I really wanted to love this book, I'm a sucker for retellings of classics, but I found this book dragging, even with its short page length. The characters weren't overly likable, and sometimes I felt like the book got in the weeds of the movie making process. This one was simply not for me.

Initially, I was immediately sucked in to this novel. The Hollywood golden couple with their lavish party, the Fitzgerald references, the simmering tension in therapy sessions. I felt on edge and the psychological thriller aspect hit hard. Then Sweet Fury went completely off the rails for me. At some point all character development stopped and it was all telling instead of showing. I didn’t buy Lila as America’s Sweetheart, she wanted to be so villainous without context. And the movie making parts were just boring, even though a feminist Tender Is The Night retelling is a premise I embraced. I didn’t buy Kurt as this horrible abuser, especially after their initial romantic scene. And I didn’t buy Jonah’s obsession with Lila at first sign from across campus. This just wasn’t fleshed out for me, which can happen with a debut, but I felt even more disappointed because I loved the overall idea and this book tackles some really important topics. It just wasn’t done well, IMO. Sadly. I would say that maybe huge Fitzgerald fans could look past its faults, but if you’re a super fan, it might feel even more disappointing.

This is a brilliant debut by Sash Bischoff. As a Fitzgerald and Alex Michaelides fan, this book had all the vibes. I loved the Gatsby-esque behavior of the characters: the hedonistic lavish parties, opulent wealth, and fame coupled with the main character's complicated relationship with her therapist. The pacing was excellent and gave it a psychological thriller feeling so you couldn't put it down. The prose is engaging, lyrical, and intelligent. It is thought-provoking and compelling from start to finish. I did want to have more clarity as to the outcome of the women at the end, but I loved it and highly recommend it. Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Sash Bischoff for an advance reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.
CW: domestic abuse and sexual assault mentioned

I can absolutely see the kind of reader that this would be a home run read for. To me, the characters felt flat. The writing was very straightforward without a lot of nuance behind it, which wasn’t what I was expecting given the depth of the content the book is based off of. The vibe is psychological thriller meets Hollywood meets therapist/patient drama with a cast of unlikeable characters that makes some readers enjoy it even more but is not a win for me.

This is quite a debut, so congratulations to Sash Bischoff for such a cunning psychological thriller. I really like finding such a promising new author.

Description:
Lila Crayne is America’s she’s generous and kind, gorgeous and magnetic. She and her fiancé, visionary filmmaker Kurt Royall, have settled into a stunning new West Village apartment and are set to begin filming their feminist adaptation of Fitzgerald’s Tender Is the Night.

To prepare for the leading role, Lila begins working with charming and accomplished therapist Jonah Gabriel to dig into the trauma of her past. Soon, Lila’s impeccably manicured life begins to unravel on the therapy couch—and Jonah is just the man to pick up the pieces. But everyone has a secret, and no one is quite who they seem.

A twisty, thought-provoking novel of construction and deconstruction in conversation with the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald and told through the lens of the film industry, Sweet Fury is an incisive and bold critique of America’s deep-rooted misogyny. With this novel, Bischoff examines the narratives we tell ourselves, and what happens when we co-opt others into those stories; and she probes the blurred lines between victim and perpetrator and the true meaning of justice.

My Thoughts:
I'm one of the few who did not like The Great Gasby, so on that basis I have consistently passed on reading any more of Fitzgerald's books. Therefore, I have not read [book:Tender Is the Night|46164], an adaptation of which is the movie being made in [book:Sweet Fury|214152057]. No matter, this book is cunningly written and immersive. Against a backdrop of wealth and privilege and the excitement of a film production, the story unfolded and secrets from the past are revealed. Themes of abuse and revenge with lots of surprise twists. It was impossible to know what to believe. This is a complex tale and anyone who likes psychological thrillers will enjoy it.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster through Netgalley for an advance copy.

"This carefully crafted grace a map of her trauma, atlas of the turmoil within."

