An overwhelmed woman in an upscale community attempts to recover from her friend’s death by hiring an assistant to help her out, but the assistant isn’t exactly who she claims to be….wanted to like this one but the characters were very hard to connect with and the story was a tad too slow for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.

Elizabeth, a white woman living in an upscale neighborhood in Memphis, finds her best friend dead after an apparent suicide. Elizabeth has plenty of issues, enough that she ends up hiring a Black woman to be her assistant. This is a psychological thriller that falls flat partly because none of the characters are likable. But the most problematic part of the book is that Koffi tries to bring race into the story line but does a terrible job of it. I am extremely surprised that this book got past editors and sensitivity readers.

3.5⭐️

A fun domestic/phycological thriller.

In this books we follow two women who are both determined to look into the death of a loved one.

Elizabeth’s best friend is found dead and she doesn’t believe the running theory that it was suicide. Elizabeth starts to fall down a dark hole when her husband suggests she hire an assistant to help her out.

Brianna is on a mission to find out why the police killed her teenage son.

This was a fun thriller and I was truly hooked from page one but it was a bit predictable and at times the pacing felt off.

With that being said I would still recommend if you want a quick read.

I was gifted this arc in exchange for my honest review.

While We Were Burning by Sarah Koffi (4/16/24) Review Pub 4/11/24 4 Stars
Published by Penguin Group/Putman

After the death of a friend, Elizabeth is consumed with solving what she believes to be her murder, now her life is spinning out of control. Her husband, David, recommends hiring a personal assistant and in walks the perfect woman for the job. Brianna Thompson, a smart, savvy, and beautiful black women who seems to know the answer to everything and is able to help hold Elizabeth together. But Brianna has her secret too, and a reason for befriending Elizabeth and wanting to immerse herself in her white, privileged world. As both women seek to uncover the answers to their individual mysteries, the truths lie somewhere around them.

This was a page turned for sure. Sensitive content when Elizabeth’s best friend is found dead of apparent suicide. This thriller examines race, class, mental illness, abuse, and police brutality. This really had me with so many different feelings. I was sad, angry, empathetic, but mostly on the edge of my seat. I would say that it started out a little slow for me but picked up very quickly. This was a hard one to review, as I did not want to give too much away or reveal spoilers.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, Sara Koffi and the publisher, Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader's copy of this book.

✨What a page turner (so to speak since I listened on audio.). I was invested from the beginning and finished in just a day.
✨This was a character-driven novel about two extremely unlikeable characters that I could not help but want to root for. That’s when you know the writing is so good.
✨Social themes of race, class, elitism, justice, police corruption were deftly woven into the narrative in such a thought-provoking way.
✨This is the author’s debut novel, and I will definitely be ready to read whatever she writes next.

🌿Read if you like:
✨Suburban thrillers
✨Revenge stories
✨Morally grey characters
✨Toxic friendships
✨Memphis settings

🎧I loved the narration here by @karissavacker and @blameitonthheni. They really brought the story to life with their excellent performances.

The cover sold me on reading this and the setting. Not living too far from Memphis, we love to visit, but the news has cast the culture in a different light. The book touches on the dangers filtrating the city whether it is racial conflict, separation of classes, and violence.
When Elizabeth finds herself at a lost after her friend died of an apparent suicide, she hires a personal assistant, Brianna. She becomes her greatest asset and helps her investigate her friend's death. What she doesn't know is Brianna's agenda. She lost her son after he was killed and she thinks the two are related.
It is heartbreaking as they deal with a loss of life and mental health issues. Their friendship and work lines become blurred and some are crossed in this toxic and sometimes twisted relationship.
Well-done for a debut! I would definitely read more from the author. She touches on issues they are separating society not only in Memphis but across America.
Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam Books, G.P. Putnam's sons for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Elizabeth and Briana both have challenges and issues but now they're almost like scorpions in a bottle. Elizabeth hires Briana as an assistant when but it turns out Briana wants more than a job- the death of her son is linked to the death of Elizabeth's friend and she wants not just answers but revenge. She's the better character, more well rounded, albeit over the top. This becomes a domestic drama with some twists that don't quite work but which kept me reading. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. No spoilers from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This one fell flat for me. I had to push through to get to the end. Not a likeable character in the book (which could be intentional), It was really slow, and then in the last hour of the book the plot twist revealed and rushed.

While We Were Burning has a great premise, but unfortunately missed the mark for me in quite a few ways.

1. Melodrama: We dip into Lifetime movie territory, and that’s just not for me…especially when dealing with serious topics like race and privilege. The silliness of some of the relationships just detracted from the overall point, in my opinion. This is maybe a me problem and might not bother all readers.
2. Stilted dialogue: The way characters speak to each other felt really unnatural and uncomfortable most of the time. People were also calling each other by name like every other sentence, which just…felt weird.
3. Unlikable characters without clear purpose: Nobody in this was an enjoyable character, and while that sometimes works, in this case it just felt draining. The two main characters were so over the top that I found it grating to be in their respective POVs.

