It Should Have Been You was an enjoyable read for me. The plot line of the fallout and consequences of an ill sent message is very relevant to the social media age. This is my second Andrea Mara book and I am really liking her writing.

This was my first book by this author. So good! Couldn’t put it down. So many twists Loved it. Thank you netgalley

This book has everything I love in a thriller. It’s messy, diabolical, and full of twists. The unique premise had me hooked from the very first chapter. I had to know how Susan’s misdirected text was going to play out…and I was not disappointed. The only reason that I didn’t give this book five stars is just the long, long list of characters and connections between all of them. I love the short chapters, but the constant switch between POVs made it a bit hard to keep up with. I had to keep pausing and reminding myself who each character was and their role in the story. But overall, it was entertaining and I will recommend it to my fellow thriller readers!

Loved this thriller by Irish author by Andrea Mara. Susan means to send something snarky about her queen bee neighbor to her sisters, but accidentally sends it to her entire neighborhood WhatsApp group. She gets death threats, and wakes up to find that someone living at another version of her address has been murdered. It was complex but easy to follow - full of twists & turns. Def a cut above some of the thrillers out there.

The ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Comes out in the US in Jan 2026.

I literally could not put this book down! I was sneaking a chapter any time I could.
The premise was relatable (who hasn’t sent a screenshot or rant to the wrong person by mistake) and even though the way everything escalated was unrealistic, it had me hooked. There were numerous layers to the situation, and lots of characters and plot lines which kept things interesting.
I would have liked to see a bit more follow up after the main confrontation (the ending felt a bit rushed) but I appreciated the way the author tied everything together and connected the storylines.
This book would be perfect for fans of domestic thrillers

Book: It Should Have Been You
Author: Andrea Mara
Publisher: Penguin Group Viking Penguin
Pub Date: January 13, 2026

This was a fun book! It’s very realistic at times and very unrealistic at times. Susan, a new mom on maternity leave, accidentally sends a text to her WhatsApp group that was meant for her sister. And this was the part that was so realistic. I feel like this has happened to everyone at some point in their life. Maybe not as bad as this one but still happened nonetheless. This was a fast and easy read with several characters and each person’s story just builds off the other one. It wasn’t confusing for me at all which if anyone was going to get confused it would be me. The basic plot is 100 percent realistic and believable. Some of the twists not so much. I guess I was in the mood for this book because I didn’t take it too seriously and just enjoyed it.

Thank you Penguin Group Viking Penguin and NetGalley for this sneak peak! Publication date is January 13, 2026

This book defiantly kept me hooked the entire time and I did not want to put it down. Some many tangled up stories all rolled into one. I do feel as though it could've been shorten a bit. But the plot itself was fantastic!

This story is what you get when a bunch of dramatic people with zero impulse control watch one too many episodes of Desperate Housewives! It all starts with a not-so-nice text sent out to a community What's App group instead of to a private chat (oops) - and then we see all of the crazy fallout that happens afterwards. Really fun story, very fast-paced. I enjoyed this one and read it through in one sitting. Great weekend read!

Haven’t we all accidentally sent a text or an email to the wrong person?
Susan sends a gossip-filled text intended for her sisters to a neighborhood group chat by mistake-oops!
This careless oversight sets off a chain of events that lead to chaos, stress, secrets revealed, and even death!
It Should Have Been You is a fast-paced thriller! Buckle up for the twists in this story! Andrea Mara will keep the reader guessing from the very beginning of this book!

This was so fun! I couldn’t put it down and was on the edge of my seat. Easy one sitting binge read for sure they jeeps your interest and keeps you guessing! Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Umm.. I didn’t love this. I think the overall plot is a good idea but there were almost too many different directions. And because of that it read kinda slow and dragged on a bit. It did wrap up nicely but I wish it wouldn’t have wrapped up quite so perfectly. Nothing was as sinister as it seemed and just didn’t go the full mile for me.

Andrea Mara’s psychological thriller It Should Have Been You is a chilling, emotionally charged exploration of grief, guilt, and the lingering trauma of loss. With her signature blend of taut suspense and psychological depth, Mara once again crafts a story that grips the reader from the first page to the last.

This book had me hooked from page one—what a ride! It starts with one of the most anxiety-inducing scenarios ever: sending a message full of dirt on your neighbors… to the wrong group chat. Total nightmare fuel. And from there, it only gets darker, twistier, and more addictive.

Andrea Mara absolutely nails the slow-burn suspense while keeping the tension sky-high. The pacing is perfect, and the way the story unravels—one layer at a time—had me constantly second-guessing everyone. The vibes are very Desperate Housewives meets Gone Girl, with that creeping sense of paranoia and “someone’s watching you” energy that keeps you reading way too late.

There’s something about this mix of domestic drama, secrets behind closed doors, and a genuinely clever murder mystery that just works. Plus, that whole wrong house, right murder angle? So good. Creepy, smart, and feels way too real.

