Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

“This is not a love story. This is a rom com gone rogue…”

Yep, as expected, this book was bloody GREAT. There was something so fresh and exciting about this one and I couldn’t get enough! I love a character with such depth and Sally was certainly one of them, her experiences in life lead her to help a group of women going through their own dangerous struggles with the awful men in their lives. One of the finest revenge thrillers I’ve come across! I am so thrilled to be sharing my review of When Sally Killed Harry!

About the book

Say hello to Sally. ​

This is the story of how I killed Harry Collins. Destined to be the great love of my life – until one day I wake up in the Big Apple with the world’s worst hangover, an empty bank account, and the sinking feeling that my life just nosedived. How it happened is a blur, but one thing is clear: I’ve been swindled and I’m not happy about it.​

​She’s the woman of your dreams.​

And it’s all thanks to Harry – a total dreamboat and a devil in disguise. He’s got charm, secrets, and a smile that screams trouble. Little did I know, Harry’s not just a pretty face – he’s a liar and conman.​

Or is she your worst nightmare?​

​When I discover I’m not the only victim, I decide it’s only right I take my revenge. And with a group of wronged women behind me, murder isn’t on the agenda yet because Harry’s in for a nightmare and I’m only just getting started…​

The beginning

After such a great prologue, I knew I would love this book from that moment on! I adored Lucy’s writing style and just how easy it was to get lost in. To me, the book read like a rom com; it was fun and quirky, and I loved how our main character, Sally, addressed the reader regularly. It really pulled me in. But there was also a dark edge which felt so unique to me – Sally was a murderer, to put it simply. She had killed one of her dates. We head back in time a little after learning of Sally’s dark side and start to learn more about who she is and where she is in life. Her failed attempts at dating, her hopes to still find that special someone who makes her feel good. He’s got to be out there, right? Sally’s flatmate, Priya, sets her a challenge; she gets one more chance with her dating app, and if her chosen guy doesn’t last for three dates, then she has to go out with Priya and her partner, Steve, to meet someone the old-fashioned way. In person. As she’s swiping, she finds Harry. He seemed to be everything she wanted. She was, very quickly, in love with this guy. What could go wrong? Well… everything, tbh.

“You’re probably wondering how I ended up killing Harry. Because I did kill Harry. Sweet, dangerous Harry.”

The more I read about Sally and her life, the more I loved the strong, confident woman she was. The taking-no-shit kind of woman. Someone who doesn’t always make the best decisions, nor does she always listen to others or take their advice. This type of character normally annoys me a bit, so why did I love Sally so much?! There really was something about her. The author has definitely made her one of those characters you can’t help but be drawn to. The flawed-but-fabulous kind of character. I also adored the When Harry Met Sally references (one of my fave rom com films, and obviously a big reason why I was desperate to read this!) There are some hints given to us about Sally’s past, some painful memories that we’re yet to understand about herself, her mother and what they experienced. And I had a feeling her past had an awful lot to do with how she was as a person, and how she was about to act… After a few great dates with Harry, the final one is the thing of nightmares. She quickly becomes full of pure feminist rage. She’s angry. I was bloody rooting for her!

The middle

Sally wakes up with her head throbbing. This was more than just a hangover. She’d been spiked. She’d had her money drained from her bank account. And Harry? Nowhere to be seen. He’s gone. Left. Blocked her number. Turns out our handsome Harry was nothing more than a dirty conman. Oh my god, I was livid for Sally! But her bubbling anger only fuels the fire and she soon has a plan in place to track him down. To get her revenge. I was fully invested in Sally’s search. I felt so involved in it, so desperate for karma to bite him on the arse. Aside from her search for Harry, Sally becomes so passionate about bringing down all the men who think they can tread all over women. Who think they can abuse them, belittle them, hurt them. She gathers a group of women who have been affected by the worst kind of man, and they set to work on making their lives a misery, including Harry’s… before Sally kills him. Yes, the themes at the core of the book are serious and horrific, but the author has made the revenge angle so deliciously satisfying and written in a way that makes you want to take a stand and call out all the crappy men. Pitchforks at the ready!