I think this could be a good fit for people who enjoy popcorn domestic thrillers; as long as you take it at face value and don’t expect more than a quick & engaging read, you’ll probably like it! Due to the comparison to Such a Fun Age - a book I found really thoughtfully well done - I think my expectations were just not quite right. As this is a debut, I will likely pick up whatever this author writes next and see how things to from there.

Thanks to the publisher for a free eARC I’m exchange for an honest review!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC! I was really drawn in to this story but I was disappointed in the ending. The two main female characters, Elizabeth and Brianna, are both extremely unlikeable. I don’t have a problem with an unlikeable character, in fact I usually like them. Possible spoilers****

I just really really don’t like how Brianna ended up getting away with everything and not realizing how she’s in the wrong too. Everything she claims of Elizabeth being the victim can also be said of her?? I really wanted her to get caught and all the gaslighting of Elizabeth drove me insane.

Basically a more dramatized Lifetime film of Such a Fun Age. Though the writing reads like low budget Hulu teleplay, it’s a lot more exciting than Reid’s work by miles.

I can already see this being the next fun series to binge in a night. Give it a go 🔥🔥🔥

Thank you to NetGalley/G.P. Putnam’s Sons for a copy of While We Were Burning in exchange for an honest review.

The Horror of an Unlikeable Protagonist
Unfortunately, I cannot give a very detailed review of Sara Koffi’s While We Were Burning, or else I’d give the whole thing away. Instead, I’d like to say that Koffi has done a remarkable job here centering complex, problematic, and, frankly, unlikeable women. There seems to be a lot of pressure to make your protagonists likable, even in the age of the antihero. I’m of the camp that compelling is way more critical than likable.


While We Were Burning isn’t for the faint of heart; it’s a disturbing novel. The work explores the worst parts of the human psyche and how we can harm each other. But, dang, is it a good thriller, filled with twists and turns. Even better, once you get to the ending, you’re like, “of course,” in that satisfied way.

While We Were Burning deftly explores class and racial issues without being heavy-handed. “Genre” pieces (here, a thriller) are such a great way to expose the underbelly of society because they can get to the soft jelly without knocking you over the head with a sledgehammer to do so.

Should You Read It?
Sara Koffi’s debut novel is expertly crafted. I highly recommend it to fans of thrillers and mysteries. (I absolutely disagree with this being classified as “women’s fiction.”) (Why is that even a category?) But as I said earlier, you need to be prepared to loathe the main characters and find them more and more problematic the deeper you get into the book. Please also take close care to read the content warnings, as this novel tackles some possibly triggering subjects.

In the end, though, While We Were Burning is a brave piece of literature that deserves readership.

While We Were Burning hits shelves on April 16, 2024. Pick up a copy at your local indie bookstore or library. 📚👠🪢

Unhinged. Unreliable narrators. Unforgettable. I tore through this debut. The way this thriller examines mental illness, class and race on the cusp of a child murdered by police is just masterful. It’s dark but emphatic, and twisty.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the ARC to read in exchange for my honest review.

Reeling from her best friend’s death, which she refuses to believe was a suicide; Elizabeth hires Brianna as her assistant. Instead of distracting her, Brianna helps her investigate the suicide but she has her own motivations.

I didn’t like any of the characters in this story, and I didn’t understand any of them either. I always enjoy a good revenge story, but this one was odd. I really enjoyed the first half of the book, but as the characters’ flaws became more obvious, I became disconnected. It ended on a strange note that left me uncomfortable.. which maybe was the point.

“Maybe I was a broken woman. Maybe I was just striking a pose.”

While We Were Burning comes out 4/16.

While We Were Burning is a propulsive, tense, tale of grief, revenge and the absurdity of victimhood. To say much of anything about the plot would be to give too much away. But rest assured, when you pick up the book, you will not put it down until it's finished and you’re in for a wild ride!

Elizabeth Smith is having a tough time after discovering her friend’s dead body. It’s ruled a homicide but Elizabeth doesn’t buy it. She become obsessed with proving that someone killed her friend but after no proof surfaces from her own investigation her husband convinces her that she’s likely just failing to cope with this properly and needs therapy, meds, and someone to help her get her life back on track. She hires a stunning woman named Brianna to work as her personal assistant. They grown very close and soon she’s convinced Brianna to help with the investigation into her friend’s “suicide”. But as they grow even closer it seems that Brianna may not have become a part of Elizabeth’s life by happenstance. Maybe she put herself there because she’s lost someone and is looking for answers too.

