The book is very well rounded, though I am not much for drawn out suspense which at times felt like too much for me in this book. That being said the plot as a whole is not a new topic but I was reasonably surprised with the climax and the ending as well as happy. I do think the author tried and succeeded (In my case) to connect and emote the feelings out to me.

For me the first part gave me the information and the backstory while second part showed me the consequence.

A psychological thriller that will keep you asking yourself 'Who is doing it?'

Captivated from the first chapter. This is without a doubt a book that will top the charts this year. Highly recommended and is on a par with Sister Sister by Sue Fortin and The Ice Twins by S K Tremayne. I don’t like comparing books. But this book is up there with the best I’ve ever read in the psychological thriller category.

The open chapter starts with Jess and Bens 5 year old daughter Beth having an accident at school and dying. We also discover Simon, the new headmaster at the school has an affair with Jess and believes Beth is his daughter. When Simons wife enters his office on a conversation with Jess and Simon she puts two and two together. And there it begins.

Only one lie from the past which unravels into different versions of the truth, forms another lie and another. Eventually the truth finds a way to surface.

This book is fast paced, compulsive page turning and a one sitting read. I finished at 2am this morning I could not put it down.

I certainly didn’t see that ending coming.

Thank you to Netgallery, Bookouture and Lucy Dawson for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

5☆ Extremely Captivating, Emotional yet the perfect atmospheric Thriller!

The Daughter is a captivating, very emotional, chilling, endearing read that I literally couldn't put down.

When Jess's Daughter Beth tragically dies in a freak accident.
Her whole world is about to come tumbling down around her.
Secrets and lies have a way of catching up with you, as Jess is about to discover!

To what lengths will a family go to, in order to protect their family! Enter Jess's world to find out! 

I am not able to divulge any more of the plot as I really don't want to give anything away. It's too good!

But what I will say is how fantastic this book is.
The Start of the book had me choked up with tears.
 I don't cry very easily from books so trust me when I say Lucy's heart wrenching highly emotional writing pulled on my heart strings.
I could feel every single raw emotion that Jess was feeling. To be able to feel those emotions that deeply just highlights to me how captivating Lucy's writing style is.

Not only is The Daughter a highly emotionally charged book, it is also completely unnerving and the perfect Pschological thriller that will leave you remembering and talking about it for days to come!
It's subtly creepy with lil unnerving twists which only intensify as the story unfolds.

Be prepared to be caught off guard, kept guessing, have your emotions toyed with, spine tingling creepy sensations, a lil dark and a lil sinister. The perfect combination. I loved it!
Don't be fooled by the start of this book as it packs a huge punch that will quickly leave you turning pages!

Now for the all important question ......would I reccomended The Daughter??
Answer ......... 100%.... YES!!.... A Must Read for 2018!!

I’ve read a few books by Lucy Dawson before but her move to Bookouture has obviously brought out this best in her because The Daughter is my absolute favourite book of hers so far! I mean…OMG! This book messed with my emotions from that horrific opening prologue to that very last paragraph both of which made me a blubbing, snotty mess!!

Anyone who has children, or who works with them, will be struggling to hold back the tears as the first few chapters detail what exactly happened to Beth. I don’t want to go into any details about the tragedy that takes place but be warned that the way Lucy Dawson leads up to it will have your heart pounding, totally on edge as you see where she is heading. I wasn’t expecting to feel such intense levels of heartbreak as I did at the situation Jess found herself in. That first third of the book was truly devastating and I felt completely traumatised as I watched Jess try to deal with what had happened to her perfect family. As the book moved forward to show Jess and her family after their new start, I desperately wanted them to have their “happy ever after” but it becomes obvious that someone hasn’t forgotten the past and is determined to torment Jess but how far do they plan on going? As further secrets tumble out of the past and into the present, it looks like Jess has to fight to protect, not only herself, but also those closest to her.

