Iam a huge fan of this author and its always exciting when she has a new book
This book is well written and is very quick to develop
The characters range from being lovable to some who I instantly disliked
A great unusual read. A book that you won’t forget

DON'T TELL ANYONE.....

"We were so genuinely optimistic, but within forty-eight hours of returning home all that remained from Mallorca were our already fading tans and the echo of good intentions. A mountain of holiday washing for me, a deluge of emails on Sunday night for Tris when he switched his work phone on and two dull, grey last weeks of the holidays to fill before back to school saw to that. It was almost as if we’d never been away, save the tantalizing taste of a different, better life still lingering in our mouths.
Everyone was unsettled.
The stage was set for Mia to walk back into my life and for the true significance of that first meeting in Edinburgh to become shockingly apparent."

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Don't Ever Tell by Lucy Dawson is an utterly gripping, unputdownable novel! The storyline is well thought out and unique and the characters were rich and full of life. The surprises just kept on coming as the shocking truth behind the lies was revealed!
This is the first book I've read by Lucy Dawson but it won't be the last! I've already added other titles to my library!

With many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Lucy Dawson for the opportunity to read this advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I've read a number of books by Lucy Dawson and always like how she takes ordinary people who deal with situations that are anything but. Don't Ever Tell definitely delivers on twists and turns and though it wasn't my favorite by the author, it was a very entertaining read!

Charlotte and Tris are a couple struggling to balance their home and work lives. Charlotte's a writer so spends her days taking over the childcare and working from home, whereas Tris works at a fast-paced job in the city. They find themselves bickering frequently and being miserable. Charlotte meets Mia and is instantly struck at their similarities.

Mia is in the process of rebuilding her life after her fiance leaves her, she is attending counselling with her boyfriend Seth, Charlotte's sister Florence happens to be their therapist. When Florence reveals the things Mia discusses in her sessions, Charlotte weaponizes her secrets with a plan aimed to destroy those in her wake.

The book was really interesting, the story line felt so real and plausible but the evasiveness of Charlotte as a person kept me hooked as a reader. Showing how floored human beings are and forcing us as readers to question everything, Don't Ever Tell is an exciting psychological thriller.

Charlotte and Tris are a couple struggling with work and home life balance. She is an author so works from home and does most of the child care while Tris has a well paid job in the city and feels like he gets everything wrong with regard to the children. They snipe and argue with each other as they are both unhappy.
Meanwhile, Charlotte is carrying guilt because she blames herself for her father’s temporary absence during her childhood after she recorded him kissing another woman in her diary which her mother may have read.
Charlotte meets Mia at a book signing and is instantly struck by how similar they are in looks. Mia is an actress trying to rebuild her life after her fiance left her for her best friend. She is also recovering from dealing with looking for her biological parents. She has a new boyfriend Seth and is attending counselling.
Her counsellor just happens to be Charlotte’s sister Florence who breaks all confidentiality rules by telling Charlotte what Mia has told her during their session.
Charlotte hatches a plan but the exact motives are unclear. She wants Mia to pretend to have written a book that Charlotte has actually written as her own career is quite stagnant and the book will receive a better reception being from a debut author. Mia agrees and soon the publishing world is going crazy for the manuscript with deals of over a million pounds being discussed.
Just over halfway, we get the big reveal and I won’t spoil it but I did rush to my husband beacuse I had to share it! It is done so subtly on the first page of chapter 11 that I actually acted did a double take!

The characters in this book are very realistic and the mystery behind Charlotte’s motives keep the momentum of the plot. The final third leaves the reader with a real dilemma over how to feel about the characters and decide who is ‘more sinned against than sinning’ (to quote my A Level King Lear 🙂 )
The narrative is split between Charlotte and Mia’s perspectives allowing us insight into both main characters to develop sympathy and empathy with them.
Don’t Ever Tell is so very different to author Lucy Dawson’s last book The Memory. The style and tone are completely different. Both books make you question your own responses to dilemmas and have a great psychological dimension.

It took me until about the halfway point to really get into this book but once I did I stayed up until I finished it!
When Charlotte and Mia cross paths briefly you know there will somehow be a connection but you don't really know why or how. Fast forward over a year and Charlotte finds and approaches Mia with a proposition that should transform both of their lives. All Mia has to do is pretend she's written a book that Charlotte wrote and split the proceeds. As the plan begins to unfold and seems too good to be true for both of them, the twist you don't see coming changes the entire game and how you will view both women.

For those looking in, Charlotte seems to lead a charmed life. However, she is a wife and a mother with some issues. Her marriage is fracturing and, as an author, she is falling behind with her latest deadline. That is how things are on the inside.

