I can’t say I’d put this into the thriller section, it’s more like suspense in the taste of other books I’ve read that have been about friendship, secrets and lies…..only to have thrown in a death.

I kind of suspected what would happen just based on the blurb but let me say, it really was much more than that.

I’ve given 3*. That is because I liked it, enjoyed it but it didn’t blow my socks off or stand out in any way.

The writing was spot on. The characters very well written.

Downside was, lots of POV that did get confusing on odd occasions. Also it’s a bit, ok, that might happen but……

Fiction still needs to be believable don’t you think?

Overall I would recommend it as it’s a good plot and nicely written, doesn’t take too much brain power.

I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book even though I did not finish this book.

St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Just Between Us. I voluntarily chose to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Alison, Julie, Sarah, and Heather have been friends for some time, but will one fateful evening destroy the bonds between them? Is there a line that friends should not cross, even to help one of their own?

I can buy the fact that people often jump to conclusions and insert themselves into the personal lives of others, but I did not believe that Heather would deceive her friends to such a degree. Just Between Us was a thinly veiled attempt at a thriller and was not all that successful. None of the characters were likable and the plot points seem to be there only to move the story along. I could barely muster the strength to finish this book and, for that reason, I would not recommend it to other readers.

I am in charge of our Senior School library and now during this time of lockdown, I am looking for a diverse array of new books to furnish their shelves with and inspire our young people to read a wider and more diverse range of books as they move through the senior school. It is hard sometimes to find books that will grab the attention of young people as their time is short and we are competing against technology and online entertainments.
This was a thought-provoking and well-written read that will appeal to readers across the board. It had a really strong voice and a compelling narrative that I think would capture their attention and draw them in. It kept me engrossed and I think that it's so important that the books that we purchase for both our young people and our staff are appealing to as broad a range of readers as possible - as well as providing them with something a little 'different' that they might not have come across in school libraries before.
This was a really enjoyable read and I will definitely be purchasing a copy for school so that our young people can enjoy it for themselves. A satisfying and well-crafted read that I keep thinking about long after closing its final page - and that definitely makes it a must-buy for me!

Great story by Rebecca Drake. Really fabulous story, that kept me turning the pages!! A thrilling plot, and characters.

This was an entertaining read, but felt almost common. The whole time I was reading I kept feeling like I have read this story before. The characters were a little hard to keep track of. I wish more time had been spent developing the characters so they stood out more.

Just Between Us was an enjoyable suburban thriller about the lengths a group of women will go to in order to help a friend.

Alison, Julie, Sarah, and Heather are four friends living the ideal suburban life. Each of them has their secrets, but they keep them well hidden until one day Alison spots a bad bruise on Heather’s wrist. After sharing her suspicions with Julie and Sarah, the women discover Heather is stuck in an increasingly violent marriage. Despite the abuse, Heather refuses to leave her husband and the women dread the call telling them she’s dead. But when the call comes, it’s not Heather who’s dead. In the heat of the moment, the women agree to help Heather which is something they will later come to regret.

The story is told is alternating chapters from each of the four women’s points of view. I struggled a bit with so many perspectives and I honestly felt like several of them sounded identical leaving me having a hard time remembering whose chapter I was reading. Of the four women I enjoyed Alison as a character the most. I liked that while she was quick to jump to conclusions, she also had a tendency to be suspicious and wasn’t willing to believe everything she was told.

The plot in this book was quite interesting and I found myself curious how the death mentioned in the blurb would unfold. I have to admit I missed the part of the blurb that mentions the women covering up the death so I was quite surprised when that happened. After the fact the women all cope with the situation in different ways, all of which I understood given the circumstances. The last third or so of this book is where the plot really picks up and gets exciting. I enjoyed that portion of the book the most and felt the pacing was better there than it was in the rest of the book.

Overall I did enjoy Just Between Us, but I think it took a bit too long for the story to really get going. I would recommend this book if you enjoy suburban thrillers and I’ll definitely be checking out future books from the author.

“What if?”

A question that is human nature to ask, to think, normally followed by worrying, scary scenarios! And this is where this story begins, with Alison playing the “what-if” game. What if they hadn’t moved to Sewickley? What if she had never met Julie at preschool drop-off? If that hadn’t happened then the four women would likely to have never met and that one question that started it all would never have been asked “How did you get such a nasty bruise?”

Told from the four women’s points of view Alison is positive that Heather is being abused by her husband and raises her suspicions to the other women of their little group who remain unsure until things begin to escalate leaving no doubts. As Heather’s bruises and “accidents” become more serious they all become frightened for Heathers life, unless she left him the only other ending would be her husband ending her life.

As each woman lives in fear of receiving that phone call or that knock on the door informing them of Heather’s death, when it does come it is nothing like any of them had been expecting and changes all their lives in ways none had seen coming.

Heather isn’t the only member of their group that has been keeping secrets, they are all harbouring secrets that they would like to remain just that, a secret, but as things begin to spiral out of control secrets are dragged out into the light bringing suspicion and doubt with them.

How far you will go for those you love?

Brimming with suspense that increases with the plot twists it is a story of friendship, trust and loyalty asking the questions “How well do you really know those you love?” and “How far you would be prepared to go to protect those people?” This book will keep you turning pages to find out the answers to the main question, “What happens next?”

A really great read for fans of Liane Moriarty and B.A. Paris.

Grab your copy now from Amazon UK or Amazon.com Glass of wine optional 😂🍷

Many thanks to the author Rebecca Drake, publishers St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest, independent review.

