A unique plot line which was an enjoyable read. Great to read about menopause in an empowering way when so much of the social commentary of menopause and women is so negative and misogynistic.

Really enjoyed this - will definitely be recommending and looking forward to the next one by this author!

Three women - with slight supernatural abilities cross paths and try to solve what is going on in their hometown and who is killing young women.

I really liked the idea of this book. In my opinion women are so understated in what we do and it was a book that really stood out for how amazing woman can be. I really liked the plot of this book as I haven’t read another book like this one and I liked how the three women had different abilities. This one was such a good read and I’d be interested to read more books by this author in the future.

A really unique thriller, perfect for fans of Naomi Alderman! I feel like a lot of feminist books have been coming out recently but The Change was one of my favourites 2022 had to offer.

When three menopausal women are gifted individual powers of witchery, they combine forces to fight back against an anonymous serial killer in their local neighborhood.

The concept of menopausal empowerment through superpowers? So unique. I love how unique each of the women were and how their powers related to their nature as well. There’s no denying that I would absolutely love to belong to Harriet’s hedgewitch vibe.

I loved this book. It was a slower paced read, which might not appeal to some, but there was plenty of tension between each page and - despite some aspects being more obvious than others - I was still left guessing where the story was going to go. I'd recommend this to anyone wanting a slowburn thriller with some paranormal plot.

If you enjoyed: Magpie, A Narrow Door, or When Women Were Dragons, you might enjoy this!

The download date was unfortunately missed, I would be happy to re-review if it became available again. I have awarded stars for the book cover and description as they both appeal to me. I would be more than happy to re-read and review if a download becomes available. If you would like me to re-review please feel free to contact me at thesecretbookreview@gmail.com or via social media The_secret_bookreview (Instagram) or Secret_bookblog (Twitter). Thank you.

I can't recall any book that I have ever read before that was like this. From the opening lines I was hooked and as the story revealed itself I had no idea where it would go or how it would end.

Three women from totally different backgrounds come together to right the wrongs done to women by privileged , powerful men. Harriet's character is truly wonderful and the changes in her character as her inner-being is revealed are breath-taking. She is the leader of the group, controlled and unphased. Her ability to put the male characters down in her new 'persona' is inspiring and entertaining.

Nessa can hear the dead - and it is through her 'gift' that this book takes such a dark turn: ghosts of murdered girls visit Nessa and refuse to leave until justice is served.

Jo is, perhaps, the strongest physically, but yet the most vulnerable due to her young family.

The three women pull together to help unpick a crime and make sure the sins are repaid. This is dark and delicious and I am still struggling to categorise the genre: there is magic, feminism, crime, dystopian and thrills aplenty! Do not miss this and decide for yourself.

A must-read story of patriarchy-smashing feminine strength and sisterhood, which combines murder, humour and compassion with plenty of twists.

I absolutely loved this crime-solving trio and their powerful fight against misogyny. It is so refreshing to see older women as capable and insightful protagonists, and embracing their flourishing strength and experience as vital members of the community.

Nessa, Jo and Harriet are somewhat unlikely friends who are all around 50 years old and are brought together by the power which comes to the fore as they go through menopause, contrary to the accepted status quo which perceives women aa losing relevance once their childbearing days are past. They each have a special role to play in uncovering and investigating the crimes and the network of wealthy individuals who seek to oppress them, whilst learning more about themselves and their powerful bond.

It seems strange to say this for a book about murder, but this was a fun read. What makes it so are the three main characters at the heart of the story, who make a great ensemble cast. An entertaining story, very much enjoyed. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

Absolutely phenomenal - I couldn’t put this down, and finished it within 24 hours.

A celebration of the power of women and sisterhood; and a damming indictment of the harm and damage created by men, the societal patriarchy (and sometimes the women who support it too).

This is one of the most fantastic books I have ever read! I so enjoyed reading it and was quite sad when I got to the end as I didn't want to be without it.

