What do you think?
Rate this book
Anything For You
HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO PROTECT YOUR DAUGHTER?
From the first moment single mother Nicolette Winchester held her daughter in her arms, she knew she’d do everything in her power to keep her safe. Now eighteen years old, Ella is bright, kind and a cello prodigy headed for Juilliard. Nicolette can’t help but feel proud of the young woman her daughter’s become.
Then Ella calls home one night. There’s been an accident. A classmate is dead. And Ella is the only one on the scene. To protect her daughter, Nicolette makes an unthinkable decision: hide the body, and ensure her daughter is kept out of the ensuing scandal.
There’s only one problem. Someone knows what she did.
And that person is going to make sure Nicolette pays.
From the first moment single mother Nicolette Winchester held her daughter in her arms, she knew she’d do everything in her power to keep her safe. Now eighteen years old, Ella is bright, kind and a cello prodigy headed for Juilliard. Nicolette can’t help but feel proud of the young woman her daughter’s become.
Then Ella calls home one night. There’s been an accident. A classmate is dead. And Ella is the only one on the scene. To protect her daughter, Nicolette makes an unthinkable decision: hide the body, and ensure her daughter is kept out of the ensuing scandal.
There’s only one problem. Someone knows what she did.
And that person is going to make sure Nicolette pays.
412 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 12, 2020
1335 people are currently reading
959 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 130 reviews
February 15, 2022
Such an interesting book that shows the depth and strength of a mother's love for their child. Crazy twists and turns throughout. It kept me completely fascinated the entire time. The ending was unforeseeable and I enjoyed every minute of it!
March 10, 2021
WOW!! This is one of those thoughts provoking books that leaves you pondering it's depth long after the last page is read and the book is closed.
How far would a mother go in the preservation of her child? The answer is: A heck of a lot!
This book addresses issues of codependency and questions nature vs nurture. The exploration and depth of these topics left me with chills. So good! So worth the read!
How far would a mother go in the preservation of her child? The answer is: A heck of a lot!
This book addresses issues of codependency and questions nature vs nurture. The exploration and depth of these topics left me with chills. So good! So worth the read!
October 28, 2023
I. Knew. It.
Still good, but I bleeping knew it 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Still good, but I bleeping knew it 🤣🤣🤣🤣
June 4, 2021
Can't finish it....bummer 😒
There were discrepancies. I can't read a book with discrepancies. It annoys me so much. I am shocked this book had raving reviews. Maybe I just don't have the same beliefs as everyone else 🤷♀️ I dropped the book at 19% which is page 73.
First of all, I am a crime drama fanatic lol. I watch The First 48. I watch Tru Crime. I have even seen every Law and Order episode. I have seen every SVU episode. I have seen all the CSI shows and all episodes. I have seen Blue Bloods and etc. Trust me I have seen it all. Any great detective would see right through Emma and could see she was lying. Let me point out this, Emma stated she saw Amber around midnight but yet her curfew is at midnight soooo how can she be at two places at the same time? Did anyone see that? And she told Kyle the boys her and Amber saw were driving but she told her mother they were walking past the park. Which is it? Also, when Ambers mother called to see if Amber was in school and to have Nicky check, Nicky called the Admin office and Gwen or whoever was like "yea Ambers here" Nicky was like "huh, what, are you sure" ummmmm that is NOT what you wanna say to someone when you literally threw Amber over the bridge 😒. Nicky should have played along and said "great thanks". Keep up with the lies and all...
Also let me say this. What mother in the universe lets her daughter get away with murder? Ummm not me. I don't have kids but even if I did, No. If it was an accident, I'd get the best lawyer money could buy and prove it in court. If it wasn't, then my daughter would have to pay the piper. I would have taught my daughter right from wrong and when you do wrong, pay the consequences. Geesh. I cant read this book. Annoyed me too much.
This is a no for me. On to the next.
