🎧 This one wasn’t quite what I expected! I did enjoy how the story jumped between timelines—it definitely built tension and kept me curious about where it was headed. But once the reveals landed, I found them a little underwhelming.

For me, Danielle’s narrative voice created too much distance, so nothing really hit with the emotional impact I was hoping for. That said, I’m not sure I was the target audience here. I can see this working really well for the right listener—it just didn’t fully click for me.

So here's the thing. This was not a bad book! I flew through it and was kept engaged, wanting to know more. And the narration was done well, making this a great listen.

But to me, this wasn't a thriller. It was mystery light (only because I found it predictable), but there really wasn't any "thrill". The dual timeline was good and helped propel the story and keep you engaged. The "now" timeline made me want to know more about Danielle and how she arrived in her current life. I would have liked more development there. I feel that more twists could have been thrown in with present Danielle and her husband.

As a story, I enjoyed it. As a thriller, it was lacking.

I really enjoyed this book. The author did a great job of setting up the story and also explaining the characters.
The narrator did a great job.
I was pretty much expecting the plot twist, figured that was probably what happened or at least who did what.
Overall it was a good book.

Definitely recommend

Thank you NetGalley for the copy

I could not get over the "pick me" energy that the main character gave off in this book. I get that she was suppose to young but even when it flipped back to her as an adult I still felt it. I did guess the plot twist in this book so it wasn't a super big shock when it happened.

Some books don’t just tell you a story, they pull you into a place so vividly you can smell the summer air, feel the weight of the humidity, and hear the cicadas screaming in the distance. Fast Boys and Pretty Girls is one of those books.

Danielle Greer left her small North Georgia town years ago with a modeling career in her pocket and the kind of secrets you think you can outrun. But when the runway lights fade and she finds herself back in her childhood home with a husband, four daughters, and a past that never really let go, the truth comes crawling back, literally from the woods behind her house.

When her girls discover a body in the ravine, it rips open a wound that never healed. The dead man isn’t Benji Law, the local misfit who was once much more to Danielle than she’ll admit out loud but his ghost lingers in every page. Benji’s motorcycle crash was supposed to be the tragic full stop to that chapter. Instead, this discovery drags Danielle, and us, right back into the messy, dangerous tangle of small-town gossip, forbidden love, and the kind of lies that seep into your bones.

Lo Patrick writes with the kind of sharp, unflinching intimacy that makes you feel like you’re eavesdropping on Danielle’s private confessions. The timeline shifts effortlessly between the present investigation and the hazy, reckless days before Benji’s death, letting memory and truth blur just enough to keep you guessing and doubting.

This is Southern noir at its best: sticky, slow burning, and steeped in the ache of things left unsaid. The tension isn’t just in the murder mystery, it’s in the unspoken accusations between neighbors, in the half-finished sentences between husband and wife, in the way Danielle flinches at the sound of a name she hasn’t heard in years.

By the time Officer Cady Benson starts peeling back the layers, you realize this isn’t just a story about a body in the woods, it’s about all the pieces of ourselves we bury to survive.

Fast Boys and Pretty Girls is haunting, atmospheric, and beautifully cruel in the way only the truth can be.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC opportunity!

I wasnt sure about this one at first. The main character was so unlikable, but she was meant to be. I dont think we were really meant to root for her, but just see the story from her angle and her growth over time.

She was obsessed with that boy, and he did not love her like that. And her mom? She was awful to her, and i can understand why she tried to push against her so much.

The ending of this is pretty heartbreaking, even though i started seeing it coming about 3/4 through.

This was a pretty quick and easy read.

This book had a lot of good potential, but it was too slow moving for me. I found myself losing interest because of it. I had a hard time connecting with the main character. I'm going to try another one of Lo Patrick's books because I don't think it had anything to do with the writing and I felt like it was more me, and the mood I was in. I could be wrong. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this book!

Thank you @NetGalley and @TantorAudio for providing me with this pre release audiobook of “Fast Boys and Pretty Girls” in exchange for an honest review. #fastboysandprettygirls #NetGalley

“Fast Boys and Pretty Girls” really laid into the themes of teenage rebellion and the allure of the bad boy who ultimately remains unchanged. The story does not end happily; instead, it presents a sobering and realistic perspective from a woman who matures too quickly in the modeling industry. It highlights the ripple effects that poor choices can have on both the individual and their loved ones for years. Overall, the narrative is quite sad and lacks vibrancy, which made is a little less appealing to me.

