This book understood the assignment. It's "The Partner Track" meets "Hunger Games." It keeps you on the edge of your seat and dying to turn the page. It's a must read!

This was a quick and enjoyable read. There were a few times when I felt the author fel into that trap of overstating things and telling the reader what we should be thinking rather than subtly letting the reader get there themselves but overall it was enjoyable

I will say the premise of this novel really caught my attention and intrigued me, I got through the first 50% quite quickly.

However, I felt the execution was mid at best unfortunately.

The world building was good at the start, I felt myself feeling stressed out from just reading what it’s like to work in the environment the MC was in.
Really hitting you over the head with how much effort a woman can put into a corporate job with little to no pay off.

But once we got into the society stuff it felt silly?
Despite all the murder nothing really happened, the romantic relationship felt shoved in and everything was just too nicely tied up at the end.

I think with fine tuning this could have been better, but really wasn’t for me sorry.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher.

Cassandra Harlow is an exceptional lawyer at top law firm, however, she is struggling with her role in a predominantly male company. She has to work twice as hard as her male counterparts and unfortunately, all her hard work never seems to cut it. Cass looks up to her colleague and friend/mentor, Sara O'Neil, who is on track to becoming partner. When Sara dies, Cass automatically knows something is wrong. She knows her friend would never kill herself. Cass starts to dig for the truth and learns her friend was part of an elite female only members club. Secrets start unfolding, and it becomes clear that this clique is a dark secret society and might also be the cause of Sara's death.

This book is a great book that focuses heavily on misogyny and inequality in the workplace. The setting is perfect, and the characters, although not memorable, were still good. Unfortunately, the pacing didn't always feel steady, falling flat more often than I would have liked. It did pick up later on in the book, however, which helped bring the book into a great closing.
Great storyline with great twists! 4 stars!

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and Rhiannon Barnsley for this compelling ARC!

A secret society for professional women to rival the old boys' network and give women a greater chance of success - rather than having to juggle everything, or work twice as hard for less visibility - I can see the attraction for Cass and her fellow lawyer & friend Nat. But with the opportunity to join this elite group coming so soon after the mysterious death of their colleague, Sara, you can understand them feeling a tad uneasy. Especially when it is said that no-one leave the Inside (unless in a body bag, it seems) Yet, ambition often calls for ruthlessness, and when both women apply for the much coveted spot, it soon becomes evident that the Inside is much more than a network for career climbers ...so much more. Besides, Cass has a more immediate problem to solve: her job and her reputation are on the line after a client pushes her too far and the firm choose his version of events over hers.
For Cass especially, Sara's death came as a complete shock, and she's unconvinced by claims that Sara took her own life to the extent that she can't resist investigating herself. What she finds soon see her suspicions grow, causing her to question what it means to be a member of Inside.
As her involvement with the exclusive group increase, she picks up on more unsettling aspects that show a murky side to the group. Murky and dangerous.

This is an addictive read, the pace intensifying the closer Cass gets to the truth. If she pushes too hard, she puts herself at risk, but it's a risk she's prepared to take to get justice for Sara. Hugely entertaining, tense and exciting. I look forward to reading more by this author.

What would you be willing to do to become part of the Clique, a very exclusive women's only club that guarantees career success. A club that can open doors that would never be opened for you. Like the good old boys clubs that help men get elected and promoted but for women only. Would you want in? Would you be willing to undergo the gruelling process to see if you can get a place? Sara O'Neill was in; she had the career, money, prestige but for some reason, she jumped to her death from a high rise building. Cassandra worked with Sara and cannot understand why she would jump to her death. Determined to find the truth, she decides to do whatever it takes to become part of the Clique so she can uncover what REALLY happened to Sara. As she becomes more and more embroiled in the extravagant interview process, she does not realise the danger she is putting herself in. A very interesting book, I enjoyed it

The Clique by Rhiannon Barnsley is a suspense-filled rollercoaster of a novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Rhiannon Barnsley has delivered an enthralling read, leaving readers hungry for more.
A extremely addictive, twisty book which kept me interested all the way through.

Thank You NetGalley and One More Chapter for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I had no idea what to expect from this book but I can easily say it was fabulous.

I didn't see the twists coming and it moved at a really fast pace.

I loved the idea of their being a club for women like the old Men's clubs but never did I imagine what would really be going on.

And the look into what I feel are almost certainly true and shocking working practices in law firms, especially for women are both eye opening and shocking. Made me glad I wasn't a high powered lawyer.

Cass is a great heroine, if a little carefree towards her own safety but determined to find out the truth about Sara's death. And discovers a lot more than she would have ever guessed.

Utterly fabulous, this was the first book i have read by the author, and definitely won't be the last. Hard to put down, and very quick to devour.

Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Arc Review
Publishing Date- 8/1/2024
My Rating- 3 Stars


Is the author an attorney? Because she nailed the drama and the misogyny running rampant in a law firm setting.

What To Expect/Context Warnings-
⚖️Unhinged Ladies Behaving Badly
⚖️Secret Society
⚖️Talks Of Suicide
⚖️Drugs
⚖️Unwanted Sexual Advances

My Thoughts-
This was an interesting read. The premise captured my attention. The pacing did fall flat for me, it’s a slow burn book. But once the things started to pick up and more secrets unfolded it was a quick finish. I would recommend this book to anyone that like thrillers and who’s worked in a law firm setting.

