I know what the author was going for but I really didn't love it. This one just made me so angry. The incident was so preventable and I just can't deal with how much I hated Rachel.

The ending was so abrupt and I just really wanted to see the carnage at the end.

So all in all I didn't love this.

The narrator was great though.

*Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC! All opinions are my own.*
3.5/5

This was a fun read, for sure. Very gripping! The narrator did a wonderful job at capturing the main character's personality in her performance. I think the author did a great job in capturing the teenage experience of having a crush, wanting to feel accepted by said crush, all those awkward and crazy feelings. I will say, this book's plot requires a small amount of suspending disbelief as there is some formulaic thriller tropes used to make it all come together, BUT if you just, god forbid, have a good time? This book is an immersive good time. I think to take this book at face value is to do it a disservice. Give it a shot and let yourself sit with it for a while. Let yourself play in the space the author has created for you. Let her do her thing, y'know.

I think what I'm saying is like.. go in blind maybe? Some reviews I'm seeing are too harsh and it's gonna ruin any fun you might have had if you take that in with you. She's an experience!

The problem with most moral dilemma/privilege dilemma novels is that the book is going to tell you exactly which side of that dilemma you should be on, and that means there’s no real dilemma at all.

I’m not particularly disagreeing with the “correct” answer according to this novel, more that there isn’t much story in a dilemma novel absent actual dilemma.

This is also pretty much the same story of class and privilege that we always get, populated by the same people doing the same things, with little originality or nuance.

Everyone involved is fairly unlikable. We’re supposed to hate the aunt, a messy, entitled addict, and her husband, a messy entitled weasel. But the problem is that it’s hard to like Rachel too, whose naïveté is more irritating (not to mention damaging) than charming. She’s not especially sympathetic.

And unfortunately neither is Claudia. She’s certainly a symbol for injustice, but characters reduced to symbolism rarely move readers. She’s a slightly more sympathetic character in a sea of unsympathetic characters, but she’s not really any more likable in the end.

All of this adds up to a narrative that slogs through the same place readers have been hundreds of times, chiding but not enlightening, depressing but not engaging. Skip this and read some Kiley Reid or Herman Koch instead.

I actually really enjoyed Greenwich, even though it was definitely a weird one at times. The writing kept me hooked, but I found the main character a bit unlikeable—especially with how she treated Claudia and her college friend. That said, the book does a great job capturing the messiness of life and the complexity of human relationships. It’s one of those reads that leaves you sitting with it for a while afterward, even if you’re not quite sure how you feel about everyone involved.

Full disclosure - I had already read this ARC and loved it. I was curious what I would think of the book with a narrator - a voice and reading style that wasn't my own and it did not disappoint! Welcome Kate Broad to my personal list of author's I will follow and be excited about what they are publishing next! This book is dark and tragic and feels realistic with complex characters. It examines race, gender, privilege and familial relationships. Obviously it is not a "feel good" kind of read but it's the kind of read that makes you think, reflect and look to deepen our understanding of the world around us. This book is well written, the storyline well crafted and the characters were well developed. Grateful for the opportunity to read this! Big thanks Kate Broad, St Martin's Press and NetGalley for both the ARC and an opportunity to listen to the story as well. Thoroughly appreciated the opportunity to do both! 4.5 stars!!!

Greenwich by Kate Broad is a stylish and atmospheric debut that pulls readers into the lives of the elite with sharp prose and simmering tension. Set in the affluent Connecticut town of Greenwich, the novel explores ambition, power, and the carefully curated façades people maintain—especially when there’s something to hide.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Greenwich releases July 22, 2025

I definitely think the comparison to Celeste Ng lead to having false expectations.
At no point in the narrative was I hooked or invested, and I can’t see the author’s purpose in villainizing and incarcerating a young queer Black woman… am I supposed to sympathize with the white privileged woman abusing opioids and her sorry attempt at an apology after facing years of guilt?
There was no nuance or meaningful commentary in regard to the marginalized communities the author purposely targeted, nor was there sufficient character growth shown from those that harmed the Black character.

Set in the summer of 1999, Greenwich follows 17‑year‑old Rachel Fiske, who arrives at her wealthy aunt and uncle’s estate in Greenwich, Connecticut, ostensibly to assist her aunt’s recovery from injury—a welcome escape from her troubles back home
Fragmented and emotionally adrift in a world of privilege, she forms a charged and intimate friendship with Claudia, the Black, recent‑college‑graduate nanny. When a tragic accident occurs, the family unites to protect their social standing by pinning blame on Claudia. Rachel, the sole witness, is torn between speaking the truth and safeguarding her future—and what she chooses has devastating consequences.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this digital audio e-arc.*

Although not the main theme here, this book was so nostalgic for me. Predominantly set in the late 1990s, the references to AIM and Alanis Morisette and car phones painted such vivid and personal images for me.

