Well this one had me intrigued pretty much from the off and, apart from a few wavering moments, kept my attention nicely throughout.
A woman arrives into the country and promptly loses both her handbag and her memory. She does however have a train ticket and a feeling of where she should go once the train arrives at its destination. So, she knocks on the door, thinking she lives in the house, but there is some other couple there, Tony and Laura. As she is distressed, they take her in and arrange for her to get some medical help from their own GP. The doctor thinks she recognises her and sets in motion what proves to be a really wild ride.
The aforementioned wavering moments were probably due to the fact that this book is very busy. If I was playing "psychological thriller bingo" I would probably have called "house"way before the end; talk about convoluted! But, if you can keep your head relatively straight and suspend a bit of belief along the way, you will be rewarded as the ending does work and wraps things up nicely.
You will also have to keep track of quite a few characters, especially as there are some quite similar ones. I had to resort to my trusty notebook and pen to log them as I got in a bit of a pickle, but that could just be me as I do have an issue with this thing sometimes.
It is also a book that I gave up trying to second guess quite early on. Part of what I love about reading this kind of book is playing along with the author and formulating what I think is going on. In fact, this book curved balled me totally at a certain point and I actually stopped reading, turned to my brother and said, "OMG they've..... and we're only... way through" (censored due to spoilers). Only to have to eat my words a couple pages on when we took a bit of an about face!
I've already mentioned that it is a bit convoluted and that also meant that the ending was a bit on the busy side and felt a bit rushed. Maybe the book would have been a better read had some of the things included not been present, it all felt a bit over the top at times and it did overwhelm me. There were a few things that in my opinion could have been stripped back which I think would have made for a better read. I haven't read the author's debut book (in this genre) but, on the back of this one, I am willing to give that a try too. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

The blurb said a woman arrived to a village via the train with her bag stolen and total retrograde amnesia, including not knowing her name. Then she knocked on Laura and Tony's home claiming it to be hers, as the address was all that she remembered. They took her in, and Tony named her Jemma. And the twists started rolling...

J. S. Monroe has written a brilliant book with so many twists that at times I felt almost like a pretzel. Memory and hippocampus were brilliantly used in the entire plot. I loved the way Monroe has plotted the amnesic main character. I had to go back to my knowledge bank to remember if such an amnesia is possible. Well, the brain can be tricky!!

The book had a darker overtone, without it being too macabre, but it went with the entire flow. Tony, as the man obsessed with sea horses and memory, was as unlikable as villain ought to be. There was something off each time he helped Jemma.

The author then went ahead admixed in the plot, the character of a psychotic woman who had murdered her best friend and who looked just like our protagonist. In all this confusion, the cops and an ex-reporter Luke had to search for the lone thread which would unknot the entire plot.

My niggles came and went as I read the book, some parts were too descriptive (I learned to skim read), a few unanswered questions (I let go of them), slightly clearer prose (I had to re-read some bits)

The book held me captive till I reached the last page and then made me write this review. What a book!!

This was a brilliant read, with a few twists along the way. Once you start reading it is hard to put down. Would definitely recommend it.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read it.
5 stars deserved.

Review: Forget My Name by J.S. Monroe
Imagine you lose your memory and the one of the few things you have left is the knowledge of where you live. You head home and arrive to find strangers living in your house. Sleeping in your bedroom, all traces of you gone. It’d be a bit strange, wouldn’t it?
That’s exactly the problem facing our mystery protagonist in Forget my Name. She’s unnamed, possessing neither past nor future, only the present. We soon take a detour from the route that I presumed the story was going down, which would have been very predictable, through a rabbit warren of twists and turns, to find the truth of “Jemma”‘s origins.

Monroe’s characters were the best part of this novel. Tony was very interesting. He starts off seeming like an innocent homeowner, willing simply to help a lost woman. It will probably be of no surprise to frequent readers of thriller novels that things weren’t exactly as they seem — both on Jemma’s side and from the perspective of those that she encounters. I loved the depth given to the stories for secondary characters, for example through the suggestion that ‘Jemma’ might be the long lost daughter of one of them. This didn’t feel forced at all.

I really enjoyed Forget my Name, especially towards the end. In the final third the action ramps up and every bit of mystery and misdirection pays off. Kudos to J.S. Monroe for a gripping read, I look forward to reading their next book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Head of Zeus and J.S. Monroe for the opportunity to read this book.

