Was very much looking forward to this one after I received the first book free from a Goodreads Giveaway. It did not disappoint!

Although <i>Missing Clarissa</i> wasn't a book crying out for a sequel, I'm glad that there was one. That's not necessarily because I was so attached to Cam and Blair (although I do like them), but more because there was a lot for them to learn and sort through after they solved the previous case. They don't live in a fictional world where pesky kids and their talking dog can just solve cold cases with impunity; they live in a version of our reality, where actions have consequences and endings aren't always the sort of happy you want them to be. <i>The Other Lola</i> does a beautiful job of carrying that theme through, because at the end of the day, what Mattie <i>says</i> they want - to discover the truth about what happened to their older sister Lola the night she disappeared - isn't actually what they <i>do</i> want. What they want is for Lola to come back, and we've all read this story enough times in the news to know how unlikely that is.

Jones does a good job keeping the truth under wraps until the end, and the mystery is genuinely twisting and interesting. When the truth does come out, it's exactly as the hole in the pit of your stomach predicted, but that doesn't make it any easier to take. I liked the follow through of this sequel better than the first novel's, but both have the same point underneath it all: it's far too easy to ignore the missing girls. Some of them never even got the chance to scream.

I had an extremely enjoyable experience reading Missing Clarissa from Ripley Jones so I had to pick up this sequel! THE OTHER LOLA follows all our characters in the physical and emotional aftermath of book one. There is a focus on healing and atonement, as well as a look to one's future. But just when Cam and Blair are starting to get back on track in every aspect they get someone coming to them claiming their sister who disappeared fives years ago just came back --- but she KNOWS it is not really her. DUN DUN DUN! In an effort to not get swept up in the podcast fame like before, Cam and Blair are taking different stances to this case, how they should get involved, and even IF they need to have anything to do with this. The book further explores America's obsession with true crime and it does so in a realistic way as well as a satirical way at times. It dives into the ugly truth of America's heroin problem, specifically how it is targeting the youth of the country. And it does so with scathing jabs at institutions, classism, racism, and even the way we think or have been conditioned to think and react to things. I loved this book!

Intriguing, action-packed, coming of age YA mystery that will keep the reader turning its pages.

“The Other Lola” by Ripley Jones is the sequel to “Missing Clarissa” that reintroduces Blair and Cam.

Mattie Brosillard’s sister, Lola, disappeared mysteriously five years ago with no trace of her ever being found. Now she’s back—but Mattie is convinced the girl who returned is an impostor. Mattie, a freshman at Blair’s and Cam’s high school, begs them for their help to unravel the mystery and to find Lola.

Cam is suffering from PTSD and is hesitant to get involved; Blair is wanting to plow ahead in hopes of clinching a book deal. They do take on the case and the chapters ensue alternating POV between Cam and Blair.

There were a lot of twists and turns that kept me guessing and encouraging me to turn its pages to the end. I enjoyed the coming of age aspect that was tastefully done. Characters were well developed with my favorite being Mattie who is a gender-neutral, no-nonsense, straightforward character with tenacity and spunk.

There were times the storyline became repetitive where I found myself skimming ahead to get to the point. The ending was a little over the top, seemed forced, and became anti-climatic when wrapping up loose ends.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for sending this advanced copy for review in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Content⚠️:
Sexual content: Discussion on getting “boned” and “laid” without description.

Language: Explicit foul language with over a dozen uses of the F-bomb sprinkled throughout.

Violence: Inference and threats of murder. fighting without graphic detail.

Drugs/alcohol use: Heroine. Smoking a joint. Drinking.

"The sequel to Ripley Jones's unforgettable YA thriller Missing Clarissa, The Other Lola is about what happens when the people you love the most are the people you can trust the least.

In the months after Cam and Blair broke their small hometown's legendary missing-girl story and catapulted to accidental fame, they vowed never to do it again. No more mysteries, no more podcasts, and no more sticking their heads where they don't belong.

Until Mattie Brosillard, a freshman at their high school, shows up on their doorstep, begging Cam and Blair for help. Mattie's sister Lola disappeared mysteriously five years ago. No trace of her was ever found. Now, she's back - but Mattie is convinced the girl who returned is an impostor. Nobody believes Mattie's wild story - not Mattie's brother, not Mattie's mother, and not even Cam and Blair. But something is definitely wrong in the Brosillard family. And Blair has her own reasons for wanting to know what really happened to Lola while she was gone.

With Cam and Blair still struggling with the aftermath of their first mystery - and with new secrets swirling between them - the stakes are higher than ever in this can't-miss sequel to Missing Clarissa."

I'm always fascinated by stories where people might not be who they say they are...

