I don't know what it is, but I absolutely adore a story about rich people behaving poorly. As soon as I saw that this story was likened to Succession, I requested with a ferocity. The story took the most delicious twists and turns, and I could not have expected the ending at all. The pacing was perfect and I ripped through this one in a weekend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars
Glamour, scandal, and murder collide in this addictive, sharply written thriller set against a backdrop of power and privilege.

Set in 2004, A Girl Like Us by Anna Sophia McLoughlin follows Maya Miller—a former reality TV star and infamous party girl—who seems to have landed the ultimate fairytale ending: marriage to Colin Sterling, the world’s most eligible bachelor and heir to a powerful, aristocratic media dynasty. But when Colin’s cousin Arianna—the glamorous, enigmatic heiress to the Sterling fortune—is found murdered, Maya’s dream life begins to unravel.

McLoughlin masterfully blends high society drama with psychological suspense. The tone is deliciously dark, giving Succession-meets-Gone Girl energy, while exploring themes of class, perception, and the price of reinvention. Maya is a compelling lead—calculated yet vulnerable, aware of the role she’s playing and the eyes constantly watching her. As suspicion circles her, the story becomes both a whodunit and a study in how public opinion can shape truth.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The cover picture is what initially drew me to the book. I do occasionally like a 'rich people problems' kinda story and this book did not disappoint.

All the characters are grey or/and black and it worked perfectly for the story. An insanely wealthy family with members who are toxic, greedy, ruthless and dangerous...a morally good person would not have survived (like we get to see with a certain character) them but Maya Miller, a former reality TV star who has married one of the heirs, has build a life surviving deception and is not afraid to take them head-on.

The twists kept coming at regular intervals. I had my theory about a few things and persons but I wasn't 💯 correct about them.

I think this is the author's debut novel and it was a good one.

I received a digital ARC of the book by the publisher Sourcebooks Landmark and the author Anna Sophia McLoughlin via NetGalley. I had read the book in March but I am still catching up with reviews.

I tore through this thriller! thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. Maya Miller-Sterling is a reality tv star who is just married to a Sterling- think like the Murdoch empire- and when a member of the Sterling family is murdered, she is sequestered on their estate in England with the entire extended family. From there, all kinds of secrets are revealed. I loved the first 85% of this book. The ending for me was too implausible, but lots of thrillers are tbh. I liked Maya a lot as a character, and I think this book translate really well to a streaming mini series. It isn’t a must read, primarily due to the last part. But it is a fun read with a more unique background for the protagonist than other thrillers I have read lately.

This was a DNF for me. But I do feel others would really enjoy this one! It just didn’t keep me personally entertained and pulled in as I would have liked.

Oof, this was a bit of a drag to get through. Not much ever really happened to progress the story. The twists were all flat and predictable.

I also had a really tough time connecting with any of the characters, let alone liking any of them.

This should NOT be compared to the greatest TV show ever, Succession.

I hadn't read anything from this author before, so was excited to start this one. This was a story that kept my attention and i couldnt stop! Thanks so much for the gifted copy!

"A Girl Like Us" by Anna Sophia McLoughlin is a poignant and authentic exploration of what it means to navigate the complexities of identity, friendship, and self-discovery in today's world. This novel resonates deeply, offering a mirror to the experiences many young women face as they come into their own.
"A Girl Like Us" is an excellent read for anyone seeking a heartfelt and honest portrayal of contemporary young womanhood. It's a book that encourages introspection, celebrates individuality, and reminds us that despite our differences, there's a shared thread in the journey of becoming who we are meant to be. If you appreciate character-driven stories that tackle relevant themes with sensitivity and insight, this book is a compelling choice

"A Girl Like Us" is a thriller full of family drama, secrets, and rich people behaving badly. I was a fan of the author's YA books when I was a teen, so I was really excited to read her adult debut. I enjoyed this locked-room thriller, with its intriguing plot and dual POVs and timelines. The pacing was slow at times, but there were plenty of twists and turns to keep me reading. Some of the plot was a little wild, so you'll need to suspend your disbelief a bit. Overall, an entertaining read, and I look forward to reading more adult novels from the author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

US Reality tv starlet with questionable mental health marries into a posh wealthy British family. The family heiress is murdered, everyone must get to the estate immediately, and then the real sides of the upper crust come out and no one is there to save our starlet from the horrendous behavior of this family everyone admires