I'm still a little perplexed by the ending, but overall I'd describe this novel as a poetic masterpiece. Sash Bischoff can write!!! There were so many elements to this story. Because of that, it did take me a bit longer to read, but only bc I wanted to fully comprehend any symbolism that I may have missed. I do wish I would have read Tender is the Night first, but I wouldn't say it's a prerequisite for enjoying and understanding this novel.

As befitting an F Scott Fitzgerald retelling, we're looking at some unreliable narration in this twisty, dark novel with a distinctly feminist, #metoo bent. TW for sexual assault and some serious gaslighting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book is clever, twisty, and a hell of a lot of fun. I was never sure whether I could trust Lila, but I loved reading her story.

This started off so strong and had a ton of creative potential, basically a book within a book. TONS of F. Scott Fitzgerald lore and references, so if you don't vibe with his work this is not for you.

Taking a ton of inspiration from Fitzgerald's Tender is the Night, a psychologist takes on a new client who's a major Hollywood star to help her prepare for her upcoming adaptation of the famous novel. Through therapy notes, the star's journal, and behind-the-scenes narratives of the movie's filming, we see the star's perfect life unfurl into a violent, chaotic mess and the psychologist clamoring to understand his role in it all.

This could've been incredible, but the end felt thrown together. The supporting actress's role in the scheme felt tossed in, and yet somehow everything tied up in a bow with no loose ends? It didn't seem plausible, not that I was expecting terrible amounts of realism, but it was all too convenient.

The writing and pacing we're lovely, and the plot very creative. The only thing lacking was a bit of finesse on the ending.

An incredibly strong first novel from Sash Bischoff! This writer is ooozing talent! This was a fast paced and captivating book. While some of the chapters were unnecessarily long I appreciated the dark and twisty complexities of the different characters - particularly Lila. I was somewhat disappointed by the ending but ultimately that didn’t detract from my appreciation of the book as a whole. Looking forward to Bischoff’s next offering already! Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Twisty, turny, not sure what is real and what isn’t! Captivating at times but confusing at others. Not for me but will be loved by readers who enjoy a multi-layered, retrospective exposed at the end story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I loved this feminist take on Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night! Sweet Fury is the perfect blend of literary fiction and psychological suspense. I was completely blown away by the complex plot and characters.

This story is startlingly in its confrontation of the variability of truth. The different literary formats with the session notes, journal entries, and changing POVs not only create an incredibly immersive experience, but allow the reader to view each character’s own twisted perception of reality, making it nearly impossible to know who’s telling the truth. With the comparison to The Silent Patient, I was already on my guard with certain characters, but the subtle twists and turns kept me hooked from start to finish. A brilliant debut!

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was full of twists and turns. I'm still not sure I entirely understand everything that happened. Each character seemed to have so many secrets and so much going on in the background. The only character who seemed a truly good person was Maggie, and she was my favorite part of the book. I'm glad to have had a chance to read it. I definitely want to go read some F. Scott Fitzgerald now and understand more layers of this story.
Thanks to Net Galley for the book to review.

Lil is a strong, multi-dimensional character and I enjoyed the switching back and forth between her Princeton days and the present time. Secrets come out and tensions mount. A very enjoyable read.

I'm surprised now much I ended up enjoying this. I thought some parts were slow, but the twists at the end made up for it. However, if you don't like stories about unlikeable characters, this may not be the best pick.

Lila Crayne and Kurt Royall are about to reinvest Fitzgerald’s classic “Tender is the Night”. Lila, America’s Sweetheart and Kurt, one of Hollywood’s best directors are a powerhouse of a couple. Tender is the Night, is a book about a psychiatrist, Dick who is married to one of his patients, Nicole. Dick repeats this pattern by falling for another woman, Rosemary, who he is trying to rescue/save. Lila begins to work with a therapist, Jonah Gabriel and ends up in a very similar situation as in the novel by Fitzgerald. Lila’s relationship with Kurt comes under the microscope of therapy and Jonah is determined to save Lila. Working on this film is a dream come true for Lila or is it? What is happening in the relationship between Lila and Kurt? Between Lila and Jonah? Who is lying? Who is lying to themselves?

