I really liked the sound of this book and was keen to get started but I have to admit that it took me a while to get through it. The story is very long and drawn out and although there were a few twists and turns to keep me reading to the end. Not really the book for me sadly.

Having read Stephanie Wrobel's first book I was very excited to be approved for an ARC of her second novel, being aware of how dark, twisted and somewhat sadistic her writing can be, and with the inclusion of some kind of twist. This book however, took a while to get into and left me feeling quite disappointed. The story is told from the viewpoint of more than one character and jumps back and forward in time. We are at first introduced to Natalie, brought up by her father, whom her sister and her refer to as 'Sir', and are both subject to his most unreasonable, controlling and disciplined ways. We then meet both sisters later in life, as the book jumps in time, with Natalie now in a good solid job, receiving an anonymous e-mail to come to a retreat called 'Wisewood' else her sister who is currently residing there will be told of a dark secret Natalie has kept from her. So, we follow Natalie as she travels to the self-help commune, a retreat set up on a secluded island off the coast of Maine. Natalie is not impressed by what she sees and so fears for her sisters safety and welfare, believing her sister has been caught up in some kind of cult. As the characters and story unfolded it was difficult to see where the story was heading, even at 50% in I was still unsure. At times, I felt it lacked pace with events not really bringing the story or any sense of where the plot was heading forward for a reader. I also felt little empathy for any of the characters and so this did not help with knowing where the story was heading and who I should be siding with. However, I persevered with reading this and even as events and secrets began to unfold it did not all seem to piece together in the way the book had set this up for. For me, there seemed to be some gaps in the plot and unanswered questions left at the end about why some of the characters have behaved in the way they had, and also did not necessarily fit with earlier parts of the story and how characters had been portrayed. Whilst there was an element of unexpected twists at the end, I did not find myself that shocked by them or finding that they brought the book to a satisfying ending. I finished the book feeling like I did not fully understand what the author was trying to completely portray through her characters and did not feel contented with the end of the book. Maybe others who have read more books set around the idea of 'cults' may get more from this book, but sadly on this occasion I did not enjoy this book as much as I had hoped I would. My thanks go out to netgalley and Michael Joseph's netgalley catalogue for giving me the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this.

In my humble opinion, Stephanie Wrobel is a skilled & imaginative author. I loved her first book & eagerly anticipated her second & the second book is like the second record, hard to create & even harder to compare it to the first.
There's no need to worry, as this book passes all such tests & in my opinion is a more enjoyable read that the first. It has more depth, more contrast between joy & pain & is more cleverly constructed. The characterisation once again is immaculate, with the stories & timelines swirling around them with ease.

I found the plot highly engaging & am keen not to spoil anything, apart from saying that plot is adroitly paced & crafted & comes to a boil at the perfect time. I genuinely hope this author receives her rightful praise & success for this very strong, accomplished book as she absolutely deserves it.

Stephanie Wrobel has done it again!

I read "The Recovery of Rose Gold" and knew I really needed to read anything else she wrote.
I was not disappointed by "This Might Hurt"

The characters are well written and though you won't like some of them the way their stories come together will have you racing through the book. I really couldn't see some of the plot twists coming!

The story is a roller coaster ride about guilt, pain, secrets and how everyone deals with their emotional baggage in different ways.

I'm now awaiting the next novel by Stephanie Wrobel ............... No pressure but hopefully that won't be too long!

This is the first novel I have read by Stephanie Wrobel and so I wasn’t sure whether I was going to enjoy it. The story follows two sisters who are completely different, alongside ‘Rebecca’ who runs Wisewood a retreat where people go to become fearless. Natalie has got her life together and has a fast paced office job, whereas Kit has no direction in life. Kit heads to
Wisewood where she shuts off from life for 6 months. We also follow Rebecca’s journey into becoming Teacher and owner of Wisewood.
All three narratives come together at the end for one explosive finish.
What I would say is that I never anticipated how this book would end. For me though the main characters were a little annoying and I couldn’t quite get to care for any of them so didn’t really know who to root for in the novel. The storyline did keep me hooked throughout but I think it was just lacking an emotional connection to a certain character.
I would definitely read her previous book if I got the opportunity but wouldn’t necessarily hunt it out to buy.
Overall it’s a 3/5 for me.

