Her Pretty Face

Written by Robyn Harding

Narrated by Rebekkah Ross, Cassandra Campbell and Kirby Heyborne

The author of the bestselling page-turner The Party returns with another compulsively readable work of domestic suspense, heralded by New York Times bestselling author Taylor Jenkins Reid as “a fast-paced, thrilling, gut-wrenching novel with sharp teeth and daring observations.”

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 causes 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.

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).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Jul 10, 2018
• ISBN: 9781508276821

Robyn Harding

Robyn Harding is the author of numerous international bestsellers, including The Party, The Arrangement and The Drowning Woman. She has also written and executive produced an independent film. She lives in Vancouver, BC, with her family and two cute but deadly rescue chihuahuas. Visit her at RobynHarding.com or follow her on Twitter and Instagram @RHardingWriter or Facebook @AuthorRobynHarding.

Reviews for Her Pretty Face

[shayney · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Possibly a 2.5 Stars.
This story was a little bit blah. I drifted through most of it and I’ve forgotten some of it already. The story itself sounds so intriguing, but there was something just lacking. Whether it was the development of the story or the characters. Not one that I’m going to remember, sadly!

[irenecole · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Frances Metcalfe is basically friendless and ostracized by the snooty moms
in her son's school until one day she meets the new arrival to the neighborhood Kate. The two quickly become the best of friends although something always seems just a bit off. While Kate dotes on her son and on Frances she seems to have no interest or time for her daughter Daisy. Both of these women have secrets in their past but is one of them a sociopath? A murderer? Even if you figure out who is who before the end, and you probably will, this story is still juicier than a soap opera and moves a lot faster. I loved it. 5 stars. A perfect guilty pleasure.

I received an advance copy for review.

[rmarcin-630843 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Frances Metcalfe is insecure, a few pounds overweight, with a son who is a bit of a handful. After an incident at the private school involving her son, she feels like an outcast. Also, Frances is harboring a secret from her childhood that she has not told her husband, Jason. Enter Kate, the stylish, slim, and put-together mom of two. Kate notices how the other moms treat Frances and befriends Frances, standing up to the mean moms. Frances instantly bonds with Kate. But, does Frances really know her friend? Kate’s daughter, Daisy, is rebellious and doesn’t have a good relationship with her mom. When Daisy puts her trust in an older man, she needs to reach out to Frances for help. In doing so, Frances discovers something about Kate which calls their friendship into question. Additionally, there is a storyline from years earlier about the treatment and death of a young girl which has a long lasting effect on several people. The trial made headlines and plays a part in current day happenings.This book explores many issues, friendship, acceptance, guilt, trust, control, manipulation, revenge, and more. It kept my interest. I thought I had most of it figured out, but I was wrong about a few things. I like when that happens, as the author has surprised me.

[johnfishlock · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good entertaining read. Good pace, an entertaining story, a couple of twists, believable characters. Nice one!

[gpangel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Unsettling and engrossing!Frances carries a lot of repressed burdens on her shoulders, which has manifested into comfort eating and weight gain. Her son has also faced a few serious challenges, but is now attending the prestigious Forrester Academy. Frances had hoped his acceptance into the school would change things for her family, but neither she, nor her son, has been well received by the other moms.The only bright spot in Frances’s life is her friendship with Kate. Kate could quite easily fit in with the other mothers at the school, but instead she’s shunned them in favor of befriending Frances.The two women forge a bond over their children, while refusing to conform to the Forrester Academy elitism. However, a stunning discovery could damage their relationship forever….This is another book I pulled from the middle of my mountainous TBR pile. I’d seen mostly positive reviews for this one, but I believe it might have been one of the last psychological or ‘Domestic’ thrillers I added before making a conscious decision to take an extended break from books in this category.Now, I’m having fun going back and plucking out a handful of the better sounding books in those categories and mixing them into my current reading schedule.While somewhat understated, the story is told through various narratives and perspectives, while examining several intriguing themes and viewpoints. While certainly absorbing, the suspense is far from gripping, as the mystery is not much of a mystery.Although I quickly ascertained the lay of the land, it didn't lessen the impact of the alarming set of circumstances that began to emerge as the story developed. I was left with a definite feeling of unease, despite the more positive progress made by many of the characters in the book.The story does lack something I can’t quite articulate, but it had more substance and depth, and was more thought provoking, than I had anticipated.Overall, a solid psychological/ domestic thriller that is a cut above for this category.4 stars

[jonez-6 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.0

I won a review copy of “Her Pretty Face” via Goodreads.

