
Member Reviews

It Should Have Been You
by Andrea Mara
Pub Date: Jan 13 2026
Have you ever sent a text to the wrong person or group? I think we all have. Sarah has accidentally sent a message to her neighborhood group chat, and it's not a nice one. She thought she was venting to her sisters about one of her haughty neighbors, and she may have mentioned the neighbor's husband bring wrapped around a young woman at a party. And that her snotty daughter is a brat. And her weird son was in trouble after a babysitting gig gone wrong.
As if all that isn't bad enough, the next day three people are found murdered and it all started with that message.
Good read, everything ties neatly together. Just when you think it can't get worse, it does, and all because of one mistakenly sent text.

If not for the bad language and sexual immorality in a child, this book would have been great. The first line, “I have to kill my sister,” hooked me. Why? How? What sort of crazies are in this book?! The plot that proceeded from that moment kept me hooked and guessing. It was fascinating to see how everything was interconnected. I especially loved how beautifully the paranoia Susan felt was written.
Content: profanity, expletives, marital affairs, bullying, sexual immorality in a child, suicide mentioned, alcohol, teen vaping implied, tobacco

An interesting thriller that explores a fear most everyone has had at some point - sending a text to the wrong person. Susan thinks she's sending a message to her sisters group chat but is actually posting it on the social media page. As secrets get exposed, a domino effect ripples throughout the community and reaches her family.
The first half of the book felt predictable and a little boring, but the second half surprised me and kept me turning the pages. The characters are unlikeable with pretty far fetched behavior, but that's what kept the story interesting in the end.

Ok it has been awhile since a thriller has actually kept me wanting to read “one more chapter.” But this book is written in crack format. I have had to fall asleep with it next to me, because I haven’t had a lot of time to read but I never want to put it down.
This is my first book by this author and I cannot wait to try more from her.
Very easy to read and understand, short quick chapters, mini cliffhangers that make you want to read the next chapter. I loved this one.

I could totally see this book being on my thriller/horror shelf! Exactly the type of book I life to review on my IG. It was a fun read, lots of fun twists, and I could see this book being very successful. All the elements of a great, un-put-downable read.

A great whodunnit right to the very end! So many twists and turns just because of a text on haywire! Thanks for this amazing ride with so many crazy cast of characters! Waiting to see what’s up next!

It is amazing how one text sent to the wrong thread can affect so many lives. This is the premise of It Should Have Been You by Andrea Mara. The book follows the lives of 3 families and how one venting throw away text Susan meant to send to her sisters-Leesa and Greta actually went to the Neighborhood thread impacts not just their family but others and their children. This story focuses on current time but does have flashbacks to tie the different story lines together. I like how the story focuses on many different viewpoints of those involved so you can follow what lead up to the text. I would recommend this be added to your Books to Read List! It does not disappoint. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Group/Viking Penguin for the advanced copy.

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: It Should Have Been You by Andrea Mara
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Thriller
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: January 13, 2026 (Re-release)
🇮🇪 Dublin, Ireland
🙌 Multiple POV
🍼 Postpartum Depression
💔 Spousal Infidelity
Everyone is crazy, everyone is cheating, and you won't know who to trust! This book is nonstop insanity from beginning to end! I loved how each piece of the puzzle slowly fell into place and how each of the characters stories intermingled. I was so stressed out, I almost felt like I was being gaslit with Susan! The different POV are done perfectly to keep you on edge!
If you're looking for a thriller filled with betrayals that will keep you on your toes until the end, If Should Have Been You is the perfect addition to your TBR.
Thank you so much Viking Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy.
⚠️ cheating, doxing, substance abuse, murder, bullying, outing

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for an E-ARC version of this book in exchange for an honest review. It Should Have Been You by Andrea Mara was a rollercoaster of a read! As a newcomer to the thrilling world of thrillers, I was intrigued from the very first chapter! The author masterfully depicted the explosive consequences of a social media blunder within a community and the dramatic aftermath of Susan’s actions. While the initial third of the book moved at a slower pace and introduced a multitude of side characters, the latter part of the novel surged forward with electrifying intensity. Despite some flat character portrayals and a few plot twists that were challenging to follow, I rated this book 3/5 stars.

