With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the book in exchange for an honest review.
What an amazing, totally engrossing read ‘On My Life’ is, I believe this could be Angela Clarke’s best book yet. Jenna is the main character in the story, who is framed for crimes she did not commit and then imprisoned and finds out she is pregnant ! The story is enthralling and keeps the reader guessing, until the end. It is fast paced, extremely clever and keeps up the suspense until the climax of the story.
With special thanks to Mulholland Books and Angela Clarke for a copy of the book, I hadn’t realised that I already had a copy from Netgalley!!
Highly recommended

Sometimes you start a book and wonder if you have chosen well, you feel a bit restless at your choice...and other times within the first few sentences you KNOW you have a gem in your hands...this book was one of those...
Jenna has a perfect life, a loving fiancé, appreciative soon to be step daughter, wealth, great job..nothing could be better or go wrong.....
We meet Jenna as she is being carted off in a prison van,accused of murdering the soon to be step daughter and her fiancé....oh and to boot for having child porn on her laptop....she is soon shut in the van cell, fearful, bullied by a guard and covered in her own vomit....
Then her problems really begin!
This incredibly well written tale then charts her time in prison, it is real, harrowing and so well researched and you really feel the terror and fear and helplessness of it all
But this is no ordinary prison story, far from it, the story goes back and forth from her happy life to this horrendous life she finds herself in where no one believes her and the other prisoners find out ‘she is’ a child killer and nonce
If this is all not stressful enough she then finds out she is pregnant!!
And just as things really cannot get any worse there is then a prison riot, so well described the tension was screaming off the pages
All this as she tries to prove she is innocent, alongside lecherous prison guards, violent women and rules and regulations so archaic it beggars belief
I love a surprise ( ok twist ) ending and pride myself on at least part guessing the outcome but this had me flawed....and when you are made aware of who is behind it all I guarantee you too will be open mouthed
The writing is smooth, encompassing and flawless and I loved every word
I am not sure I can put over how good this book really is, awesome read
( there is a fascinating authors note(s) at the end full of statistics ( non boring ones! ) and info on prisons and prisoners and also an equally interesting acknowledgments piece )
10/10 5 Stars

n amongst the somewhat confusing story of Jenna trying to work out who killed her future step-daughter and possibly her fiancé is a thought provoking social commentary of the prison system in the UK.
The actual mystery of who famed her and why they framed her felt cliched. Is it the overbearing future father-in-law? Does her future husband have something to hide? Wait, who is this mystery person visiting me in prison, could it be you? Or is it someone jealous of her lifestyle? All over-used red herrings although, to be fair, it did keep this element of the plot racing along at a fast pace.
However, the descriptions of the over-crowded prison, the staffing issues and the corruption were brutal. Reading about what it is like being incarcerated filled me with fear, and the added to the mix what is is like to be pregnant and my heart broke. Every time I thought that Jenna and Kelly had reached the limits of the inadequacy of the penal system, something worse lay in store.
It comes as no surprise that the author discusses her research in the afterward of the book and I take my hat off to her for increasing awareness of this issue, in an entertaining, but never gratuitous way.

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Loved this book, loved the characters and the story - I was slightly disappointed with the ending, I did see it coming

Wow. This is an incredible book. I absolutely devoured it.
I've never ready anything by this author before, but she is such an incredibly talented writer, I was in awe of the book.
It's a fast-paced, tense thriller that leaves you reeling with every emotion felt by the characters. I was scared while reading it, but in a good way! There was drama at every turn, and it all felt convincing and real.
Would recommend this book to absolutely anybody. A must-read!

Have just finished reading this and what an absolute killer I would never have expected or imagined that outcome. It was brilliant you really need to read it.

Oh I never like doing this. Okay. So this was a book that did grip me and that I enjoyed, but I kept coming back to the blurb (see above) and it just didn't match up for me. But ... okay. So.

This is the story of Jenna who finds her stepdaughter dead and her partner missing and with all the evidence around pointing straight to her, Jenna is arrested. So far, so totally in. It is after the arrest that things turned for me, the story turned into a very detailed review of the prison system, in particular showing us how life in a woman's prison is.

