It has been quite awhile since a book hooked me and wouldn't let me go like this one did. It was a book I wanted to race through and yet I so didn't want it to end. I was mesmerized and captivated and in absolute book heaven and I loved it!

I adored each tense moment, each misunderstanding, each event that all led up to that one moment that made me gasp, and yet as a mother I could completely understand and sympathize. It was simply brilliant watching it all unfold and wondering how it could possibly end in any satisfactory way. What a supreme ride!

I highly recommend this one to lovers of psychological and domestic suspense. This one was expertly written, with so many twists and turns and yet so real as to be completely believable. Absolutely, this will be one of my favorite books of the year! Brilliant!

As this is a faster,I waited to read more,will be looking out for the final version

I can easily see why they say if you’re a fan of Paula Hawkins you should check out Michelle Frances as she has a very similar ability to create a psychological thriller that is unique and pulse racing.

Her fast pace and captivating plot line will have you glad you plunged into this relationship drama that will feel like a breath of fresh air if you’re a thriller addict who feels like they’ve begun to read the same thing on repeat just with a different author’s name on the cover.

The thrill of anticipation will overtake you as you need to know who things are going to work out between Daniel, his girlfriend Cherry who isn’t what she seems and Laura who is Daniel’s mother in deep need of therapy to work out the unhealthy kinks in their mother/son dynamic.

It was making me have flashbacks to my own life. What is it about the mother of sons and the girlfriend? No wonder this theme is used so often – it’s ripe for mayhem and Frances does a great job making it work.

Laura is the mother who dotes on her son Daniel and would do anything for him. Cherry is the girlfriend (from a completely different social sphere) who Laura wants to love, but fears that she is a gold digger and only out for one thing.

Initially Laura's fears seemed somewhat justified, certainly her over protective nature seemed explained. Her first child died whilst still a baby, her husband is distant and has been in a long term affair for years, and she has always harboured a secret desire that Daniel would marry the daughter of her best friend. Cherry is from a completely different background, and it seems that she has taken advantage of Daniel's generous nature. When Laura confronts Cherry about her fears Cherry's actions suggest that Laura is correct.

The middle section of the book was completely unexpected and very different to anything I had read before (which is a pleasant change in this particular genre). Laura does something awful on the spur of the moment and at an extremely pressurised time. However, instead of trying to rectify the situation she reveals herself to be an equal adversary to Cherry and sets in motion a series of events designed to remove Cherry from Daniel's life forever.

When Cherry discovers Laura's deception she swears vengeance. The final third of the book is all out war between the pair.

This is a story of two manipulative and thoroughly dislikable women both fighting for the love of Daniel (who never really emerges from the pages as a fully formed character, he is quite bland and really only acts as a foil to the two females protagonists), sinking to new lows that really made me recoil. If Daniel had been than a quickly drawn cliche (rich, single, "nice" doctor) the book might have felt more than a hideous game of tit for tat. Instead, by the final third of the book I was looking forward to the conclusion. There were no winners in this book, and honestly, it didn't matter to me who "won" Daniel at the end.

There were hints to Cherry's back story and a character called Neil (? I think this was his name) that suggested there was an intriguing reason for her mercenary nature, but frustratingly this was never explored. Equally there was little to explain Laura's snobbery. This made the characters less nuanced that I would have liked for the book to be really classed as a thriller.

Thanks go to the publishers and net galley for the first 100 pages for review, that then prompted me to buy the book to see what happened.

I am devastated that this was just an excerpt, can't wait to find out what happens between these two women.

I was gifted the first 100 pages of this book by the publisher.

Whilst it was enjoyable I didn't really warm to either of the lead female characters and found Daniel a little "foppish"... interesting and intriguing but hard to give a higher score without having read the whole story...

WOW! I need the rest of the book now!!! What a start to a fantastic book these first 100 pages are! I can not wait until I can read the rest!!! I received an ARC of this book from the Great Thought's Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.

Frances gets one star for writing the book. Not many people can do that and it is not for the faint-hearted. However, I don’t know what the plot is, nor could I build a picture about her characters in my mind. The book if re-written could develop into a good plot and the characters could become more interesting but only if Frances went deeper into the story.

The book is an age-old story of a wealthy boy meeting a girl who is not of the same social standing. He loves her though and it seems he does not care that his mother doesn’t approve. Good for him. Grow his character a bit more.

The mother at the beginning of the book is very ill it seems, but that plot doesn’t grow at all. It definitely could.

The girlfriend’s character too could be juicier or have some bite. But there is none.

My advice is to persevere with writing because the attempt will develop into something worth biting into with more gusto and vibrancy.

BonnieK

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

I didn't realize this was only the first 100 pages! I'll wait until I can read the whole book, I just know I'll love it.

I didn't start it because it is only the first 100 pages

An engrossing and intriguing read. I really devoured the book and loved Frances's prose.

Disappointing really as felt book was only half written

Received only a sample of this book. Enjoyed the story up until sample ended so can't comment on actual ending. Kept me engaged and I hope to eventually finish the book one day!! Will provide full review on Goodreads once I've read the whole story.

A chilling, thrilling ride. This book was hard to put down!

A fast-paced, gripping book, full of suspense. This was a quick read so far.

This is a psychological British thriller that has two strong women characters that I didn't like. Daniel brings his girlfriend Cherry home to meet his mother Laura. Both these women are shifty with their own agenda at the forefront. Poor Daniel is left clueless.

This is all about a poor girl trying to do well in who she chooses to spend her life with, snd how far she can put herself into the world of money and the freedom it brings.
Cherrie finds Daniel and ingrains herself into his head and family vacation to France.
The story ended abruptly and if it continued would be good to see where else the story goes.

I changed several times in this book about who I felt sorry for and who I was rooting for. Poor Daniel in the middle never had a chance! I enjoyed the book and it was one of those where I wanted to get to the end to find out what had happened but didn't want it to finish as I was enjoying it!

"The Girlfriend" is novel that deals with the generally complicated relationship between the mother of an only son and his girlfriend. Laura is an overprotective mother who has it all mapped out and planned for her son, Daniel. But Cherry, Daniel's new girlfriend was not part of Laura's plan. He seems head-over-heels smitten by her and slowly starts withdrawing from Laura. Cherry is silent, mysterious and secretive. In a quest to understand Cherry better, Laura digs up some unexpected things and now she can't stop thinking about whether Cherry is what she says she is. A wonderful read, filled with page-gripping suspense and an amazing plot.

Excellent story! This book takes the age old story of girl meets boy and turns it completely into something new. Set in London and the surrounding area, this story gives a peek into the elite world and those who are trying so hard to make a new start in it. A thriller without being over the top explicit, this book has just the right amount of spice to keep things interesting!