What a great book The Woman I Was Before by Kerry Fisher was, I really enjoyed it. The story follows three woman who move into a gated housing estate with their own secrets, worries and fears. Kerry did not disappoint, another great book.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Woman I Was Before, by Kerry Fisher.

This is a story that has a very familiar "woman's fiction" feel." Three women, living in the same neighborhood, and becoming entangled in each other's lives, all with secrets that they are keeping from each other.

I did enjoy this read, although I can't say that there was anything mind blowing about it. I honestly thought that I might be reading more of a suspense novel initially, but it definitely had that softer, beach read feel.

I did like watch how the author really highlighted the "grass is greener" analogy. While each protagonist coveted the other, they failed to see what also may be making their coveted's life equally difficult. It was a solid reminder to practice compassion.

This is such a good book. Such a great accomplished author.

Having read Kerry Fisher before I just new I’d be in for a treat. She take every day kind of people and turns them in on themselves. Also with a bit of complication thrown in.

I was thinking when reading this book. I’ve been a bit fed up on social media at times.
Other people’s perfect photos with perfect lives.
I’m not saying everyone, but we do like to portray ourselves as having fun, going out, doing that and that. Having friends and family. You know what I mean I’m sure?

But what we see isn’t all what we get.

Are they’re lives perfect?
Are they hiding things?
Is all so “picture perfect” unblemished as it seems.

This explores lies and what we hid from each other.

Loved it

An excellent and thought provoking read that I really enjoyed, This book was one that I would recommend .

This is a very timely novel in that it looks at what social media has done to our society and how it allows a very thick veil of deception. I am personally not a fan of 'fakeness' and this book definitely spoke to me.

Wow. I really enjoyed this book. It was very relatable to current times. With social media, everyone is able to put a thoughtful curation of what they want their lives to look like. It can be easy to compare your lives to what you think they are experiencing. More often than not there is something completely different behind closed doors.

I really enjoyed this book.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this book. A great set of characters, some interesting sub plots, especially Kate, and a great writing style. I liked the first person narratives and the inclusion of Instagram posts that bore little resemblance to real life. Can't wait to read more from Kerry in the future!

My first experience reading Kerry Fisher made me so happy—I could barely put down her latest novel The Woman I was Before! I found this books to be a mix of thought-provoking, feel-good, and suspenseful. Basically, my perfect type of book to pick up and get lost in after a long day!

The Woman I Was Before is my first Kerry Fisher read and I’ve no idea why she hasn’t made it onto my reading list until now, as this novel fits snugly into my favourite genre – family drama filled with friendship and secrets, sprinkled with both humour and poignancy. The action revolves around a gated community where new neighbours Kate, along with her teenage daughter Daisy, stay-at-home alpha mum Gisela and child-free career woman Sally, quickly become friends. But how much of the truth are they willing to share?

I loved the humorous use of social media hash-tags, pitting the life the women share online with what is actually happening behind closed doors.

As a mother of teenagers, I found myself physically crying with laughter, as the tricky phase of parenthood Fisher painted felt so true. Everything about her writing felt alive and current. Both the cover art and blurb gave the impression that The Woman I Was Before was a psychological drama, when I found it more to be in the vain of a fab Liane Moriarty. No matter – I thoroughly enjoyed it and will make sure Kerry Fisher is on my reading list from now on.

This book kept me enthralled. The characters were relatable and it was thrilling to get to know them. I liked the basis of the story that everything isn’t as perfect as it seems. Very well written and I would recommend if you want a page turner.

A really well written story with compelling characters that kept me turning the pages! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced reading copy.

Rating: 3.5

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a chance to review this book by Kerry Fisher.

The first half of this book I really didn't enjoy. I was really struggling to get through it but didn't want to give up because I hate DNF books. I really didn't like the characters and thought they were really annoying and obsessive about other people's opinions of them. I found the Instagram posts at the end of most of the chapters quite strange and couldn't believe grown adults let social media control there lives.

