Thicker Than Water – Megan Collins

When Julia married Jason, she never could have expected to connect with his sister Sienna in such a way that they became inseparable. Not only were they sisters-in-law, but best friends and business partners. Sienna looks up to Jason and in her eyes, he can do no wrong.

When Jason’s boss is found brutally murdered with his lips sewn shut, Jason seems to be on edge. A few days later, things are starting to spiral when Jason is in a car accident and is placed in a medically induced coma. Cops get wind of Jason’s involvement with his boss and becomes a prime suspect. And things only get worse when evidence is found in his car.

As Julia and Sienna fight to clear his name, more truths come out. The further they get into their own investigation, Julia begins to doubt her husband, and Sienna is never more determined that he is innocent. Can their friendship survive the downfall of Jason?

This is my second Megan Collins book, and when I got my paws on this book, I was so excited. The girls had a bond that was unlike any other and it hurt my heart to see their struggles making it through this, as well as facing their own personal demons. I was on my toes the entire time, really struggling to put the pieces of this one together. In the end, I couldn’t have possibly guessed what really went down. If you looking for a thriller that’s going to keep you guessing, this is the one! ⭐⭐⭐⭐/4!
Thank you Netgalley for the azong ARC!

Thank you to netgalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was unique in two ways for me: 1. There were two female best friends who were IN LAWS which i personally have never read about and 2. The purported killer is an a coma which adds an extra layer of depth to the who dunnit plot. These two unique factors in thrillers are what grabbed my attention and made me want to pick this book up.

It was fascinating to read about Sienna and Julia's friendship it was very realistically done in the sense that it was revealed to be flawed and not perfect which is bound to be the case when these two are so inseparable. The difference in how Sienna's unwavering blind faith in her brother Jason and Julia's clear doubts about her husbands guilt was also super interesting to see play out.

I will however, admit that the whodunnit plot wasn't very engaging and its been done. a million times before the only uniqueness there was that the "killer" was in a coma while the crime was being investigated. That being said, the twist at the end did surprise me, actually the two twists at the end surprised me and it was not sloppily done it definitely fit into the story well. The character dynamics were interesting to read about and easy to follow i just think the plot could have stood to be more enticing and engaging and suspenseful. The pacing was also kind of slow which could have done better with more speed.

All in all if you want to read a domestic thriller with just a bit of a twist and unique element i would recommend picking it up but it definitely was not my favorite. I am glad i read it though im starting to really enjoy this author.

This one is a slow burn. I liked the 2 different points of views between Julia and Sienna. I enjoyed Sienna's character more as she is so emotional and just reacts without thinking things through. She is very passionate and is one loose cannon in this story that you aren't quit sure who she will accuse next of being the murder.

Julia and Sienna are best friends and business partners. Julia marries Jason who is Sienna's brother. They appear to be close but you soon realize that there is much they aren't sharing with each other. Jason's boss is killed and Jason is the prime suspect.

This will cause stress and relationships will be tested. It is a story about friendships, family, marriage and boundaries.

I liked how in the end both Sienna and Julia are on the same page by telling Jason how he could have done things differently

I enjoyed Thicker than Water. I appreciate the relationship and friendship between the two women and felt the author accurately portrayed the bond. The ending was good and not expected!

Page turner, addicting story. I read this all in one sitting. I just couldn’t put it down. The writer has a way with words that have you invested fully into the book.

Phew this was a one-sitting book! Totally hooked from the beginning and even though it had some pretty predictable plot points, I highly recommend.

Jason’s wife and sister, Julia and Sienna, have been very best friends since they were introduced at an awkward meet the family dinner fifteen years ago. Their relationship even transcends their respective relationships with the man that connects them — they have their own jokes, language, and even co-own a business together.

But their bonds will be tested when they receive a call that Jason is in a coma after a car accident — and the police found evidence in the vehicle that he may have murdered his boss. The two try to piece together what happened in the days leading up to the crash before Jason regains consciousness and is arrested for murder. But as the evidence continues to point in Jason’s direction, the two begin to have differing opinions about the man they both love, and who has seemingly betrayed them both in different ways. They’ll also uncover secrets about one another that prove their relationship isn’t as cohesive as they assumed.

I was totally invested in this until the end — I loved piecing it together through both POVs and the ultimate message we were left with in the conclusion.