There were discrepancies. I can't read a book with discrepancies. It annoys me so much. I am shocked this book had raving reviews. Maybe I just don't have the same beliefs as everyone else 🤷♀️ I dropped the book at 19% which is page 73.
First of all, I am a crime drama fanatic lol. I watch The First 48. I watch Tru Crime. I have even seen every Law and Order episode. I have seen every SVU episode. I have seen all the CSI shows and all episodes. I have seen Blue Bloods and etc. Trust me I have seen it all. Any great detective would see right through Emma and could see she was lying. Let me point out this, Emma stated she saw Amber around midnight but yet her curfew is at midnight soooo how can she be at two places at the same time? Did anyone see that? And she told Kyle the boys her and Amber saw were driving but she told her mother they were walking past the park. Which is it? Also, when Ambers mother called to see if Amber was in school and to have Nicky check, Nicky called the Admin office and Gwen or whoever was like "yea Ambers here" Nicky was like "huh, what, are you sure" ummmmm that is NOT what you wanna say to someone when you literally threw Amber over the bridge 😒. Nicky should have played along and said "great thanks". Keep up with the lies and all...
Also let me say this. What mother in the universe lets her daughter get away with murder? Ummm not me. I don't have kids but even if I did, No. If it was an accident, I'd get the best lawyer money could buy and prove it in court. If it wasn't, then my daughter would have to pay the piper. I would have taught my daughter right from wrong and when you do wrong, pay the consequences. Geesh. I cant read this book. Annoyed me too much.
This is a no for me. On to the next.
February 8, 2021
Must Read
"I was quite sure that was the reason most people believed in God. Not to have someone to thank when things went right, but to have someone to blame when things went wrong. But people wouldn’t blame God for what happened to Amber Allbright. They’d blame you."
Holy sh%$! So many suspects to blackmailing poor, misguided Nicolette. She's got an ex who is the detective on the case of the missing dead girl, a daughter attending the same school who was with the girl the night she 'disappeared,' a group of friends who was tight with her daughter and the girl who all seem suspect, a nosy neighbor, and lets not forget that dear mommy works at the school and knows the girls family. It's topsy turvy, keeping me at the edge of my seat. Who knows what Nicolette did, and what do they want in exchange for their silence?
I love, love, loved the style of writing in this gripping, high-suspense thriller--a letter from Nicolette to her daughter. Main characters were so well written and rounded, I felt their panic, their guilt, their reality as if it had been my own. The more Nicolette dug into the lives of those she suspected, I got a goid understanding for each, including their motive to blackmail. Nicolette's strong, unwavering love for her daughter got downright suffocating at times and I couldn't help wondering at that . . . was Nicolette really all there, in her right mind? Or was her love blinding in more ways than disposing of a deadly secret that put her daughter's future at risk?
Guys, seriously, thus is a must read you do not want to miss!
"I was quite sure that was the reason most people believed in God. Not to have someone to thank when things went right, but to have someone to blame when things went wrong. But people wouldn’t blame God for what happened to Amber Allbright. They’d blame you."
Holy sh%$! So many suspects to blackmailing poor, misguided Nicolette. She's got an ex who is the detective on the case of the missing dead girl, a daughter attending the same school who was with the girl the night she 'disappeared,' a group of friends who was tight with her daughter and the girl who all seem suspect, a nosy neighbor, and lets not forget that dear mommy works at the school and knows the girls family. It's topsy turvy, keeping me at the edge of my seat. Who knows what Nicolette did, and what do they want in exchange for their silence?
I love, love, loved the style of writing in this gripping, high-suspense thriller--a letter from Nicolette to her daughter. Main characters were so well written and rounded, I felt their panic, their guilt, their reality as if it had been my own. The more Nicolette dug into the lives of those she suspected, I got a goid understanding for each, including their motive to blackmail. Nicolette's strong, unwavering love for her daughter got downright suffocating at times and I couldn't help wondering at that . . . was Nicolette really all there, in her right mind? Or was her love blinding in more ways than disposing of a deadly secret that put her daughter's future at risk?