This was a well paced and entertaining read! It kept me engaged the whole way through because it reads like a juicy telenovella. I’m not sure that was what the writer was going for but that’s how it came across to me. The wild plot and overall behaviors of the characters had my eye’s widening and saying “wait whattt?” every other chapter. If the writer was going for something more ominous and emotional I think the mark was missed. It could have benefited from stronger character dev to really make their actions hold more weight and stick to the readers ribs. But if you’re looking for an enjoyable popcorn domestic thriller, this is the one!

This story has two components going on. Elizabeth Smith is an entitled housewife with a husband who works in real estate. Life for Lizzie is good! She works at the Learning Center and her best friend, Patricia, is her right arm sidekick. She was a little excited about meeting her friend for their morning walk, when she happened to notice something strange hanging in the middle of the street. Was that a pair of shoes on the ground? Were those shoes, Patricia’s? Why were they on the ground? When Lizzie looked up, she realized her best friend had killed herself. Why would a woman, who had everything to live for, up and suddenly kill herself?

On the other side of the tracks, Brianna Thompson and her man, Charles, are struggling to make ends meet. With their son, Jay, in tow, Brianna decides she’s going to nursing school to get a decent salary to provide for her family. But, as we all know, life doesn’t always go the way we initially plan.

One fateful evening, while Jay was riding his new bike in an affluent neighborhood, someone got suspicious of the African American boy and decided to call the police to investigate the matter. As a result of the matter, Jay’s life was cut short because someone thought he stole the bike.

Brianna and Charles’ world was turned upside down. The police had shot and killed their son. Jay’s death put a strain on their relationship and Charles felt suffocated and wanted out. Brianna felt the same way but only worse having carried Jay for nine months and mothering him. She’d never get to see her son’s smiling face or hear his laughter. She was robbed from so many things she’d never get to experience Jay doing. Who would call the police on her son and why?

Brianna’s grief was so deep that she became a super sleuth to find out the truth behind her son’s death, and while she was doing so, a job listing came before her that was right up her alley. Since nursing school was now diverted, she decided to become a personal assistant to Mrs. Elizabeth Smith.

As Brianna and Lizzie became closer, Lizzie started to suspect that something wasn’t quite right with her new assistant. Lizzie was still grieving the loss of her best friend, Patricia. She needed a friend and Brianna was it, until they began investigating Patricia’s murder and that’s where our story takes off.

I’m on that dreaded fence with this one. I didn’t love this story, but I certainly didn’t hate it either. There were conversations had between various characters that caused me to wonder why they didn’t ask more questions. Of course, I can’t mention those to you because I do not give spoilers, but after you read it, you’ll have a full understanding of what I mean.

Some situations seemed to have developed a lot faster than I think they should have. Again, there are things the characters were doing that caused me to question their motives and actions. At times, I felt the motives didn’t match their actions. The story seemed to drag a little for me in parts, but not enough that I couldn’t keep tapping the Kindle pages.

Overall, I did like the story. It’s weird and different. I’ve never read this author before, but I credit Koffi for having told a very sensitive subject in the most dignified way possible. She demonstrates enough to get the reader where they need to go to make decisions for themselves.

Gosh. I so wanted to like this one, and while I'm thankful to the publisher, author, and Netgalley, this one wasn't for me.

I failed to connect with any of the characters. None of them seemed to be stable or even established well enough to care about what happened to them. I also failed to fully grasp the plot. It felt like it needed an editor to add a lot of questions in the margins. And, while I am not a person who wants my stories all tied up in little bows at the end, I do want them to make sense. All the "huh?" should be answered. Those are called twists, but they should all be understood by the end. Perhaps it was because the author was trying very hard to include specific issues like racism in policing, unconscious bias, and mental health issues and focused on their inclusion over making all the pieces fit smoothly together? This felt like a good start but I could have used a bit more.

arc review

Wow, I tore through this book! Sara Koffi's writing style and tone clicked with me immediately, and I will absolutely be seeking out more from her in the future.

While We Were Burning is a tense tale about Elizabeth and Brianna. After the death of a friend, Elizabeth's husband suggests she hires an assistant to help keep it together. Brianna is hired, and the two become quick friends. From Brianna's perspective, however, there is much more to the story.

This could be a great fit if you enjoy:
- complex characters & relationships
- social commentary
- domestic/suburban suspense

This book was fast-paced, emotional, and complicated. While the sharp writing style is what I consider fun, nothing about this book is easy. The characters are consumed with hurt and grief as some relationships are cut short while others are past their expiration dates. Their decisions are made based on emotion rather than logic, and we all know how that goes.

I ate this book up! The ending felt a bit rushed, and I was left with a question or two, but my overall reading experience was very enjoyable.

Rating: I reeeeally liked it! (4.5 rounded to a 5)