This is the debut psychological thriller by Sarah Simpson. I read the blurb and it sounded just my kind of read, so it was with some excitement that I picked the book up and started reading. I was not to be disappointed. I really enjoyed the book but more about that in a bit.
I really felt for Eve and her young son. Eve entered into a relationship with Gregg, believing that he was as nice as he appeared to be. However it doesn’t take long for the rose tinted spectacles to fall from her eyes and she is horrified to learn what Gregg is really like. Gradually the abusive side of the relationship starts to take over and it isn’t long until Eve becomes a classic victim of domestic violence. She is careful as to what she says and does because she knows that he will make her pay for it when she gets home. Eventually Eve makes the brave decision to escape with her son but even then she is not free as she knows that Gregg will track her down. She lives in constant fear that he will find them and make them pay. I got the impression that Eve had led a life of regret as she wondered if her worst mistake was firstly meeting Gregg for the first time, or getting married to him or leaving the marital/ family home or to leave him alive. About the only thing she doesn’t regret is having her son. What can I say about the delightful charmer Gregg (note the sarcasm)? Gregg is a complete and utter nightmare. He creates a good first impression but his mask soon slips. He is a complete and utter control freak and he basically runs Eve’s life for her. He tells her what to say and what to do and when to do it. He is clever in one sense because he presents one persona in public and one at home with Eve and he knows that if she reports him, nobody would believe that he would abuse her. When she leaves him, she is convinced that he will chase after her. His attitude is that she is his property and he is going to do what he can to get her back. He is a manipulative psychopath, who has no redeeming features whatsoever. If there was any way that I could have leapt into the pages of this book to sort him out then I would have done. I can’t stand those who bully others, make people live in fear and who try to dominate somebody by scaring them half to death. Those who commit domestic abuse are a special sort of coward. I think part of my reaction to domestic violence stems from my work experiences in both child and adult protection, where I came across many such cases as that of Eve and Gregg.
I must admit that it took me a little while to get into this book and it was a bit of a slow burner. However after I had read a few chapters, I became addicted to the book and I just had to read on to see how the story concluded. I was really rooting for Eve and I was silently cheering her on in my head. I kept hoping that Gregg would accidentally on purpose take a very long walk off a very short cliff or someone would put an end to his reign of terror and do the world a favour. Reading this book was very much like riding on a very unpredictable and scary rollercoaster ride. There were lots of twists and turns, there were moments when I could sense what was going to happen but I was frustrated because there wasn’t a darn thing that I could do about it and there were moments when I almost had to read through my fingers as I feared what was going to happen next. This is certainly a difficult read in the sense that it deals with some pretty heavy topics, such as domestic abuse, but the author writes about them with great sensitivity.
In short I really did enjoy reading this great book and I would recommend it to other readers. I can’t wait for what comes next from Sarah Simpson. She is certainly an author to watch. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 4* out of 5*.

The Blurb :
Eve and Gregg were the perfect couple, with the perfect marriage... which has become the perfect lie. Gone is the charming, attentive Gregg - instead Eve wakes up each morning beside a manipulative and sinister man who controls his wife’s every move.
So Eve flees her immaculate marital home to keep herself, and young son Jack safe. Yet no matter how careful she has been, she knows Gregg will be relentless in his pursuit of his missing family. And that one day, when she's least expecting it, he will find them...
What was Eve’s greatest mistake?
Marrying Gregg? Leaving him? Or leaving him alive…?

My Thoughts :
The blurb and cover looked very intriguing on this book, but it took me a little whille to get into the book as for me it was confusing with the jumping around from present day to eve’s past in flashbacks.
As we learn about the marriage of Eve and Gregg, we see Gregg is a twisted Psychopath who has controlled and manipulated Eve for many years.
Eve finally took their son Jack and fled to Cornwall to start a new life. Eve had to live in constant fear that Gregg will find them one day. As we read in Eve’s flashbacks we learn what Gregg did and how he treated Eve throughout the course of their 10 year marriage.
Although this had the potential to be a great book it sadly wasnt for me and didnt keep me as captivated as id hoped, I felt very frustrated with Eve as times and wanted to take her by the hand and get her to harden up a bit. It does make a a good psychological thriller and I am sure it would make great reading for many others, it will certainly have your emotions all over the place.
A great debut from Sarah Simpson and I would certainly like to read more from this Author.

This is a book to take your breath away. The layers are unpeeled slowly and deliberately and it is deep, dark and tantalising!

Eve married Gregg for love; blinded by the attentive charming man and and his 'you're perfect' comments she fails to spot any of the warning signs which, with hindsight, she realises must have been there. To begin with this story reminded me of the film Sleeping with the Enemy but it's much, much grittier than that. When Eve finally leaves, her main concern is to protect her son Jack from the influence of his father, but some things never go away no matter how much you want them to.