Guys, seriously, thus is a must read you do not want to miss!
May 20, 2021
2.5-3 stars from me. I felt like I didn’t fully engage with it until just over halfway through. There was enough intrigue to keep me going but I found myself distracted more than once.
I fathomed there was something a bit off about Ellas role in it all after the reveal of ambers cause of death, but couldn’t place it. I thought Kyle was maybe involved, potentially in a romantic way with Ella and they were setting Nicolette up to take the fall and run off together. But it was nothing like that, although Ella does play a big part in the plot reveal.
There was a good amount of suspense build up for me to not rate it any lower though, but I feel like a bigger twist was needed for an extra star.
I fathomed there was something a bit off about Ellas role in it all after the reveal of ambers cause of death, but couldn’t place it. I thought Kyle was maybe involved, potentially in a romantic way with Ella and they were setting Nicolette up to take the fall and run off together. But it was nothing like that, although Ella does play a big part in the plot reveal.
There was a good amount of suspense build up for me to not rate it any lower though, but I feel like a bigger twist was needed for an extra star.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2020
4.5 stars!!!
A great page turning thriller that captured my attention right from the start. The story of Nicolette with a mother’s instinct to protect her daughter Ella no matter what the circumstances are.
Set in the small town of Silver Mills Ella finds herself in a predicament when her best friend ends up dead on a neighborhood playground. Calling her mom for help... the story continues with lots of twists and turns along the way.
Marissa Finch does a great job of character portrayals making them seem so real and relatable. Some aspects of the story might have been a stretch but all in all a great read. I will definitely be adding Marissa to my authors to watch list.
Thank you Hidden Gems for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
A great page turning thriller that captured my attention right from the start. The story of Nicolette with a mother’s instinct to protect her daughter Ella no matter what the circumstances are.
Set in the small town of Silver Mills Ella finds herself in a predicament when her best friend ends up dead on a neighborhood playground. Calling her mom for help... the story continues with lots of twists and turns along the way.
Marissa Finch does a great job of character portrayals making them seem so real and relatable. Some aspects of the story might have been a stretch but all in all a great read. I will definitely be adding Marissa to my authors to watch list.
Thank you Hidden Gems for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 17, 2024
I truly should have DNF’d this book. The audiobook may have been too much and better if I read it myself. The narrators voice was whiney and hard to stomach. The storyline seemed completely unrealistic (I mean, it’s fiction, right?), I never felt connected the to book,
I hated both “MC” and the way it was written as the MC talking to the daughter.
I hated both “MC” and the way it was written as the MC talking to the daughter.
November 19, 2020
Oh yeah, this is a good one. I loved it. I was fascinated by this story and wanted to savor it, but also wanted to rush through it to find out the ending. I don't want to spoil it, so I'll say I guessed at the truth midway through but it didn't dampen the enjoyment at all. I still liked every discovery! Great read! Five stars! 😁
October 25, 2023
How Far Would You Go To Protect Your Child?
Decent Psychological Thriller.
There were many twists throughout, some predictable and some threw me for a loop. The ending could also have been more intriguing but all in all I enjoyed Marissa Finch's writing style which kept me reading. The narration was good as well.
3.5
Decent Psychological Thriller.
There were many twists throughout, some predictable and some threw me for a loop. The ending could also have been more intriguing but all in all I enjoyed Marissa Finch's writing style which kept me reading. The narration was good as well.
3.5
September 18, 2020
I voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving a free copy from the publisher.
This was an excellent thriller! it had me wanting more after every page. Dark, twisty and mysterious, Finch gives you a new look at how far a mother will go to protect her own daughter. A tragic accident turns out to be a lot more devious then it may appear at first glance. I loved this book!! It was well written, I really enjoyed the main character Nicolette, and she really would do anything for her daughter.
This was an excellent thriller! it had me wanting more after every page. Dark, twisty and mysterious, Finch gives you a new look at how far a mother will go to protect her own daughter. A tragic accident turns out to be a lot more devious then it may appear at first glance. I loved this book!! It was well written, I really enjoyed the main character Nicolette, and she really would do anything for her daughter.
April 9, 2023
This was an engrossing read that kept me glued from the first page. Despite the fact that I had figured out early on who the culprit was, though not the reason for their actions, my interest didn't wane. The story raises three great questions: What would you do for your child or more to the point? What would you not do for your child? What is stronger, nurture, or nature, and is there a criminal gene that hasn't yet been identified ? It lost half a star for some of the nonsensical behaviour of main character Nicolette, who, despite being mentally remarkably strong, also came across as rather obtuse repeatedly. 4 and a half stars.
February 20, 2026
extremely addictive!
wonderful psychological, suspense, thriller! How far would you go for your child? Is there anything you would not do for your child? Read this and see how far one mother will go for her daughter. you may be shocked at not only what a mother will do for her daughter, but you will be more shocked with the secrets revealed from her mothers past! he will not be able to put this book down!
wonderful psychological, suspense, thriller! How far would you go for your child? Is there anything you would not do for your child? Read this and see how far one mother will go for her daughter. you may be shocked at not only what a mother will do for her daughter, but you will be more shocked with the secrets revealed from her mothers past! he will not be able to put this book down!
November 3, 2020
The Love For A Child
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A mother will do anything for their child. This book promises suspense and twists in the storyline and it delivers! I bet you will keep guessing all the way through.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A mother will do anything for their child. This book promises suspense and twists in the storyline and it delivers! I bet you will keep guessing all the way through.
May 23, 2021
I have to admit this book kept me turning the pages. But the ending was beyond disappointing. I kind of suspected it but wasn't sure how it would work. And it didn't.
Lots of contrived twists that make me unable to suspend my disbelief.
Lots of contrived twists that make me unable to suspend my disbelief.
February 12, 2021
It was very far fetched but I gave it 5 stars because I couldn’t put it down and it was very entertaining.
September 13, 2021
Maybe the author had liked ‘Gilmore Girls’. Through the book I had the weird feeling of a ‘Gilmore Girls’ gone very bad. A ‘Gilmore Girls’ noir :)
November 11, 2022
Repetitive and too long I figured it out about 1/3rd of the way through the book.
September 16, 2024
This story is told as a letter written from Nicolette to her daughter Ella, detailing the ins and outs of their relationship from a mothers perspective. It highlights that there really is no love quite like the one a mother has for her child.
With Ella’s best friend Amber having fallen to her death in a freak accident this is the catalyst that sets the wheels in motion for what is about to come.
I enjoyed this read although I did work out the main twist very early on.
With Ella’s best friend Amber having fallen to her death in a freak accident this is the catalyst that sets the wheels in motion for what is about to come.
I enjoyed this read although I did work out the main twist very early on.
July 8, 2023
3.5/5 rounded up. This is a suspenseful story about a mother’s love for her daughter and how far she’ll go to protect her. It is dark, twisty and fast paced. I read it in a day. However, the plot is rather preposterous and the story is incredibly repetitive. I swear the author repeats the title phrase “Anything for You” at least a dozen times. But overall, it kept me interested and engaged.
March 30, 2024
3.5 stars
Read
September 1, 2024DNF. I couldn’t get into this one. 😕
September 16, 2020
Wow! Not at all what I expected! This book really keeps you guessing. I highly recommend reading it.
November 23, 2020
I could not put this book down and raced through it in less than 24 hours.
The books I enjoy the most are the ones that have me hooked by the end of the second chapter at the latest. This book certainly has that!
I am a Mum of a teenager. A mother’s love is strong, I’ve heard myself say that I would do anything for my child and that is certainly the position our lead character is in.
Nicolette receives a call from her daughter Ella late one night asking her to come to where she is as there’s been an accident.
She arrives to find her daughter standing alongside her friend who is clearly dead. She doesn’t want her daughters life ruined by an accident so to protect her daughter she decides to dump the body.
