Jessamyn St. Germain (yep) knows she’s destined to be a star, she’s just biding her time with commercial work until she gets her well-deserved break. And her break WILL BE Maria Von Trapp in an upcoming theatre production of The Sound of Music. Even when her rival, Samantha, books the part instead hope is not lost because Jessamyn has been recruited as the onset nanny to keep the children actors in line. Not only will Jessamyn have time to perfect her performance *just in case* Samantha is unable to perform for some mysterious reason, but her relationship with the “Von Trapp” children further feeds her delusions.

She’s a Lamb! is an incredible display of a woman being pushed to spiral from ambition and entitlement and I LOVED every second. Jessamyn is vindictive and awfully unintentionally funny. You can resist as hard as you like but you will root for her until you come to your senses. The whole cast of characters is phenomenally written - they’re very strong archetypes but they don’t cross the line into cliche territory. All their relationships are simple and executed to a tee. I really cannot praise this cast enough, I couldn’t identify a single gap to be filled or a character that felt expendable.

I’m desperate to read more from Meredith Hambrock because even if you put this incredible story aside, everything is THERE! Pacing, great dialogue, tension, THE ENDING!!!!! I truly wouldn’t change a thing. This book is sharp, witty and refreshing and I highlyyyyy recommend.

Everything about this seemed like it was going to be perfect for me, sadly it just wasn't it for me.
I love an unlikeable character, but the character wasn't unlikeable due to being unhinged. The character was unlikeable because she had trauma that she hadn't worked through, and I didn't like how it was revealed to the reader.

This will be perfect for those that loved Maeve Fly by CJ Leede and the movie Your Monster (2024).

Many thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and the author for the ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

One word! UNHINGED, the only one required to describe our MC Jessamyn St. Germain. She is delusional and self-assured in the rose tinted glasses she is wearing and the entire narrative is basically a spiral through one woman’s narcissistic tunnel vision. Jessamyn is a 'struggling' actor who survives through doing small commercials and other small side jobs like working in the theatre as staff, but she knows for a fact that her break is right around the corner.

When she finds out about the Sound of Music production that is being produced at her local Vancouver theatre she knows there is no one else who can play Maria other than her however she ends up wrangling the von Trapp kids instead, now that’s clearly just a temporary oversight. Jessamyn knows the director is just keeping her close for when the real Maria inevitably crumbles. She’s not just ready to step in—she’s born for this. At least, in her own mind. What follows is nothing short of a hilarious train wreck with Jessamyn, her delusions and most despicable choices - It’s the kind of story where the humor lands precisely because it’s uncomfortably real—Jessamyn is so out of touch with reality, so blindly driven, that watching her misread every single interaction becomes a masterclass in satire. She can’t see herself clearly, and that’s the point. Other people only matter if they serve her story, and when they don’t? Well, they’re wrong. Obviously. And we have no choice but to be locked into her mind and her first person narrative - it's a trip being in her mind!

The genius here is in the narration—both on the page and in the audiobook. The writing is clever enough that we can read between the lines and see the truth she refuses to. Stephanie Willing’s audiobook performance hits that exact note of unhinged that makes Jessamyn both magnetic and unbearable in the best way. It’s completely entertaining and just a little bit unsettling.

The only other book that has been a trip like this was Yellowface but unlike June who we readers were plotting against - for Jessamyn we are sort of coaxed to root for even though we know this train is off the rails and going to crash.

She's a Lamb! was an entertaining enough audiobook, though I do feel like the "horror" classification had me constantly waiting for something to happen. It's definitely a lite on horror horror book, though I would say it has horror vibes throughout. Although, you could also say the main character Jessamyn St. Germain is a horror story herself in the way she is so narcissistic and delusional.

This is the kind of book where the main character will make you cringe nonstop. It's highly unlikely that you'll like her and she gets more and more delusional as the book goes on. Do people like this really exist? Sadly, the answer is probably yes. Jessamyn desperately wants to be a star, but she's having trouble getting parts in musicals. And is obviously too good to accept small roles or commercial acting jobs. As if. When she doesn't get the lead role in the Sound of Music and is instead asked to take care of the children, she begrudgingly accepts mainly because she thinks it will eventually give her an in to getting the role of Maria.

