Review: The Jills by Karen Parkman

The Jills by Karen Parkman

Blurb from Goodreads:

Virginia is a Jill—a cheerleader for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills—living the life of her she spends her weekdays practicing, her weekends cheering, and her nights hopping between bars and clubs with her teammates, including the fearless, charismatic Jeanine, whose friendship has given Virginia confidence in spades and helped her forget her troubled past with her estranged sister, Laura.

One Sunday, Jeanine fails to show up for a game, and calls and texts to her go unanswered. Virginia embarks on an investigation into Jeanine’s disappearance, aided by a network of Jills, ex-boyfriends, seedy fixtures of Buffalo’s criminal underground, and unexpected figures from her past. But as her search grows increasingly dangerous and spirals into obsession, disturbing questions about who Jeanine really was begin to emerge.

Soon, Virginia finds herself wondering how well she knew her best friend, if she can trust the people she thought were protecting her, and whether—when trying to save the ones she loves most—she’s capable of saving herself, too.

Part bingeable mystery, part character-driven tale of a woman discovering her own strength in a system built by and for men, The Jills is a page-turning novel that brims with wit and heart while reminding us of the healing power of sisterhood.

My Review:

 

This was WAY way too long and convoluted.  The author kept trying to throw in surprises/shocks but just ended up muddling the plot.  All of the characters were pure shells and I was so bored.  Hope you have better luck!

The Jills comes out next week on February 10, 2026, and you can purchase HERE.  

My whole life, I'd equated dance practice with safety. Practice was where I got to be with Laura, protected by the noise and warmth of other bodies, surrounded by laughter and touch, the snap of a pulled leotard and the jab of bobby pins reminding me that I was alive, I had a body. Practice gathered everyone up and held them close. And yet it was also the place where you were forced to go on when everyone wasn't safe, and wasn't there, because there was a job to do, a show to run, and the show was bigger than any one of us.