Husband Tris has no idea what is really going on with Charlotte. Imagine what his shock would be if he were to discover that Charlotte has hired someone to pretend to be her. No doubt, when he finds out, it will indeed be the shock of his life - especially once he learns the true reason why.

What an incredible story! It was really convoluted. While watching Charlotte execute her plan, we meet Mia. Mia is a young actress and the story is partly written in her point of view. I was drawn into her story because of her past, her relationship with her family, and her current romantic interest. Her connection to Charlotte took some time to prove as to why, and it was quite a twisted journey to get there.

The dynamics in this book is what made this book impossible to put down. Charlotte wanted to keep her children safe and happy. Mia wanted a happy and secure future. How their paths converged in their endeavors was definitely intriguing, and truly earth-shattering.

There were several characters in the book. Of course, we have Charlotte and Tris, but then we have Mia and boyfriend, Seth. Another pivotal player is Flo, Charlotte's sister. As readers roll through the pages, the connections between all of them becomes very interesting. This was especially so with the twists and turns that brought the pieces of this puzzle together in a shocking way. I especially liked the parts of the book that related to Charlotte being an author and Flo's profession as a therapist. I loved this book by Lucy Dawson and cannot wait to read another by her.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

From the outside looking in, doesn't everyone's lives seem perfect? Doesn't every marriage seem to be perfect? That's what this story about Charlotte and Tris looks like, the perfect couple leading the perfect, charmed life. Charlotte has the lovely house, the perfect job, the wonderful children, a great sister and parents. Tris doesn't realize that their lives are falling apart. He is very much set aside from their lives, he's always busy and he is rarely there to help Charlotte with the kids. Usually it's her sister Flo that she can depend on.

When Charlotte meets Mia at a book signing she thinks she recognizes her, but only because Mia looks exactly like she did at that age. Mia is a struggling actress with a troubled past that we learn about through the eyes of her therapists. When Charlotte runs into her again a year later, she dreams up a plan.The story is told through alternating chapters and the voices of Charlotte and Mia.

The book starts with a lot of domestic bits, family vacation, family wedding anniversary and then it begins to pick up pace around the halfway point. With many twists and turns, wondering why is this happening, with a delightful shock at the end.

Don’t Ever Tell was a good psychological thriller that I enjoyed and found it to be relatable to a lot of things that could happen to you.
Charlotte and Tris appear to have the perfect marriage..house...kids...money..and each other or have they? As you advance through this book you find it is far from the truth and the cunning plan Charlotte has thought up is a great twist as at first I wasn’t getting the connection, so much so I was barking up totally the wrong tree.
This was a book of two halves though, the first being quite slow and it not really connecting in my head to the second part that was so fast moving I’m sure I was reading with my mouth open!!
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Don’t Ever Tell is seriously creepy! I mean creepy! I read the book and felt like I was watching a train wreck creeping ever closer. The story has a number of twists and turns - some expected and some not, but each one just makes the story even wilder.

Charlotte is married to Tris and has two children. She is an author and lately has felt that her husband and her marriage is creeping away from her. And then one day she finds out something upsetting (not that we are told what she found out.) From there the story starts to twist, making you wonder what exactly you have missed. As the story continues to unfold, you become suspicious and begin to feel the creep factor, which gets even weirder as the next set of events occur. The level of deception is beyond what I have ever conceived. I have to tell you. I had some suspicions that were not correct - exactly, but made things even weirder. This book has more twists and turns than a slinky and now even after I have finished the book and had time to consider it - I am still turning the information around and around in my head. I am not sure I have found all the answers. Be prepared, your feelings about the characters change and make you question your opinions on them.

Don’t Ever Tell by Lucy Dawson is a creepy “what the heck happened” thriller. FYI -The description given in the blurb is not the best description of the novel and doesn’t show the psychological thriller aspect. “Oh, what a tangled web we weave...when first we practice to deceive.” ( Walter Scott, Marmion) Seriously tangled and deceptive...

This is my second book by Lucy Dawson. I found it a little slow to begin with but when I got into the story I thoroughly enjoyed it. The storyline is very clever with lots of twists and turns, but despite enjoying the book I didn’t like the ending, and so it gets 4 stars and not 5.

This book captivated me from the first page!!

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this book.

What a fabulously delicious book. This book has a fantastic story line, excellent characters and is just unputdownable. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and I enjoyed it immensely.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher and most importantly the author who never fails to disappoint me. What a great thrilling read!!!!!!!!!!!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Lucy Dawson for the opportunity to read and review her latest thriller - won't disappoint! 4.5 stars rounded up!

Charlotte is a writer, working from home so that she can take care of her two boys. Her husband, Tris, travels a lot and the marriage seems to be under stress. Charlotte is at a writer's conference when she sees a young woman who looks remarkably like she did when she was younger. That's how she meets Mia, a struggling actress. Charlotte eventually contacts Mia with an idea for publishing her next book. And such it begins.