Could you imagine sending a text to an entire neighborhood chat detailing secrets of a family you are ranting about you thought you sent to your sister group chat 😬😅 by the time you realize and delete it, it has been screenshot and shared everywhere and now 3 people have been murdered that are tied to it the very next day. Meanwhile you’re freaking out receiving threats that it should have been you!
Dun dun dun……
This thriller kept me on my toes the entire time!!! I felt myself picking it up to squeeze any amount of chapters I could between our busy ball schedules and car rides. There was so much drama, gossip, savage suburban women, murderous plots, and scandal to keep you going!
Thanks #Netgalley for the ARC, in exchange for my opinion!

Wow, what a ride this book turned out to be! An errant WhatsApp post that was meant to be private circulates through a neighborhood triggering a chain reaction of murders, attacks, break ins, and who knows how everything is connected. I loved how it all played out to the satisfying conclusion.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Penguin Group publishing for the advance reader copy. Publication date Jan 13, 2026

This book has a whole lot of characters with so many different subplots, that equals a lot of drama in this little neighborhood. I liked how all the characters were connected somehow and how it all came out in the end. The boom could've been a little shorter and tied it up a little quicker, but it was a lot of fun to read.

I am not gonna lie. The multiple timelines/povs can confuse me at times but nonetheless, this is a good summary for me because it is just enough pacing. Also, this just reminds me to be careful on the text that I send and make sure it is ready for the person and not a group blast.
I like how social media plays a role here because it is very timely for us.

My mind is still reeling! The non-stop twists, getting small bits of information at a time, constant time and POV changes. I could never guess what was going to happen next. It took me 4-5 chapters to get into the book but once I got hooked I was in it until I devoured every word.

Wow—what a fantastic read!
After a group text mistake spirals out of control, long-hidden secrets from people’s lives begin to unravel. The tension builds with every chapter, and by the end, my adrenaline was through the roof. This is a must-read!

Whew. I could NOT put this one down! I was hooked from the very first page, and with each flip to a new one, I was wholly enthralled. I loved the premise, how one text changed the course of these people’s lives forever. I loved the multiple POVs and how each person brought something new, some puzzle piece clicking into place. I loved the commentary on the lengths we’d go to in order to protect our families. All said, this book was INCREDIBLE.

Writing: 4
Plot: 5
Characters: 4.5
Impact: 3.5
Kept Interest: 4.75
I’m so glad I got this ARC from #NetGalley!
It Should Have Been You opens with a single, very relatable mistake: a new mom accidentally sends a message meant for her sisters to the entire neighborhood WhatsApp group. That moment sets off a chain of increasingly sinister events: threats, vandalism, and even murder, leading her to question whether she was the intended target or just caught in someone else’s crosshairs.
This book was done really well. Though told from a single first person narrative of one of the characters, different chapters center on different characters, and the dual timeline structure is sharp and purposeful. A plot thread that begins in one person’s narrative is often picked up and resolved later through someone else’s, creating a layered, twisty experience that always pays off.
It kept my interest from start to finish. The suspense was strong, the pacing tight, and the character dynamics believable without being over-explained. I appreciated how the story unfolded in a way that respected the reader’s ability to keep up. Smart, tense, and satisfying, this one’s definitely worth your time!

3.75ish stars. This definitely kept me on the edge of my seat but honestly the characters in this were truly insufferable. The author did a great job of switching POVs and still keeping a consistent flow to the story. I would be interested to know why Susan’s was the only POV told in first person and everyone else was third person
Thank you to NetGalley and Transworld for the advance review copy.

This book was set in South Dublin Ireland. It follows Susan as one small act has a ripple effect - changing, not only her life, but multiple lives forever. This is a great example of the Butterfly Effect. How one small act can cause a ripple of effects that can be out of control.
The chapters are short and from multiple character's POV. It was easy to read and kept me guessing who did what, who is telling the truth, and what happened when.
There were some twists that I did not see coming. I couldn’t help but cry while reading the final chapters of the book.
If you love a good mystery, this is the perfect book.

Drama filled messiness. Kept me guessing who was behind what at every turn. Never boring. Easy to follow while also being all over the place in all the drama.