Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I found this book really annoying especially the characters that skipped half of it.

This was an interesting read in that it highlighted very well the way in which our views of our offspring can be blinded by love.
Kat is very close to her daughter Amy. They are in daily contact and share everything. Kat literally lives for Amy and cannot see anything remotely negative in her daughter at all.
Kat doesn't hear from her in 48 hours, there are no uploads to Instagram or additions to Amy's Snapchat story. No-one has seen or heard from her and most importantly Amy never turns up at home for a weekend break from uni.
Cue Kat and her ceaseless search to find Amy and convince the Police, her husband, her best friend Zoe and her best friend's daughter Jodie that Amy is missing and something bad must have happened.
Personally, even though I am a mother myself, Kat's hysteria and endless harping on about her wonderful daughter and how she couldn't live without her, at times drove me to despair. I felt that if I was Amy I would want to 'disappear' just to escape the over-protection and smothering. Yet I guess this is how the author wants the reader to feel because as the story develops you are left wondering whether Amy is taking a break from an intense mother or something bad has actually happened to her courtesy of her stepfather, her real dad or even her boyfriend.
When parents invest so much in their children that there is nothing left once the children leave home, the empty nest can be an uncomfortable place to reside and marriages can seem flimsy. This theme will resonate with many a mother, even if you don't experience the extremes of emotion that Kat does.
I saw what was going to happen and who was the guilty party. I also guessed what Kat had kept hidden for all these years, so in that sense there were no great revelations. However this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. There is a twist towards the end I did not expect and I did enjoy the change in narrator right at the end from Kat's voice to Amy's voice which gave the epilogue to this novel a much needed injection of wry humour.
The reason I opted for 4 stars rather than 5 is because although I wouldn't wish anyone dead, I did not much like Amy as a character. She is shallow and selfish and too complacent about her life. I was therefore not quite as emotionally invested as I thought I was going to be. Even so I am glad I had the opportunity to read this novel and I would recommend it to others.

I could identify with this book in so many ways. I will be that mother that miss my child even though he is grown up and left home.... This was a great thriller, compelling and gripping until the end.
Recommended.

From the very off the main character in this book drove me mad, I just couldn’t relate to her at all and find her highly irritating but i think that was maybe how we were supposed to find her?

I feel like a lot of this book was history that could have been more concise to make way for more of the main story line. I definitely wanted to keep reading to find out what happened but on a few occasions I found it a bit slow. I felt like a lot of the book was just talking about what was happening when we wanted to know why!

The twists were good and I have to admit that I didn’t guess what the ‘main’ plot was but I do think the book dragged out a bit too much.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to the author, @bookouture and @netgalley for my copy.

This is a really scary book if you are a parent, I have older girls so I could empathise with Kat. Kat and her daughter Amy have always had a close relationship, maybe too close. So when Amy decides she is going to university Amy feels like her life has ended. Although she is married, Amy has always been her everything, she can’t cope without her in the house or her life. So when Amy doesn’t turn up for a planned weekend home, Kat instinctively knows something is wrong.

Knowing her tendency to overreact, her husband and best friend both try to pacify her with platitudes. Kat is having none of it, after contacting all the friends she knows and the university, she is left with no alternative but to involve the police. Something she knows she should do, but is still reluctant?

The author portrays the terror of a parent who doesn’t know where their child is incredibly well. Kat’s distress leaps off the page as you read, and you feel your heart beating quicker as the story progresses.

This is the first Sue Watson book I have read, but definitely won’t be the last

The Empty Nest was a bit of a slow starter for me, but once I was in, I was in, and didn't stop guessing until the end. The tension builds very quickly after about the first third and I was eager to know how it would end. A gripping thriller!

Another fantastic book from Sue Watson. Her books just get better and better. The Empty Nest was just a brilliant read throughout and I was just hooked from the first few pages. This book had everything you need to have you hooked. It was fast paced, twisted and dark in places........Blimey I did not see that coming.

I loved all the characters especially the cover.

I highly recommend Sue's books. Just brilliant

Big Thank You to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Sue Watson for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kat was devastated when her daughter decided to go to University a few hours away from home. Even though they spoke & sent texts every day she struggles to get through each day. She is looking forward to Amy coming home for a weekend & when she doesn't send a message about her arrival she becomes more anxious than usual. By the time it gets to the next day she is frantic. Is she right to be worried or is Amy just taking advantage of her freedom?

As time goes on it is obvious that there IS something amiss! Kat's best friend Zoe, her daughter & Amy's friend & Amy's (ex) boyfriend haunt social media for clues. The police & Amy's step- father attempt to help, but nothing is enough for Kat. Has Amy's natural father got something to do with it? Or can she really trust husband Richard?

