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Broken Girls
Broken Girls | Simone St James
A breakout suspense novel from the award-winning author of The Haunting of Maddy Clare. Vermont, 1950. There's a place for the girls whom no one wants--the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good. It's called Idlewild Hall. And in the small town where it's located, there are rumors that the boarding school is haunted. Four roommates bond over their whispered fears, their budding friendship blossoming--until one of them mysteriously disappears. . . . Vermont, 2014. As much as she's tried, journalist Fiona Sheridan cannot stop revisiting the events surrounding her older sister's death. Twenty years ago, her body was found lying in the overgrown fields near the ruins of Idlewild Hall. And though her sister's boyfriend was tried and convicted of murder, Fiona can't shake the suspicion that something was never right about the case.When Fiona discovers that Idlewild Hall is being restored by an anonymous benefactor, she decides to write a story about it. But a shocking discovery during the renovations will link the loss of her sister to secrets that were meant to stay hidden in the past--and a voice that won't be silenced. . . .
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review
batsy
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Pickpick

One of the better books I've read in this genre; a mix of supernatural & crime that's written with skill, with a strong plot that builds up convincingly and doesn't rely on any type of ridiculous big reveal or twist. I thought the tension & mystery were really well done, the horror believable. The dual timelines intersected well & powered the narrative forward. Plus it's well-written with interesting characters. Want to read more by St. James!

lazydaizee Sounds like my sort of book, I will have to look out for it. 2w
KathyWheeler This is my favorite St. James book. 2w
batsy @lazydaizee Please do! And I hope you enjoy it. 2w
See All 10 Comments
batsy @KathyWheeler It's good! I'm keen to read a couple of others. Have you read her latest one, Murder Road? 2w
KathyWheeler @batsy I‘m reading it now. So far it‘s good. 2w
batsy @KathyWheeler That's good to hear 👍🏾 2w
Cathythoughts Great review. I thought this might be a series, but seems like stand a lone ?! Stacked 👍🏻❤️ 2w
batsy @Cathythoughts Thank you! 😘 Yes, it's a standalone which is great. I'm so bad at keeping up with a series 😆 2w
RohitSawant I‘d stacked this one a while back. Definitely moving this up my TBR after your review! 5d
batsy @RohitSawant It's a good one, and one I think you'll like! 5d
89 likes2 stack adds10 comments
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JessieKB
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Pickpick

My 2024 has started a little slow on the reading front, but finally finished this one! An old run down home for girls and the never quit journalist Fiona, who has personal ties to it. An intersecting of two stories made for a good ghosty thriller. #ReadAway2024

dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 2mo
15 likes1 comment
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DHill
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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1. Yes! A beverage is a must at all times. LOL
Morning reading with coffee, afternoon reading with Diet Coke, evening reading with hot tea or room temperature water.

2. Currently, tagged with water.

@TheSpineView #Two4Tuesday

Hey @THill wanna play?

TheSpineView Thanks for playing!❤️📖📚 3mo
25 likes1 comment
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JessieKB
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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☕️Yes! I almost always have some kind of beverage, but my only guaranteed reading time is early morning so I always have my coffee.
🌙The Broken Girls.
Happy Tuesday!!

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mom2bugnbee
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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I read a lot of 4⭐ in August 2023, but no 5⭐. I did discover both Simone St. James and Lucy Foley, so a good month. #12booksof2023 @Andrew65

Andrew65 Love The Broken Girls. 3mo
20 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Gissy
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Pickpick

This was last month author for the #AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville but with this challenge I‘m trying to read books that I own by that author, no matter if I read it after that month. I want to continue reading books by this author.
I really enjoyed this one, the mystery, the characters and the ending. Not too complicated, fast read. 3.8/4⭐️ Love the cover too😍

42 likes3 comments
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Bookwormjillk
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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1) I really enjoyed the tag and am looking forward to reading more by the author
2) Whatever Louise Penny writes next
3) I love a gritty woman detective

@RaeLovesToRead

Andrew65 Love this book. 4mo
RaeLovesToRead Ooh, yes! 💯 4mo
30 likes1 stack add2 comments
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BookwormAHN
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Pickpick

This was a reread that happily was even better the second time. Fiona is obsessed with the place her sister died, and when the old haunted girl's school is scheduled to be reopened, she does a deep dive into the history of the place 💙🐈‍⬛💙
#BlackCatCrew #Scarathlon #AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville #20in4 #Rushathon @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES #31By31 #Readathon @Catsandbooks #LittenListen @aperfectmjk #Falling4Books @Read4life

