This is an honest and deeply moving memoir. The Author is incredibly brave, vulnerable and relentless in sharing so many details from her life. Thank you so much for sharing your story.

One of the most raw Memoirs I have read since “A Child Called It!”

In “Such a Pretty Picture” we dive deep into the life of Andrea. A little girl, whose life is turned upside down, after a nighttime bath! We are brought into her world as though we are her ghost reliving the past.

You never know what goes on in a seemingly decent home. Where parents thrive outside of the four walls and are proactive members in society, but really they are hiding the darkest secrets! My heart breaks for her in so many ways, but am happy to know she made a life for herself! Thank you NetGalley, She Writes Press and the Author for the opportunity to receive an ARC of this memoir!

Such a Pretty Picture by Andrea Leeb

This powerful memoir is one survivor’s story of experiencing sexual abuse at the hands of her father. Both gripping and heartbreaking, her story begins with her father touching her during a bath when she was four years old. When her mother walks in and sees what is happening, her mother starts to suffer from a case of hysterical blindness lasting several months. As her mother recovers and pretends she didn’t see what she saw, Andrea continues to suffer more abuse at the hands of her father. As an adult, she first begins to verbalize what happened to her to her therapist and enters a program for those who suffered trauma and begins the steps to heal.

This was a book I could not put down. I read it one day. I felt a full range of emotions reading this book, both saddened and angry for what she had to endure. I’m not usually one who reads memoirs as I tend to find them dry and boring. But this book and Andrea’s story stuck with me. Easy to read but hard to look away. There were several times during the reading I wanted to crawl into the story and help her while also wanting to shake the adults in her life to get them to realize what was happening to her. I’m really glad she was able to get help as an adult and heal from such a painful childhood.

"A Vivid Memoir of Survival, Silence, and Self-Reclamation"

Andrea Leeb’s Such a Pretty Picture is a raw and affecting memoir that peels back the carefully curated surface of a life lived under the shadow of narcissistic abuse. With emotional honesty and a painter’s eye for detail, Leeb explores the trauma of growing up in a home where appearances mattered more than reality and the long, often painful road to reclaiming her own voice.
This isn’t just a story of surviving trauma; it’s one of untangling identity, embracing vulnerability, and ultimately healing. Leeb’s writing is vivid and intimate, and while the subject matter can be heavy, her resilience shines throughout.
I gave it 4 stars for its powerful storytelling and emotional depth. Some parts were difficult to read not due to the writing, but because of the painful truths they expose. A moving and worthwhile read for anyone exploring the impacts of narcissistic family dynamics.
Thank you to NetGalley and She Writes Press for the ARC.
#SuchaPrettyPicture #NetGalley #Memoir #TraumaHealing #SheWritesPress

This was a dark, intense read, I'm not going to lie. But it's was very well written and worth reading.

This was sad but still a good read. I’m not a parent but I plead with those who are to listen to your children. Take action early and don’t wait too late it’s harmful if you do. Such a hard book to read but necessary. It’s hard to read when one parent is taken advantage and another parent is ignoring the truth and the child or children think something is wrong with them. Check the trigger warning ⚠️

This was a well-written and terribly sad memoir, though the writer does become an incredible person and advocate by the end..
Leeb does a good job of describing her childhood, her parents and the effect of her abuse. The parents let her down and sold her out at every turn, blaming her and calling her “hysterical,” even though they both knew the truth. Leeb’s parents cruelty was truly heartbreaking, and I’m so glad she was able to address the pain and turn it around to help others.

I walked away feeling impressed by how Leeb could overcome her childhood and find happiness for herself. I would recommend this book to others, though it is tough to read.

I do not like rating memoirs because it is a persons life story, not a made up work of art. This was an interesting read!

