***3.5 STARS***

I would have enjoyed this story so much more if it wasn’t told from a seventeen year old’s perspective. However, the character’s age and naivetee are necessary for the story to progress.

I really liked the moments of foreshadowing and the setting and characters of extreme upper class are right up my alley. However, I just could not relate to the FMC. She was honestly insufferable with her whiplash emotions at times. Her actions also contradict each other - not being aware of certain online activities but she seems to be able to cheat with all her friends boyfriends.

I also yearned for more fo the investigation and trial after the twist. I enjoyed this story but wished for a better vesssle to guide me through it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced audiobook copy; all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

What an impressive debut! I gotta admit, though. I went into this one expecting a rich-people-behaving-badly kind of thriller, but that’s not what this is. Not even close. And honestly, I’m glad it surprised me the way it did. I'm definitely not mad at it.

Like I said, this isn’t a thriller. It’s not even a mystery. It's a tightly written, emotionally sharp literary novel that examines race, privilege, silence, and complicity. It’s about the lies people tell themselves when the truth threatens the status quo, and how easy it is to do nothing when doing something might push you out of your comfort zone.

The story centers on eighteen-year-old Rachel, who’s spending the summer of 1999 with her aunt and uncle in Greenwich, Connecticut. Her aunt has been injured, and Rachel’s meant to help out around the house and with her young cousin Sabine. From the start, there’s a quiet sense of unease. Her aunt floats through the house in a haze. Her uncle’s either absent or distracted. Rachel feels isolated within a family that doesn’t seem to function but clings to routine anyway.

Then, Claudia, the live-in nanny, enters the frame. Claudia is a recent college graduate. She's Black, artistic, independent, grounded, and quietly commanding in a way that makes it impossible for Rachel to not notice her (and become a little obsessed with her). Their bond grows slowly, but it’s clear from the beginning that Rachel is drawn to Claudia, and not just as a friend or mentor. And what begins as a subtle coming-of-age story soon evolves into something heavier, messier, and completely unexpected.

About halfway through the book, something happened that completely changed the trajectory for me. I was tandem reading and listening to the audiobook, and I had to pause, rewind, and listen again. It hit like a punch. I saw it coming maybe a sentence or two before it happened and I so desperately wanted to jump into the book and intervene. It hit me so hard that I had to pause the book and take a breath. In less than a page, the entire story shifts, the tone darkens, and the fallout begins.

From that point on, every interaction felt loaded. Every decision, no matter how small, pulsed with tension. Relationships change. Silence grows louder, and everyone is only looking out for themselves. If you get caught in the crossfires? Oh, well. That's your problem.

The true brilliance of this novel lies in how it explores complicity. Rachel knows the truth of what really happened. She knows that what is happening (and I am being deliberately vague here) wasn't right. But she also knows that speaking up could unravel her own future. Her decision—what she chooses to say versus what she chooses to keep to herself—is the beating heart of this story. It’s maddening, infuriating, and real.

What really grabbed me about this book was how sparse yet precise the writing is. Every line matters. Every detail cuts. Like I said, this isn't a thriller, but it does get tense and the author builds tension without theatrics and lets her characters drive the emotional weight. Nothing is heavy-handed. Nothing is overdone. This is a book that trusts its readers to sit with discomfort, to observe the nuance, and to question their own silence.

The audiobook, narrated by Amani Jane Powers, is outstanding. Powers doesn’t just read the story—she breathes life into it. Each character sounds distinct, grounded, and emotionally resonant. The narration amplified the tension and intimacy in a way that pulled me even deeper into the story. If you enjoy audiobooks, I highly recommend going that route or tandem reading, as I did.

If you’re looking for an explosive thriller, this won’t scratch that itch. But if you want a book that interrogates race, class, and power through the lens of a single summer—and the weight of one white girl’s silence—this book delivers. It's a slow burn, and it lingers. It gets under your skin and stays there. The shift from light to dark happens almost without you noticing, and by the time you realize where it's going, it’s too late to look away.

Read it. It's worth the time.