Thicker Than Water is the latest suspense release from Megan Collins. This is the second book of hers I've read, but I prefer The Family Plot more than this one. Told from the POV of Julia and her sister-in-law, Sienna, who are in their mid-30s. Julia's married to Jason, who has a car accident and ends up in a coma. Shortly beforehand, his boss was murdered, and the cops find evidence that points to Jason. Julia discovers the secrets he's been keeping and works with Sienna to uncover the truth. Along the path, we learn he may have been cheating with Maeve, an accountant who had troubles with the dead boss too. Toss in a cop, Sienna's ex-lover, and the man who accidentally crashed into Sienna's and Jason's parents two decades ago, killing both of them. Lots to unpack, but more of a slow-burn rather than a thriller. I also didn't find either woman particularly likable or memorable, and we never had a chance to meet Jason, so the reader/character connections were too loose for me. The writing was good, and the plot had a lot of interesting elements, but otherwise it was sorta blah for me. I will still read the author's other two books and then decide whether to continue with her future releases.

A solid mystery with several twists and turns that kept me engaged throughout. There are sub-plots of love stories, friendships and parental challenges to add to the drama. Thicker Than Water was an easy-to-read, fast-moving story from Megan Collins that I enjoyed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Dang!!

This was a roller coaster. I couldn’t decide what was the truth and what was a lie.

I loved Sienna and Julia’s bond. It was the one part of the story I hoped wouldn’t be lost by the events.

As things unraveled, I found myself flip flopping over the possibility of what the truth could be.

I knew that Maeve had done it, so it made me question how the police (despite the evidence) could believe a man had committed such a crime.

Overall, I liked this a lot. I think the ending was wrapped up too quickly and abruptly, especially considering how long it seemed the women were working to expose the truth.

Loved this book! Read it poolside on vacation. Will update with a full review when I return home.

Thanks to the publisher and Goodreads for this ARC.

ᴛʜɪᴄᴋᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ
ᴍᴇɢᴀɴ ᴄᴏʟʟɪɴs
ᴀᴛʀɪᴀ ʙᴏᴏᴋs
ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜɪɴɢ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ: ᴊᴜʟʏ 𝟷𝟷 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟹
✩✩✩✩✩

Happy Friday🎉 not only is it a gorgeous day today but I’ve finally been relieved from #instajail, AGAIN.
Seriously what is up with IG lately?!

Author @megancollinswriter knows how to write a thriller. All of her books have been so good and once again she did not disappoint! Megan Collin’s newest thriller 𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑟 𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 had me hooked from page one and the plot was not only brilliant but actually realistic- which is hard to find these days in thrillers!

Collin’s gives us a twisty murder plot that is heavily character driven. The story is intriguing and we see how a murder event affected a strong family unit. There are a lot of characters involved throughout this plot but the author did a great job intertwining everyone.

This was a brilliant thriller, 100% reccomend!

SYNOPSIS: “Julia and Sienna Larkin are sisters-in-law, connected by Julia's husband and Sienna's brother, Jason. More than that, the two have been devoted best friends since Jason introduced them. To Sienna, Jason can do no wrong, and although Julia knows he's not perfect, they've built a comfortable life and family together. Recently, Jason has been putting in long hours to secure a promotion at work, so when his boss is found brutally murdered--his lips sewn shut--the Larkins are shocked and unsettled, especially as local gossip swirls.

A few days later, Julia and Sienna's lives are upended when Jason gets into a car accident and is placed in a medically induced coma. Worse, the police arrive with news that he's the prime suspect in the murder investigation. With Jason unable to respond--and with Julia and Sienna working to clear his name--the two women find their friendship threatened for the first time: Sienna staunchly maintains her brother's innocence, but as their investigation uncovers a complicated web of secrets, Julia is less sure she's willing to defend her husband.”

This is the second book I have read from this author. I had read the Family Plot a couple of years back and found I was not really impressed with this one either. The book starts off with the husband being in a coma and then him being suspected of a crime. Of course, there will be no answers until he wakes up. That is if he wakes up. I kind of feel like the coma trope has just really worn out it's welcome for me in these types of books. It is not original and just makes the book come out of the gate feeling like something I have read many times before. I did not care for the wife or the sister in law and did not get their close relationship since they obviously could not talk about important things going on and their relationship is so fragile that it could be blown apart with telling the truth, or having an opinion. I did end up finishing this one, however I did not much care for it. I felt that the characters were flat and I did not end up caring one bit what happened. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

Thank you Atria Books & NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes you just need a solid mystery thriller to really set things right in your life! I have loved multiple pieces done by Megan Collins, and this one is not any different! Julia & Sienna ended up becoming the sister in law duo that I didn't know I needed. With all of the twists & turns & a great story line, Megan Collins' just did a phenomenal job with this one! 5 stars for sure!

