I'm Here to Help

by Victoria Helen Stone

To stop the corruption in her small town and avenge the victims, a therapist turns vigilante in a shocking novel of psychological suspense by the bestselling author of Jane Doe.

Melody Stanford prides herself on being a good person. She’s a loving wife and mother, a school volunteer, a faithful friend, and a trusted therapist with a sympathetic ear. But underneath her calm and collected veneer, Melody is raging.

The vulnerable women she counsels are breaking down and telling their secrets, exposing a prominent attorney and other influential men in Melody’s small North Carolina town for the predators they are—their heinous crimes protected by power, money, and connections. They’re not going to get away with it anymore. If the system won’t make these men pay, Melody will. One by one.

What starts out as small acts of vengeance soon descends into something far more satisfying, dark, and just. But when her own personal life begins to unravel, Melody wonders what she’s ready to risk, and what line she’s willing to cross in the name of justice. Because once she does, there’s no going back.

Genres: Audiobook

285 pages, Paperback

Expected publication October 27, 2026

About the author

Wall Street Journal bestselling writer Victoria Helen Stone, author of the runaway hit Jane Doe, pens critically acclaimed novels of dark intrigue and emotional suspense. Her work includes Follow Her Down, At the Quiet Edge, Problem Child, Half Past, and the chart-toppers False Step, and Evelyn, After. Bald-Faced Liar is her tenth suspense.

Victoria writes in her home office in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, far from her origins in the flattest plains of Minnesota, Texas, and Oklahoma. She enjoys gorgeous summer trail hikes in the mountains almost as much as she enjoys staying inside by the fire during winter. Victoria is passionate about dessert, true crime, and her terror of mosquitoes, which have targeted her in a diabolical conspiracy to hunt her down no matter the season.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriahel...

Reviews

[Casey Reads 🌸]

A vigilante therapist who starts going after people in the town after she hears about their crimes.

When I read the synopsis, I thought that the main character was going to be someone I really liked, but that is not exactly how this book is written. She is actually pretty unhinged and most likely going through some undiagnosed mental health problems. She sees everybody as a potential villain and has a lot of paranoia.

The writing itself is a little chaotic & I am not sure if the author mean it to be this way, but to me it made the main character seem chaotic herself and like she was really losing it. At the same time, her actions are meant to be helpful and seek justice. I think some of the things she did were really brave even though she was quite a bit crazy.

There was so much going on in this book. Never a dull moment at all. It was very interesting. It reminds me of a Freida McFadden book, but a lot more detailed than she gets with her writing. The ending made me think that there could be a sequel. I mean a woman like this is going to find another cause right? She will never stop being suspicious. I would definitely read a sequel.

Thank you to netgalley for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Carol (bookish_notes)]

***Thanks to the publisher for this eARC on Netgalley!***

This is a DNF at 12% for me (and I should note the first 6% is taken up by blurbs of praise for the author’s other books) but the premise is an interesting one - what if a therapist, after years of hearing endlessly awful things from her patients, decides to take matters into her own hands and make things right. Therapist turned vigilante in a small North Carolina town is an interesting one. I’ve enjoyed the author’s Jane Doe books and I think this slots in neatly for readers who enjoyed those to enjoy this one as well.

My thing is that the first-person POV from our FMC, Melody, is very strong and in text, I find it a more tedious style to read? I usually enjoy first-person but there’s levels to it. It’s a writing style here that I would enjoy more in audiobook form being read to me instead of me reading the text to myself.

I know we can all relate to books for any number of things and we don’t have to 100% related TO a character to enjoy a book. But maybe it’s the first-person POV of it all, but I struggled more with the character here. While she’s actually less than a decade older than me, she already has a son ready to head off into a gap year after high school and this book isn’t JUST about her being a therapist turned vigilante but also a mother and a wife. And I find myself less interested the more I read about her daily life. I wouldn’t call her old (she’s only 42) but it’s a whole other lived experience she’s coming from that I just find myself less interested in reading.

[Chandra Claypool (WhereTheHorrorsGrow)]

I fell in love with this author after reading Jane Doe, then False Step, then The Last One Home, then the follow up to Jane Doe, Problem Child... and now adore her even more with I'M HERE TO HELP.  Not only is this author one of the kindest people I've ever met, but an excellent thriller writer. I'm behind in some of her releases but will need to remedy that immediately!

