Loved this book. It was a quick and easy read. A perfect book to bring to the beach. I loved the character development of Harper from beginning to end. It was nice to see a woman stand up for herself and come out ahead in the end. Very motivational. Congratulations on writing your first book. I look forward to more books from you.

This was a fun read that really hooked me! Despite falling along recognizable narrative lines, "Under the Influence" maintained suspense and excitement. The strong narrative voice kept me coming back, and I was sad when it was over.

I almost DNF this one because it started getting predictable, but I persevered and honestly it was fiiine.

Think rich people behaving badly plus a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on in the daily life of a"professional influencer" who is a Brand.

All the characters, (except Bella-shes too good) are kinda annoying and unlikable, but that's the name of the game I suppose.

Overall, if you like popcorn reads +influencers being bitchy then this is a good book for you

I loved this book so much! I really didn’t know what it was about when I started reading it, but I quickly was obsessed! The characters are well developed, and I couldn’t help but love them all!

This book was ok, not going to set the world on fire. I knew it was based on the Hollis family and the author's experience working for them, so I think I expected a juicier behind the scenes look at working for a major influencer/speaker but it fell flat.

I started out enjoying this book, but the more I read, the less it held my interest. I thought that Harper’s complete attitude change in the span of two months was unrealistic. I was also underwhelmed with the chemistry between her and Aaron, the love interest. I’m sure other people will love this book, but it wasn’t for me.

I love any book about social media or influencers. This was a great read! Definitely had Devil Wears Prada vibes. It wasn’t so much a thriller but it had suspense. I can’t wait to read more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was my first read by this author and I was definitely impressed. I loved the whole concept, it seems like it could actually happen or be happening.

I loved seeing the behind the scenes of major influencer and seeing how they treat people. Harper was such a realistic character, she made the story come together so well. I found myself relating to her even though we don’t actually have anything in common, she was just written so well.

I can’t wait to read more by this author, maybe even more about the same characters to be honest. I was enthralled in the whole book.

I really liked this book! I felt like it was like the Devil wears Prada and follows a similar routine. I really love watching the rise and fall of a character. This book was enjoyable and fun to read. Not life-changing but a fun read.

I absolutely adored this read - it was definitely closer to a 4.5 for me!! I think it was so in touch with the facets of being an influencer, recognizing that there are those who seek to take advantage of their followers and those that genuinely adore their audience and want to have a healthy relationship with them. As much as Harper frustrated me a times, I felt it presented a really realistic look into pressures of unhealthy work life balances. This was such a fun read.

Why I chose this book: I chose this book because I have a lot of crituques for the author and influencer Rachel Hollis, and I beleive the author based this book on her experience working for Rachel. I also enjoyed the Devil Wears Prada, so there were two reasons I would probably like this book!

Brief Summary: Harper is tired of relying on the generosity of her friend Poppy while she tries to make it as a writer in NY. When Poppy sends her a job posting for a position that sounds a little good to be true, she takes the risk and applies and is quickly swept into an improptu interview where she feels uneasy but also intrigued by the hard-to-pass-up benefits. Feeling like she doesn't have a lot of other options, she takes the job. At first, she is in disbelief at the company culture at The Greenhouse, which encourages long hours, oversharing with colleagues and on social media, and regular get-togethers with colleagues outside of work. However, Harper soon wins the good graces of Charlotte and can't deny how good it feels to be on top. Soon, she's swept up into the egomaniacal sphere of Charlotte Green whose good graces and affections toward Harper are weaponized against her other employees. When Harper has the opportunity to talk with a journalist about Charlotte and the Greenhouse, she is eager to show the world what a good boss Charlotte is, but the journalist has a different angle.

What I didn't like about this book: Harper has a love interest in another employee at the Greenhouse, Aaron. When they finally get together, it's when he serendipitously runs into her at the airport. The meetup seemed a little far-fetched, but I was willing to buy it one time, but then it happened again! While I thought the plot was pretty well-woven, Aaron sweeping in to either save the day or apologize was a little too deus-ex-machina.