I couldn't get through this book fast enough. I had been reading other genres for a while so getting back to a psychological thriller was a treat. Throughout, you don't know what to believe, what is real and what is fake? Who is the mystery woman who appeared on Laura and Tony's doorstep? Is Tony all he seems? His reaction to the woman and the speed with which he gives her the name "Jemma" don't sit right, but I couldn't work out what he was doing and why. I think reading without knowing too much about the background is better for this book, so all I'll say is that it's a fast read, as you'll want to find out what is going on. It's mysterious and two pronged, and nobody is as they seem! Loved it! #ForgetMyName #NetGalley

She arrived at the train station after a difficult week at work. Her bag had been stolen, and with it, her identity. Her whole life was in there – passport, wallet, house key. When she tried to report the theft, she couldn't remember her own name. All she knew was her own address.

Now she's outside Tony and Laura's front door. She says she lives in their home. They say they have never met her before.

I devoured this book. Its so clever! The main characters are so clever! It had me on Google a few times just to check what I was reading was actually true! I can't say too much about the story line as not to give it away. But the way the author unfolds the story is just brilliant! Its not your run of the mile psychological thriller, it has so much more to offer.

Well I am certainly in luck for reading good titles at the moment. This one is a tale in two parts, the second part a bit of a surprise, although you could feel something of the sort simmering underneath the main storyline throughout the beginning. There was a little confusing bit near the end (I wonder if I fell asleep and skipped something) which I found disappointing, but the final chapter ties it all up beautifully. I would certainly recommend this disturbing tale

You are outside your front door. There are strangers in your house. Then you realise. You can't remember your name.

When a woman turns up at Tony and Laura's home, the woman insists that they are living in her house. The couple invite her to come in. The woman tells them she has lost her bag with her purse, passport etc and that she can't remember her name. But she can describe the layout of the couples home. The couple think that she has amnesia and invite her to stay the night. They also book her an appointment with their local GP for the next morning. From here on, the plot just gets thicker and thicker.

The book is written using the viewpoints of several characters. It's also another one of those books where you can't say too much as you would give away too many spoilers. The twists just keep on coming and I gave up on trying to guess where the story was going as I just kept getting it wrong. There are some creepy characters in this creepy thriller. It's difficult who to believe in this fast paced book but you will just want to find out more. Who is telling the truth and who is telling lies? I also liked the information that we got told on our brains, memory and of sea horses. An enjoyable read.

I would like to thank NetGalley, House Of Zeus and the author J. S. Munroe for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

'Forget My Name' is internationally bestselling author J. S. Monroe's second thriller to be written in the English language, and having thoroughly enjoyed 'Find Me', I was happy to discover that this was just as compelling and compulsively readable. The writing flows wonderfully from chapter-to-chapter making it a total pleasure to read, there are a plethora of twists, turns and red herrings to keep the reader guessing for the duration and it starts off at quite a slow burn type of pace, but it doesn't take long until Monroe turns the screw and ratchets up the tension until we reach the unbearably tense finale from which comes a stonker of a climax! And a most satisfying one at that!

There were a few of the suspenseful surprises that were predictable quite early on, and usually, this would affect my overall appreciation for the book, but here I was enjoying everything else so much that it didn't have a substantive impact on my rating or review, although I have removed one star due to that. Engaging, completely gripping and a fun-filled, addictive experience, most crime buffs will absolutely love it! A couple of quick sidenotes on why it couldn't be awarded the full five stars - There is quite a large cast of characters which I didn't feel was necessary and could lead to confusion. Also, if you're the type of reader who needs a story grounded/based in reality, then this may not be for you. Many of the events that take place are far-fetched and wouldn't occur in real life. I also felt that it could've been better edited and quite a number of pages deleted without taking anything away from the novel.

Essentially, the fundamental concept this book is based on is the consequences of the main protagonist's amnesia, so this is definitely more of a mystery and intrigue tale than a thrilling one per se. It's creepy, impeccably paced and wastes no time in throwing you in at the deep end. Thoroughly enjoyable, it certainly captivated me!

Many thanks to Head of Zeus for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This is a creepy thriller that will keep you hooked until the very last page.

It all starts with a mystery lady who has just arrived at her home, after returning from Berlin. The only trouble is she has no idea who she is, any memory of her past and all her belongings have been lost in her bag at the airport. She does however remember her house but one problem is that there is a couple living there who who are adamant it is their house and they have never seen the mystery lady before. Who is telling the truth ?

This is a great thriller with a very creepy side. Some fantastic, but creepy, characters and a fast paced plot that will keep you guessing through. There are also some twists and turns that will keep you wanting more. All in all a great creepy thriller.

