I went into This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel with high hopes. The blurb and cover combination really sold it to me, as well as the fact that I’d only heard good things about Wrobel’s debut, The Recovery of Rose Gold. But while I raced through some parts of the multi-narrative story, other parts fell a little flat.

With several different timelines, the earliest, describing a mysterious character’s early life, was by far and away my favourite. For me, the pace of the other timelines tended to be on the slow side. That said, towards the end of the book my interest was well and truly piqued and I read the final 75 pages, a great ending, in one sitting.

I think what I needed was to care about Kit and Natalie a little more than I actually did. I wanted to feel utterly horrified but unfortunately I wasn’t really too bothered about what happened to them 🙈

It’s a solid thriller but not one that will stay with me. With thanks to Michael Joseph for gifting me a digital copy to review.

Having loved The Recovery of Rose Gold I couldn't wait to read This Might Hurt. I did find it a little confusing to be honest with the back and forth of timelines - this is where it lost the tension in my opinion.

Wow this is a bit of a dark and disturbing read about two sisters who’s life growing up is hardly ideal and full of fear and abuse and as adults they have drifted off on different paths but now they are drawn back together at the retreat and finally have to face some home truths.

The competition between two siblings is not an usual concept but throw a cult into the mix and it makes for an interesting story. Wrobel writes with multiple character narratives and timelines. The tension builds up as Natalie searches for her sister Kit at the remote location named Wisewood where the followers are led by a female cult leader. The reader needs to pay attention as the plot develops but it gets there in the end and all the loose ends are nicely tied up. A compelling read.

I very much enjoyed the twists and surprises of This Might Hurt! I knew it was a psychological thriller but not much else about it when I began reading. I devoured it rapidly one weekend, transfixed by its cunning duel timeline tale that, if I had to sum up, would do so by saying: Imagine if David Blaine started a sort of cult and then lost control of it. You’re interested, right?

Our main narrator in the present day is Natalie Collins. She’s concerned about her sister, Kit who has taken herself off to Wisewood, an isolated island retreat in Boston. When Natalie gets a mysterious email from someone at Wisewood, threatening to reveal a family secret about her, she takes the first small, slightly sinister boat she can out to the island.

Natalie’s chapters are spliced with flashback ones to two sisters growing up under the watchful eye of their father with an unconventional parenting technique.

The other very intriguing character is Madame Fearless, a magician or, more accurately, a mentalist who has absolute belief in a person’s ability to become completely fearless. If a person fears nothing, they can live their best life.

Natalie, Kit and Madame Fearless’ paths cross – and the results are dramatic for all of them to say the least.

I won’t say much more on the plot or Madame Fearless as I want you to be as surprised and entranced by the story as I was but, as I mentioned, reading about her, David Blaine sprung to mind. I feel I need to mention Derren Brown here too. Stephanie Wrobel is an American author, so she may not have heard of Britain’s most famous mentalist, but Madame Fearless’ performance reminded me a lot of his. He’s amazing – give this a watch if you don’t know him / want to see what he can do.

ANYWAY back to the book, This Might Hurt is so sharply written that at some points I felt genuinely anxious about what was going to happen next. More so in the flashback chapters but the tension spread through the whole read, adding to the overall tantalising, page-turning feel.

At its heart, This Might Hurt is about both sibling relationships and crafting and dictating your own story. These themes, combined with the subtle Gothic elements leant a further dimension to it that really appealed to me. Such an interesting, clever concept, I loved the whole thing, right through to the creepily brilliant ending!

We meet Natalie as she receives a threatening email from a “retreat” where her younger sister Kit has been staying for several months. Determined to get her sister Kit out of the clutches of what she increasingly assumes to be a cult, Natalie travels to the remote island and meets the strange cast of characters whom Kit now considers her friends and family. What follows is the unfolding of Natalie’s attempts to convince Kit to leave, told from both of their points of view.

Throughout, we also go back and forth with another timeline featuring two sisters (the identities of whom are left vague for most of the book), which shows the origins of the younger sister’s ability to endure great suffering and determination to overcome fear – something that the retreat on the island claims to help its guests master.

