I really struggled with this one. The characters were terrible in my opinion. I did not connect to any of them. I did not find it to be a thriller and was kind of bored throughout the entire book. It just moved too slowly and could not keep my interested.
thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy

This was a great quick-read that draws you in from the get-go! Right off the bat, you can tell that something is going to happen, you know you're missing a piece of the puzzle- which of course, makes you want to keep turning pages and reading on!
Rachel Fiske is seventeen and going to spend the summer with her wealthy aunt and uncle. The aunt is recovering from an injury and a bit spacey, while the uncle is a workaholic with some suspicious deals. Rachel has a sweet three year old cousin whom she adores, the cousin also has a nanny, Claudia. Spending time with Claudia is the highlight of day and she feels they are forming a great friendship. In her mind, there could be even more feelings than friendship, but would she dare? During the summer a tragic event happens. Rachel is one of the only people that knows what happens and the family turns against Claudia.
Even though I described this as a quick/easy read, there are many deeper underlying themes within the book. The two main ones that stood out to me were privilege and race. These aren't new, however, it always helps to highlight these issues and make yourself more aware so you can better recognize them in real life.
Rachel that summer was trying to find herself. She was longing and yearning to discover who that was. Did she ever get there, I hope so!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book!

Rachel goes to kive with family in Greenwich and is instantly drawn into a friendship with Claudia. A tragedy occurs with life ling repercussions. Experertly plotted, a stellar cast of characters and an ending that is astounding. Not to be missed.

generally enjoy domestic dramas and the more I think about this one, the more complex I realize it was. You know from the beginning that a tragedy will occur but the majority of the story is a slow build primarily focused on the coming of age of a high school graduate who doesn’t know where she fits. Her choices as she tries to figure this out make her fairly unlikeable for most of the story. I felt a little uncomfortable with the odd unhealthy relational dynamics of the characters but that also kept me sucked into the story. Beyond the relational dynamics and exploration of Rachel’s identity, the book also tries to make some statements about shame, privilege, and class. I’m not sure it does all those things successfully but it does make for a layered story.

Greenwich is a staggering debut novel and, admittedly, not what I expected. This is a multi-layered exploration of class, privilege, power, and race, as well as a coming-of-age story and a meditation on the complex nature of both choice and redemption. I did not find any of the main characters particularly likeable - and yet I found myself drawn into their lives and stories. While reading Greenwich, I kept finding myself thinking back to two other debut novels - Curtis Sittenfeld's Prep and Kiley Reid's Such a Fun Age.

3.75 stars.
Summer, 1999. Rachel Fiske arrives in Greenwich hoping to escape her own problems and help her injured aunt, but instead finds herself adrift—until she meets Claudia, the babysitter, and a deeper connection begins to form. When tragedy strikes, Rachel faces a choice that changes everything.

This had all the right elements—wealth, secrets, moral tension—but it didn’t fully work for me. I struggled to connect with the characters (maybe I just don’t have patience for the ultra-rich or political types). Rachel’s guilt felt more like entitlement to forgiveness than true remorse.

I did appreciate the LGBTQIA+ storyline—it was thoughtful and well handled—but other parts (like the pills and cigarettes) felt forced. I found the present-day timeline more engaging, and the central “big” event happened so quickly it didn’t have the impact I wanted. I can see why others might love it—it just wasn’t quite for me.

Oh my goodness this book is gripping. It’s heavy. It took me so long to read it because the writing was on the wall, and I was just dreading it. It was like watching a movie with my hands over my eyes - I didn’t want to watch because I cared so much about the characters, but I wanted to watch because I needed resolution.

The narration style is brilliant.

This will be an excellent summer book club read!

Unfortunately, I feel like this book just wasn't for me. I could see why others may love it, but it felt a bit too slow and underwhelming for me. I feel like the writing was a bit YA and I wasn't expecting that. Again, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Money Can't Buy Innocence

Kate Broad's debut novel, Greenwich, hits like a gin martini at a country club - smooth on the surface, but packing an unexpected punch. Set in the summer of '99, this story follows seventeen-year-old Rachel Fiske as she trades her broken life for her relatives' Greenwich mansion, where old money meets new secrets.

Don't let the pristine lawns and tennis courts fool you. Behind those manicured hedges, Broad weaves a dark tale of privilege, desire, and moral decay. Rachel's growing relationship with a character named Claudia forms the story's beating heart, forcing us to question what we'd sacrifice for a taste of the good life.

The writing is sharp as a hedge trimmer. Broad crafts scenes with surgical precision, each detail building tension like storm clouds gathering over a garden party. She nails the suffocating atmosphere of extreme wealth, where everyone's watching, but nobody's really seeing.

The characters aren't meant to be likable, and that's exactly the point. They're real, messy, and complicated, much like the moral questions the book refuses to answer neatly. When a mysterious dog attack disrupts the peaceful facade, it's just one more crack in Greenwich's perfect veneer.

The ending won't tie everything up with a silk bow, and thank god for that. Instead, it leaves you sitting with the kind of discomfort that only comes from recognizing uncomfortable truths about yourself. It's like looking in a mirror after a long night - you might not like what you see, but you can't look away.