✨Thanks to NetGalley, The Author, & HarperCollins Publishing for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review✨

The Clique was a slow starter that hotted up around halfway making this a decent read.
Cass is a lawyer and works in a top law firm, it is mainly dominated by men o has its downfalls. Her work colleague and friend, Sara, is ahead of Cass in the firm, she has it all or rather appears to as one morning she jumps from the roof terrace to her death. Cass is stunned by this and thinks this is out of character for Sara. Cass decides whilst dealing with pressing matters in her work life that she is going to look more into Sara’s death, she finds that Sara was in an exclusive club for high flying women, could this have something to do with it or is she bar,in up the wrong tree?
This was a decent read, I enjoyed the storyline as it was something a little different to what I’ve read before. There are some good twists to keep it interesting and I liked Cass as a main character. It was a little slow going at the start but when it picked up it was something I itched to read.
I would like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

This morning I was scrolling through netgalley, when I came across this beauty. I knew I had to share it with all of you and needed to come up with all the right words to give this stunning debut the review it deserves

The Clique

I’m a huge fan of Rhiannon Barnsley after reading The Clique. I can see the book community swelling with love and support over this one

There’s only one way to join their society. If someone leaves, or dies…

Barnsley, is coming at us hard with the suspense! Don’t take your eyes off the page for even a second or you might miss something!

How far will they go to keep their secrets?

Check out this teaser :

There’s only one way to join their society. If someone leaves, or dies…

High-flying lawyer Sara O’Neil had it all; the career, the money, the prestige.

And then she jumped to her death.

Cassandra Harlow never expected to see her friend fall from their office rooftop. Someone knows what really happened. But the only people who might know the truth are a secret women-only society, Inside, whose promise is to fast-track your career.

But if Sara was part of it and they helped facilitate her rise to the top, could they also be the reason she came crashing down to earth?

I was hesitant to request this because I really don't enjoy reading books about lawyers and just the whole work setting. After reading the reviews, which were very convincing that it was worth reading, I was happy to be approved. While this did have the work setting, I enjoyed reading it nonetheless. I really enjoyed Cass' character. The whole secret society was a big far fetched for me. Otherwise, this was a decent read if you enjoy workplace thrillers. I would read more by this author in the future.

Sara O’Neil, a high flying lawyer, unexpectedly jumped to her death. Meanwhile, colleague Cass is shocked as she seemed to have it all. Why did she jump? Is it possible an elusive secret society knows the answer?

I really enjoyed this one and found the cult like demeanour of the women’s member society fascinating. The book covers important themes, such as the women’s place in the corporate world and how they can be unfairly treated, as well as mental health issues. The environment was written in a tense, believable way.

By the half way point I found myself paranoid and glued to the pages.The characters were well written and I rooted for Cass. I also found that there were a few good twists which I didn’t see coming. This is one I will be recommending and I look forward to reading another by this author if this is anything to go by. An original, enjoyable thriller. 4.5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

Wow that’s some finale! Not my usual genre but the book title and description won me over. What starts out as a straightforward story about the rise of a female Mergers and Acquisitions lawyer working for a high profile firm in the City, gradually develops into a murder mystery novel. Fast paced, slick and compulsive reading. Great characters and almost believable. I was completely taken in and had no idea what would develop. Cassandra and George finally unravel the truth but not without consequences.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers One More Chapter for this e-ARC for an opportunity to review this book in exchange for an independent review.

What a fabulous novel. Deliciously dark and devilish, I couldn’t put it down. Cassandra Harlow has it all, a top job as a lawyer, on track to make partner. The job has totally ruined her social life but the enormous salary she’s paid more than makes up for it, until things start to go wrong. A roof top fall and a women only secret society and competition with her best friend all prove to be a recipe for disaster. Tense, fast paced and gripping right up to the very end. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK One More Chapter and the author for the chance to review.

I loved this book. Such as interesting plot with lots of twists and an ending I didn't see coming. Easy to read and a fast paced thriller. Would definitely recommend.

This was a shocking, dark thriller that had you on the edge of your seat from the first page. Plenty of twists and an ending I was expecting. I think it was a little too dark for me but it was well written and I would still recommend it.

i really really enjoyed this book and the story! the characters were very well written and the plot had me guessing until the end!

I am not sure if I was the right market for this book. It felt more YA. But despite this, it was quite a good thriller.

The Clique is a searing look at the toxic world of corporate legal firms, where every second is accounted for and leaving the office at 9pm is considered early. Cass Harlow has dedicated her life to being considered as a partner in her prestigious firm, and she's only weeks away from finding out whether she has been successful for the latest position. She knows that its very much an old boys' club, with nepotism and old school networks rife in the company but she believes that she has what it takes to make it, even if it comes at the expense of everything else.

She is devastated when Sara, one of the firms' few female partners, falls from the roof-top in an apparent suicide. Cass knows how much stress Sara was under but is still shocked that she might have taken her own life in this way. Cass quickly learns about a secret women's only network that might be able to shed some light on what has happened, and might also be able to help Cass get the partner role that she so desperately wants.

It was a really tense page turner with some great reveals which I hadn't been expecting - well worth a read.