This is a gripping read, and it wasn't until I had completed this book that I realised this is a debut novel. WOW. Author Sarah Simpson holds so much promise for what's to come and I shall certainly be watching for her future releases. As the story unfolded, I found myself worried for Eve, rooting for her and at times terrified in the face of her bravery. The love of a mother brings with it courage which many of us don't normally have, and this book displays that so well. Having run the gamut of emotions which the skilful writing evokes, I'm quite worn out! Not a novel to be taken at face value, this is an engrossing read, switching from two different timelines and harbouring secrets within. Definitely a five star read and one which I have no hesitation in recommending.

My thanks to publishers Aria for pre-approving my request via NetGalley. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

Unfortunately I did not like this book. The style of writing was off for me and the book was confusing and choppy. Thanks to the publisher for my copy but I cannot review it as I couldn't finish it.

Really enjoyed this debut book. It was well written, the descriptions the author uses for the emotions and characters make them all believable, however extreme the situation they find themselves in.
The character Gregg was superbly written as calculating, cruel and terrifying. The story moves at a good pace, switching between the past and present and the ending is satisfying. A chilling novel, but a brilliant read. Well done to the author.

Eve, a psychologist, married Gregg, a successful solicitor. They have a son named Jack. Shortly after their marriage, Eve started seeing the real Gregg. He is a controlling, arrogant, selfish, cruel and evil man - a complete psychopath. Eve tried hard to make the marriage work but realized it would not. He demeaned her, took her credit cards away from her, insisted that the house be perfect, and beat her many times. Some years later, she just had to leave. So, she and Jack packed up the little that they could and ran away from Warwickshire to Cornwall.

Eve finally divorced Gregg but always felt that he knew where she and Jack were. Now that Jack is a young teen, Eve never stops worrying about him and being afraid.

The story goes back and forth from the days of their marriage to present time. We meet Eve’s friends and coworkers in the clinic where she works. Things start to happen that makes Eve know that Gregg is near by and she fears for her’s and Jack’s lives.

This is an powerful book about spousal abuse in the extreme. While I found the story interesting, I could not fully understand why a woman who is a psychologist did not manage to get away from this man. It alludes to the fact that the British legal system is quite lenient to a man with money and power. I think that had Eve asked for help from the authorities earlier, she might had stood a better chance of getting away from this man. The author writes Eve as a strong woman but I felt that she was just weak.

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

I have to admit I struggled to begin with, I found it initially very confusing and somewhat hard to follow however in saying that I'm glad I stuck at it though, true to word of a psychological story, are things ever what they seem? You just never know, gripping story. Overall I've decided to give it 3.5/5 , thank you to #netgalley #aria #sarahsimpson for the opportunity to read this book, I look forward to Future reads by Sarah

It's hard to believe this is a debut! this story is billed as a Liane Moriarity and in many respects, in terms of plot and technicalities it is, but there's no mention of the writing. This lady has a style all of her own and I loved it! The characters are really well drawn, so you're in there when an intelligent woman is duped into believing she has met the perfect man. The descent into what becomes her life is all the more real because of how well the characters are formed on the page. Bravo Ms Simpson - a fantastic debut!

After a good, eerie beginning, this book unfortunately settled in to the poor clueless wife who marries the perfect man who becomes abusive and cruel. 

This is nothing like a Liane Moriarty book.  The style of writing was odd and didn't flow well for me. It was too wordy and it felt like the author was trying too hard.

One of my biggest peeves is when a book is compared to other writers works. Come on, this isn't close to Moriarty.

And I would really like to see this template of supposedly smart women marrying evil, crazy men and just becoming simpering, helpless victims. It's a template that has been overused and just feels insulting to the reader.

Thanks NetGalley/ April 1st 2018 by Head of Zeus, Aria

Eve flees a control and abusive relationship with her young son.. but can she really escape him and his evil ways? Follow Eves new life with the past still haunting her and watching her every move.

Wowsers!!! This book is INTENSE!! Her Greatest Mistake is Sarah Simpson's debut novel and what a psychological thriller it is!! You think you know someone and they are the perfect couple but no where near was that true. The couples friends were all fooled and they thought they had the perfect marriage. Yet little did they know what a psychopath Gregg truly was. Gives me chills just to think about it! This gripped me from me the very first page and had me glued to the pages until the end. I'm rating it 5 stars - like I said it is INTENSE! Get ready, its unlike anything you've read before. WOW! Thank you for this complimentary copy if this book from Aria Through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in his review are completely my own. Highly recommend!!!!

sadly i’ve really struggled to get to grips with this debut novel. the style of writing is overly descriptive and the chapters jump around in timeline awkwardly. for me, sadly, the storyline did not live up to the narrative.

many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

For this book supposedly being a thriller, it didn’t thrill me in the slightest. The writing was awkward, and the plot line has been overused. Unfortunately I didn’t finish about half way through.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Overall this was an OK book. I'm just not very generous with stars as when I give 5 I'm usually so overwhelmingly happy with the book I would like to BBF the author.