There were elements of this book I absolutely loved. There are three narrators, and the childhood story of one of them - and her abusive father - was really engrossing and original, I was always keen to get back to that character and her story. I loved the cult set-up and background and thought that was really well done (could see some flavours of nxivm in there). I also loved the ending - which is sinister and lingering. Overall I found the book quite cumbersome, and there were a number of times I couldn’t suspend my disbelief enough to go along with the story and the other two narrators I didn’t find distinct enough.

I really enjoyed the writing style of Stephanie Wrobel and the plot immediately intrigued me. I loved the alternating chapters between Natalie, Kit and a mysterious character who I figured out pretty quickly. These three characters were able to provide a full 360 degree view of the plot which was something I really appreciated and I think something really would have missing if the book hadn't been written this way. There are a real mixture of characters and it's quite disorientating trying to decide who (if anyone!) you like or dislike. The stunt element was a really interested part of the story for me and I liked how well the author built this up from childhood and beyond with the character. There aren't any huge twists in the book - nothing that shocked me, just a few neat ones that I could appreciate. My only gripe on the whole was I felt so much of the story was spent building up this character who's ultimate goal is to be fearless but this seemed to have disappeared by the end (over something so trivial as a 'threat') which felt really out of character after all the groundwork, so I was a bit disappointed. Overall an interesting, well written book that was easy to read and kept me intrigued throughout.

One word for the beginning….wow!! This is how you grab the attention of a reader. I defy anyone to read that page and not continue.
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. Many authors tend to leave us suspended, letting us decide the final outcome but it just leaves me frustrated. I want to know what the author intended for the character? Did all end well? Or was it the alternative? We’ll never know as the character hinted they could follow either path?……..
#ThisMightHurt
#NetGalley

Natalie receives an email from someone telling her to come to Wisewood, a remote island used as an exclusive self-improvement retreat for those who want to conquer their fears. If she doesn't come, then they will reveal her secret to her sister, who is a resident there.

Feeling she has no alternative, and worried what sort of place her sister has got mixed up with, Natalie arrives at Wisewood but is concerned to find that her sister has fully embraced the Wisewood lifestyle and has no intention of leaving. She sets out to try and uncover the secrets that she is sure Wisewood's "Teacher" is hiding, but as a storm keeps boats from leaving the island, will she manage to leave with or without her sister?

I really liked this book which followed two different time frames - one Natalie's search for her sister in the present day, and one following a pair of sisters and their mentally abusive and controlling father set some time earlier. The opening page of the novel is particularly shocking but if you can stomach that then it does not get any worse. I found it a compelling story, and my only complaint about it was the intentionally vague ending, which I am never a fan of - just end the story decisively please!

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book, Stephanie Wrobel pens a very good and very different thriller.
But I did find it a bit confusing at first with the different view points and the different timelines but everything does slot into place eventually.
Very chilling in parts.
I’m giving it 4/5 stars

It is not often that a book makes me feel sick before I get to the end of the first page - but this one takes that accolade. There are a few, quite frankly, weird sadomasochistic moments sandwiched between stodgy, relentless, rather protracted scene setting. The timeframe is spread over a number of years and the narrator also changes. I confused myself by assuming that the nameless Madam Fearless was also the elder sister - she isn't, just in case you get sucked into that rabbit hole.
It seemed to be very long - as I read it on Kindle I can't verify that by looking at an actual book, but it did go on and on, and not really get anywhere. I finished it but it wasn't a wholly enjoyable experience. If you want a spooky spa story I would recommend 'Nine Perfect Strangers'.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, right up to the ending. For me, that was a weak spot but it’s personal preference that I like books to finish in a concrete way. I don’t want to decide for myself, I want the author to tell me!

That aside, This Might Hurt is a well paced and nicely plotted story with an interesting cast of characters. I liked the way the story jumped around but it did mean you had to concentrate! I found the description of Wisewood very haunting and it seemed scarily realistic. The author does a great job in creating believable characters who act as you’d expect and leave you wanting to find out more. I very much enjoyed this book and will seek out more works by this talented author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

This started with such promise and the work environment was so interesting, then as it went on I lost interest more and more. Slow and claustrophobic.

Wowza, what a start, this is one ticking time bomb of a book! In January 2020 Natalie Collins pitches to a misogynist CEO and board, she’s capable and very driven but where’s the fun Natalie?? Her sister Kit is at Wisewood on an isolated island off Maine doing a six month self improvement programme. This entails achieving a level of fearlessness to become their Maximised Selves. Yes, indeed. Natalie gets an email which is threatening in tone, this demands she comes to Wisewood to confess what she did to her sister or ‘they’ would tell her. What has Natalie done? She’s in control until she’s not. She rushes to Maine where she’s about to learn that she’s up against way more than she bargains for.

