When Sally Killed Harry - the twist on a classic rom com just as the title suggests. Sally has her guard up while dating in NYC, where she recently moved to from her home in London.

When the man she starts dating, and who she gives a chance to, proves her right (never trust men). She forms an unlikely alliance that snowballs into an Oceans 8 style support group.

There is depth in every character in this book however the biggest annoyance for me, is Sally’s constant fixation on Harry. She is angry at men for so many reasons but there multiple times she fixates on her fantasies of him and I just thought this didn’t make sense with her character’s motivations.

Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for this ARC ✨

“There's being ghosted. Then there's being fucking poltergeisted.”

When Sally Killed Harry is a bold, unapologetic, and raw exploration of frustration, fury, and the simmering rage women feel when the world constantly asks them to tiptoe around their own pain.

Our main girl Sally is not here to make friends or to win anyone's approval. She’s angry, cynical, and actually, really unlikable. She’s also hilariously witty, sharp, and unfiltered. Sure, Sally might describe her own appearance in the most narcissistic way possible “brown shoulder-length hair cascading like silk, red lips stained perfectly, eyeliner sharp" but I actually have to appreciate the audacity.

Sally isn’t just killing Harry; she’s waging war on a system that has, for too long, glorified men’s actions and swept women's voices under the rug. The book might seem, at first glance, like an anti-man manifesto. A “feminist rage" novel you’re either all in for or completely against. But I think it’s more nuanced than that. It’s less about "man-hating" and more about exposing the cracks in a deeply flawed system. It’s the frustration of seeing too many horror stories in the news, too many friends whispering about their experiences, too many women standing alone in a world that keeps telling them to be quiet.

Now, let’s talk about the controversy. This is a book that tackles toxic masculinity head-on, not with kid gloves, but with a sledgehammer. It’s uncomfortable, and it’s meant to be. If you’re coming into this thinking it’s a breezy romance or a lighthearted "feminist" novel, you might be disappointed. But if you’re willing to take the plunge, you’ll find a gritty, dark, and totally necessary examination of the real-world struggles women face every day. This isn’t a book that wants to paint men as the enemy…rather, it’s a book that highlights the toxic systems that make too many men think they can get away with anything, and a call for women to finally stand up and say, “enough is enough.”

“Can a girl not have a violent fantasy without getting interrupted these days?"

Does it go too far? Maybe. But the fact that people are uncomfortable with it is exactly why it needs to be said. I’ve read reviews that critique this book for "bashing men" and actually I think they might be missing the point. When Sally Killed Harry isn’t about hating men; it’s about shining a light on the stories that have been swept under the rug for far too long. It's about amplifying the voices that have been silenced and empowering women to claim their space, their stories, and their anger.

“And you know what really makes me sick? Every nickname, every headline, every fucking three seasons worth of documentaries or dramas. Every fucking thing is all about them. Their actions. Like we're nobody in our own stories."

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this arc! I was super intrigued by the title, as it clearly takes inspiration from When Harry met Sally, but as much as I wanted to love this novel, it fell flat for me. I was really put off at the fact that the characters had no dimension or layering behind them and are defined completely by their relationship with men. There were a few plot holes, almost as if to rush forward with the plot, which I struggled with. There wasn't much romance or comedy for me in this; although it is a thriller, it did promise hints of both. Thank you again for the copy in exchange for my honest review!

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The story was very sardonic and sharply written, blending the contemporary love and con narrative, I loved the main character, the support group, the engaging plot. My only gripe is the unrealistic ending, but it doesn't detract from the fact that this a fun, fast- paced read.

I wish I'd loved this as much as I thought I was going to when I read the blurb. In the end, things fell together rather conveniently, the way the women met and bonded for example and some of the revenge scenarios. I felt in the end it was a little trite and maybe convenient. There were some great moments too, it started off really well...

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy. It is my pleasure to writ an honest review.

I didn’t hate this book, per se, but the way I absolutely SKIMMED it after about 30% through and missed NOTHING. It was an interesting premise executed very badly. A group of women wronged by men in various ways comes together from all walks to invoke some vigilante justice. And mostly it is done through telling, almost no showing at all. Loose ends for days, very unrealistic and even unsatisfying, despite having been a victim of some garbage men myself.

Not how I would have wished my final book of the year to go, but it could have been worse. It could have been Frieda McFadden

I really struggled with this book. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters and the plotline did not grab me. I never finished reading it.