I love a good thriller/mystery. They are the best books to pull you out of a reading slump, which I have been heading down within the last few weeks. I have to say, this book did the job.

The Story/Plot
The plot of Harding’s book sounded very familiar. As someone that has already had quite a considerable obsession with crime and criminals, and has done her fair amount of true crime research, it was fairly obvious that this was very loosely based on the case of Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo, two Canadian Serial Killers that together were responsible for the rape, torture and murder of several females. I think that intrigued me even more. The pace and writing was pretty good, and made reading it easy. It wasn’t the type of thriller where I was awed by the larger twists. I guessed both pretty early on. I am not a newbie to the thriller genre, and if you are well seasoned enough you may figure them out yourself.

Characters
This story isn’t just about a crime, and isn’t just a thriller. It is a page turner where tension is captured, but it is also a story about ethics, guilt, and shame. It is about the people surrounding the heinous crime that was commuted - people directly involved, those touched by it, and those affected on the periphery. The book is told in alternating point of views of three characters, but it also encompasses the weight the crime had on several people. We have two distinctly different females, both with something dark in their past (albeit one’s past proves to be darker than the other). The one females is graceful and seems to have everything together, the other is more shy and tortured. We have a daughter trying desperately to find where she fits. A son with ADHD who just wants to make friends, and another son who is very compliant, and unfortunately, not really touched on. We get to see the POV of one of the victims that the crime directly touched, and a brief glimpse at the mother of one of the individuals involved in the crime. I appreciated these points of view, even though many of the characters just felt incomplete. Their points of view felt like they were there to just feed the story-line, and I didn’t really connect with any of them. The pacing of the book and pressing forward of the plot didn’t allow for much character development.

Overall I enjoyed my time in the book, but it just left me wanting…something more.

Side Note: Unintentional (or is it?) fat shame.


There is one thing the author does that really got on my nerves, and that is using weight as a personality flaw and a trait to show the characters as pitiable. (I have seen this from several authors in my day and it never fails to get under my skin. It is as annoying as the brown hair girl always being too plain, shy, and awkward ).

In this book Frances is 20 pounds overweight, and she is written as if she can’t control herself, is a binge eater, and is pathetic as a result. With 20 pounds extra she is self-conscious, considered unattractive, and at one point it’s mentioned how she can’t possibly move her portly leg high enough to kick someone... This character is scared her husband is cheating on her because of how she looks. The twenty extra pounds has made her feel unlovable, and as readers we are meant to see her lack of control around as pathetic as the character does.

The victim’s brother is so upset over the case that he becomes fat, sits around playing video games, and eats to make himself invisible.

One of the sons is overweight, friendless and his heft is mentioned every chance the author gets when describing him. His size is also just another thing that holds him back.

The mother of the criminal is obese, and her home smells of fried food and animal urine. She is seen as gross, another pathetic character in a sea of fat = pathetic characters.

It is pretty obvious being heavy is probably the worst thing Harding can think of, and she made sure she used weight gain as an unpalatable sign of imbalance. I don’t feel that this is just a lazy writing tactic, but I feel like it is uneducated and harmful.

[veronica.sparrow · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a story about an unlikely friendship between two very different women and the secrets they harbor. Frances is a shy and insecure SAHM who just doesn't fit in with the "in crowd" of mothers at her son's elite school. Kate is the polar opposite of Frances in every way but something draws these two women together.People are not what they seem and a devasting secret threatens the friendship of these two very different women. The book was an exciting read though I did find myself becoming irritated with Frances character at times. I did have to put the book down from time to time as I found it a bit disturbing in a way (my own issue not the authors). I couldn't help but find parallels to Karla Homolka. All in all, I found the book to be a suspenseful read.

[sbojo32 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a solid three-star book for me. It was a very quick read (I finished it in 24 hours). I did predict some of the events while reading through but that didn't take away the enjoyment of finding out the end. Everything wrapped up nicely, which I appreciate.

[lmjenkins · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was a quick read and fairly entertaining. Brought to mind The Girls by Emma Cline. Perfect beach book.

