I feel perhaps I'm not the correct reader demographic for this book, so it's somewhat unfair for me to give it two stars and moan about it. In my defence, I asked for this book from NetGalley based on its description of being a psychological thriller, and it was neither.

On the whole, the story was fine -- four couples and how their lives intertwine -- and the writing good enough to keep me going, even though I wasn't particularly engrossed in the storyline. There was a twist of a sort in the end, but it wasn't terribly surprising. What I didn't like was what seemed (to me) to be a certain judgement about the choices women made and they were all punished when they were non-traditional -- Olivia being very certain that she didn't want another baby and give another five years of her life, but having to have one anyway (and miraculously, suddenly being happy about it); and Helen being depicted as stand-offish and her professional ambitions shown in a negative light (she too doesn't get to go on the prestigious secondment that her husband and son resent her for, since it turned out she was given the job not for her abilities, but other reasons).

(Review copy from NetGalley)

So this book is basically about the friendships between 4 couples, and the secrets and lies that go in between! They’re all quite happy been friend however would also stab you in the back whilst hugging you (those kinds of friends lol).....

I really liked this book to be honest I bought it was fascinating in parts watching how they interacted with one another yet all holding their own dark secrets inside!....I hated every one of them yet loved reading about them at the same time. The book covers a lot of issues such as self harming, heavy drinking and abuse in a very sensitive manner. It’s plenty of twists to keep you going and the lies and deceit come in droves! I found it a fascinating read and thought it hard to believe it’s her first book as it really was a fantastic read. I can’t wait to read more from her.

was a little disappointed with this, but only because of the way it’s marketed. It’s not really a psychological thriller. It is a decent story, with lots of twists and turns and believable characters

Beneath the Skin, the debut novel by Caroline England.
Rating **** 4/5
Overall a well written novel with many interesting and solid though flawed characters; each with their own demons. Well thought out plots, with great insight into how different problems and personalities affect those around us. Very much following the “ripple effect”of throwing a stone into a pond and see how it effectively spans out over a much wider area. A word, an action casually put out but oh so impacting on others.
It was more of a Psychological Drama than thriller but nevertheless a good read. I am sure we will seeing more of Caroline England in the near future.
I have given an honest an unbiased review and thank NetGalley, Harper Collins and Caroline England for giving me the opportunity to read Beneath the Skin.

Very fast paced and very intriguing. I enjoyed how it kept me hooked and it was an original story. Nowadays so many books read the same. Highly recommend. I just adore this author

4☆ Gripping read

Beneath the skin is a book about the behaviour of a group of friends , four couples  How they relate to each other, How they come across as best friends but are willing to stab each other in the back to protect themselves. Its about betrayal, secrets, lies, family, friendship, abuse.

I just want to mention that this book is more of a psychological drama than a thriller. But don't let that put you off it still weaves a fab story of twists and turns to keep you on your toes!

This is Caroline's debut novel and I think she done a really good job!
The characters were well thought out. I didn't like any of them. But i think that was the point. They are mostly conceited and self obsessed.
Hats off to Caroline for writing about alcoholism, self harming, deceit with sensitivity but enough punch to make an impact.

Beneath the skin is a slower paced read. There are many twists and turns and characters that you really do need time to process all the writing so you can fully immerse yourself into the story.
Don't give up on the amount of characters? Yes it is a lil confusing but they do eventually all click into place.
It's most definitely a character driven. So take your time to absorb.

Overall a great read, that I would recommend if you have plenty of time on your hands, as this is one you need sink in, if your looking for a psychological drama with enough twists to keep you reading more! If your looking for a book that has complex characters, full of drama and intrigue! Then this is the read for you!

This book sets off on the wrong path with a totally misleading blurb and tagline.... this is NOT a 'dark psychological thriller' and if you are expecting this then you will be disappointed.

The story has all the elements of a great book however nothing seems to come together properly - the focus is on 3 couples and their complex relationships with each other and their own Partners. The problem is most of these characters are just really not very nice or particularly interesting. What saves the book is Olivia and her shocking, heartbreaking story.

The majority of this book is painfully SLOW which makes it a difficult read.

Reading a debut novel is always like going into the unknown, unsure whether the author’s writing style will be one that you enjoy for a start. But Beneath The Skin appealed to me, the blurb, the cover and the publisher, so in I went.

Beneath The Skin focuses on the relationships of four couples who are all linked together. At first, I wasn’t so sure as I struggled with keeping up with all the different characters that were introduced to us, especially as some of them had a present and past to keep up with. But what that did was make me focus on what I was reading, and that was only a good thing. This is not a book to skim read as everything is linked together and nothing is told to us for no reason, and as the story progresses you will be pleased that you took notice.

I have to admit that I didn’t like many of the characters in Beneath The Skin, but that isn’t a bad thing. Some were mildly unlikeable and others were downright detestable. The worst was probably Sophie, a self-obsessed alcoholic who is keeping secrets from her husband Sami, who also happens to be keeping secrets from her. Her supposedly best friend is Antonia, who Sophie uses and abuses, but they have known each other since childhood and their relationship is complicated, they are both keeping secrets for the other. Antonia is married to David, we know something isn’t right with Antonia thanks to her weekly self-harm session while David is at the pub with his friends. But David is hiding something too, he is worried about something being found out by others, but what is it that he has done?

David’s best friend is Charlie, a likeable fellow who is married to the truly awful Helen. Their son, Rupert, is almost a stranger to them both, he attends the same boarding school that Charlie and David went to in their youth. Little do they know that events are going to change all of their lives forever, but will it be for the better?

