The first chapter hooked me in, but the ending did not payoff. There were too many POVS, the twists were predictable, and the story dragged. The narration was good, but only one of the POVs had a different voice. It would have been easier to follow if the voices were more distinct. I also didn't like how the trauma involving motherhood was handled. Even though the story was long, the way everything was wrapped up at the end felt rushed and unearned. I think thriller lovers will enjoy this book, but it didn't work for me.

It was good but just very predictable. I think this book confirmed my dislike of Alice Feeney's books. I've never really been a person who likes these family domestic thrillers so I don't know why I put myself through this stuff when I know I don't really like them.


I did however like the writing and set up of the book.

Easy easy easy 5 stars!

🐞Ahh that was the most fun I've had reading a book in a long time! Every single sentence was worth reading slowly and every detail mattered. I took more notes while reading this book than any fiction book ever!

🐞I really took my time to understand what was going on and still finished in less than 3 (very busy) days.

🪨📃✂️Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney is one of my favorite thrillers of all time and this one either tied with it or topped it!

🐞There's not much I can say without spoilers, but you should definitely go in blind and trust the process on this one!

🙈Also, I saw a ladybug on my wall while reading this (first time all year) and once you read it, you'll understand how crazy that is! 🐞

👌I'm so glad Alice just posted that she finished book 7 to be released in 2024 because I already have no patience (inside joke here, iykyk) for it.

The narration is absolute perfection! Stephanie Racine reads most of Alice Feeney's books and I loved the addition of Katherine Press, they are both beyond talented and easy to listen to!

📆This one will be released on August 29, 2023!

🥰Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook!

Well done Alice Feeney! This book wonderfully narrated by Katherine Press and Stephanie Racine is full of twists and turns and keeps you guessing all the way through. No one is who you think they really are and as the story goes between present day -real time and 18 years prior you think you know how it will unfold... but you've probably got it all wrong. Well worth the time spent listening. Thank you to Net Galley and MacMillan Audio for this ARC.

Alice Feeney never fails to surprise me. Each of her books feels distinct as she isn’t afraid to try something new. GOOD BAD GIRL takes Feeney’s signature cleverness into domestic suspense territory as she explores mother-daughter relationships with a kidnapping of a child and a murder in a nursing home.

The story lacks the page-turning thrills of her previous books, but it makes up for it with fully developed characters and a thoughtful portrayal of postpartum depression. Feeney challenges readers to consider what it means to be a “good” mother.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story on audio and found it easy to follow. The dual narrators brought the characters to life in a fun way. Fans of Sally Hepworth won’t want to miss this one!

RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: August 29, 2023

Many thanks to Macmillan audio and NetGalley for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Mother’s Day means different things to different people. To some it’s a day of celebration, to others it’s a reminder of the worst days of your life. 20 years ago on Mother’s Day a baby was stolen from a stroller. Now, two murders exactly 20 years later, are opening up old wounds from the kidnapping and have unknowingly tied four women together. 80-year-old Edith is convinced she doesn’t need to be living in a nursing home while her estranged daughter Clio is struggling to cover the financial cost of the home and keep her life together. 18-year-old Patience, as a caretaker at the nursing home, has developed fond feelings for Edith but is also searching for answers on her past. Lastly, prison librarian Frankie is convinced Clio knows where her runaway daughter is and is determined to find her. All four of these women have secrets, and this Mother’s Day they’re all about to be revealed.

In Good Bad Girl, Feeny tackles the complex dynamics of mother daughter relationships, and she has certainly crafted some unique and interestingly flawed characters. I found all our main narrators to be both unlikable and likable at the same time but while I felt they were well crafted, the different POVs and not fully understanding how they were connected gave the story a slow start. The web Feeney was laying out for us with these characters was almost too complex which made the first half of the book feel slow. Once I finally started to make connections, I had lost some of my initial interest in the story.

Something that could be triggering for some people but that I appreciated in this story as a new mom, is Feeney’s portrayal of postpartum depression and what it means to be a good mother. As a newer mom, I’m finding myself to be very vocal about the struggles women face in the 4th trimester and on. Even though this is a thriller with a kidnapping, I feel strongly that the more we see these topics in mainstream media the more likely we are to see change in the way society stigmatizes new moms. But this could certainly be a Trigger Warning for some people.

I’m ashamed to say that while I have copies of Daisy Darker and Rock Paper Scissors, this is my first Alice Feeney book. I think with most her books it’s good to just dive into the story without any context and so I’m glad that’s what I did here. While I did enjoy this book, the complexity of the plot bordered on confusing resulting in 3.5 stars rounded up to a 4-star rating.


Good Bad Girl comes out August 3, 2023. Huge thank you to Flatiron Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof.books.

I enjoyed this one. I love when an author keeps you guessing about the lives in the boos. This one connecting 3 women for different reasons. It too me a second to keep straight who everyone was, but once I did it had a nice pace and a good story.

Edith is a reluctant patient in a nursing home, Patience works in the home helping care for the residents. Edith thinks she’s found a kindred spirit, not realizing that Patience is lying to her. When the truth comes out, there’s no more reason for pretense, but the two women must rely on each other to sort out the past and keep another tragedy from occurring. Feeney is the queen of plot twists and her latest doesn’t disappoint

This book leans more towards the family drama/ domestic suspense side rather than a psychological thriller, so I was not as shocked by any of the major twists. Still, the story was fast paced, clever and engaging. I loved the multiple POVs and how with time, each narrator’s story intersected in ways I did not fully expect. Plus, the short chapters made it easy to binge the book, as I was eager to find out the truth of what really happened.

Read if you like:
-Domestic suspense
-Slowburns
-Family drama
-Alternating POVs
-Sally Hepworth books

This was one of my most anticipated reads for 2023 and I really enjoyed the twisting and turning storyline.

This revolves around four women who are all more connected than they realize. I went into this one completely and I mean COMPLETELY blind… I knew Alice Feeney had a new book and I was already sold! I am glad I didn’t know anything, because the way this story unfolds was remarkable.

What happened when you do something bad for a good reason? That’s what this book really is about. Four women connected by their actions. And the ending had me REELING.

I thought this was narrated to perfection!