This novel opens with some levity in family exchanges despite the gruesome news being discussed–Jason’s boss has been brutally murdered. Best friends and business partners, Sienna and Julia, met through Jason, Sienna’s brother and Julia’s husband.

Sienna and Julia discover that Jason, their shared family, is accused of murdering his boss. Jason is in a situation where he can’t speak for himself while he is under investigation.

I loved reading the women’s alternating points of view as they try to figure out why Jason is under investigation and seek out the truth. Tensions rise as Sienna fiercely defends her brother and passionately fights the accusations, while Julia begins to doubt how well she knows her husband. As the story continues, Sienna and Julia both keep secrets from each other as they seek to unravel Jason’s secrets. I really liked Jason and Julia’s 14-year-old son, Aiden, and his role in the story and could have used more of his perspective.

While Sienna shows growth by the end of the novel, I grew tired of reading her repetitive annoying behaviors. Sienna carries great anger around with her and is very defensive and stubborn. Her unwavering faith in her brother and unhinged rage led her to speak very rudely to the police and even to Jason’s lawyer, who is a family friend. I preferred reading Julia’s chapters.

I liked the premise of this story and the layering of a murder investigation, an accused loved one, and a close female friendship.

Do you enjoy suspense books (any genre)?

I really have to be in the mood for a suspense novel because I feel that the pacing is slower, or more relaxed than I generally prefer. It takes more effort and engagement on my part to really get into them I’ve found.

Julia and Sienna are sisters-in-laws, but they’re more than that – they’re devoted best friends and business partners. Sienna thinks her brother can do no hard, and Julia adores him for their picturesque life. Jason’s been putting in long hours at work trying to get a promotion but when his boss if found brutally murdered, everyone is shocked. Days later Jason gets into a horrible car accident and is in a coma. He quickly becomes the prime suspect for his boss’s murder. As Julia and Sienna work diligently to prove Jason didn’t do it, surprises truths come to light. With their friendship being tested at every turn, they aren’t sure if any of their relationships will survive.

I enjoyed this story being told from Julia and Sienna’s points of view. It really helped add to the story overall. This was definitely a moody and atmospheric read that kept you in suspense. This book is for sure a slow burner, so be prepared for that going in. I enjoyed the twists and turns that were in this one. This book really made you question if you truly know a person or not. The writing quality on this one was great and I enjoyed the atmosphere a lot.

This was my first Megan Collins book but it wont be my last.

Check out this delightful suspense thriller on July 11th.

Thanks to Atria Books, @atriabooks, and Netgalley, @NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Julia and Sienna are sisters-in-law, connected by Julia's husband and Sienna's brother Jason. But more importantly than that, the two are devoted best friends, and business partners, believing their friendship is unique and share an unbreakable bond. In Sienna's eyes, her protective brother can do no wrong. With her biased loyalty, Sienna and Julie must cope with the fallout from his hasty decisions. Lately, Jason has been working long hours to secure a job promotion. The Larkins are shocked and unsettled when told that Gavin, Jason's boss, has been brutally murdered; his lips sewn shut. Is someone sending a message? The Larkin's are shocked by what has transpired; as the local gossip starts, they become unsettled by it. A few days later, after hearing that Jason was in a car accident, the doctors placed him in a medically induced coma. The Larkin family is devastated by the news.
Furthermore, Jason becomes the primary suspect in the horrific murder of his boss. Their friendship is tested because of Sienna's unwavering belief in her brother's innocence, while Julia isn't as sure. Together they must work to discover the truth and learn more about each other's past. The secrets that the family kept hidden in the dark come to light. I don't want to say too much more. I don't want to reveal any spoilers.


I enjoy how Collins examines the bonds of family, love, and friendship and masterfully explores the meaning of guilt and forgiveness. The fragility of relationships raises some tough questions about how well we know our family and ourselves. The dark secrets will either tear this family apart— or bring them together. At some point in our lives, we've all lied to ourselves. So we don't have to confront the awful truths that we are not ready or able to face.

The book became repetitive, which was frustrating, and I felt that there was far too much explaining rather than letting the reader being able to read between the lines. The book dragged on, especially in the middle, but improved somewhat by the end. Unfortunately, at that point, my interest was waning. I had difficulty connecting with the characters. I found them to be undeveloped.However I could sympathize with Julie, who was primarily silent, always compromising to please others, and rarely spoke her mind during a conflict with others. The abrupt ending left me with more questions than answers.

