The Friendship Pact is a domestic thriller that has what has become one of my favorite storylines- what looks like a perfect marriage and life from the outside, but actually involves a controlling and manipulative relationship. This is Lucy’s reality, but this story has an added plot line with her secret involving her childhood best friend Adele.

This is a fast-paced read that I really enjoyed. There were times I was really frustrated with the main character and her decisions, but she had many likable qualities as well. I didn’t love the final couple of paragraphs of the story, but that’s the hopeless romantic in me, and will be part of what most readers will love about the book!

Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

vhe Friendship Pact
By Alison James

This was not as suspenseful as I was hoping it to be. I kept putting it down and picking it back up. It could be that I read this at the wrong time. Basically it is about a woman named Lucy who is living her entire adult life with secrets. I did like Lucy's character but thought her friend Adele to be rough around the edges. Perhaps the author intended it to be that way.

I don't want to give away too many spoilers. The book deals with emotional abuse. Secrets bet ...more

flagcomment · see reviewhe Friendship Pact
By Alison James

This was not as suspenseful as I was hoping it to be. I kept putting it down and picking it back up. It could be that I read this at the wrong time. Basically it is about a woman named Lucy who is living her entire adult life with secrets. I did like Lucy's character but thought her friend Adele to be rough around the edges. Perhaps the author intended it to be that way.

I don't want to give away too many spoilers. The book deals with emotional abuse. Secrets bet ...more

flagcomment · see reviewhe Friendship Pact
By Alison James

This was not as suspenseful as I was hoping it to be. I kept putting it down and picking it back up. It could be that I read this at the wrong time. Basically it is about a woman named Lucy who is living her entire adult life with secrets. I did like Lucy's character but thought her friend Adele to be rough around the edges. Perhaps the author intended it to be that way.

I don't want to give away too many spoilers. The book deals with emotional abuse. Secrets bet ...more

flagcomment · see reviewhe Friendship Pact
By Alison James

This was not as suspenseful as I was hoping it to be. I kept putting it down and picking it back up. It could be that I read this at the wrong time. Basically it is about a woman named Lucy who is living her entire adult life with secrets. I did like Lucy's character but thought her friend Adele to be rough around the edges. Perhaps the author intended it to be that way.

I don't want to give away too many spoilers. The book deals with emotional abuse. Secrets bet ...more

flagcomment · see review

Fast paced page turner about the past and present life of Lucy and Adele, two childhood friends with a pact that must be kept. When Lucy tries to get away from an abusive marriage her whole life threatens to fall apart. Great writing and nail biting twists.

The Friendship Pact by Alison James is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

 

My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

Lucy Gibson was the new girl at school.  The new rich girl.  So it seemed a strange choice of friends when she started hanging around with Adele Watts, who was from the poor side of town.  But somehow, Adele decided Lucy would be her best friend, and so it was.  That was before the secret they shared dissolved the friendship, and Lucy changed schools, again.

Now, Lucy is married to a heart surgeon, living in a lovely house, and things should be wonderful.  But behind closed doors, everything is not so pretty.  On a visit home to see her father, she comes across Adele, and eventually reaches out, hoping that Adele, still a little on the rough side, can help her.

Unfortunately, things go downhill from there.



My Opinions:  

Well, this was a surprise.  It was a fast, entertaining read, and although I had anticipated that final twist, there were a number of others that were not so evident.

The story alternated between the girls childhood and present day, and in this way, the back-story was told a bit at a time.  We learn about the secret and the pact they made to keep it.

The book was about a very dysfunctional marriage.  It was also about a disturbing friendship that didn’t really improve with age.  That friendship had really interesting undertones, and the author’s writing brought them out wonderfully.   Sometimes a friendship that just seems wrong is just that.  Sometimes, having that friend can be both right and wrong.

I have been reading this author’s Rachel Prince detective series, and am a fan.  This book showed her ability to write a stand-alone novel that packed a punch.

I am looking forward to more from this author.

Lucy and Adele come from different backgrounds but managed to be best friends as kids till a secret managed to tear them apart . Now in the present Lucy is married to a cardiac surgeon and on the surface appears to have it all , but behind closed doors her husband is controlling and abusive . Meanwhile Adele is just out after spending time behind bars. Lucy’s best way out might be Adele but maybe she got more than what she bargained for.

The Friendship Pact by Alison James is a stand alone well written psychological thriller. It did start really strong and though I found the ending a little implausible , but there was still much to enjoy.

I would like to thank Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

Found this such a captivating read! .. Kept me engrossed and engaged throughout and really enjoyed. Highly recommend.