# A Girl Like Us
# 4/7/2025 ~ 4/8/2025
# 4.5 / 5.0

Pong-buried secretS, and epie twists and inns, A Girl
Like Us had my attention from the very first word. And let me tell you, this family was the secret sauce in what was a killer story. Dysfunctional in the extreme, they were cold, calculating, and cunning in the best possible way. All except for Colin-who had my heart right from the start-and Maya, of course. Well, maybe she had just a few of those traits. Morally gray and with a love for winning at all costs, she was the perfect addition to this ruthless pack of wolves, which made the plot come alive right before my oh so riveted eyes.
As for that plot, I adoringly ate most of it up one heaping spoonful at a time. So much so, in fact, that I finished this 400+ page stunner in just under twenty-four hours. With twist after twist shifting the storyline in first one direction and then another, the conclusion was 100% unguessable for this thriller lover. That's not to say, though, that I didn't see through many of those stunning reveals. It didn't, however, ruin the book for me even the slightest. After all, with ever-present foreboding, complex group dynamics, and a pace that soared higher and higher, I wouldn't have wanted to actually be there with the Sterlings, but I absolutely loved being a fly on the wall.

Maya is a former reality TV star who ends up marrying Sterling, from a super powerful and rich family. When a family member is found dead, Maya, Sterling and the rest of his family find out that Maya has been named the new heiress of the family's empire. Things go south from there.

I had high hopes for this locked room mystery with rich people and reality TV stars, but I was put off by the inconsistent pacing of the book overall. I expected more of an engaging thriller. I liked the premise of the book and thought Maya held her own in that family.

Thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for this eARC. A Girl Like Us is out now.

A Girl Like Us is a super twisty thriller that had me hooked from the moment I started listening.

The concept is sooo juicy: a murder, a massive inheritance, and a locked-down estate full of potential suspects. Maya was a compelling narrator—clever, calculated, and never quite as innocent as she seems. I totally thought she was in on it the entire time! I especially loved the way the author played with public perception and media narratives, showing how quickly a woman can be painted as either a social climber or a scapegoat.

That said, I did feel the pacing was a tad uneven in places. Some parts dragged while others raced ahead, and I found myself wishing for a steadier pace. But just when I thought I had things figured out, BAM, that plot twist hit!! It was smart, satisfying, and made the entire ride worth it.

Maya Sterling has pretty much clawed her way from the bottom to, if not quite the top, then certainly to a richly appointed room with a view. After an impoverished trailer park childhood, the beautiful young woman was cast on the reality show The Springs, about young people spending their summers flirting and fighting in the Hamptons. While originally meant to play the role of the local nice girl, Maya soon figured out how to make herself an even more integral part of the series:

QUOTE
For Maya, playing up those likeable, girl-next-door qualities worked, in a way. It kept her on the show. But Maya soon realized it also meant fewer lines in the final edit and thus smaller royalty checks. And that just would not do. So, she brought out that other part of herself. The girl who would voice the thing everyone was thinking but was too afraid to say. The sort of thing that might get your ponytail pulled or a drink thrown in your face. When it comes to throwing drinks in faces, though, Maya is a quick draw. Her castmates learned to not try. Eventually they started calling her “Miss Mayhem.”

She’s different now, of course. More evolved than she was at nineteen. At any rate, the mayhem is in check.
END QUOTE

Since the show wrapped, she’s parlayed her celebrity into a bestselling make-up line and, now, an adorable baby with her wealthy husband. Colin Sterling is as young and beautiful as Maya is, and was once one of the world’s most eligible bachelors. Most importantly to Maya, he has her back in the same way that she has his. The newlyweds are a team who dote on their baby daughter Becca, no matter the naysaying of their critics… which unfortunately includes the members of his rich and powerful family.

For Colin is part of the family behind the United Kingdom-based SterlingCo, a globe-spanning media corporation that’s run by Harry Sterling, the reclusive and somewhat paranoid head of the clan who’s already deeded the bulk of his wealth to his 20-something year-old daughter Arianna. Arianna herself hasn’t been seen in public since her latest partying scandal, and has mostly been out of sight and out of mind. Until, that is, she’s found murdered in a Mexican apartment.

Her death immediately sets off a security protocol that has all the members of the Sterling family – Colin, Maya and Becca included – whisked off to Silver House, the family’s ancestral estate. Maya, whose standing in the family is by far the most precarious, finds the enforced isolation understandably stifling, even as she learns more about the family dynamics firsthand. Perhaps most intriguing is what she learns about Harry and Arianna from a gossipy relative:

QUOTE
“They were very close for a long time, Harry and Arianna. Then she grew up, realized she’d been a princess locked in a castle, and became rebellious. They had some fight, I don’t know what about–and then you couldn’t mention her name to him. And she must’ve felt the same.”

