*The Empty Nest by Sue Watson *⁣
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‘Sometimes we can’t see what’s right in front of us, Kat. Everyone has secrets, even the people we love, the people we live with…’⁣
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Well, that was genuinly the most annoying character I've ever come across in a book! Dont get me wrong, I completely understand and relate to concerns she was having but she drove me mad...and I kinda understood why there was a chance Amy would maybe have run away!⁣
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I guessed most of the twists coming before they happened. Especially one of the big twists at the end! ⁣
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Saying that, I still enjoyed the story and wanted to know what had happened to Amy. I feel I would have enjoyed the story a lot more if I didnt find Kat so annoying 😂⁣

Eh. I really wanted to like this book. I think that the last 40 pages or so were great and kept me interested but the first 4/5 of the book were whiney and repetitive.

I have been a fan of Sue's work for a little while now. I first read her romantic comedies, before starting on her psychological thrillers. I have read and loved each and every book that Sue has released. I read the synopsis for 'The Empty Nest' and it certainly sounded like just my kind of read. I wasn't wrong either. 'The Empty Nest' is one stonkingly fantastic read but more about that in a bit.
I can honestly say that I didn't warm to Kat at all and in fact she annoyed me quite a bit. She is extremely protective and obsessed with her daughter. I had over protective parents but compared to Kat, my parents were extremely liberal. Kat is very protective, ultra obsessed and to be blunt she stalks her daughter. She needs to know what her daughter is doing 24/7, who she is with and where she is. I wouldn't have blamed Amy for feeling rather stifled or smothered by her mother's obsession with her and I wouldn't have blamed Amy if she had rebelled. It was at this point that I could quite cheerfully have slapped Kat silly with a wet flannel. Never mind driving Amy mad, she drove me mad. That said, Kat sensed that something wasn't quite right with her daughter and the fact that she hadn't been in touch for a while but nobody seems to take Kat's concerns seriously. Will anybody take Kat's concerns seriously? What has happened to Amy? Is there a twist to the tale? Well for the answers to those questions and so much more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
Oh my word, 'The Empty Nest' certainly proved to be addictive reading. I would pick the book up only intending to read a couple of chapters but I would still be sat there reading over half a dozen chapters and a couple of hours later. I wasn't able to binge read the book over the course of a day because real life seemed to get in the way but I was able to binge read the book over the course of a couple of days. The pages turned increasingly quickly as my desperation to establish the truth steadily grew and grew. All too quickly I reached the end of the book, which I was disappointed about. I don't mean that in a negative way but I was enjoying the author's writing style, the characters and the storylines so much that I just wanted the book to continue.
Sue Watson has done it again and she has written one hell of a stonkingly good read. Sue has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. She draws you into the story from the start and she keeps your attention throughout the book by keeping the storylines interesting, the characters intriguing and by frequently introducing twists and turns that certainly keep you on your toes. The story doesn't start at a particularly fast pace but much like a snowball rolling down a hill, the story gathers pace building up to a tense and dramatic conclusion. Sue writes so realistically and uses such vivid descriptions that I really did feel as though I was part of the story myself.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed 'The Empty Nest' and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will definitely be reading more of Sue's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Sue Watson! WOW! What a clever, addictive, dark, and twisted thriller! Kat is a helicopter mom trying to figure out her new reality after her only daughter Amy leaves for university. When she doesn’t hear from Amy the night that she is supposed to return home and then the following day, Kat is convinced that something is wrong. But her husband, her best friend, and everyone else seems to think Amy is just blowing off some steam and that Kat is once again overreacting. Mothers intuition is seldom wrong, and as more days pass the police are involved and the search begins for Amy.

Kat was such a relatable character. Anyone who has ever been the parent of a teenager or older adultchild knows that feeling when you cannot get a hold of your kid. When my oldest went off to university/college he was not the greatest at returning text messages, but he did always respond when I texted him are you alive? I was completely sympathetic of Kat’s situation. I was stressing out right along with her. As the story progressed I felt so bad for her, I wanted to be that friend whose shoulder she could cry on. The story was so well paste, the tension was ramped up just at the perfect times. I was suspicious of everybody as the story unfolded, so many secrets, so many things I did not see coming. And that ending! Well played Miss Watson, well played!