In this psychological suspense novel, we meet Melody, a therapist who knows all the bad things that people are doing in her neighborhood... and she has had enough! All these women are confiding in her and all the bad things point to some very prominent men in the community. Because they have money and connections, they never seem to have to pay for their crimes... but Melody will make them pay and she is consumed by her rage.
I absolutely love Mel - she's such a fun character to read about. She's a devoted wife and mother who volunteers and has good standing in the community. But how can she sit idly by while terrible things are happening to the most vulnerable? One victim in particular hits close to home. Will her obsession cost her everything? Or give safety back to her and her neighbors?

I did NOT see a few things coming and was extremely happy with the ending. Melody is someone who knows what she's doing is risky but she thinks it's worth it and will take the punishment she deserves if it comes down to it. Therapist turned vigilante and I was here for every bit of it. 

Thank you, Victoria, for another amazing read!! 

Absolutely add this to your tbr and journey with Melody as she exacts her revenge.

[Aisha Faisal]

What happens when the person who spends her life listening to other people's trauma decides that listening is no longer enough?

That question sits at the heart of I'm Here to Help, and it makes for a tense, morally complicated psychological thriller that refuses to stay comfortably inside the lines.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Chaos and the Crusade of I’m Here To Help:

Every therapist’s office is a repository for the town's darkest secrets, but in Victoria Stone's I’m Here To Help, the therapist decides she is finally done just listening. Enter Melody, a practitioner in the small, deceptively quiet town of Bow Creek who is utterly exhausted by the parade of powerful, wealthy men walking away scot-free from the emotional and physical destruction they leave in their wake. When the legal system fails a client trying to press charges against an Aleca man whose clout shields him from consequences, Melody decides that client privilege and confidentiality rules can officially take a back seat.

What follows is a hyper-detailed, fast-paced psychological crusade that plays out like a Freida McFadden thriller on overdrive. There is never a dull moment, but this isn't your standard, polished vigilante story; it is something far more chaotic, polarizing, and deeply unhinged.

The Internal Chaos of Bow Creek's Avenger:
The fascinating thing about I’m Here To Help is just how messy its protagonist truly is. On the surface, the synopsis promises a satisfying, "women fighting back" revenge fantasy. In execution, however, Melody is far from a clean, admirable superhero. She is completely paranoid, jumping to wild conclusions, and seeing a potential villain around every single corner.

The writing itself mirrors her fractured state of mind. It is frantic and multi-directional, with Melody throwing her hands into several different projects at once. While some readers might find the narrative a bit overstuffed and in need of tightening halfway through, this structural chaos serves a brilliant psychological purpose: it perfectly captures a woman actively losing her grip on reality while trying to force the universe into balance.

The Vigilante Paradox: Justice or Just Insane?

The book sets up a brilliant, infuriating moral dilemma that will leave readers entirely split on whether to cheer for Melody or desperately wish someone would call the cops on her:

The Case for Melody.

1. Pure Entertainment: Watching an unstable character wreak unbridled vengeance on pathetic abusers is inherently thrilling.

2. Brave Intentions: She risks everything to serve up justice on a silver platter for women who have been systematically silenced.

The Case Against Melody:

1. Hypocrisy at Scale: Her vigilante acts lower her to the same level as the criminals she targets, putting innocent bystanders at risk.

2. Professional Betrayal: It is literally her job to help heal people, not to break the law and weaponize her clients' trauma.

This tension peaks during the book's staggering resolution. After a mountain of lies, Melody sits down with her husband to swear that, moving forward, their relationship will be built on total, transparent honesty. The catch? She purposefully holds back her biggest, darkest criminal secret because, in her own words, she’s "not crazy enough" to confess everything. It’s an infuriatingly hypocritical move for a therapist, but a flawlessly realistic one for a woman who has completely crossed the line.

My Verdict:

It's not a story about a perfect heroine. It's about a woman slowly consumed by her need to fix a broken world, even if it means breaking herself in the process. It's unsettling, thought-provoking, morally grey, and impossible to look away from. If you enjoy psychological thrillers with unreliable protagonists, ethical dilemmas, and characters who challenge your sympathies, this one is well worth picking up.

I’m Here To Help works best if you don't try to view Melody as an inspiring role model. Instead, treat it as a wild, dark comedy of errors, a portrait of pent-up rage dumped onto the page where a woman goes down in a blaze of glory just to entertain us. The ending leaves the door wide open for a sequel, and honestly, a woman this suspicious is never going to stop finding new causes. Count me in for the next round of her chaotic justice.