“I get that.” Maya actually does. She’s heard it said that rich and poor have more in common than the middle class. Whatever the gulf in security and comfort, rich and poor are both in their own way free from bourgeois conventions. They understand that life is cheap, don’t cling to sentimental connections. Instead, they mythologize their family. Or destroy them.
END QUOTE

Maya’s sympathy for Arianna helps sustain her, until the contents of Arianna’s will are read out and Maya unexpectedly finds herself in the crosshairs. Bewildered and increasingly distrustful of the people around her, Maya will have to get to the bottom of Arianna’s life and death if she’s to have any hope of escaping Silver House alive. And if she has to bring out her Miss Mayhem persona once more in order to protect herself and her closely guarded secrets, then so be it.

This deliciously soapy thriller for the modern age is elevated by Anna Sophia McLoughlin’s keen eye for social commentary, as Maya fights to keep herself and her loved ones safe no matter what. Maya might be wealthy now, but she knows what it’s like to feel poor and helpless, and she certainly knows how to take every opportunity that she can in order to advance and maintain her social position. The twists were excellently done, with Maya and Arianna both coming out as flawed but deeply sympathetic characters. I was certainly rooting for Maya to succeed, and for her to avenge the doomed woman who would so unexpectedly alter the course of her life.

While reading this book, it felt as though absolutely nothing and yet everything was happening simultaneously. Honestly, it was a struggle to get through and finish. The pacing was inconsistent, and much of the story seemed to repeat itself: Maya tirelessly searching for answers about the recently deceased heiress, Arianna; getting caught by one of her in-laws; enduring their scornful remarks about her not being “Sterling” enough, or not coming from wealth; then heading back to the house for more clues—rinse and repeat.

The writing, while understandable for a debut, occasionally felt disjointed, which affected my immersion. Still, I’m willing to give the author some leeway on that front.

The final 25-30% of the book, however, was when the story finally gained momentum and began to feel like a true thriller. The twists and turns were plentiful, though I did predict many of them in advance, which diminished the impact. Despite that, the book did manage to keep me on edge, but not because of the plot’s suspense—instead, it was largely due to the characters, whose behavior made me uncomfortable, adding a different layer of tension.

Secrets Will Out..
Fast paced and glamorous locked room mystery come dysfunctional domestic drama where secrets and lies may inevitably out. With a well drawn cast of eclectic characters, a claustrophobic and nicely executed plot and a firm sense of place, this is both an immersive and compelling read laced with menace and drenched in a closed in atmosphere.

This book exceeded my expectations with a wealthy family's drama, deep rooted family secrets and rich people behaving however they want. This book kept my attention from the first chapter, and I devoured it in its entirety. I also loved that I could not guess the ending - there were so many twists and turns that kept my attention. I cannot wait to read more from Anna Sophia McLoughlin.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this thrilling ARC!

I DNF this book. The premise sounded intriguing but the writing style and approach didn’t resonate with me. I found the characters to be unlikeable - and while sometimes that can be compelling, it just wasn’t the kind of book that I’d like to be reading right now.

2.75 stars

This is pitched as "Succession" meets "Saltburn", and with how fun "Saltburn" was it makes me wonder if "Succession" is boring. The premise was there, but the execution was lacking on this one for me. First off, I'm not sure why it's set in 2004, which feels like a weird thing to critique, but the whole time I kept waiting on something to make that make sense as a setting choice and it didn't happen. I guess because of the reality TV culture? But I feel like that's still relevant today, so. Anyway, Maya Miller got famous from reality TV and has now married into a super-rich aristocratic family, the Sterlings. Then, the young heiress to the Sterling family fortune is found murdered while Maya and her new husband are on their honeymoon, and they're called to the family compound for the reading of the will. When Maya is named the sole inheritor despite never meeting the heiress, the estate gets locked down so they can try to figure out what happened.

I'll be honest the twists in this were dumb to me, one of them was literally just someone forgot something, and then another was so absolutely ridiculous I couldn't get over it. No middle of the road twists here. There was some bouncing around in time between the present and Maya's past, and also some chapters from the heiress's diary, and those were the most interesting part. Overall, though, the setting was cool and the idea was fun, but it fell flat for me.

3.5 stars rounded up. This book sounded like it would be a fun, fizzy kind of thriller featuring a cast of rich people and a whole lot of backstabbing. And it was. I liked it overall, even though I didn't really like or care about any of the characters. It was entertaining and twisty. It also felt a bit flat. It is what it claims to be though and works well if you're in the mood for that.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.