I can’t remember the last time a psychological thriller made me cry so much! This probably has one of the most upsetting prologues that I’ve ever read and I really did get goosebumps as the narrative then flashed back, building up to what happens with a creeping sense of dread. The characterisation is spot on here, not everyone was likeable but they were all so intensely watchable! I was gripped throughout by their relationships with each other as I tried to work out who to trust! There is a slowly increasing tension that builds to an almost unbearable intensity as we find out who has been tormenting Jess and why. And the ending was perfectly pitched in my eyes-I definitely wasn’t disappointed with how Lucy Dawson finished off this incredible tale.

I absolutely 100% recommend The Daughter! I fell head over heels in love with the cleverly crafted storyline and felt like an emotional mess by the end of it! And even though I did work out who was behind the series of onslaughts on Jess and her family, it didn’t for one second spoil my enjoyment of this unputdownable page turner.

Definitely one to add to your TBR pile!

Aren’t we all just one step away from madness?

You can count on Bookouture to turn a days’ off quiet morning into a giant bubble of emotions.

If our time with the daughter that gives this story its title is short, her presence is everywhere, like a shadow looking over you, a presence both comforting and heartbreaking.

I could not resist little Beth and the cute face my mind came up with while reading about her. I imagined her curious eyes, her kind smile, her innocent smile. Our time with her dwarfed the little niggles her mother Jess was facing, as from the start, we get a feeling things are not as perfect as they look, but Beth outshined this… Hence my tears.

Becaus I did cry. I keep saying I’m not a fan of kids, but in a few pages, Lucy Dawson gave me a little heart to love and protect, and I felt I failed as I read the fate she had to meet for the story to lead me where I was supposed to go.

Scarcely had I been so moved by the disappearance of a character, nor had been so aware of their presence throughout the story and the protagonists’ lives. Because Beth lives on, in the cruel and bittersweet way departed beloved children are.

I had no issues following her mother Jess through hell. I cannot say I understood every decision she made but I could see where it came from and why it seemed the right thing to do for her. The author makes sure you get a clear picture of what is happening so you can form an opinion, go with the flow, and most importantly, connect with the events and the characters in the strongest way.

Starting again without forgetting. Oh my, the writing perfectly inserted fleeting moments of the past into Jess’ present, bringing it all back to the surface, and it worked every time. Thanks to this story, I can imagine a little better what life without you child might look like, and just how much strength you need tp keep going.
Especially when someone is after you! The amazing mix of grief and suspense had me completely overwhelmed with feelings. I wanted Jess to be happy, I wanted to understand, I wanted Beth to rest in peace, I wanted everyone to find peace… But can we really get it until everything is out in the open? Secrets are toxic, they say, as much as guilt. Well, The Daughter plays with both, creating an explosive cocktail bound to make the reader grip the book tighter and feel their heart stop, from pain or shock. Or both!

The way flaws are explored in The Daughter gives the reader the freedom to decide who is wrong, what could have been done, who should be punished. There is no right answer, which is my favorite element here. Yes, Jess made mistakes, just like others did, but should we be held responsible forever? Two male characters left me cold, I can’t reveal who without taking away a bit of what happens next. Let’s just say the mistake and the new one irked me. The former because he just couldn’t let go, and the latter because his behavior felt over the top and weird. I like weird, but not that weird!

The Daughter is a gripping and moving suspense story with a touch of healing we all need. It will leave you exhausted in the best way possible!

Oooooohhhhh my goodness me. Let me just get this bit out of the way first - I found a portion of 'The Daughter' exceptionally difficult to read as my own daughter is a similar age to one of the characters in the book. I'm not going to lie, it even brought tears to my eyes. How daft is that?

Right, now I have admitted that let's get to the good bits!

Once I overcame my little wobble at the beginning, it didn't take me long to fall under Lucy Dawson's spell. Jess has had an incredibly tough time where her daughter, Beth, is concerned, but whoever said time is a healer was a liar. Poor Jess will pay for that for the rest of her life and, just when she thought she was able to move on with her life, her past comes back to haunt her. It seems as though other people haven't quite forgotten that one memorable day, either!

