While the book offers an intriguing premise, my opinion is mixed. The blurb didn’t accurately capture the story, leading to unexpected twists that might not resonate with everyone. For those interested in tales of loss and discovery, this could be a worthwhile read, but it may not be for everyone—especially if you prefer faster-paced narratives. Overall, "The Missing Woman" presents a complex psychological suspense that leaves readers contemplating its twists, though the ending may not fully satisfy my expectations.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read and review this ARC. Full review to be found on Goodreads and on my website.

This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

Omg talk about a roller coaster read wow this book kept me on the edge of my seat threw out I just couldn't put it down this writer keeps you hooked and once your hooked your not letting go I found this book thrilling the characters were fantastic and well thought out and the little clues all the way threw keep you guessing until the end this book stays with you long after you close the book this book is well worth the read I promise you wont be disappointed

A fantastic read, that will have you questioning everything, just like Grace! Thrilling! a read that doesnt disappoint

The Girl Before You is a debut book by Nicola Rayner. With three narrators and a dual timeline, it was a bit of a slow burner for me.

This book was interesting, but not what I expected. The blurb didn't do a good job of explaining what the book was about and made it sound like it was something different.

It was an ok book, not my kind of story.
I also felt the story was long winded and this nearly made me quit on the book.

I soldiered on and found the ending just ok.

If a story of loss and finding is your kind of thing then this may be a book for you.

Alice has always been haunted by the women from her husband’s past. As an MP and now a TV personality, George Bell’s reputation as a ladies’ man precedes him. But when Alice falls pregnant, her unease becomes an obsession.

And there’s one ex in particular she can’t get out of her head: a beautiful student George dated in his first year, who went missing before they finished university. Ruth.

When Alice sees a woman who looks just like Ruth, she can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to her disappearance than George has been telling her. But does she really want to know what her husband has been getting up to behind her back all these years?

An addictive and twisting psychological suspense that will have fans of Shari Lapena and Ruth Ware hooked.

The Girl Before You is Nicola Rayner's debut thriller novel, with psychological and crime elements. In short, it was more than enough to catch this reader's attention!

For a time, Alice thought she had a perfect life. She's happily married to a politician slash TV personality, and yet she can't seem to get out of her own head. More accurately, she can't stop obsessing over her husband's past.

You see, before he settled down, her husband was known for being a bit of a ladies' man. Alice can't help but dig into the ladies that came before her, especially one in particular – the one who went missing.

I picked up The Girl Before You because it sounded exciting and fun. It also seemed to be oddly topical, which I appreciated. It added another layer to what was already promising to be a complex read.

The other reason The Girl Before You caught my eye is that it was favorably compared to My Lovely Wife. Now, while I did end up enjoying the book quite a bit, I personally would not have made that comparison.

The Girl Before You is told through multiple perspectives. I love it when thrillers do this. It spreads out the story, and when done right, it can build tension while still obfuscating the whole truth of what has happened.

On the whole, I think it was done pretty well here. The story starts in such a way as to immediately suck readers in, and from there, it's one altering moment to another. It's arguably not the best thriller that I've read – but I still enjoyed it and all of the surprises it brought with it.

This is a really full-body reading experience.
There are so many events, so many names, so many twists to think about. I wouldn't recommend this as a light beach read exactly.

The story is told from various angles and timelines and thus requires a thorough sit-through, not just a when time allows skipping through kinda read.

My biggest struggle was the fact that I've recently read two other books with sisters and death and possibly one sister narrator, and it felt like walking through a jungle of comparisons in my head. At times, if I had to put the book down and come back to it later, I kept mixing up all the stories.

I'll tell you the books in case you've read them and might develop a similar disorder lol.
One was [book: Into the Water] and the other [book: Imaginary Girls] and somehow the vibe and the feel I've kept from those stories was overpowering this one.

But overall, this was a well-written and engaging plot with interesting (maybe too many to count but still) characters.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I can see why this book has positive reviews but it was too slow-moving for me - there was a lot of recounts of past events from different viewpoints, giving context and background to the missing girls story - but was not pacey enough to hold my attention.

If the beginning of the novel is slow I try to give it some time before I give up. Unfortunately, the pacing of the book didn’t improve after some time. Couldn’t get through this one.

I found this a bit tiresome and hitting many of the thriller cliches these days. Painting the woman in a bad light who can't be a lone or without a man. While the text itself was decent, it didn't feel original or like anything special.

The cover drew me in. I found this book to be intriguing but very slow paced. There were times that I wanted to put it down, however I was interested enough in the storyline that I wanted to find out what happened. I would definitely read more by this author.

I'm always wary of books that are hyped as "the new Girl On The Train/Gone Girl" but this one lived up to expectations. An accomplished debut, that kept your attention from the very first page. Excellent.

I found all the different perspectives very confusing. It was really not needed. Would not recommend this author.

This book was a slow paced book with characters who were frustrating at times. The book is told from lots of different characters perspectives to keep you on your toes. Its a book about friendship and secrets. It did get repetitive in some areas. The ending of the story was a bit disappointing for me as there was some loose ends. I still enjoyed it though.

Perfect for fans of 'My Lovely Wife' this is a gripping psychological thriller that you won't want to read when home alone...!