Member Reviews

Zara Pines always wanted to write a book, and then she kind of fell into ghostwriting. After her domineering father dies, she gets a gig ghostwriting for food personality, Jane Bailey. Jane insists Zara move in with her for the summer to finish the book and get to know each other. Of course, Zara starts falling for her romantically, she starts turning into her, wearing her clothes, even getting her haircut. Jane starts to take over her life, and Zara has to make it out before she’s completely consumed.

This. Book. Was. Wild. Unhinged in such a fun way. I tore through it very quickly. The pacing is perfect, slowly reeling Zara in, leaving us seeing where it’s going while she gets deeper and deeper in. Such an engrossing read.

Was this review helpful?

In this gripping sapphic suspense, plain jane Zara falls in love with the famous chef she’s ghostwriting for. Eventually, Zara begins to see the true Jane that is hidden far away from the cameras. But is it too late for her at that point?

I went into this one blind (i.e. without reading the synopsis at all) and I really enjoyed it! I was in the middle of a few other books when I started this one because it was calling to me. I was so invested in this story and the MCs relationship from the start that I knew I absolutely needed to finish this before I went back to anything else!

Thank you so much to Zibby Books, Swan, and NetGalley for the e-galley!

Was this review helpful?

the cover is the first thing that catches your eye. and it promises a lot, maybe a little bit more than i expected. it is a great thriller, there were moments i felt my breath catching and i couldn't stop reading. but sometimes it felt a tad bit flat. while it was a pretty thrilling story, i couldn't help but feel annoyed by some of the nonsensical things that happened. overall, i'd still recommend it mainly because it was an easy read. this is not a thriller that'll make you think but to relax, and sometimes we need books like this.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I absolutely devoured this book. The premise was so intriguing, and the writing was excellent. It was twisty, and very single white female but with a new twist. I love that the ending left some ambiguity, and also showed the main character in the aftermath of what happened.

Was this review helpful?

This book is captivating and engrossing, the tale of an obsession creeping in. Zara Pines just lost her dad and learns he’s basically disinherited her. She feels unmoored and somehow insufficient. A writer but so far none of her creative writing has been published whereas she has a zeal for ghostwriting. A new opportunity tumbles into her lap when everything seems bleak, writing celebrity chef Jane Bailey’s memoir while living in her Hamptons home. Once Zara has moved in with Jane and has started interviewing her their connection grows and grows, but is it a healthy attachment ? Before long, Zara is wearing Jane's clothes, has her hair cut like Jane's and has even adopted some of Jane's speech and mannerisms. As the line between the two women blurs, some of Zara’s decisions seem questionable and I understand characters need to be a certain kind of gullible for some thriller plots to work, but Zara starts out as a very weak person, and only discovering her self-worth quite late in the game, but when Zara begins to peek behind Jane's mask, she realizes there’s a darker side to her bubbly personality..

This book was dark and twisty. The final twist was a good one i did not see coming. If domestic thrillers are your jam, you should check this out!

Was this review helpful?

Zara is a ghostwriter who really needs to land her next job. So even though she hadn’t ever heard of Jane, a Food Network star, she’s all in to work on her book - including going to live at Jane’s house in the Hamptons for a few weeks while interviewing her for the book.

This was a compelling read and I found myself flying through it. However I really didn’t like Zara and found it really hard to understand some of the choices she was making.

Thank you to Zibby books and Netgalley for the free ebook to review.

Was this review helpful?

3.5 ⭐

(apologies this is a little late i got held up but i did post about this on instagram in relevant time)

I love an unreliable narrator, I love a good weird book and I wasn't you more gagged me in a lot of places but I felt there was potential to go even more bananas. I like the premise and originality but I felt it was skating the line between mass appeal and going straight up ballistic. All that said though still a fun read and would def recommend if you're in the mood for some plots that are twisty

Was this review helpful?

Wow! I Want You More flowed with such ease, I could hardly believe I was at the end already. I wasn't expecting this to be as much of a thriller as it was, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well it worked. I enjoyed the pace at which we see Zara start to morph into Jane and also how Jane's "reality" is revealed throughout the book. A good book generally leaves me speechless, and I can confidently say that I have no words left.

