Oh, goodness... where do I even start with this one?

First, I've LOVED other books by her, but this one was an absolute nope in every way possible. This ARC was given to me in exchange for an honest review, so that's what I'm going to do... be honest, probably brutally, but here goes nothing.

Let me start by saying that if you're going to write a book with an ICU nurse as a MC, maybe do some research first! At the beginning of the story, we have our narrator spending 30 minutes to an hour socializing (getting to know) her patient's family. I understand that Kubica was trying to build a human connection between her characters, but no nurse has that kind of time on the day shift while taking care of 2-3 (very sick) patients. There was no actual nursing going on in this book, at all. Write something so that it's believable that the "nurse" we're following is actually functioning as a nurse while at work.
The back half of the book was also extremely problematic. For the sake of avoiding spoilers, I won't give specifics, but the portrayal of the nursing profession was horrific and, honestly, incredibly offensive. Yes, the plot, it needed to happen the way it did in order for the book to work, but, I'm a nurse, and the way the narrator behaves is so, so offensive. Mostly, nurses are kind, caring people, and this story portrays the exact opposite.
Secondly, one of the main "plot twists" if you can even call it that, was SO obvious. I got not even half way through and I was like, "yup, I know where this is going." And, yes, that part of the story is a horrid portrayal of nurses as well. Yes, crazy things do happen, and we do see horrible events regarding nurses on the news, but, seriously... be less offensive (and for goodness sake, do some research; yup, I've said it again because I'm freaking serious!).
My third problem is the narrator's complete lack of, well, intelligence. Life360 is a great app, so maybe our narrator should give her location to someone she trusts (and not the obvious villain). She also goes to a lot of dangerous places without giving anyone information of where she'll be or when she'll be back. I want to be clear, living alone in a big city can be risky, but there are ways to help stay safe, and the narrator did none of these things.
The synopsis? Great. The general plot idea? Also great. The execution? Really, really bad. Maybe it's because I am a nurse and I know how things actually work in a hospital, or that I work with a lot of nurses who are truly amazing people, but the narrator has an unrealistic life, job, and personality. Her behavior is appalling and Kubica should think long and hard (and research long and hard!) before writing the character of a nurse in any novel ever again.

Please note, this is a truly honest review, and I attempted to relay my opinions as best I could. Unfortunately, this story was absolutely not for me,

This review is posted on GoodReads as of today (3/21)
Thank you for letting me read!

She's Not Sorry" by Mary Kubica follows the story of Meghan Michaels, a divorced mother of a teenage daughter, who works as a nurse in the ICU at a Chicago hospital. One day, a mysterious patient named Caitlin is brought into the ICU after falling from a pedestrian bridge, leaving her in a coma. In addition, Meghan is also dealing with a side plot involving an old high school acquaintance who needs help escaping her abusive husband.

These two plot threads intertwine in unexpected ways, leaving the reader constantly guessing about what will happen next. The story is full of twists and turns that are truly jaw-dropping and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Some of the twists are so surprising that they even made me want to reread the story to see if I had missed anything. Without revealing too much, let's say that the connections between the characters are far from ordinary.

The story's intensity is palpable from the beginning and continues until the end. Combined with the fast-paced narrative, this makes for a highly riveting and shocking read.

She's Not Sorry is told entirely from Meghan's perspective in first-person narration style. While there are some moments where the story's mundane details are overly elaborated, it's the perfect narration style for this kind of intense psychological thriller. While sometimes excessive, the detailed descriptions add a layer of realism that makes the story even more immersive.

If you're looking for a captivating read that will keep you guessing until the end, then "She's Not Sorry" is worth picking up.

A fast paced thriller with a suspect at every turn! Secrets on top of more secrets. Creepy and unsettling. Although it was easy for me to figure out before Part 2, I love the authors writing style which keeps me reading.

I loved this book. It was very fast paced and hard to put down. The timelines were not very clear to me so at the end I definitely didn’t realize the twist but that’s even better for me, I don’t like guessing the twists. I did guess one but that one was obvious. Definitely a great read especially if you already love Mary kubica.

This book was amazing! The twists were great and always kept me guessing! I read this book so fast. I absolutely couldn’t hardly put it down!

