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This is the 3rd book I’ve read by Lo Patrick and I must admit that it was a bit of a disappointment for me. I had really enjoyed her first 2 books but thought this one was a little slow. I really feel that giving it a 4 star rating is me being generous. I loved the title, Fast Boys and Pretty Girls, but didn’t feel that the storyline lived up to my expectations for what a book with that title should be. I also didn’t really like any of the characters involved. Danielle, the main character, was allowed to move to New York City at the age of 17 to take up modeling instead of finishing high school. What kind of parents would allow their child to do that? And Dani becomes obsessed with a younger bad boy from back home and that just didn’t make any sense to me either. If a young girl who is living on her own in the big city and is pretty enough to be a model, what would she want with a younger boy who is a troublemaker and is not going to amount to anything? There were just so many things to this book that didn’t seem logical to me. I didn’t understand why the mother did what she did and was basically allowed to get away with it. And I also would have liked to have learned how Danielle met up with her husband as none of that was disclosed. She was just a young girl moping over a boy and then she was married and a mother of 4 with no explanation as to how all that took place. I just wish the story would have went a little deeper and maybe I would have felt better about reading it. I’d like to thank Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the arc. I’ve always enjoyed reading this author but I’m not sure that I’d be too quick at recommending this particular book. I feel that 4 stars is being generous and that it’s really more deserving of 3. However, I do realize that a lot of thought and work went into it and not every book can be great. And just because this particular book didn’t wow me, it will have absolutely no impact from me reading any of Lo Patrick’s books in the future.

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It was a slow paced but interesting mystery. Told through now and then timelines, the story slowly builds up. Danielle is portrayed truthfully at both points in her life. As a teenager when she moved to New York for her modeling career and a mother of three young girls. Suspense buildup is slow and sometimes very slow, but I think it was crucial to understand her properly. But, I feel that the mystery element is somewhat shadowed by her life story. The ending is surprising. Overall, it was an easy-to-read thriller with drama. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

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Thank you Netgalley and Lo Patrick for an earc in exchange for honest review.

After modeling as a teen Danielle is now a mom of 4 girls who stumble upon human remains at her parents old house. Danielle thinks she knows who it is and flashbacks to her first love Benji and her time modeling.

The premise of this book sounded so good but fell short. It was very slow paced and got so repetitive I had a hard time picking it back up. I did do a mix of digital and audio and that did help some. Throughout the story Danielle truly has no life outside of Benji, even modeling fell to the wayside. What’s wilder is the obvious lack of affection Benji gave her yet she really believed he wanted her. Her relationship to her family was also strange and the twist at the end wasn’t really a twist and seemed quite obvious. This had good bones but didn’t deliver.

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I flew through FAST BOYS AND PRETTY GIRLS — Southern small town, buried secrets, first love, a body in the ravine, and a woman haunted by the past. I couldn’t put this down.

I love the way the author pulls you into the story - gets into your head and then drops the revelations like a bomb.

I never knew who to trust and as unreliable and unlikable the FMC could be, there was just something about her that made me hope for redemption at the end.

Brilliant and highly recommended!

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2.5 ⭐️

I liked the premise of this book, however it fell flat for me. I found it hard to like the characters and root for them since they were extremely annoying and there wasn’t much character development. It didn’t flow very well and it was very slow paced and repetitive. Felt more YA than an adult mystery fiction (since there wasn’t much of a mystery to it).

Thank you NetGalley for the copy.

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This was my second book by Lo Patrick. My first was The Night the Rive Wept and I really enjoyed it. When I seen Fast Boys and Pretty Girls I was excited to read it. Unfortunately this book was not for me. The flash back chapters took over the whole story. I was so bored. I was thinking the book was more about the body the girls found but even half way through all you really learned was the back story which was not even entertaining. This was a DNF at almost half way through.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for a gifted copy in exchange for a honest review.

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Dani wants to leave her small Georgia hometown. She heads for the big city to try her hand at modeling. After some moderate success, she returns home for a visit and meets bad-boy Benji. She falls in love and wants Benji to return to New York with her. Doesn't happen. Fast forward 17 years and Dani's daughters discover bones in the woods behind the house she grew up in and where her family is now living. Well, Dani has a good idea who they could belong to, but not how they got there. But don't be fooled, this is not really a mystery thriller. It is more a character study and small-town coming of age drama. And I really enjoyed it! That says a lot from someone who loves her murder thrillers. The atmosphere is great, the characters are well written, and I loved Dani as she struggles with first love and all the later struggles of adulthood. I would read more from Lo Patrick.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Lo Patrick and Sourcebooks for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

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I really loved this book.