2.5 stars

So, goodbye Harry it’s been quite something knowing you. How did Sally end up killing Harry? She’s moved to New York City from London only to find that the men are just terrible in the Big Apple as in the capital. Maybe it’s you Sally? Just a thought. After several bad dates, Harry Collins dating profile catches her eye. “Charming, requires little sleep,impulsive”. A match surely made in heaven, no, scratch that, hell.

This is marketed as a “RomCom gone rogue”. Where is the Rom? There’s some occasional sizzle but definitely no Rom. What about the Com? Well, I search in vain for it but it’s sadly lacking. Perhaps there’s an occasional bit of wit but that hardly constitutes a Com. The subject matter is far too dark for it ever to be considered to fall into this category. You’d expect to find funny banter but I’m afraid a lot of that’s as dull as ditchwater. Let’s consider the rogue. I think what we have here is a revenge thriller which becomes an over egged and somewhat leaden pudding. There’s one incident after another that happens to a bunch of unfortunate women. It’s just too much. In addition, the constant referencing to vile men gets very tedious. Yes, of course there are awful men out there, that is sadly undeniable and they deserve every payback they get but this is unrelenting. Maybe, that’s the rogue.

It’s clear this novel is not to my taste and it is worth checking out other reviews as others like the novel considerably more than I do.

With thanks to NetGalley and Avon books for the arc in return for an honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc! As much as I wanted to love When Sally Killed Harry, I just didn’t. It was a struggle to read and couldn’t keep my attention.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC.

Sally is from London but now resides in Manhattan. It is clear that she has run from something and that there is major trauma in her past. She lives with New Yorker Priya who is a psychotherapist, and works in a job she doesn't enjoy.

One day she gets drugged and conned out of her money by suave Harry, and her sense of revenge gets awakened. Interestingly, within what feels like minutes she has assembled a support group of half a dozen women who have been hurt by men - abusers, rapists, financial con artists, catfishers, thieves, the lot. They call their group " Some Women" and meet weekly in a church hall of all places to pool their resources. First they just want to get their money back or humiliate these men out of their jobs but it very soon tips into murder, with Sally being at the forefront of the action.

It is clear that Sally is deeply damaged. She talks of a psychiatric ward in her past and compensation money and once we learn what happened we can understand how she is behaving now. Of course, with that many bad men around, even less damaged women might be out for revenge, and so one abuser and rapist after the other finds their timely end, with the women dividing up the work and helping each other out, making sure that nothing connects them to their respective victims.

There remains a complicated relationship between Sally and Harry - after all he did to her, she still gravitates towards him. She attributes that to her childhood but I still found it strange. Things do go wrong, one man survives an attempt, Harry taunts Sally, and there is an interesting but logical twist about Priya's boyfriend Steve.

I have a penchant for revenge novels and female serial killers, and this one delivers in spades, even though they all get away with it a bit too easily and the story ends a bit too neatly. The revenge theme is strong but we don't really get more than a superficial sense of the other women. I'm questioning whether the first person narrative is the correct choice and whether we need a mystery around Sally's childhood trauma instead of just being told straightaway. It is also lacking any kind of humour. The story is however very entertaining and I read it in one sitting.

I love a twisty revenge story, but this one wasn't particularly funny and I wasn't too keen on the characters. The plot was fast and it was a pretty easy read, but overall I didn't love it or hate it.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

When Sally Killed Harry is such a FUN title-but unfortunately it was NOT a fun book, and it most definitely didn’t resemble the movie it gets its name from-in any way.

“ THIS IS NOT A LOVE STORY. THIS IS A ROM COM GONE ROGUE”-is the quote on the book cover but that isn’t accurate either, as it isn’t a romance, nor was it a comedy-IMO-which is what I was expecting when I took a chance on this book.

So, what will you be getting if you pick this one up?

MISOGYNY is the hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women or girls-and that word is used at least five times in the first half of the book alone-as Sally is played by a con man named Harry that she met on a dating APP. Yet, it is HER hatred of men that really stands out.

After the con- Sally forms a group with other women who have been wronged setting up the second half of the book-where they will all seek their REVENGE against the catfishers, domestic abusers, bosses who abuse their power, rapists and murderers who have made them VICTIMS.

There isn’t a single good man in the book.