From there, we learn the full extent of Jessamyn's delusions and how far she'll go to get the leading role. She's a Lamb! isn't groundbreaking and isn't a scary gory kind of horror. But it was entertaining enough for me to listen to while I was cooking and cleaning to prepare for a dinner party. I wanted to yell at Jessamyn for most of the book, but I also just kind of felt super sad for her.

This book was absolutely hilarious. The main character was over the top and cringe-worthy at times (in a good way). I just felt it dragged in the middle. I would definitely recommend this to people with experience in theatre.

I am so thankful to ECW Press, Meredith Hambrock, Netgalley, and the audio publisher for granting me advanced access to this title before it hit shelves on April 8, 2025. It was rather eerie and right up my alley. I can't wait to promote it.

When you are the best in your field, well, according to you. You deserve the part you want. If you just make sure they can see you. If you can make the right event happen. Determined she deserves the lead in The Sound of Music Jessamyn undervalues everything else in her life. Even landing the lead in an up and coming show. She passes. She deserves The Sound of Music lead. She has to be ready to move from cast babysitter in an instant. She trivializes meaningful relationships and prioritizes her singing coach- no amount of coaching could get her to sing on key... But the show must go on, without the original lead.

What an incredible trainwreck I couldn't look away from! Jessamyn was such a delusional character that gave me Pearl and MaXXXIne energy. I loved reading about this unreliable narrator that would do absolutely anything to succeed in the very specific way she envisioned. I couldn't look away as this escalated to truly deranged levels of commitment from the character as she sabotaged herself and every other character around her to try and make her dreams come true. Extra stars because this is Canadian, this is an author I will watch for and support in the future with anything she releases.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

GURL WHAT
Love the confidence Jessamyn had in herself but my goodness, that confidence and her delusions were quite the combo. This girl is the reason everyone should have mental health evaluations yearly. I ate up every moment of her crazy and found my eyes bugging out of my face more than a handful of times. Listening to this was such a delight as you really felt like you were living this story as you go. The narrator's frantic energy and sleek confidence shone through so well.
Here's to the unhinged FMC's! May they never disappoint!

I came for the cover/stayed for the chaos.

She’s a Lamb! is more than just a Weird Girl Book! It's a dark, biting satire that dives headfirst into ambition, delusion, and the behind-the-scenes drama of community theater.

This story is sharp, uncomfortable, and very funny. The female main character, Jessamyn, is unhinged, but you still want to follow her just to see how far she’ll go. I loved how committed the book was to showing the blurry line between self-belief and full-on delusion. Her inner monologue is relentless and I was here for it. 💅

Stephanie Willing’s narration made it even more compelling. She nails Jessamyn’s obsessive energy and skewed confidence, giving her just the right amount of charm and desperation to keep you hooked.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ALC.

This audiobook is a heartwarming and witty romance that balances humor, vulnerability, and a touch of sass. The protagonist is relatable, with a strong inner voice that’s brought vividly to life through the narrator’s engaging performance. The audiobook flows smoothly, keeping listeners entertained with clever dialogue and well-pacedz there are a few moments felt slightly predictable, and some secondary characters could have used a bit more depth. Still, it’s an enjoyable, feel-good story that’s perfect for fans of character-driven romantic comedies. Definitely worth the listen!

Sometimes I start reading a book without reading the description, but I didn’t do that with this one and even so this book threw me for a loop!

This was a wild ride, following the downward, psychosis spiral of Jessamine St. Germain, who has the dreams and ambition of becoming a musical theatre phenomenon, but… Just doesn’t have the voice to pull it off or the acuity to realize that it’s not meant to be.

This is fascinating story told from a first person point of view by Jessamyn as she goes about her life from auditions and work and eventually snapping completely.

Narrator Stephanie willing does a great job voicing Jessamine and articulating her downward spiral. I felt like I was in the head of the character and hearing her thoughts through her own voice. The narration really does a great job and creates a surreal experience as Jessamine goes through the emotions and really has no clue what is actually going on around her.