I enjoyed listening to the audiobook ARC of Greenwich by Kate Broad. The novel offers a compelling exploration of privilege, coming-of-age struggles, and the moral complexities that arise in the face of tragedy. Kate Broad’s writing paints a vivid picture of late-1990s Greenwich, and the story’s slow build-up pays off with an engaging look at family dynamics, class, and identity. While I found some characters less developed and the pacing a bit slow at times, the nuanced depiction of Rachel’s journey and the themes of regret and self-discovery kept me interested throughout. Overall, Greenwich is a solid debut—thought-provoking and immersive, even if it didn’t quite reach the heights of my favorite reads. I’d give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I was provided with an ALC copy via NetGalley for review consideration. All thoughts are my own.

“Greenwich” could have been much shorter, more succinct, and would have been a better read if it had been, I think. I found that it dragged on unnecessarily, a lot of hinting about things to come but then after all the buildup, end up feeling anticlimactic. I wasn’t crazy about any of the characters either so perhaps that contributed to my detachment from the book.

This book is a slow, slow burn, which make’s the categorization as a thriller and the description’s comparison to Liane Moriarty a bit deceptive. However, once I adjusted to the fact that this was not what I expected, I really enjoyed it.

The summer before college, Rachel goes to stay with her aunt and uncle to help out while her aunt is recovering from an injury. While there, she becomes close with the nanny, Claudia. However, throughout the story, there is allusion to a tragedy to come. When it does, everything changes. The novel explores themes of racial disparity, privilege and the white savior complex, and trust and desire. As Rachel constantly seeks ways to assuage her guilt after the tragedy, it proves the need for an apology to be entirely selfless and devoid of motive. Instead, Rachel’s focus on her own desires and goal to feel forgiven is insufferable, in exactly the way the author intends.

Also, there’s a random Block Island scene!

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC of this book!

Received audio ARC from NetGalley. Greenwich is a lovely read. If you’re into literary fiction or just love a good emotional read this one’s definitely worth picking up. It will have you guessing right into the end what the main character will do.

Enjoyed this book thoroughly. Great writing and engaging storyline

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

I really loved the story building in this story. Such a good story in such a small package. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Greenwich is an ambitious debut novel with moments of juicy storytelling, but ultimately it left me with mixed feelings. While the premise had potential, the execution felt uneven. I felt I was waiting for a twist!

The main character, Rachel, didn’t feel fully realized. Despite being the focus of the story, she remained elusive—at times I wondered if we were meant to see her as a sociopath or simply someone painfully unaware of herself. That ambiguity might have been intentional, but I think not.

The first half of the book dwells heavily on the minutiae of Rachel’s daily life—nannying, helping her aunt, and endless descriptions of mundane routines. These details didn’t feel necessary and slowed the pacing significantly. On the other hand, after the central “incident,” the narrative picked up but felt rushed and underdeveloped, especially given the emotional and thematic weight it seemed to be aiming for.

That said, I’d be open to reading more from this author in the future. Greenwich had its moments and makes for a decent summer read, but it ultimately fell short for me in terms of plot momentum and character depth. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC.

I received advance access to the audiobook Greenwich by Kate Broad. It was an enjoyable listen that held my interest and was entertaining. The audiobook was narrated by Imani Jade Powers. The narration was well done and made it easy to stay engaged.

Publication date- July 22 2025
#NetGalley #Greenwich

Greenwich is a coming of age type story about one girl who spends a summer with her aunt and uncle in Greenwich. When a terrible accident occurs, the family comes together to protect one another, but at what cost?

The story was good, but I found it hard to relate to any of the characters…..they were all kind of awful. I felt the ending was a little lacking. I grew up in CT, so I am drawn to any story that takes place there.

The narrator did a wonderful job telling the story.

I really enjoy audiobooks, they are a great distraction while I am cleaning. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

It's the summer of 1999 and 17 year old Rachel is set to have an picturesque summer in Greenwich with her wealthy aunt and uncle and their three old daughter. The summer will be one she remembers, but in all the wrong ways. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This book has taken me a few days after I finished it to review, because I was really struggling to put into words why this book was just okay for me. I think it is really trying to say a lot of class and race, but the messaging often feels flat. Rachel seems to be aware of how her privilege doesn't transfer to everyone, specifically Claudia, but she never actually makes any choices to challenge that privilege. It felt like the author wanted us to sympathize with Rachel, which I found extremely hard to do, especially since she never seemed to actually learn the main lesson of the book, even 20 years on from the main plot.