I’ve had mixed feelings about Lo Patrick’s books. I loved the first one and did not like the second. This one fell somewhere in between. It is about a woman from rural Georgia who goes to NYC to be a model. Years later she’s back in GA with her husband and daughters in her family home when they find a body on her property. Dual time periods fill in the blanks as to her life and who the body is. The who and why are revealed at the end. This didn’t have quite as much of an impact as her first book but it was a worthwhile read with excellent character development and an intriguing storyline. Eliza Summers does a great job narrating and this is easy follow along to.

Potential Spoilers Below!

I received this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for leaving an honest review.

I went back and forth over whether to give this book 3 or 4 stars, and I think my final rating would be 3.5 leaning towards 4. I truly didn’t know what to expect from this book, as right off the bat it was clear that the main characters are not exactly the most likable. The main character, Danielle, is particularly frustrating, in a way that I eventually grew to accept that I don’t think you’re really meant to like her that much. The main love interest, Benji, is very obviously not that into her, but again I do believe that you are supposed to feel that way while reading it.

Danielle is mean to almost everyone she comes across, and very delusional when it comes to her relationship with Benji. She is a teenaged model living alone in New York City, meaning most readers will not find her relatable. All that being said.. I was hooked! I couldn’t help but want to keep listening and to figure out what was going to happen no matter how much she frustrated me. I may have been groaning at almost every decision Danielle made throughout the book, but I still wanted to know more.

I enjoyed the dual timelines that the book takes place in, and I enjoyed the writing. Patrick’s writing and Summer’s narration made the scenes very easy for me to visualize. I am not the most observant when it comes to twists in mysteries/thrillers, so I personally only figured it out about a half an hour before it was revealed at the end of the book. It is definitely a slow build up of plot, with a lot of background that leads up to the crash at the center of the book’s mystery. If you’re an avid mystery reader I wouldn’t be surprised if you figured out the twist much sooner than I did. The twist only really starts to unfold at about the last hour of the book, so if you like your mystery more upfront this may not be the book for you.

Overall, I would say if you don’t mind frustrating characters and a bit of a slow plot, I think you’ll enjoy this book! It surprised me, and it was really easy to stick with it to the end.

Fast Boys and Pretty Girls by Lo Patrick is a story that spans the life of the main character Danielle as a teenager and as a mother of four. I found her character interesting at first as she explored life in NYC as a model. As a teen, she constantly is searching for her self-worth, a theme that carries through to adulthood. While the plot was interesting, I wished for further character development in Danielle and the supporting characters. The narrator did a good job with using dialects and different character voices, although I found her voice somewhat nasal.

Fast Boys and Pretty Girls by Lo Patrick is totally different from what I normally read, and I honestly was not expecting to like it at all. But I was hooked immediately by Danielle’s narration and by her mother’s rants and her modelling career. None of the characters were very likeable and Danielle’s obsession with Benji was definitely strange but the setting, the family dynamics, curiosity about what happened to Louisa and hoping that Danielle would one day find herself had me hooked. The narration just added to the small-town southern feel. If you like southern literary fiction and coming of age with a little mystery thrown in you should definitely check out Fast Boys and Pretty Girls.

Fast Boys and Pretty Girls by Lo Patrick is a compelling, layered story that blends small-town secrets, family dynamics, and unexpected tragedy into a gripping narrative. Centered around a former teen model who returns to her hometown only to have her children stumble upon a body, the novel wastes no time plunging readers into a web of mystery and emotional complexity.

Patrick presents a strong concept with rich potential, and she delivers a story filled with intrigue and heart. The character work is particularly well done—flawed, real, and emotionally nuanced—adding depth to a plot that steadily unfolds. While the shifts in time and perspective can occasionally feel disorienting, the overall momentum and intrigue of the story keep the reader engaged.

Balancing suspense with emotional resonance, Fast Boys and Pretty Girls is a thoughtful and entertaining read. Lo Patrick delivers a novel that explores the messiness of returning home, the weight of the past, and how quickly innocence can collide with reality. A solid and memorable story with a chilling edge.

Lo Patrick’s *Fast Boys and Pretty Girls* is a quiet triumph—an emotionally resonant coming-of-age story set in the heat and haze of the American South. At its heart is the unforgettable voice of her young narrator, who offers a tender, sharp, and unflinching perspective on family, longing, and survival.