“What’s the point in just killing someone when you can enjoy making their life painful too?”

As plans are made and revenge begins on the awful men in their lives who have hurt them all in some way, we really see this wonderful, diverse group of women grow in confidence. I absolutely adored it. Revenge certainly is sweet for each of them, especially Sally! Her plan to mess with Harry was going well, and I loved following her as she dons multiple disguises to firstly find out who he really is, to nab his wallet, then to take back the money he stole. Each step these women took, the progress they made in getting their lives back on track, getting their dignity back, was so incredibly satisfying. It felt good, it felt like something to celebrate. I loved the sneaking around, the stealth. And who knew cherries were so deadly?! We learn more about these women, their backstories, their experiences, and all this really helped me to feel better acquainted with them. And boy had they been through a lot between them. They quickly felt like friends to me, and I loved each of their little (and big) wins. I just hoped they’d all manage to get out the other side without getting caught!

The end

Just as things feel like they’re going well, these women have some setbacks. Not only do one of these men, after being cleverly poisoned, end up pulling through, but Harry strikes again, with almost fatal consequences this time. They need to act fast to put him down. He’s still playing with her. Spending Sally’s money, albeit not stealing it this time. Right now, it was about control and there was no way Sally would let him be in control any longer, nor would she let him hurt anyone else. It was showtime. Aside from all this, I felt like a really powerful part of the book was diving deeper into Sally’s past. We learn some truths, the reasons for her disassociation, her trauma, PTSD. And it was really quite emotional at times, which I didn’t expect. Learning all this information about Sally had me even more determined to see these women succeed. After getting into contact with Harry, proving Sally had the evidence to bring him down, she asks him for a favour. How could he say no? I was really excited to see where the author took this ending and to see whether all these women get their revenge!

“…in reality, you find the loves of your life in the forms of other women. Women who have been where you have. Women who keep on keeping on. Women who hold each other up.”

One thing I found odd was that even though Harry had done all this to Sally, and others, she still strangely yearns for him. So what if he’s an attractive guy, if he had almost killed my friend and was a massive con artist, he would be last person I’d want to see! But Sally’s experience does kind of explain why she’d have weird thoughts like this, so I let it slide! Sally’s final plan was a good one, to get revenge for someone from her past even worse than Harry. We finally hear what happened on one life changing night in her past and my god I was horrified. Close to tears. But it just made what Sally had been planning all the more delicious. There’s a brilliant reveal at the end and chapters that make you wonder what life could be like for Sally after she’d got her revenge. The epilogue was a really stand out part of that ending though, and I just loved thinking about what happened after that moment! I loved this book so much and I was really sad to finish it, but I know now that I’d pick up anything Lucy writes after this. I had a ton of fun with Sally. What a bloody rollercoaster of a book!

Overall thoughts

When Sally Killed Harry is the most brilliant feminist revenge thriller you could imagine. It effortlessly blends some light rom com elements with those of a compelling psychological thriller to create a whole new genre for itself, and I absolutely adored it. It’s funny, it’s dark, it’s twisted, but you will be rooting for Sally from start to finish! Not only do we see a group of women get revenge on the men who have hurt them, the men who have abused them, but there’s also a darker layer in Sally’s character. The truth about her past was horrific and emotional. You’ll be laughing one minute, fiercely gripped the next and maybe tearing up a little after that! It’s a completely thrilling, clever and addictive read. Perfect for fans of Dexter!

HUGE thanks to the author, Lucy Roth, and the team at Avon Books for my proof copy! When Sally Killed Harry publishes on 27th March, and you can pre-order your copy right now on Amazon or wherever you buy your books. Make sure you’re following the author on Instagram, Bluesky and X/Twitter for more updates!

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