The Friendship Pact is a well written, twisty thriller that I read as fast as I could!!
Lucy is a cherished only child, money is no problem and lives in a lovely detached, yearning for nothing, Adele is Lucy’s friend at the new school she has started at and Lucy’s mother is not keen at all due to Adele being from the council flats and is starting to lead Lucy astray. Fast forward a couple of decades and Lucy is married to the best heart surgeon there is, living a life of leisure but not everything is as it seems as you read about how much Lucy’s husband controls her life, so Lucy decides to do something about it but by starting this plan in action starts a snowball affect of her life going wildly out of control and hoping beyond hope she can still rely on her old school friend, Adele.
This was a great read and I really enjoyed it, the book moved along at a good pace with something developing in every chapter. There were a couple of unbelievable bits that happened but because the rest was so good I can overlook those.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* Wow, what a book! I had previously read James' novel 'Lola is Missing', so I knew this author crafts stories full of twists and turns. Lucy grew up in a loving, upper middle class family in Redgate. When she starts at the local high school, she develops an unlikely friendship with Adele. All this changes on one hot day, when a childish prank goes wrong. Lucy is promptly whisked out of the local comprehensive and sent to a private girls' school and Lucy and Adele's relationship dissolves. Fast forward to adulthood and Lucy is the unhappy trophy wife of an abusive husband. Lucy resumes her acquaintance with Adele and from there her life starts spinning out of control. What starts as a story about the friendship between two girls from different sides of the tracks, Lucy and Adele, builds into a tense and suspenseful climax. I flew through the last couple of chapters, as I was so keen to find out how the story would end. An enjoyable read.

Wow !! An absolute brilliantly written psychological thriller ! Grabbed me from the first thrilling page ! I highly recommend ! Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book ! #Netgalley #Bookouture #TheFriendshipPact

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - This was an intense, mind blowing and emotional heart tugging, twisty, twisted tale that had might have left dented my kindle from holding onto it so hard!

Prologue: It was chilling to the bone reading it the first time then I went back and re-read it after I finished the book and OMG - I get it now!

Part 1: Had me saying "NO WAY!"
Part 2: Had me screaming "How did I not see that coming?!"
Part 3: HOLY SHIT!

And oh that ending. dont forget to go back and re-read the prologue after you finish it!
Thank you #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Friendship Pact by Alison James was a brilliant psychological thriller that will have you hooked from the very first few pages. The book was so good I had to carry on reading it, so all house work etc stopped for the day!

Lucy Gibson and Adele Watkins met at school in the nineties and became best friends. They shared a big secret and promised not to tell anyone what really happened at the reservoir on one hot summers day.
After what happened at the reservoir Lucy was sent to a private school and lost touch with Adele.

Many years went by, with no contact with each other........

Lucy was married to a heart surgeon for five years, and she spends her spare time socialising and keeping the home perfect for her husband.

It appears that she has a perfect life with her husband.

But has she?

Lucy's husband has become very controlling and abusive within their marriage and she needs to leave before things get worse. But her husband is refusing to let her go, it's making it harder to escape.
Lucy returns to her home town and makes a surprise visit to see her dad. Whilst there, she runs into her old friend from school
Adele.

Adele Watkins has had a very different life to Lucy. She has been in Prison and a single mum.

Lucy needs help to get away from her abusive husband and Adele owes her a favour. She asks Adele to help her escape from her husband.

But has she done the right thing?

What a book........Highly recommended

Big Thank You to Netgalley and Bookoutre, Alison James for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

This was a fast paced roller coaster of a ride. Have you ever made a pact with a friend? Lucy and Adele are very different as adults, but that childhood pact must be kept. Lucy’s husband is abusive and she needs a way out.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

You are first introduced to Lucinda "Lucy" Gibson. It's 1995 and she is kinda being bullied by a classmate Adele. This bullying ends in an unlikely friendship between the two of them. By the end of the summer there is a secret between them that will keep them linked forever, no matter time or distance.
The author then forwards time to when Lucy is a married 29 year old woman, who no longer has ties to her childhood other than her father still living in Redgate. However, her marriage is far from the picture perfect image that is projected. Her husband Marcus is an emotional, and at times physical, abuser. Lucy wants out, but as Marcus has stated 'over his dead body'.
Lucy then enlists her childhood friend Adele, who's served a little time in the joint, to help her escape her marriage by changing her identity. What should have been a quick escape turns deadly when Marcus finds her and she returns home with him. Now the man, Denny, who helped give her this new identity is trying to blackmail her for the insurance and home money.
As Lucy's life continues to get flipped upside down, she turns back to Adele to return the childhood friendship and pact of staying silent, and offering help where needed.

This was a bit slow for me at times, but in the end well worth the read. Alison James knows how to really pack a punch with this psychological thriller!

This is a story of two girls – Lucy and Adele.
They are two completely different personalities – Adele has had it rough all her life, with limited finances, whereas Lucy, being the only child of well-off parents, has always led a sheltered and protected life. The friendship with Adele is a whirlwind for Lucy and she enjoys her wild ways. Till that fated day – when something terrible happened between them. The incident has bound them for life. And they share a secret pact.

