Here is another good one to start your year off. So far, so good, in the thriller category.

Laura Cavendish's beloved son Daniel has met the girl of his dreams. Cherry comes from a different part of England than the Cavendishes but that doesn't stop Laura from wanting to make her feel welcome. When she does meet Cherry, something does not sit quite right with her. When Daniel brings Cherry to their south of France villa, Laura uncovers some truths about Cherry that Daniel does not believe. Cherry is just not as sweet as she seems. She has set her sights on Daniel and no one is going to stop her.

Oh the machinations! These two women will do anything for Daniel and I mean anything! The writing kept me hooked from the get-go and the little bit at the end, the icing on the cake! I did not see that little juicy detail coming but maybe I should have. Very enjoyable read.

I liked this book but I didn't love it. The idea of the book is terrific. Laura an overprotective, devoted mother, Daniel a sweet, loving, good man and son, and Cherry a girl from a lower income single parent home looking to make a better life. I never liked Cherry and was surprised at Daniel's naivety. He was a doctor in training but so quick to believe his mother was lying from the start. Once the big lie happened Cherry was able to manipulate and worm her way right to where she wanted to be. I would like to read this author's next book because I feel she potential for an even better novel.

I received an ARC ebook from NetGalley and Kensington Books.

I wanted to like the book but both women were just so unreasonable that I found myself skipping ahead to the end. When I read the passage at the park with the puppies... I just had to put the book down and walk away. That scene just ruined everything for me and I have no desire to read further.

Personally, Daniel is whipped and both women deserve each other. People give mother in law's bad names but sometimes they are not 100% of the blame.

Makes me very glad I have a daughter.

It seems like I've run into a lot of not-so-thrilling "thrillers" lately, and this was another one. it started out well, and there were a lot of good psychological thriller components, but eventually it became really plodding. I think this book could have been 100-150 pages shorter. For me, there wasn't enough story to justify the length. And while I don't mind unlikable characters, to an extent, they need to be somewhat relatable, and in this case, both Laura and Cherry behaved so atrociously that I really didn't care which one of them won their battle for boring, cardboard-cutout Daniel by the end. I don't usually like to be quite so harsh in a review, but I really got bored of this one and was skimming by the end. Judging from other reviews, there are quite a lot of people who liked it, so it will work much better for some others than for me, but I would not personally recommend it.

This was just plain boring. Not original What so ever.

Addictive to the point that whilst on a two hour flight, I found myself wishing my flight was longer just so I could spend some more quality time with this gem.

I have mentioned before that I am very stingy with my 5 star ratings, only saving them for my absolute favourites and this one definitely fits into that category! When it grips you to the point that you can't help thinking about it and talking about it to all who will listen, then you know it's oh SO goooooooood!

I couldn't get enough of reading this masterpiece, yet at the same time I wanted to savour it, not wanting my entertainment to sadly come to an end. Oh, the dilemma! My curiosity would always get the better of me as I just had to find out how this would come to its conclusion.

Daniel is the ultimate catch - promising career as a doctor, wealthy upbringing yet still caring, considerate and down to earth.

Cherry is from the wrong side of the tracks and has made it her life's mission to right that misfortune, no matter what she has to do in order to get there .

When she meets Daniel, they quickly fall in love and Cherry's dreams are within reach. Until she meets Laura, Daniel's mom.

Laura has a very close ( almost too close) relationship with her son and she soon starts to question Cherry's motives for being with him.

And this my friends is where we are enthralled with a highly captivating, explosive fireworks display with one jaw dropping bang after the next, as evidence of what happens when you put a protective mama bear up against someone whose got nothing to loose and everything to gain. It is here we witness the shocking lies, scheming and manipulation by both women that had me dying to know how this would play out.

Exciting, clever, fresh, chilling, disturbing, nail biting...I could go on and on.

Congratulations to Michelle Frances on this fantastic read. I will definitely be on the lookout for more of the same from from this great author!

Needless to say this one is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

My thanks goes to the author, Kensington Books and Netgalley for an opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion. The pleasure was all mine.

What an addictive thriller! I would not want such a girlfriend for my son. I am not so sure what a mother would do in Laura's place, but I don't think what she did was so bad but Cherry...Wow!

