A solid 3 stars - story isn’t fully developed (has potential), ending is a drop (could be much more impactful) and characters are insipid (could be so much more). Difficult for me to relate to the premise but may be loved by someone in medicine or a parent.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of Moral Injuries by Christie Watson. WOW! What a great book that tells the tales of 3 med students who later become doctors and the moral injuries that are inflicted by and on them.

this had everything that I was looking for from a psychological thriller, it had everything that I was hoping for and thought the use of medicine worked with the concept. I was invested in the characters and how this story had that tense atmosphere that I was looking for. It uses the medical school element perfectly and can't wait to read more.

Moral Injuries details the moral quandary that occurs when a pact made by three best friends in medical school resurfaces as they help their children navigate a similar situation.

Laura, Olivia & Anjali met in medical school and their close friendship has continued as they work as a life-flight physician, cardiothoracic surgeon and a general practitioner within the healthcare system in the UK. They flashback to 1999 and the events leading up to a secret they've kept between themselves and present day when their children are involved in a party-related tragedy. Moral compasses spin as the women choose between their children and their friendship and ethical decisions in medicine.

Read if you enjoy medical settings, stories of women's friendships, and reading others handling the outcome of making difficult decisions.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

As a cardiac nurse, this book was right up my alley. There will be some medical talk that is likely over most people’s heads but I personally enjoyed it because it was familiar to me. If you love suspenseful, emotional plots that involve moral boundaries and friendships with trauma bonds then grab this one for a pearl clutching ride - 3.5 stars rounding up

First off - the cover is BEAUTIFUL. It drew me in immediately. I have not read any other books by Christie Watson, but once I saw the cover, I knew I'd be reading this one.
Overall, the story was alright. I was not too drawn in, though, and found it hard to be excited to keep going. The whole premise of the book is about carrying secrets and how they cause moral injuries throughout your lifetime - and throughout the book, there was this overarching mystery of whatever happened at the party the three main characters went to when they were in medical school and consequently, how it impacted their lives after. You did not find out the whole story of what happened at the party until 80% in. I feel like this revelation should've happened sooner in the book to give it more build and more time for resolution at the end; the ending was a little rushed for me and felt unfinished. I turned the last page on my Kindle and went "oh?" because I truly thought there'd be more.
If you are a medical student, I think this story would definitely be interesting for you! A solid 3/5 for me.

i wanted to like this book so bad, i was so excited to be approved for the ARC, but i was so disappointed. the only reason i did not add to my Do Not Finish list was because of my obligation to review it fairly.

three friends share a huge secret from their past. throughout the next 25 years, most of them struggle with forgetting. but in the present, they find that history can repeat itself, which then brings up all too familiar feelings and fears. this is a story of betrayal and lies.

i think that this book would of been a lot better had it contained more character driven substance. a majority of the book contained medical field jargon that had little to do with the story. i felt as though i was watching a gray's anatomy episode, but without the dramatic plot. not to say it couldn't be interesting to others, i just didn't find the point to be shown.

when i finished this book, i realized not much of anything was concluded. i still had many questions and there were many things that plainly didn't make sense to me.

thank you to netgalley and harper collins publishing for allowing me to read and review!

Moral Injuries starts with the prologue opening at a rager of a house party fueled by tons of alcohol and drugs. It’s told in first-person, yet who is telling the story is not revealed. The party ends in tragedy, yet who experiences this tragedy and all involved is kept a mystery.

Olivia, Laura, and Anjali meet in Medical School and become fast friends. They quickly form such a bond, they think of themselves as family. The story is told in alternating POV’s between each of the three women and also alternates between the past (during med school) and the present. It explores the bounds of true friendship and how it can be tested during difficult times.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I’m a huge fan of medical dramas, so I really liked reading about the women as they go through Med school and their experience as Doctors. I also liked that it had a hefty dose of suspense. I did think the story was dragging out a tiny bit, but I also think it was necessary to tell the story. Some also might find the alternating POV’s mixed with alternating timelines a lot to take in.

I did think that Christie Watson’s experience as a Nurse is really cool and brings a unique voice to this novel. Her writing and character development is excellent and her medical background really allows you to immerse yourself in Olivia, Laura, and Anjali’s world.

Moral Injuries was a 4.5 for me. I definitely recommend this book if you enjoy suspenseful drama’s, especially anything rooted in medicine.

Many thanks to Harper Collins, NetGalley and Christie Watson for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Engaging and immersive. A recommended purchase for collections where medical fic and thrillers are popular.

3.5 this book was just ok for me, there is a lot of medicine in it and the three woman, their voices weren't different enough. And the motivation of one of them was just not believable to me. A secret from the past and then an incident in the present and the moral issues related to both. It was interesting more in theory than in reading it

Christie Watson slowly draws you in to a horror that is all to real. Three best friends in medical school - Anjali, Olivia and Laura - 2o years or more later living lives of promise. When an event puts a child at risk, decisions need to be made. Watson provides POV from all of the friends as well as fascinating flashbacks to medical school and the decisions that have paved the road the friends navigate today. Peppered with real life trauma stories and incredibly interesting medical information, this story is a slow burn AND a shocking thriller in each chapter. I honestly don't think I have ever read anything else with a rhythm like this story, it's like finding a whole new music genre!

Pick up Moral Injuries and immerse yourself in UK hospitals and healthcare, women's friendships, promises and traitorous behavior. When the smoke clears only you can decide what was right! #harper #moralinjuries #christiewatson

Moral Injuries opens with an accident at a party. Whose party and when are the questions that will be answered in Moral Injuries, a psychological thriller about the strong friendship between three women. Olivia, Anjali and Laura meet as medical students and form a bond so tight that they promise to protect and help each other forever. Forever is now when, after years of hard work, one husband and three teenaged children, a secret that their children are trying to keep (unsuccessfully) forces the women to confront a long hidden incident in their past. Olivia, Anjali and Laura have dealt with challenges in their careers, drug use and infidelity and remained friends. Is the secret they are hiding now the thing that will end their friendship?

The strength of Moral Injuries lies in the friendship between Olivia, Anjali and Laura. They are each so well described that, as each one narrates her version of events, you identify totally with that character. Alternate chapters describe their friendship as it started in 1999 and what is happening today, 2024. The plot moves to a conclusion that is surprising and inevitable. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper and Christie Watson for this ARC.

I really liked this and had a hard time putting it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to enjoy this ARC!