For a debut novel, Greenwich announces Broad as a fearless new voice who isn't afraid to drag American privilege into the harsh light of day. If you loved Little Fires Everywhere or can't resist stories about rich people behaving badly, this book deserves a spot on your shelf.

4.5/5 stars - A sophisticated, unsettling examination of what happens when wealth meets weakness, and privilege meets its price.

This cover. A 90s setting. Friendship elements. This synopsis got me.

📖: Rachel is staying with her aunt and uncle in Greenwich for the summer. She meets their daughter's nanny, Claudia, and is immediately drawn to her. After a year of losing friends, this could be Rachel's opportunity to feel connection again between Claudia and her sweet niece, Sabine. After tragedy strikes, Rachel is forced to make touch choices. Who will she protect, and what consequences will she face?

🤝: This may be a good fit if you enjoy:
- rich people problems
- challenging themes
- stories told in flashbacks

💭: This book was a roller coaster. I struggled with the pacing. I was into it right away, then I skipped forward from ~35% to 60% and landed in some JUICY and INTENSE scenes that pulled me back in. As the story progressed, Rachel's state of mind remained a whirlwind. I typically enjoy characters others would consider "unlikable". She challenged my compassion, which I appreciate. I understood her struggles, but sheesh, some people don't learn. While there were some good themes and captivating moments, it ultimately wasn’t a great fit for me.

Rating: I thought it was ok. (2.5 rounded up)

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for early access to this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This book reads like a Max suspense miniseries. Haunting in all the right ways. The protagonist, Rachel, is a very turbulent and dimensional character who we see develop in a carefully constructed environment. Watching Rachel navigate through this world as pieces of glass fall around her is beautiful and chilling. While the ending kept it from being a solid 5 for me, the overall novel as a whole still leaves me thinking of this novel to this day.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader copy. All thoughts are my own:

Rachel goes to stay with her aunt and uncle in Connecticut. She is thankful to escape the drama back home for a while but quickly feels isolated. She finds comfort with their nanny, Claudia. Tragedy strikes and the family turns against Claudia, leaving Rachel stuck between them.

Greenwich is a play on wealth, privilege, shame, and love. The prose of this book as smooth and felt comfortable throughout. I think the description paints it like there is going to be some big twist in the middle, but there really isnt. It’s a flowing and engaging story, but don’t expect a big twist at any point. The ending was pretty tough, but I think warranted.

I really wanted to like this book, as the premise was very appealing, but it just fell flat. I didn't find myself invested in the characters, which made it difficult for me to really get hooked on the storyline. I was expecting it to feel more suspenseful and dramatic than it did. Not a bad book by any means, just not for me.

I feel like if I could have resonated more with the characters, I would have enjoyed this book a bit more. It had all the good ingredients but for some reason the recipe came out tasting funny on my tongue. Maybe it’s hard for me to feel empathy for the uber rich or anyone in politics and it’s a me issue. Although Rachel felt guilty, I got the feeling that she felt entitled to absolution for her mistakes rather than wanting to right them for the right reasons. I did like the LGBTQIA+ themes that were in the forefront. The will they/wont they and approach to the acceptance of gay relationships. Everything regarding the pills and cigarettes felt forced and sort of gimmicky. The present day timeline was a lot more enjoyable for me, even if most of the action happened in the past. I think I just have a hard time connecting with teenagers as main characters. The big event this book is centered around took about two seconds and I was hoping for more direct build up. Idk. I definitely see why this book would work well for other readers, at this point I feel like I’m just being nitpicky and rambling.

I grew up in Fairfield County and have been to Greenwich quite a few times. I was so excited to read this as it takes place so close to home. However, this book reminded me of all the reasons why most people in Connecticut do not care for Greenwich or folks from there. Rich people that are miserable and constantly hiding secrets or ignoring bad behaviors/tendencies.

I'm curious why this is listed under "womens mystery, thriller, and suspense fiction". There was nothing mysterious or thrilling for me with this book. It was, in my opinion, women's fiction.

I felt some of the characters were not well developed. I was missing so much from each of them. I felt like the storyline was choppy and boring throughout the book. There wasn't anything standout about this book. Rachel's character was so annoying i really wanted to DNF this but pushed myself so I could give an honest review.

This one was not for me but I'm glad some people enjoyed it.

I did not like "Greenwich" by Kate Broad. It was written predictably, and despite so much bad stuff happening and time passing, the main character never seemed to grow.

I was so excited to get this ARC—I grew up nearby Greenwich (but in a VERY different tax bracket, lol) and reading about it in this book was so fun for me. Kind of a peak into how the 1% lives. I grooved with the writing style and can't wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to Kate Broad, St. Martin's Press, and NetGaleyy for this eARC!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this book. I did not know what to expect when reading this. I am open to trying most books depending on the story. This was not the kind of story I would normally read. But I did enjoy it. It was nice to have a main character that was unpredictable and a bit all over the place. Sometimes it just works. It did for this story. This book releases July 22, 2025.

Greenwich, Connecticut is the perfect setting for a story like this, that explores class and wealth gaps, the exclusivity of wealthy communities, complicated family relationships, and the power imbalance of private employment by wealthy families. The book explored all that wonderfully while also slowly unravelling a fascinating mystery. The writing was accessible and the first person POV made it easy to get lost in the story.

thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I quite enjoyed this beachy domestic delight that takes you back in time