Meghan Michaels is a ICU nurse, single mom, recently divorced and doesn’t have many friends. One day a patient comes in that has supposedly jumped from a bridge or did something else happen?

I love how all the twists intertwine. Wow the book is just great. You have to pick it! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Wow. That was intense. And by intense, I mean utterly insane. She’s Not Sorry held me tightly in its grip from the first page to the last. Every time I thought I knew where things were headed, I got thrown for a loop. There was only one twist I saw coming, but even that twist had unexpected elements to it. I don’t know how plausible this story was, given all the extreme happenings and the many many potential coincidences/ connections, but it was highly entertaining regardless.

Thank you Mary Kubica, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

I was eager to read "She's Not Sorry" after hearing rave reviews of Mary Kubica's other books. This psychological thriller grabs you immediately and compels you to read into the night. Though I guessed the plot twists early on, I couldn't put down this page-turner. The fast pacing sometimes feels choppy, yet Kubica's excellent storytelling makes this a must-read for thriller fans. You won't regret staying up late to finish in one sitting.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Mary Kubica’s newest thriller. I’ve been a fan since her early days and I get excited every time she comes out with a new novel. I enjoyed this book, but got tired of the storyline. It was a little unrealistic.

She’s Not Sorry is worth reading if you are a fan of the thriller genre but was not my favorite of Mary Kubica’s books. The story dragged on too long (over half of the book) before anything actually happens, and from there it felt like trying to tie up too many loose ends from the “hints” dropped throughout the book to really develop the action. I was let down by the attacker storyline as well - it either needed to not be included or be a bigger part of the story. It felt dumped in at the end in an attempt to build more drama and action but didn’t work for my reading experience.

Need a psych thriller you can devour in one sitting? This might be it.

She’s Not Sorry by Mary Kubica

✨Pub Date 4/2/24✨

My 9th book of 2024 and my first read by this author.
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley, thank you!

- absolute page turner and a rollercoaster: might cause you to want to clear your schedule so you can read
- written in first person and only 1 POV which made this a lot of fun
-less than 350 pages
-multiple twists though I suspected what the big one might be
- fast paced
- fans of Shari Lapena, Sally Hepworth, Lisa Jewell and Liv Constantine will probably enjoy this one
- pretty dark with triggers like suicide, divorce, ICU/hospital setting, male attacker who assaults women at night, mention of child pornography though very brief and not at all the main topic, theft.
- set in Chicago, IL
- very accurate presentation of the hospital setting, healthcare professions, procedures, etc
-4.5/5 but I will give it 5 stars on all the rating platforms! I'm also looking forward to reading her other books! Thank you.

She's Not Sorry by Mary Kubica is a very highly recommended psychological thriller full of twists.

Meghan Michaels is working as an ICU nurse and a single mother to her teenage daughter, Sienna. When a new patient, Caitlin, arrives at the ICU in a coma with a traumatic brain injury, Meghan learns that she jumped from a bridge and fell over twenty feet to the train tracks below. After Meghan is assigned to care for her, she becomes increasingly close to the family. Then, when a witness comes forward saying Caitlin was pushed, her case suddenly becomes attempted murder. At the same time, there has been an increasing number of women who have been attacked in her neighborhood by an unidentified man which increases Meghan's concern for her and Sienna's safety. Adding to her worries is Nat an old friend she's reconnected with who seems to be in an abusive relationship.

Truly an un-put-downable novel, She's Not Sorry is a lightning-fast-paced psychological thriller with multiple jaw-dropping twists, unreliable characters, and a heart-stopping ending that all come together to make this Kubica's best thriller to date. I totally understand you'll want to race through it, reading as fast as you can, but Kubica makes every word count so pay attention to the details while reading. She also does an excellent job creating a menacing, creepy atmosphere and the feeling of dread increases with every chapter.

There are three mysteries involved and the novel is presented in two parts. The characters are all fully realized and you'll think you know them but hold that thought. It may be an illusion as the narrative takes one turn after another. The writing is exceptional, the twists plentiful, and the presentation was pitch-perfect. This is one psychological thriller that you will want to read. Thanks to Park Row Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, X, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

I really enjoyed She's Not Sorry - it kept me engaged and guessing from beginning to end, and sometimes that's hard to do. The pacing felt a little slow here and there, but it wasn't so noticeable that it was off putting. Definitely another great addition!

