Member Reviews

Well written from different narrators over different timeliness. I was immersed in the childhood traumas of each of the narrators and in their different reponses as adults. The cult angle and the complex relationships and dynamics were fascinating. A really good character driven story.
The ending however was, for me a bit of let down, I wanted more, which may be exactly what the author intended as I would definitely read a follow up!

Many thanks to NetGally and the publisher for the opportunity to read and leave my honest opinion of this book.

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Typically, I am a big fan of books which switch between different characters points of view. This is no exception as the book flicks between the perspectives of Natalie and Kit, in addition to another character but I did struggle to keep up with the changing timelines and characters.

Unfortunately, i was not gripped by the story line and i found the retreat section of the story to be un-engaging and hard to follow. I did not particularly like any of the characters and found the book to be annoying to read at times.

The book did have some interesting parts but i found those to be overshadowed by the majority of the story and, in my opinion, the big reveal/ending was anti-climatic.

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This book had everything you need from a good thriller. Creepy, suspense, fear, suspicion, characters you hate and characters you really route for. Fast paced too, I get bored when there’s too much dialogue or too descriptive.
Unfortunately I cannot give it 5 stars due to the ending.

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After reading The Recovery of Rose Gold by this author I was thrilled to be given the chance to read this book which I really loved. The book starts off quite slowly and I was at times quite confused with the different characters and timelines but as the story progressed it all very cleverly began to come together.
The book has as you would expect from Stephanie Wrobel a very well written narrative that took the description psychological thriller to a new level and the twists were subtle and surprising which I really liked. Of course I also was enthralled by the fact this story had a cult something that also draws me into a read as I’m fascinated by what it takes for people to leave family and everything behind to join one and this particular cult was much more than what it first seemed.
So a book that builds the tension and draws you in I really enjoyed it, it is slow at first but to me this just added to the suspense and I look forward to seeing just what this brilliant author is going to come up with next.
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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This book starts off at a slow pace buy once I got through the frist few chapters I felt more encouraged to read the book as the plot thicken. It's a trurthly unique thriller. Having dual time lines at parts can be confusing so you need to keep your mind on which era you are in. The author pulled these time lines together really well and made them fit.

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I found this book a little slow to start with but once I got into it I found it compelling and a little unsettling. Wisewood sounded a little scary and it felt like a very scary place to be especially when the tests were being conducted. It sounded more like a cult than anything else. The ending was quite brilliant.

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An interesting and unique thriller with really written and complicated characters. If you're a fan of thrillers by people such as Lisa Jewell, you'll really enjoy this one.

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A good thriller if a little difficult to read at times. The dual timelines run along perfectly and although a little contrived it was a good read

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Well that was a fantastic start to a book, it hooks the reader straight away, although not for the Squemish!

I love dual timelines, especially within this book as they were both so different, this at times made it difficult to tell who was the protagonist of that section, but it also added to my interest in the story.

I really liked how the story pulled together and how the timelines link together.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this advanced readers copy

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Another smash it by Wrobel. I loved this just as much as Rose Gold. As always deliciously dark and full of secrets and deceitful characters. Highly recommended xx

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The oft-quoted first line of This Be the Verse by Philip Larkin, “They f**k you up, your mum and dad.” could have been written specifically for the blurb for this book. Everything that follows stems from that very idea. It’s a dark exploration of how lives and futures can be compromised when loyalty to family and to friends clashes with a hell-bent, bloody-minded pursuit of seemingly unachievable goals.
All the main characters seem to have had troubled childhoods that they are still trying to overcome. In the first instance we have a control freak trying to live up to the insane ideals of her uber-controlling father, who then, as an adult, goes on to inflict those same controlling behaviours on the people closest to her. When she’s pushed those who love her about as far as possible, she picks up other damaged individuals and tries to fix their psyches by encouraging them to follow her extremist philosophies. Does it work? You’ll have to read to find out.
I did enjoy reading this, though I do think this book’s genre is marginally mis-categorised: I would say it’s more literary fiction than mystery. The mystery elements are provided mostly by the author purposefully not making clear which voice is which until midway through the book and then making much of the misdirection of characters actions in the latter stages.

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Another gripping read from Wrobel, This Might Hurt had me hooked from the beginning. It has all the ingredients of a great thriller—fast pace, plenty of suspicion, excitement and twists and turns. If you loved The Recovery of Rose Gold, you won’t be disappointed.