If I had been Amy I wouldn't have gone to Uni a couple of hours away- I'd be looking for a couple of time zones distance. Kat's obsession with her daughter is hard work. I know she had her reasons to worry when Amy was a toddler but it was not a particularly healthy relationship for her. I felt very sorry for Richard- who was the only likeable character for me! I guessed a couple of the 'surprises' & was engaged enough to read to the end which is why I gave it 2.5 stars evened up to 3. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book- you can't love them all!

I found the first 8 chapters of this book intensely annoying as each one just repeated the former without adding anything to the plot. Yes I got it. The mother, Kat Ellis, needs to get a life instead of worrying incessantly about her daughter Amy who has gone away to college and hasn't checked in with her mother for a few hours.
However, after that dismal beginning, I was quickly drawn into the mystery of what had happened to Amy. There's a twist at the end which I didn't guess and was a bit on the unbelievable side but quite nicely explained everything. The plot overall is good but I think it could do with a good edit, especially those first 8 chapters.

I enjoyed this thriller! I thought it was just a little slow in the middle, but I read the last 40% in one sitting, it really ramped up! And I LOVED the ending! Finally! I won't give it away, but what I was hoping would happen finally happened. And the twists were great. Kept you guessing. Had be convinced one way and then went another way and that's always amazing.

An amazing thriller that depicts a mother's love for her daughter. Imagine a life where you are faced with the possibility of losing your only child and coming back from that. How far will you be willing to go to keep your child safe at all costs?!Then years later, when you think all is safe and all of a sudden your perfect life starts to crumble. A page turner until the very ending with an ending you'll never see coming!!

An exceptionally clever, gripping thriller that had me hooked from page one.

One of the best books I have read this year. Excepional

OMFG this book is freaking awesome, After a rocky start, and when I say rocky I mean it was rocky for me. I really didn’t like Kat, Amy’s mom she really got on my nerves to the stage where I wanted to slap her. She irritated the hell out of me big time with her consent clinginess towards her daughter. I couldn’t help thinking I am glad my mom wasn’t like that.

BUT as much as I wasn’t a fan I began to realise that there was more to Kat than I thought and started to question why she was like that.Then the author introduces more characters and the plot thickens and I started to question everyone.

I found myself totally hooked and sucked into Kat’s world on the hunt for her missing daughter. I started to sympathise her, this is very parents worse nightmare. My heart went out to her when the author took me on a roller coaster ride. Throwing obstacles in the way and playing with my emotions.

The story is jam packed with twists and turns just when you think you have it all worked out the author throws another corker into the mix! This is a story full of lies and deceit making you not trust anyone.

I have read loads of books of the years but this book has got one hell of a twist, which I so expecting…. it threw me side ways. A full on OMFG moment, which blew my mind! and you know what, it is the best twist I have ever read!

I am sitting here lost for words because there is so much I want to say, but I don’t want to give anything away.One thing I can tell you is, this is Sue Watson’s best book I have read! she has totally smashed it.

If you like psychological thrillers, this book is a must read. I cannot recommend it enough giving it all the stars.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I'm at the empty nesting stage of life, so I really could identify with Kat and her anxiety about Amy being away at college. I get it, I do. and the premise of this book is fascinating--daughter who communicates daily with mother ghosts her and seemingly disappears off the face of the earth. The delivery is just soooo sloooow.
The first HALF of the book is all about Kat fretting about Amy, trying to get people to believe her that Amy is missing. I didn't like Kat at all, I thought she was awful and I think that the author did that on purpose, but things aren't exactly as they seem on the surface. There are secrets everywhere, which actually made this book better once things finally got going. The ending few chapters were exciting and flowed well, it was just getting there in the first place that was a chore for me. In the end, the wrap-up was great, so a decent read overall.

3.5 Stars!

The title of this book sold me! Since I’m facing my own Empty Nest in August, I thought I’d be able to relate to Kat and her situation. Oh Lord, I so hope not and know not on so many levels!

Kat and Amy are close, Kat brings helicopter parenting to a whole new level. After a bad first marriage and an health scare for Amy, things seem to be sunny and happy when Kat marries Richard. She and Amy are BFFs with another mother-daughter duo, Zoe and Jodie. Tragedy soon strikes again when Amy turns up missing. Kat follows her mother’s instinct and calls police immediately. The story follows the search for Amy.

So much is going on in this book. A missing child, scary ex-husband, false acquisitions, friendships exposed, overbearing parents, teenagers! I found most of the characters very annoying (to the point I wanted to slap most) and situations extreme with no major surprises. But, the writing spins the tale quickly and sucks you in for a fast read especially good on a crisp fall day with a hot apple cider and blanket. First book by this author and would definitely read her again.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone!


****Also reviewed on B&N and Amazon.

This is a book that is really enjoyable if you are familiar with English writing (UK) . it is about a mom who believes her gut instinct no matter what the facts are saying. I think this book leaves you with a lot of mystery and keeps you ready to find out more of the story. It is a bit long for what it is so i think it would rate higher if there wasn't as much empty pages.