This was a book about money and secrets and status and race and assumptions and guilt. It was about addiction and deception and entitlement and illusion.

Rachel was having perhaps the best summer of her life with Claudia, until her eyes were opened and everything fell apart.

I loved the differences in the three female leads (four if you’re counting young Sabine, and I absolutely am). Hearing their voices and their priories and their desires and their struggles was so interesting, and the audio recording of this novel really brought the story to life for me.

I really enjoyed that the story was told retroactively, so we know a little bit about where Rachel is going to end up but absolutely nothing about the road that is going to take her there.

Broad’s debut novel was well-written and thought-provoking; I’m always fascinated by the lives (both true and fictional) of the uber-wealthy, so this book was definitely one I was invested in from the start.

Kate Broad's stunning debut novel, GREENWICH, is a haunting, complex, and moody slow-burn domestic suspense, family drama, and coming-of-age story, both atmospheric and introspective, with highly charged themes of class, sexuality, power, race, and identity, offering a glimpse into the darkest consequences of privilege.

Brilliantly exploring how our actions shape our common world, and how the stories we tell ourselves about those actions influence their meaning.

Audiobook...

Immersing myself in both the e-book and the audiobook, I was captivated by the talented Imani Jade Powers' performance. Her narration perfectly captures the mood, setting, and essence of each character, making for an engaging and captivating listening experience. I highly recommend the audiobook, which brings the story to life.

About...

Rachel (Boston) decides she wants to visit the summer with her wealthy aunt and uncle in Greenwich, CT and their lovely estate before college.

She has made some mistakes, and her mom is too busy with her younger, sick sibling and thinks it will be a new adventure.

Her aunt Ellen has suffered a fall from a horse, and she is in a lot of pain. She was supposed to be there to help out; however, did she help out?

Her uncle is so obsessed with business that her glamorous aunt is taking pain pills (which Rachel gets into), and the three-year-old toddler, Sabrine, is being cared for by the live-in nanny, Claudia (black).

Claudia is not much older than Rachel, but she appears to be more mature and focused, and knows her place. She does not want to lose her job, as she is dedicated and needs the money.

On the other hand, Rachel is bored and is enamored and obsessed with Claudia.

However, things get out of control and a tragedy occurs. What happens thereafter will change the trajectory of their lives.

My thoughts...

GREENWICH is an impressive debut and is prime for the small or big screen. Rachel is not a likable character and seems always to play the victim. The author delves deep into her character and how she sees all the characters through her eyes, offering a psychological depth that will keep you intrigued and engaged.

Narrated from the unique perspective of Rachel, now 38, as she unveils the events of that fateful summer in Greenwich. This narrative choice adds a layer of intrigue, as we see the summer that changed her life through her eyes.

The book is quite hypnotic, as you are drawn into a mystery that unfolds, a tragedy, and the circumstances that led to it, along with the fallout, while exploring the dark underbelly of privilege and power, negligence, and corruption.

GREENWICH is a deeply psychological and heartbreaking read, with a strong takeaway message. Serving as a cautionary tale, leaving the reader both warned and reflective, and adding a thought-provoking depth to the reading experience.

From race, class, privilege, guilt, the weight of secrets, regret, power, betrayal, obsession, female friendship, social expectations, identity, and the devastating consequences of actions, the novel delves into a myriad of thought-provoking themes. The choices we make shape who we become. Mistakes can have life-altering consequences.

'Greenwich' also explores the themes of grief, justice, and the deeply flawed nature of humanity. It poses intriguing questions about motives and the lengths people will go to protect their secrets, leaving readers in a contemplative state.

The cast of characters is profoundly flawed and richly complex. Kate Broad has delivered a remarkable and insightful debut—ideal for book clubs and further discussions.

Recs...

GREENWICH is a must-read for fans of 'Saltburn', Celeste Ng's 'Little Fires Everywhere', 'When We Were Bright and Beautiful' by Jillian Medoff, and Sara Koffi's 'While We Were Burning'. If you enjoyed the complex characters and gripping plotlines of these novels, you'll find 'Greenwich' equally compelling.

An author to watch. If this is a debut, I'm eager to see what comes next.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio, as well as #MacAudio2025, for providing an advanced reading and listening copy, allowing me to share my honest thoughts.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: July 22, 2025
July Newsletter
July 2025 Must-Read Books

Happy Pub Day to GREENWICH by Kate Broad! Told through Rachel’s view, she recounts the summer of 1999 spent with her aunt and cousin in their beautiful, elaborate home. There she uncovered some secrets hidden by her aunt and uncle and also discovered things about herself. Tragedy strikes and she must pick a side. This is full family drama with some coming-of-age.