The book feels very timely, hitting a chord at a time when sexism and misogyny are high-profile. It puts three women centre-stage, and relatively older women at that - which is massively refreshing. And they are not struggling with getting older, as the usual narrative would have us believe (or at least, if they are, that's not the full story).

Jo, Nessa and Harriet are the main characters and they come together to solve a mystery of a spate of missing girls and young women - and try to get their revenge on behalf of the victims.

Jo is going through the menopause suffering hot flushes etc, but still has a good sex life with her husband. She runs a female-only gym and is raising her daughter to be confident and assertive. And the menopause seems to have given her super-human strength and special powers which she deploys against some very deserving targets.

Nessa at first seems a little more withdrawn or introverted, having lost her husband some years previously. But she has a gift - she can see dead people and is visited by those who have been denied justice, and feels the sense that she has a duty to help them very keenly.

Harriet is just fantastic. Having got rid of her cheating husband, she lives alone in her fancy house, having taught herself all about horticulture and let the garden run wild. She's often hanging around naked in her garden and has various visitors, male and female, to have sex with. She is also often high.

One of the first times we meet Harriet, she's putting a local busybody in his place, who has taken it upon himself to tell her she needs to get her garden under control. Needless to say, she ignores him. Harriet's talent is the ability to make things happen, often using plants, so the man finds his garden overrun with weeds.

The plot is good - with lots of twists and characters who turn out to be not what they first appeared. The women are basically getting to the bottom of a huge crime network with the help of Franklin, the one good cop who is also in love with Nessa. Along the way they get their revenge on various men who have wronged them in the past and there's a great sense of the tables being turned, of women finally getting their own back after years of enduring sexism and in some cases assault.

The book describes love, sex and relationships in a very refreshing way. It's great that all three women agree that sex has got better for them as they've got older. And the romance between Nessa and Franklin is lovely to read. I also like the fact that the book isn't black and white in how it portrays oppression. It's not that all men are lost causes at all - even Harriet's former husband does something good in the end.

I think this book will appeal particularly to older women who are sick of being painted as 'past it' with an expectation that, if you can no longer produce children, you're basically worthless. As Miller says, it isn't over - it's time.

Wow wow and wow 🤩 it’s a winner ! What an absolutely brilliant 🤩 book 📕 hard to review without giving a major plotline away just read it ! It’s fantastic , it would make a brilliant tv series . Let’s hope !

Just fabulous, middle-aged women using their powers to solve an unsolved murder. A heady mix of other-world ghostly voices, hormonal power and the might of women working together made this unlike anything I've read before, and I loved it!

Wow! This book is so powerful and totally gripping. A crime mystery with a supernatural twist. It addresses so many important issues: the injustice of the justice system, class differences, racial differences, the patriarchal oppression of women. Absolutely fantastic!

This is a rollercoaster ride of a book, based around three women in their late forties and early fifties, who become friends and team up to solve the mystery of the disappearance of various young women. Aside from the plot being completely far fetched and utterly bonkers, I also found the characters quite unrelatable. Some bits were good and some of the writing was ok but overall definitely not as good as I'd hoped. Disappointing.

“Yesterday, Nessa had heard something new—a whisper that seemed to roll in with the waves. Here, a girl said. …. she knew it was a message, and she knew what it meant. Someone was lost and wanted to be found.”

My thanks to HQ for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Change’ by Kirsten Miller.

What a surprise Miller’s adult debut novel was. From the title and striking cover art, I assumed that this was going to be a literary dystopian novel featuring women who have gone through the change. Well, I was right about its focus upon women facing middle age though they were not living in a dystopian society. What I didn’t expect was a riveting feminist crime thriller with a touch of the paranormal running through it.

The novel focuses upon three women living in Mattauk, New York, each coming to terms with entering a new phase of their lives.

On the cusp of fifty Harriet Osborne has seen her marriage and career implode. She hasn’t left her house in months and her behaviour has become increasingly eccentric, as she develops a new relationship with nature.

