Giving Big Brother vibes for a household being watched 24/7 and drama (minus the drug addicts in therapy). It was a bit hard to get in to at first, lots of characters and lots of moving pieces. I didn't really find any of the characters likeable. Was ok, but not one of my favorites.

Thank you to Netgalley, and Lucinda Berry for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date for One in Four is May 13, 2025

Dr Laurel Harlow is the in-house substance abuse therapist on a reality show featuring former child stars now going through various stages of addiction. When one of the stars turns up dead, fingers start pointing in her direction, and Dr Harlow has some secrets of her own she’d like to keep hidden. One In Four had a promising, if unusual premise, and that, plus this author’s past works, drew me into the book. But the plot varied widely from that suggested premise, and it just never recovers. The book tries to explore several sensitive subjects, including suicide, rape and violence against women, but those topics get muddled under a perfect storm of terrible characters, unlikely plot developments and wild scenarios that the message unfortunately gets lost, as the reader cares about exactly no one due to their despicable actions and improbable situations. Huge disappointment in this one. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lucinda Berry's latest thriller was chock full of all the suspense. Dr. Laurel Harlow has recovered from years of addiction, and is now a well-renowned therapist. When she is given a life-changing opportunity to host a reality TV show with recovering child actors, she is hesitant, but ultimately agrees to do so. At first, things are going well and Laurel feels like she is really making a difference in the lives of the contestants. Until one tragic evening when one of the members of the house ends up dead.

Laurel is devastated and terrified. How could things have gone so wrong, so quickly? Also, who could possibly be responsible for such a heinous and senseless death? Laurel begins to question not only the other members of the house, but even those in her own personal sphere. It becomes abundantly clear that someone close to Laurel is responsible for this tragedy. But who? And why?

As Laurel struggles to find out the truth, she encounters an evil that is closer than she ever knew. And that evil is determined to make Laurel pay for the skeletons that are in her own (deep) closet.

Overall, this was a good read, but the ending fell a little flat for me. However, if you like the rest of Berry's books, I would recommend that you check this one out as well.

Ｅｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ
3.5 ☆
Dr. Laurel Harlow can't believe she's agreed to do a reality TV show. Treating a mansion full of former child stars on the road to recovery is the most challenging assignment of her career—especially when one of them turns up dead while the cameras are rolling.

I'm not sure how I really feel about this book. I think I'll just rant about what I liked or disliked about the story, and hopefully, that will give you an idea of how I felt. I loved that this book isn't 400+ pages and is pretty straightforward. I liked that we got two different points of view, one from Laurel and the second from a mystery person.

The ending sucked; I didn't like it at all. But that's just my opinion.

Now, would I recommend this book? Heck, yeah, I would! I mean, it's Lucinda Berry! Definitely read it.

Thank you. Netgellay, and Thomas & Mercer for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This book does deal with heavy elements, but Once again Lucinda know how to write a thriller. That will keep you on the edge of your seat. Once you think you know how will go. Nope, she throws a curveball straight at you. So yes I totally recommend this book.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Pub Date: 5/13
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The Comeback Kids was a reality TV show where former child stars overcome addiction, until one of them is murdered. Dr. Laurel Harlow was the chemical dependency counselor but quickly becomes the number one suspect when evidence begins adding up against her. It's time to face her past as she hunts down the person who is targeting her.
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I instantly became hooked to this story right from the start. Berry doesn't hesitate for a second to kill off a character right in the beginning either. I was hooked to the idea of a reality show of former child stars that are not undergoing addiction treatment. I love how Berry brought light to the side of addiction and really gave the reader some glimpse into each of the characters on the show. I felt like I could really feel the pain that they were going through, losing a costar so dramatically. I also really appreciated the details that went into the explanation of the different methods that can be used for addiction treatment. I feel like its important to understand that not all types of recovery programs will work for everyone.
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One in Four was told in dual (of such) timelines. The main timeline being told through the eyes of Laurel and the second being a past timeline by "her". Now throughout the entire book I was constantly shifting my thoughts on who I believed to be "her". This had a pretty steady pace throughout the entire book. I found myself wanting more and more to figure out what happened to Maddie and "her". I actually audibly gasped from a few of the twists that Berry through in there; the one basically gutted me. Bravo to you Lucinda Berry for taking this story in that direction because it was not what I expected, and I loved every second of that ending.
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Overall, this was a huge win for me, I love a good psychological thriller that has me gasping at the twists and endings. I think that fans of Berry or psychological thriller fans will love this one. Be sure to check it out! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Lucinda Berry and Thomas and Mercer the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
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*There are definitely numerous trigger warnings for this book, so if you plan to read it, please be sure to check the list of content warnings before starting.*

This book has a dark subject matter and definitely some psychological twists. This kept me reading until the end. The ending left me sad which i feel was the intention for the book. If you like the twists of Lucinda Berry you sill love this book. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an arc.of this book.. .

