Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding Book Review

Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding Book Review

The lowdown from Goodreads

Publication Date July 10, 2018

Frances Metcalfe is struggling to stay afloat.

A stay-at-home mom whose troubled son is her full-time job, she thought that the day he got accepted into the elite Forrester Academy would be the day she started living her life. Overweight, insecure, and lonely, she is desperate to fit into Forrester’s world. But after a disturbing incident at the school leads the other children and their families to ostracize the Metcalfes, she feels more alone than ever before.

Until she meets Kate Randolph.

Kate is everything Frances is not: beautiful, wealthy, powerful, and confident. And for some reason, she’s not interested in being friends with any of the other Forrester moms—only Frances. As the two bond over their disdain of the Forrester snobs and the fierce love they have for their sons, a startling secret threatens to tear them apart…because one of these women is not who she seems. Her real name is Amber Kunick. And she’s a murderer.

In her masterful follow-up to The Party, Robyn Harding spins a web of lies, deceit, and betrayal, asking the question: Can people ever change? And even if they can, is it possible to forgive the past? 

Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding Book Review

Last summer, I read Robyn’s much-loved book, The Party. The unlikable characters and some of the wilder plotlines didn’t work for me & and that’s okay. I still enjoyed her writing style that is ripe with tension. When I began to see Her Pretty Face praised all over social media, I knew I had to give it a go.

Two Women & One is a Murderer

Meet two women who develop a tight bond & guess what, one of them is a murderer. Not just any murderer either. Amber Kunik participated in the killing of a young girl years ago in a sensationalized case. Think Casey Anthony type coverage. Here we are years later & readers are here for the development of a friendship between Kate & Frances. We know from the very beginning one of them is Amber, BUT WHO? What a plotline!

Her Pretty Face is MY Kind of Thriller

Okay, let me back up a minute. There a few things I really love in thrillers. One is multiple narrators & Her Pretty Face switches between Frances, Kate’s daughter, Daisy & a young man from the past, DJ. This narration style works so well for this type of thriller. We know either Kate or Frances is a murderer & it isn’t until about halfway through the book we figure out which woman is masquerading as Amber Kunik. From there the tension really ramps up! There’s no way I was putting the book down once I knew which woman was Amber.

Robyn Harding Keeps Readers Guessing

Another thing I look for in a thriller is to guess ALL THE WAY through the book but to wrap things up at the end. What can I say, I’m needy & have expectations! I don’t want to be left to figure things out for myself. As Sweet Brown would say, “Ain’t nobody got time for that!” I’m happy to report Robyn lays everything out nice & clean at the end with nothing left to guess. This way, I’m able to be all tense & anxiety-ridden while reading the book, but able to sleep once I hit the hay.

THE VERDICT

I am Really Into This book! Get ready to leave all your responsibilities behind because as soon as soon as you start Her Pretty Face you will not be able to put it down. Her Pretty Face is a bit dark, tense & may have you looking into your friend’s past just to be sure they’re not on Amber’s level.

Her Pretty Face is definitely on my Summer Reading List! 

Special thanks to Robyn Harding, Gallery/Scout Press & NetGalley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

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About the Author: Robyn Harding

I am the author of the international bestseller, The Party, published in June 2017, by Scout Press/Simon & Schuster. I have also written four novels of contemporary women’s fiction, a young adult novel, and a comedic memoir with an environmental focus. My books have been translated into seven languages. I am also the screenwriter and executive producer of the independent film, The Steps which premiered at TIFF and was the closing gala film at the Miami International Film Festival. I live in Vancouver, BC with my husband, two kids, and a seven-pound dog with no teeth.