Nessa James is a widow now living alone since her daughters have left for college. She has begun to hear the voices of the Dead, an ability that has often manifested in her family. When she was twelve her grandmother had told her: “one day your life will grow quiet, and that’s when you’ll be able to hear them …my aunt used to say, the gift arrives after the curse ends.” The voice she has been increasingly aware of leads her to the Osborne house and a meeting with its owner, Harriet.

Finally there is Jo Levison, who for thirty years has been at war with her body, now she discovers that her hot flushes and rage can be channeled into a powerful weapon. She also has recently opened Furious Fitness, a gym for women only. It’s where she meets Nessa and later Harriet and they strike up a friendship.

When Nessa’s voices lead the trio to the abandoned body of a teenage girl, the police quickly write off the victim. So the women undertake their own investigation and uncover a sinister conspiracy protected by a world of wealth and privilege. Will these three women be able to use their newly discovered abilities to avenge the innocent and punish the guilty?

I couldn’t wait to find out and zoomed through this brilliant novel just loving it.

Overall, I found this an engaging read that was almost impossible to put down. I was quite invested in the lives of Harriet, Jo, and Nessa and was cheering on their battle against the ingrained misogyny they encounter. I appreciated Kirsten Miller’s storytelling and her skilful blending of genres.

Highly recommended.

I really wanted to love this book but I just didn’t feel all that connected to it.
I felt like it dragged, i’m not a massive fan of any kind of slow burn and this was definitely a bit of a slow burn for me.
I did quite enjoy the little twist but it was a bit predictable.
I did really like the strong women characters in this and they were very bad ass!
I was hoping for more of the magical stuff elements but I guess with magical realism it has to fit in naturally which this did do nicely!

This book is about three women's lives who plot revenge. It's a great read however it may be triggering for some with the story being centered around sexual assaults on young girls.

For me, it was a brilliant book. I tried the audiobook but I was much better in writing format.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

If discovering powers is a menopausal norm, sign me the hell up. Kristen Miller has created three memorable characters in this satisfying feminist revenge novel about friendship, the patriarchy and standing up for those who go unheard.

There are so many things I loved about this novel and it's been so long since I've read something like this!

I love that our protagonists are slightly older; their life experiences play a huge part in who they are and this adds so much depth and strength to their characters.

I loved the growing bond and unity of the friendship between Jo, Harriet and Nessa and the way they worked together. Female friendships are fast becoming one of my favourite themes to explore.

Their powers added a slight touch of something different and I loved that they all brought something different to the table. While their special abilities added an element of magical realism, it gave me The Power vibes which, as you know, I am a huge fan of. Side plug: if you haven't read Naomi Alderman's The Power, what the hell have you been doing for the past few years (aside from surviving a pandemic?)

I also loved how easy a read this one was. While the content felt heavy at times due to the nature of the crimes covered, it was very readable with great dialogue and narration.

All in all, I highly recommend checking this one out.

I was excited to read this book and very intrigued by the synopsis and concept as soon as I heard about it. But sadly it fell flat for me. I found it slow, the characters not captivating my attention and I quickly lost interest. Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me.

One of the main books I wanted to read this spooky season and I have finaaally finished it! The Change has taken me all month to read but it was worth it!

A modern day revenge story of womanhood and witches! I was a little wary heading into this as I wasn't sure if it would be a story steeped in magic or it was going to be more of a crime thriller. However, it was a perfect mix of both and so much more! The themes throughout this book made for such a captivating read. It was a quite a long book but for good reason; each character gets their story and each element of the story fleshed out. Some pages could've been sacrificed but then some of the magic may have been lost!

One of the things I loved most was reading about Jo, Nessa and Harriet. Seeing their friendship blossom and their bond become stronger, how they stood up for themselves and other woman, for what was right. They are badasses and I am here for it! Their fight and drive is admirable and I love them!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, HQ Stories and Kristen Miller for this digital copy! I really recommend picking this book up for a new take on magic in fiction! You won't be disappointed!