Lila Crayne, actor and "America's sweetheart," is deep in the production of a modern-day interpretation of Tender is the Night when she gets engaged to her lover, much-older Kurt. She almost immediately suspects he is having an affair with a costar, but is willing to overlook it. After all, isn't that how their relationship started?

At the same time, she is exploring her traumatic childhood and her relationship with Kurt with a new therapist, Jonah. She and Jonah share an interest in F. Scott Fitzgerald, perhaps inevitable as they both attended Princeton, Fitzgerald's own alma mater. Although their time at Princeton overlapped, they never knew each other. Or did they?

Told from multiple unreliable points of view, this is a psychological suspense novel with so many twists your head will be spinning. And a special shoutout to author Sash Bischoff for the mention of Princeton's Mudd Library where I once worked. #SweetFury #NetGalley

Sweet Fury is a wild, twisty ride that pulls you in and doesn’t let go. Lila Crayne, America’s sweetheart, seems to have it all—until her perfect life starts unraveling in the most shocking ways. With secrets around every corner and no one being who they seem, this story keeps you guessing till the end.

Bischoff’s debut is sharp, bold, and packed with drama, all while taking a hard look at power, misogyny, and the stories we tell ourselves. If you’re into psychological thrillers with a side of Hollywood glam, this one’s for you.

In a line up of “who’s who” Lila Crayne is the main event and soon to be engaged to the tour de force director Kurt. And even without the author throwing out an “All About Eve” reference, even if there were too many references (like we get it, it’s channeling F Scott Fitzgerald) being thrown out, the line of “fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night” was still the summarization in my mind of the whole story. Even with her own Eve, in the form of Celia. Soon filming begins, where an obvious take of life imitating art.

For about the first half of the story, you are in the Lila’s POV either recounting her to her therapist or where she is filming and manipulating every aspect of her life. I think a missed opportunity was writing her more genuine. However, about 40% of the way in, you find out the therapist, Jonah, may have more on his mind.

At times, I appreciated where the author was delicate in handling the sensitivity of some of the trauma in the story; but other times felt dismissive. Because of how Lila was written as such a suspicious character, everything she confessed felt manipulative and fake. So unfortunately the twist doesn’t pack the punch it should, since Lila seems so disingenuous . Overall, I liked the ending. But the final chapter in the epilogue was unnecessary and made it abrupt where it didn’t need to be so I hope the final copy leaves it out. Please check trigger warnings on this one

I would like to thank NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Publishing and the author Sash Bischoff for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Sweet Fury. The book fell flat for me as I really didn't like any of the main characters resulting in my not relating well to the novel. The storyline premise is interesting, Lila Crayne, a well-established actress, and Kurt Royall, her long-term partner and director embark on a feminist adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's Tender Is the Night. While not a book I thoroughly enjoyed it is clever and creative. 3 stars.

This was quite a captivating book that left me curious until the very end. I found that the language was a bit unnecessarily flowery and showy, and I really, really hated Jonah's parts, especially when it was not clear what type of involvement he had. I felt that a lot of his part had to have some suspended disbelief, but by the end, it was clear why it was set up in that.

Overall, would definitely recommend, especially to F. Scott Fitzgerald fans.

This story had me absolutely hooked from the beginning. Granted, I never read much of Fitzgerald's work outside of Gatsby, so maybe I would have known more of how this would play out, but I think not knowing made it that much more entertaining to me. I felt this was such a fresh story and different from so many others that I read. It felt a bit like reading Gatsby but yet new. I could not put this book down!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been wanting to read Fitzgerald for a while now, and for some reason, I’m more drawn to Tender is the Night than The Great Gatsby. So when I came across Sweet Fury by Sasha Bischoff, a feminist retelling of Tender is the Night, I was curious to see how it would play out.

