I received this novel as an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I started this book without having any expectations. I certainly wasn’t expecting to feel as stunned as I do. This book…. it truly deserves to be called a psychological thriller. There were so many twists that I thought my head would spin! Here’s my review:
Nellie can’t talk about the night that changed her life forever, the night that has caused her to always be vigilant and never be able to feel safe. But after meeting Robert, Nellie thinks she might have finally found her haven. When Robert is with her, she can finally sleep easy at night. And Robert is a real life Prince Charming. He has impeccable manners, is caring and loving towards her, and makes her happy. But just as things are beginning to look up for her, Nellie begins to receive anonymous phone calls. Sometimes, it feels like she is being followed. Even though Robert tells her not to worry, Nellie can’t shake the feeling that there is someone out to get her…
Vanessa is living at her aunt’s house but she is never truly at rest. All she can think about is Robert and her replacement. Everything that she once had with Robert is now gone. All she wanted was to be a good wife to him… and now, she can’t stop obsessing over him.
It’s easy to make assumptions. Assume nothing.
I’ll admit that when I started reading this book, I made some assumptions right off the bat. Boy, was I wrong! The authors really meant it when they said “Assume nothing”!
The first part of the story was interesting and told from alternating perspectives: Nellie’s and Vanessa’s. However, by the time I reached Part 2, I received my first big twist. Everything I had assumed in the beginning went out the window. The story began to go through different points in time, with one part talking about the past and the other talking about the present. It made the story extremely interesting, but it also meant that the reader has to do more work. And I loved it. I loved that this book caught me off guard and made me work for it. I wish I could speak more freely about this novel but if I did, I would definitely ruin the thrill factor. Just know that it is very important to read carefully and keep all of the different characters in mind!
I thought the writing style was really great. Considering that 2 authors wrote this book together, it flowed seamlessly. There was just enough detail delivered, and the dialogue was spot-on. I really liked how the authors wrote the different perspectives and how they flowed from one time point to the other. The story was easy to read, and compelling enough to keep me reading until the last page!
I liked the way the story was resolved but there was a final twist added in that I think wasn’t really necessary. Yes, it made sense but it wasn’t really necessary, especially not after this wonderfully dark and complex story that was unfolding. However, this didn’t really affect my overall feelings about this novel.
To sum it all up: this was a very well executed thriller that did not hold back the punches! It has plenty of twists that are actually shocking, and I really enjoyed reading this complex and dark story! I’m giving it 4.5/5 stars, rounded to 5!
Happy reading ~