Rachel is not a character that I liked. She’s selfish and she’s actually an awful person. She’s got her reasons, her issues, and flaws that almost make you understand why she’s terrible…almost.

I definitely recommend to those that want a good summer family drama and those that love Celeste Ng. Thanks to @macmillan.audio for this #gifted audiobook! The narrator fit the bill for Rachel. And many thanks to @stmartinspress for the physical copy so I could read along when I had a chance to sit this past week!

Greenwich centers on Rachel and the summer after she graduates high school. She went to her wealthy aunt and uncle's house to support their nanny, Claudia, in caring for their young child. It is immediately clear that something went wrong this summer, though it is not shared through much of story. While I found that device relatively effective in keeping my attention, I felt disappointed by the content of the book. This book certainly had something to say about race and class, but I'm not sure it always knew what it was trying to say or that it was satisfactory.

Thanks to the St Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for ebook, physical, and audio review copies of Greenwich in exchange for my honest opinion. I binged this debut over the weekend, starting with the audiobook and then switching to the physical copy for a few chapters before returning to finish with the audiobook, due in part to the great narration by Imani Jade Powers which really brought the story to life.
Set in 1999 mostly in Greenwich, CT, the book follows Rachel, eighteen and about to leave to attend Swarthmore (my college’s rival!), as she stays with her aunt and uncle over the summer before her freshman year. Her aunt is struggling after an injury, and Rachel is led to believe she can help out with the toddler. However, there is a live-in babysitter already, and Rachel is captivated by Claudia - both her personality and hearing about her college experiences. Their friendship is exactly what Rachel has been missing after some friend drama at home, one of the reasons she jumped at this opportunity to leave Cambridge for the summer.
The beginning of the book foreshadows a tragic accident, and it takes nearly two thirds of the book to find out what that is - I think I would have been more frustrated if I were reading it rather than listening to that much suspenseful build up. However, the accident and the aftermath were extremely engaging, and I had trouble setting the book down. The characters are complex, and the plot is heartbreaking. I am impressed this is the author’s debut novel, and I definitely recommend checking it out after publication.

The story revolves around a white, entitled, wealthy family who places blame on their innocent nanny for a tragic accident.
The story is told from the viewpoint of their niece, Rachel, who faces a difficult decision on whether to defend her family or stand by Claudia.
I found it difficult to connect with the story or the characters.
Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity to read/listen to this complimentary advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book had me by the throat with a silk ribbon and then politely ghosted me mid-apology tour. It’s one of those reads where you spend 300 pages watching a character become the villain in her own life story and somehow still whisper, “Girl, don’t do it... oh, you did it.”

Rachel Fiske is seventeen, freshly exiled from her high school friend group over some peak messy-girl behavior, and lands in Greenwich, Connecticut for the summer. Her aunt is a pill-popping ghost with a blowout, her uncle is a sentient hedge fund, and her cousin Sabine is... a toddler. The only person with a pulse under 40 is Claudia, the impossibly cool, slightly older, very Black live-in babysitter who becomes Rachel’s North Star, main character, and probably gay awakening all in one. Claudia does not deserve what happens next. That is the whole review. Bye.

Just kidding, I’m not done.

The first half of this book moves like molasses in a heatwave. It’s slow. It’s aimless. It’s one long iced tea commercial full of vague dread. But Kate Broad wants you to marinate in that rich, WASP-y malaise, because when tragedy finally strikes, and trust, it does, you feel it like a slap at a garden party. Everything explodes in a way that’s quiet but corrosive. Think less shocking twist and more “oh no... oh no... ohhhh no she’s doing it again.”

Rachel’s whole arc is a masterclass in performative guilt. She knows the truth. She sits with the truth. She does nothing with the truth. And for the rest of her life, she weaponizes that guilt like it’s a personality trait. She becomes a trauma surgeon, the irony is chef’s kiss, and still finds a way to center herself in the pain she helped perpetuate. I spent the last third of the book wanting to throw her into a sea of ethically sourced therapy.

Here’s the thing though. This isn’t bad writing. It’s too good. It’s uncomfortable on purpose. You’re not supposed to like Rachel. You’re supposed to recognize her. The little betrayals. The lies of omission. The privilege that insulates you from consequences while someone else gets thrown to the wolves. It’s not a thriller. It’s a moral autopsy.

