Member Reviews

A great read with plenty of twists and turns that keeps you guessing throughout.. I look forward to reading more by this author.

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This was an very interesting and often disturbing thriller of a read. Emily is standing right next to Rose as she steps out in front of an oncoming car and is killed instantly. This has a huge effect on Emily, who has some issues to begin with, and she begins to insert herself into Rose's former life. This book was well written and seriously creepy at times. Not wanting to spoil the story for anyone with any additional info, I strongly recommend.

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Thank you for the advance review copy of Her Name Was Rose by Claire Allen. Although the book did not live up to my expectations, however I know that different readers enjoy different books and I will keep it in mind for my library patrons. I won't, however, publish a review on Goodreads as I prefer not to post any negative reviews for books. Thank you again for the ARC.

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After an exciting and gripping start I am sorry to say I struggled with this book, mainly because I felt like giving Emily, the main narrator of the tale, a good shake for most of the way through.

Fresh out of an abusive relationship herself, Emily recklessly proceeds to take over the life of Rose, the beautiful young woman she witnessed being killed in a road accident. The only problem is that in reality Rose’s life was far from the idyllic existence she projected on social media and before long the vulnerable and unwitting Emily is swiftly drowning in a whirlpool of manipulation, secrets and heartache.

Slight spoiler alert but, guess what, there is a Massive Twist coming up and disappointingly it’s not (as I was hoping) that Emily was the villain all along. This was a huge pity in my opinion - I would have really enjoyed that outcome, and it would have turned the whole thing round for me, but sadly it was not to be.

I’ve read some really positive reviews for this book (some from my favourite writers) but it didn’t quite hit the spot for me, perhaps I’ve just read too many similar psychological thrillers recently.

Many thanks to Ms Allan, to Avon Publishers and to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

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Loved this book! Very clever and well written, kept me hooked until the end! I have already recommended it to family and friends!

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Emily lets a woman and her child step out in front of her and then watches a car plow into her, killing her instantly. Her name was Rose.

Emily is certain that it was her fault ... she should have been the one hit by a car ... the one who died.

She gets mired in Rose's life. She follows her facebook pages, she even applies for the job that Rose had held. She makes Rose's friends her own. She wants the happiness that Rose lost .. a handsome man who treasured her, a child she loved passionately, good friends, family. All the things that Emily had never had.

But you know what they say ... be wary of what you wish for ... you just might get it.

This is a peek into a woman's life who wants more ... she wants what someone else has had. She also carries a secret with her .. a secret past that she definitely is hiding. And she's not the only one with a secret. But someone else's secret could be deadly.

This was suspenseful, although just a tad predictable. The ending did come as a surprise, though. This is the first I've read of this author, but would not hesitate to read her others.

Many thanks to the author / Avon Books UK / Netgalley / Edelweiss for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

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I thought this was a well paced and interesting crime thriller. There was a who done it at the crux of the story with the titular character of Rose being the victim. Emily is witness to Rose's death and soon becomes a little too interested in this strangers life, this leads her to slowly slink into replacing Rose in her job, with her friends and finally with Rose's Husband. It's a tale of social media portraying a different side to our actual lives and that age old fact that no one really knows what goes on behind closed doors. I warmed to Emily quickly and even though she makes some strange decisions and gets into some sticky situations I didn't feel any resentment towards her. It was a quick read with a good reveal at the end. I think they could have made a little more of a few of the characters but all in all a decent read.

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Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for my Kindle.
Rose was killed by a hit and run driver. Was it an accident? Was Rose the intended victim?
This is a good psychological thriller with twists and turns. It even had a big twist towards the end that totally surprised me! In all, a good book except for the profanity and "bedroom scenes."

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Ruth is sharing a lift with stranger Rose and her son Jack, when the lift door opens Ruth smiles and lets them exit the lift first, as they walk towards the road Ruth sees Rose step into the path of a speeding car that knocks into her, killing her instantly. Ruth thinks the car was meant to have hit her!!

Ruth after splitting with her ex Ben has been using Anti Anxiety pills and alcohol as an emotional crutch, she becomes obsessed at looking at Rosie’s happy life on Facebook. From the outside they look like they had the perfect life and happy marriage,but as we all know we only see what people want us to see and with everybody sharing their happy memories on Facebook it is easy to see why people can become jealous of somebody else’s life!!!