While I worried for Jenna, who definitely did not seem strong enough to cope with prison life, I was more interested in getting her out so that we could see what had happened to her poor, lovely stepdaughter. The story became more about Jenna's life in prison and how the prison system deals with women and mothers in prison.

I liked the characters, some tough, some great as allies for Jenna, which I appreciated and gave it some nice light and shade moments. I  worried in places and yes, couldn't put it down but to be honest it just wasn't what was advertised and in that way disappointed me a little. There were times it had an oddly unrealistic manner, nearly dystopian and sometimes out of control feel and although I think many will really enjoy it, like I said it just didn't always hit the mark for me. Thanks so much to Mulholland books and Netgalley for the book in return for an honest review.

Fast, pacy and addictive: On My Life will take you on a rollercoaster with each turn of the page. Jenna Burns thought she had it all - a good job, gorgeous fiancé but following the murder of her step-daughter and with her fiancé missing she finds herself Framed, imprisoned and pregnant.

I devoured this book in a couple of days and can highly recommend it. A five star read! Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder and Stoughton and the author for the chance to review.

Jenna thought she had the perfect life: a loving fiancé, a great job, a beautiful home. Then she finds her stepdaughter murdered; her partner missing. And the police think she did it...
Locked up to await trial, surrounded by prisoners who'd hurt her if they knew what she's accused of, certain someone close to her has framed her, Jenna knows what she needs to do:
Clear her name. Save her baby. Find the killer.

I loved the writing, it was very intricate and complex. The writer described the environment in prison very well, so well that it actually terrified me! I couldn't imagine being in prison and pregnant. This was a quick and intriguing read, very good book!

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC of #OnMyLife
Pub Date: 07 Mar 2019

I’d like to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘On My Life’ by Angela Clarke in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

When Jenna arrives at the home she shares with fiancé Robert and his fourteen-year-old daughter Emily she discovers Emily lying in a pool of blood and Robert missing. The police discover traces of Robert’s blood in the kitchen and promptly arrest Jenna on suspicion of murder. Jenna’s sent to HMP Fallenbrook awaiting trial and Robert’s parents David and Judith clearly don’t want to help prove her innocence. Jenna’s convinced the crime is premeditated and the killer is targeting her, but can she discover who it is and why?

‘On My Life’ is a remarkable novel which gives an insight into prison life, its structure, and how it can fail its inmates especially young women. The chapters move smoothly between what happened to Jenna before the crime is committed to the present time where she’s on remand and is learning to keep her head down and avoid trouble. I should imagine Angela Clarke did a great deal of research into prison life and I commend her for producing such a gripping and extremely readable novel, involving and gritty with twists and turns, and the horrific final chapters which had me enthralled. This is a thoroughly enjoyable novel and one I can highly recommend.

Absolutely fantastic read. I could not stop with this one and kept reading into the night! The descriptions of prison life and to be falsely accused are spine tingling and you are so desyfor her to be saved. Thanks @NetGalley @OnMyLife for the early read

I was a little bit nervous to read this one, but only because I loved Angela Clarke’s social media series so much. This one is a bit different to her other books, so I was interested to see what it was like. I was not disappointed by this book! I’ve never read a book like this one before so the storyline is unique to me. I found it really interesting and also informative. It’s obvious that a lot of research has been done to make sure this book is accurate and realistic. I was hooked right for the start and found this one to be a real page-turner. I also loved the characters. Although this one wasn’t a full-on thriller, it still had amazing twists! I wasn’t expecting them and some parts actually made me gasp out loud. Full of action and tense moments right from the start, I definitely recommend this book to everyone!

On My Life gave a unique insight into female prisoners, especially those who are pregnant. I loved this plot and found myself even questioning whether Jenna was an honest narrator. The dynamics of different relationships in the different settings was interesting, such as her boss and friend completely removing Jenna out of her life, as well as another selling her story to the media.
The scenes within the prison seemed realistic and even made me hold my breath during certain parts. I found myself trying to guess the ending, however not once did I expect the true outcome.
I am a massive fan of Angela Clarke's books and this definitely did not dissapoint.