What I like about this book:
Aaron and his deus-ex-machina probelm aside, this plot is woven pretty tight. At the beginning of Harper's new career, she finds a Post-it note in her apartment, left from the former employee, with a cryptic warning. Then as she starts work she finds out that Charlotte expects her employees to write their intentions on a Post-it and share it with their colleagues on their group chat every day. There is another tie-in with the Post-it notes at the end of the book, and that was a clever detail that showed an attention to keeping the plot tight and consistent.
I also like that the character of Charlotte Green is a lot like Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada. She's impossible to please. Her standards for her employees are unreachable. She relies on everyone around her to do their jobs better than she can do hers; and yet, she is insecure and lonely. Despite that, the author doesn't paint her as a villain with a redemption arc because Charlotte never does anything to earn that. Instead, Charlotte spirals further as her career and life tumble around her. And honestly, that is satisfying after reading how she destroyed the lives of her employees simply because they didn't do exactly what she wanted. I like how Harper gets the happy ending, and I really like how the author toys with the reader's expectations of what that means at the end.

It’s 12:57am

I just finished Under The Influence, that I binge read all day.

Quite frankly I am at a loss for words.

This book is incredibly REAL.

Our current culture is developed by social media and the influencers behind those keyboards.

Who are these people? Are they only showing us the version of themselves they want us to see?

Of course.

That’s what social media is. Social media allows you to be whoever you want to be but deep down how much of that is truth ?

Think about it…

We use filters, angles and editing to only show ourselves in the light we favor.

This book has me deep in my thoughts. It wasn’t a thriller as it’s categorized. There’s no murder (I’m sure a few of these characters considered it) but there is suspense and drama!

I loved the whole entourage of characters. Eva, our cute little cookie baking mama, Poppy, the reliable and incredible best friend we all wish we had, Bella, Adam, Oliver, Cynthia, and of course, Harper.

This book hit close to home and had me thinking about my own experiences. I have recently left a job I used to love after 16 years. What was once inspiring quickly turned exhausting, stressful and under appreciated.

If this book didn’t push me right into the direction I need to be then I might just be a lost cause (kidding)

I feel inspired, hopeful and enlightened .

I wrote down and highlighted so many inspirational phrases I found within these pages.

I hope to read this book again closer to its big release and see how the book resonates with me then . I hope to still feel just as inspired but also be able to look back and see how far I have come myself .

Noelle Crooks, I adore you and I can not wait to see what you come up with next

5 stars!

Teaser :

After a series of go-nowhere jobs in the New York publishing world, Harper Cruz is broke, lonely, and desperate for a salary that won’t leave her scrambling to make rent each month. So when she stumbles across a job posting from an influencer offering triple her last paycheck, she automatically submits her résumé.

Harper may not be familiar with self-help guru Charlotte Green, but her relentless optimism and charismatic can-do spirit has created a cult-like following of women across the country. When she selects Harper among thousands of other applicants in less than twenty-four hours, it’s obvious she sees something she likes. Despite the pressure to accept the offer just as quickly as she’s been given it, Harper decides to take a leap of faith and become the newest member of The Greenhouse.

Accepting the job means a move to Nashville, and Harper is quickly dazzled by the glamourous world Charlotte has built in Music City. The Greenhouse is more than a workplace—it’s a family—and Harper soon finds herself swept into its inner circle. At first, she loves working in such an inspirational environment, where mandatory dance parties, daily intentions, and group bonding activities make up for long hours and Charlotte’s persistent demands for loyalty. But the deeper Harper is pulled into Charlotte’s world, the more she realizes that having it all and being it all comes with a price.

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

Great story! So perfectly plotted.
Harper is looking for the something - a career, a fulfilling life, a purpose? She falls under the Charlotte Green spell easily and joins the team without much debate. The only problem is that as she begins working for the millionaire influencer, she experiences more and more questionable behavior. Is Charlotte real? Or a Charlatan ?

