Know that the first half of this quick read is Greg's perspective on how he met and romanced Anya,, a woman as different from him as could be, and the second half is Anya's view of the same thing. This could have been a repetitive situation but Simon finds the nuances and that's what makes this tale of secrets and lies in a relationship work. Neither character is particularly likable but they are interesting. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read..

Wow thank you Clea.

A tail of 2 halves. A slow burn but well worth it.

The first part Greg story slow and simmering under tones of something his love for Anya.

Part 2 Anya story and the truth.

All brought to an ending which I didn't see coming.

If you pick this up keep with it you will not be disappointed

The Butterfly Trap by Clea Simon is a toxic domestic drama where everyone plays everyone and believes they are the ones who are the players!
I must say I loved the concept of this book! So the book is told from Anya's and Greg's perspective. So technically we are reading the same story just one is told by Greg and another by Anya. I loved that even though it's the same story it didn't feel repetitive! Parts that we already witnessed in Greg's story were nicely wrapped up in Anya's story concentrating on parts that we didn't know! So respect! That was clever!
This one is slow-burn so will not be good for readers who need constant action but the dynamics between characters and situations were excellent! Toxic but excellent.

Anya is a struggling artist and art is what she wants to do.
Greg is on his way to being a successful surgeon and all he needs is a wife. When he meets Anya, he is positive they are meant to be together. He is focused on getting married and having kids... but is this what Anya's plan is?

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc. I did enjoy the multiple POVS, however it was very hard for me to get into. I didn't like any of the characters, so I couldn't find one I wanted to root for.

Based on the cover and description I wasn't sure what do think about this one. I was intrigued but didn't know where to place my expectations going on but omg I loved it y'all!

Doctor Greg and artist Anya couldn't be more different. This story follows them as they get together, sharing both POVs and how they drastically differ. As they get serious, it becomes apparent that Anya is hiding something. How will this affect their relationship?

This was a good read, keeping me intrigued throughout. I struggled to put the book down in parts because I just had to know what was going to happen next. I loved the dual POVs and hearing how they differed! It was definitely a unique way to construct the story!

Not sure why it is classified as a psychological thriller. It had a few twists in it depending on who was relaying the story but I had a hard time getting through the whole book.

Clea Simon’s *The Butterfly Trap* is a gripping psychological thriller that explores the dark secrets of a seemingly perfect relationship through a he said/she said narrative.

The story follows Greg, a committed post-doc whose life changes when he meets Anya, a passionate and enigmatic artist. Their whirlwind romance soon reveals tension, as Anya’s need for independence clashes with Greg’s intense affection.

As secrets emerge, the dynamics of their relationship shift in unexpected ways. The alternating viewpoints provide insight into both characters, creating intrigue throughout the story.

Fans of psychological thrillers like *Gone Girl* will appreciate Simon’s skillful exploration of love and obsession in this novel.

The Butterfly Trap by Clea Simon is a great read! This is a true page turner that you won't want to put down until the very end when you can find out what's happened!

The plot was very good, but had to DNF it was too slow-burn suspense thriller for me.

Beautiful cover, it what got me to get the book to give it a try,.

In any psychological suspense novel it is easy to fall into the trap of slowly revealing where the evil lies—who is victim and who is perpetrator—but we are all heroes of our own story, as the saying goes, which poses a far greater challenge to the writer. Simon meets the challenge without compromise in a brilliant tale of two people who meet and fall in love—or do they?

In a rare night out, Greg sees a woman dancing wildly, when, a bit drunk, she falls into his arms. He’s more than smitten, hardly able to believe that such a beautiful creature could even notice him. For a hundred pages we follow him in his pursuit of Anya, and learn everything he’s willing to sacrifice to build his world around her. For the remaining hundred pages we live the same experience through Anya’s eyes.

Lots of words have been used to describe what happens to the two: gritty, smart, dark, inventive, and other terms sure to seduce thriller readers. But the book is more—painfully honest in how men and women see each other and their behaviors. The first few pages took me back to my years as a social worker, and were almost too painful to read, but I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t leave the two, Anya and Greg, there. The ending is perfect, one no reader can ever forget.

Susan Oleksiw

I loved the plot of the book and was drawn in by its cover. I had to dnf because it was too slow and I was waiting for the thrill to happen and it just hadn't. It could also be because I needed a palette cleanser from all the romance I have been reading. I will have to give this another try maybe later!

This inventive page-turner had me from the get-go. Simon deftly flips points of view in a manner that recalls Henry James's "The Golden Bowl" -- albeit in a contemporary, much sexier context. Anya is an alluring protagonist, and you can see immediately why Greg is attracted to her. As for Anya's tortured calculations -- well, as an artist trying to establish herself in an unforgiving market, she's completely believable, and relatable. Which makes the novel's ultimate twists even more chilling.

I wasn’t entertained, there was nothing new, no surprises, no mystery, predictable characters and outcome. The characters were ho-hum. Perhaps a different age reader would better appreciate this story. I finished the book but wish I’d spent my time differently. I’ve read this author previously and will see what she does in the future. Regretfully this wasn’t for me.
Severn House (via NetGalley) provided an Advance Reader Copy of “The Butterfly Trap” by Clea Simon, publication expected 03/04/2025. These are my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

I love everything that Clea Simon writes. She's got this gritty rock and roll sensibility and she crafts characters that are so relatable and understandable that they make you pause to wonder--would I have done that? What WOULD I have done instead? This mystry had me turning pages so fast I nearly got whiplash. Plus, nobody writes strong female characters like Simon does.

I found this book haunting and fascinating. The author succeeded in tricking me by telling the story from one perspective, then changing the viewpoint and revealing how much I had missed. While there is darkness to the story, the characters feel well-drawn and familiar, and she makes the point that such things can happen anywhere. It makes you ponder the undertones that are present in an apparently stable relationship, and sends you back to catch the nuances you may have missed first time around. The author's language is poetic and the beloved arts milieu of Boston proves a good backdrop for the tale.

3.5 stars. I enjoyed the book and the writing style. I think i would have liked it more if the two povs had been woven throughout the book. The ending felt a little rushed and didn’t quite have the impact I expected but a good read and a good story

I really did like the sound of this book but it just is not for me. I got to 35% and knew.

I struggled to like either of the main characters. It was just too slow for me and I was waiting for something to happen

I was not seeing the thriller aspect of the story at all.

Can't love them all. It does have a great cover though!

Thanks to the publisher for the chance to read this book.

Anya is a struggling artist; Greg a doctor working in research. When they meet, he falls hard for what he sees as her butterfly like beauty. He leaves his job to become a surgical resident so that he can support Anya and her pursuit of artistic success. Despite his friend Pete’s attempt to poison Greg’s view of Anya, they marry. But like many relationships, there are secrets and their relationship slowly dissolves. The first half of the book is from Greg’s POV, the second from Anya’s.

This was well written and the he said she said POVs an interesting approach. Wouldn’t we all like to know what our partner is really thinking, doing? However, I found all the characters truly unlikable. Despite that, it was an engrossing read although I found the ending and denouement a bit rushed.

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the eARC.
The central theme of this book is the relationship between an artist, Anya and the man who adores her, Greg. The first half of the book features their relationship from Greg's pov and the second half that of Anya.
I found the story quite depressing: Greg's obsessive love for Anya, her feelings for him, and Greg's best (and only) friend's treatment of both of them is deplorable and I disliked all three of them. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book.