TheSpineView Fabulous! 5mo
DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 5mo
See All 6 Comments
Read4life 🍁👻🎃 5mo
Catsandbooks 🙌🏼🦇🧡 5mo
Andrew65 Well done 👏👏👏 I love this book. 5mo
44 likes6 comments
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SomedayAlmost
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Pickpick

Part eerie tale of ghost Mary Hand, part story of 4 “throwaway girls” surviving a Gothic boarding school, & part compelling modern crime drama, this novel is a wonderfully spooky page-turner. As a writer, I am impressed St. James pulls the threads together so we‘ll at the end. Even has enclosed book group questions. Highly recommend! (Finished during Scarathalon sprint.) #Scarathlon #TeamWhoYaGonnaCall #Scarathlonsprint #31by31 #Spookoween

Laughterhp Oo I loved this book! 5mo
RaeLovesToRead Hello cat friends! 5mo
GondorGirl Pretty kitties! 🥰 5mo
See All 6 Comments
rubyslippersreads 😻😻 5mo
TheSpineView Fantastic!😻😻😻 5mo
Catsandbooks Cute kitties! 💜🐈‍⬛ 5mo
30 likes6 comments
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DHill
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Catching a few spare moments reading my AuthorAMonth book selection and hoping I‘ll finish before the end of the month.

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CSeydel
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Mehso-so

This was ok, a little underwhelming when all was said and done. I enjoyed the back and forth between the 2014 and the 1950 plot lines, but I wished the two stories had been linked better. There was plenty of suspense but the payoff never really comes. The 1950 story was excellent and the characters very well drawn, but the 2014 story really didn‘t make a lot of sense if you think about it. And the romance scenes were just painful to read. #AAM

TheLudicReader I agree. The stuff at the school was very atmospheric. The modern stuff, I just didn‘t buy it. 5mo
CSeydel @TheLudicReader Glad it wasn‘t just me! I started to think maybe I wasn‘t understanding something, because nobody‘s actions ever rang true. (edited) 5mo
54 likes2 comments
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CSeydel
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Both my #AAM books came in from the library! Which one should I read first?

TheBookHippie Broken Girls! 5mo
Bookwormjillk I‘ve only read Broken Girls but it was really good. 5mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks You can‘t go wrong!! 5mo
Jess I just finished Sun Down Motel and really liked it. 5mo
33 likes4 comments
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Bookwormjillk
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Pickpick

Thankful for #AuthorAMonth for bringing me a new set of books to binge! I loved this @Soubhiville

Once I figured out the characters and the timelines I was really invested in the story of this boarding school for unwanted girls set in the 1950‘s and the reporter who wants to learn more in 2014.

63 likes4 comments
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Bookwormjillk
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Still in bed reading this ghost story and now even shy Mr. Oliver has joined me. But he‘s not getting too close.

Jari-chan Hi, Mr. Oliver! 😸 5mo
AnnCrystal 😍😻💝. 5mo
71 likes2 comments
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DHill
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Saturday with the girls.

#AuthorAMonth

ShelleyBooksie Adorable!!! 5mo
dabbe Hello there, gorgeous gals! 🖤🐾🐾🖤 5mo
43 likes2 comments
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Bookwormjillk
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Once Daisy settles down and stops trying to eat my book and drink my tea I plan on staying right here for the next couple of hours with my ghost story.

Jari-chan 😸😸😸 5mo
ShelleyBooksie Daisy ♡ 5mo
AnnCrystal 💕😻💝. 5mo
dabbe Hello there, Darling Daisy! 🖤🐾🖤 5mo
67 likes4 comments
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TEArificbooks
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Pickpick

Read for #authoramonth. Has all the elements and good execution and that made it a solid read. I have a feeling though that this won‘t be my favorite of hers. #scarathlon #blackcatcrew #spookoween #31by31 #falling4books #scarathlonAtoZ #Fridaythe13 #pumpkinspicereadathon @BookwormAHN @TheSpineView @Catsandbooks @Read4life @Texreader @Emilymdxn @Soubhiville

2305 pts

TheSpineView Well done! 5mo
SilversReviews It was good. 5mo
BookwormAHN Yay 🐈‍⬛️ 5mo
See All 6 Comments
Read4life 🍁👻🎃 5mo
Catsandbooks 🙌🏼🦇🧡 5mo
FlynnDewey Dang it, now I'm hungry again. 5mo
54 likes6 comments
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SomedayAlmost
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Have I mentioned how good this is? 2 murders and a ghost at a boarding school for “throwaway girls?” My kind of tale! Getting in an extra readathon hour in the park while wee boy has coding & robotics. #Scarathlon #readathons #TeamWhoYaGonna Call

FlynnDewey Ugh, reading in the park is such a nice time. Except when it's really windy. 5mo
21 likes1 comment
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SomedayAlmost
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Word choice is key! Loving this Gothic crime novel, (with a ghostly legend) but the Scarathlon word search game reminds me how often this author uses the word “dark.” While she uses dark humor and searches for a murderer in the darkness, lol. Good, creepy story, though. #Scarathlon #wordsearch #pumpkinspicereadathon #creepy #murder @Emilymdxn @FlynnDewey

TEArificbooks Dark definitely is the word of the month. Sometimes I find it 50+ times in a book. 6mo
25 likes1 comment
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Bookwormjillk
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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This book sounds like it involves a small town murder. Looking forward to finding out for #AuthorAMonth soon. #AutumnPlease

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Loved this one!! 6mo
Eggs It‘s so goood 😳 6mo
Bookwormjillk @eggs @alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I really want to get to this soon, but I've been so tired that every time I sit down with my current read I am out cold 😵 😴 😵 😴 6mo
mom2bugnbee This one was really good! 6mo
Eggs @Bookwormjillk oh sorry to hear about your fatigue! Hope you can get some rest 😴 6mo
58 likes1 stack add5 comments
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Larkken
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Pickpick

The Broken Girls was my favorite listen from last week. I like St James' lightly romantic suspense and complicated leading ladies and thought the supernatural elements are integrated well in this one. #aam #scarathlon #SpookyGhostClub book 3; 140 (!!!) word search words. Again, I'll add Readathons in comments.

Clwojick Great job! 6mo
26 likes1 comment
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
Broken Girls | Simone St James
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☠️🖤📚💀

#Bones
#AutumnPlease

Such a great book for the spooky season!! 👻

TheBookgeekFrau Great photo! 💚 6mo
IamIamIam Loved this book!!!! Your skull kicks ass!! ☠️ 6mo
Eggs 💚💀🖤 6mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @IamIamIam thank you ☠️🖤 6mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @TheBookgeekFrau thank you 🖤☠️🖤 6mo
64 likes1 stack add5 comments
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Jas16
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Pickpick

A boarding school, murdered girls, and a ghost-perfect October read. This was about as creepy a ghost story as my scaredy cat heart can handle but the story of Mary Hand really worked for me and I kept wondering what every character who encountered her saw. It ended up my my favorite part of the book and convinced me to try another book by the author. I enjoyed the mystery as well although the ending felt a little too neat. #authoramonth

kspenmoll I loved this book, my first introduction to the author. Keep on reading her books. 6mo
KathyWheeler My first introduction to St. James was The Sundown Motel which I really liked. I‘ve read several more but The Broken Girls is my favorite. 6mo
39 likes2 comments
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Addison_Reads
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Mehso-so

#Scarathlon @Clwojick #SpookyGhostClub #AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

Not my favorite that I've read by this author. It was an okay thriller with a good mix of mystery and supernatural. This book doesn't have any twists that will shock you; it's just a straightforward mystery with historical fiction mixed in.

It's one of those reads I enjoyed while reading, but now, even just a few days after finishing it, there isn't really much that stands out.

Soubhiville Good review 🙂. I just started this. 6mo
Clwojick Well done! 👻 6mo
31 likes2 comments
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Amiable
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Mehso-so

It could be my mood — I‘ve been in a bit of a reading slump. But this one was … just OK. The mystery part was decent enough but I could have done without the ghost story aspect. And the resolution seemed both far-fetched and a bit too pat. Onward to the next #AuthorAMonth pick.

Megabooks This wasn‘t my fave either. 🤷🏻‍♀️ liked this much more 👍🏻👍🏻 6mo
Amiable @Megabooks I picked the one by this author that was available on Libby! 😀 I‘ll have to head to the library to find this other one. 6mo
55 likes2 comments
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DHill
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Heading into spooky season with this #AuthorAMonth pick.

@Soubhiville

Soubhiville Nice! I‘m planning to read this one too 🙂. 6mo
kspenmoll Fabulous book! 6mo
49 likes2 comments
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Kshakal
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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I don‘t like spooky books but I remember being creeped out by the broken girls! #sundayfunday @BookmarkTavern

BookmarkTavern I‘ve heard good things about this one! Thanks for sharing! 6mo
22 likes1 comment
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Jari-chan
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Pickpick

What a perfect book to start into autumn with! It has all the vibes. It has ghosts. It has murder. It has investigation. It has a nice couple. And it's a true page-turner. The chilly atmosphere fits into the season and made me shiver. Loved the spooky school as well, even though I felt terrible because of what happened there...

#roll100 @PuddleJumper

PuddleJumper 👻👻 6mo
Deblovestoread Great review! It is my October #AuthorAMonth choice! 6mo
Jari-chan @PuddleJumper 👻👻😁 6mo
See All 6 Comments
Jari-chan @Deblovestoread Thank you! And I hope you'll enjoy the book as well 😊 6mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Loved this one 🖤 6mo
Jari-chan @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks ❤️❤️❤️ 6mo
33 likes6 comments
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Havinghope10
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this immensely! Pretty straight-forward guessing without any big plot twist to an avid mystery reader, but had a great balance of mystique and paranormal! Good for a long-weekend read without too much brain power.

review
JanuarieTimewalker13
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
Pickpick

I greatly enjoyed this book. Especially the 1950 timeline…it runs two timelines 1950 and 2014. It had been on my TBR for a few years and I‘m happy I listened to it. I think it‘s best to go in with no idea of what it‘s about…try it, you‘ll like it!
Is anyone else having trouble posting a photo? This my second post where I can‘t post a photo.I don‘t understand why. #CanadianAuthor #Vermont

JanuarieTimewalker13 I had only one problem with this book. She must have used the word “detritus” about 10 times…it became annoying. Lol 7mo
31 likes1 comment
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Jari-chan
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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And another author I wanted to read more of. The Broken Girls is my #roll100 for September and it's kinda fitting, right? Spooky season is coming!

@PuddleJumper

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Robotswithpersonality
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Pickpick

The real horror is injustice.
So glad I picked this up on a day where I had the time to read it almost non-stop beginning to end.
I might not be a straight thriller fan, but this mix of supernatural horror, good ol' haunted place, mixed with investigative suspense really works, especially with a dual time line, to keep you turning the pages, and getting all the chills. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality On the not so fun side, as if I needed more reason to loathe the social mores and bloody conflicts of times past, this story does deal with some heartbreaking themes: man's inhumanity towards man in war, violence against women (by men and women), the miscarriage of justice and the historic prevalence of victims and minors, particularly female ones, not being believed, or provided any type of mental health care/therapy post-trauma. Just be aware, here be darkness. 2/3 10mo
Robotswithpersonality 3/3 I am grateful to the ending, for all the ways it sets out to try to make things right.
⚠️ SA, suicide attempt, PTSD, attempted filicide, discussion of WW2 concentration camps
10mo
JanuarieTimewalker13 Excellent review!! I loved it! 7mo
5 likes3 comments
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Robotswithpersonality
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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From an information management perspective, this book is uniquely horrifying!

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Robotswithpersonality
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Well, if I didn't already think this boarding school was a dystopian hell, that clinches it!

6 likes1 stack add
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Acoleman
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Pickpick

So good. One part murder mystery, one part ghost story, swirl in some historical fiction and an unlikely romance.

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starlight97
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Pickpick

Another exciting and creepy paranormal/crime/mystery novel by St James. I loved The Sun Down Motel and this one was almost as good.
#paranormal #gothic #thriller

32 likes1 stack add
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BookishMadHatter
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Work last night was hard ... For a while I didn't see anyone and had to read to fill the quiet 😏🤫

Elizabeth2 Really liked this one! Suspenseful and creepy, but touching at the same time. Enjoy! 11mo
BookishMadHatter @Elizabeth2 based on what I've seen others say about it, I thought the book would ve spookier and/or more suspenseful than I thought it to be, but I still enjoyed the story 11mo
12 likes2 comments
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IndoorDame
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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My favorite book by one of my favorite authors 💙💙💙#TitleStartsWithB #MarchMagic @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

KathyWheeler This is my favorite of hers as well. 13mo
Eggs 💙💙💙💙 13mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Mine too!! 13mo
67 likes3 comments
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Elizabeth2
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Pickpick