The Other Lola
Ripely Jones
4⭐️

In the months after Cam and Blair broke their small hometown’s legendary missing-girl story and catapulted to accidental fame, they vowed never to do it again. No more mysteries, no more podcasts, and no more sticking their heads where they don’t belong.

Until Mattie Brosillard, a freshman at their high school, shows up on their doorstep, begging Cam and Blair for help.

My thoughts;
This was an entertaining follow up to Finding Clarissa. I adore Cam and Blair and fun following along with them as they once again try to solve a mystery. The story was unique, well written, well paced, and I found myself eagerly flipping pages to find out how everything was going to play out. I did not see that ending coming! I do hope there is more to come from these Bestie Detectives.

What I enjoyed;
🔎 YA Mystery
🔎 Domestic Suspense
🔎 Slow-Burn
🔎 Found Family

Pub date: 3/5/24. Thank you St. Martin’s Press & Wednesday Books for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.25

Setting: Washington
Rep: queer Mexican-American protagonist; nonbinary side character

I found this one wasn't quite as tense as the first book. I appreciated the diversity and Mattie was a really sweet character. I wanted more from the actual mystery but it was still a decent book!

One year after Cam and Blair solve the mystery of what happened to Clarissa, they are approached by Mattie Brosillard with a new mystery. Mattie is certain their sister Lola who reappeared after five years of being a missing person, is not really Lola. No one believes Mattie’s story that Lola isn’t really Lola, not even Cam and Blair. However, Cam and Blair agree to help Mattie. Is Lola really who she says she is or is she an imposter as Mattie says? Cam and Blair will investigate to find out.

First of all, I absolutely loved Missing Clarissa. When I received a widget for this one, I jumped at it! However, this sequel seemed like a totally different writing style to me. The action was much slower throughout the book for one. Also, Cam and Blair did not spend as much time together in this one, whereas their friendship was a main part of Missing Clarissa. I think my favorite part of the book was the character of Mattie. Mattie is non-binary and I enjoyed reading about their journey and experiences. I also really enjoyed the twists and wrap-up at the end of the story, it all came together well. Overall, this was a decent read. It was a slow burn for sure. Definitely read Missing Clarissa before you dive into this one because it really sets up the characters of Cam and Blair well. I give this one 3/5 stars.

To be honest, I'm not quite sure how to feel about this book, The mystery was fantastic. I love how the author gives you just enough to keep you hooked, while leading small bread crumbs for you to try to piece everything together. I wasn't quite sure what I believed till the very end. However, I don't like any of the characters. Blaire maybe, but everyone else... hard pass. If you're looking for a good mystery book about missing girls/crime solvers, then Ripley Jone's books are for you.

I read this book on the heels of Missing Clarissa. And while Missing Clarissa was not my favorite (reminded me too much of Good Girls Guide to Murder) The Other Lola was refreshing and intriguing.

The idea of a missing girl returning but being completely different from her old persona definitely drew me in. The new cast of characters had a unique appeal and the old cast of characters were just as lovable. Honestly I think Irene is my favorite. The author did a good job on character development with both Cam and Blair in this book and witnessing their growth and struggles and successes was a highlight.

Thank you so much Netgalley for the advanced reading copy!

I was so excited to receive my first arc on Netgalley especially since it was a book I was highly anticipating. However, I sadly found this book to be a bit lackluster. This story revolves around Cam and Blair both returning from Missing Clarissa, the prior book in this series, who are determined to never investigate another case. Unfortunately for them, Mattie Brosillard, a freshman at their school, begs them to help solve the case of Mattie’s missing sister who has just mysteriously returned after five years. The only issue: Mattie thinks their new sister is a fraud and not the same Lola that Maddie knew and loved. It’s an intriguing premise but it ultimately goes nowhere. The mystery is predictable, the climax isn’t climactic enough, and I’m left feeling a bit dissatisfied. That being said, I think there are things to enjoy about this book. The characters are well fleshed out and are easy to root for, and the LGBTQ+ themes are wonderful to see and executed very well. I think others could enjoy this book, especially if you are a character driven reader, but as someone who loves a fast and twisty plot, this just wasn’t the book for me.

P.S: this can be read as a stand-alone!

The Other Lola is about teenage sleuths Cam and Blair getting pulled into yet another missing girl case. When Mattie comes to them pleading for their help because they believe their sister is missing and the girl who came back into their life isn't really her sister, Lola.

I honestly might have even loved this one more than the first one, Missing Clarissa! It was such a compelling mystery for sure and I love how it ended. I won't do any spoilers but seeing how Cam and Blair dealt with life after the last book was really interesting and well written. Granted, you don't absolutely need to read the first book to enjoy this one but I do recommend it since it was also a great read. Both are page-turners. I am definitely a fan of Ripley Jones after this book. I have grown to love Cam and Blair and would love to see another story with them but I also like how their story ended, so I can see it staying as just two books. I definitely look forward to reading anything else Ripley does.