What a little thriller we have here! Is Cherry as manipulative and untrustworthy as the mom thinks? Is mom Laura a little too attached to her son? It’s a game of cat and mouse, as Laura digs to find the truth about Cherry. The Girlfriend is a tantalizing tale that is somewhat predictable, but terrifying nonetheless.

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All Opinions are my Own.

The Girlfriend was just not my type of book. I tried several times to put my mid to reading it and found it overly descriptive and just plain not interesting to me. Plot summary: boy meets girl, girl isn't who she shows herself to me, boy's mom is overly attached and snoopy. Since her marriage is in name only, there is nothing there to keep her occupied, only her job, so you can easily see this is going to be boy's mom vs boy's gorgeous girlfriend.

Sorry, I just couldn't get into it and decided with so many good books out there to read, this one was not going to take up my reading time. Thanks NetGalley for giving me the chance to read it in exchange for an honest review.

MY REVIEW OF “THE GIRLFRIEND” BY MICHELLE FRANCES

Kudos to Michelle Frances, author of “The Girlfriend” for writing such an intense psychological thriller. What is the expression, ” A son is a son till he takes a wife, a daughter is a daughter for the rest of your life?” Well, it’s happened. Your fabulously educated and wonderful son has found “her”. You know, the girl of his dreams , his future forever. Isn’t this supposed to be what you always wanted for your son to be happy? But, what if “her” is just not the right girl for him?

Michelle Frances describes her characters as complicated, complex and some are dysfunctional to say the least. Laura has the perfect son, Daniel who is becoming a physician. Since Laura has a dysfunctional and lonely marriage, Laura also loves the opportunity to be part of her son’s life, in an obsessive way. Daniel is a loving son, a giving person and has met the girl of his dreams, Cherry. Unfortunately, Cherry is a nightmare to Laura, and with good reason. Cherry is extremely ambitious, not necessarily in her real estate position, but her goals in life. Cherry wants more, than she had as a child growing up in a lower economic area. As a matter of fact Cherry wants it all, at any cost.

Who said that ” All is fair in love and war?” This story reminds me of “War of the Roses” only between an obsessed mother and an unstable girlfriend.

I would highly recommend this captivating and intriguing story for readers that love a great psychological thriller with twists and turns and suspense. I received an Advanced Reading Copy for my honest review. Oh, WARNING: This is a very hard book to put down when you have started it!! Happy Reading!

Whether you are a girlfriend or a mother, this book will grab your attention and keep it until the end. It got me from the first pages. In today's world, where people meet on dating websites, Facebook, or Instagram, there is always that question of what is the person really like? Where does s/he come from and what kind of character is beneath the facade that is appealing, attractive, and seemingly perfect?

Michelle Frances has written her first novel in the way she may handle television scripts in her day job for BBC. It is the slow drip of suspicion and small actions surrounding the one big lie that kept me reading until I was nearly cross-eyed. Laura is a middle-aged producer for ITV, married to a wealthy man, Harold, and the mother of a twenty-five-year-old son, Daniel. Laura and Daniel have a special bond and enjoy being together. Daniel has finished his medical studies and is starting work as a junior doctor in London. He temporarily moves back into his home in Kensington. The house is one of those gorgeous mansions we see in films or magazines, complete with an underground pool and garage. This family wants for nothing.

The trouble starts after Daniel brings home, at Laura's insistence, a young woman he met at the estate agent where he went to look for an apartment. The woman is very young and quite beautiful. Her name is Cherry, and she has high ambitions for her life. Laura had every intention of welcoming Cherry into her home and striking up a friendship. Laura is open to romance for Daniel, that is not the problem. The problem develops rather quickly with the gut instinct that mothers have when it comes to their children. There is something not quite right about Cherry. Or is Laura becoming one of those mothers who will not let go of the metaphorical cord she has held onto for so long? Cherry and Laura size each other up, don't like what they see, and we are off to the races.

As I read this novel, so smoothly written and so very accessible, I thought I knew where it was going. But the twists and turns kept me reading well into the night. <b>The Girlfriend</b> is one of those novels that takes your breath away and stays with you long after its denouement. A hit of a book, it will be well received by the public and deservedly so.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. The MOST addictive book!! I wasn't sure about it at the start but WOW I just had to keep reading. It's one of those books that you can't put down....literally!!!! A definite must read.