Thicker Than Water was my first time reading a Megan Collins book. I would be interested in reading her backlist and future books. I would recommend it for readers who enjoy slow-burn domestic thriller/mystery.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing the ARC of Thicker Than Water in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

⚠️Trigger Warnings ⚠️
Sexual Harassment and assault

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing the ARC of Thicker Than Water in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was kinda long and obvious. Not my favorite tbh. The reason behind the murder was kinda simple too. I think they should’ve played more into the financial crimes side of things. Overall just okay

When Julia married Jason, it was because she loved him. But it was also because she was young and pregnant and didn’t have a lot of other options. When they did get married, she gained not just a husband but also a sister. Jason and Sienna were inseparable following the tragic death of their parents just a few short years earlier.

Fast forward to now and Jason and Julia are the proud parents of a teen boy, and Julie and Sienna are closer than ever. Then they get the call that Jason is in the hospital fighting for his life after a one-vehicle car crash. And it’s happened the same night that Jason’s boss has been found murdered on his front lawn.

Thicker Than Water is a story that tests the bonds of family trust and loyalty. Who do you believe when all signs don’t point in the direction you thought they would? I enjoyed this one, but found it a little hard to really get into. Definitely a solid summer read with plenty of twists and turns.

Special thanks to Netgalley for an advanced e-galley in exchange for my honest review.

Julia and Sienna are tight. Like sisters. Julia is married to Jason. Jason is Sienna's brother.
Jason's boss has been murdered. Jason has been involved in an accident that has caused him to be in a coma. While going through the wreckage of Jason's car, the police discover clues that make Jason a suspect in his boss's murder.
Sienna tries to finds clues that will prove Jason's innocence, while Julia his wife isn't too sure
Did Jason commit this horrific crime? What is his motive?

"Never trust a man". Julia's mother's words have been in the back of her mind since she was a child, but she thought her husband, Jason, was different, not only a good husband and father, but someone who goes out of his way to help others. But the day after his boss is murdered, Jason is in a car accident that puts him in a coma and the police start to target him as their prime suspect, leaving Julia to wonder if she really knows the man she's been married to for almost 15 years. Jason's sister and Julia's best friend Sienna, clings to her belief in her brother's innocence, investigating leads she thinks the police have missed, refusing to acknowledge how bad things look for Jason. What will happen when he wakes up? Can Sienna and Julia's relationship survive if Jason is guilty? A character-driven story that is more of a domestic drama than thriller (in my opinion), exploring how our past shapes who we are and how we act.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Maudee Genao at Atria and Megan Collins for a DRC of this book in exchange for an honest review!**

Part of getting married is "marrying" the family too...and Sienna considers herself lucky that her brother Jason married Julia, truly the soul sister she never had. The two have been inseparable since they met, and one thing the two of them agree on (above all else!) is that Jason doesn't have a cruel bone in his body. But when Jason ends up in a car accident that leaves him in a coma...on the SAME night that his boss is murdered and silenced in more ways than one (the perp actually sows his lips shut!)

Jason's left unable to explain his motive, and he becomes Numero Uno on the suspect list. As the two women dive into Jason's past and present, looking for clues and questioning work colleagues, are they bound to discover that the man they thought they knew best had a darker side? Or is Jason simply a pawn in a large and devastating scheme...one where he's doomed to take his secrets to the grave?

Megan Collins is one of those authors that I've never had GREAT success reading, but I always look forward to picking up her books for one reason: her creativity. She has created some truly creepy scenarios in her previous work, with characters that are larger than life at times, but have an unusual and memorable bent that sets her apart from others in the genre. She isn't afraid to take chances and stray from the norm.

So imagine my surprise picking up this book and finding...well, the complete opposite of that. This book is not only bland, but it felt as BASIC as a bowl of Cream of Wheat. I didn't get that surprise of pop and flavor and instead just sort of plodded along through the slow-moving narrative, hoping there would at least be a dramatic ending or an out-of-left-field perp: but this too, I guessed pretty early on and the 'twists' were fairly mild anyway.