This is a fairly generic thriller - but a good one! This can be summed up with: keep your friends close and enemies closer. Recommended for fans of Liane Moriarty or Drake's other titles.

A fairly generic thriller. I read a few other drama-in-the-neighborhood books around the same time and this one didn't stand out at all.

There's an old adage about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. Sometimes, though, you don't know which is which. A fabulous read for fans of Liane Moriarty.

To start with I really enjoyed this book - a group of 4 women become friends. One day they find bruises on Heather's wrist and they become convinced her husband is beating her. The interaction between the friends is really good but then it becomes ridiculous in some of the things the four of them did. I got half way through the book but then gave up. A shame

I really enjoyed this book. I figured it out fairly early, but it was still an enjoyable read. I look forward to reading more by this author!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in return for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this book, it was a pretty good thriller. The characters are well written and the plot line although not very unique ( I figured it out quite early on) was good. It was a fun weekend read.

I would definitely check out more of this author's books.

3.5 Stars

Just Between Us is a twisty, intriguing and suspenseful story that explores the dangerous secrets amongst a group of four women. Secrets that test just how far these women will go for each other.

Rebecca Drake does a good job creating some interesting and well-developed characters here with our group of friends. Often I get confused with so many points of views and characters however each character is unique and realistic and has a distinct voice that made it easy for me to remember each one and their part in this intriguing storyline. I really enjoyed the dynamics between the friends and at times I was entertained and other times I was a little frustrated with them for their decisions and wanted to shout at them. I enjoyed trying to figure out what they were going to do next and was entertained with what they did do.

So many great twists and turns in this one that had me questioning each friend and such a great twist in the end that took me by surprise and left me a little shocked and rattled after finishing this one. I recommend.

Thank you, NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and Rebecca Drake for a copy to read and review.

Review written and posted on our themed book blog Two Sisters Lost In A Coulee Reading.
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com

The premise of this book is that four friends in a regular American neighborhood each have a secret. When assumptions are made, a tale of twisted secrets becomes murder. Alison, Sarah, Julie and Heather meet for coffee and share their daily lives. When one of them notices that Heather is bruised, they all make the assumption that she is being abused and try to do an intervention. Unfortunately, Heather is not the one who dies and the book gets really twisted from there. The book is a real page-turner, but with each chapter dealing with a different character’s point of view, it was a little difficult to keep them straight. In the end, it was an enjoyable read that was thought-provoking and left me with the thought, What would I do?

What would you be willing to do in order to help a friend?

Alison, Sarah, Julie, and Heather have children attending the same school, and it wasn't long before the four moms became friends, regularly meeting for coffee after they drop their kids of at school. Alison is concerned when she notices a bruise on Heather's wrist, even more so after Heather hastily covers it and swears it's nothing. When it becomes evident that Heather's husband is abusive towards her, the women try to talk Heather into leaving, but she refuses. Her friends worry that Heather's husband might kill her, given the signs of increasing violence, but Heather isn't the one who ends up dead—and when she finally asked for help, it's not the sort of request any of her friends ever expected to receive.

What I Liked:

The entire premise of this book was fascinating to me; basically taking the hypothetical question about what you'd be willing to do for your friends, and forcing the issue with a set of circumstances that demand immediate action without time to consider the consequences. The situation in the book is an extreme one, to be sure, but I think everyone can identify with being put on the spot by a friend who needs something immediately. You do (or don't do) something in that moment, and don't have a chance to think about consequences until later, and then you worry over whether or not you did the right thing. That being said, it was extremely easy for me to go along with the plot. I had no problem understanding why the women chose to do what they did, or why they worried themselves sick over it later.

The story is told from the perspective of each woman, and I liked having insight into each woman's private thoughts on things, as well as their feelings about one another. The events of that night would put a strain on their friendship, and it was nice to see that reflected in each of them as the story progressed.

Every good story has shocking plot twists, and the big twist in Just Between Us was fantastic! I felt as if I should have known it was coming, in retrospect, but I didn't have a clue and was left wide-eyed in shock when it came. I want to say so much more about this, but it would completely ruin the story for those who haven't read it, so I'd better not. Trust me when I say it was excellent, and made me want to go back and re-read certain scenes now that I possessed this new knowledge.

What I Didn't Like:

Umm... I didn't like that the story came to an end... does that count?

Final Thoughts:

Just Between Us is a fabulous novel filled with suspense and intrigue. The characters are well-written and vividly detailed with a plot that is certain to keep the reader fully engaged and reading well into the night. Full of unexpected twists and a shocking reveal, Drake has written a domestic suspense that will leave you breathless.

Highly recommend this book! If you haven't read it yet, be sure to add it to your reading list... and you can thank me later. ;)

I wish I had more to say about this book it was fine but I never really got that excited by it. It felt like it was really long and that is never a good sign. I think i had kind of figured out some of the twists so the process of getting to them was more about building the characters and tension. But I didn't enjoy most of the ladies that much, I found them to be a little annoying. And them annoying me built and took away from any tension a good thriller might have.

I feel like like the Arthur was telling a story that pushes us to to think about how we look at human behavior and how we judge what and who is bad. Perhaps trying to have us see that there are layers to most stories. Maybe if I had gone into this thinking it was a general fiction and not a mystery it might have done more to meet my expectations.

So while I didn't love this book it wasn't bad just maybe a little slow for me.

This is one of those stories that you have to stick with but will make you grateful you did. Great twists, turns and enough to keep you guessing!

This was my first Rebecca drake book and I loved it! It was such a suspenseful read!