It was definitely a “just one more chapter” book for me. The twists and turns really had me invested in this story. I was torn between wanting to find out what happened next and not wanting the story to end.
I am not going to lie and say I didn’t see the ending coming because I did but it didn’t take anything away from the story.
There is so much more I want to say about this story but I don’t want to ruin it for anyone so instead I will just recommend you read it.
The books I enjoy the most are the ones that have me hooked by the end of the second chapter at the latest. This book certainly has that!
I am a Mum of a teenager. A mother’s love is strong, I’ve heard myself say that I would do anything for my child and that is certainly the position our lead character is in.
Nicolette receives a call from her daughter Ella late one night asking her to come to where she is as there’s been an accident.
She arrives to find her daughter standing alongside her friend who is clearly dead. She doesn’t want her daughters life ruined by an accident so to protect her daughter she decides to dump the body.
It was definitely a “just one more chapter” book for me. The twists and turns really had me invested in this story. I was torn between wanting to find out what happened next and not wanting the story to end.
I am not going to lie and say I didn’t see the ending coming because I did but it didn’t take anything away from the story.
There is so much more I want to say about this story but I don’t want to ruin it for anyone so instead I will just recommend you read it.
July 4, 2021
But what I’ve realized since then is that humans have an even stronger defense mechanism. It’s called motherhood.
While the book jumps right into the action and pulls you in, there’s this sense of disbelief I couldn’t entirely get past while reading (no, I’m not some heartless mother). Despite so many good reviews, I felt the book was only mediocre. I didn’t particularly enjoy any of the characters, there were these huge character development scenes that weren’t entirely fleshed out, the reasons for people being the way they are was never fully examined. There’s a duality going on between our mother-daughter team in regards to how they feel about not only family and friends, but money and everything that comes with it. Sadly, the supposed plot twist wasn’t a shock to me, and I had my inklings from the beginning. The further the story went, it didn’t seem to really try to hide who our mysterious blackmailing spy is.
TLDR: The book is ok, but has some major flaws that are a bit impossible to get past. Quick read, epistolary, unlikeable characters, plot holes.
While the book jumps right into the action and pulls you in, there’s this sense of disbelief I couldn’t entirely get past while reading (no, I’m not some heartless mother). Despite so many good reviews, I felt the book was only mediocre. I didn’t particularly enjoy any of the characters, there were these huge character development scenes that weren’t entirely fleshed out, the reasons for people being the way they are was never fully examined. There’s a duality going on between our mother-daughter team in regards to how they feel about not only family and friends, but money and everything that comes with it. Sadly, the supposed plot twist wasn’t a shock to me, and I had my inklings from the beginning. The further the story went, it didn’t seem to really try to hide who our mysterious blackmailing spy is.
TLDR: The book is ok, but has some major flaws that are a bit impossible to get past. Quick read, epistolary, unlikeable characters, plot holes.
September 14, 2021
It was.... meh.
I'm not sure how many times and author can use the word "you", but whatever the quota is, she well surpassed it.
Started interesting, became (hate to say this), dumb.
Lots of unanswered questions, or things brought out but either not explained, or not well enough....ie: "monster". You'll have to read it to understand the reference.
Overall, it killed some time... best way I can sum it up.
I'm not sure how many times and author can use the word "you", but whatever the quota is, she well surpassed it.
Started interesting, became (hate to say this), dumb.
Lots of unanswered questions, or things brought out but either not explained, or not well enough....ie: "monster". You'll have to read it to understand the reference.
Overall, it killed some time... best way I can sum it up.
July 18, 2021
This starts off with Ella calling her Mom, Nicolette late one night telling he something happened. Nicolette immediately tells Ella she will be right there. No questions, what happened, just runs to her rescue. She finds Ella at a playground, with her friend Amber laying on the ground, not moving.
Then Nicolette does something very bizarre … nothing any normal mother, any normal person would do - I did not like her right from the start.