Wow, this is a twisty tale, full of turns and mis-directions. The characters and the dynamic between them is well written. The reader can feel the tension building, knows something is amiss but not quite sure which character is lying. Once, the truth is revealed, it is definitely a scandalous turn of events. A very enjoyable read, I look forward to reading more from this author.

Sweet Fury by Sash Bischoff is a really interesting story. I enjoyed every moment, great story! Great writing.

Thank you Simon & Schuster for the copy of Sweet Fury by Sash Bischoff. I started this book a couple of times and couldn’t get into it. When I finally was able to, I realized that it just wasn’t for me. The story took a long time to get interesting and I hated the chapters from the therapist's notes because they were in some kind of shorthand. Maybe if I had read Tender is the Night first I would have enjoyed this book more, so if you have read it and loved it you might love this book too. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

This was an interesting literary thriller. This is a hit or miss genre for me and I most definitely have to be in the right frame of mind. I think literary thrillers are darker, and a little more plot driven, with more suspense than a traditional thriller. In the case of this book there were a lot of moving pieces, and I felt the precision just oozing off the page. This book was so engrossing. I just felt an innate draw to finish it and get to the bottom of everything. It was a little bit magical to read just how everything came together and panned out. This one was a little tricky because of all the moving pieces and keeping everything in line but so worth it. The writing was well done as well, and I don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much if it wasn’t so amazing. The ending on this one was pretty predictable, which means it was really obvious because I rarely think about endings before they happen. While I am hit or miss if this is necessarily a bad thing, in this case it wasn’t my favorite and I wish that it came out of nowhere.

I feel obligated to start with an admission; I've never read Fitzgerald’s Tender Is the Night. Actually, I haven't read anything at all by Fitzgerald.
That said, the more he was mentioned the more the dread set in of an inevitable point at which the book would go over my head in its entirety. That never happened! In fact, what happened was nearly the opposite - I know more about Tender is the Night now than I did before finishing Sweet Fury. Without that relief of never having to face FOMO, I couldn't have given this 5/5.

On Sash Bischoff herself - this being her debut novel I feel like it's fair to single her out, apart from Sweet Fury - I was astounded over and over again how beautifully she could convey even the simplest of ideas. Her word choice and phrasing packed a punch, adding to the story itself which is also a knockout. Sash, if you're reading this, did your brain come with a built-in thesaurus??? You have made the list of authors I'm convinced got some upgrade I wasn't privy to.

Throughout the novel, I stopped to make notes over and over again. It seemed like every few pages a point was made or a new perspective brought up that deserved a mic drop after it. This take on feminism is perhaps my new favorite. When Lila said "Kurt's convinced that a feminist adaptation means lending agency to the women - when all he's really doing is lifting the blame from the men"? Bullseye. And how I hadn't thought of this on my own before, I couldn't tell you. Or if I had, I hadn't given the thought the time it deserved. Such a - frankly - badass take on the disservice men/society/culture/history paid women. Almost like a "help me, help you" situation, with everything self serving in the end.

The addition of Jonah to the mix is *chef's kiss*. A few of his therapy notes in, I was reminded of the nonfiction book And How Does That Make You Feel? by Joshua Fletcher. It almost feels like a glimpse behind the curtain, if you've ever participated in therapy yourself. The paranoia I felt during Fletcher's book was very similar to what I felt as a result of Jonah's contribution (at the beginning, anyway).

I have to admit I saw the ending coming from a while away. HOWEVER, there were smaller twists (but still vital to the story, a rarity IMO) that I never would have guessed. The Silent Patient comparison was an accurate one. Similar, but done much much much better. And with an added layer of complexity.

{Thank you bunches to NetGalley, Sash Bischoff and Simon & Schuster for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!}