Framed. Imprisoned. Pregnant.

Jenna thought she had the perfect life: a loving fiancé, a great job, a beautiful home. Then she finds her stepdaughter murdered; her partner missing.

And the police think she did it...

Locked up to await trial, surrounded by prisoners who'd hurt her if they knew what she's accused of, certain someone close to her has framed her, Jenna knows what she needs to do:

Clear her name
Save her baby
Find the killer

But can she do it in time?

Wow! I've read some amazing books so far in 2019, but this is my definite favourite so far!

Right from the first page to the very last, I was completely hooked, and the story never dipped or slowed down at all. Angela captured the essence of each character so vividly, that I genuinely felt as if I knew the characters personally.

This is my first book by Angela Clarke, so imagine my glee upon discovering she's written other books.

I will be shouting about this book and recommending it for a long time to come! Excellent.

Locked up in prison, innocent and pregnant! What an interesting and original concept.
I read a preview copy of this book several months ago and have been dying to catch up with the story ever since.
Thankfully I've never been in a prison and can only imagine the horror of being sent there for a crime i didn't commit. The author captured the prison atmosphere so well and I was so scared for Jenna and her friend and cell mate Kelly.
I did feel that the middle of the book was slightly padded out but in the whole i loved it and look forward to now reading this author's other work.

If Carlsberg did opening scenes...actually scrub that...if Carlsberg did books...
Well, didn't that one just reach out and grab me by the throat! From the word off I was hooked! You know when you pick up a book and you just don't want to put it down! I started reading this in the bath and came out like a prune whereby I went straight to bed with a do not disturb sign! If I hadn't had to sleep or go to work then this would have been a one sitting reading!
I'm sat here biting my tongue as there are so many things I want to say about plot and characters but I can't in fear that I give anything away! The blurb above is all you need to know about the ins and outs of the plot just now!
If you want me to say anything about it then let's just say this plot is so breathtakingly pacy, twisted and clever that it would have trouble hiding behind a corkscrew! The characters are so well written that they come alive in front of your eyes! I not only engaged with them, but I also found myself immersed in their lives. Some dark secrets and surprises to be found throughout! And that's all I'm telling you.
What I will bang on about is the absolute brilliance that Angela Clarke has created with her sense of place. I don't know if you have ever been inside a prison but she nails it perfectly! I've been in a couple of times (in a work-related capacity!) and while I was not in the body of the Kirk, in the halls so to speak, there is a very very real sense of being enclosed and incarcerated as soon as you step through the doors and are processed into the institution. Magnify this a million times over and you could not bottle what she has put on the page. The tension, the noise, the fear, the smells, the hope, the brutality, corruption- they all jump out from the pages and grab you in, making you their very own prisoner until you turn the last page. That sense of life being carved into units of time within the prison walls, association time, work time, visiting time, lock up time, meal time, education time - Angela Clarke captured it perfectly.
I couldn't help but empathise with Jenna and imagine what it must be like to be locked up for something that you didn't do. The fear was real. And imagine being locked up for something that other prisoners will find so heinous that you cannot afford for them to discover your true identity. "On My Life" took me by the hand on Jenna's journey with her. I witnessed her terror and her trust; her friendships and her enemies and her life crashing down round about her. I cried real snotty tears reading this book. It really does make you think about real life and real situations. This is compounded by the facts about female prisons, prisoners and pregnancy while in prison, which the author includes at the end. It is a harrowing but brutal truth. On My Life covers the very real issues pregnant women, going to prison face from the institutional lack of supports to the risk of harm to themselves and their unborn children. I'd defy anyone to read that and not have an ounce of compassion in their bodies.
This was one of those books that I didn't want to put down yet nor did I want it to end. I was completely engrossed in it and it occupied my mind constantly. It was twisted and I definitely did not work out what was going to happen! It kept me on my toes right up until the very end! Even if I had of worked it out in the first chapter none of that would have spoiled my enjoyment of this novel! This is an outstanding read and I urge you to get out and buy it!

When you are a child murderer you can't expect any kind of easy ride in prison - even if you are claiming you were framed!