This was a well-written novel, with some interesting plot points, but some of the twists didn’t really come as a surprise. A couple of the characters seemed a little one-dimensional, and there wasn’t much in the way of unexpected reveals or story arcs. It was diverting enough, though.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

Well this book did not disappoint! After reading this author's debut I was keen to read her second book, This Might Hurt. I love how this author brings something a little bit different to the table and the storyline kept me engrossed right from the start.
This is a story of how one girls childhood living with an emotionally abusive and controlling father leads to her lifelong quest to become fearless. The challenges she undertakes lead to her developing a misguided perception of being invincible and she gains loyal admirers and followers along the way. There are themes relating to troubled relationships, manipulation, narcissism and the ends that the main character goes to in order to master control within her own life as well as controlling those around her.
A great read and I really look forward to more from this author!

This Might Hurt is a story told from 3 peoples perspective. Natalie, her sister Kit and an unknown person. Kit has gone to Wisewood retreat for 6 months when Natalie receives a mysterious email and goes to Wisewood to check her sister is safe. Wisewood turns out to be more of a cult than a tranquil retreat.
Not entirely sure I really got this meaning of this story. After reading Darling Rose Gold, I had high expectations for this read but couldn’t gel with the plot.

This Might Hurt
I found the layout of this book so confusing. The different timelines & points of view seemed to jump without warning - which considering the narratives are all female - left me wondering what was going on half the time. I’d like to explain about the characters but I’m worried I’ll give too much away. Wisewood is a wellness retreat on a remote island off the coast of Maine. It’s run by Teacher - a mysterious woman and her team of staff - all former visitors to the retreat. Honestly - I just didn’t enjoy this book. I was confused, I guessed a lot of bits, and I just didn’t find it that interesting. Having recently read another book with a similar theme - I think maybe I’ve just had a bit too much ‘cult’ thriller reading.

This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel.

⭐⭐⭐.5

After six months of not hearing from her sister, Natalie gets an email inviting her to the secret island retreat where her sister has been living. When she arrives, she quickly realises this place of healing has more sinister motives.

Okay, let's start with the negatives! There are two alternative character voices throughout this book, one is present day Natalie, and one is a childhood story. I (maybe naively) assumed the childhood voice was the POV of our main character as a child! It wasn't until I was halfway through the book that I realised this wasn't the case. I think it wouldn't have been so confusing if the author spoke in the back-in-time, childhood sections, in third person rather than in first. Because both past and present day both used the first person narrative, I was confused everytime they switched.

Apart from this confusion, I have to say I really loved reading this book. I constantly wanted to pick it up to find out what was happening next, and the twist at the end was 🤌.

However the END end, as in, the last few pages, have left me kind of in confusion again to be honest. I understand that authors of thrillers need an element of shock, but the last few pages of this book have me wondering so many things. I just wish the author could have rounded it up for us at the end.

Also (side note) this is the UK cover, but I much prefer the US version.

Thanks as always to @michaeljbooks for sending me an advanced copy via @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is out now.

This book was right up my street - a mysterious cult setting and a secret that could rip the family apart, but it fell a little short for me in reality.

There’s a pretty big chunk of the book that deliberately misleads you and usually I love that, but it felt too confusing and that there wasn’t a huge point to it.

I really liked Rebecca’s character in the end though and enjoyed the past stories parts of the book.

An easy read thriller that may confuse you unnecessarily!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Very different from what I expected from the book description - and I really enjoyed it! Good background stories helping the reader to see how the characters have developed into their current personalities. Interesting narrative which keeps you guessing.
Recommended.

Welcome to Wisewood. We’ll keep your secrets if you keep ours.
Natalie Collins hasn’t heard from her sister in more than half a year.
The last time they spoke, Kit was slogging from mundane workdays to obligatory happy hours to crying in the shower about their dead mother. She told Natalie she was sure there was something more out there.
And then she found Wisewood.
On a private island off the coast of Maine, Wisewood’s guests commit to six-month stays. During this time, they’re prohibited from contact with the rest of the world—no Internet, no phones, no exceptions. But the rules are for a good reason: to keep guests focused on achieving true fearlessness so they can become their Maximized Selves. Natalie thinks it’s a bad idea, but Kit has had enough of her sister’s cynicism and voluntarily disappears off the grid.
Six months later Natalie receives a menacing e-mail from a Wisewood account threatening to reveal the secret she’s been keeping from Kit. Panicked, Natalie hurries north to come clean to her sister and bring her home. But she’s about to learn that Wisewood won’t let either of them go without a fight