3.5 stars. It felt like a 4 star read to me, and whats better than in-law drama? However, the plot went a little too far and felt borderline "silly" once or twice. I love the idea of this book. It was very well written and I have no complaints about the character development. I loved the beginning of the book, it sucked me in quickly. I am also satisfied with the ending, for what it was. I would still recommend this book - family drama is too fun, especially the age-old mother against girlfriend.

As of now, Im going to put this down as it is just not working for me. Thank you to the publisher for the early copy.

I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I requested The Girlfriend. To be honest I’m a cover whore and that was what drew me in. Once I started reading was a whole different reason all together.

Laura loves her son, David. Some would say a little too much. When he brings home Cherry to meet her she feels like something is quite not right. That doesn’t stop her from inviting her to dinners. Trying to include her and not feel left out. When an accident happens, Laura takes this opportunity to spend all the time she can with David. But what progresses neither of them would guess in a million years would happen.

The Girlfriend is a great suspense thriller full of twists and turns that will leave you guessing until the very end. Let’s talk about that ending?? Not! I never seen that coming!

The Girlfriend by Michelle Frances
Laura, a successful women with a good career but not so good marriage has one son, Daniel who she seems to direct all of her love towards.
When Daniel meets and falls for a new girlfriend he brings her home to meet his parents. Laura senses something isn’t right from the beginning but putting it down to a touch a jealousy ignores her feelings. However she soon finds that she may have been right to be suspicious.
A terrible accident occurs and Laura’s and Daniel’s life run into some serious trouble.
A good read, with strong believable if not likeable characters. Filled with some suspenseful moments along the way.
Look forward to reading more from this author
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Oh m!!! My head is still spinning after finishing this and I've reread the ending twice. What would you do if your son is suddenly in love with a girl that you just don't trust? And things go from bad to worse and no one, not your son or even your best friend believes you? This is what Laura is facing when her son Daniel falls for Cherry and Cherry is not what she seems. When Daniel has a horrible accident Laura makes a choice to protect him and when Cherry finds out things get dangerous for Laura and for Daniel. I had to put this down because Cherry was getting under my skin and I wanted to help Laura. Highly recommend

Loved this book. The suspense kept me hooked. Highly recommended.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of The Girlfriend in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book I've read by Michelle Francis but it certainly won't be my last. This book tells the story of jealousy and rivalry between the girlfriend and mother of Daniel with both women vying to be the most important person in his life. Both are very unlikable characters and I felt pity for Daniel and his father but this is an amazingly addictive read and so well written that you won't be able to put it down until you reach it's perfect ending. One of the best books I've read in a while!!!

We've all had 'that' person come into our lives - the one that for a reason you can't really put your thumb on, you just don't trust. Never would you think that this person would rise to the level of attempting to eliminate you altogether, but this is exactly what Cherry does to Laura.

Laura is a very successful woman. Although settled in a less than perfect marriage, she has most everything she could ever want including a wonderful son, Daniel. Daniel has just come back to the family after finishing medical school and is preparing to settle into a job as a doctor at the local hospital. Laura realizes that something is different about him, a slight lift to his step. This is when she learns about Cherry, the woman with whom he has too quickly became smitten.

Cherry is a realtor-in-training and everything that a man - and his parents - could want to find in a girl - that is what Daniel sees at least. Cherry's fabricated persona becomes obvious to the readers early on in the book and Laura even sees glimpses of the real girl. Is Cherry really the gold-digging manipulator that Laura is beginning to see? Laura questions whether she is just being an overprotective mom and decides to give Cherry the benefit of the doubt - after all Daniel is so happy, so why shouldn't she?

When Daniel is involved in a life-threatening accident and Laura turns even more maternal, she tells Cherry a lie that changes everything. Once Laura realizes the gravity of her error, she tries to figure out how to reverse this, but sees that it is just too late. Cherry knows the truth. How will this come back on Laura? How will this affect the future of all of them?

A very well written thriller that kept my attention to the very last word. Great twists and when you think you have it figured out, yet another is thrown your way. Definitely an author I look forward to reading again!