I can't say too much even about the storylines without the fear of giving anything away - and you need to discover all the twists for yourself! As with this author's other books, you will have a hard time putting this book down and you'll definitely be surprised at the end!

This is a riveting story that I read in less than 24 hours. I was a little confused in the beginning with the different viewpoints. The longer you get in the story however, this confusion disappears.
I happily recommend this book and thank Bookouture/NetGalley for letting me read this advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Book Review
I love when new books come out from this author. You just know you are going to have an enjoyable read.
Oh but what is that saying 🤔🤔
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"
Meet Charlotte , married to Tris with two children.
Their marriage isn't working but they keep trying. Tris feels his job and career are more important than Charlotte's so she is left to hold it all together with little help from him.
Mia Justice is a struggling actress. She meets Charlotte at a book event but is still quite surprised when Charlotte comes to her at a later date asking her to be the face of a novel she has written.
Charlotte assures her the book is good and it will work if she passes it off as her own.
Why would Charlotte ask this of Mia?
A strange request that has Mia on guard and completely bewildered.
This novel for me was a very slow build. But when the pace picked up, it just took off.
It's tense, very layered and a plot so full of lies.
Who do you believe in this mad story?
I loved the incredible tension to this storyline.
Her characters are enjoyable if a little crazy.
Well worth checking this one out 💕

Thank you kindly to author Lucy Dawson and her publishers Bookouture for my copy of this book. Much appreciated.

Please read synopsis then... This book consumed me for a couple of days. Half way through I wasn't really sure why. The entire story was set up well but not much really going on. At times I was annoyed with the description of minutiae that didn't matter. But I happily kept reading. I could even tell what was going to be revealed, yet still gasped when it was. There is so much deceit and heartbreak in this mystery. In the end, it's a very good story. It's a very good story that kept me very well entertained. It's one that I will recommend with the disclaimer there's no huge, unbelievable reveal. There's no shocking behavior or sex or violence. It's a good story and sometimes that's all you need! Thank you Bookouture/Netgalley for the very solid advanced read!

I wasn't sure about it at first but the story got me hooked halfway through and then I simply couldn't put it down. A great domestic thriller. Dark, mysterious, intriguing. Recommended!

What a twisted story! It took me a while to enter to the plot but once I was in I couldn’t stop reading!
I am a big fan of Lucy Dawson books, so I know that there’s always a twisted story behind the plot we are reading and this time it took me totally by surprise!
The story is told between Charlotte and Mia; they’ve met a year ago and now their future will be linked forever. Charlotte is a writer and mother of two, she has some problems with her husband, nothing she can not repair… Mia on the other side is a young actress who is starting to feel love again; she only wants to be happy. Be prepared for an explosive meeting, because even if it seems that they are nothing similar they have much more in common that you could imagine and that’s what makes this book so interesting. There are a few subplots on the story too that makes the characters more real and explain some of their actions and thoughts; more human.
I am not used to the fact that all the answers of the questions are not answered, but in this case I loved that the author makes the reader to answer them with the hints that are left on the book, you simply have to let your imagination flow.
I would highly recommend you not to read the plot of this book and simply start reading. This revenge psychological thriller is full of lies, twists and vengeance; I am sure you’ll love it!

Don’t Ever Tell by Lucy Dawson is a psychological suspense with a surprising twist. I found myself thoroughly hooked right from the start!

Charlotte and Tris seem to have the perfect marriage, but nothing is as it looks. Cracks slowly come to be revealed the deeper we get into the story and the once perfect marriage looks far from a happy affair. Charlotte is an author and Tris is a businessman often gone for work which leaves Charlotte to raise their two children. Besides being a wife and mother, Charlotte is also an author who writes suspense novels. During a book signing she meets a younger version of herself, Mia. Mia is an actress with her own set of problems and when they meet a year later Charlotte gives Mia a propsition that sets the course of this story in motion.

I will admit the first half of the story is slower paced, but I feel it was needed as you really get a background on both Charlotte and Mia, but once the second half starts oh boy does it pick up! Lucy Dawson does such a wonderful job misdirecting her readers while throwing in red herrings meant to throw you off what is really happening. I even found myself gasping quite a few times when things slowly start to be revealed.

One thing I like about this story is Dawson’s unique ability to twist a simple story and create a truly twisted unputdownable read that will have you flipping through the pages while trying to figure it all out. With unreliable narrators you won’t know who to trust and believe in.

Don’t Ever Tell by Lucy Dawson is definitely a book that you do not want to miss. I am so thrilled to have found a new to me author to stalk!