[Meg Pearson]

I’m Here to Help was such a dark, twisted, and satisfying psychological thriller! Victoria Helen Stone takes the idea of a woman who has simply had enough and turns it into a fascinating story about rage, revenge, justice, and what happens when someone decides the system has failed for far too long.

Melody Stanford is a therapist in a small North Carolina town, which means she spends her days listening to her clients reveal some of the darkest things happening behind closed doors. Again and again, she hears about women being hurt, exploited, and failed by a system that seems to protect the powerful men responsible. Eventually, listening isn't enough anymore. Melody decides to take matters into her own hands—and that's when things get REALLY interesting.

I absolutely loved how morally complicated Melody is. She isn't a perfect heroine, and she certainly isn't a traditional vigilante. Her intentions are understandable, but her methods become increasingly questionable as her crusade escalates. I found myself simultaneously cheering her on and thinking, Melody...maybe you should stop now. 😂 That tension made her such a fascinating character to follow.

What really worked for me was watching her transformation. Her anger starts with very understandable frustration, but as she gets deeper into her mission, paranoia and fear begin to take over. She starts questioning everyone around her, uncovering more secrets, and putting her career, marriage, family, and own safety at risk. I genuinely wasn't sure how far she was going to go—or whether she would be able to come back from it.

The thriller aspect kept me hooked, too. There are secrets everywhere, plenty of questionable characters, and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. I especially enjoyed the feeling that Melody could never completely trust what was happening around her. The tension builds as her carefully constructed life begins to unravel, and there were several moments where I couldn't read fast enough.

I also appreciated that this isn't simply a straightforward “woman gets revenge” story. It asks some uncomfortable questions about justice and revenge. When people with power and influence repeatedly avoid consequences, what happens when someone decides to create her own consequences? Can two wrongs ever make a right? And how much of yourself are you willing to sacrifice in the process?

This book definitely has a strong undercurrent of feminine rage, but I thought that worked beautifully with the story. Melody has spent years absorbing the trauma of other people while being expected to listen, empathize, and follow the rules. Watching her finally decide that she is DONE sitting on the sidelines made for a wild and compelling ride.

Dark, tense, messy, morally gray, and incredibly entertaining, I’m Here to Help was exactly the kind of psychological thriller I enjoy. Melody may be completely unhinged at times, but I couldn't look away from her chaotic crusade for justice.

5 stars!

Thank you to Victoria Helen Stone, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Ashlee]

I’m Here to Help by Victoria Helen Stone
★★★☆☆

Review of advanced copy I received from NetGalley.

The idea of a therapist who takes matters into her own hands is very well executed here. Our main character, Melody, is a therapist who begins linking several of her clients’ problems back to one crooked lawyer. Knowing the local police are unlikely to help, Melody decides to pursue her own brand of justice, uncovering more and more as the story progresses.

The supporting characters were well developed, and I understood their motivations throughout, which made the story that much more suspenseful. Every interaction Melody has with Simon, Chris, and Jake feels like it could lead to absolute chaos, and that’s the mark of a good thriller.

I also did not see the twist involving Melody’s husband, Chris, coming. Honestly, I’d recommend this book for Chris’ arc alone. It added a layer to the story that I genuinely wasn’t expecting and made the latter part of the book much more interesting.

The reason this ultimately lands at three stars for me is that the book started to feel padded for length. Nearly every chapter reminds us that Melody has transformed from a sweet, helpful therapist into a vigilante counselor, that she’s terrified of being caught, or that she has no one with whom she can share her increasingly dark thoughts. After a while, I understood. We did not need to keep revisiting it.

There were also multiple scenes devoted to Melody discovering that a particular character was a terrible person. The first thing this person did was already so awful that I really didn’t need three or four additional examples to convince me. Those scenes began to feel less like character development and more like an effort to extend a book that is already only 267 pages.

And that’s really my biggest issue: this would have been a fantastic short story or novella. The central premise is strong, the suspense works, the characters are interesting, and there are some genuinely good surprises. There just wasn’t quite enough story to sustain the length without repetition.

That said, I definitely think Victoria Helen Stone’s writing is well done and worth exploring further. Anyone looking for a quick thriller with an unusual premise and a mystery that’s a little harder to figure out should definitely check out I’m Here to Help.

