Just Like the Other Girls by Claire Douglas

*REVIEW* and Happy Pub Day!

I’m still feeling under the weather, but the good news is that the PCR results were negative, so it isn’t COVID. 

I hope you’re all staying healthy!

 About this book…

One-sentence summary:
After Una lost her mother and broke up with her boyfriend, she moves into a mansion in order to work as a full-time companion for the elderly woman who owns the estate, but when she learns that other young ladies who accepted the same job before her suddenly died or disappeared, she decides she must uncover the secrets the house holds - before she suffers the same fate.

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This has a gothic feel that I loved! The setting is both grand and unnerving, from the interior of the house itself to the bridge nearby, partially hidden by an ominous fog. I also found Elspeth, the old lady that may or may not actually need a companion, and her daughter Kathryn to be perfect gothic characters. And Una’s naivete played right into the setting and feel of the old house.

The story, which takes place in England, is told from multiple POVs. There is an enormous twist and shift at the midpoint of the book, which I had mixed feelings about. On the one hand, I thought it was a shocking and bold choice. On the other, I found the second part of the book – the part after that twist – lost some of the tension, and I found myself a bit less engaged in the story. But I’ve seen other readers say that the midpoint is when the book picked up speed for them and they became more interested, so to each his own! I think I just love slow-burning gothic fiction so much, and the first-half of the book scratched that itch for me, before the tone shifted some in the second half.

But there are plenty of twists and a faster pace in the second part of the book, which should keep thriller fans happy. And I found the ending to be entirely unexpected. 

All-in-all, I was pulled right into this story, flipping pages quickly in an attempt to find out what was happening at the house. 

I’d recommend this for anyone who likes psychological thrillers and gothic fiction.

This hits the shelves today!

Thank you Harper Perennial/Harper Paperbacks for the ARC!