Made You Look promises a glamorous escape full of social media drama, enviable fashion, and (of course) secrets lurking behind sparkling smiles. Sydney Kent is the ultimate It Girl — beautiful, charismatic, and seemingly untouchable. But as the storm traps everyone in a remote Catskills retreat, all that glitz starts to crack. Caitlyn, trying to carve out her own space in Sydney’s shadow, and Lucy, forever snapping pics of their influencer friend, find themselves stuck in a snowed-in nightmare where appearances mean nothing when a murder shakes the group up. The twists keep coming, and I have to admit, the layers of lies, scandal, and reality TV-style reveals kept me flipping pages. That said, while the plot is juicy enough to satisfy fans of celebrity gossip meets whodunit, some characters felt a little one-dimensional, and the pace occasionally lagged as the storm raged on. Still, if you're craving a blend of glamour, mystery, and social media sass — with a side of danger — Made You Look delivers plenty of entertainment. Just don’t expect a deep dive into character psychology; this is more about the spectacle and suspense than nuanced storytelling. Overall: a flashy, fun, and slightly frosted ride — worth a look if you’re in the mood for murder with your makeup tips.

I couldn't get into this one, it just didn't work for me. Influencer trope is one of my favorites, but this one just did not do it for me. I had to DNF.

Sydney is an extremely popular influencer who gets invited to film a behind the scenes adventure a new retreat in the Catskills before it has its grand opening. She brings her best friend and photographer Lucy, fellow influencer Caitlin, boyfriend Jeff, stylist Nash, and her manager Brent (who invites himself along.)

While the scenery is majestic, things turn deadly as a blizzard traps the group and the guests start dying. Will the rest of them make it out alive?

Influencers are one of my favorite tropes, so Made You Look was a book I couldn't pass up. I'm glad I dove in because this novel by Tanya Grant delivers a solid, nail biting thriller that flays influencer culture down to its bones.

The characters are well developed and the scenery of the spooky, secluded newly constructed resort brings the eeriness. 4.25 stars for this hard to put down thriller.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

A high-altitude spa retreat. A group of influencers. A storm that cuts them off from the world. What could possibly go wrong?

In Made You Look, Tanya Grant delivers a high-octane, page turner that follows TikTok star Sydney, her sharp-eyed photographer Lucy, and rising influencer Caitlin as they arrive at an exclusive wellness resort days before its official opening. The goal? Content creation, relaxation, and a little partying in the mountains.

But when a surprise blizzard hits, cutting off access and power, the group’s curated plans dissolve quickly. Supplies dwindle, the isolation creeps in. This is quickly forgotten when someone turns up dead.

What starts as a glamorous getaway turns into a nightmare as it's clear that someone is hunting them.
Packed with sharp dialogue, quick action and snowy atmosphere, this is a book you can't help but read in one sitting.

#Berkley #MadeYouLook #TanyaGrant #InfluencerThriller #RetreatGoneWrong

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Made You Look has a pretty compelling premise and since I’m always interested in how authors are able to look at the rise in influencer culture in fiction (especially thriller fiction), I knew I needed to read this. I’m very glad I did, and I’ll definitely be recommending it to others whose tastes run the same.

Sydney is queen influencer here, but not actually a direct perspective in the book. Instead we follow the action when Sydney and her group get snowed in in a remote Catskills location through Lucy, her longtime best friend and now a photographer on her payroll, and Caitlyn, a fellow influencer. The best perspective was that of the audience viewing live reels on Sydney’s socials. Of course the twist is extra twisty and while it took a while to get there, I enjoyed the build up and exploration into the group’s dynamic, their places in Sydney’s world, and the secrets that were dropped.

If you’re intrigued by influencers and a fan of thrillers, this is a solid read (when you’re warm and cozy) to get hooked into.

3.5/5

This the White Lotus for influencers, that's the vibe this is giving.

This follows a group of "friends" (influencers who work together) that go to a retreat in the Catskills. They're there to make content and to be influencers, but then they start to get murdered. But that's not their only problem, there's also a snowstorm going on. The group is trapped with a killer and no way of communicating with the outside world.

There is drama, there are secrets, and there are silly arguments about being an influencer and being cancelled.

This definitely had quite a slow start, but it really picked up at the end to create a very fun and dramatic reveal and ending. I was definitely satisfied with the end of this book and really think it pulled the whole thing together.

I thought this was a fun and quick read and I would definitely want to see it as a movie or a tv show. It really feels perfect for that.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

Two highly competitive influencers, and their significant others are invited to spend an all expense paid vacation, that quickly becomes a nightmare when an unknown and unseen assailant goes on a killing spree