Danielle is a young model who gets caught up in first love and all of the turmoils of being a teenager living a bit ahead of her years.

I don't want to spoil the novel but I absolutely loved it. I needed a few days to process it. Lo Patrick is a wonderful author - The Floating Girls was incredible, the second novel I liked but didn't love, and this novel is back to the heights of the first book.

I felt like Dani was a real person, and the writing style is so engaging.

Thank you Sourcebooks as always! What a wonderful book. 4/5.

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Coming of age at its best! This one is slowwwww slowwww slowwwwwww plus a little more slow but in all the right ways. The language is descriptive, the daughters could be my kids and the small town….it could be mine.

Pick it up for the coming of age, not so much the mystery.

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Danielle is a teenage model from Georgia and even though successful with her own apartment her family don`t think much of her.
Years later when she is married with two children she moves back into the family house and her two children find a dead body on the land.
I found the story very slow and went from present to past without any explanation so it did not flow well for me as I was confused.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC and I give my honest review.

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Dani gave modeling her best shot, but finally she left the bright city lights and returned to her small hometown. Life is routine , but she is fine for now. But one day, her daughters find human remains buried on their land. The body is exhumed, and some long-kept secrets are unearthed, too.

I loved the Southern feel of this book, especially the descriptions of the setting. Danielle’s character is authentic and believable. This is a warm, inviting story with an engaging plot.

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Danielle Greer is 17 and aching for a life beyond her small southern town. When a modeling scout approaches her at her local mall and promises her just that, she jumps on it, much to her parent’s dismay. Danielle then becomes “Dani” after moving to NYC to kick off her modeling career. This is when Dani’s relationship with her Mother starts to deteriorate. Dani becomes more and more full of herself and starts becoming reckless - especially when an interest sparks in a local troublemaker on one of her trips back home.

Told in dual timelines, Fast Boys and Pretty Girls is mostly a coming of age novel, with touches of slow burn mystery and dramatic fiction. I didn’t dislike this book. I actually enjoyed reading about Dani’s life as a model in NYC, but I enjoyed reading about her sleepy southern town in Georgia most of all. I didn’t find Dani to be a very likable character, not at 17 or as an adult with a family of her own. Benji wasn’t a good choice as her boyfriend, but I found myself feeling bad for him at times.

I thought the ending of the book was good, but it was a tiny bit lackluster. Overall, I would say that if you enjoy coming of age stories, you will love this. If you’re looking for a true mystery book, I would skip this one.

Thank you Netgally and Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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Everything about this book excited me when I read the blurb! It hwas book itself lived up to the hype. I loved the way this story was told and the way the mystery within it unraveled. It was a slow burn that was satisfying.

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Another Great Southern Novel from Lo Patrick Having read and reviewed Lo Patrick's previous two books, I was honored to be invited to read her latest novel—and it did not disappoint.

Set in small-town Georgia, this coming-of-age story follows Danielle “Danny” Greer as she returns to her childhood home with her husband and four daughters. Surrounded by memories, Danny reflects on her past life as a model traveling through New York City and Europe. During one visit home, she meets Benji—a boy with a troubled family reputation and a brother in jail. Her mother strongly disapproves, but that only intensifies Danny's interest. What begins as a first love quickly becomes a one-sided obsession shaped by secrecy and defiance.

The novel takes a gripping turn when Danny’s daughters discover a skeleton in the ravine behind their house. Could it be someone from her past? Benji died in a motorcycle accident outside their home, and his body was recovered at the scene—or so everyone thought. Now, suspicion falls on everyone.

Told through alternating past and present timelines, the mystery unravels slowly but powerfully, culminating in a truly shocking ending. A haunting, atmospheric read that lingers long after the last page.

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I was immediately drawn to this book by the title and gorgeous cover.

Danielle left her small town at 17 to chase modelling dreams in NYC. On a quick trip home, she met and fell for "bad boy" Benji Law. Dani becomes somewhat obsessed with Benji who is two years younger than her. Things suddenly end when Benji is killed in a motorcycle accident.