This book in emojis: 👩‍👧 🚁 ☎️ ⏳

*** Big thanks to Bookouture or my copy of this book ***

Wow..while reading this book I felt I was reading my own journal, especially at the beginning of this story. The close relationship she had with her only daughter and the feelings of loss and anxiety surrounding her daughters safety after leaving home was me to the T. Yes I too was a helicopter mom who talked to her daughter every single day while she was away from college and so if I didn't hear from my daughter I would have reacted just like this one did in the book. I loved this story not only because of the similarities in my life but because of how she was able to pull you in and make you look at all different possibilities and then pull a fast one on you at the end. It was a surprising ending that I think everyone wont expect. I recommend this 4 stars

First, I want to thank Sue Watson, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.

The Empty Nest is the first book I have read for Sue Watson. She has an unbelievable gift for this genre by building up the characters in the storyline pulling on your heart strings. Then when she had them pulled so tight, she puts the twists and turns that you never saw coming in. Some I was incredibly shocked by!
For The Empty Nest originally the book cover was going to be of a broken picture frame of a Mother Daughter holding hands. I loved the cover. However, after reading the book I am glad they decided to change it. The newer cover is more appealing to the eye.

There is one major theme in this book that you can’t deny it is a Mother’s love for her daughter. Kat loves her daughter Amy more than anything in this world. They both had a very strong relationship. Sue did an incredible job throughout this book showing us not just telling us how much at what great lengths she loved. However, midway through the book her love for Amy became a tad bit obsessive on how much she missed her daughter living it home. It was to the point where I was getting very annoyed with the character.

What I didn’t know and find out later was the real reason she was so protective over her. Then It all made sense. My heart went out to her at that moment.

One aspect that I really loved that I have not seen in many psychological thrillers is the use of social media to help a case. This day in age we all use Facebook for various different reasons. This was the perfect platform to get any information anyone had on the disappearance of Amy.

Sue came up with this idea of the book when her own daughter Eve left home to go to the university. She loved Eve and protected her all of her life. Now she is living with a house full of strangers.

She would like to thank Sarah Hardy for reading this at the early stages and giving her the benefit of her thriller-reading wisdom, and razor-sharp eye for detail.

Sue would also like to thank her daughter Eve, for always calling to let her know she is safe-and saving the sanity of this helicopter mother.

After reading this book I am now a fan of Sue Watson. I would love to read and review for her again.

Kat’s daughter, Amy, has grown up and moved away from home to attend college. Kat finds it difficult to live in a house that has grown so quiet and she looks forward to Amy’s daily phone calls. But, one day Amy doesn’t call. Kat knows something is desperately wrong, even though her husband and friends think she is overreacting. It’s a mother’s worst nightmare.

The Empty Nest is another homerun for Sue Watson. Full of suspense, unexpected twists, and unbelievable tension, this book is a psychological thriller in its finest form. Readers will find it hard to put down until the last page is turned and the final secret revealed. It has been described as a roller coaster ride and I whole-heartedly agree!

Hats off to Ms Watson for such an enjoyable and well-written book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

The Empty Nest by Sue Watson 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)

Kat Ellis is a worried mother.  Her 18-year old daughter did not come home from university on the weekend as planned.  It is Sunday, and Kat hasn't heard from Amy since yesterday.    She doesn't understand why no one believes there's a problem.  It's a whole day.  Yes, Kat may have over-reacted to things in the past, but it was always because she loved her daughter, and she had to protect her.  Yes, she may have lied in the past, but it was always to keep Amy safe.   Yes, she goes a little overboard occasionally, but none of that matters now.  Kat is sure that something awful has happened this time. Amy would never abandon her plans with her mother, not without at least calling or texting.  Amy tells her mother everything, doesn't she?

Kat's husband, Richard, is trying to calm Kat down, but to no avail.

Kat's best friend Zoe is also trying to keep Kat calm.  She and her daughter Jodie know that Kat can "crowd" her daughter a little too much.  They aren't having much luck keeping Kat under control either.

When it turns out that Amy really is missing, secrets are going to be revealed.  Apparently everyone is keeping some....and lying.