Was this review helpful?

Many thanks to the publisher for my copy - all opinions are my own.

This is a SERIOUSLY addictive book that I devoured in one tiny afternoon because I just couldn't tear myself away, and the plot flows so seamlessly from the pages. When you are thinking simmering intensity that is building to an explosive and horrifying conclusion, you would find this book as the definition in the dictionary.

Everything about this book is beautifully crafted - the pacing, the setting, the subtly menacing characters, the deepening claustrophobia, the intensity - all of it is packaged to keep to entirely invested in what is happening and what is going to happen next. Zero spoilers but hollllllly hell is it a ride and it packs a punch in the very last chapters.

This is an absolute YES for your summer TBR's - it is cannot be missed fun that will have your head spinning and your heart racing.

Was this review helpful?

ANOTHER outstanding 2024 debut by a talented new Canadian author!! I was hooked by the premise for this book that sees Persian Canadian, Jolene screwing up at working and getting assigned extra HR training only to find herself accidentally given access to all of her co-workers emails.

Funny, heartfelt and with a touch of a forbidden office romance that had me swooning and crying, this had a relatable female main character, mental health rep, a complicated family relationship, fake dating and a great cast of side characters.

Perfect for fans of The Office or The other Black girl and excellent on audio narrated by Nasim Pedrad. I can't wait to read more from Natalie Sue! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Was this review helpful?

Horrifically fantastic. A terribly wonderful depiction of how a relationship can quickly devolve into an abusive one. An emotionally stunted writer with a narcissistic tv star who is desperate to keep her fame and public persona above all else. The short chapters add to the quickness with which the relationship between Zara and Jane devolves.

Was this review helpful?

From the moment I started "I Want You More", I knew I was in for a gripping ride. There was something about the way Swan Huntley set this novel up that I always felt intrigued to turn the page.

Here's a bit of the synopsis:
Zara Pines, still stunned from the death of her father and stumbling through life without finding her calling, decides to accept a job ghostwriting Jane Bailey’s memoir. Jane is the star of the hit TV cooking show ‘30 Bucks Top’ and an iconic fan favorite who feeds off the attention of others. Zara isn’t one of those fans. She’s in it for the money and can’t believe Jane wants her to spend the summer living at her East Hampton home. Zara wants to finish the project quickly and get back to her burgeoning relationship with a woman back in California. But despite the picturesque Hamptons hideout, Jane starts to shed her meticulous personality —and Zara falls prey to her manipulative antics. Just as things escalate, Jane's drama with another rising celebrity comes to an apex, thusly changing their dynamic. As Jane falls apart, it’s up to Zara to pick up the pieces. Can Zara escape before Jane controls their final days?

You'll be sitting on the edge of your seat reading this book. The beginning was so intriguing, I couldn't put it down and was excited to get back to it! As I was finishing up the book, I still had no idea how it would end and I kept allowing my mind to wander back to previous clues to help me know if Zara was the culprit here or Jane?

The best thrillers are the ones that keep you guessing all along. Thank you to Zibby Books Publishing, Swan Huntley, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Was this review helpful?

After her father dies, ghostwriter, Zara, takes a job writing for Jane, a celebrity chef who's cooking show, 30 Bucks Tops, is #1 for foodies. Things get weird pretty quickly after Zara moves in with Jane. Jane slowly starts to peel away the curated personality she keeps for the cameras and allows Zara full access, even wearing Jane's clothes. As they grow closer romantically, Jane begins to change in ways Zara didn't see coming. Will Zara be able to disentangle herself before its too late?

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Zibby Books for this e-arc.*

Was this review helpful?

The cover of the book is striking and the synopsis definitely grabs your attention, unfortunately, the writing is a miss.

Zara is a ghostwriter who takes a job for Chef Jane Bailey. To do the job Zara must move in with Jane while she’s interviewing her for the book, but once inside, Jane’s quirks become the least of Zara’s problems.