I felt so, so sorry for Jess and everything she had to go through. Of course there were times where I thought she was bringing a little bit of it on herself, especially as she just couldn't seem to let go of a certain person and its situation. I had to stop myself from shouting at the book 'walk away you dozy mare!!', but I don't think my daughter would have appreciated being woken up by my shouts.

Did I have an inkling about where the storyline was heading?

Did I hell!! Even though I had a bit of scepticism towards one character in particular, I still couldn't decide who was the culprit and why. There was so much pointing in one direction, with still so much pointing in another direction - I couldn't have called it even if I wanted to! Everything was just so close the entire way through. I loved how Lucy Dawson was able to keep me guessing until the very end, teasing me with little things to try to change the direction of my thoughts. Very, very cleverly done.

In all honesty, I am quite surprised to find that I am still breathing, as there were moments where I was holding my breath, unsure of what lay ahead when I turned the page.

'The Daughter' is an incredibly gripping and intense read, full of hard to swallow scenarios, and cleverly woven situations. I really did enjoy this one!

Thank you to Bookotoure for letting me take part in this tour. 

Jess' daughter dies in in the first part of this story. It's absolutely heart breaking to read. The second part of this story is scary. Strange things are happening in Jess' life and someone wants to take her back to when her daughter died. Jess is extremely strong and forgiving. I won't say anymore than that as I don't want to ruin the story but I sure as hell didn't see it coming. 

This book is full of emotions. The heart breaking loss of someone so young. The pit of the stomach fear when strange things start to happen. The blind anger and the sheer disbelief of it all when the truth comes out. All of it is so carefully crafted and put together that as the reader you feel like you have been on this emotional journey too.  

Lucy's writing is intense and captivating. I don't think I have been so engrossed in a story and not notice what is happening outside of the book. The thing about this book is that it's believable, all of it. It could actually happen to any one of us and it makes for a thrilling but scary read. 

I really enjoyed the journey this book took me on and I'll be looking out for more of Lucy's books to see where she's going to take me next.

THE DAUGHTER is an emotional thriller that starts with Jess getting a call from her daughter's school that something has happened, and that she should immediately get to the hospital. It is there that she learns that her 5-year old, Beth, has died in a tragic playground accident. Jess is understandably not dealing well with the loss even as her husband, Ben, tries to coax her out of the dark hole her mind is in. Due to a few shocking events that we find out early on, Beth basically has no choice but to leave town, leave her husband and father, and start over somewhere else.

17 years later, Beth has a very different life, but still has never let go of the past. She realizes that the threat of what made her leave town may have followed her to her new life, and someone may want to cause her harm for a number of reasons.

I can't really say anything more about the plot because I didn't know very much when I read it, and found myself gasping in surprise at certain parts of this thriller. At one point, I assumed the direction Jess's new life would take her, only to find out I was completely off. There's a lot of heart in this novel that makes you care about the characters, and enough revelations (some even a bit creepy) to keep any thriller-lover happy to the twisted climax.

This is the first time I've heard of Lucy Dawson, but I'm already anticipating her next book.

Thank you to Lucy Dawson, Bookouture, and NetGalley for an ARC of this great book!

This is one of those books that makes you cook dinner with one hand and hold your Kindle in the other. Thrilling and exciting, the writer really hit on all of the emotions possible in this great read. A really great psychological thriller, I would highly recommend.

Beth is 5-years-old. Her mum, Jess Davies, is quite protective of her. Dropping her off at school, Jess feels uneasy leaving Beth today but when she sees her playing with her little friend, Cara, she realizes she needs to stop being so worried all the time.

A couple of hours later, Jess gets a call at work saying Beth has had an accident and to get to the hospital. Upon arrival, she learns that Beth died immediately when she fell from a school jungle gym.

Beth and her husband, Ben, grieve as they bury their little girl. Although Ben is a loving man, Jess feels huge guilt from something that happened in her past shortly before they got married. So, Jess decides to leave Ben and start her life over somewhere else.

Years later, Jess has married Ed and has a 2-year-old son, James. They are very busy taking care of their active child as they look to sell their home and move to another one. It’s when they are viewing a prospective home to buy that Jess’s past comes slamming into her face and her world turns upside down.