A book that starts with the shocking scene of Rosie’s death,that keeps you fully immersed, there are loads of red herrings along the way to keep you guessing until the final page.

An easy reading book I read in 1 sitting and the ending has left me quite dizzy!!

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

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Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Her Name was Rose is a psychological thriller. Emily lets a stranger step out in front of her and the unthinkable happens, she is knocked down and killed leaving behind her Son and seemingly perfect life.

Emily is soon obsessed with finding all she can about Rose the lady who was killed. Especially as she felt it should have been her. Rose led a seemingly perfect life, however we all know how easy it is to show only the best bits through social media. The story follows Emily who almost seamlessly steps into the victims life taking her job and she even starts dating Rose's widowed husband! We follow Emily on her journey of discovery as she learns that not all is as it seems.

The novel is not a very fast-paced psychological thriller but its very enjoyable all the same I look forward to seeing what Claire Allan comes up with next!

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Emily witnessed a hit and run and thought, “It should’ve been me.” She was the one who let the mother, Rose, step in front of her and few seconds later, Rose was dead.

Emily started cyberstalking Rose’s life after her death and became obsessed with Rose’s picture perfect life. Soon, she replaced her at her job... and even family.

The book was quick paced and kept my attention. I loved the ending; it was unexpected and I felt genuinely happy for Emily. That really left an impact with me.

Overall, this was a pleasurable read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest, unbiased review.

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*Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* The novel was set in Derry, in Northern Ireland, which I loved. Previously, I think the only books I have read set in this area have related directly to the Troubles (which have always fascinated me), so I enjoyed reading a novel set in this location, but based on the ordinary lives of ordinary people... or not so ordinary. I also enjoyed that one of the characters shares my name - Tori. However, I digress. The book start with a horrible traffic accident that leads to the death of the character mentioned in the title - Rose. The action and pace of the book does not slow from this point. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the story from a range of viewpoints, as the protagonist, Emily, got closer and closer to the dangerous truth of what really occurred. I look forward to reading more of Claire Allan's work in the future.

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This is an intriguing book that keeps you guessing about the direction it's taking until finally everything is revealed - and it's not what you think.

It's unusual to be blindsided by a whodunit but Claire Allen manages this in "Her name was Rose" a tale of domestic abuse, affairs and murder. Yet for all the drama, it manages to keep the focus on the characters and how they cope after losing someone who was perfect - or was she?

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

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One evening Emily is witness to a hit and run accident. She stood by helplessly and watched as a young woman heroically pushed her baby son, in his pushchair, to safety before being flung into the air from the impact of the car. She died at the scene.
Emily didn't stick around to talk with the police; but followed everything about the case online. She found out that the dead womans name was Rose Graham who was married to Cian Graham, a successfull author and that they had a baby boy called Jack. Her life seemed so perfect. On Rose' facebook page there are beautiful photo's of her smiling with family and friends and posts about how perfect everything in her life was.
But Emily isn't happy with her lot in life. She has moved on from an abusive relationship but the wounds haven't yet healed. She hates her tele-sales job and her only real friend lives in America. So she becomes obsessed with having a life like Rose had. She quits her tele sales job and becomes Rose's replacement at the dentist's surgery, and becomes friends with her friends and colleagues there. Then she's introduced to Rose's widower; Cian and their baby Jack. it's not long before she's taken Rose's place in the bedroom and is helping Cian with Jack. Emily thinks she's got everything she ever wanted but is anyone's life that perfect? When her obsession with being Rose lands her in the middle of a double murder investigation she learns what Rose was really going through and it was far from perfect.
Rose and Cian's personalities, good and bad are written so well. Rose is sad and self destructive whilst Cian is violent and controlling. Claire Allan is definitely on my list of favourite authors

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I read this book in one sitting, I was totally gripped! I will be looking out for more books by Claire Allan!

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I really enjoyed this novel! It certainly had twists I was not expecting. My heart went out to Emily because while she seemed slightly crazy, you could tell all she wanted was to be loved. I definitely questioned different people at different times throughout the book!