[twink_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Her Pretty Face is Robyn Harding's newest book.Frances is a stay at home mom of a troubled son. When he wins a scholarship to an elite school, she hopes it will be a new start for him - and her. Frances doesn't make friends easily. But history begins to repeat itself, despite the fresh start. And then Kate enters the Metcalfe's lives.Kate is everything Frances is not - beautiful, wealthy, powerful, and confident - and she wants to be friends.Frances isn't sure why she would pick her for a friend......and then she finds out why...Great premise - what secrets do new friends have? And what would you do if you discovered that secret? What if someone discovered yours?I really liked Frances as a character - despite her own self doubt, I was drawn to her. She is the first POV. Just as well drawn is Kate - but my spidey senses were going off. Kate's treatment of her daughter Daisy is quite different than how she treats her son. Daisy provides the second POV and someone named DJ provides the third. Who is he? As readers, we can begin to put together the pieces from the three viewpoints.Harding deftly explores both parenthood and friendship through Frances and Kate. But each woman also has to take a look at themselves. Can the past be forgiven? Or does it shape the direction of a life with no absolution? I couldn't help but draw parallels to an actual criminal case in Canada.I chose to listen to Her Pretty Face. The readers were Rebekkah Ross, Cassandra Campbell and Kirby Heyborne. I really enjoy multiple readers - I feel more immersed in the story. Each reader was excellent, putting their own spin on their character, conveying the thoughts and emotions of each. And as secrets are revealed, the tension, anger and uncertainty. Each reader was clear and easy to understand.

[maggie1961-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

“The party” by Robyn Harding was one of my favourite books from last year so I was thrilled to receive a free copy of “her pretty face” from net valley in exchange for an honest review. Forrester Academy is a private school with the yummy mummies of the students are very exclusive. Frances’s son Marcus goes to Forrester and after an incident at school, Frances has become somewhat of a pariah, often invisible. Until Kate. Beautiful and confident Kate came to the school with her son Charles, same age as Marcus. Marcus and Charles became fast friends as did Kate and Frances. But both women each have a huge secret. A secret they don’t want anyone to find out or life would never be the same for either of them. Can a person really change to become a good person? Can evil be conquered or is it just hidden behind a pretty face?Kate and Frances have the kind of friendship many of us envy and was a lifeline for Frances. They spent so much time together as inseparable as their boys. But then there are a few things about Kate that begin to concern Frances; the biggest being her casual treatment of her teenage daughter Daisy. Daisy at 15 can pretty much do whatever she wants which would be some teen’s dream but Daisy is wounded by Kate’s indifference and is ripe to fall into some trouble of her own. My heart ached for Daisy, strong but unloved and confused and I cringed as I watched her heading for what would only be disaster. This story goes back and forth, from past to present, giving us more and more information then halting to the next chapter leaving us yearning for the answer to the biggest question and where it was all leading. The author’s storytelling is remarkable, keeping us guessing and engrossed in the story yet I couldn’t help noticing a lot of parallels to a very well known case in Canada from the 90’s.Nonetheless, intriguing well written story that’s a quick read. I can’t seem to get enough of this genre and this is one closer to the top of my list. It’s a 4 1/2 for me. Thanks to the publisher and net galley for sending me this book free in exchange for an honest review.

[seasonsoflove_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.Kate Randolph seems like Frances Metcalfe's savior. Ostracized by the other school moms for an incident involving her son, unhappy with her looks, and feeling deeply lonely, Frances has always yearned for a friend like Kate. Kate brings Frances and her son out of their shells, and Frances helps Kate's daughter feel comfortable in her own skin.But within this seemingly perfect friendship, something is terribly wrong. One of these women is Amber Kunik. One of these women is a murderer.This was a really clever, suspenseful take on female friendships, culpability, and family. I kept thinking I knew who was who and what was going on, but I was always wrong, and I really enjoyed being constantly surprised.

[debkrenzer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the second book that I have read by this author and again, she did not disappoint.The book is written in the present with two women with teenage sons hanging out and becoming friends. There is also a past part wherein someone has killed a 15 year old girl. The past deals with the courtroom drama and highlights the kidnapping, torture, rape and killing of this 15 year old girl.I just knew one of these women in present day - Frances or Kate - was the one being referred to in that historical part. It was killing me, however, as to who it was. I went back and forth with my guessing. It was written so that you would do so.However, when it all does come out of the woodwork, there are some jaw dropping events that I definitely did not see coming.I found this to be an excellent read and I am really glad that I got the chance to read it!Thanks to Gallery, Threshold, Pocket and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

[pattylouise_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Her Pretty FaceByRobyn HardingWhat it's all about...Frances and Kate have sons who are the same age and who also attend the same private school. Frances’s son has many issues. Kate’s son is reasonably perfect. The two boys become friends and so do their mothers. All is well until Frances discovers Kate’s extremely unsavory past. However Frances also has her own unsavory past to deal with. What will happen to these two women and their friendship? Kate is glamorous...Kate is thin...Kate is self assured. Frances is sort of chubby...sort of unglamorous...and...not at all self assured. Kate is her only friend...until Frances learns Kate’s secret and totally freaks out. Why I wanted to read it...I read and was totally drawn in by this author’s first book...The Party. Her newest book was a slow start for me but eventually its pace picked up and became just as appealing as her first book. What made me truly enjoy this book...The mysteries surrounding both women were what kept my interest. I loved the way Kate’s daughter has her own story in this book even though it’s a stressful one. Her story just adds to this slowly building reveal about her mother and her mother’s past. Why you should read it, too...Readers who love intense books with lots of secrets...will thoroughly enjoy this book. I received an advance reader’s copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss and Amazon. It was my choice to read it and review it.