The abuses that children endure by those who are supposed to love and protect them is heartbreaking. Such a pretty picture follows Andrea from early childhood through adulthood. Starting at the age of 4 and continuing for over a decade Andrea is abused by her father while her mother knowingly allows it to continue. The resulting shame and emotional turmoil profoundly effect her future relationships. Her long journey of healing and recovery speak to her resilience and determination to overcome her circumstances and use her experiences to benefit others. Thank you to NetGalley and She Writes Press for the ARC of the is book .

I received a free copy of, Such a Pretty Picture, by Andrea Leeb, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a very hard read, I cant imagine being sexually abused by my father, and having such a cold hearted mother. This is a touching and heavy memoir. It seemed like all the adults in her life failed her, so sad.

Such a heartbreaking story. I was well written but hard read because the subject. It very brave of her to write her story. I would recommend this memoir.

This was such a sad book. I loved how the author reconciled with her mother before her mother's death but the story itself was so sad. I could feel for the author and her childhood, and her sister as well. It was incredibly heartbreaking and very realistic.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from netgalley. All opinions were my own. I was not obligated to write a review.

This memoir broke my heart into million pieces and i can’t put it back together. I will never understand how people can do such horrible things to one another and be okay with it. Andrea’s story was heartbreaking but so necessary to read. You never know what’s happening behind closed doors. And too many people close their eyes and pretend not to the abuse that’s happening in front of them.

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review..

**Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This author was incredibly brave to publish this memoir, and I give her so much credit for taking the huge steps it took to get here today. Thank you for sharing your words with the world because they are powerful & might be just what someone needs to hear to start their own healing journey.

This story was powerful and at times hard to read, but we know that going into it. Make sure to check trigger warnings before opening a book about childhood rape trauma and incest. I feel like an asshole saying that I expected it to be more detailed and graphic. There really were maybe two scenes that she put the details into, but she still did not get overly graphic. I was a little afraid that the whole entire book would be too graphic or too hard to read…almost like Lolita without all the fluff. This book was not written to disturb the reader with details, but it was more written to share the author’s life experiences…how her life revolved around the abuse and the ways in which it defined her as a person.

The opening story was shocking because she was only four and a half years old in the bath scene. The details of exactly what happened here were just not there. Her father had his hand on her privates, but we aren’t sure exactly what he was doing outside the tub. We are left to assume his penis was out of his pants because her mother “went blind” from whatever it was that she saw. This scene is referenced so many times throughout the book, but we never actually find out the details of what happened. The abuse from her father is never really mentioned in detail throughout the book (except for the one time where she mentions his fingers inside of her), but she went into pretty graphic detail on the rape scene in the woods. I’m not sure if that was to save the feelings of her sister reading the story, or if that was done for any other reason…it was just something I noticed while reading. All of the rape scenes were disturbing, obviously, but it’s something I noticed while reading and was curious about.

The only reason I chose to leave four stars instead of five for this memoir is because at times the story seemed very unorganized. The ending was all about healing, and that seemed like it was organized better…the epilogue was fantastic, moving, and brought tears to my eyes. I just hope the editor can help with the organization of the first 3/4 of the book. This may have been the first arc I have read with so many typos and editing errors, but I assume all of that will be fixed before the book gets published…of course.



Spoilers?! Not sure if you know how this book ends or not…







Overall, I would commend this author for coming out with her story. Some of it was very hard to read, but books like these can seriously help someone struggling in the same manner. Her bravery and healing can be someone else’s saving grace. I’m happy she finally found peace, but her continuing to have a relationship with her parents through healing greatly confused and angered me. I understand her mother was very important to her, but I do not understand how it was more important than her healing. I am just happy that it all worked out for her in the end.

I typically don't provide star-ratings for memoirs, but since this is an ARC I will be providing a rating. Andrea's story is heartbreaking and what her and her sister went through is something children should ever have to experience. While reading this, I wanted to scream for her and I wanted to yell at her mother for pretending nothing was happening.

This book brought out so many emotions and the number of adults that let Andrea down in her life was painful to read about.

