The definition of a slow burn that catches your interest right away. I enjoyed the female on female rivalry from two unlikeable characters that made this story so contentious. I wasn't expecting all the twists and turns in the story and I appreciate that from such a saturated market. The characters are fully fleshed out which makes for such a lovely reading experience.

I loved this book! Thank you for the ARC. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that I wasn’t leaving reviews on netgalley and was solely sharing on Instagram. My apologies. Huge fan of this author! I actually received the tangible copy. Trying to clean up my netgally account.

Advanced Reader copy - Enjoyed this book, really opened my eyes and made me seek out other similar books to read.

At first I’m like what type of book am I reading that has a rose as the cover. But once I started I had to finish. Each character plays an important role in the story. If you are a fan of psychological thrillers you found the right book.

Thanks so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for giving me access to this book. Great book! This book is right on the mark for a psychological thriller. The characters are not very likable but you want to see where they end up. I will be recommending this book. Thanks again for letting have a chance to read it.

This was such a good thriller! I loved that the characters were so well developed. It started off a bit slow, and was a bit longer that it needed to be, But overall I really liked it!

I did not enjoy a lot about this book. It honestly was a bit predictable for me and just overall upsetting in many ways. Both Laura and Cherry were not good people, obviously Cherry was bat shit crazy but Laura was not blameless and I thought her attitude about her son's relationship at first was oddly overprotective. I also thought it was a little unrealistic for Daniel to be so oblivious about listening to his mother. I had trouble even getting through this one - there were a couple good plot twists but I didn't enjoy it overall.

Cherry is beautiful and friendly. She is also one who wants to better herself by finding a rich husband. She thinks she has found him in Daniel Cavendish. He is a trust fund baby with well to do parents and is training to be a doctor. All seems to be well, until she meets Laura, his mother. Laura sees right through Cherry and although she wants her son to be happy, she does not trust Cherry to have his best interests at heart. When Daniel and Cherry go on a rafting trip, Daniel ends up in a coma for several months. Cherry goes off on a vacation and when she returns, Laura makes a decision that will cause both of their lives to change.

I raced through this one, only to find out what was going to happen to these two lying women. I really enjoyed the suspense in this one. I didn't like either Cherry or Laura. They were both very selfish as far as I was concerned, and I think the decisions they made caused them both to get what they deserved. As the tension ratchets up, I found myself wishing that Daniel would kick both of them out of his life. This is a psychological thriller showing what happens when you lie, an unbelievable lie, then have to deal with the fallout. It is also the story of a vengeful woman who will do whatever it takes to get back at someone who has wronged her. If you enjoy a psychological thriller with characters that are not very likable, then this one is definitely for you.

This story is so insane but I loved it! Who would have thought that the turn of events was mind-blowing?

Laura works as a TV producer, has a well of life, a loving son. While Cherry is a real-estate agent trainee that secretly loves Laura’s life.

It revolves around a mom whose overprotective of her son–Daniel. At first, we will emphasize more to the Girlfriend. When Laura found out everything about Cherry, she told her son not directly that she’s a gold digger. But as soon as it envelops, it will leave us why Laura has to do it– for the sake of her son.

I know it’s not Cherry’s fault to end up with Daniel. But sometimes, it leads us to think that whether that said behavior will blame her mother for not guiding her through her life or herself for thinking revenge is the answer to heal her from the past. And because of this, Daniel is caught up in the middle.

Still, I loved this book. It is written in a 3rd person and I actually had fun seeing a glimpse of working in the TV industry.

THE CASTING DIRECTOR IN ME.

Since establishing Reviews by Cat Ellington earlier this year, I often commune, and agreeably so, with many published authors—by way of email—who almost always inquire of me concerning my profession as a casting director of feature films, and if the nature of that position ever arouses me to muse over what actor or actress I would consider casting to portray the characters of any novel I may be reading. And my answer to these incredible men and women is always the same: Yes.

I do it every time. I always imagine which performer I would bring in to read for certain characters in a novel - in the event I was commissioned to oversee the casting process on a film project adapted from a literary work of fiction. In fact, I take great pleasure in such musings. And it was no different as I sat enveloped in the juicy psychological thriller that is The Girlfriend.

With regard to the imminent anecdote, I should inform you that by the time I reached the second chapter, the creative wheels were already spinning in my mind. And I do mean spinning. All I could think was DARO . . . Shadowland . . . MarVista . . . LMN . . .
My creative mind willed one of my favorite indie production companies to bespeck the rights to The Girlfriend for the motivation of a made-for-TV movie to premiere on LMN, one of my favorite networks, by the way, as LMN would be the perfect platform on which to feature such a dramatic suspense film. Yes, the creative wheels were already spinning in my mind . . .