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This Might Hurt by Stephanie
Publisher: Penguin Michael Joseph
Publication Date 3/3/22

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

No Spoilers

Original and interesting thriller/psychological drama. It took me a while to work out who was who in the present day, but once it all came together I was unable to put it down. I particularly enjoyed the references to Madame Fearless and her performances. Strong characters and a satisfying conclusion.

I’d like to thank the author, publisher and netgalley for providing me with this advance digital copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

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I have to admit that the plot line was a hook, but I have not enjoyed this book. it as a bit dark for me and I have found it difficult to follow the plot line.
There were some beautifully written passages that were quite lovely, but the book was not for me.

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If this book were a plant of some sort, it would be a snap dragon. Interesting to look at, you think nothing is happening or its happening slowly and then BOOM game over. Haha this is a snapdragon read if ever there was one. What is inside this novel that takes no prisoners?

A cult
a missing sister
a sinister email
a remote island 'retreat'
no communication allowed
no visitors in or out

Whawhaha haaaa

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The description given for this book interested me, so I thank netgalley for giving me an early chance to read and review. This was the first book I’ve read that was written by Stephanie Wrobel I must say I was pleasantly surprised by how she managed to hook me from the very start and held my interest throughout the whole book, my interest never wavered once - it certainly wasn’t boring and to be honest in some parts it was rather frightening. I found it confusing at first with the different characters and then going between different time zones but once you’re head is inside the storyline it all falls into place.
I felt kind of hypnotised and found myself wishing I could tell the characters what to say/ask at times. It was thrilling, emotional, rapid pulse scary, interesting all encompassed in a fantastic storyline.
Thoroughly enjoyed and would definitely recommend.

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Wow what a thriller! I really struggled putting this down it had me completely gripped. However the one thing that got me confused was the chapters jumping between characters. At first I thought it was the past and present but the further into the book you go you actually realise it’s different characters. It would have helped me follow along a bit better if I knew this from the start. I also liked the magician element to the book and found that storyline oddly interesting.

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This Might Hurt is a gripping novel, filled with twists and turns that kept me guessing throughout the read, afraid to stop reading. I found Wrobel's writing to be fast-paced and always engaging meaning that it was difficult to put this book down. Her development of characters was also masterful, with both Natalie and Kit's characters and relationship as sisters being placed at the forefront of the novel, making it an excellent read.

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This Might Hurt

*Review*

This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel- known for writing The Recovery of Rose Gold-is a brilliantly creepy and unsettling mystery drama which explores the relationship between two sisters, between teacher and student, and between ourselves and our greatest fears.

Sisters Nat and Kit are polar opposites. Where Nat is orderly and responsible, Kit is impulsive and spontaneous. Kit feels drift after the death of their mother, and finds it difficult to find herself. That is, until she discovers Wisewood, an isolated island retreat and goes off-grid. After 6 months of silence Nat gets a mysterious email, prompting her to visit Wisewood. Is it as wholesome as it appears, or is there something more sinister at play?

A fantastic story with perfect pace, Wrobel crafts an incredibly creepy setting that immediately gets under your skin. Narratives are split between Nat, Kit and another who is eventually revealed to us after sharing their uncomfortable childhood.

As we delve deeper into the story, tension is building and we know the sinister underbelly of the story is slowly being revealed.

I would class this story as a slow burn, with suspense built exquisitely. The isolated island with unforgiving weather and terrain adds to the desperation of the story.

The plot twisted and turned slowly and I wasnt sure what was coming at the end but I found it satisfying nonetheless.

A truly engaging read. Thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for the advanced copy approval. This Might Hurt is published March 3rd 2022.

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Natalie and Kit couldn’t be more different. Natalie is outgoing and confident, while Kit is a worrier, thinks things through and always falls on the side of caution. When their mother dies, Kit decides that she needs to get away and moves into a retreat. The place is strange from the outset, as Natalie is informed that she can not contact her sister for six months. No contact with the outside world is allowed at all.

When the six months is up, Natalie receives an invite to the island. Natalie is told to tell Kit what she has done in the past, or they will. There is no way Natalie wants anything disclosing, but how do these people know about what she has done? There is only one way to find out, that is to go herself.

This is a weird and compelling story that plays with the minds of the people that live there. A place where broken people feel there is nowhere else. The cultish methods used in this place are, at times, humiliating and manipulative, stripping the mind back to reform it to be part of this place, trusting no one but the leaders in charge.


Natalie forms a friendship with a couple of other women, but seeds of betrayal are planted in her mind, making her isolated and paranoid. Will Natalie ever see her sister again to tell her the truth? It takes a long time to work out just what has happened in the past. The story is nicely rounded up.

I wish to thank the publisher and Net Galley for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

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