[Mona Sami]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of *I’m Here to Help* before publication. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

*I’m Here to Help* is a dark, sharp psychological thriller about female rage, corruption and what happens when someone finally decides that the system is never going to deliver justice.

Melody Stanford appears to have a completely respectable life. She is a wife, mother, school volunteer and trusted therapist in a small North Carolina town. But through her work, she hears story after story from vulnerable women who have been abused or exploited by powerful men who seem completely protected by money, reputation and connections. Eventually, listening is no longer enough for her.

I really liked the premise because Melody is such a morally complicated character. She genuinely wants to protect women who have been failed, but once she starts taking matters into her own hands, the line between justice and revenge becomes increasingly blurred. I found myself understanding why she was angry while also questioning just how far she was prepared to go.

The strongest part for me was the sense of frustration running through the story. Melody repeatedly sees powerful men avoiding consequences while the women affected are left to deal with the damage, and you can understand how that anger builds. I also liked that her actions start small before gradually becoming darker and more dangerous, because it makes her transformation feel more believable.

The pacing is generally good and the revenge element is satisfying, but there were moments where I felt the message was slightly heavy-handed and some of the situations became more dramatic than realistic. Melody’s personal life also begins to unravel alongside everything else, and while that adds tension, I would have liked a little more depth in some of those relationships.

Overall, *I’m Here to Help* was dark, entertaining and thought-provoking. I enjoyed Melody’s morally grey character and the idea of a therapist becoming increasingly unwilling to simply sit back and listen while powerful people escape accountability. It did not completely blow me away, but it was a compelling revenge thriller with plenty to think about.

[Ceecee]

Bow Creek, S Carolina
Melody Stanford is a therapist in a small town and as a consequence knows a multitude of secrets about the people she lives amongst. She hears some terrible stories, one in particular from a client forces her out of her inertia and she becomes determined to do something. First of all, she researchers to check for further evidence and then she’ll strike. For the women who “don’t matter”, against a system that is stacked against them and to ensure they don’t get away with it again.

I really like the premise of this latest novel from Victoria Helen Stone as they can’t be many women who haven’t come up against the patriarchy at some point, in some way, shape or form. It’s certainly an eye-opening experience being inside Melody’s head, she’s understandably very angry and appears to unravel as time goes on. At times, her mind is all over the place, she’s a bit unhinged perhaps or suffering some sort of breakdown. By the same token she’s brave and though her actions are definitely questionable, it comes from a place of seeking justice when it appears to be a closed door by legitimate means.

It’s fast-paced, the tension mounts as havoc rules the day. However, is there a bit too much going on?? On the other hand, it’s fair to say there’s never a dull moment in Melody‘s world and so I go with the flow.

I’m glad the author has written this book, there’s much for us women to be angry about as we witness men in the real world getting away with things time and time again. It’s a compelling novel, a psychological thriller about someone who has heard too much, been pushed too far and seeks revenge - not that I’m advocating what she does!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Lake Union for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

[buzy_reading]

Something nefarious is going on in Bow Creek. For years Melody has listened to clients talk about problems. Men with power, wealth, and control who walk all over women because they believe themselves superior. Melody has reached a point in her life where too many bad people get away with misdeeds and it’s time to right the wrong by breaking a few rules of her own. Her days of offering advice or sitting back and doing nothing has come to an end. It’s time to take action against the evils of these men.
…
I’m Here To Help is about a woman who is tired of watching powerful wealthy men get away with crimes because they have a reputation to uphold. When a woman tries to stand up for herself by pressing charges against a man with clout it backfires. Melody can’t take one more minute of listening to the lies that come out of Alec’s mouth. It’s time for someone to serve men like Alec on a platter of revenge.
…
Stone’s emotions are clear and her feelings towards the injustice is even clearer. I felt like Stone had some pent up anger she needed cleansing. This story was her way of dumping all that rage.
…
Melody is a therapist in a small town so she knows all the dirty secrets of her clients lives. It’s exhausting being the person to bare all the ugliness that takes place in her community. Melody would love nothing more than to expose the secrets of these controlling men. Client privilege be damned. Confidentiality rules can take a back seat. Melody’s fear is palpable making her paranoid and manifesting her fear by jumping to conclusions.
…
Stone could’ve shortened this book. There was too much going on. Melody’s character had her hands in several different places. About halfway in I just wanted to find out how it ended with Melody and all the lives she touched along the way.