Thank you to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

For most of this book I had absolutely no idea what was going on. In most books this would be a problem for me as I like to have at least some threads of possibilities which I can start to wind together to figure out what is happening. In this book however, this actually worked to the stories advantage. It’s the fact that you don’t know why this woman turns up at Tony and Laura’s door and the fact that you have no idea of her past or how she came to be there that makes you keep turning pages in a quest to find out.

I liked the fact that the story literally jumps right in, there’s no hanging around. This woman turns up and straight away you’re thrown into the unknown. The author writes in a very fast paced manner and it’s twists and turns galore as you are drawn further into the mysteries.

There are quite a few characters in this story and at times I found it hard to keep up with who was who and where they fit in the overall story. There seemed when reading to be two story lines running parallel with the mysterious woman and then Luke, who used to be a journalist, who is digging into his past and whether or not he may have a connection with this woman. It’s difficult to say too much about this mysterious woman without giving away any spoilers.

This is a very well written, captivating psychological thriller which had me hooked very early on and kept me hooked all the way through to the end.

A woman arrives in a sleepy village with no knowledge of who she is or why she is at the village, just that something told her to go there. A couple of villagers think they recognise her but they are conflicting. Who is the mysterious woman? Is she safe?

This is a thriller with intrigue and mystery at its heart. We meet the woman when she is at her lowest, with no background knowledge, and she is soon taken in by Laura and Tony. This is quite a slow read but I was still taken in and had a feeling of wanting the mystery solved. I liked the village setting given to this, it allowed for busybodies to put their theories forward providing amusement.

My one negative, is some of this is far fetched and feels implausible and the plot lost some credibility for me. Monroe throws in some plot changing twists and whilst proving exciting for the book, it is here that some credibility is lost.

Despite this 'Forget My Name' is an enjoyable thriller with dark themes and events filtering in. I enjoyed reading this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for an advance copy.

Wow an amazing book that just when I thought I'd figured it out it changed and I hadn't a clue where it was heading!! Kept me gripped and intruded from page one until the last page

Thank you NetGalley and Head of Zeus for letting me read Forget My Name by J.S. Monroe for an honest review! All opinions are my own!

My first time reading that author, no regrets!

I give it 4 stars.
Really good, interesting, well written, good characters, a good thriller. A woman suffering from amnesia. Imagine you can't even remember your own name?!?!
This is told by many POVs so it can be confusing but it is interesting and you want to read and find out what happened! You don't know what to expect!

Review shared online on Twitter, NetGalley, Goodreads, Amazon when published.

This book started out really well and I thought I was in for a great thriller that. Unfortunately, I felt that it didn't keep the momentum up and I started to lose interest.

This is one of those really odd books that is unique, but I'm not quite sure what to make of. There is certainly some artistic licence that makes the storyline just the other side of believable, but it is well written and planned.

This taut psychological thriller about an amnesiac woman who doesn't know her own name or where she came from, just that the modest house in an English village occupied by a pleasant but confused young couple is her house,not theirs. Either courtesy or curiosity compels Tony and Anna to offer the stranger at their front door not only hospitality, but also food and shelter while they help her unravel the mystery of her identity and why she believes their house is her home. When Tony suggests giving her a name while they try to figure out who she is, adding that "You look like a Jemma to me," it's the proverbial gun brandished in the first act of the play - by the rules of drama, it has to go off in the third.
Monroe spins an intriguing plot that kept this reader involved and excited to the last page. I wouldn't call it realistic - it's much too contrived for that. Fascinating, though - that's what this well written novel is.

I'd no idea what to expect since I'd never read JS Monroe. It was was an intriguing slow burn to start with, enough to keep you engaged, but oh my dear, once you were ensconced, suddenly it charged off in a wild and unexpected fashion, leaving you scurrying down lanes you never expected, and climaxing in a most satisfactory finale.

Forget My Name started out like it was going to be a great thriller that I could really get lost in. Unfortunately for me it didn't keep going in the same vein and I lost interest. Too many characters and theories being tossed around that were so far fetched. I figured out the who early on but not why. I wanted to like this one more.. just wasn't for me.

A woman turns up at a house that she believes she lives in only to find another couple living there. She has no memory and can't even remember her name. The couple invite her in and let her stay while she tries to figure out who she's is and why she is there. I was confused by some of the actions of these people who had no idea who this woman was.

Thanks to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased

Forget my Name is a fast paced twisty thriller that leads you down one path and then all of a sudden switches it up and takes you somewhere completely different. A woman arrives home to find that there are people living in her home...or are there? As she can’t remember her name or anything else about herself, someone is lying.
I raced through Forget my Name and whilst there are a few loose ends, I wasn’t disappointed and I enjoyed it.