The first 100 pages of the book focus on Zara and Jane working on the interview process for the book, The story is told from Zara’s POV so her building obsession with Jane is there but very on the nose with little development as to why. However by page 101 it’s an instalove with sapphic spice littered mixed with domestic abuse and manipulation

The story lacked the character development needed for me to connect with the characters. I found Zara and Jane equally unlikable and it gave me no one to root for. I also thought the premise was a stretch; you have to suspend a lot of belief.

Overall predictable and not really enjoyable. I actually hated the ended and what the author did to the character of Zara.

Thank you Zibby Books & NetGalley for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

I truly didn't think I would be so affected by this novel. I can't stop thinking about it. It was disturbing and at times heartbreaking. I felt like I was yelling at the TV trying to keep the girls in a horror movie from trusting the bad guys. I was sitting there watching it happen and I couldn't do anything about it and yet somehow I knew exactly how Zara felt. We start changing ourselves for the person we love because we want to please them and sometimes we don't see that it's happening for the worst because we’re inside of it. I really couldn't put this down because I had to know what came next! This was such a good novel about obsession and delusion. Something I'd recommend for all psych thriller lovers!

Was this review helpful?

Zara Pines, grieving from the loss of her dad and not sure what she is going to do now, gets a request to be a ghostwriter for celebrity chef Jane Bailey, who stars in the show 30 Bucks Tops. Zara has never heard of her, and quite frankly she hates ghostwriting, but when she discovers the fee will be $50K she quickly changes her tune. The only problem is she is insisting on Zara living at her East Hampton home for the summer .while she works on the book, and Zara just started a new relationship that seems really promising and doesn't want to mess that up. Jane Insists, so she goes to stay there, and Zara hopes she can speed things along and leave quicker than originally planned. However, the longer she is there, the more their attachment grows. Before long, Zara is wearing Jane's clothes, has her hair cut like Jane's and has even adopted some of Jane's speech and mannerisms. As the line between the two women blurs, Zara begins to see under Jane's mask, and there is a darker side that she is hiding from the cameras.

This book was so good. It was dark and twisty, and so creepy at times. Sometimes I just wanted to shake Zara and yell at her to :wake up!" , and it was frustrating when she was so blind to Jane's manipulations for so long. There are instances of physical abuse in the book if that is a trigger for you, so be forewarned. If you love a good thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, then you should check this out!

Was this review helpful?

Zara, a ghostwriter, takes a job writing the autobiography for celebrity chef Jane Bailey - Jane wants Zara to fully immerse herself in Jane’s life by living in her East Hampton House for a few weeks to really understand her. Zara is intrigued by Jane, she’s dynamic and beautiful, and Zara is a bit of a lost soul herself. Zara slowly, as encouraged by Jane, begins to take on Jane’s habits, mannerisms and wear her clothes, until it’s nearly impossible to tell the two apart. But sometimes there is a fine line between love, obsession, and maybe a little Stockholm syndrome…

Sometimes it’s really fun to go into a novel blind and this one was a perfect blind dive! It’s a bit of a thriller, a bit beach read and a page turner the whole way through! I picked this one up after a bunch of booksta friends had reviewed and liked it and I am so glad I did. It’s a perfect addictive summer day at the pool or beach read and what a perfect time for it to come out, right before Memorial Day weekend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zibby Books for the ARC

Was this review helpful?

I did not expect this book to take the twist that it did! Zara is a ghostwriter who accepts a job writing for a celebrity chef named Jane Bailey. A condition of the job is that she go to the Hamptons to live with Jane while collecting information and childhood stories. While there she falls for Jane. But things in the relationship seem a little off - why do they start to dress alike? Why is she encouraged to ghost her friends? Why are Jane’s staff falsely smiling? Things are not quite what they seemed at first and Zara may not realize it until it’s too late….
This was definitely a page turner for me! I’d like to see what other books this author has written.
Thank you Netgalley and Zibby Books for the digital ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Twisted, propulsive, and weirdly believable. A fantastic read that will appeal to fans of Gone Girl and Alice Feeney titles. Huntley's style is sparse enough to be quick and specific enough to put you right in the middle of the kitchen. Loved it.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed reading this book with my book club, it made for a good discussion. I enjoyed the writing.

Was this review helpful?