Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
“Society Women” by Adriane Leigh is a glitzy, fast-paced psychological thriller that pulls you into the glittering world of Manhattan’s elite, and then slowly peels back the polished veneer to reveal something far more chaotic and unsettling underneath. At the center of it all is Ellie, an accountant whose seemingly secure life with her husband and steady job masks grief, insomnia, and a lingering sense that she’s drifting without purpose. When she receives an anonymous invitation to join an exclusive circle of glamorous, influential women known only as The Society, the allure of belonging becomes impossible to resist.
What begins as an intoxicating mix of sisterhood, prestige, and privilege soon curdles into a tense game of secrets and manipulation. Ellie finds herself simultaneously drawn in and watched, especially through her friendship with the magnetic Aubrey, and her personal history becomes tangled with the darker truths driving The Society’s philanthropic front. The more she learns, the more she begins to question not only her new “sisters,” but her marriage, her family, and her own memories.
Adriane Leigh excels at atmosphere with cocktail parties that feel like traps, whispered conversations dripping with menace, glittering events that hide emotional bruises. The Manhattan setting becomes a character in itself, amplifying themes of toxic ambition, generational privilege, and how appearances can be weaponized. The tension moves quickly, and the book’s short length makes it a true binge read; you can easily finish it in a single sitting.
That said, “Society Women” isn’t without its rough edges. The breakneck pacing keeps the story engaging, but occasionally at the expense of depth; some characters within The Society feel underdeveloped, and a few twists land with less surprise than I was expecting. While the first half is taut and addictive, the later chapters felt a bit rushed, especially with certain plot threads left vague or incomplete. Ellie herself is compelling, but I wished she’d taken a more active role in steering her own story rather than reacting to the chaos surrounding her.
Still, if you crave messy, over-the-top drama laced with psychological tension, then this story definitely delivers. It’s the kind of book where you need to know what’s really going on even if the answers aren’t always neat, and the truth leaves a lingering sting.
Overall, “Society Women” is a glossy, twisty thriller that explores the cost of belonging and what’s sacrificed to seem perfect. It may not stick every landing, but its addictive premise, sharp psychological edge, and bingeable pacing make it a gripping escape into the darker corners of high society.