This is one book you won’t forget in a hurry, it certainly makes you reflect on human nature, on control and manipulation and how far we’re prepared to go as human beings. It is utterly chilling in places, there are several elements to the story that blow your mind as well as different levels and interpretations of how things hurt and oh boy, do they hurt in manifest ways. Wisewood is one weird place, it gives off unsettling cultish vibes, it’s claustrophobic and gives you goosebumps. However, it does force Natalie to consider the way she’s treated Kit over the years and acknowledge it. There is one point of view that is very unsettling, a life of punishment, of extremes in order to be brave, to prove certain points and that is a tough read as it’s meant to be. There are some good reveals in the novel but for one in particular I hope for more, it’s a bit disappointing but by the same token it is believable. What an enigmatic conclusion! My mind is working overtime and I’m actually glad it’s not made absolutely clear or flagged with complete certainty as it’s just more to think about which I really like.

My only minor negative is that it’s hard on occasions to work out whose who in the different timelines and it’s a bit confusing at times. However, the further you progress through the novel it does all click into place.

Overall, this is a novel that is very hard to put down. Stephanie Wrobel has a way of pulling you into a narrative and not letting you go, she is a very talented author in my opinion. This one really makes you think especially about the human spirit and it’s one I’ll certainly keep reflecting on.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin Michael Joseph for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

What the actual f**k did I just read!! I absolutely bloody loved it!!

Stephanie Wrobel…Welcome to my Auto-Buy-Club; an exclusive shelf held for authors who blow me away!! My own cult of weird and wonderful thrillers!

This is the first time in a long time that I have been this excited about an upcoming release. I haven’t felt this way, since I read Samantha Downing’s debut “My Lovely Wife”!

“This Might Hurt” is my favourite read of 2021 and I cannot wait to have a physical copy on my shelf next year. If you are a fan of psychological mind bending thrillers by the likes of Samantha Downing and Alice Feeney, then this is a must read recommendation for you next year.

5 Star Read – A “Don’t Stop, Run & Buy” Recommendation!

Thank you to #NetGalley, #MichaelJoseph, #PenguinMichaelJosephUK and #StephanieWrobel for an ARC of #ThisMightHurt in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Wrobel’s first book so was thrilled to get the chance to read her second and it did not disappoint! It follows Natalie who receives a mysterious email from the island commune where her sister has been staying. She travels to the island to reunite with her sister and share a secret with her. We also follow another timeline which shows us some of the history to the story but I don’t want to divulge any information as it would be too spoilers! I really enjoyed this book and Wrobel’s writing is super easy to get engrossed in. I would highly recommend!

This book did not disappoint.
I was keen to read from the minute I saw the word cult,and remembered how much I'd enjoyed the authors previous book.
3 female characters ,that at times you can't help but feel for all of them... they each have fought battles to get where they are.
Each carry scars from their childhoods.
It's shaped them differently,and as the book progresses,we see how much.
I can't say too much without spoilers,but there were some genuine surprises along the way.
A very enjoyable read.

This is an interesting engrossing read ,the effects of a harsh punitive father on his young daughter as she grows to become hard on herself and develop abnormal views on the way a body should manage pain which she goes on to teach others with disastrous consequences
I was immediately worried for the lead character and the ultimate outcome was no surprise but how we got there was intriguingly serpiginous and surprised me .
There were some very exciting sections which put my pulse up as well as some emotionally demanding sections that might be triggering for some .These sections deal with emotional child abuse and the behaviour of cults and are at the same time compelling reading and rather traumatic .
The book is very visual and I could see it making a fantastic film
I loved the cults setting on an island which always adds to the claustrophobia as does the winter weather which makes what might otherwise be seen as an idilic setting immediately dangerous and hostile
I read a copy on NetGalley Uk the book is published match 2022

An intriguing read that I found complicated and struggled to get fully invested in it took me much longer to read than my usual pace as it required a lot more concentration. I did see it though to the end but just not one for me.

WOW - this ending! I found this an incredibly compelling, character driven thriller (my favourite kind) and especially loved the trajectory of the nameless perspective (I don't want to spoil anything). It is hard to say too much without giving it all away, but the sister and family dynamics, the creepy Maine setting, and the cult world were so well-drawn. Don't give this book a miss. I will think about the last line for a very, very long time.