[Farah G]

Melody Stanford works as a therapist and lives in a small North Carolina town. She prides herself on being a good human, which she is. In addition to her job, she takes her duties as a wife and mother as seriously as she takes volunteering in her community, and being there for her friends.

Melody is also married to a good human and appears to have raised one, in her only son. Unfortunately, the stories that she hears from her female clients make it eminently clear to her that she may be in a minority.

Already seething over the capacity of a well protected predator in their area to avoid consequences for his criminal activities, when Melody discovers something truly awful about one of the officers who is supposed to be serving and protecting his community, her simmering frustration and barely suppressed rage erupt in a series of actions, which will undoubtedly have repercussions well beyond her ability to contain them...

This book addresses an issue that we have become almost resigned to - the pervasiveness of misogyny and male violence towards women of all ages. Victoria Helen Stone's rage is palpable in the telling of this story and it is so very relatable.

The reader will find it alarmingly easy to relate not only to Melody's emotions, but also her desperation to do something that will make a difference. I can only hope that for many readers, this book itself and the issues that it raises will begin to make a difference, in terms of their thinking and perhaps even in terms of their activism (not to be confused with arson!) going forward. This one is well worth your time, and gets 4.5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Leanne]

I’m Here to Help is a dark, gripping psychological suspense that sinks its hooks in from the very first chapter. Victoria Helen Stone has a real talent for crafting protagonists who are both unsettling and strangely sympathetic, and Melody Stanford fits that mold perfectly. On the surface she’s the picture of composure—therapist, mother, volunteer, dependable friend—but underneath, she’s simmering with a righteous fury that feels both dangerous and oddly cathartic.

The story unfolds with a slow, satisfying burn as Melody begins to piece together the horrifying truths her clients reveal. The corruption in her small North Carolina town is insidious, protected by power and privilege, and watching Melody decide she’s done waiting for justice is one of the most compelling parts of the novel. Her shift from quiet professional to calculated vigilante is written with sharp psychological insight, making each step feel chillingly believable.

What I loved most is how the book balances its darkness with emotional depth. Melody’s personal life frays as her secret crusade escalates, and the tension between her need for justice and the risk of losing everything gives the story real weight. Stone doesn’t shy away from moral ambiguity, and that makes the journey even more engrossing.

This is a bold, unsettling, and addictive read—perfect for fans of psychological thrillers that explore what happens when a “good person” finally snaps. Victoria Helen Stone delivers another razor‑edged story of revenge, power, and the dangerous places conviction can lead.

with thanks to Victoria Helen Stone, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

[Melanie Green]

I’m Here to Help takes a familiar vigilante premise and makes it feel uncomfortably personal. Melody Stanford is a therapist, wife, mother, school volunteer, and the person women in her small North Carolina town trust with the things they cannot tell anyone else. When those stories keep leading back to powerful men who seem untouchable, Melody stops believing the system will protect anyone and decides to intervene herself. The result is dark, satisfying, and increasingly hard to justify.

I tend to enjoy books about women who are angry for very good reasons, especially when the story does not make that anger neat or easy to admire. Melody is not simply dispensing justice. She is also making choices that threaten her marriage, her career, and the version of herself she has worked hard to maintain. That tension kept me much more interested than a straightforward revenge story would have.

The escalation gets darker as the book goes on, and I liked that I was not always sure whether I wanted Melody to stop or keep going. A few moments pushed plausibility, but the moral messiness worked for me. This was an absorbing psychological suspense novel about rage, power, and what happens when someone decides that listening is no longer enough.

My sincere thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free advance review copy.

[Kayla]

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this title. My review is in no way influenced by receiving this copy.

I want to start by saying that I really wanted to like this book. The concept of a psychological thriller following a therapist determined to seek justice for the women she counsels immediately appealed to me.

Unfortunately, this book fell short for me for several reasons. First, it didn't contain enough suspense or tension for me to truly feel like I was reading a psychological thriller. The atmosphere never felt charged enough to convey how high the stakes should have been. I also felt disconnected from the characters. Overall, they fell flat, and I wasn't invested in rooting for the protagonist or feeling any real animosity toward the antagonist. Instead, I found myself largely indifferent to everyone.

Lastly, the pacing didn't keep me engaged. I don't mind a slower build if the characters are compelling or the plot gradually unfolds in a way that maintains my interest, but I didn't feel that was the case here.

I do see a lot of potential in this story. It just didn't live up to the expectations I had after reading the blurb and experiencing the strong initial setup.