Now an adult, she is back home in Georgia with her husband and daughters. The plot picks up when her daughter find a body in the woods, Dani has an idea of who it may be but not how the body would have gotten there..

Fast Boys and Pretty Girls is told in past and present timelines from Dani's perspective. Overall, it was just ok. I enjoyed the pacing and the way the story unfolded, the twist was nice and held my attention. I struggled to relate of even like Dani's character. I think if Dani's character was more likable it would have been a more pleasant read. The relationship between Dani and Benji also did not seem believable. It was a pretty quick read and I was able to finish it in a day.

Thank you to SourceBooks and NetGalley for allowing me to read early and for the gifted copy!

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Fast Boys and Pretty Girls has a dual timeline, is written at a slow pace and although the synopsis grabbed my attention the full story didn't. After modelling and making money during her teenage years Danielle is now married with children and living in her old parent's home. Things start to become complicated after her girls found a bound in the property and the police is called and an investigation is started. She knows who the deceased is but is not straight forward with her knowledge. The story has all the elements of a good plot but it was one of those difficult to read and to finish.
I thank the author, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

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"Fast Boys and Pretty Girls" by Lo Patrick is a gripping coming-of-age mystery that explores first love, family dynamics, and the hunt for belonging. The story follows Danielle Greer, a former model turned married mother, as she navigates her past and present colliding. Patrick's writing is powerful, and her portrayal of insecurities, willfulness, and obsession is superb. With its character-driven narrative and atmospheric setting, this novel is a riveting read that masterfully weaves together past and present. The book has received praise for its haunting and suspenseful storytelling, making it a great fit for fans of mystery and literary fiction. A compelling and haunting read.

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Fast Boys and Pretty Girls, a novel by Lo Patrick, is a tale of “slow life” meets “big city”, self-discovery, and first love. Our FMC, Danielle Greer, is first discovered as a model while shopping with her mother at the mall. As a split-timeline novel, with both time periods told from our FMC’s POV, we learn that Danielle’s actions, and of those around her, have severe consequences.

Seventeen year old Danielle Greer has just left her family and small town in Georgia to live the model life in NYC. She thought she’d be leaving her old life and small town behind, but her heart just can’t seem to quit yearning for the rebellious boy back home. Seventeen years after being “discovered”, Danielle’s own daughters find themselves with their own shocking discovery…bones in the woods behind their home. Danielle has an idea who the bones might belong to, but isn’t sure how they would have gotten there.

••••••••••
“The ripple effect. I’m still rippling. He is too. We live with our feet in the sand while the tide pulls out. We sink deeper and deeper, up to our ankles, and then slowly we’re up to our shins, knees, thighs. I was unaware the effect my tide would have on my family.”
••••••••••

This novel’s cover, titled, and blurb immediately caught my attention; small town, secrets, slow burn, self discovery- all the tropes I’m usually drawn to. However, I felt a bit confused when starting the first couple of chapters, not just in the sense of keeping track of the timeline and characters, but with the author’s writing style. The mystery of the bones had me hooked enough to continue on. I wanted to find out more about the 2019 timeline and see how it would eventually tie in with Danielle’s POV from 2002.

This was a difficult novel for me to review. I was intrigued with the details surrounding Danielle’s modeling career and her NYC lifestyle, but found Danielle herself to be a bit insufferable. Again, I enjoyed the overall plot and “idea”, but the author’s writing style (repetition, overuse of similes and metaphors, unlikable FMC) was difficult to fall in love with.

••••••••••
Thank you Sourcebooks, Lo Patrick, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an arc of Fast Boys and Pretty Girls
••••••••••

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This was a compelling enough story for me to want to know what happened. But the characters were all unlikable, except for maybe Benji and Cady, and you don't really get much of Cady. It also ends pretty abruptly. We don't see much of the aftermath of figuring out what happened. I also don't think Danielle's marriage will last much longer towards the end. I think the situation will have a pretty big impact on her marriage to Jasper. If by some miracle it does last, it will be solely for their daughters. Considering Danielle is sort of using Jasper. She's still very hung up on Benji. And Jasper(and his mother)don't seem to really like Danielle. This is just my speculation, as we don't see the full impact the finding of the body and the solving of the case has on everyone. overall a pretty good book. Just not entirely for me. I'd still recommend it. It is YA, and it fits pretty well into that category. So it's perfect for teenagers.