If you love thrillers with neighborhood drama, killer secrets, and a seriously bingeable plot, you need to read this.

Andrea Mara’s It Should Have Been You pulls you into the glossy, seemingly perfect world of Oakpark—until one innocent message sent to the wrong group sparks chaos and suspicion. Imagine typing out a private secret meant for your sister, only to accidentally broadcast it to your entire neighborhood via WhatsApp. Suddenly, everyone knows your business, and the rumors begin to fly. The story dives into the messy lives of neighbors, revealing secrets, lies, and petty grudges that make this community feel all too real. Things take a darker turn when the protagonist receives a death threat, and the murder of a woman with the same address as her sends shockwaves through the area. Is the killer targeting her? Or is someone playing a deadly game? While the premise is gripping and the pacing keeps you flipping pages, I found myself wishing for a bit more depth in the characters. The story sometimes relies on familiar tropes of small-town secrets, but Andrea Mara’s witty writing and sharp observations elevate the tale into something quite entertaining. It’s a fun, guilty-pleasure read—perfect for anyone who loves their neighborhood mysteries with a side of suspense and humor. Overall, It Should Have Been You delivers an entertaining ride with plenty of twists, even if some threads felt a little stitched together. Definitely a book that’ll make you glance suspiciously at your own WhatsApp groups!

This book had me hooked from the very first page. I was completely drawn in by the multiple perspectives, the dual timeline, and the short, fast-paced chapters. Andrea Mara’s ability to weave together so many characters and timelines seamlessly is a true testament to her storytelling talent. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, another twist would catch me completely off guard. Every element was intricately connected, making the story both gripping and unforgettable. I couldn’t put it down, and now I can’t wait to dive into her previous work!

What if one tiny mistake turned your entire world upside down?

Andrea Mara has delivered a razor-sharp, pulse-pounding domestic thriller that grabs you from the very first page and refuses to let go. It Should Have Been You starts with a relatable moment we've all dreaded-sending a private message to the wrong group chat. But for Susan O'Donnell, that mistake sets off a catastrophic chain of events that rip through her tight-knit suburban community with chilling consequences.

The premise is terrifying in its simplicity: a message meant for her sister-harmless gossip about the neighborhood's so-called "golden family" —lands instead in a community WhatsApp group. In seconds, it's seen, screenshotted, and shared, igniting a scandal that quickly escalates into something far darker. Lives unravel, secrets explode into the open, and the body count begins to rise.

Mara masterfully juggles multiple perspectives without ever losing the thread. The web of interconnected lives and backstories gives the novel real emotional depth, while the brisk, short chapters make it nearly impossible to stop reading. Every twist is clever, some jaw-dropping, and the suspense builds beautifully with each new revelation.

What stood out most was how real and flawed the characters felt-especially Susan, grappling with sleep deprivation, postpartum struggles, and the crushing weight of her mistake. The suburban setting, where everyone knows each other a little too well, adds a claustrophobic edge that enhances the tension.

This story perfectly captures the butterfly effect of a single impulsive act in the digital age, where privacy is fragile and reputations can shatter in moments.

It's a cautionary tale about tech, gossip, and the hidden lives behind closed doors. Mara's storytelling is sharp, addictive, and cinematic—I couldn't help but picture this as a binge-worthy drama series. If you're a fan of twisty thrillers with emotional punch, It Should Have Been You is absolutely worth the read.

When she accidentally sends a text to the wrong group, chaos erupts—not just in her own family, but across the entire community. Isn't that one of our biggest fears? This book quickly became one of my top reads of 2025. It was packed with twists and turns, constantly keeping me on my toes. Every time I thought I had it all figured out, another surprise was waiting. This was my first book by this author, and it definitely won't be my last!

This book was chilling. CHILLING.

You accidentally post a message meant for your sister for everyone in your neighborhood to see. It'll blow over soon, right? Right?!

Then comes the death threat. Then someone is murdered. Should it have been you?

It Should Have Been You in a suspenseful tale about what would happen if you sent a nasty text message to the wrong group and then it spread about your community causing tons of heartache and even murder!
Susan O’Donnell lives in a quiet Dublin neighborhood with her husband Jon, her beautiful four-month-old baby, Bella, and near her sisters, who have always been close. As fate would have it, in another neighborhood not far, with the exact same address, lives Savannah Holmes. Susan and Savannah often get one another’s mail!
Susan is a well-respected teacher in the community. When she unintentionally sends out a text message to the wrong group of people all hell breaks loose in her family as well as other families in the community! It is a suspenseful and fun book. I really enjoyed it.

It Should Have Been You by Andrea Mara is a tense, addictive thriller that pulls you in right from the start. When a woman’s sister is murdered and the wrong person might be in jail, the story spirals into secrets, guilt, and doubt. Mara keeps the suspense tight without overcomplicating things, and the twists actually land. If you like domestic thrillers that mess with your head just enough, this one’s a solid pick.