[Alexandra Perkins]

2.5 ⭐️

Melody is a therapist who is tired of watching awful people get away with hurting others. Eventually, listening to her clients talk about everything they’ve been through isn’t enough anymore, and she decides to start taking justice into her own hands.

I will always love a book with some feminine rage, but Melody was on another level. There were definitely moments where I was like okay... youre taking this a little far my friend.

I do wish we got more of Melody actually working as a therapist and interacting with her clients. I think that would have helped me understand her more and made it easier to see exactly why everything affected her so deeply. Her character arc felt a little all over the place at times, and I wasn’t always sure where the story was going with her.

I also wanted a little more from the ending. After everything that happened, I expected a more conclusive wrap-up and was left feeling like I still had a few questions.

Overall, I really liked the idea behind this one and there were definitely parts that entertained me, but I wanted a little more depth from Melody and a stronger ending.

[Abby]

**ARC REVIEW**

this book had a really solid start, but left me feeling like i might’ve needed some help to get through the rest of it… 🫠

‘i’m here to help’ centers around melody, a therapist in her small suburban town, as well as a mom and a wife. when the synopsis shared that there would be corruption, and melody would be a “therapist turned vigilante” i was immediately intrigued. unfortunately, i felt like this book had a lot of repetition and some unnecessary detail throughout, making it a little harder for me to enjoy. to me, the revenge melody is seeking seemed a little bit jumbled, as her efforts were all over the place. i also didn’t find this book to be as thrilling as i had expected it to be.

aside from that, this story does have a strong start with a hook that captures you right away, and there were some twists that were certainly unexpected, but it left me feeling a little bored when all was said and done!

thank you NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing this ARC for me to read and review!

[Lynn (lynnplovestoread)]

Melody Stanford is a therapist. Day after day her clients reveal egregious behaviors by the men in her town, absorbing their trauma. One day, she decides she has had enough and she turns her feminist rage into vigilantism.

Melody is a well-written character. She wants to take matters into her own hands because she is tired of society’s treatment of women, as well as the lack of consequences for those accountable for the trauma, yet she is also in conflict with her conscience. Anyone who has experienced trauma or secondary trauma, or have been been targeted simply for being female, will be able to relate to some of her internal dialogue.

I was hooked from the very beginning. I loved the theme and the fast pace; the short chapters a bonus.

Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Victoria Helen Stone for the free digital copy, in exchange for my honest review. Grab this one on October 27, 2026!

[Lilia]

I thought I would be more biased because I’m actually a therapist and I had little marks in my head about how unrealistic some pieces of this book were, but I absolutely loved this book. Kept me wanting to know what happened next all throughout. A vigilante therapist?! I wish! The only time I cringed was when the author said the therapist gives advice- we do NOT give advice, that’s a huge no-no in our field, but it’s definitely an assumption most individuals would have, so it didn’t bother me too much. The lead character, Melody, was so relatable- she stressed me out so much. When something would happen and she’d react with so much emotion throughout her mind and body, it felt so relatable. My only real complaint was there was a bit too much fluff; I felt myself starting to skim many times when the information just wasn’t necessary for the overall plot. Thank you for the free kindle version of this book as an ARC!

[Amy McLennan]

I’m Here to Help was an interesting read with a premise that kept me curious about where the story was headed. There were definitely things I enjoyed, but a few aspects kept it from being a higher rating for me.
I found the story to be somewhat repetitive at times, especially with our main character constantly questioning what was happening around her. There were quite a few moments where I felt like she was making something out of nothing, whether it involved her son or simply seeing police cars driving nearby. I understood the anxiety and suspicion behind her reactions, but after a while, some of it felt a little excessive.
That said, I did appreciate the overall premise and there were enough interesting moments to keep me reading. It’s a solid middle-of-the-road thriller for me—there were parts I enjoyed, even though some of the repetition and overthinking kept me from rating it higher.

[Leslie Cernosek]

3.5 that is getting rounded up bc Melody is a secret bad ass. She herself says she’s “vengeance in blue jeans and sensible flats”. I love the concept of a vigilante therapist, righting the wrongs that have been done to her patients. Melody is so morally gray, so earnest for justice and burning with rage.

This was a solid 3ish that could have used some trimming until the end when it all came together. The best part was that Melody wasn’t going to sit back and take it. She’s smart and she uses that. She fought for herself, she fought for others, and she owned that the things she was doing were wrong … but were they more wrong than the other crimes committed? Can two wrongs make something right?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy and a chance to read this early. All opinions are my own.