Which brings me to my point.

Most times, readers and reviewers tend to dollop much emphasis on a story's main protagonist. And that's perfectly fine, what considering that the main protagonist is the chief cornerstone of the narrative. But there are also times when the antagonist is just so much of a standout that one can't help but take note. And in the case of The Girlfriend, we have ourselves an antagonist who has the ability to rival our protagonist, even literally. Her name is Cherry Laine. And were this novel a feature film adaptation in pre production, and I received a bid to provide my casting services, there is only one actress, in particular, whom I would court to read for the part of Cherry Laine: Kate Mansi. Kate Mansi would do Cherry Laine tremendous justice in a motion picture modification. Because Kate is an actress who has both the look and just the right amount of range to portray the fictitious Cherry. If truth be told, Kate Mansi would kill it! She, Mansi, would go straight within, to the core of the spirit, and turn Cherry inside out. Indeed, Kate Mansi, if she were cast to portray Cherry Laine in a film adaptation of this tale, would fearlessly reveal that which lies beneath the physical exterior: unadulterated turmoil.

GETTING ON WITH IT.

In this engrossing work of fast-paced suspense, the setting is London's posh South Kensington. And it is here that we come to meet our leading lady, Laura, a career woman who is well-heeled, highly profiled, and immensely successful. While Laura does quite well in her professional life, her personal life is suffering. And her marriage to the equally wealthy Howard is on the brink of collapse.

Alone, but not alone, Laura is terrifically needy towards her adult son, Daniel, a cardiology major at university. Mother and son share an unbreakable bond, which began when Daniel had been a small child. And the two kindred spirits are not keen on the idea of anyone coming between them, including the wife-and-child-neglecting Howard, who resents being shut out from Laura and Daniel's special attachment. The two attractive—and statuesque—Nordic lookalikes are having a great time as mother and son while Daniel is spending some time at home away from school. And all is well in their flawless world of opulence until Daniel decides that it's time for him to leave the nest and acquire his own mortgage.

Enter Cherry Laine, a beautiful real estate agent and "commoner" from the less affluent side of the Northern line tracks. Here, "less affluent" should be applied liberally. Cherry just wants to belong, to fit in, to conform. But the status quo simply won't open its exclusive arms to embrace her. And neither will the rich and wealthy: for Cherry will never be accepted by the so-called 1%.
Troublesome thoughts plague her mind: They will never regard her as an equal, the snobbish cows! They will ALWAYS remind her of her urchin roots, and of her pitiful existence, and of the impoverished stench that, no matter what she achieves, still clings to her chromosome. Cherry is full of self-hatred and low self-esteem as a result of such thoughts; nevertheless, the thoughts go on troubling her carnal mind: Cherry Laine, you show them all, including that rich, uppity wench, Laura, your new boyfriend Daniel's precious mother. You show them all!

Such troublesome thoughts of negativity plague Cherry's mind on a daily basis. And lurking in the depths of her soul is an imperial loathing of the rich.

INTERNATIONAL MADNESS.

From the exquisite residences of South Kensington to the exotic and spectacular grandeur of Saint-Tropez, Michelle Frances whisks her readers away on a whirlwind of emotions, those of which include maddening anxiety. There is much anxiety with which to contend on the pages of this well-written psychological thriller. And the reader is sure to feel its pull on their nerves, as if they’re right there tangled in the middle of each character’s troubled life.

Daniel becomes smitten with Cherry after the two meet in Cherry's real estate office. Daniel needs an agent to assist him in his search to find a sizable bachelor flat in an upscale district. In due time, the two begin a passionate love affair, which will extend far and wide. The infatuated Daniel soon invites Cherry to his parents' home in South Kensington for dinner, and then on holiday with both himself and Laura (minus his father, Howard) to Saint-Tropez where the family owns a stunning seaside villa. But as things go, Daniel, in his privileged naiveté, fails to detect the warning signs of the growing tension and resentment beginning to build in Cherry towards Laura. And it only grows worse. The lonely Laura tries to append with Cherry and to make Cherry feel welcome, but shortly concludes that her many efforts are fruitless. The more Laura tries, the more Cherry resents both her and her prosperous lifestyle. Laura is fighting a losing battle, it seems, as the tension between the two women is so thick, she can cut it with a steak knife. And if Laura knows nothing else, she certainly knows this: there is only room for ONE woman in her precious son’s life. So which one of them will it be? Herself or the young and beautiful Cherry Laine?

Let the bitter rivalry begin.

COMING SOON: THE CONCLUSION.

The Girlfriend was granted to me by the novel's publisher as only a 100 page excerpt for a limited time. And it is with a certainty that I look forward to completing the full novel when the publisher makes it available—by way of NetGalley—to the service's members. The Girlfriend is a work of remarkably compelling noir fiction, and I am so honored to have had my wish granted in the matter of receiving the extract.