A CAUTIONARY TALE for women who confuse good sex with love or who don’t realize that a monster can hide behind “good looks”…unfortunately it was a one dimensional story that relies on being crass for shock value.

I am sure that readers who relish a good REVENGE story, may enjoy this more than I did-but it just wasn’t a good fit for me.

Available March 27, 2025

Thank You to Avon Books for the gifted ARC provided by NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts.

If you're in the mood for a rom-com that takes a sharp turn into revenge territory, When Sally Killed Harry by Lucy Roth is the perfect ride. This book flips the script on traditional romantic comedies and serves up a deliciously twisted tale of betrayal, revenge, and self-discovery.

Sally wakes up in New York City, nursing the worst hangover of her life, with a drained bank account and the crushing realization that she's been swindled by the charming, yet deceitful, Harry. This is no typical meet-cute gone wrong; Harry isn’t just a charming man—he’s a conman who has completely upended Sally’s life. And she’s not going to let it slide.

But this isn't a story about a heartbroken woman chasing after her wrongdoer. Instead, Sally channels her anger and disappointment into a mission of revenge. When she discovers that she’s not the only one Harry has swindled, she teams up with other women he's deceived, and together, they plot to turn Harry’s world upside down. And no, murder isn't on the agenda (yet)—but making his life a living nightmare is definitely on the cards.

Roth delivers a gripping, fast-paced narrative with equal parts humour and suspense. Sally is a wonderfully relatable protagonist, and her journey of self-empowerment is both funny and inspiring. The dynamic between Sally and the other women—each of them with their own reasons for seeking justice—adds an extra layer of depth to the plot. It’s not just about revenge; it's about reclaiming control and finding strength in unexpected alliances.

The twisty nature of the story keeps readers on their toes, and Roth’s clever writing ensures that the balance between humour and suspense is pitch-perfect. The dialogue is snappy, the characters are quirky and engaging, and the plot is far from predictable. The pacing is brisk, and the chapters fly by as the women set their plans into motion.

If you’re looking for a rom-com that’s anything but conventional When Sally Killed Harry will have you laughing, gasping, and rooting for Sally and her crew every step of the way. It’s a perfect pick for readers who love strong female leads, witty banter, and stories that break the mould.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Thank you NetGalley, Lucy Roth and Avon Books UK for allowing me access to this ebook!
When Sally Killed Harry will be released on March 27th. Sally wakes up in New York broke, hungover, and realizing she’s been conned by the charming yet deceitful Harry. Determined to get revenge, she bands together with other wronged women to turn his life upside down.
Unfortunately I did not enjoy the narration style and the whole story felt a bit over the top.

If you saw this title and immediately added it to your TBR, we can be friends. I had to request the ARC from NetGalley as soon as I saw it.

A chick gets conned by a dude, she joins up with other women who have been victimized by men, and they form a cute little (vengeful) support group.

There were occasionally some odd (missing?) transitions between scenes, but that could be due to the ARC-ness of it all. It was good and pretty fun, just not amazing. But if you like vengeful-women stories, I think it’s solid.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc! Well, sally really did kill harry that's for sure.. they were right, it is not a love story! I am sure that harry wishes he never met sally at all. It was nice to see the female friendships formed on sally's quest for revenge on harry. However, it took me awhile to finally read this finish because I didn't like the details being drawn out.

This book has so much potential and had such an interesting premise. Overall, it was a bit average in terms of a mystery and a bit shorter than it should have been? Usually I don't want books to be longer because my TBR is miles high, but in this case, I could have easily done with another 50 pages. It just felt a little rushed.

First couple chapters were a bit of a drag to me and I really did try to enjoy it. I had to DNF around halfway through.

The premise of Sally and other women who’d been wronged by Harry ganging up was fun and exciting but the writing style was quite distracting. Someone else said it was like a stream of consciousness and I completely agree! The switching between characters didn’t flow smoothly either.

Thank you Avon and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I like the setting of wronged women teaming up to take out bad men but this one was not good. To name a few problems:
- The characters are flat and defined entirely by their relationship with men
- Everything happens almost by magic to make the plot move along (like you talk to someone over a cigarette break and 5 minutes later they have shared their whole life story and are ready to join your secret avenger group???)
- Every storyline ends up the same, in the last 50 pages
- My favourite, the MC has been drugged and conned by a man she had 4 dates with, but she's still feels 'such a connection' with him???

I'm sorry but it just didn't work for me, but thank you Avon Books for this ARC.