[teachlz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Robyn Harding, Author of “Her Pretty Face” has written a chilling, captivating, intense, edgy, novel that should be accompanied by a WARNING: DO NOT READ BEFORE GOING TO BED.!!Of course that hasn’t stopped me, AND I am addicted to the author’s vivid description of the dysfunctional characters, and her story. I just couldn’t put this thriller down for the life of me. Perhaps I shouldn’t use that phrase. The Genres for this Novel are Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, and Fiction.The author describes her cast of characters as complicated, complex, unbalanced, (to say the least), and toxic. There are deep dangerous secrets, betrayals, lies and twists and turns. Do you think that a person can change? Can a leopard change its spots? Are people who we think they are.? Should people have second chances?. In this novel, the author discusses the dynamics of friendship, family and community.Two women become friends after bonding at an affluent exclusive school. Both women have sons the same age. The emotional climate of this school is one of bias , bullying and snobbery. Frances Metcalfe is a stay at home Mom, who struggles financially and emotionally. Her son has major emotional problems, that stress Frances . After her son does something unacceptable in school, the other mothers’ disapproval is overwhelming.Kate Randolph, a wealthy, confident and extremely attractive mother defends Frances and her son, and puts the other mothers in their place. Before long, the two have what appears to be the perfect friendship.Both women have deep secrets from the past. One is not who she says she is. One of these women is really Amber Kunik, a cold-hearted killer that served six years in jail.I highly recommend this novel for readers that enjoy a chilling thriller that keeps you guessing. Just be warned, don’t read this before you go to sleep!!! I received this ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

[bricker-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An enjoyable read about the struggle for acceptance, friendship and moving on from mistakes of the past.

[cherylk_44 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This story focuses mainly on Frances and her son, Marcus. Kate and her daughter, Daisy. I was more into Frances and Marcus as they are more of the outcast and nicer. Kate and her daughter were mean girls. I really didn't understand Frances's admiration and desire to hang and be like Kate. In fact, most of the other characters were stuck up. To the point that they turned me off. This book is told from the different characters points of view. This is nice as it does help to give each character their own voice and allows me to get closer to them. Another thing that this book does is alternating from the present to the past. It was pretty easy to figure out which one had the secret identity. The story does drag some. At times making it hard to want to keep reading. For me the past was stronger; as it told the tragic story to the reveal. Also, because the present had most of the characters I didn't like. Getting to the half way mark was slow reading but if you do stick with this book, it does pick up in the latter part of the story.

[girlwellread · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A special thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.Frances Metcalfe is a stay-at-home mom that is struggling with her difficult son, her weight, being lonely, and a flat marriage. She is desperate to fit into the elite group of Forrest Academy moms assuming that her acceptance would change her mundane life. But then there is a disturbing incident at the school and the savage mothers further shun the Metcalfes. Frances feels even more judged, ridiculed and alone than before, that is until she meets Kate Randolph.Kate is everything that Francis is not: beautiful, thin, confident, rich, with a gorgeous home, and for some reason, she's chosen Frances to be her friend when it is obvious that she would fit right in with the other mothers. The women bond over their boys and their shared scorn of the Forrester snobs. But there is a dark secret is lurking, one that will tear them apart. You see one of these women is not who she says she is—her real name is Amber Kunick and she is a murderer. Okay, can we all just take a moment to appreciate how beautiful this cover is? The story is told from multiple points of view and it is pure genius how the storylines tie together. Harding's writing is sharp, layered, complex, and and there are just enough plot twists to keep the reader engaged and fully vested in the story. She spins a tale of secrets and lies, deceit, and examines how well we really know people, especially those we let into our lives. This was my first book by Robyn Harding and it won't be my last! I loved it and I can't wait to read The Party, I've heard incredible things about it as well. Okay, full disclosure: any book that has an 80s fundraiser or 80s anything is top of my list! Congratulations, Robyn, on a fabulous book.