A girl like us

McLoughlin, a pseudonym for YA author Anna Godbersen (the Luxe series), delivers an uneven thriller about a reality TV star who marries into a Murdoch-like family. Maya Miller ditches her dissolute reputation when she meets and falls for Colin Sterling, an heir to the powerful Sterling media empire. The pair quickly get married, but their Mexico honeymoon is interrupted by a summons to England, where Colin learns that his cousin, Arianna, who controls the family fortune, has been murdered. Like all the Sterling spouses, Maya is excluded from initial discussions about the fate of the funds--until the Sterlings learn that Arianna's will inexplicably leaves control of all assets to Maya. Shocked, Colin's parents and siblings struggle to find a way forward, while Maya tries to uncover the reason behind Arianna's bequest and guard certain secrets of her own. It's a tantalizing setup, but Maya's motivations grow increasingly nonsensical as the narrative wears on, and a series of late-stage revelations feel more like desperate hail Marys than well-motivated twists. There's a certain amount of fun to be had with the Sterling family's squabbling, but for the most part, this squanders its potential. Agent: Stephen Barbara, InkWell Management. (Feb.)

This title from "Luxe" series author Anna Godbersen, writing as McLoughlin, features reality TV star Maya Miller, a.k.a. "Miss Mayhem." Upon arriving home from her honeymoon, Maya and her new husband and baby daughter are rushed to his family's compound in England to deal with the ramifications of a murder. At first glance, Maya is nothing like the wealthy Sterling family into which she married. She grew up poor before finding fame and fortune--quite unlike the Sterlings, who come from a long line of wealth and luxury. Readers soon discover that Maya may actually fit right in with this morally questionable family. But while she may stretch the truth on occasion, at least she's always honest with herself. Readers will have fun peeling back the layers and delving into the different relationships among the characters, past and present. Readers who remember the early 2000s will enjoy the early-21st-century setting and references. VERDICT With its fast-paced intriguing prose, this story filled with complicated family dynamics à la Saltburn or Succession, coupled with the isolation of a Ruth Ware novel or Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, will appeal to mystery/thriller lovers.--Jenny Shonk