I was interested in the summary of this book and was excited to start it. I did enjoy the alternating POV in the story, but eventually found Sienna’s side to be pretty annoying. I liked the themes of family dynamics and friendship, though. I wished that some of the loose ends were tied up better…Jason??? Maeve?? It was just okay in my opinion. Thank you to NetGalley & Atria for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While I enjoyed the read and overall plot line of this fast moving suspense, one of my pet peeves in this genre is when characters openly flout police procedure and do their own “investigation” when that would so clearly jeopardize the accuracy and validity of any findings in a real life case. It takes the reader out of the story when you begin to question the realism/ accuracy of the situation.

I think the strength of this book lies in the relationship between Julia and Sienna, which I thought was very well developed and realistic in their friendship but also their separate roles as wife and sister to Jason and how that skews their perception of events.

Overall, a quick and fast paced read that I enjoyed!

How much evidence would it take for you to doubt someone you trust?

Sienna & Julia are closer than your typical sisters-in-law: they’re best friends & run a business together. But their relationship starts to unravel when Sienna’s brother Jason (Julia’s husband) has a car accident & ends up in a coma, unable to defend himself from the shocking allegations that he was the one who murdered his boss.

Sienna goes scorched earth searching for any other possible explanation, because there’s no way Jason did this. Julia, however, has her reservations, because this isn’t the first time in recent memory that Jason has broken her trust. With Sienna’s anger issues & inability to see individuals as anything other than “good” or “bad,” Jason’s savior complex, Julia’s reluctance to speak her mind, & everyone’s proclivity for keeping secrets (including Jason & Julia’s son, Aiden), this story takes the domestic thriller genre to a new level.

I loved how this story ended up focusing on the relationship between Sienna & Julia: about how sometimes we can hold each other back without meaning to, but also how we can change, & do better, & support one another through that. Satisfying ending & another great read from Megan Collins!

Thank you to NetGalley & Atria for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What do you do when the individual in your life that embodies the word "hero" is facing accusations for downright unheroic actions? This question is answered throughout the entirety of Thicker Than Water; for those of you who enjoy a good crime read with elements of domestic thriller tied in, this is for you.

The characters in Thicker Than Water are what made this book a home-run for me, as Sienna and Julia's relationship ebbed and flowed so much in an organic way. Side characters had their own personalities and motives, existing in the story in a way that added to the plot and left no room for hollowness as well. The twists and turns of the mystery at hand (who is the true culprit of the gruesome crime we have been launched into?), the damage that tragedy and betrayal inflicts on family, and love purveying through it all will have you misty-eyed when you reach the final page.

Maybe 3.5 stars? Kept me interested for sure and I did not see (most of) the ending coming.

*ARC provided via NetGalley

I was so excited to get to read this early. I have enjoyed how unique the previous works from this author has been.

This novel is about two women who work together, are best friends, and are sisters by marriage. Sienna and Julia have forged the best friendship despite their many differences. Julia's husband, Jason, is Sienna's brother which is the ultimate connection between the two. One night they are watching television as the news covered a murder. The victim happened to be Jason's boss and the murder was more gruesome than usual as the victim's lips were sewn shut.

The next night, Jason is in a serious accident and his wife and sister are told he is going to be arrested for his boss' murder. The bond between the two starts to break as Julia thinks her husband is guilty and Sienna thinks Jason is an angel and can do no wrong.

I loved the red herrings in this book. I thought the characters were written so well. I truly felt the flaws and emotion of each character. This was a quick, easy read that was highly entertaining.

Megan Collins returns with a taut, emotionally charged, and utterly unforgettable tale of forgiveness, deceit, and secrets, asking how well we know the people closest to us. Haunting and evocative.

Julia’s husband, Jason, is the prime suspect in his boss’s gruesome murder. Julia’s best friend, and Jason’s sister, Sienna, knows her brother would never kill anyone. But Julia isn’t so sure. When Jason is in a car accident and put into a medically induced coma, Julia and Sienna work together to find out what really happened that night. But how far will they go to clear Jason’s name? And what will they lose in the process? Thicker Than Water explores this theme in exacting, gorgeous detail.

A mesmerizing, character-driven and emotionally-astute thriller with crystalline prose. Savagely gripping.