This is the type of book that a reader cannot put down. I was drawn into this story and all of the believable characters that the author created. The book is broken up into two parts. I wish I could give more hints about the book but that would simply create spoilers. Suffice to say that this story will pull at the reader’s heartstrings making them at once sad and then terrified. Don’t miss this one. It’s a keeper.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thisbwas definitely a heartwrenching book thst ticked all the boxes for me. Veey enteelrtaining with characters you cant help but feel something for.

Definitely want more from this author.

This is a real roller coaster of a book. You think you know where the story is going from the beginning but then the twists and turns start. Loved it.

From the moment I clapped eyes on the cover I knew I had to read this book....what a cover. This is the first book that I have read by Lucy Dawson and now I am left wondering why on earth haven't I read any of her books before The Daughter is simply brilliant, Absolutely mind blowing and gripping stuff I flipping loved it.

Those of you that follow my reviews will know that I am a massive fan of psychological thrillers and this book is certainly that. I was hooked from start to finish with a brilliant prologue. Without giving to much away the story is told in two parts where we meet Jess and follow the shocking events leading up to her leaving her life behind and starting a new one.The author then transports us to 17 years later where we catch up with Jess and her family. Terrifying things begin to happen and Jess knows that her past and caught up with her.

Jess is a character that you cannot help but like she has made mistakes in the past but haven't we all. You cannot help but feel sorry for her because she hasn't had the easiest life. Being a parent myself I can only imagine the pain and hurt she goes through. You will understand what I mean when you read this for yourself. And you really need to read this one!

I cannot begin to tell you how much I loved it. Taking me on a roller coaster ride of emotions. This book will have you on the edge of your seat and will it will make the hairs on your neck stand up that's for sure. I devoured this in one day, seriously I couldn't put it down with each page leaves you wanting more. The tension build up is unreal.

This is one very well crafted story with a brilliant character build up and the dropping plenty of OMG moments in all the way through the story. Not only did this story have me guessing until the end. Oh and that ending.... wowsers I didn't see that coming! The author's writing skills are so powerful that it also brought tears to my eyes. It certainly takes a lot for a story to do that to me but Lucy Dawson knows how to do it which her emotion descriptions.

This is a must read for fans of Louise Jensen which I cannot recommend enough giving it all the stars.

The daughter is a great psychological thriller that had me hooked from the first page.
The first part of the book is an emotional opening as you get to meet the main character, Jess, whom is married to Ben and have a daughter, Beth, who has just started school. I was invested with Jess from the start as Lucy Dawson has done a great job of making her totally believable as with all the characters. You follow Jess trying to fit in with the school mums as she is only 24 she feels out of the 'in' crowd due to her falling pregnant at 19. At the school she finds out that an older man she had a brief fling with in her teens is working there and this is where things turn quite sinister.
I loved how this book drew me in from the beginning and I couldn't wait to find out who was doing all these things to Jess when she had upped and left her old life, moved out of the area and met someone new and started a new family....who knew about her tragic past, well I didn't guess and the twists and turns throughout the second half of the book had me back and to between two characters and I was totally wrong!
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

As a parent I think one of the worst fears is the thought of receiving a phone call to say something terrible has happened to your child but this is exactly what happens to Jess in The Daughter. Jess receives a phone call to say daughter Beth, who she left happily at school that morning has been rushed to hospital. What follows is a dramatic and harrowing story and one that is filled with secrets and lies.
The Daughter is told in two-time frames, first we have the build up and after math of Beth’s accident and then we go seventeen years on to where Jess has moved on and is trying to build a new life for herself. I have to say the first part of the story my heart was breaking for Jess, no mother wants to feel the way Jess does and Lucy Dawson has done an incredible job of portraying those feelings, the loss, the loneliness and the guilt that a mother feels and can do very little about.
Jess not only has all that to contend with, she also has a secret, a rather large secret that she’s hidden and intends to keep hidden for as long as she can. I didn’t agree with Jess and the decisions she made but I could understand her reasoning’s.
The second part of the book, seventeen years later was an intense read. Oh boy, I did not want to put this book down. Someone’s out to make Jess suffer and my heart was in my mouth while reading about it. I’ve never come across a psychological thriller that has had me so upset and terrified at the same time. I did figure out quite early on who was trying to make Jess suffer but it didn’t spoil it for me in the slightest, if anything it made me a bit more on edge and I was desperate for Jess to see what I could see.  
The Daughter is a cracking good story about loss, lies, guilt and obsession. It’s filled with characters that jump off the page, some you may like and others not so much but they feel real and The Daughter is written so well it was so easy to just completely get lost and lose track of time.
I’m really looking forward to reading more from Lucy Dawson and will be recommending The Daughter that’s for sure.