Suspenseful, creepy, and touching at the same time. Ghost stories usually aren‘t my thing, and this book was hard for me to get into, but once the story began weaving together it gripped me. Told in two timelines, one from the past and one from the present, two different mysteries unfold surrounding the foreboding Idlewild property. The ending is perfection. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This was my #bookspin for February. @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 13mo
28 likes1 comment
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Elizabeth2
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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This is my #bookspin for February. ❤️📚

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jen_hayes7
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Pickpick

I‘m still sick (ugh) so I sat and read this today. A veeeerrrrry old #botm choice. 😳 It was good! I can see why Simone St. James is so popular. Sometimes when thrillers have two timelines I like one more than the other and find myself flipping ahead. That didn‘t happen with this one.

kspenmoll Fabulous book by a fabulous author! 1y
Bren912 Hope you feel better!! 1y
jen_hayes7 @Bren912 Thank you ever so much!! 1y
16 likes3 comments
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BeeMagical
Broken Girls | Simone St James

@ 31% I just couldn‘t get into the audio book🤷🏻‍♀️

I usually love St James so I think I‘ll try to pick this up as a physical book instead.

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LiteraryinLawrence
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Pickpick

@Kayla.Adriena @Mccall0113 @shellleigh33 Once I finally picked up this read for #lmpbc I finished it in 24 hours! I really liked it and especially liked reading the margin comments from the previous readers. This book had a lot of elements that I tend to like, such as multiple timelines and chapters from different POVs. A good ghost story and I‘d totally read more by this author! @shellleigh33 This will go out in the next couple days!

Mccall0113 I‘m so far behind. I promise to get one I. The mail next week! 1y
Leftcoastzen 😻 1y
LiteraryinLawrence @shellleigh33 I mailed this to you this morning! 1y
85 likes3 comments
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Romancegirl
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
Pickpick

I loved this book! The multiple mysteries, dual timelines, strong female friendships, and the so sad ghost story was all spot on. Highly recommend this book and this author. I read The Sundown Motel first, and I think I still like that one more than this one, but this one is a very close second.

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TheBookHippie
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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#thoughtfulThursday @MoonWitch94

Mystery 👻
Haunted House 👻
Tagged 👻

Late to the party 😂👻😵‍💫💀

MoonWitch94 Thanks for playing 🎃😱🏚✨🕯 Hope you are feeling better 🖤 1y
TheBookHippie @MoonWitch94 I think I‘m finally coming out of it. Still can‘t smell at all, rarely and only a little taste has come back😝😵‍💫 1y
41 likes2 comments
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IndoorDame
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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✨ I don‘t know how to choose, I love both!

✨ Definitely haunted house!

✨ “That was what the books did—they turned off your thinking for you, put their thoughts in your head so you wouldn‘t have your own.”

@MoonWitch94 #ThoughtfulThursday
If you haven‘t played consider yourself tagged

MoonWitch94 Thanks for playing 🎃✨📖🏚🕯 1y
35 likes1 comment
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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“That was what books did—they turned off your thinking for you, put their thoughts in your head so you wouldn‘t have your own.”

#Skeleton
#OminousOctober

🖤☠️🧡

KristiAhlers I love this authors writing! 1y
OriginalCyn620 Beautiful photo, Misty! 🍂 1y
Eggs Love SSJ🧡🧡🧡 1y
66 likes4 comments
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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My favorite Halloween #candy!! 🎃 this is such a great book!! 👻🖤

#ghosts
#OminousOctober
#LitsyLove
#LitsyLoveReads

Eggs Love SSJ 🥰📚🎃 1y
KristiAhlers OMG I love those pumpkins too. Halloween for the win! 1y
PageShifter I love that cover 👍 1y
Jhullie I loved this one too. 1y
65 likes1 stack add4 comments
review
IamIamIam
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Pickpick

This was such a great mystery mixed with a ghost story! I love how St. James mixes the two so well! I didn't see the twists in this one coming. Girls in a rural boarding school are haunted by both a local legend and the disappearance of their friend, while a journalist is haunted by the murder of her sister. I absolutely love Rebecca Lowman as a narrator!!

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Kayla.Adriena
The Broken Girls | Simone St James
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Pickpick

Wooooo a ghost story ? Reminds me of the Cersi Lannister quote "Everywhere in the world they hurt little girls," ?. Read for LMPBC, I enjoyed the alternate timelines and found myself eagerly turning the page.