What could have made this book stand out would have been dynamic and interesting characters...but I never felt connected to Sienna OR Julia (and let's face it, with Jason in a coma for a good chunk of the book, not much potential for connection there either). I think this hit a little bit harder for me because I KNOW Collins can write off-kilter, several screws loose sort of characters, and there was only ONE in this book...but even this individual wasn't too compelling. I wanted to hear more from Jason and Julia's son Aiden too, who could have been a fascinating character but acted more as a trigger for certain plot points than anything else. I appreciate the female friendship between the two leads and it was written well enough, but felt pretty tame in the grand scheme of things and there was also room for development here that simply never came to pass.

I keep waiting to be wowed by Megan Collins and will most likely continue to read her books, despite my disappointment with this one. Much like an office friendship that COULD develop over time, it's all about having the bravery to leave the proverbial office and just TALK about something other than work. Collins isn't afraid to take the long lunch: I feel like she just needs to find the perfect companion.

3.5 stars

I really enjoyed Thicker Than Water! I found it to be a solid thriller and would definitely work to get somebody out of a slump. There was a lot going on but I felt like Megan Collins was able to tie everything together really nicely in the end, which made sure it didn’t feel like a choppy read with all of the side plots.

I love thrillers that keep you guessing until the very end and this one delivered! I would say that if you like Megan Miranda and Ruth Ware that you will probably like this one!

This book took me on a total thrill ride! There were twists and turns throughout and I couldn’t put it down!

I love beach reads and this one is a fast, fun read. This book had me turning the pages so fast to see what would happen. You will definitely enjoy this summer story. Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

If you are in the mood for a crazy, intense ride. That dives into the thick of family dynamics and drama. Along with some murder, lying, and a husband that is in a coma. This is the book for you. There is so much going on that your head will be spinning. It is told in multiple points of view, that makes the story that much richer and intriguing. The mystery is tantalizing and juicy, keeping you on your toes. You will be racing through, the pages becoming confetti around you. As you charge through, trying to discover why Gavin ended up murder and why!

Julie, Sienna, and Jason are the three amigos. Jason and Sienna are siblings. Julie and Jason are married. Julie and Sienna are best friends and business partners. Sienna has a blinding adoration for Jason. He can do no wrong in her eyes. Julie and Jason have fallen on hard times in their marriage. Julie is starting to see Jason as he truly is. She cannot discuss it with Sienna, fearing this would affect their friendship. When Jason's boss is brutally murdered and Jason ends up in the hospital with a coma. All hell breaks loose.

Megan Collins has done it again, with an exceptional family drama thriller that will make you take a second look at how you see people. How people see you and to come to terms with who you are. Sienna did drive me insane with her hypocritical way in which she viewed each and every person in her life. This family has its drama and I was there for it all. Thank you to Megan Collins and Atria Books for my gifted copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this arc innexchange for a honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. It's been a longtime since I've read a book this fast. I basically read it in one day. I read 70% in one sitting. The suspense kept my attention from chapter one. Domestic thrillers are a favorite of mine and this one was right there. Sister in laws who are best friends trying to uncover the truth. Along the way discover lies. Ugh this book was so good!!!!

I am going to check out the rest of Megan Collins books after this!!!

I struggled a bit with the pacing of this one and all of the characters were pretty intolerable besides Wyatt. However, I did enjoy the way the ending came together.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read this advanced copy. This book was a little slow at first, but it became very twisty as it went on. Very suspenseful, a whodunit.

You know the book is good when you bring it to your local brewery and refuse to put it down!! Yes that was me the girl reading her book at the table! I loved the authors previous book and was so excited to get my hands on her latest that comes out in a couple weeks!
Julia Larkin is married to Jason and they share a son Aiden. Jason has been putting in long hours at work hoping he will get a promotion. Julia shares a close relationship with her sister in law Sienna , they hold hands and help each-other and share inside jokes. Julia wonders sometimes if she has a better relationship with Sienna than Jason especially with a recent betrayal that has Julia questioning everything about her marriage. When Jasons boss Gavin is found murdered with his lips sewn shut everyone is shocked who would do this? Things get worse when Jason is then in a car accident and put in a coma, the police proceed to tell Julia and Sienna that Jasons the main suspect in Gavin's murder. They found the murder weapon and Gavin’s phone in his car. Determined to clear Jason’s name Julia and Sienna begin to work together and soon their friendship is tested. Sienna believes her brother can do no wrong and Julia begins to wonder if she really knew the man she married at all. This book had me thinking that everyone was a suspect! Told in Julia’s and Siennas POV and this really added to the story! I loved it!

Meh. Wasn’t a fan of this one 😅 This book follows the POVs of two women: Julia, the wife of a man named Jason, who is the brother of Sienna. Julia and Sienna are not only sisters-in-law, but also best friends. Jason’s boss is found dead, and Jason is in a coma. This premise drew me in and made me want to read this book. I was interested how the title would relate to the situation in this book (taken from the phrase “blood is thicker than water”). This book definitely discusses how it can be difficult to trust someone in your family when they may have done something bad, and how that could affect the family dynamics. Unfortunately, that’s pretty much where my praise of this book stops.

Now onto what I didn’t like: The writing was a bit cliché and repetitive. I don’t know how many times I had to hear about Julia keeping things to herself or hearing her mom’s mantra in her head (“never trust a man”) or Sienna’s “fire,” but it was a bit much. Sienna’s character irked me a bit, too. She would do dumb things and justify it. All of the characters kind of felt two-dimensional: Julia is the one who needs to find her voice, Sienna is the fiery feminist, Jason isn’t who he seems, and Aiden (the son) is an angsty teenager. Some of the dialogue felt choppy and juvenile—like when Sienna would joke around with Julia, her sense of humor seemed kid-like and not actually funny in my opinion.

This book started off pretty strong, then started lagging in the middle. I wasn’t super interested but I still wanted to know what happened. It did pick up a bit at the end, but it didn’t have my heart pumping or anything. Once I got to a certain scene in the book, it was fairly easy to figure out who killed Jason’s boss, and I was waiting for the characters to catch up. It wasn’t shocking or surprising, either.

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this book, sadly. But read it if you like:
* Family drama
* Characters keeping secrets
* Female rage/discussions of feminism
* Dual POVs

This book is out now and was released on July 11, 2023.
*Thank you to Atria Books, Megan Collins, and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Thicker than Water was a win for me in terms of being a slightly different change of pace from a standard domestic thriller (I love thrillers but tend to avoid domestic thrillers). Collins has a talent for writing complex characters who should be unlikable but are for me somehow sympathetic in their own way. Thicker Than Water does offer a fascinating theme of best friends who are also sisters-in-law and the struggle of secrets upon secrets uncovered when Sienna's brother, aka Julia's husband, is accused of murder but then becomes unable to be a part of his own investigation. How the story unfolds with an examination of family and marital loyalty, challenges to how far loyalty goes to family and marriage but also to friendship is well done. These themes usually work for me so I enjoyed this thriller.

The pacing is great, the plot held my attention, and I like a thriller that is a little bit different, that is why I liked The Family Plot as well. This is a good read for fans of the author and I am reminded of Samantha Downing's work in a way in terms of authors who can make a thriller feel a little new when most thrillers, even the good ones, feel formulaic.

Thank you Atria for the review copy of Thicker Than Water (I read this two weeks ago, I am behind on posting reviews due to a laptop issue!). I loved The Family Plot by Megan Collins last year and was so glad to read a new book from this author! Thank you again for the review copy.

Megan Collins' "Thicker Than Water" delves deep into the complexities of family dynamics (a favorite theme of mine) and the weight of buried secrets. The setting is super atmospheric, characters are well-formed, and the suspense is ON POINT.

The exploration of family dynamics and the notion of trust forms a central theme in the book. I particularly enjoyed the way Collins explored the lengths people will go to protect loved ones.

Overall, I found this fast-paced and propulsive. Kept me up reading, distracting me from all responsibilities (the mark of a good book IMO). Loved it.

I loved this book! I’m a mostly romance reader but like to read a thriller every now and then as a palate cleanser and this one delivered! There were so many twists, turns, and surprises that every conclusion I came up with for what actually happened fell short. It kept me guessing the whole time I was reading. It was a good thriller but also emotional while reading about Sienna’s past and the things Julia and Aiden were having to deal with. I loved that Julia and Sienna’s friendship ended up growing stronger as they went through this. And I also loved that they were able to identify unhealthy coping skills they were using, and promised to do better. Overall, I really enjoyed this read. Thank you!