I personally didn't really feel very thrilled or captivated - more like the story just flowed and things kept unraveling, happening...without my deeper emotional participation. I didn't really buy into the lost family vibe or relationship strength of this story. It wasn't very believable these two would've been that happy together. Something about it felt a bit fake - like when you know you're not actually as happy as can be but you don't want to admit it out loud.

The language in this book made me smile many times. It seemed that Sarah Simpson either has a unique way of expressing characters' feelings or she'd tried extra hard.

For example:
"Deep into my limbic system I plunge."

I would recommend this book to readers who like family drama with twists and turns. No spoilers regarding a potential happy ending!

Her Greatest Mistake by Sarah Simpson is a debut psychological thriller which I picked up when I saw it compared to B.A. Paris who I’ve actually loved the books I’ve read. Unfortunately taking a chance on this new author didn’t quite work out as well as I had hoped it would.

The story in here is one that is familiar and very dark. Eve and Gregg are a married couple that from the outside seem to be absolutely perfect but what we all know is that looks can be deceiving. Eve finds that Gregg has a dark side and fears for not only her own life but that of her young son, Jack.

As soon as I started this one I knew I was going to end up having issues with it, not the story inside although I’m sure it is an obvious trigger warning for some. Instead it was the style in which the author writes that I wasn’t a fan of. I knew right away this one was on the wordy/overly descriptive side that I find a bit tedious to wade through although I’m sure others would love it more than the more straight forward style I prefer.

What really sealed the deal in this one not grabbing me at all though was also in how the story is told. We begin with a short eerie prologue to gain interest which wasn’t too bad but then come the chapters that jump all around. The sections include one week after, Cornwall 2016, the before (going further into their past) and a current time. Toss this jumping around time wise into what was already slow moving for me and it really just wasn’t my cup of tea at all unfortunately. If this one sounds good to you though I’d certainly suggest giving it a try as I know some will love it.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

A gripping thriller once again let down by the end and at times the odd writing style. The main part of the book is a real page turner as you learn about Eve's past life with Gregg and her present paranoia. Along the way there are several twists to the story as the present situation unfurls. It is not an easy read particularly the sections dealing with Eve's past and the abuse she suffered and many will find it hard to believe she stayed and endured it for so long.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me an advance reading copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the Publisher, Aria for this review copy given in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately I really struggled with this one. The writing from the beginning was very confusing and I struggled to understand what was going on. Perhaps if I had persevered with it a bit longer it may have got better, but to be honest I had lost interest by that point. It has had some good reviews and the actual plot of the story sounded good, but it just wasn't for me. Sorry!

Unfortunately I struggled through this book. I couldn't connect to the characters, and didn't particularly enjoy the style of writing. That is merely personal preference though. This story IS good, is interesting and does include some very well written pieces of description. I know there will be readers who love this book, but it wasn't for me.

Review: I would first like to thank Aria for asking me to review this book and to be apart of the blog tour.

This was an interesting book. It follows a turbulent relationship in great detail, using physiological descriptions and ideas from therapy, which I found very interesting to read in this novel.  It added a very good element to the story which gave a very different and real aspect to the characters. It was very hard to read at times in the respect of the topic but after a quick delve into a more easy-going book I was back into this one, I just had to find out what her mistake was.

A very good read.

Truth be told I had a hard time getting into this book. I am now 31% into the book and it’s bedtime and I don’t want to stop reading. Isn’t it always like that? This is another book about spousal abuse and you find yourself constantly wondering why she doesn’t put an end to it. Yes I know that it can happen to anyone but you still find yourself wondering why on earth a woman who is smart and has a university degree cannot find a way out of this situation. Eventually Eve takes her son Jack and sets up a new life but with her husband Gregg still in contact with Jack because of visitation rights. Strange things start happening and from the “before” parts of the book we find out a lot more of Gregg’s manipulation. These before and after chapters/parts get confusing at times and it can be hard to get back to where you are. I found the ending a bit of a letdown because after all how else could it really end? All in all I liked the book but would get rid of the before and after sections which stops the flow of the action and can be confusing. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my unbiased review. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery.