That very night she, too, falls victim of a brutal sexual assault. And almost as horrific as the attack is the fact that she can't tell anyone it happened—not without destroying her career in the process.

Kelly has never backed down from a fight and she’s not about to start pulling her punches now. Joining forces with her rapist's other victims, the shrewd lawyer plans to turn the tables on him. It’s not only about justice—these wronged women are out for revenge.

But someone, it seems, is out for them, and one by one, they find themselves facing even greater danger.