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Emily witnesses an accident where a young mother (Rose) is killed instantly by a car.. When Emily realises by digging around in social media that Rose's life seems perfect, she decides to fill the void left behind and puts a plan in action to step into Rose's shoes. I absolutely love the author's style of writing. - really giving us a feel for the personalities of the main characters in the book. A great read. A real page turner and twists you will not expect.

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Whoa, everything I read was just whoa. Emily, our main character is a tad bit off her rocker in my opinion. Everything she has done is over the top and comes with severe questionable motives. Does this girl have a conscience? Does she understand how truly weird and over the top she's being in every aspect of her life? Even her past she's thrown herself at her ex, in who as she described him truly does not deserve her attention. However, her craziness made me feel sorry and scared for her. She has no boundaries in which she understands has gone too far and her family and best friend, Maude, have concerns for her that are justifiable I came to see.
Witnessing a death can not be easy but neither can sweeping in and replacing this person. Her mental stability as the author wanted is questioned throughout the story making it hard to believe her thoughts throughout the story. Her intense personality and actions however are what gives this story what it needs.
Emily's relationship with Cian is uncomfortable right from the beginning. Her obsession with Rose's life at first is just a clue as to how obsessive she can really become. This obsession in my opinion puts blinders on Emily as her past relationship with Ben did as well. These blinders lead her to not see the truth in multiple matters.
The book was twisty but not super crazy. As a thriller, I was expecting a tiny bit more so I was a tad disappointed in it overall. There were parts I saw coming and some I did not but connecting the dots in the end was a relief. I wish one relationship was intensified more so that it made more sense but that is something I won't get into as I don't want to spoil anything for anyone. A solid 3.5 for me.

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Tense, thrilling and totally terrifying, Claire Allan’s Her Name Was Rose is a heart-pounding chiller you simply will not be able to put down!

Everything changed in a split second. When Emily allowed a stranger to step out of the lift in front of her, she never imagined that this simple act would transform her life irrevocably. Emily’s decision ended up having terrifying and life-altering consequences as she watched in horror while a car ploughed into the woman she had shared a lift with only moments ago, killing her instantly. Whoever was driving the car kept going on their way, not caring about the carnage and devastation they had left behind. Shock grips Emily and she finds herself consumed by this tragic accident. She spends days and nights stalking this woman and her family on social media, she attends her funeral and becomes completely obsessed by a woman whose name was Rose.

Unlike Emily, Rose Grahame had the world at her feet. She had a job she liked, a husband who worshiped the ground she walked on, a beautiful baby boy and a gorgeous home. Having spent her entire life longing and yearning for such things, Emily cannot help but be jealous of the dead woman. With Rose’s husband and son devastated by their tragic loss, Emily thinks that they need help coping with their devastating loss and they need somebody to care for them – and she is the perfect candidate to fill this position. Taking Rose’s place in the Grahame household would provide Emily with the perfect life she has always wanted. However, Emily soon realises that nobody’s life is perfect and that all that glitters is not necessarily gold…

Trapped in a gilded cage where nothing is as it initially seems, will Emily uncover the truth about Rose’s murder? Was her marriage to her husband as perfect as everybody thought? And whatever happened to the driver who had been driving the car that had killed Rose? Was Rose the intended victim? Or was Emily the one they had in their sights all along?

Clear your schedule, switch off your phone and get ready for an emotional rollercoaster ride that will have you chewing your nails to the elbow as you find yourself completely and utterly mesmerized by this first class thriller! A book that will grab your attention from the very first page, Her Name Was Rose is domestic noir at its darkest and most chilling. Her Name was Rose is a densely plotted and wonderfully written thriller full of menace, secrets, lies and deceptions that is so captivating, I devoured the entire book in a day.

An outstanding read devotees of Gillian Flynn, B A Paris and C L Taylor are going to love, Her Name Was Rose is a spine-chilling must-read that should not be missed!

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I held my breath while reading Her Name Was Rose. Read so fast to find out what happened. Then had to slow down as I didn't want it to end. So dark and twisty. Definitely kept guessing til the end. You should read it
When Emily lets a stranger step out in front of her, she never imagines in that split second will change her life.
Kept putting this down to do necessary life things. Kept not doing the things I was supposed to do.

Thank you to the Author and Netgalley

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