Manipulation. Lies. Deceipt. Twists. Abuse. This book has it all. I was engrossed from page 1 til the end. This book is a well written, page turner, that you don't want to miss! I give it 5 well deserved stars!

The book was very good. I could not put down!! Had me at the edge of my seat! I did not see the ending at all.

I enjoyed this book and finished it in 2 days. I liked the characters and the story had enough twists that it made it different from other missing kids books that are out now. I will definitely look for more from this author as the story kept me guessing until the end.

Her One Mistake was leaving her daughter with her best friend, Charlotte.

Harriet and Brian have one four-year-old daughter named Alice. As Harriet is a stay-at-home mom, Alice has never been away from Harriet’s side. However, Harriet’s family is struggling to make ends meet. Harriet decides to take a bookkeeping class one Saturday when her husband is fishing. She asks her best, and only, friend Charlotte to watch Alice for the day. Charlotte is planning to take her three kids to the church fair anyway so she is happy to oblige and take Alice too. However, an unthinkable thing happens at the fair and Alice disappears.

The action and twists don’t stop in Her One Mistake. It is an interesting blend of two types of thrillers but saying which two would spoil one of the excellent surprises in the book. 4 stars!

Thanks to Gallery Books for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is an intense story of lies, betrayal, grief and control. It encompasses so much more too. This book had me captured in the first chapter. Charlotte is watching Harriets' daughter for the first time when the child, Alice, goes missing. There is so much guilt and fear. This book has a complex set of characters. Some you will not like, but they are so realistic. What is truly going on? This is what you will be asking yourself. Filled with twists and turns, this is psychological suspense at its finest. Extremely well written, this book takes you on a journey into the life of someone who is psychologically abused. What happens next is unbelievable and yet understandable. This is an absolute must read! You will not be able to put this book down! I can't wait for the next book from this amazing storyteller. Grab this one! Fantastic read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery books for allowing me the chance to read this book. All opinions are my own.
Read this book!

Although I received an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all opinions remain my own.

This one had me guessing until the end. I thought I might know what was going to happen and then there was a plot twist. It wasn't so twisted as to be unbelievable though. The characters are definitely ones you can relate with. You can see yourself sitting down and having coffee with Charlotte. I wonder what I would have done if a child had gone missing on my watch. Could a child go missing on my watch? Makes you wonder for sure! This is a real-world type situation, something we see every day when we are out and about: parents on their phones when the kids play. Easy enough for some creeper to grab a child when no one is looking. Easier even when the child isn't outspoken.

This one was a page turner and had me book-zombied a few mornings after reading it. Didn't want to put it down and kept telling myself "just one more chapter" wasn't working anymore.

This was a psychological thriller that really dug deeply into the emotional aspects; gaslighting, confusion and mind games had someone doubting their sanity. Highly recommend this devious plotting. It’s a wicked read!

Wow! I was pulled in to this book immediately. Every mother's nightmare! I could feel the tension and suspicion so vividly. This book was one I did not want to put down until the end. I will definitely be recommending this book. I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for this ARC of Her One Mistake.

This book was intense! My heart was literally breaking for both Charlotte and Harriet. Although, I have to say that I loathed Brian from the beginning (Harriet's husband). I did think I had figured things out early on, but there was a good twist in there that I didn't see coming!

Alice is 4 years old, she is shy and is also Harriet and Brian's only daughter. Harriet trusts her best friend Charlotte to take Alice to the school fair and Charlotte's daughter (Molly) couldn't be happier. The fair is crowded and it's a hot day. After allowing the kids to munch down some cotton candy, Charlotte tells the kids to go on the jungle run bouncy house. After a few minutes she sees Jack (her son) and Molly come off the slide, but there is no sign of Alice. She begins to panic and after looking herself, she realizes that Alice is nowhere to be seen. The police are called and group searches are set up, and days pass with still no sign of Alice. The worst fear is that this disappearance is related to another little boy who seemed to just vanish.

Harriet and Brian's world is tipped upside down, but there is something darker lurking in the cracks of their home. Brian's behavior seems to be very controlling and out of character for someone who has lost his daughter. Harriet seems to just want to disappear into the darkness. Charlotte's life is turned upside down with everyone pointing fingers at her and blaming her for this.

Her One Mistake was hard to read at times, only because I felt the emotions so strongly!! This was a very good thriller and one that I would recommend reading!

This book isn't what you think it is...in the very best way.
You start out reading it like any other story, taking it all in; you start forming your opinions of the characters and what you think may happen next.
Then little hints start making you think to yourself, "wait, this isn't what I thought was going to happen!"
Imagine letting your best friend take your child out for the day and finding out that she's gone missing. I couldn't imagine the panic I'd be going through, but I definitely felt it while reading this book! And that's what this book is the whole way through - a story that puts you on the edge while it takes you through twists and turns.
I won't go into detail, because it's easy to give them away in this book, so you'll have to read it for yourself!

Charlotte agrees to take Alice to the fair. She promises Harriet she will watch her closely. When Alice disappears it is devastating to both women in different ways. Then secrets start to emerge. Where is Alice and who has taken her?

The author did a fantastic job with Charlotte and Harriet. I can feel their pain coming through the pages. I mean…what would you do if you were the mother….what would you do if you were the friend who lost the child? The feelings I had for both these women were remarkable.

Then there is Brian, Harriet’s husband. You know something is not right. You just can’t put your finger on it. Is he abusive, overprotective, or something else entirely?

Well! This book is pretty dang twisted! It did start a little slow…but that is just building for the wicked ending!

I received this novel from Gallery Books via Netgalley for a honest review.

This book is a psychological thriller that will keep readers on their toes. Just when I thought I knew where it was going, it went another way. And yes, this another book with a(n emotionally) abusive spouse with control issues; I sense a theme in many of the books I gravitate towards! All of the plotting and planning and figuring out made this an excellent read.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this book! This is a perfect example of what a mother would be like. It is worth reading if you like mysteries!

So, thrillers are a love/hate thing for me. I never had any interest in the genre at all until I started blogging and seeing other bloggers’ reviews of various books. Soon, I found myself hooked and wanted to read every new thriller that was coming out. But then, I started feeling bored and thinking that so many of them sounded similar to other books. Her One Mistake was certainly unique, but I can’t say that I loved this one.

I’m on the fence for a number of reasons. First of all, I didn’t find any of the characters even remotely likable, which makes it difficult to feel invested in the story. Harriet just got on my nerves, her husband Brian was completely atrocious, and Charlotte was just, well, she was kind of “blah.” I sympathized with her situation, I mean, imagine losing your friend’s child while at a school fair! I mean, how the hell do you explain that to a said friend later in the day? But besides being divorced, having children of her own, and babysitting Alice the day she was kidnapped, I didn’t really learn enough about her to care one way or the other.

Secondly, I’m not why there were jumps in time between right before, right after, and then maybe a week or so after Alice’s kidnapping. We’re only talking a few weeks so I didn’t feel that the back and forth was needed or relevant in regards to building suspense.

Lastly, the suspense was inconsistent. The novel starts, Harriet’s nervous about letting someone babysit Alice for the first time, and then Alice goes missing. This was good stuff and I was really into the story. But then, the next 60-75% of the novel is police interviews, Charlotte’s guilt, and Brian continuing to screw with Harriet’s head.

Nevertheless, there were things that I loved about Her One Mistake. Heidi Perks nailed Brian’s character as far as making him such a manipulative snake. As the novel progresses, he continually accuses Harriet of “forgetting things,” but eventually it becomes clear that he’s just screwing with her mind. As much as I hated him and what he was doing, the author did a fantastic job of developing his character.

This part will be short and sweet, but I also kind of loved how before you even knew what the hell was going on, you could kind of tell that Harriet and Charlotte were still feeling the friendly/sisterly love for one another. Granted, Harriet wasn’t very welcoming the first time they got together after the kidnapping, but it did become apparent throughout the novel that they still cared for one another and missed their friendship.

Furthermore, I loved how the author built on and described the emotional impact Alice’s kidnapping had on Charlotte, her kids, and basically, her everyday life. Yes, Perks clearly described Harriet’s emotions and fears after her daughter went missing, but I loved how she illustrated the way “friends” suddenly become “less than friends” when there is a controversial issue. It was raw, honest, uncomfortable and perfectly depicted how fairweather some friends can be.

Overall, this was an entertaining read that was suspenseful, but I think it focused more on the psychological. Perks perfectly described the effects and damage of emotional/mental abuse and how desperate a person can become to create a safe and stable life. She also demonstrated all of the reasons not to trust in those you consider your friends and that you never truly know who a person is.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing this review copy in exchange for my honest review!

A psychological thriller that will keep you awake! Two families that are torn apart after a friend loses a child at a school fair. Amazing twists that you will never expect.

Charlotte takes her best friend's 4 year old daughter Alice to the school fair along with her own 3 children. The unthinkable happens and Alice disappears. What's worse - losing your own child or a friend's child? Either scenario is just unthinkable! Chapters alternate between Charlotte and Harriet, Alice's mother. It'd be easy to side with one and blame the other but through their stories, you realize things are not as they seem on the surface. If you think this is a typical child abduction story, think again.

A missing child is not a new theme but Heidi Parks made it unique with a good book about a friendship tested when the daughter of one friend goes missing in the other friends care. Secrets about and twists and turns lead to a book that definitely kept me interested!

There are dozens of novels of psychological suspense that center around a missing child, but few have managed to surprise and delight me the way Heidi Perks’ Her One Mistake did. It's a deftly plotted mystery with relatable characters and a surprise ending, making it something I'm very pleased to recommend to fans of the genre.

It was a day not all that different from any other for Charlotte and her three children. They had plans to attend a fair being held at one of the local schools, and everyone was excited to have a day out. The only thing that set this particular day apart from the many others like it was the addition of four-year-old Alice, the only child of Charlotte's best friend Harriet. Alice and Harriet have literally never been separated, as Harriet is an extremely overprotective mother, but she asks Charlotte to look after Alice for a few hours so she can attend an accounting class, and Charlotte agrees.

Keeping track of four active children at a busy fair is no easy feat, but Charlotte is managing pretty well until she happens to look away from them for a split second, and that's all the time it takes for tragedy to strike. Alice is nowhere to be found, and Charlotte is frantic. After searching everywhere she can think of, Charlotte calls the police, setting in motion an investigation that will forever change the lives of those involved.

When Harriet learns of her daughter's disappearance, she is overcome with anger and fear. Charlotte is the last person she wants to see or speak to, since it was her carelessness that resulted in this terrible tragedy. But as days pass with no sign of the missing child, it begins to seem that her only hope of being reunited with Alice is likely to lie with Charlotte.

What follows is one of the twistiest novels I've had the pleasure of reading in quite a while. I thought for sure I had things all figured out, but none of my theories turned out to be true. Ms. Perks does a stellar job throwing in all manner of red herrings, none of which seemed over the top.

Public opinion plays a huge part in this story, and it's honestly one of the most compelling aspects of the plot. Charlotte is treated horribly by friends, acquaintances, and even perfect strangers. Everyone has their own opinion of what she could have done to prevent the calamity, and no one is the least bit hesitant to voice their thoughts. It's something that feels quite relevant to our times, and I'm glad the author incorporated it into the story.

There are some pretty graphic depictions of domestic violence here that could prove problematic for some readers. Ms. Perks handles the subject with a great deal of sensitivity, but some of the descriptions were extremely difficult to read, and I wanted people to be aware of this fact before picking this one up.

I can't tell you much else about Her One Mistake without entering spoiler territory, so I'll just urge you to give this fantastic thriller a try as soon as you can. It's a book that's sure to keep you guessing until the very end, and I'm pretty sure it's a story you won't soon forget.

Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
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Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Heidi Perks for an ARC ebook copy to review. As always, an honest review. Sorry about the late review on this ARC. A migraine prevented me from getting the reading done.

My rating is actually 4.5 stars but since there aren't half stars on here, I always round up.

Lately the thrillers I’ve been reading have been exceptional. Her One Mistake can be added to that list. The book takes us through the horror of losing a child. The palpable fear is so intense, it’s almost indescribable. The author crafted a complex mystery that’s slowly revealed in perfect timing. The mysteries upon mysteries make for a book that I absolutely couldn’t put down. I think I read it in less than 2 days.

I also like that the concept of gaslighting is featured. It’s not called as such, but it’s well done. The tension and suspense is perfect. I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy a book about a child being kidnapped, or if it would be too typical. However, I was pleasantly surprised at the complexity, surprise and characters. A wonderful psychological thriller that I highly recommend.

You've read the blurb/synopsis -- now read the book. Without giving spoilers, I'm finding it hard to write a typical review as this is and is not a typical missing child crime thriller.

Yes, 4-year-old Alice goes missing in broad daylight from a crowded school fair. Indeed, Charlotte Reynolds, the mom who was supposed to be watching Alice, is blamed. Harriet Hodder is Alice's mom and she had never before left her child with anyone. How could this have happened? And is this a kidnapping similar to that of a boy who was snatched from a nearby village months before? The police investigation begins and the friendship between Charlotte and Harriet naturally falls to pieces as Charlotte blames herself (she was posting on Facebook instead of keeping an eye on Alice) and Harriet's husband, Brian, blames her for leaving Alice with a sitter. But there is much more to this story.

While the two best friends are completely estranged, their lives both take a sharp turn to the worse. Charlotte, formerly a popular divorced mom of three, is looked at with suspicion and distrust -- she lost her best friend's daughter! Harriet sinks into a lockdown mode in her house with only her controlling husband and the liaison officer for company. Harriet feels she is losing her mind with the worry over her missing child.

The narrative shifts between point and view and a then and now format while the women each tell their own version of events as they are questioned by detectives. It turns out that the only truth happens to be this: if someone doesn't want to tell you their secrets, you won't know them.

A subtle shift occurs partway through the book that takes the story in a completely different direction and I really enjoyed the departure from the usual course. After the revelation, the tone changes and I could not turn the pages fast enough to get to the climax. I'm not sure how believable the whole scenario actually is, but I totally enjoyed it nevertheless. The characters were interesting and I could empathize with each woman as the plot delves into some issues typical of women's fiction and domestic drama. The conclusion seemed apt given all that had happened ...but I can't say more tho I want to!

I liked the book. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the e-book ARC to read and review.