A 3* review for The Girlfriend by Michelle Frances. Laura is married to her long-suffering husband Howard and they have a son, Daniel, who she absolutely adores and dotes on. However, when Daniel meets and falls in love with Cherry, and takes her to meet his mother, the two women take an instant dislike to each other, sparks fly and a vicious game of jealousy, lies and possession of Daniel ensues.

Laura tries to include Cherry in family events, but has a suspicion that she is a gold digger and when a tragedy strikes, Laura takes her chance to have Daniel to herself, and their lives take a very dangerous downward turn, with devastating and life changing consequences for all of them.

I found it was quite hard to connect with either Laura or Cherry, and i swung between empathising and understanding each of them in turn. However, i felt the feud and it's twists and turns went on far too long and about half way through the book i could not wait for it to finish! It is tagged as a gripping psychological thriller, but i felt it did not live up to that description, although it was well written, but the suspense and shocks were not there when i needed them. The ending, for me, was a bit predictable and was not as shocking as i wanted it to be. I imagine this could be made into a film, but like The Girl On The Train, i think it will split readers between those who love it and those who just don't get it.

This book was recommended by a friend. When I was approved through Netgalley to read an advanced copy i was estactic! I was not disappointed with this fast paced she said/ she said thriller. As soon as I thought I figured it out something changed. There are some very manipulative women in this book vying for the son/man they love. Who will come out on top? Mom or girlfriend?

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Girlfriend by Michelle Frances.

Looking forward to future books by this author!

Intense with all it's synonyms wrapped up in a bow-- acute, bitter, deep, extreme, extraordinary, fierce, heightened, powerful, violent.
WOW - I could not put this book down and really enjoyed the stories and the characters. I was only able to catch my breath when I figured out what was going on (which was when I was done!!))
I recommend this intriguing book and I will probably read it again.


I received an advance review copy of this book from Great Thought's Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely whizzed through this book. Just couldn't turn the pages quick enough and I really did enjoy it. The ending suddenly crept up and I was left thinking and ....
Quite predictable but an absolute page turner. Would recommend. 4*
My thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

Gripping enough to keep me reading it, but the characters/storyline were all a bit farfetched...

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
This was only an excerpt of the book. A real teaser of what I think will be an excellent novel. Cleverly the author reels the reader in with a good strong narrative, interesting characters and the hint of some sinister thoughts. Just enough to whet the appetite to read in full.
I cannot wait to read the book in its entirety.
4.5***

I'm sorry to say this excerpt didn't hold my interest enough to finish it. I appreciate the opportunity to give it a try, though. I won't be rating or reviewing this title since I didn't finish reading it.

Quite an interesting book. The plot is predictable. Boy meets attractive girl and immediately falls for her. Mother, who loves her only son so much and just wants to protect her son, sees right through this crazy, gold-digging, manipulative young woman who pushes her way right into her son's heart and successfully pushed the mother right out. There are so many great twists and turns in the middle of the book that you aren't expecting. But ultimately, throughout the book you are wondering who will win the boy's love: the girlfriend or the mother. And, will someone die trying? Yes, it's that crazy! I did think the ending was a bit abrupt. I would have liked to see it carried out a bit more. Another reader's review suggested a viewpoint from the son (Daniel) at the end, which I thought may have been a great idea. Overall, 4 stars!
I received an advance review copy of this book from the Great Thought's Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.

read during a "suspense season" challenge. From the cover to the characters this novel was twisted and a fun read

I've only read the first 100 pages and it just let me hanging... I can't wait to read the rest of the book and would be more that happy to leave an honest review.

Cherry and Laura seem "normal" in the beginning but then both women's behaviors change... Of course Daniel doesn't notice much but it was only 100 pages .

So excited to read the rest of the book!!!

My recommendation rating might chang once I fully read the book

So I read the whole book and this is my full review...

I started off with a 4 star review but downgraded it to a 2 star review.
so... I was really excited about this book. got the first 100 pages as an ARC (thanks NetGalley). I loved every minute of it and could not put it down. I was sad when the pages ran out.

I finally get the rest of the book and I feel like a door was shut in my face. the twists and turns and excitement was gone.
I would not call this a psychological thriller.. more like a domestic disturbance. then the end... I was frustrated on the abrupt conclusion, I felt like I was left hanging.

Cherry has never known what it was like to have money coming from the poor side of town where her single mother worked for years in a supermarket with no hope of anything better. Cherry was determined that was not going to be how she spent her life and spent a few months making appointments for real estate showings only to learn the business and snag a job at a nice firm. In her new job she meets Daniel while showing him an apartment up for rent.

Daniel is from a very wealthy family and while he will never need for anything in his life with his trust fund on hand he has still gone to medical school and wants to become a doctor. When Daniel walked into the real estate office he never imagined meeting the woman of his dreams but as soon as he saw Cherry he knew he wanted to ask her out. Things move quickly between the pair and soon Daniel brings Cherry home to meet his parents.

Laura is Daniel’s mother and she has spent her life making sure her son has the best of everything in the world. After suffering the loss of one child Laura vowed to always protect Daniel with everything she had and that he would never want for anything. When Laura first hears of Daniel’s new love she’s quite excited for the prospect of a daughter in law but things quickly seem to just not quite be right with Cherry putting Laura on edge.