This book was moving along and then takes a drastic turn! Revenge is a bad thing for our protagonist. Lots of twists.

This author always hits it out of the park with her plots and characters and pacing. I like that her books are gritty and real
Thanks to Netgalley for letting me review book and the publisher

If you love books that get under your skin, shock you with their raw honesty, and stay with you long after you’ve finished, then Lucinda Berry is the author for you.

One in Four follows Dr. Laurel Harlow, a chemical dependency counselor who joins a reality show 📺 where celebrities try to overcome their addictions under public scrutiny. But when one of the participants dies ☠️, things take an unexpected turn. The reality show—and the story—don’t go the way anyone imagined. Instead, it turns into a gripping search for the truth. Every page pulls you in, and with Lucinda’s sharp storytelling, the pieces slowly come together to reveal a dark reality.

Lucinda Berry doesn’t hold back. She shines a light 💡 on the darkest corners of human nature—the twisted personalities, the betrayals, and the uncomfortable truths we often try to ignore. When most would look away, Lucinda dares us to confront the things we fear most. This ability to acknowledge the things that terrify us, but that are very much real, is what makes her such a priceless author. ♥️

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opporunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This book went in one direction for the first forty perecent and then the last sixty percent of the book went in a completely different direction and took a strange turn. I’m not mad at it. I was just very shocked with the way the storyline went.

The book starts out with a murder in a inpatient treatment centre for addiction, called Crystal Meadows. It’s also part of a reality TV show about celebrity addicts getting clean. One of the celebrities, Maddie, is found deceased and our main character. Dr. Laurel Harlow is called to the scene by the crew.

As they try to discover what has happened to young Maddie, the young celebrity who died on screen on-set, the police believe that it is a murder, and they will believe that Laurel may be their main suspect which Laurel is very surprised to find out that she is thei main suspect.

This was my first book by this author, I have kind of mixed feelings about it. I’ve heard great things about this author and her other works and I will definitely be checking out more books by her.

I’m a huge fan of reality tv so this story grabbed me quick. A recovery reality show? Yes, please! I was in but about half way, the plot fell away. I can feel all the research poured into Lucinda’s books. I was highlighting facts instead of enjoying the storyline. Then, the abrupt ending threw me. It had great potential but fell flat for me.

I have moved all books by Lucinda and this was no exception! The storyline pulls you in almost immediately and keeps you reading. The time jump on certain chapters keeps you wondering and I definitely was not expecting the ending. Another great read from Lucinda!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC. My first novel by this author and certainly not my last. Everytime I thought I knew where the story was going, I was shocked by the twists and turns! The ending left a bit to be desired which is why I docked a star…but what a ride!

I've enjoyed Lucinda Berry's past books but I'm not sure how I feel about this one. The first half centered around a reality show based in a sober house of celebrities. When one of them dies, it creates chaos and confusion. But halfway through there's a twist so big that it completely changes the story and it's like it becomes a different book altogether. The ending left me with some questions as well.

The amount of belief that I have to suspend in order for this story to really make sense is just too much. The writing is simple. The characters are uninteresting and utilize absolutely no common sense. This was a miss for me.

Lucinda Berry is an auto-read for me. I will read anything writes. In true Lucinda fashion this book had morally and ethically questionable situations with no lack of gorey descriptions.

I truly enjoyed this book and was thoroughly engaged, however....there is a shift about half way through where the focus changes a lot and it just doesn't tie together the way I would have liked it to. A little disappointed in the ending but I still enjoyed the writing, as always, and Lucinda's dramatic flare for jaw dropping visuals of disturbing topics.

I love all of Lucinda’s books. This one took me a little bit to get through, I wasn’t a fan of the begining however by the end… omg Lucinda makes you truly think about what you’d do in these situations and I wasn’t expecting what happened at all. So good there’s a reason this woman is my favorite.

Wow! Lucinda has done it again! This book kept me on my toes from the very beginning. I had no idea what to expect going into this book per usual with Lucinda because I usually go in blind, this story took a lot of unexpected turns. I wish there was more to Gias story after the event that takes place! There are some heavy topics in this book with detailed descriptions so I would definitely check trigger warnings, but overall really enjoyed this book!

Lucinda Berry does it again. This is such a unique concept. It puts a spin on traditional rehab for addiction and turns it into a reality TV show but then murder happens. One of the former child stars living in this "big brother" house is found dead. What happened? Who did it? In typical Berry fashion, I absolutely could not guess this one and it left me with my mouth hanging open in the end. Be aware that this is dark and could contain some triggers for some. There is drug abuse, homelessness, addiction, and suicide among other things. Lucinda Berry is an auto-buy author for me and this book did not disappoint.