Fast forward to the present.
Lucy is married to a famous cardiac surgeon, Marcus Wheedon. He is a an arrogant, controlling and abusive. He treats her like a trophy wife – but beyond that she has no life and no friends. She starts realising that she needs to get out of this marriage. But the question is how? Marcus keeps a tab on her every move. Will she manage to escape?
On a trip to visit her father, she catches sight of Adele. And after digging around a bit, she finds out that Adele has done some time in prison. She decides to approach her for help, in order to get out of her abusive marriage.

Adele introduces her to Denny Renard.
And with Denny’s help, she plots her escape.
Little does she realise that her worst nightmare is just about to begin.

Told alternatively between the then and the now, this is a fast-paced and thrilling read.
There are three major twists in the story – and they are subtly delivered. Just when you think, this is where the story should end; something else comes up.
Will Adele and Lucy’s “friendship” withstand the storm?
What had happened all those years back that binds these two ladies together?

I found some of the choices and actions of the characters questionable.
And you would wonder, if every friendship is really selfless?
A good fast-paced entertaining thriller overall.

3.5/5 for me

This book was a easy, quick read. I could not put it down I had to know what happened.,

Lucy is in a terrible relationship with a controlling alcoholic man. She has no one to turn to because no one could ever believe that famous surgeon Marcus has a mean bone in his body.

I dont want to give away too much of the book, but it is well written, descriptive and I would defiantly read another one of Alison James' books. Brilliant

This book was given to me for free in exchange for my honest opinion.

From the outside Lucys life seems perfect,
A successful husband, a beautiful house, the ability to pursue education and career for pleasure instead of a need for money.
But on the inside Lucy is controlled by an abusive husband.
Despite the many attempts to leave him Lucy always ends up back at the house that has become her prison.
Desperately Lucy turns to her childhood friend Adele,
Lucy kept Adele's secret as a child, and hopes Adele will return the favor.

This book was fast moving, very little unneeded back and forth- it did not stop. It's the kind of book you could read for hours straight.
Despite the predictability, this was an enjoyable read.

This is the story of Lucy… It flicks back to the past when she was only a little girl but the majority of the story is in the present. Adele is also a part of this story as one of Lucys ‘friends’ as they share a dark, hidden secret.

I was beside Lucy the whole way through this, I felt sorry for what she had to go through and experience… There is a part half way through the story that just made my jaw drop and shout “WHAT!”. But if I’m being honest I’m glad it happened. However, even after that shocker life isn’t peaceful for Lucy…

There were two characters I didn’t like in this story and surprise, surprise they were both men. Denny and Lucys husband. Both horrible, evil men. However, Lucy could have easily avoided ever meeting Denny.

A brilliantly written story, a well deserved four stars from me. I enjoyed reading this one. A real page turner you could easily read in one sitting. Highly recommend.

Perfect psychological thriller! It moved at a fast pace with twists and turns throughout! I couldn’t put it down! Highly recommend!

34 year old Lucy seems to have the perfect life. She is married to an incredibly successful cardiac surgeon, has a huge house, and is finishing up her degree. Unfortunately, behind closed doors, her life is anything but. Malcolm uses alcohol to cope with the high stress from his job, which magnifies his anger and control over his wife. Lucy wants nothing more than to leave this life behind, and she’s willing to seek help from people who don’t have the best of reputations.

So I’m going to be perfectly honest, the first 50% of the book really pissed me off. I couldn’t stand Malcolm because he a chauvinistic, abusive husband who thinks that because he’s the bread winner, his wife must be completely subservient. I also got incredibly frustrated with Lucy because she just kept going back to him even when she knew that his words were laced with venomous lies. I just couldn’t with these two.

I’m so glad I pushed past the 50% point though because holy plot twists! This roller coaster literally derails and sends you into a while different sh*tstorm. I don’t want to give anything away because this is most definitely something that you want to experience for yourself.

I want to raise awareness for triggers with this one. There is domestic violence. It’s not overly physical, but it definitely made me incredibly uncomfortable during certain scenes. I will also say that this author does a fantastic job with atmospheric writing.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the eARC. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

Blog post will post on 08 July 2019: https://thereadingchemist.com/?p=2109

Most of this book was implausible. While it started out quite well, it soon got ridiculous.
A well off couple send their only daughter to a state school for a year and then after a classmate dies, she goes on to a private school. Most parents, if they could afford it, would send their children to a private school, unless the local one was very good.
You are in an abusive relationship and friends and family have seen your husband's behaviour and you don't do anything because he is a Freemason and the police, judiciary and everyone else will believe him, really?
No one calls the police when someone trashes your house in front of your children?
His colleagues at work don't notice anything, and he is a top cardiologist?
Two women carry a dead man and dump him in a reservoir. Not possible.
The author is playing on the Coercive behaviour law that has recently been enacted in England.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.