Patrick masterfully captures the raw vulnerability of adolescence, wrapping it in lush prose and vivid imagery. The characters feel achingly real—flawed, resilient, and profoundly human. Their stories unfold with a sense of inevitability and grace, never rushed, yet always compelling.

Themes of abandonment, love, and personal agency ripple through the narrative, often beneath the surface, giving the story a subtle power that lingers long after the final page. It’s a book that doesn’t shout—it hums, aches, and eventually sings.

For readers who appreciate literary fiction rooted in voice, atmosphere, and emotional depth, *Fast Boys and Pretty Girls* is a standout. Lo Patrick continues to prove herself a writer of exceptional sensitivity and strength.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4/5

Danielle “Dani” Greer is from a very small town in Georgia, but gets discovered in a mall and moves to NYC to become a model. When her boyfriend comes to visit and she’s asked to mentor another young southern model, everything starts to go downhill. Fast forward fifteen years to Dani living in her childhood home and her daughters find human remains in the backyard woods.

I enjoyed this book even though it wasn’t a super “thriller”.

Read this book if you like:
- dual timelines
- family secrets
- early 2000’s vibes

Thank you NetGalley, Tantor Audio, and Lo Patrick for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately, Fast Boys and Pretty Girls didn’t work for me. The main character, Danielle, came across as emotionally detached and, at times, just plain frustrating. Her actions often lacked depth, making it hard to connect with her. When the romance angle kicked in, the sudden “instalove” with Benji felt forced and unearned—there wasn’t much buildup or chemistry to justify it. Don’t really recommend.

I just finished listening to Fast Boys and Pretty Girls and here is my review:

There’s a shimmer of promise in Fast Boys and Pretty Girls: a dual-timeline tale of first love, fractured memory, and the ache of wanting to be seen. Lo Patrick captures something raw and real about girlhood: the desperation to belong, to be loved, to feel beautiful enough to matter.

At its heart, this book taps into something deeply familiar: the ache of being a teenage girl, when worth feels hand-stitched to beauty, and love seems like the only ticket to belonging. That part? Lo nails it. The desperation, the longing, the dreamy mess of it all; it’s honest in a way that stings gently, like rubbing salt on an old journal entry.

But as Dani’s teenage obsession with Benji unfolds, the scales tip. The passion doesn’t feel mutual, the relationship undercooked. It left me wondering if the weight of her longing was ever truly matched, or if she built a mythology around a boy who never really showed up. That emotional imbalance lingers into the present, where the connection between past and now never quite finds its thread. You wait for the stitching to tighten, but instead the story loosens, unravels a little.

The modeling subplot, filled with the ache of objectification and the hunger to be seen, offers another compelling layer, but feels detached from the central mystery. It’s as if two separate stories were braided loosely together, without enough tension in the weave.

Still, the writing is atmospheric and poetic, and the setting pulses with Southern heat. This book doesn’t fully deliver on its emotional arc, but it knows something true about being a girl who aches to be loved.

I enjoyed the narrator and the way she portrayed emotion and distinction between characters. thank you to #NetGalley and #tantormedia for the ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed the narrator of this book and look forward to finding more from her. She's probably the only reason I stuck this one out.

Not sure I've ever disliked a FMC so much, I did not even remotely understand the "romantic" relationship that she was so hung up on. It was weird and borderline non existent. I think this book could have been so much more and the ball was dropped in too many spots.

DNF at 30%

I couldn't stand Danielle or her family. I thought her character was shallow and I just couldn't get into caring about her at all, so I had to DNF. I appreciate the opportunity to listen though.

Why do promising young women get so hung up on the wrong boys?!

This was a frustrating listen, because Danielle (Dani) had so much going for her. The story jumps between timelines, adult Danielle, now married with young daughters living in her childhood home, and teen Dani, who moved to NYC at 17 to become a model.

We already know Benji’s death rocked this small town, but we don’t yet know how deeply it impacted Danielle or what really happened.

Dani made a lot of life choices around Benji, which was honestly frustrating. It’s obvious he’s not right for her, and her career should’ve taken priority. But it’s also easy to say that with hindsight. At that age, when people are telling you not to do something, throw in some jealousy and emotional messiness, and of course you’re going to run straight toward it.

I wasn’t sure about the narrator at first, she sounded a little whiny, but she grew on me. And to be fair, Danielle isn’t all that likable anyway, so it kind of worked.

Overall, I was invested. The characters all make questionable decisions, and while I found the ending anticlimactic and a bit predictable, I was still entertained.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the early listen!