This is a tense, brilliantly written account of Jenna's life (which was seemingly a sunshine and roses rags-to-riches fairy tale) being turned upside down when her stepdaughter is murdered and her loving and very wealthy fiance is missing, presumed dead - to her horror all the evidence says she did it and that she is a sexual deviant as well as a child murderer. Her friends and almost in-laws desert her and the only people who are standing by her are her sister and and ailing mother.

The scenes in the prison literally gave me palpitations; the treatment of the pregnant women, the rigidity of the system and the lack of support to help them have a healthy pregnancy and any chance of motherhood was harrowing. The brutality and pack mentality of the inmates was truly chilling and how open to abuse the prisoners are was a real eye opener for me ... terrifying and heartbreaking in equal measures.

The reveal took me by surprise although even if I'd guessed it couldn't have spoiled this book. The structure of the story switching from past to present as Jenna struggles to make sense of her situation worked really well and I was loathe to put it down, when I did I was thinking about what I'd read and eager to get back to it.

A phenomenal read - Huge thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton - this review reflects my honest opinion.

This is a book that grabbed my attention form the start and didn't let go to the end, it Kept me guessing and when I thought I'd worked it out I hadn't but that's surely how a good thriller should be.
Jenna is dating a farmer she met at work only he is a lot more than she first imagined and when she thought all her dreams were coming true a great big hole opens up and tried to swollow her whole and it never looked likely to let her go. Jacob her fiance has disappeared apart from some of his blood that is found in the kitchen and his daughter Emily is dead on the same kitchen floor. The picture of perfection they have on show is not the same as it is behind closed doors or his parents doors anyway.
Jenna background could not be more separated from her intended she was brought up on that estate the one most towns have where those from the Manor don't want messing up their shoes. Her Mum is an addict and her elder sister Hess is the one bringing her up and protecting her from her Mum's many men that turn up to party at their home or just trash it up, They have spent many a evening barricaded in a bedroom to protect themselves. Sure you get the picture, however Jenna didn't let this hold her back as she got educated and a very good job that she loves which all get swept away on Emily's 14th birthday Emily being Jacob's daughter and Jenna's soon-to-be stepdaughter if only. Well I will let you read it for yourself.
Jenna's life is altered and her friends dessert her well who wants a jailbird for a friend well not her so called friends obviously and she doesn't have many friends in her new home but Kelly her roommate (ok cell mate) she is good but Gould she isn't.
As well as a thriller the research done by the author Angela Clarke makes this a very authentic and therefore a very informative book as well highlighting some real issues and things that prisoners have to face today and the sort of people that you really meet there as opposed to the ones everybody thinks you will meet. I could say more on this but it is all part of the story and enhances the whole experience which is a gift of Angela's writing and you will get to see what I mean as you read it and I hope you do because this is a fantastic book and I highly recommend it, I'm believing you may well do to once you have devoured the pages of this thriller.

WOW !!!!! what a brilliant damn book this is it’s a totally captivating read that grabs you from the first page racks up the tension and just doesn’t let go. It’s written so realistically that you can really feel the horror that Jenna feels when accused of the murder of her stepdaughter and sent to prison to await trial. Finding herself pregnant and in an environment she could never have imagined the book is an excellent portrayal of prison life and the character of Jenna is so well done, very emotional at times and extremely believable you can really feel as if you are there which is all credit to the wonderful writing of Angela Clarke, I couldn’t put it down but I didn’t want it to finish it either I was enjoying the so much !!
So I just loved this book and I feel it’s going to be a massive hit and well deservedly so ....gripping, fantastic story I just can’t praise it enough so grab this one it’s a winner !!
My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Hodder and Stoughton UK, Mulholland Books and the author, Angela Clarke, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of On My Life in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I am stunned! I have never read this author before but after reading this book, this is something that needs immediate rectification.
I thought the storyline was well thought out and incredibly well written. I was hooked from the start. This is definitely a book that needs to be devoured in one sitting.
This is a gritty, emotional, rollercoaster ride that is one of the best thrillers I have ever read.
Definitely well worth a read.