Noelle Crooks has created the perfect influencer story! Charlotte Green is believable in both behavior and her "message." Our heroine Harper is equally believable in her family situation. I loved this story and at times fell under the influence of Charlotte's branding. If you love hot topics in contemporary culture, the struggles of young women and the unveiling of cults then Under the Influence is for you!
#Gallery #undertheinfluence #noellecrooks

For someone out there this will be their lit-fic finding themselves book of the year… but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

There is nothing wrong with the book. I think I can’t relate to the protagonist because I have deep rooted trust problems. If something sounds too good to be true it almost always is. I would have never done an interview that last minute, I wouldn’t have flown out next day for this job in a field I didn’t even want… I would be suspicious of why the pay was so good, and if you did manage to convince me to show up and I saw someone being fired so dramatically on my first day I would immediately be on edge.

Since I have those trust issues the entire time I couldn’t suspend my disbelief because of course all this bad stuff is happening? I personally couldn’t relate to the main character at all and the time jump at the end of the book just felt odd and not needed

I really enjoyed this! I did happen to know of the author and her previous role at a certain company. And as someone who attended those conferences and bought into those journals, this was fascinating! i know this is a work of fiction but some of the parallels were undeniable. I enjoyed reading Harpers story and I love Nashville so it was fun having her experience the wonders of that city! i did feel the ending was a bit abrupt so I would like it to have a sequel? or to have had a longer ending to really wrap everything up.

I have been anxiously awaiting this book because I have watched Rachel Hollis from the very beginning (I was actually on a panel with her before she became **RACHEL HOLLIS!!!**).

Noelle Crooks worked for Hollis Company and I’m sure she saw some things that the Hollises would prefer to keep to themselves. The “influencer” in this book does bear a resemblance to Rachel (“tiny” and “full of energy.”). But it’s impossible to know how much of that character is made up and how much is based on reality. I actually didn’t find her that insufferable. Sure, she made people work hard. Sure, a lot of it was performative. But the main character in the book was getting paid 3X her previous salary, so I’m not surprised she was expected to put in more than a 9-to-5 effort.

The characters were so undeveloped and interchangeable that I did not connect with any of them. There were no “high stakes” for anyone, and as a result no real dramatic arc to carry the story. With no drama, no characters, and lackluster writing, this book was passable at best.

The Devil Wears Prada has nothing to worry about from Under the Influence.

I loved this book so much I seriously did not want it to end! Can we get a sequel?! I adored the characters, I loved the behind the scenes look at influencers, I LOVED THE ENDING!! This book was so, so good. 5 stars!!

People! Read this book!
This book was not on my radar until my daughter (a Rachel Hollis ex fan) asked me if it was on NetGalley. I feel very lucky to have got an advanced copy of Under the Influence by Noelle Crooks. I know very little about the Hollis drama, and this IS a fictionalized tale, but I could easily see this happening not only with Rachel Hollis and many influencers. I've also had this happen in my life when I worked sales for a Fortune 500 company; I'm sure many readers will recognize and have experienced the toxic traits of the lead antagonist, Charlotte.
Devil Wears Prada meets Influencers nails the "elevator pitch.' However, I found this book far easier to read, and more engaging. I can't quit put my finger on WHY but I did enjoy it more than Devil Wears Prada. It's a fast read. I appreciated that the romance was kept PG and that the book focused more on Harper and her friendships and family.
Will be recommending to everyone. You don't have to be an ex Hollis fan to enjoy this book - it's great entertainment no matter who you are. #BestFiction #ReadThisPeople

Overall, I would give this book 3.5/5 .. I enjoyed it while I was reading it but nothing life changing. Perfect beach or airport read type of book. The influencer culture and major plot points of the book kept me engaged. I particularly enjoyed how the book ultimately ended. The book is very well written, which makes it a breeze to get through.

My only major criticism of this book is that there are too many ancillary characters to keep track of. There’s Harper’s friend and her boyfriend in NYC; Harpers family including mom, dad, cousin, his fiance, and three aunts?; staff (3-4) at the Greenhouse; staff (3-4) at the Greenhouse she’s close with; other influencers; reporters… Like, this probably wouldn’t be a problem to keep track of in a movie because two-scene characters you don’t have to keep straight or remember their names but in a book it was like wait, who?