And yes, some plot threads just evaporate. Claudia’s emotional interior never gets the same weight. The queerness is more tension than payoff. The "Big Tragic Thing" is less explosion and more internal bleed. But that’s the point. Rich people don’t need closure. They just need enough plausible deniability to keep brunching.

If you’re going in expecting fireworks, you’re gonna be bored and mad. But if you came for vibes, character rot, and a slow, spiraling descent into moral decay with a side of sapphic yearning, welcome to "Greenwich," babe. The water’s full of secrets. I’m giving it 4 stars.

Huge thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the early access to the audiobook. Imani Jade Powers absolutely nailed the narration, delivering every moment with sharp clarity and just the right emotional punch.

Set in the affluent Connecticut suburb of Greenwich, we are thrown into a world of wealth, privilege, and secrets along with Rachel Fiske who is sent to live with relatives during the summer before college. While there she discovers her aunt and uncle are both hiding behind their country club façades. She also strikes up a friendship with Claudia, the nanny hired to care for her cousin, Sabine.

Kate Broad does an excellent job creating an immersive atmospheric setting. It’s moody and brooding and isolating for a teenager on the cusp of adulthood. Not much happens for the first half of the book, but there’s plenty of foreshadowing of trouble ahead and that kept me reading. When the pace picks up, the characters are faced with choices regarding allegiances and the cost associated with those decisions.

While this is a slowly moving character driven narrative, there are undercurrents of societal issues concerning race, class, ambition, and sexuality—all of which are used to advance the plot. None of the characters are particularly likable and that’s just fine because there are no clear favorites in this morally grey world. The story quietly moves toward its conclusion without promising anything more than an examination of self-preservation.

Imani Jade Powers delivers just the right intensity in her performance. Her ability to convey big emotions without over performing was ideal for this gently paced story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance listening copy. All opinions are my own.

Greenwich was somehow both a slow burn and a wild ride. The book follows Rachel during a tense summer before college—one filled with privilege, secrecy, and emotional chaos. The plot moves fast, but Rachel’s inner unraveling is slow and heavy, touching on themes like race, class, wealth, and guilt.

The characters are selfish and complicated, especially Rachel, who tries to distance herself from her world but keeps proving she belongs in it. Some threads felt unresolved, and the post-summer chapters didn’t hit as hard, but the story still pulled me in.

I listened to the audiobook (thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley), and Imani Jade Powers nailed the narration. A quick, intense read that stuck with me.

I really wanted to love this one, but it just wasn't for me - I was expecting something different. It was slow paced, and I really didn't like any of the characters.

3.5 rounded up --

"Greenwich" went in a very different direction than I thought it was going to! I was expecting sort of a suspenseful quasi-whodunit courtroom drama in a ritzy setting, but in some ways it's much more a coming of age story. The story started off strong for me, I lost interest a bit in the middle, but then picked back up towards the end -- basically, there's quite a bit of setup and then the legal drama aspects play out fairly quickly, followed by a bit of "after the fact" narration by the main character. Despite the lull in the middle, I thought the various threads were interesting and came together nicely in the end.

Rating: 3.5 ⭐️
Pub Date: July 22, 2025
How I Read It: 🎧

Synopsis
It’s the summer of 1999 and seventeen year old Rachel Fiske is spending the summer at her aunt and uncle’s mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut to escape her life back home, but something is wrong with her aunt, she’s acting strange and her uncle is consumed with business. Her summer is not going how she thought it would, but her saving grace is Claudia, her cousin’s babysitter who Rachel starts developing feelings for. Then there’s an accident, and Rachel has to make some choices no seventeen year old should have to make.

But when a tragic accident occurs, Rachel must make a pivotal choice. Caught between her desire to do the right thing and to protect her future, she’s the only one who knows what really happened—and her decision has consequences far beyond what she could have predicted.

My Thoughts
This book brings you right into the affluential world of Greenwich, CT, and it does it well. The book was suspenseful in that you are waiting to see what secret the main character, Rachel, was hiding. What tragic event happened that she keeps vaguely referring to? As the book continues on, you keep getting little pieces of the story, building the anticipation up to the final moment the whole story will be revealed. In the end, we find out Rachel is obsessive, can’t let things go, and has a destructive personality, causing trouble for herself and others. I wouldn’t necessarily call this a thriller, but it has the aspect of suspense. The narrator did a really great job on this book and kept me engaged. It’s definitely a good read to pickup in the summer!

Themes
- Slow-Burn
- Suspenseful
- Family Tragedy

Ratings
Characters: 3 ⭐️
Pace: 4 ⭐️
Enjoyability: 3.5 ⭐️

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!