I also felt like the writing for the book felt off for the type of story being told. The beginning felt like a pulpy thriller with very heavy foreshadowing to a crime that would never come, and it really messed with my perception of the characters and plot.

First I would like to thank Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an ARC of Greenwich. I am really conflicted about this book. The narrator was great 10/10 no notes.. The story was interesting but I’m not sure if it ever got around to saying what it wanted to say. Was Rachel supposed to have grown by the end of this ? Or is the point that she didn’t ? I was incredibly divided about my feelings at the end of this book. The writing was great, the perfect illustration of the late teen/early 20 experience especially when it comes to being self absorbed and self destructive. The rich white privilege comes across and is well addressed .. I don’t know, I just spent a lot of time in Rachel’s head and I’m not sure if in the end it paid off. Maybe the unpleasant leftover feelings are intentional- and if so, it was really effective.

Not sure this one was for me. I'd like to try the actual book. I struggle with audio books sometimes because of the narration, but that's obviously, a personal preference.

Book was well written, and there were several times I really felt emotion in it, however, I never really connected with the characters and their privilege , and for that reason I felt that the book moved slowly for me. I think most of the emotion I felt from the story came for the narrator on the audio, without that it would have been dry. So it was a saving grace in my mind.

Characters a flawed...deeply, and unlikable with loads of rally bad decisions. That is one thing I usually enjoy, and the one thing that drew me to the story. However, it just did not work for me. Did I like it? It was ok, and like all books I would recommend it, because there will always be an audience for this one, I just wasn't one of them

There was a lot I liked about this book. I love stories about people being forced to confront their privilege and I think that aspect was well done here. I liked that I could tell it was building toward something bad but wasn’t entirely sure what it was or when it would happen. And I liked the ending

This was a phenomenal book. And very deep look into the differences in race and economic race. A look into family vs. employees. A really great listen with great narration. I think the author did a great job developing characters and really emerging you into this story.

Greenwich by Kate Broad – ★★★☆☆
This one was a bit of a mixed bag for me. Some parts I honestly hated (like yell-at-the-audiobook levels of frustration), but I can’t deny the raw emotion packed into Rachel’s experience. The author absolutely knows how to write complex human feelings (ex. grief, longing, confusion) it was all palpable and gutting at times.

The audiobook was well done and added another layer to the emotional weight of the story. I’d recommend this one if you’re into:
✨ coming-of-age stories
✨ deeply flawed characters
✨ watching a full cast of unlikeable people make bad decisions in real time

It wasn’t a favorite, but I can appreciate what it set out to do.

Just finished Greenwich by Kate Broad and WOW—what a debut! Set in the late '90s, this story dives into some big topics—racism, classism, addiction, homophobia, and political scandal—yet somehow keeps you completely hooked from start to finish.

I listened to the audiobook in one morning (yes, it was that good). Think wealthy families, high-stakes drama, and those dreamy Connecticut summer settings I know and love. As a Connecticut girl myself, I felt right at home!

It’s juicy, smart, and totally delicious . I’ll be recommending this to all my friends for their summer beach reading lists. Huge congrats to Kate Broad on a stellar first novel—can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Greenwich is an ambitious debut novel from Kate Broad set at the end of the nineties that tackles several complex subjects, including racism, classism, homophobia, addiction, and political corruption.

Rachel is a privileged 17-year-old white girl who goes to the affluent CT suburb of Greenwich for the summer to stay with her aunt (Ellen), uncle (Laurent), their preschool daughter, and her cousin's Black nanny, Claudia. While living with the family, Rachel discovers that there is marital strain between her aunt and uncle, her aunt is addicted to prescription medication, and her uncle is engaged in shady business dealings.

Growing up in New England around this same time and running in some of the same social circles as these characters, I think the author was influenced by the real former CT Governor Rowland and the bribery scandal that led to his eventual downfall. While I appreciated and related to many of the points and insights the author was making in this novel, the overall execution did not work for me.

The story started strong and reeled me in, but the latter half of the book dragged and had inconsistent pacing. Also, most of the characters are unlikable, with minimal character development, which made it a struggle for me to care about their story arc. That being said, this was a realistic portrayal of the adage "some people never change" and a reminder that unfortunately, the bad guys do often win, especially when they have all the money and power.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest feedback.