This was one of the better thrillers that I've read in a long time. I had no idea where this story was going most of the time. There were times I hated all the characters, and then later I felt sorry for the character I previously hated. In true Pretty Little Liars fashion, I never knew who to point the finger at! I thought I had figured this out several times but was wrong every time. This was a well rounded story from start to finish. I always really enjoy when a story wraps up nicely in the end.

3.5 stars
Lenna is struggling with motherhood and takes up an offer to visit a now distant friend in a mother’s only commune, however her visit turns out to be anything but relaxing. Told from multiple points of view and a timeline of now/two years past, this thriller delves into issues such as social anxiety, motherhood and navigating friendships. I did not see the shocking thriller final twist coming, which was a welcome surprise.
This cover of this book is phenomenal! The play between the cool tones of the room and warm tones of the desert sky coupled with the sinister and ominous snake. Love it!

If there is one thing I can count on when it comes to Sara Shepard books it's that I am going to be totally invested in all the drama and twists and turns. NOWHERE LIKE HOME fully delivers all the best Shepard-isms that I need in books like this. It's got culty commune realness, issues with motherhood from all levels and layers, and some of the most toxic, manipulative, stress-inducing, gaslighting "friends" I have ever encountered. People just need to either not make friends in their 30s+ OR, better yet, just not tell straight up lies, act like 15 year olds, and be honest about who they even are and what their agendas are... like... LOL! Anyway... this book had me screaming and going off... and the finale was definitely a twist I never saw coming! It was really interesting to me, too, how Shepard did use the multi-narrative alongside the multi-time period when telling this story... sometimes, especially lately, it has not been used correctly and adds to the confusion of a story. But Shepard nailed it... and I also loved how there were random IG posts scattered throughout with comments, etc that really helped bring to light some of the extreme absurdity and toxicity to one of the characters. YIKES!

Great book!

I saw multiple bad reviews when I first requested them ARC, but I still decided to give it a chance. Readers, I should have listened to them.

I admit to being intrigued in the first half of the book, with its themes about female friendships and mental illness. But then it took a turn for the worse. This book read like a bad lifetime movie, and that’s being kind. I have read many a twisty thriller and they can and have been done well. I can’t say the same for this book
The characters were underdeveloped, the plot was contradictory, convoluted, and completely unbelievable, there were scenes that outright made no sense whatsoever, people argued and made dumb decisions instead of calling for help, there were too many words italicized for emphasis, and the villain explained their whole scheme to their captives (because that totally happens IRL and is my biggest pet peeve). I have read the author’s Pretty Little Liar series but did outgrow them after awhile, and it appears her writing style hasn’t matured either. This felt like an adult PLL book, in the worst way.

Also, did I miss what happened to the dog after the scene in the cave? If they didn’t save it then I’m giving this another negative 100 stars

I initially gravitated toward this one because I liked the cult premise and I hadn’t read any books centered around a “mommune”. It was a bit of a slow burn, which can be a hit or miss for me because I tend to read more fast paced thrillers. Even with that said, it still held my attention to the end. I did enjoy the past and present timelines and the themes of friendship and betrayal. Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with these characters and the choices they made. It was hard at times to believe they were women in their 20s. I think the book would be better suited for younger audiences.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC!

This was the first book I've read by Sara Shepard but have heard great things about Pretty Little Liars, so I was excited to read Nowhere Like Home. This book was nothing like I expected but in a good way. It's split into three parts and jumps back and forth in time between the viewpoints of 3 different women, all with one one woman in common. This book kept me guessing up until the very end and really picked up about halfway through. The first part is a but of a slower burn. Great book!

I’m a huge fan of Pretty Little Liars and it really shaped my formative years so of course I jumped at the chance to read Sara’s newest book. Nowhere Like Home is an addicting read about toxic friendships. At times I was very confused and trying to understand what was going on but the more you read the more the mystery starts clearing up. I couldn’t put this book down whatsoever.

Sara Shepard is a bit of a hit or miss for me, and this was right in the middle. An unhappy mother runs into an old friend and decides to take a chance living in a women owned and operated commune in the dessert. What she doesn't realize is that many here have a secret; and someone wants her there for a reason. A bit farfetched, but with some interesting plot points, this was one just okay.

This book has soooo much….mystery, deceit, dangerous friendships, and a questionable commune! I found myself not quite able to put the book down, because I had no clue where it was going. Very twisty and suspenseful!

4 stars / This review will be posted on goodreads.com today.


Lenna has always struggled to have friends. So when she makes friends with a woman in a dressing room, of all places, she is determined to keep her. Rhiannon is so much fun. She’s a dedicated friend who wants the best for Leona, right? But then one day Rhiannon simply disappears back to Oregon without a word leaving Lenna behind.