A gripping suspense thriller that keeps you guessing till the end!

This was the first book I've read of Sue Watson and it will definitely not be the last! I find the writing style very easy and the storyline gripping from the beginning.

"A heavy blanket of silence folding around me, a slow ache of loss in the pit of my stomach."

Kat's daughter has gone off to university in Aberystwyth instead of a nearby university, and she is struggling with not having her close. Amy has been her everything and they have struggled through a lot together. Then one weekend Amy doesn't come home like she's arranged. Richard; Kat's husband; thinks she is overreacting when she tries to convince him something is wrong but what would he know? He is only the stepdad. There is no trace of Amy on social media and she is not answering her phone or messages. This is very unlike her because she would message her mom every day. Kat's best friend Zoe steps in to support her although she is also convinced Kat is overreacting. Finally Richard gives in and they phone the police to report her missing.
Zoe; her daughter Jodie; and Amy's ex boyfriend Josh helps Kat to get through the days. The police can't find any trace of Amy. Does it have anything to do with her ex husband that she's been keeping away from Amy or are there more sinister reasons for he being missing?

This is a story every mother with a grownup daughter can relate to. How do you deal with your child leaving the nest? Can you always trust your gut feeling?

A definite must read for everyone who enjoys mystery thrillers!

Thank you to #netgalley and #bookouture for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

❕review❕
So I really enjoyed this book. It is roughly about a "over protective" mother's journey with lots of twists and turns...very phycological.
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The book Starts very well. As a mother I could relate to the woman's feelings though it's a little extreme. The book hints at something unknown and sinister which made me need to know what happened in the past?
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These little hints keep popping up making me really want to devour the book! .
From very early on, I couldn't fathom Richard or Zoe out, I was trying to evaluate if they were good or bad...
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The story delivers well and hit me repeatedly with twists! it's hard to review this book due to the twists, I don't want to give anything away!

The Empty Nest by Sue Watson is a recommended psychological thriller.

Kat is very close to her only child, Amy, so when Amy leaves for a university hours away, Kat struggles and lives daily for any contact Amy has with her. When Amy doesn't arrive home for the long weekend as she had said she would, Kat panics and is sure something is wrong, especially when Amy doesn't contact her and doesn't reply to calls or texts. Her friend Zoe tries to support her, as does her husband, Richard, but Kat is inconsolable and wants to check out Amy's room at the university and contact the police to investigate her disappearance.

Kat is a mother who is over-the-top obsessed with her daughter to an unhealthy degree and it is extremely difficult to relate to her. Extremely. It is also difficult to understand Amy who apparently texts her mother several times a day. (I am very close to my adult daughter, but this relationship seems off and unhealthy - even for an only child heading off to college.) I tried to set aside the oddness of their extremely close relationship and understand Kat's certainty that something was wrong with Amy and they needed to look for her immediately. When it eventually became clear that something was wrong, the story actually became more intriguing.

The writing is good, but it would have helped to get to the intrigue sooner, as once the complications, rumors, and suspects are added, the novel became much more interesting. I can't say there were any shocking surprises, but at least it moved beyond Kat's constant mantra that something was wrong with Amy. I'm not sure that it needs to be said, but there really isn't a likeable character in sight in The Empty Nest; Kat is especially annoying. The one thing that saved the novel was the ending twists, which you may see coming, but it was still a satisfying ending.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Bookouture.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2019/11/the-empty-nest.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3036755773
https://www.librarything.com/work/23870546/book/175023946

The Empty Nest by Sue Watson is one of those books on my shelf that I had really high expectations for from having read this author’s work before so imagine my excitement when it lived up to my own hype. Described as “A gripping and suspenseful psychological thriller with more twists and turns than a rollercoaster and an ending that will blow readers’ minds.” is quite a lot to live up to too and when finished I wouldn’t complain at all about that tagline either.

Of course everyone should be familiar with the term “Empty Nest” in which the kiddo/s of a family have grown up and left their parents home for the first time. Kat is now experiencing her own empty nest since her daughter started college a few hours away from home. Truth be told Kat isn’t doing so well with the separation but thankfully her daughter always stays in touch… until she doesn’t.

Kat had just spoken with Amy when she checked in and told Kat she would be coming home for a long weekend. When Amy doesn’t arrive like she had told Kat or answer any calls or texts Kat just knows something is wrong. Kat’s friends and family however tell her she’s young, she’s just busy with friends, you’ll hear from her soon. But as time passes the police are called in and Amy has vanished.

Boy there’s nothing I love more than a book I can’t trust from page one. How does one react when the narrator can’t be trusted and no one around seems to ever tell the truth? Is Amy missing? Is Kat overreacting? Flip a coin and read as fast as you can until the book whiplash settles in from all the twisting and turning.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.