She's Not Sorry is the title, but this reader is very sorry she picked this book up to read!

Simply put, this book was a mess. It flips around so much, and there's so many different plots and characters to keep track of, and yet, even with all this happening, it's one of the slowest thrillers I've read so far this year. Literally nothing happens except waiting and feeling tense until about 65% of the way in- and then all of a sudden everything happens, and yet AGAIN it's the slowest possible reveals!

Two stars for the great potential the plot actual had and the nice plot twists.

I have heard so many positive things about Mary Kubica’s books, so I was very excited to receive an ARC of "She’s Not Sorry" from NetGalley. The story grabs you right from the beginning and keeps you reading late into the night. I would have finished it in one sitting if not for “real” life getting in the way. Although I figured out the plot twists early on, it did not deter me from tearing through this book. It does feel a bit choppy at times, but overall this was an excellent psychological thriller that should be read by all fans of the genre. You won’t be sorry.

Definitely a top-rated Mary Kubica book for me. I've felt her last few haven't been the greatest. I didn't guess the twist(s) at all! Would recommend to my readers.

Meghan is a recently divorced nurse trying to navigate a new chapter in her life. While at a support group meeting for divorcées she bumps into someone from her past who sends her life into a tail spin.

This was a fun read! When I thought I had figured it out, another twist came and threw a wrench in my conclusions (although I did know one of them from the start).

There are so many red herrings and twists and turns in this one that it had me flipping the pages at record speed to get to the conclusion!

It's my favorite Mary Kubica story yet!

4.5 ⭐️

“𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓫𝓪𝓭 𝓹𝓮𝓸𝓹𝓵𝓮 𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭, 𝓢𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓷𝓪. 𝓝𝓸𝓽 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓱𝓪𝓼 𝓰𝓸𝓸𝓭 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼.”

𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: i thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in this book. from the very beginning, this book gripped me with its intensity - Mary definitely has a knack for captivating her audience from the outset. 👏 my curiosity was piqued early on, and i was so eager to know how it would all unfold. the hospital and ICU setting added an extra layer of intrigue that i found captivating. ❤️

this was a riveting, mysterious, and wholly unpredictable read. the plot twists took me by surprise, keeping me on the edge of my seat. 🤯around the 60% mark, i was completely engrossed and couldn’t tear myself away, ultimately devouring it in one sitting. the characters were skillfully crafted, evoking both empathy and uncertainty; i found myself torn between rooting for them and questioning their motives. 😮‍💨👏

absolutely recommend. 🥳

3.75⭐️

I really enjoy Mary Kubic’s writing and this book was no exception, my problem came in with the plot its self. To me it felt alittle choppy and I understand that it all comes full circle at the end it felt a bit forced.

But over all would I recommend Yes! I would.

@marykubica ‘s newest book is going to be a hit!

Thank you @parkrowbooks for my #gifted copy!

Meghan is an ICU nurse taking care of a patient who has fallen from a bridge. She gets a bit too attached and entrenched in figuring out what happened to her patient.

I don’t think I can say much without giving this book away 👀 let’s just say when I read the twist, I had to do a double take. I went back to make sure I didn’t miss any pages 🤯

Mary does a phenomenal job with this twist and yes, I think there are some plot holes, but show me a thriller that doesn’t have any. The fast-paced, tense nature of this book will make it near impossible to put it down.

I loved this one, and you’ll want to grab a copy when it’s out on April 2!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#litbylillireviews

This prologue and story line sucks you in and before you know it its 2am. Right away I NEEDED to know where this story line was heading. I LOVE a main character that I can relate to and truly enjoy. As a single mother and a nurse, she was so relatable. Meghan was the perfect main character for this storyline. In the beginning we learn that Caitlin who is a patient in the ICU in a coma after a resumed suicide attempt. I had to know more about her story. How she got there, who was involved, the why. My only complaint is I felt the storyline took a little too long getting to the point. Some of the details were unnecessarily drawn out. In contrast, the ending was very abrupt and a little rushed. Overall, the story was really enjoyable. I loved the suspense of it all.