Thank you to NetGalley and She Writes Press for an eARC of this memoir in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly a big thank you for my opportunity to read and review .
This is a powerful hard hitting emotive read that offers the reader an insight into a deeply troubling and traumatic childhood . As a result this impacted her later years to a great extent .
It’s articulated in a raw and profound way that will definitely leave its mark.
A excellent book that captures the inner strength. And bravery people go through to live .

I knew when I requested this book it was going to be heartbreaking to get through and it was. It's written in a spare or clinical manner which really serves to reinforce the distance the victim places between herself and the abuser in order to survive. Although the author pursues therapy, it's evident that sexual abuse trauma never really goes away. I am glad the author was able to write this book. I'll never understand how a parent could commit such acts nor a mother enable the abuse of her child by pretending not to see it. My only complaint, and it is understandable, is that the abuser seems to not be held accountable. I wanted to know more of what he said when confronted. I notice we never were given his name even though we knew the mother's full name.

Thank you to NetGalley and She Writes Press for an advance copy.

This was a deeply touching, raw, and emotional memoir. Although hard to read at times, it was also hard to put down. I don’t normally post trigger warnings in my reviews, but I feel that this book may be too triggering for some. The major triggers in this memoir are: incest, SA, self-harm, and betrayal.

This memoir is broken down into Three Parts. In Part One (1962-1969), at only 4 1/2 years old, Andrea’s father gives her a bath for the first time. Her mother walks in and catches her father doing something very bad. Andrea’s mother then faints, and wakes up blind. Her mother is admitted to a hospital for two weeks, and still cannot see due to “hysterical blindness”. However. Andrea’s mother (Marlene) thinks this happened because her husband was giving their daughter a cold bath… In the meantime, it is to be just Andrea and her father’s ‘secret’ as to what happened.

In Part Two (1969-1981), Andrea was going through her teenage years learning that she had no boundaries. She was taken advantage of by boys, and could not form a healthy, meaningful relationship with a boyfriend. As Andrea went away to college she was achieving everything she wanted academically, yet she was falling apart physically and emotionally. She began to have recurring flashbacks from her childhood and her times with her father (and the ‘secrets’ they shared together). Andrea sees a psychiatrist for the second time in her life, and he fails to believe her and makes her question her reality.

Part Three (1989-1992), an incident happens to Andrea on the subway in NY, which once again triggers her past. She finds a new female therapist, one she can finally open up to. She then goes to a 12 day recovery/grief program, where she is able to open up for the first time in her life. This was heartbreaking as no one had ever believed her in the past, and she was betrayed by the people who were supposed to protect her.

The Epilogue along with the rest of the book was just phenomenal. This is one memoir that I highly recommend reading. The author also indicates that 25% of all royalties will be donated to RAINN (The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network). Absolutely remarkable!!

Many thanks to NetGalley, She Writes Press, and the author for an advanced digital copy of this book, in which I had the pleasure of reading.
Publication date: October 14, 2025
Genre~ Biographies & Memoirs, Nonfiction (adult)

Andrea Leeb did a phenomenal job in writing and sharing her life with us readers. This is such an emotional read, and I have to say I had to step away a few times because it was too hard to read. As a mother myself, I can not phathom not believing my child or worse, turn a blind eye!

She went through so many hardships in her life, and I felt devastated for her when no one believed her. So many people failed her! I felt upset with her father (a monster if you ask me) and her mother for not protecting her child. For putting a man before her children.

I am so happy Andrea was able to free herself from that prison and broke free of those chains. She is a very resilient woman, and I am so honored to have read about her life.

I hope she keeps thriving and living her best life 🫶🫶

This is absolutely a 5 🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟 read for me!! If I could give it more, I would!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, and She Writes Press for this phenomenally written ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I found this to be a brave and heartfelt memoir that was easy to read. I enjoyed the author's writing style and vulnerability in sharing her story. While difficult to read at times due to the nature of the author's experience, I find the topics important for empathy and greater understanding. Generally I enjoy this genre, and appreciate real, raw stories like this.