I am really glad the book started to improve by the end and was really proud of the characters development and acceptance of an imperfect life. Kate, Sally, and Gisela really came together and supported each other through there troubles once they had accepted they weren't perfect either. Kate's story was really heart breaking and she had let it control her life. It really hit home to me that other people are allowed to help you without you feeling weak. Sally went through something many women go through and I really felt for her when everything came out. She really grew by the end and I ended up liking her. Secrets don't make your life perfect but just make it harder to live. All the characters were real and flawed and that's what I loved about this book. I'm glad I read this book to the end and recommend it to everyone who is obsessed with social media because it's a real eye opener.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced review copy. I really liked the stories of each of the 3 women: Kate, Gisella and Sophie. I could not wait to know what was Kate's secret and how all their issues would get resolved. Writer is engaging and I liked her story-telling style. Hope to try a book from this author in the future!

I really enjoyed this one. It was my first book by the author, but it won't be my last. This book was written in multiple POV, which can sometimes bother me but didn't. For some reason people feel the need a portray themselves differently on social media to compete with everyone else. Facebook is a bunch of people trying to convince other people their life is perfect and they're super happy. While everyone appears perfect, one is hiding a secret, a family is falling apart, and a marriage isn't what it seems. While you read along this domestic drama will keep you intrigued. It was an enjoyable compelling page turner that's hard to put down.

I really enjoyed this fun drama. Every Facebook post/Hashtag is purposely chosen to show only the picture perfect lifestyle but the reality behind each closed door tells a different tale. I loved all of the characters and their stories. A real page turner, Highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest opinion. Unfortunately, I am not sure anyone is going to like my honest opinion...Anyway, if I had known this was an "English" novel, I might not have asked to read it. That is totally me, not the book itself or the author or anything else. For whatever reason, I have never liked "English" books. As to this book in particular, I never felt a connection to any of the characters and I hated how they were showing the world fake stories about how happy they were (yes, I know it really happens) when every single one of them hated their lives for the most part. If I don't like the characters, there is no way I am going to like the book. It becomes all about me having to spend time with people I don't like so in general, my whole experience isn't that great. We have all had to spend time working with or going to school with people like this and...it all becomes negative for me. BUT I have been looking through the other reviews and I can clearly see that it is totally me and not the book. Everyone else seemed to absolutely love this book so have at it. :)

This book was awesome! I loved how it kept you guessing and how it makes yourself ask that question! It made me go and buy a physical copy!

One of my new favorite books! This author has such a way with words the pages flew by in no time! I can’t wait to see the next work by this author! This was such a joy to read!

Kate, Sally and Gisela are neighbors. Gisela is living a seemingly perfect life as a stay-at-home mom. She loves her family and loves to entertain. Her social media accounts are full of photos of her perfect family and the numerous gatherings that she hosts. On the other hand, Sally has a glamorous career. She travels the world and has the most supportive, loving partner. Her social media accounts are full of her photos at exotic places and others of her darling, perfect husband. Well there is not much to say about Kate. She is a paramedic with a dark secret that makes her want to keep to herself but she still befriends Gisela and Sally.

I loved everything about this book. I took quite a lot of time with it because it was so relatable and I didn’t want to rush through it. The social media angle struck a chord with me. It reminded me of a time in my life when social media almost sent me into depression. This was right after undergrad. All my friends were landing major jobs and making way more than what I was making. Social media was full of new cars, houses and trips. Then everyone was getting married and having kids while I was sitting alone in my small apartment, barely making ends meet. I thought everyone had made it apart from me but years later, I found out that social media is full of liars and hypocrites. It is mostly about presenting only the best to the world.

The three women were very realistically portrayed. The author developed their characters in a way that made them identifiable. Their issues could be any woman’s. Their friendship was so precious and I was rooting for them all the way. I sympathized with them through the hard times and cheered for them in their moments of triumph. I can’t even pick a favorite since all three were different but strength is what they had in common.

The Woman I was Before is a story about female friendships, family, betrayal, motherhood and second chances. It’s the kind of story that is bound to stay with you because of how realistic it is. It is a compelling, drama-filled domestic thriller with very realistic characters and themes. A very entertaining read.

This is the story of three women who become neighbours. Each have different backgrounds with their own secrets . Their lives become entwined and what looked perfect to an outsider turns out not to be so. This is another excellent story from the talented Kerry Fisher. Highly recommended.