This book has been hanging out on my iPad since it released, so I was happy when it was selected as Reese’s book club pick for July so that I had an excuse to bump it up. I was intrigued by the premise, and trust me when I say that it delivered so much more than I expected.

I’m sure I sound like a broken record when I say that I love questionable and morally gray characters. What’s even more fun is when they are either completely clueless to this fact, or can convince themselves that their wrongdoings are completely justified – such is the case with June aka Junie aka Juniper, our main character in this book.

June Hayward is a white, 20-something who has dreams of being one of those authors whose book sits at the top of bestseller lists for weeks, wins lots of awards and has all of their book optioned for movies or TV series. Sadly for June, she wrote one book that didn’t do so hot. It didn’t even get a paperback release. She is pretty sure her editor hates her and her agent only reaches out now and then because he, too, doesn’t expect great things from June after her first book tanked.

Athena Liu, on the other hand, has everything that June has ever dreamed of. Instant bestseller. Movie options. Netflix options. Whenever Athena calls up June to share her good news and then asks June to go out with her for a celebratory drink, June tags along. She doesn’t have any real friends in publishing, and while she doesn’t especially like Athena, maybe hanging around with her will rub off on June.

June’s wish comes true when one night, after celebrating Athena’s Netflix deal, the two go back to Athena’s house for a drink. One drink turns to two and before you know it, the women are having a pancake eating contest, which is when Athena begins to choke. June attempts to give her the Heimlich, and it doesn’t work. June calls for help, but Athena doesn’t make it.

Earlier that evening, Athena had shared with June the manuscript for the super secret book she just finished. A book no one knew she was writing. June was going to read it for her and share her thoughts, but now that Athena is dead and no one knows about the book, could June have been handed a goldmine?

Thus kicks off June’s journey and oh, what a journey it is. She does several rewrites on the manuscript – cutting some things, fleshing other things out and before you know it she has a deal and it’s off to bestseller and famous author land. But someone doesn’t believe June wrote the book and now June is like a cat covering shit, doing everything she can to ensure her dirty little secret never gets out. Along the way she battles with embittered bloggers and journalists and endures a hailstorm of criticism on social media.

What I loved so much about this book is that we, the reader, know that everything June did was wrong, but at the same time, I didn’t want her to get caught. While I didn’t agree with what she did, I could totally understand how she was able to justify her heinous actions. Don’t we all do that in some way? I think if we get backed into a corner we can justify almost anything. If she were to admit to what she did, her entire reputation and her livelihood would literally disappear. How does one move on from that? How can you exist?

Let me just say again – what she did was wrong – but I understand why she was so desperate to ensure the truth never came out. The author did a great job with this one. The plot is tight and a little twisted and June – while not a good person – is written in a way that you can still have a little empathy for her. I enjoyed the wild ride that ensued and I got through this one quickly.