The Girlfriend by Michelle Frances is being sold as a psychological thriller but I’m almost hesitant to call it as such but possibly more of a suspenseful drama. Either way or what you choose to list it under this was easily one read that immediately hooked me in and didn’t want to let go keeping the pages turning until the very end.

Laura and Cherry both have their flaws and make their mistakes along the way leaving them both characters that are easy to dislike at any point. On the flip side though each woman in Daniel’s life had moments that I would also feel sorry for them and begin to root them on leaving me with a tug of war on how to even want this one to turn out. The manipulation and lies ooze from each page but underneath it all is a feeling that this story could very well really happen which made it all the more intense. In the end I’d definitely recommend picking up a copy of The Girlfriend and giving this one a read.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I absolutely loved this thriller! Wealthy med student, Daniel meets Cherry and is immediately smitten even though it's clear that she's from "the other side of the tracks." Daniel's mother, Laura wants to like Cherry but is also a little jealous of all the time her son spends with his new girlfriend, leaving little time for her. So now we have two women, both a bit obsessive and controlling, both manipulating the truth for a place in Daniel's life. And Daniel gets the brunt of it all; though he's twenty-four, he's trying to balance family and girlfriend but it's clear there is no way this is going to work out as each woman's actions begin to escalate. Both are flawed and I found myself vacillating between liking each of them and hating them for the disasters they caused. As a parent, it's somewhat easy to identify with Laura until a couple of bad decisions force us to see the damage she is causing. Great details and engaging dialogue along with unexpected plot lines make this one a surprise until the very end. Had me gasping on the final page!

The author provides the reader with an interesting concept of the rivalry of the over protective mother against her son's new money grubbing girlfriend. This girl has been raised in a low income home and she is not only embarrassed by that factor, she resents it. She is determined to overcome this and starts by taking a real estate job selling expensive homes. This is how she meets the young man as he comes in asking for help finding an apartment. It doesn't take long for her to realize that he has the lifestyle she wants. Shortly after meeting, the mother invites the girlfriend to the family villa for a holiday. From there the drama unfolds into a full blown rivalry. The girlfriend is already plotting on manipulating the son into how and when she wants things to transpire.

Although this was a good read, it is predictable. The premise was good but the character development was lacking and the plot dragged. For a first attempt this was a good book, but the author needs to expand on the mystery if the book is to really thrill the reader.

This book was a real page-turner. A jealous, twisted, determined girlfriend clashes with her boyfriend’s mother, the story evolves into a cat and mouse suspense when both the mother and the girlfriend are determined to outwit and undermine the other.

I am sad to say I couldn't get into this book, I found it quite slow in places. I see that it has some fabulous reviews, so I am assuming that it is a marmite book - others loved it, for me it didn't hit the spot. Thank you for allowing me to review it. The premise sounded brilliant, but it didn't live up to the hype for me.

I can't review this book because I only received the first half of the book in my copy. I approached the NetGalley customer support weeks ago, but I still haven't received a reply.

Therefore, I've decided that I can't review this book because I can't wait any longer.

I'm so sorry I couldn't do it. I really enjoyed reading as much of the book as I got to read.

I enjoyed this book but I need to say that there were some pacing problems - it seemed very fast paced in parts, and excrutiatingly slow in others. It was a bit predictable (but not completely!) with a very abrupt ending. I could see the author writing a novel from the view of Daniel or his mother Laura that would run parallel to this one. Overall I did enjoy this book and would read others from the author!

3.75 Stars. The Girlfriend is a fast paced, well written mystery by Michelle Frances. It’s a bit predictable with an abrupt ending that left me wanting more…maybe an epilogue from Daniel’s point of view. Overall it was a good read and I would not hesitate to read more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

A great, addictive thriller. Daniel is an only child, about to start med school when he wanders into a local real estate office and wants to look at apartments. He meets Cherry, a beautifully, alluring real estate agent who agrees to show him some apartments. Daniel is smitten and Cherry sees dollar signs and a chance at the life she never had. Daniel's mom Laura is a TV executive and when she meets Cherry she gets a feeling that she's not all lovely as she seems. To Laura Cherry comes off as conniving, cunning, and a liar, but no one else seems to get that vibe. Laura makes it her mission to get proof about the "real" Cherry. A near tragedy means Daniel almost loses his life and Laura sees that as the only way she get Cherry away from Daniel, but Laura's scheme may backfire and Cherry may be like a trapped animal and Laura's life may be at risk. I am a huge fan of Ruth Rendell and this book and author's style reminded me of the queen of psych-thriller's many taut stories. I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the Great Thoughts Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.

The Girlfriend is a chilling psychological thriller, that starts out with every mother's hope that her son will find a lovely girl to marry but Laura has a lot to learn about Cherry who she is drawn to in the beginning. Cherry falls immediately for handsome, intelligent, and rich Daniel, and sets her sights on getting him. She comes from a very different background and is ashamed of her own mother who works in a market, seeking to keep her history a secret. Cherry seems to be just fine at first, then strange things happen, and Laura is puzzled. There are lies and manipulations as the story enfolds and a terrifying feeling that something bad is going to happen starts to freak out Laura. This story kept me on edge waiting for the next devious thing...when a tragedy suddenly occurs everything changes and I held my breath till the very shocking end. The characters are not really likeable although sometimes remorseful for their actions , this story was terrifying. Sometimes I was able to predict events but the ending was what kept me wondering to the very last page. Thanks to The Secret Ninjas and Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this