This was one of those books I could not press pause on because I just had to keep going and see what happened next. It was absolutely wild!

a very camp and overall enjoyable novel, whose biggest strength is the very unique and instantly convincing voice of its protagonist.
the idea of a book centred around a rather delusional musical theatre actress who is trying to break through intrigued me, and i was pulled into the story straight away thanks to the brilliant characterisation of jessamyn, who’s an extremely unlikeable, unreliable but fascinating narrator.
as much as i enjoyed getting into this truly unhinged character‘s head, the pacing of the plot didn‘t quite work for me - the middle of the book dragged on a little bit, while the ending felt almost rushed. still, an interesting and entertaining read and very well narrated in the audio book version!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ARC Audio Copy!

This book was so entertaining I was absolutely sat for the entire story. The FMC is so Galinda coded and completely insufferable, but I just loved her so much. Following her downward spiral with an air of toxic positivity was so entertaining, and no matter what she did I was rooting for her the entire time. I will definitely be reading any other books by this author because they really know how to keep me absolutely hooked. I also highly recommend the audiobook on this one, the narrator did such a great job with portraying the story and I am not sure if reading the print version will translate quite as well because the voice acting portrayed so much of this story.

She’s a Lamb is an edgy, irreverent novel that I enjoyed immensely. Packed to the brim with satire and with a protagonist that is the very definition of morally grey. This book follows our MC Jessamyn as she descends (not so) slowly into madness and all out delusions of grandeur, the depths she will sink to to achieve her dreams are wild. This book is also surprisingly deep, it highlights the problematic obsession with ‘magical thinking’ as well as how repressing our history can cause so many problems in our present. There is a fine line between confidence and delusion and Jessamyn St. Germaine crossed the line miles back.
Despite this it is almost impossible not to feel some empathy for her, she really is a villain that you want to root for. Overall this is a deliciously compelling read with both heart and dark humour. I highly recommend.
The audiobook is a great way to read this book, the narrator did an excellent job of making this character come to life and it was very enjoyable to listen to.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this remarkable book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m rounding this one up because I kept reading to find out what was going to happen, and the audiobook narrator was really good. But it wasn’t the kind of book I enjoy. The main character, Jessamyn, is a terrible person. There is nothing to redeem her. So if you like reading gossip or social media posts about people behaving so badly that it’s impossible to relate to them because they are narcissists, then this one might be for you. I didn’t really enjoy it. Very sensationalist. I felt like it was trying to be Bunny but was just too plot driven.

Loveeee unreliable narrators, and this one was just that and more. Couldn't get enough of how out-of-touch and delusional the narrator was. So good! And so suspenseful!

(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

I loved reading this indie CanLit book SHE’S A LAMB! by Meredith Hambrock! It’s about Jessamyn, who tries to be the lead in The Sound of Music but ends up being the childminder for the kids in the cast. I loved the Vancouver setting and the humour in this novel. I loved how Jessamyn is such a larger than life character and super dramatic. She is an actress after all! I just loved the drama that kept escalating right until the end. This story would be great to see on screen one day! The audiobook narrator was great too!

This book was insane!! The main character was so unhinged, which made the book so good. The book gets crazier the more you read. It definitely kept me engaged and was hard to put down because I NEEDED to know what would happen next. If you like unreliable narrators, you will love this book. I also enjoyed the narrator, they were clear and easy to understand.

She’s A Lamb! is a dazzlingly unhinged dive into delusion, ambition, and the cult of Broadway dreams. Jessamyn, our protagonist, is equal parts hilarious and horrifying—a woman so consumed by her quest for stardom that reality barely stands a chance. Having attended performing arts schools myself, I found Hambrock’s satire disturbingly on point. The narrative is a slow-motion disaster you can’t turn away from—equal parts cringe, chaos, and brilliance. I laughed, winced, and muttered “oh no” more times than I care to admit.

Stephanie Willing’s narration brings Jessamyn’s unraveling to life with uncanny precision. She captures every unhinged monologue, every desperate attempt at reinvention, with a kind of gleeful dread that elevates the experience. What impressed me most was how the absurdity never overshadows the emotional truths underneath. Beneath the spiraling ego and theatrical meltdowns lies something sharp and strangely tender. It’s a comedy, yes—but one that stares unflinchingly at the cost of wanting to be seen. Unforgettable, unpredictable, and painfully funny.