I didn't realize this was book two in a series but this can be read as a standalone novel. I love this cover it is so stunning!

This book had me hooked from the start trying to figure out what happened to Lola and if this girl was real that showed up saying she was Lola 5 years later. As this goes on the twists and turns of this story were fantastic. I loved the writing and i will be picking up Missing Clarissa to read as well.

I loved Blair and Cam and the book kept you engaged. I was up well past my bedtime because i wanted to finished. I will read anything this author comes out with and i absolutely loved this book.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

This felt entirely too much like reading A Good Girls Guide to Murder but darker/ slightly sadder. I had higher hopes for this one and was left a little disappointed. It was very slow in the beginning and almost a little choppy with flow.

Phenomenal thriller that I actually found to outshine the previous book in the series, missing Clarissa. The characters just felt even more real in this one. Thanks for the arc

I am so grateful to Ripley Jones, St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I loved Missing Clarissa and this sequel lives up to the original. The characters have learned from the mistakes they made in the first book. They hesitate before entering potentially dangerous situations. However, they still keep secrets from one another but I found that to be in keeping with their ages. It was a very interesting premise and the mystery was easily solved, but I enjoyed the interpersonal relationships in the story. I thought the ending was a little too happy and tied up with a bow, but I still give this 4 out of 5 stars.

In the sequel to "Missing Clarissa," Cam and Blair, despite no longer doing podcasts, embark on a new adventure. They are approached by Mattie, whose missing sister Lola suddenly reappears after five years with no explanation. Although she looks like Lola, Mattie is convinced it's an imposter and seeks help from Cam and Blair to prove it. As they delve into the mysterious circumstances surrounding Lola's disappearance and return, twists and turns unfold in this tightly-knit mystery. The book's strengths are its emotional depth, character development, and storyline. I'm still very hesitant about the ending, but I can appreciate the dynamic between Cam and Blair, the found family trope, and the author's handling of diverse themes in the YA genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and Edelweiss for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Cam and Blair vowed to take a step back from the limelight, no more mysteries, no more podcasts, no more sticking their heads where they don’t belong.

Then Mattie came along saying her sister that had gone missing for five year and returned isn’t really her sister – she’s an imposter.

When Cam and Blair get to work on the case, they discover new secrets and the stakes are higher now than they ever have been before.

This was a fun follow up to Ripley Jones YA Thriller Finding Clarissa. I think that it did a good job of picking the story up and bringing fresh ideas to the table. This is one that I think it is beneficial to read the first in the series before reading this one as most of the groundwork is laid out. I think that this one wasn’t quite the mystery that Finding Clarissa was, it was more of domestic suspense, but it was still entertaining, and I enjoyed. Because this one isn’t exactly the same genre as the first, it was a little hard to not have my expectations set too high, and I was slightly disappointed. But once I reconciled the genre difference, I did enjoy it. For domestic suspense it is really good, just don’t go into it expecting the same level of mystery that was found in Finding Clarissa. I enjoyed getting to know Blair more in this rendition, though Cam is still present. I’d say the first half of the book is Blair heavy and the second half is Cam heavy. I am excited to read more about the two characters in the next book and can’t wait to see where the author takes them as they are about to go off to college! How exciting.

If you are looking for a YA Domestic Suspense, then check this one out.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books @Wednesdaybooks and Netgalley @Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This story is a sequel to the book Missing Clarissa. I did not read the first book prior to reading this one but I do recommend doing so. I think it would be beneficial as a reader to have a little more of a back story on the characters before diving but not completely necessary. This story is about a missing persons case and how being involved in something like that can affect a person. I have personally never read anything quite like this and enjoyed reading it. Well written.

Bool:
THE OTHER LOLA by Ripley Jones (thanks NetGalley and St Martins Press for the Earc...March 12)

Review:
3.9 ⭐
I read MISSING CLARISSA last year, and I enjoyed the mystery of it all. Going into THE OTHER LOLA, I was expecting just as much mystery. However, that wasn't really the case. At least not until the end. THE OTHER LOLA started off super strong, but the middle fell flat. There was unnecessary drama and so much happening that it took me away from the actual story(the middle of the book focused on Cam's relationship and Blair's lies etc. etc.not the mystery of Lola) and almost had me stop reading. I didn't, though. Once I got to the 200 page mark, the mystery really picked up: they were investigating more, there were threats, they had suspects, it was just suspenseful. I loved that because I love suspense. And the ending wasn't anything I saw coming.

What I Liked About It:
*the overall mystery