Meanwhile life goes on for Lenna and Rhiannon. Crazy things happen in Lenna’s life and one day Rhiannon reappears. She reappears with a request that Lenna come spend some time in the women’s commune in which Rhiannon lives. Lenna agrees to go to try to find peace and repair their relationship.

This commune seems like the ideal, though kind of weird. The women are all very different, and asking about their backstories is not acceptable. Lenna starts to learn bits and pieces about the other women. Contact with the outside world is almost forbidden. While there are amazing things about living with a group of women who are accepting and welcoming, there is also something suspicious about the facility. When one of the residents returns, and Lenna realizes that she’s someone from her hidden past, Lenna begins to suspect that there is more to the story.

Twists and turns abound in this mysterious thriller. Crazy friendships. Secrets galore. Unhinged women. It’s great. Well written and a super fun read. Sara Shepard is known for her crazy characters and stories, and this one is great.

Many thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is such a suspenseful, twisted, mysterious, slowburn, cultish read full of secrets, mystery and murder from an all female cast. First we have a codependent friendship of Lenna and Rhiannon that borders upon love or infatuation between the 2. They have know each other for awhile, and even work together. But after Rhiannon disappears and Lenna experiences a traumatic event (Gillian's sudden death), both womens fall out of touch. When we catch up with the 2 a few years later, Rhiannon is recruiting Lenna to join the mom-mune with her and its very tempting to Lenna who has found herself in a confusing marriage with a child that cries nonstop.

Gillian who suffers from social anxiety and other mental illnesses, obsesses about the friendship of L&R, and goes so far as to stalk of the 2 womens at work and during their off hours looking for a way in. Gillian, in her desperation, finally does break into the L&R relationship when Rhiannon disappears using the tried and true, divide and conquer.

Sadie is Gillian's roomate. Sadie, having fallen victim to Gillian's manipulations, allows Gillian to live with her rent free until she can get back on her feet. However, after a few months, Sadie sees that Gillian has been lying about her work, life and friends. The friendship has run its course and Gillian's days are numbered before Sadie will kick her out. And then Gillian is suddenly killed, which both Sadie and Lenna witness.

When Rhiannon brings in Lenna to the mom-mune (commune - no men and mostly moms) in the middle of the desert to escape the stress of life, everything starts to unravel.

A lot of reviewers have tried to compare this story to "Pretty Little Liars" by this author but I think that is unfair. I believe that this is just as dark, twisty, and atmospheric of a tale but different enough that it should stand on it own merits.

If you like mean girls with a touch of crazy thrown in, you will want to read this when it comes hout!

Highly Recommend!!

This had so much potential but felt like it didn't really deliver. I loved the premise and the character relationships, but I was hoping for something more based on the description.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and Sara Shepard for an ARC of Nowhere Like Home! I think most of us here are coming from following Sara from Pretty Little Liars 🤣 so as soon as I saw her name I instantly requested this book! It’s about Lenna reconnecting with her friend Rhiannon after she disappeared. They both have sons now and she introduces Lenna to Halycon, more or less a cult. Lenna has things she needs to figure out in her life and well, why not? She wants to see her friend and clear the past. That’s where everything starts to go wrong - no cell service, the rules, the padlock on the gate. Overall, it was a twisty fun read, but there are a lot of spelling and grammatical errors that made it a little difficult reading. It could change the whole meaning of a sentence and then you’re rereading trying to figure out what is supposed to be meant here. Overall, I’ll still keep reading Sara’s books!

3.75 stars

An adult thriller by the author of Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game? Teen me is screaming. I had high hopes going into this, just because of how addictive I found her series as a teen. Even when they jumped the shark a little, they were a great time. This one has definite voice similarities and toxic friendship themes, but didn't scratch quite the same itch.

This book follows Lenna, a new mom who feels alone in her struggle, as she reconnects with an old friend she has a complicated history with, Rhiannon. Rhiannon invites Lenna to come stay at the commune aka "mommune" she lives on with other women to get a break from her life and work through the event thats that tore through their friendship several years before. 

This story is told in several parts, and crosses over timelines and POVs. Part one is through Lenna's POV, part two is Lenna and another character (no spoilers), and part three is Lenna and Rhiannon. All parts bounce back and forth between present time and two years ago, and are interspersed with *drumroll* my favorite, mixed media, in the form of Instagram posts.

The commune seems idyllic, but of course has some sinister undertones that Lenna is determined to get to the bottom of. Naturally, it's not a coincidence that she and Rhiannnon have both ended up here, but there's more at play here than either of them realize. 