EXCERPT: 'If I had told you about Simon, you would never have kept Beth at that school and she would be alive now.'

The confession burned silently in my mind. I closed my eyes; I was unable to look at him.

"We've lost our daughter - "

'She's almost certainly not your child.'

THE BLURB: You lost your daughter. You will never forgive yourself. And now someone's determined to make you pay…

Seventeen years ago, something happened to Jess’s daughter Beth. The memory of it still makes her blood run cold. Jess has tried everything to make peace with that day, and the part she played in what happened. It was only a brief moment of desire… but she’ll pay for it with a lifetime of guilt.

To distance herself from the mistakes of the past, Jess has moved away and started over with her family. But when terrifying things begin happening in her new home, seemingly connected to what happened to Beth, Jess knows that her past has finally caught up with her. Somebody feels Jess hasn’t paid enough, and is determined to make her suffer for the secrets she’s kept all these years.

MY THOUGHTS: The Daughter by Lucy Dawson is a well written psychological-thriller that moves along at a good pace. It is written over two timelines, firstly when Jess is twenty-four and then almost twenty years later.

I have to admit that I didn't like Jess, the main character, and in the early part of the book I had to keep reminding myself that she was very young and that, at that age, we don't always think things through. But even twenty years later, she doesn't seem to have matured much. She has a lovely husband and child, but remains obsessed by her dead first child. Her obsession and the accompanying paranoia are central to the success of the story.

Dawson had me really wondering just who was behind all the misfortunes that were befalling Jess and her family, and my suspicious mind was leaping from person to person - always the sign of a good read when I suspect everyone!

Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of The Daughter by Lucy Dawson for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about'page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/2018/01/25/the-daughter-by-lucy-dawson/

Oh my goodness this one put me through the ringer! I spent the first third of the book with a box of tissues next to me, I found it really emotional and I felt so much for the characters with the events that happened.

For me I was hooked then, I needed to know what would happen and I was glued to my Kindle until the very end - it is a very well planned out story that has just the right amount of suspense.

The pace is good and it really works well with the story. I was guessing for a lot of the plot about what the end might be - just what I look for in this kind of book - a solid 4 stars from me - I really enjoyed it!!

After Jess' daughter (Beth) dies in a tragic accident, Jess walks away from her life and her loving husband. Seventeen years later, Jess has a happy new life, but what happened to Beth continues to haunt her. So when disturbing things begin to happen in Jess' home, she knows that someone is trying to hurt her family. But who, and most importantly, why?

There are a lot of secrets crammed into this psychological thriller, and lots of twists. I'm a mom, so I instantly empathized with Jess and worried with her that someone might be targeting her young son. I was also surprised by the ending, which carried a one-two punch, and was pleased with the surprising amount of compassion that some of these characters have for one another. Many thrillers are brutal in their treatment of characters, but The Daughter has an underlying message of forgiveness. That said, this is not a tame book. I was definitely nervous while reading it!

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for an ARC.

A great well written read. I couldn't put it down. I lost sleep!

For some reason, I just couldn't get myself interested in what happened to this narrator at all. I felt too distant from her and didn't feel what she was feeling. The start was very slow and I felt perhaps a bit too detailed. And I spotted the twist at the first clue! A good story.