Lila Crayne and Kurt Royall are Hollywood’s golden couple—an actress with a stellar career and a director known for his groundbreaking work. When an ambitious young writer sends Kurt a feminist retelling of Tender is the Night, Lila sees it as their big chance. As the movie begins to take shape and Lila becomes deeply invested in the script, she realizes it's time to face her own demons. There's more to her life than meets the eye and Kurt is a different person behind closed doors. So she decides to start seeing a therapist. *Enter Jonah* who, as you'll soon discover, has his own agenda.

The author clearly did a lot of research on Fitzgerald, and that’s evident throughout. But book didn’t quite capture the allure I was hoping for. The writing is simple enough, but something about it just kept me from getting fully invested. The only parts I really enjoyed were the conversations between Jonah and his fiancée, Maggie (who honestly felt like the only real, tangible character - I'd totally read a book about her)

And while the climax did take me by surprise, it felt messy and hard to believe. Lila’s motivations are all over the place and it made it hard to empathize with her.

Overall, the premise had great potential, and I should have enjoyed it more, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

This was touted as the MFC being a victim in a game of revenge. While in reality she uses past victimization as the catalyst for victimizing everyone around her. No one is safe from her but she’s the one who walks away unscathed and celebrated? No. This story did not do it for me.

Lila is an actress and her fiancé, Kurt, is the director of a movie based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel Tender is the Night. Lila, in preparation for making the movie seeks the help of, Jonah, a therapist who is obsessed with Fitzgerald. As the therapy gets deeper into her past the professional lines begin to cross and then things become complicated as truths come out. There are lies mixed with truth and deceit changes relationships. No one is who they seem or what they say is completely truthful.

Thank you Simon & Schuster and NetGalley

An incredible debut! I stayed up way too late to finish this book. At about the half-way mark, this book became unputdownable.

Filled with twists and clever plotting, I was fully invested in this fast-paced thriller from Sash Bischoff. Told over three acts, Sweet Fury has multiple narrators with tangled backgrounds and lots of tension. I love when narratives (especially thrillers) are told through different kinds of mediums, and this one has diary entries and therapy notes to enhance the story.

Read if you enjoy:
🎥 Hollywood settings
✍️ mixed media supplementing the narrative
🎥 twisty psychological thrillers
✍️ blurred lines between truth and reality
🎥 a mix of character-driven and plot-driven storytelling

My rating: 4.5⭐️

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Simon Audio for the ARC and the ALC to review.

I had no idea what to expect going into this one, and my goodness, what an incredible debut! I listened via audio, which was also narrated by the author @sash.bischoff , and it was absolutely fantastic. I could not stop listening once this got started, it did not go at all how I thought it would. There is a scene towards the end that I was not expecting and literally gasped, both the writing and the narration was chef’s kiss.

I also want to note (and the author does as well in the beginning) that this story pays homage to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s works (mainly Tender is the Night) throughout the book as they were an inspiration for this novel. I enjoyed what she did with this as I was reading, but you do not need to be a fan or even be familiar to enjoy this one.

Sweet Fury publishes this Tuesday, January 7, and I hope it is on your radar, as I really enjoyed it.

Movie star Lila Crayne and her director fiancé are embarking on filming a feminist’s version of “Tender is the Night.” In preparation for the role, Lila has started therapy with Jonah, to work through some past trauma. As her life begins to unravel on the couch, it is apparent everyone has a secret and no one is who they seem.

This book is an ode to F. Scott Fitzgerald. Bischoff has adopted the descriptive flowery prose and the focus on the famous and well off. There were some inconsistencies how some of these characters afforded their lavish or privileged lifestyles. I struggled knowing which character to trust and what their real intention were as the story unfolds. Prominent themes included feminism, abuse, and revenge, read content warnings if concerned. In my opinion, none of these characters were likable and I unfortunately, struggled to identify with or even root for any of them. I have not read “Tender is the Night” which might have swayed my review some. Read this is you enjoy psychological thriller and are okay with unlikeable characters.