[Linda]

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union for an ARC of Stone’s latest novel. I loved the premise of a therapist who becomes a vigilante, seeking revenge for her clients. Melody Stanford is a therapist in a small town full of secrets. Through her counseling sessions, she learns about the darker side of life in her town (drugs, human trafficking, rape and infidelity), and becomes consumed with ensuring that those who have harmed her clients pay a price.
Yet juggling life as a wife, mom, therapist, and vigilante, can a toll and it’s not long until Melody finds herself in over her head, questioning the motives of those closest to her. Stone is skilled at writing mysteries that keep readers guessing to the very last page and I’m Here to Help is no exception.

[Sue]

Nuts! Absolutely nuts!!
When a therapist needs therapy more than her patients.
Melody takes it on herself to become a vigilante based on the revelations of her patients.
There is a dark corruption going on her town, and she uses her knowledge to uncover it, and find justice for the victims.

I wouldn't agree with Melody's methods, but I understand why she did what she did. Don't we all want to be a superhero, but want to have our privacy?

I did enjoy this novel, it is tense and suspenseful. And the main character is nuts. There are twists and turns, enough for your jaw to gape open.

Well thought out plot, and well written.

4/5 stars from me.

[Shannon Kirk]

Victoria Helen Stone NEVER disappoints. I’m Here to Help is another banger. Another unflinching feminist revenge that is sorely needed. As she did in her masterful Jane Doe, here Stone is unapologetic in documenting women’s real and justified rage in our age of open corruption, open elevation of rapist politicians and men of power. The main character’s open acceptance of her own rage and pursuit of revenge are cathartic. What I love about Stone’s revenge thrillers is what’s missing: pressure to meet some patriarchal oppressive apology for feeling this rage. 10/10, literally no notes. Inject it in my veins.

[Julia Edits]

I'm not usually a thriller fan, but I followed Victoria Helen Stone/Victoria Dahl over from Romancelandia and she just never lets me down. This book made me so tense…but I couldn't stop reading. Yes, the heroine is a tad unhinged, but who among us doesn't want to mete out vigilante justice to the deplorables in our world? These people -- and they're mostly men -- have gotten away with far too much for far too long, and it's a silly little pleasure to watch them suffer, even if it's only in a book.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Cc Readsss]

Release: Oct 27, 2026
Author: Victoria Helen Stone
Publisher: Luke union

Rating: 3.5 ★ 

I’m Here to Help had an interesting and thought-provoking premise, especially the idea of a therapist turning vigilante after hearing about the horrific things happening to the women she counsels. I enjoyed the revenge element and the moral questions surrounding how far someone should go when the justice system fails. While some parts worked better for me than others, the story kept me interested and delivered an engaging psychological suspense read.

[Mindy]

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I wanted to like this book. The premise seemed interesting. I think it would have been really fun as a short story! However the pacing seemed off to me and did not serve to build suspense. The book ended up feeling padded for length unnecessarily. Additionally, I didn't find the main character's revenge spree to be super believable, even by unhinged thriller standards. Overall I wasn't crazy about this one, but I think it would be enjoyable for the right person.

[Ashley]

The author developed a shred of insight 85% in when she referred to herself as immature and reckless. This book was all over the place. I can't tell if it was meant to convey her unhinged mental state or was just not great writing. Either way it was hard to read. I didn't disagree with any of her opinions about women and society, but the tangents got repetitive and didn't actually progress the story.

[Jessica Milliner]

This book is an interesting read. It shows a lot of things including secrets, honesty, and a small-town setting. Melody is a therapist who provides guidance to clients. She must explore further with them, especially those with a past filled with troubles. This book further illustrates that working through problems can be beneficial.

[Ann]

Melody is a small town therapist that is horrified at the terrible things people admit to. A powerful attorney enrages her the most and she takes justice into her own hands. Everyone in town seems to be happy he's dead. It makes her feel good but it seems someone knows what happened and Melody has to decide if another accident is in the cards.

[Amy]

2.75 stars. Honestly…this book had such great momentum. It fell a bit flat for me. Parts that should have been exciting and the climax did not quite hit home. Entertaining enough to read. But I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way to recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Becky Frazier]

Overall this book was ok. It was a quick read. The characters were ok but I just felt like information was missing and no real overall conclusion.

Still it was a quick easy read

Thank you NetGalley for the copy