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Lo Patrick, a former Atlanta attorney turned bestselling storyteller and novelist, is back with her latest creation, FAST BOYS AND PRETTY GIRLS.

This atmospheric Southern small-town suspense is a testament to her expertise in blending coming-of-age, crime, and literary fiction, as she weaves dark secrets from a small-town rural Georgia setting into a compelling narrative that seamlessly merges the past with the present.

"They say you can never go home again. And sometimes, you shouldn't."

About...

Set in Pressville, Georgia, Danielle lives with her family on Bell Road in rural North Georgia. Located between Atlanta and North Carolina in the North Georgia mountain area. Everyone knows you must drive carefully on Bell Road.

There is a stigma attached to this town and this road. Years ago, a teen girl went missing, and a teen boy was dead. An accident. The bad boy she loved. On this road.

Present 2019: Danielle has moved back to her childhood home in Georgia with her husband, Jasper, and four daughters (Tessa, Leigh, Palmela, and Rose). Her life did not turn out as she had planned. Little does she know, it is about to become worse.

Past 2002: Danielle used to be Dani a model. A pretty girl, she was discovered by a scout at a local mall and ended up with an agent, moving to New York City alone at the age of 17 after dropping out of school during her junior year. She went a little wild and crazy, thinking she could conquer the world.

However, things did not go as planned. What changed was that she came home for a visit and met the bad boy Benji Law, who had just turned sixteen, a motorcycle-riding, drug-dealing, high-school dropout from her hometown. He and his brother, Blake (boys every parent wanted to keep away from their daughters).

She soon became obsessed with him, dreaming of a life with him and wanting him to move to New York with her. But he was not interested. He wanted the Southern life. Nothing more. So she found herself trying to control him, and then another girl came along.

In the present timeline, Danielle's daughter, Tessa, and her sisters discovered bones (human remains) in the woods behind their house. The woods and the house had been in her mother's family for a hundred years. Her husband was away at a conference, and now she must call Cady Benson, the local detective. They have a long history.

What happens next is a mystery of intense proportions. Cady leads the investigation. Who do the bones belong to on their land? What happened to Benji? Was it an accident? These questions will keep you on the edge of your seat as you delve deeper into the story.

My thoughts...

FAST BOYS AND PRETTY GIRLS is a compelling, moody, gritty, darkly layered mystery of the past. As dark secrets are unraveled, the truth will emerge, along with consequences, twists, and surprises.

Atmospheric and suspenseful, this is more than just a mystery. It's a poignant exploration of dysfunctional family dynamics, mother-daughter relationships, lies, secrets, dreams, desires, jealousy, obsession, and control. Murder?

By showcasing how greed and control transcend class, privilege, and urban-rural divides, the book offers a thought-provoking reflection on our society today.

No stranger to Southern tales and complex characters, the author delivers a compelling mystery that will keep you turning the pages.

Told from Danielle/Dani's POV, with dual timelines, readers get an inside view of the self-absorbed teen and her relationship with her mother, and, of course, her obsession with the bad boy. The dual timelines add depth to the story, allowing you to see how the past influences the present.

The author does an incredible job portraying the actions and innermost thoughts of a teenage girl from this age range. Great characterization. Defying parents, expressing their independence, forbidden first love (bad boys), and the desire to leave a small-town life behind,

As an NC native and an Atlanta resident for most of my media career, and with a beautiful log cabin in Big Canoe (North Georgia Mountains), I am always drawn to books set in the South, and the author knows her way around this genre.

Even though none of the characters were particularly likable, I think this was a realistic view of the time, place, setting, and situation in which these characters find themselves.

The multi-generational novel would make an ideal pick for book clubs and further discussions (questions included). It will appeal not only to YA readers but also to parents, mothers, and readers of all different ages who enjoy Southern fiction.

Recs...

The novel is for fans of Southern small-town crime mysteries, family dramas, literary fiction, and coming-of-age stories. For fans of the author and those who enjoy works by Diane Chamberlain, Stacy Willingham, Ken Jaworowski, Mary Alice Monroe, Julia Heaberlin, Kristin Koval, Amy Pease, Kelly Mustian, Suzanne Redfearn, Marybeth Mayhew Whalen, Megan Miranda, and Laura Lippman. (all favorites).

Special thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for the gifted advanced reading copy, provided via NetGalley, for my honest thoughts. As always, I love the cover, which draws you in.

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Pub Date: July 8, 2025
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