The mystery in this book is a slow burn but the many layers of the plot definitely make it worth it. Lila and Kurt are Hollywood's power couple. They decide to work together to make a feminist film adaptation of Fitzgerald's 'Tender is the Night' and it is expected to make a huge splash once released. Lila starts going to a therapist to help her with some internal struggles before she takes on the leading role but soon, we see that her life isn't as perfect as it seems. As the story progresses, the characters begin to evolve. Once their masks fall, their true intentions are revealed. Nothing is as it seems and the ending completely shocked me but, looking back, I should have known!

I do think that if you have read 'Tender is the Night' you may enjoy this one even more but I haven't read it and still found it enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

3.5 stars, rounded up.

This is not my typical go-to type of book, especially for ARCs, but I enjoyed it overall. This is a psychological thriller with quite a few twists, some more apparent than others. This is the story of filmmakers trying to make a feminist retelling of a Fitzgerald novel, but one thing I did find puzzling was the lack of feminism displayed by most of the characters. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys thrillers or is a fan of nods to classic literature.

I unfortunately couldn't get into this one, found the chapters to be too long and boring. The characters were unlikeable, nothing really happened until the very end and many things just didn't make sense.
This is just my opinion so if interested in the synopsis please do give a try.

Thank you to netgalley and publisher for the arc, opinion is my own.

2/5

Lila Crane, America's sweetheart, and her fiancé, Kurt Royall, are set to begin filming their feminist adaptation of Fitzgerald’s Tender Is the Night. To prepare for the role, Lila seeks out therapist Jonah Gabriel to work through her past trauma. But with twists and turns and secrets unveiled we start to wonder what the real story is.

I was so excited for this book after seeing it all over my feeds, but it was such a letdown. The twists were pretty predictable. The Fitzgerald tangents were repetitive and pretentious. I love an alternating POV, but the pacing of this felt so off with Lila's chapters moving so slow through time and Jonah's going from 0-100 with no warning.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

Sash Bischoff knows Fitzgerald and it shows in this psychological thriller about a powerhouse Hollywood couple who is filming a feminist retelling of Tender is the Night.

I appreciate the swift switch in POVs that Bischoff implements in SWEET FURY and the therapy notes in between chapters is a unique touch and adds to the twists contained within. This is a great thriller for readers who are also Fitzgerald fans.

WOW. This is a knockout debut novel bringing the readers through not only behind-the-scenes Hollywood, but also therapy, and dark academia. The author weaves a LOT of F Scott Fitzgerald into the novel, so if you’re a fan you’ll enjoy that. I really enjoyed this wild ride. The ending was a little sparse after being so deep into characters’ heads throughout the whole book, but it’s ok! If you enjoyed The Silent Patient, Advika and the Hollywood Housewives, and possibly even The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I think you’d enjoy this novel! Thank you so much for the early read!

Actress Lila Crayne and her producer husband Kurt Royall seem to have it all - balanced personal and professional lives in a town where those lines are easily blurred. When Lila starts therapy as research for an upcoming role, however, her therapist, Jonah Gabriel, becomes increasingly worried about the dynamics between Lila and her husband. While their relationship sounds like the typical toxic partnership, it quickly unravels into a complex web of deception.

In her debut, Bischoff skillfully weaves the plot twists into foreshadowing, allowing the reader to be hooked throughout (despite what I found to be a slow start). Sweet Fury remains engaging despite its occasionally overwrought prose, although it strikes quite a difference from the prose of Fitzgerald's "Tender is the Night", of which this is loosely based. The novel shines in its portrayal of psychological manipulation and intrigue. It’s an entertaining, twist-laden debut that offers a compelling look at fame, relationships, and the dark side of self-reinvention.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sash Bischoff's Sweet Fury was a scintillating and oft harrowing tale of twisted proportions, all with beloved Lila Crayne at the center. A really fantastic and gritty feminist tale, I loved exploring Bischoff's writing with this one.