Upon my full completion of this title, I will re-post a more comprehensive review of it, including some additional commentary that I'd composed and attached to the uncut review's cessation. Thank you kindly, Ms. Michelle Frances. Your gift of wisdom in writing is wholly admirable.

Five snobbish stars.

Reviewer’s Commentary:

In life, one will inevitably encounter individuals who will strive to erase the memory of whatever meager past they had issued to them. And the author of The Girlfriend does a great job of shedding light on what happens to those who emerge from humble beginnings - only to desperately seek to infuse themselves into the social status heights of society. They conform themselves, shamelessly, and beg to be "made over" because they hate not only themselves but also their past impoverishment. Such persons never want to be exposed, and they work hard to conceal themselves behind untrue façades: for such individuals—like the fictitious Cherry Laine—lead lying lives. On their paths to becoming great proverbs, they walk about so fearful of being judged by others or reminded that they were formerly poor, that the terror consumes them whole.

Such individuals are desperate to be validated by the people in the world. And they're so eager to conform to the doctrines of the world, that when they do not receive the approval that they so desperately covet, the perceived rejection eventually encourages them to snap like twigs. Because such persons dread being judged by others, especially by those of a higher financial status, they work hard to put on false airs, which in turn leads to low self-esteem, self-hatred, emotional dependency, and neediness towards other people.

In closing, I will share this wisdom: Faith is a beautiful thing; confidence is also a beautiful thing; hope is gorgeous, and self-love is divine. For it is not the place from which you hail, but rather the destination of your mind.

—Cat Ellington

This book was a thriller from the beginning till the end.
I noticed I hadn't done a review here on netgalley and now I have to read it all again as this was really good.
Waiting to see more of Michelle writing.

Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will enjoy.

It's okay guys, the cat does not die.

This was incredibly pacy and compelling, though I was extraordinarily shocked with the twist at 81%. Was it really necessary?!

This domestic thriller was interesting, but I wasn't hooked. I kind of guessed the secrets and the ending at the beginning. It was a good quick read, but it wasn't something that I was hooked and had to keep reading. I lost interest every so often.

Readers who enjoy relationship dynamics, especially between female characters, will enjoy this one. Having narrowly escaped a relationship in which my would-be mother-in-law was extremely overbearing, I expected to feel nothing but dislike for Laura, but that wasn't the case. I disliked both Laura and Cherry, but could also find moments during which they could each be sympathetic characters. Good read!

The Girlfriend is riddled with psychological thriller tropes and anyone with half a brain could see the ending from a mile off. But I happen to enjoy those tropes, it was brilliantly written, the characterization and tension were great, and I was rooting for the protagonist (Laura) the whole way through. I could barely put it down once I started reading, and that's rare for me.

4*

Same review posted to amazon, awaiting verification.

More of a family drama than a thriller but the story was interesting and it definitely kept my interest throughout. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

This is a great story about a young man who finds a girlfriend he adores. Unfortunately, his mother does not care for her. This is a battle between two strong women and the man caught between them.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to preview this ARC of The Girlfriend by Michelle Frances.

Laura might not have the best relationship with her husband, who is openly cheating on her, but she does have a good relationship with her grown son Daniel. So she is thrilled to find that Daniel is completely smitten with a girl he met while house hunting. Cherry is a bright and ambitious girl who is eager to see her new relationship with Daniel work out.

But it doesn't take long before Laura begins to feel uneasy about Cherry. Red flags like, borrowing Daniel's care, lying about work in order to prolong her stay in France, and watching Daniel buy her an exorbitant amount of clothes. Not to mention that despite Laura's best efforts, Cherry will not warm up to her, and does things to undermine Laura. Not wanting to rock the boat, Laura bites her tongue, but everything comes to a head after Daniel suffers a traumatic accident. Laura tells a lie that will catch up to her in the scariest way.

I think what surprised me most about this book was how nuanced the characters were. Usually in books like this at least one character is completely bad/evil/sociopathic. In this one, while some characters were less good than others, I actually sympathized with everyone at some point. Unexpected yet I really enjoyed it, definitely more true to life.

How far will a mother go to protect her only child? This theme appears in many books but you will never see all the twists and turns this one takes. Laura Cavendish's son, a medical student lives with her but wants to move out. Laura is worried about the changes that will occur with his moves and those worries increase when she meets Cherry, the new girlfriend. Cherry is after a way to escape her way out of poverty and what better way than to marry a doctor. Laura discovers Cherry's lies and how she has manipulated the relationship to cause a problem with the mother son bond. Laura feels she needs to get rid of Cherry, but Cherry is not going to go easily.