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own hone\st voluntary review.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me guessing until the end and had some wonderful plot twists. It was quite dark in places exploring cults and some peoples need to control. With the flashbacks you get to realise that the need to control comes from being controlled so much in younger life. I felt like there was a little something missing at the end which is why I didn't award 5 stars but it was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

I have mixed feelings about this book. While the idea of the story was good, I couldn't connect with the characters or feel anything for them. I expected to be some jaw dropping secrets but it was a bit of let down. Maybe other people may think otherwise. The ending was ok, I prefer it this way than where they part ways and the end.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The plot kept me gripped from beginning to end. While it started with a form of childhood abuse, this was springboard rather than its backdrop. I loved the different characters voices and the different timelines which worked so well to set up context. Quite an original and so woth reading

‘Weirdness with a purpose. Eccentricity as medicine’
-
Stephanie Wrobel was the talk of #Bookstagram after her debut novel ‘Darling Rose Gold’ was met with rapturous love. So naturally I was very excited to get my hands on an early copy of her newest book ‘This Might Hurt’ to see what the rave was all about.
-
Natalie Collins hasn’t heard from her sister in more than half a year. The last time they spoke, Kit was slogging from mundane workdays and she told Natalie she was sure there was something more out there.
And then she found Wisewood.
On a private island off the coast of Maine, Wisewood’s guests commit to six-month stays. During this time, they’re prohibited from contact with the rest of the world—no Internet, no phones, no exceptions. But the rules are for a good reason: to keep guests focused on achieving true fearlessness so they can become their Maximized Selves. Kit thinking this sounds a wonderful opportunity jumps in board.
Six months later Natalie receives a menacing e-mail from a Wisewood account threatening to reveal the secret she’s been keeping from Kit. Panicked, Natalie hurries north to come clean to her sister and bring her home. But she’s about to learn that Wisewood won’t let either of them go without a fight.
-
I can safely say she lives up to the hype. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!! Through dual timelines we learn the story of sisterhood, family ties, and letting go off your fears… all with a sinister cult feel flowing through the centre of the narrative. The psychological twists and turns this took me on we’re just SO well done, and the pay off for the shock moments I felt personally were delivered with ease and precision. A true delight of a psychological thriller!
-
Thank you to Netgalley & MichaelJBooks for the arc!! This is out now, so run to your local to grab a copy!!

I liked The Recovery of Rose Gold, this one started in an exciting way even if a bit to violent for my taste. After the first chapters it stopped keeping my attention alive and I found it a bit boring.
There's plenty of potential and the author is talented but this one is not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I struggled with this one at times sadly, I watch lots of tv programmes where Cult leaders/followers etc have been enticed shall we say by the Cult leader. The difference with this is that the cult leader is a female. Most of the things I have seen have always been males so this was a slightly different take.

Some of the timeline I found to be confusing, the story has several narrators along with several parts. One of the narrators you don’t know who they are initially, which was supposed to lead to a twist which didn’t quite grab me as I had hoped it would..

For me I need to like a character or two but sadly in this I just didn’t like any of the characters so found I couldn’t bond with them and I think that could also be a reason I found the book lacking in something.

It us well written, but sadly didn’t hit the mark for me personally, but I know there will be lots of readers out there that will love this.

I would like to thank #netgalley and #PenguinMichaelJoseph for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

Natalie and Kit Collins have always been close, only siblings of a troubled single mother, they rely on each other more than most. Natalie has always been the dependable, organised one, while Kit has lurched from job to job, never really settling. 6 months ago, unable to deal with the death of their mother, Kit took herself off to a retreat called Wisewood and renounced all contact with the world. Now Natalie has received a mysterious email from someone at the retreat, what is going on there and why has Kit stayed away so long?
This Might Hurt is told from the point of view of Natalie, Kit and and an initially mysterious other woman. I found the first third of the book gripping as the unknown narrator details her horrendous childhood at the hands of her sadistic father and Natalie reaches Wisewood and begins to discover that all is not well. However, once you understand who the third woman is it all becomes a big drawn out and tedious, I found it all rather unbelievable and, once we start hearing from Kit, pretty unlikeable. It’s not really a thriller, there are some points of tension but I never felt that there was a great mystery. The big reveals didn’t seem that surprising and the ending was abrupt. A bit of a letdown, but I will certainly read another of Stephanie Wrobel’s novels again.
Thank you to #netgalley and #michaeljbooks for allowing me to review this ARC.