Which leaves Mike and Olivia, seemly the most functional of the bunch, or so it seems…

I really loved reading about all of them and the tales of deceit, cheating and coming together. Caroline England weaves a wonderful tale that, once you get into it, is enthralling. The fact that she is a debut author makes it all the more impressive, and I am very excited to see what England does next.

This is a deep and twisted book that I’m sure I will be thinking of for a long time to come. One thing that I will say though, is that it made me very grateful to be single!!

What a complex set of characters in this book. I was intrigued by them and curious to find out more. The incidents that happen are totally unexpected and take your breath away. I’d love a sequel to tie up all the loose ends nicely but I guess life’s not like that.

This is a excellent book but more of a drama than a psychological thriller. You are introduced to four couples who have a history and are trying to decided their future.
Antonia seems to have the perfect life with David but she self harms. Sophie seems to be married to the perfect man, Sami, but she seems to like a drink to. All Olivia wants is to be happy with Mike but she is hiding a secret that could affect all of them.
Charlie and Helen are the backbone of the group.
When tragedy strikes and the secrets are revealed will the couples stay together or fall apart, and will individuals become stronger?
I thought this was excellently written and I soon found myself taking sides within the relationships. I would read this author again.
Thanks to NetGalley, Avon and Caroline England for a ARC in return for a honest review.

Beneath The Skin
By Caroline England


A exceptional read ,with a interesting storyline. Full of twist and turns, this novel has excellent connections between protagonists.

4 stars
I received this ARC through Netgalley for a honest review.

I want to start by saying that I think this book was slightly misleading only because I don’t believe it was marketed correctly, which is unfortunate. It’s billed as a psychological thriller and while I can definitely agree with the psychological aspect it’s not a true thriller by any means. It’s more of a character driven psychological drama with some unexpected developments. Despite having to adjust my expectations once I really got started with this one, I did enjoy it but I just wanted to clear that up for any future readers!

This follows four different couples who all have ties to each other and the story goes back and forth between all of them, weaving in and out rather seamlessly. You have Antonia and David, Sami and Sophie, Charlie and Helen and Olivia and Mike and you’ll like some of them and loathe others, which I always think is entertaining. They were all extremely well crafted, the characterization is really the base of this book and what makes it really good. They have tangled pasts and are harboring their own secrets making for a dark, unpredictable tale.

England is a really talented writer, she has a beautiful writing style with prose that flows and holds your attention. This has super slow building tension that gradually builds up, it’s structured into three parts and once the second part starts things get more intense than they were previously. There were some loose threads in the end that did leave me wanting a bit more, but overall I was pretty satisfied. I would recommend picking this up if you need a break from a typical psychological thriller, I’ve heard this described as a domestic noir and I think that is an apt and fitting label.

Not gripping enough fir me I’m afraid but well written.

I loved this book and feel that it was a great insight into what could be happening 'behind closed doors' in any town or village. It is about four couples who have a loosely based friendship but who knows what really goes on in someones life. These couples have their own secrets and it is interesting reading into their lives. I was a little overwhelmed with so many characters at first but then it seemed to all fall into place and I had met all the couples and some of their back stories before I knew it and had totally become absorbed into their world. I can't say I related to any of them in particular as they all have their own quirks and ways of dealing with stressful situations which they constantly find themselves in. There is the one who likes to drink too much and the one who self harms and then there's the adulterer and, well you will have to read and see but they all make up a normal'ish group but deep down we find out their deep secrets!. I loved the many red herrings in the book and yet I loved the way it came together and the ending caught me off guard.
Thanks to TBCon Facebook for recommending this book.= a very easy 5*.

I have to be honest and say from the outset that this book did not turn out as I had expected and I mean that in a very positive way. It is worth a read but took me a while with other books in between

Oh what a tangled web we weave, springs to mind. Modern people whos lives are entwined in various ways. Brilliantly observed, and written. Can't wait to read more from this Author as a very clever readable first novel.

This story delivered a great deal more than I expected and is a stunning debut novel. It's intense and demanding in parts. I was anticipating a thriller, but it turned into a complex psychological drama played out between four couples. On the surface, the friendships and relationships are fine, but peel away the layers and what's exposed are dysfunctional and flawed individuals, with secrets and lies, and truth hidden by subterfuge and deceit.

The reader is drip fed information as the narrative switches between characters and the past and present. It's a twisted tale, with a significant focus on the friendship, formed in childhood, between Antonia and Sophia. I found one of them manipulative, egocentric and demanding and not very likeable, but that didn't detract from the story.

It's not easy to explain the story without giving too much away, so suffice to say that Caroline England is certainly an author to watch. Beneath the Skin is character driven, a convincing exploration of the real nature of people and relationships and I was engrossed from start to finish. My thanks to Avon for a review copy via Netgalley.

Once again another tricky book to review as the blurb led me to expect one thing but i got another. The thriller aspect of this psychological thriller was missing. I felt that i was waiting for something big to happen throughout and was disappointed.

This book truly deserves its 5 stars. How much can you trust your friends? How man lies do people cover up? This book is about 3 couples, Sophie and Sami, Toni and David and Olivia and Mike. They are all telling lies and all keeping secrets. The truth comes out but by bit. More lies are revealed and more is told about each character. I laughed, I cried and I got totally caught up in the world of these characters. A very cleverly written book which is definitely worth reading.

I enjoyed reading this book. From the start I was drawn in by the characters. The story centred around three couples, each having their own issues, which started to impact on each other. It sounds pedestrian when described thus, but it was anything but. I was happy that conclusions were drawn together in the end, as so many modern books, leave you wanting, but not in a good way.