Unfortunately, Sara Shepard's "Pretty Little Liars" does not translate to adult novels. At first, I didn't think the story was that bad, but then we really lost the plot about halfway through. By the end, I swear it was "A" all over again with random people coming out of the woodwork in the final few scenes. I essentially only skimmed through the entire book reading the dialogue and a few key paragraphs because there's a lot of fluff and a lot of repeated plot points for no reason. If I'm looking for ridiculous plots that have twists and turns (mostly for no reason other than to have a twist), I'd just rewatch PLL on Hulu.

I had wanted to read this book initially because I had read some other books by the author and enjoyed them. Overall, it was a good story, but the middle dragged on a bit for me. I was between a 3 and 4 star. I will continue to read more books by Sara Shepard and do enjoy her storytelling, but this was personally not my favorite book from her. There were a lot of side characters in this book that made it a little harder to keep track of in the beginning but it did come together as you move through the story.

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This book was pretty disappointing for me. It felt like it tried too hard to surprise readers to the point where it was confusing on who was who. There was a lot of he said, she said, which again, became hard to follow.

I am mixed on this. While I liked the "momune" cult angle. I just didn't connect with the characters. I ended up not caring about what happened to them and found this to be too long to enjoy.

Lenna is contacted by an old friend she hasn’t seen in years. The friend lives in a commune of women and children, and invites Lenna to join them. Once she arrives, Lenna realizes she was brought there for a reason.

Nowhere Like Home is told using multiple points of view and alternating timelines. The multiple POVs was easy to follow and added to the story. Complex characters and an intriguing story.

Nowhere Like Home was a slow-burning read. Fans of Sara Shepard’s other novels are likely to enjoy this one too.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nowhere Like Home is an adult thriller novel from author Sara Shepard who is best known for the popular young adult Pretty Little Liars series. Nowhere Like Home is actually my first read from author Sara Shepard so I didn’t quite know what to expect going into this one but was certainly curious since she written books that became such a highly popular series. I also enjoy the subject matter of cults, so I thought this would interest me. I also enjoy multi-perspective narratives.

Unfortunately, I had a difficult time connecting with the characters, and the dialogue felt rather juvenile. The plot twist was interesting, but didn't have as much impact as I would have liked.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I have always been a Sara Shepard fan, who doesn’t love PLL!?! SS has a way of making you feel like you’re a part of the group, the friend on the outside. I truly enjoyed the journey of new friendships with old ones and watching the twists and turns unfold. The only reason I gave this book a 4/5 is because the ending did not make an explosion like I thought it would. It was predictable. However, the story did have some interesting moments. I think regardless, this book is a great read.

Thank you Net Galley and Sara Shepard for this Arc for review.

I didn't love this but the more removed from the book I am, the less I dislike it. I think I thought that this was supposed to be largely about a cult. It felt like there was more emphasis on the past than the women in the community. The pacing was also a little slow for me and I felt myself getting bored. I do love Sara Shepard so this doesn't change my willingness to read more from her in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an advanced copy of this book.

I was really excited by this concept, a bunch of moms banding together to to raise their kids sounds idyllic after all. But the word "mommune" should have set off alarm bells. The author did an excellent job of conveying a deep sense of dread and anxiety. However, ultimately the plot felt convoluted, especially mixed with the un-healthy dose of flashbacks. This almost aimed to be a one-off, grown up version of Pretty Little Liars, but it missed the mark.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed this book and its twists. I didn’t see all of them coming, which I also enjoyed. I had a hard time putting this book down; it was paced nicely and had lots of clues hidden throughout. I found some of the characters to be simplistic, but overall it was a fun read with lots of suspense and some nice moral lessons at the end. It was a fun read, and I recommend it!

DNF @ 25%. I adore Sara Shepard and her PLL series will always be a foundation of my YA reading experiences, but I think this one just wasn’t working for me in regards to character interactions and pacing.

Nowhere Like Home was a fun read! I enjoyed the story of the two old friends who reconnect in a commune and try to navigate their friendship. Lenna arrives at a women's commune after the encouragement of her friend Rhiannon. But the visit becomes anything but pleasant as Lenna finds she must conform to the commune's strange ways and is upset by the other members. As her visit continues, she finds herself unable to leave and becomes suspicious of what the commune may be hiding.

This book kept me guessing and I couldn't put it down! This was my first book from Sara Shepard and won't be my last! Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy!

I hate that I took so long to read this book. It was a really fun tasty book. I loved the cultish vibes of this book. Lenna gets a call from an old friend who disappeared years ago and she's shocked. Rhiannon invites Lenna to the community where she now resides and its for mothers and their children. Lenna goes out there and on her way she loses cell service and wonders what the heck is going on and why did Rhiannon invite her here. It was so good, it had me at the edge of my seat. I didnt want this book to end.

This book was very suspenseful but very juvenile. I liked the setting and it had potential but it was all over the place. The lies and deceit were also very juvenile for these adult characters.

From the author of Pretty Little Liars, Nowhere Like Home follows Lenna as she goes off to a desert commune in an attempt to escape/start anew/figure things out away from her husband. I found this setup to be really fascinating, and I have no doubt places like this exist--little encampments, for only women, an escape, a community. Right from the start there are serious creepy vibes. Something is not right with everyone here, or the setup it self--I mean, the women are all LOCKED IN, and only one person has the key. But they are okay with that!? This was a f un, dark, twisty thriller.

I love a good thriller, especially ones about cults. The two timelines threw me off a few times, but I always struggle with them. Parts of this book felt so unbelievable, but I supposed that’s what makes it a book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

A twisty, do you know who your friends really are thriller from the famed writer of Pretty Little Liars, Sarah Shepard. Nowhere Like Home follows Lenna as she follows her friend Rhiannon into a desert commune, desperate for help with her spiraling, ‘I’m a bad mom’ thoughts and her non-stop crying son. Except, Rhiannon and Lenna haven’t been friends in a couple of years and Lenna is hanging onto a secret. As Lenna tries to settle in, her paranoia takes us into the past where we learn about her friendship with Rhiannon, Gillian, and the ever-obsessive Instagram thoughts of Gillian, who is nothing like the girl they know in real life.

I love cult-like thrillers and Shepard’s first chapter sucked me in instantly. The friendship between the girls, the insecurities and desperation, is so relatable. Of course, everyone has secrets, and the ones these women hold onto are terrifying. Similar to Shepard’s prior works, there’s a sinister other that amps up the fear, the characters are left questioning each other and even their trust in themselves. While it’s not entirely original, it’s fun to read, and ultimately ended unexpectedly for me. I wish the commune life had been more fleshed out, as well as the secondary characters’ pasts, but ultimately enjoyed this one.

Quick synopsis: Lenna has a best friend Rhiannon who gets in contact with her a few years after they abruptly stopped talking. R has found a “community” of women/mothers who need help getting pregnant or with their children. She recruits Lenna, but Lenna has a husband. Unsure, Lenna goes with her baby and leaves her husband at home. Why did R bring her here? Is something more sinister going on?

This book constantly had me stressed. There are SO many secrets to uncover! I do recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery/thriller. If you have a new baby… I don’t recommend this one. I definitely had some nightmares 🙈

I did also listen to this one. Brittney Presley is the narrator and she did a fantastic job at changing her voice for the different characters and keeping the listener engaged in the story. Her inflections and reading were spot on. I definitely want to listen to more books that she narrates.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.