This was a good time! I would have loved a little bit longer at the commune, and maybe a POV from a certain other character, but Sara Shepard writes complicated friendships so well, and I'll read basically anything she writes. If you're looking for a standalone thriller with a slightly different premise than most, this is a solid pick! Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I am no stranger to Sara Shepard because of her Pretty Little Liars and The Lyimg Game series. I was intrigued to pick up this book for the interesting premise, but I had a tough time getting into this book. The story was an extremely long, slow-burn thriller. This book could have been a lot more interesting if it focused more on the women’s commune-like cult rather than expanding on toxic friendships between the main characters. The toxic friendship plot did not appeal to me, and the ending was not very satisfying. I would still recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGallery and to Penguin Group Dutton for giving me a copy of the book.

3.5 stars

Lenna and Rhiannon each have their secrets. They’ve each been lying. What happens when you mix lies and a mommune together?

Overall, this book started a tad slow for me. While the build up was needed it felt like it took a bit too long compared to the conclusion which came so fast I didn’t even realize I was almost done with the book. I loved the way the book was broken into different POVs it’s always a nice touch to ACTUALLY see what the characters are thinking compared to what one assuming of them.

The twist was nice one that took me a long time to get which I also appreciate in a book like this. Overall a really good read!

Thank you NetGalley and Dutton for allowing me an advanced copy for a review!

Really liked this book. The last 20% was full of surprises. I didn’t realize this was the author who wrote pretty little liars which I loved as a teen. Would recommend this book for others fast paced and something different.

When I get super excited, I sing . Not well, but I sing . The best part ? It’s random and I make up my own words . These are my sudden bursts of self proclaimed creative talent .

Well, I’m singing .

I like big books and I can not lie
You other sisters can’t deny
When a book is before me with a big ole spine
I get sprung …

See? Zero talent.

Anyway , I’m singing bc I just finished another incredible book, my instajail sentence is over and well it’s Wednesday and I love Wednesdays just not as much as I love peanut butter .

Ok, the book
Drumroll please …….

Nowhere Like Home by Sara Shepard

Oh, you haven’t heard of her yet ? Well now you have and I promise you, you are going to want to get to know her because this book is destined for success .

These characters come alive and jump right off the page . You feel as though you are watching this story take place right before your eyes . There is no shortage of twists and turns ! This book is oozing with suspense

Do you know the feeling when you hold your breath and your chest gets tighter and tighter ? That is the best way to describe how I felt while reading Nowhere Like Home.

Check out this teaser :

When Lenna gets a call from her old friend Rhiannon, she is startled; Rhiannon disappeared years ago without a trace. But Lenna is even more startled to learn that Rhiannon has a son and that she lives off the grid with a group of women in a community called Halcyon. Rhiannon invites Lenna, a new mother herself, to join them. Why suffer the sleepless nights by yourself? It takes a village, after all.

Lenna decides to go and hopefully repair her relationship with Rhiannon, but as she drives into the desert and her cell service gets weaker, she becomes suspicious. Who are these women and why did Rhiannon invite her here? And that is before she learns about the community's rules (no outside phone calls, no questions about people’s pasts) and the padlock on the gate that leads out to the main road. But Lenna has other concerns, secrets from her past she is terrified will come out. When a newcomer arrives in the community, Lenna’s worst fears are confirmed—she was brought here for a reason.

Nowhere Like Home tackles themes of complicated friendships and trauma but all with Sara Shepard’s expert twists that you don’t see coming.

TW: fertility issues & SA

About the book:

A group of mothers living in a women only commune in the desert all seem to be running from their past. Lenna, one of our FMC’s, joins this commune with her baby when an estranged friend invites her in. She starts to feel like something is off when she realizes she can’t make outgoing phone calls, certain things are blocked on her phone, and nobody knows the gate code to leave. Lenna begins to question everything, including why she was brought here and who these people really are.

My Thoughts:

I had high expectations for this book because I loved this authors YA series, Pretty Little Liars. I think Nowhere Like Home was written like a YA book, which I found a bit disappointing. The drama didn’t really start until about 50% of the way through, so this was definitely more of a slow burn. At one point, I was feeling super annoyed because I was SURE I figured out the ending, only to find more twists and turns that I didn’t see coming at all! There were times when I felt like things were getting a bit far fetched and unrealistic. The ending was perfect, I felt like all the loose ends were tied up perfectly (besides one that will leave you with some questions, but I thought this was done well!) and loved the twisty ending. A solid read if you like cultish vibes, friendship issues, and exposed secrets.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub date: 02/20/2024

Thank you @netgalley and Penguin Group - Dutton for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC! This book has everything - cults, missing people, motherhood, secrets. Definitely a wild ride, but I liked the cult aspect.