The story continues with everyone searching for Amber. The town they all live in is very wealthy, but Nicolette is not. She hints at something that happened in her past, that she did grow up in this town with wealthy parents but then became estranged from her family. Why would she then stay in this town? There is an explanation eventually with Nicolette’s family and what happened when she was a child.
And there is something off about Ella. She is very self-centered, seems very detached, very calculated, manipulative. But Nicolette doesn’t see any of that. Ella is a 18 years old, but Nicolette treats her like she 12, like she needs to protect her from everything.
So the story goes on and on the whole town searching for Amber. Nicolette begins to be blackmailed, someone saw what she did and has photos. She jumps to conclusion almost immediately about who it is blackmailing her, really without much evidence. She begins running all over town, trying to come up with the money the blackmailer demanded.
At one point, Nicolette says to Ella - we made mistakes - mistakes? Kids are dying, this is way more than a few mistakes.
There is finally a resolution, and we find out what really happened to Amber and Ethan. I did suspect what was going on with Ella, but not Nicolette’s actions in the end.
I almost stopped reading because I really disliked Nicolette. She was one of those over-the-top, over-protective mothers. But I am glad I kept with it, this turned out to be a great book. I could really seeing their being a second book.
Then Nicolette does something very bizarre … nothing any normal mother, any normal person would do - I did not like her right from the start.
The story continues with everyone searching for Amber. The town they all live in is very wealthy, but Nicolette is not. She hints at something that happened in her past, that she did grow up in this town with wealthy parents but then became estranged from her family. Why would she then stay in this town? There is an explanation eventually with Nicolette’s family and what happened when she was a child.
And there is something off about Ella. She is very self-centered, seems very detached, very calculated, manipulative. But Nicolette doesn’t see any of that. Ella is a 18 years old, but Nicolette treats her like she 12, like she needs to protect her from everything.
So the story goes on and on the whole town searching for Amber. Nicolette begins to be blackmailed, someone saw what she did and has photos. She jumps to conclusion almost immediately about who it is blackmailing her, really without much evidence. She begins running all over town, trying to come up with the money the blackmailer demanded.
At one point, Nicolette says to Ella - we made mistakes - mistakes? Kids are dying, this is way more than a few mistakes.
There is finally a resolution, and we find out what really happened to Amber and Ethan. I did suspect what was going on with Ella, but not Nicolette’s actions in the end.
I almost stopped reading because I really disliked Nicolette. She was one of those over-the-top, over-protective mothers. But I am glad I kept with it, this turned out to be a great book. I could really seeing their being a second book.
September 29, 2020
4.5!!
I read this book as an ARC for an honest review
This book is interesting because the mom, narrator of the story is talking to her daughter throughout the book like she’ll read the book we’re reading. As we learn about how she grew up it makes sense why she’s so protective and wants a good relationship with her daughter. A lot of Nicolettes motives are for her prodigy child, she is very clever and smart. Silver Mills, Maine is a small town were everyone knows when something happens and the fame of the town comes from the Oakwood Academy that has people from all over studying to go to a Ivy League college. As the story goes on you realize that Nicolette is emotional about how people are talking about Amber and guilty when things go wrong and someone starts blackmailing her. You can tell by the eggs of the book that Nicolette developed. Such an intriguing book and those plot twists got me good
I read this book as an ARC for an honest review
This book is interesting because the mom, narrator of the story is talking to her daughter throughout the book like she’ll read the book we’re reading. As we learn about how she grew up it makes sense why she’s so protective and wants a good relationship with her daughter. A lot of Nicolettes motives are for her prodigy child, she is very clever and smart. Silver Mills, Maine is a small town were everyone knows when something happens and the fame of the town comes from the Oakwood Academy that has people from all over studying to go to a Ivy League college. As the story goes on you realize that Nicolette is emotional about how people are talking about Amber and guilty when things go wrong and someone starts blackmailing her. You can tell by the eggs of the book that Nicolette developed. Such an intriguing book and those plot twists got me good
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 130 reviews