Her Pretty Face
The author of the bestselling novel The Party—lauded as “tense and riveting” by New York Times bestselling author Megan Miranda—returns with a chilling new psychological domestic thriller about two women whose deep friendship is threatened by dark, long-buried secrets.
Frances Metcalfe is struggling to stay afloat.
A stay-at-home mom whose troubled son is her full-time job, she had hoped 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 the Forrester 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—one of these women is not who she seems. Her real name is Amber Kunik. And she’s a murderer.
“Robyn Harding’s Her Pretty Face is a fierce and blazing one-sitting read that will make you question even your closest friendships” (Carter Wilson, USA TODAY bestselling author) and is perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies and Lisa Jewell’s Then She Was Gone.
Frances Metcalfe is struggling to stay afloat.
A stay-at-home mom whose troubled son is her full-time job, she had hoped 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 the Forrester 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—one of these women is not who she seems. Her real name is Amber Kunik. And she’s a murderer.
“Robyn Harding’s Her Pretty Face is a fierce and blazing one-sitting read that will make you question even your closest friendships” (Carter Wilson, USA TODAY bestselling author) and is perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies and Lisa Jewell’s Then She Was Gone.
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Community Reviews
Her Pretty Face is a story about two women who form a deep friendship, but each is harboring a dark secret about the past. Frances Metcalfe is a stay-at-home mother to Marcus, who has special needs. In addition to having been diagnosed with ADHD, Marcus is immature and throws tantrums, and Frances is extremely protective of him. She and her husband have extended themselves financially to get Marcus admitted to Forrester Academy, an exclusive private school. Frances lacks self-esteem. She is slightly overweight and lonely, and wracked with guilt about a terrible thing she did when she was a teenager. Like Marcus, she does not have friends and things are only made worse when, at the beginning of the school year, Marcus acts out against a female student. Although he is not expelled, Marcus and, by extension, Frances, becomes a pariah.
Until Kate Randolph befriends her, and her son, Charles, becomes Marcus's only friend. Kate is wealthy, beautiful, self-assured, and has a sarcastic sense of humor. She has no interest in being like or fitting in with the wealthy, socially-adept mothers. However, Daisy, Kate's 14-year-old daughter, is troubled. Convinced that her mother cares nothing about her, she acts out in increasingly irresponsible, dangerous ways that include spending time with David, a mysterious man in his 30's who has taken a keen interest in her.
One morning Daisy needs help and, unable and unwilling to reach out to her callous mother, calls Frances to come to her aid and elicits a promise from her not to tell Kate. In the process of assisting Daisy, Frances stumbles upon the shocking truth. Kate's real name is Amber Kunik and when she was 18 years old, she was involved in the heinous kidnapping, rape, torture, and murder of a 15-year-old girl. When Frances learns Kate's real identity, Kate's behavior -- which seemed questionable or quirky at the time -- begins to make sense.
Her Pretty Face is a riveting story told from the perspective of a woman who made a mistake as a teenager and has been struggling to come to grips with her actions for many years. Harding demonstrates that the lives of friends and neighbors are never as easy and uncomplicated as they appear to be and, in fact our closest friends may be harboring disturbingly dark secrets about themselves, their pasts, and the typo of behavior of which they are capable. It is a cautionary story about true sociopaths target and prey upon their vulnerable victims and, ultimately, a narrative about learning to forgive oneself and others, finding one's own inner strength, and what it means to become empowered. Her Pretty Face is a fast-paced mystery that will keep readers guessing about the two women's respective secrets and, once they are revealed, provides an emotionally satisfying resolution. Readers will find themselves cheering for Frances and her special son, Marcus.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
Until Kate Randolph befriends her, and her son, Charles, becomes Marcus's only friend. Kate is wealthy, beautiful, self-assured, and has a sarcastic sense of humor. She has no interest in being like or fitting in with the wealthy, socially-adept mothers. However, Daisy, Kate's 14-year-old daughter, is troubled. Convinced that her mother cares nothing about her, she acts out in increasingly irresponsible, dangerous ways that include spending time with David, a mysterious man in his 30's who has taken a keen interest in her.
One morning Daisy needs help and, unable and unwilling to reach out to her callous mother, calls Frances to come to her aid and elicits a promise from her not to tell Kate. In the process of assisting Daisy, Frances stumbles upon the shocking truth. Kate's real name is Amber Kunik and when she was 18 years old, she was involved in the heinous kidnapping, rape, torture, and murder of a 15-year-old girl. When Frances learns Kate's real identity, Kate's behavior -- which seemed questionable or quirky at the time -- begins to make sense.
Her Pretty Face is a riveting story told from the perspective of a woman who made a mistake as a teenager and has been struggling to come to grips with her actions for many years. Harding demonstrates that the lives of friends and neighbors are never as easy and uncomplicated as they appear to be and, in fact our closest friends may be harboring disturbingly dark secrets about themselves, their pasts, and the typo of behavior of which they are capable. It is a cautionary story about true sociopaths target and prey upon their vulnerable victims and, ultimately, a narrative about learning to forgive oneself and others, finding one's own inner strength, and what it means to become empowered. Her Pretty Face is a fast-paced mystery that will keep readers guessing about the two women's respective secrets and, once they are revealed, provides an emotionally satisfying resolution. Readers will find themselves cheering for Frances and her special son, Marcus.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
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