 
My Opinions:  

First, I have to tell you that I really disliked most of the characters in this book.  I guess Richard and Josh were okay, if a little bland.  Kat was over-bearing to the extreme, Zoe was overly sympathetic, and Jodie just whined.  Then there was Amy, who we mostly heard about in a round-about way, but she didn't appeal either -- sounded like a mean, egotistical child.  So I couldn't relate, or enjoy any of the characters, which made the book a hard read for me.  As well, my feelings for the characters did not change from beginning to end.

However, the plot, the writing, and the twists, were all good -- if a little predictable.  

So overall, the book was "okay" in my opinion.  This one just didn't have the spark that Sue Watson's "Our Little Lies" had.  Although I found it more than a little annoying, I am sure others will love it.  I will also continue to be interested in books by this author.

Amy and her mom Kat are very close. As expected, when Amy goes to college, it is devastating for Kat. But Kat keeps it together knowing Amy will be home for the weekend. Except Amy doesn’t come home. She is nowhere to be found. No phone, no sightings, nothing. Is Amy just testing out her freedom? Or is something more frightening going on. Does Kat even really know who Amy is?
A great read, which builds up to a satisfying ending!

(Also written on my GR page!)

3.5 stars rounded up!

What a treat from Sue Watson!

The Empty Nest tells a story about a worried mother whose daughter went to university and she might be or might not be missing. Kat was a helicopter mom and her actions throughout her daughter's ordeal was bordering mad. Everyone became a suspect and there was a question whether her daughter was truly in trouble or not.

I was kept awake because of the plot and wondered where Amy might go.
It started real slow and the solution appeared after around 80% mark.
But, boy, what a solution it was!

Great story albeit slow, definitely worth it!

Kat and her daughter Amy were thick as thieves when Amy was growing up. They told each other everything and did everything together. That is until Amy moved away for college. She chose a school that was a few hours away, so there was no dropping in by Kat. So, of course Kat is devastated by the “loss” of time with her daughter. What keeps her going is the texts and calls she gets from Amy about school and the new people she has met. Everything seems to be going alright until Amy doesn’t come home when she said she would and Kat starts to get frantic with worry, thinking the worst. But no one believes Amy is in any danger, everyone just thinks she is enjoying her new found freedom from home and maybe even Kat. But Kat won’t let it go…

As a parent I can relate to Kat with the whole kids growing up and moving away for school and how it can be hard to adjust to them not being there, but wow Kat was overly protective almost to the point of being obsessed with everything that has to do with her daughter. But at the same time, her heart in the right place and I can see myself doing some of the things she did too if it were my kid. There were a few times that I had to question her actions though especially when it came to her past but I still had to root for her to find her daughter.

There were a lot of players in the story. Her husband Richard, was supportive to a point but even he had his breaking point with the obsessiveness as well as her friend Zoe. There were teachers and friends, some questionable, some who seemed to genuinely care for Kat and Amy and then there were a couple that I just couldn’t figure out. That is until the end. But it was certainly a great cast of characters.

This story starts slow and steady and is one that is built on secrets and lies. Kat’s lies, Richard’s secrets and it seemed that no one in this little circle of friends knew how to tell the truth and that just made it where you don’t know who is trustworthy or not. Now, Amy’s disappearance did bring some of the secrets to the surface but there were some that were willing to fight to keep their secrets, no matter the cost. During the later half of the book is where the suspense starts to build at a faster pace and there are a few things I did see coming but Watson did a great job taking the story in a different direction leaving me on the edge of my seat right up till the end. And the epilogue was certainly a fantastic addition!

The Empty Nest was an engrossing psychological thriller and had a great mystery with questionable people with questionable motives and plenty of suspense right up till the end. It was definitely worth the read!

Kat is an overprotective mother. When her daughter, Amy goes to university, Kat misses her terribly. They are I constant contact. Amy was due to visit home at the weekend, but she never showed up. Kat tries to contact her but theres o reply from her phone or social media. Kat I owe something is wrong but no one will take her seriously. Even her husband thinks that Amy will turn up. But when a few days pass with still no word from Amy they contact the police. Will Amy be found safe and sound?

Everyone is a suspect into Amy's disappearance. The book also lets you see how a missing family member can tear families, friendship and relationships apart. Where you will suspect anyone and everyone. There are plenty off twists. This is a well crafted story. It's a well written story that send you in different directions. The ending, I did not expect.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Sue Watso for my ARC in exchange for an honest.

It feels like this book was written in two parts. The first part was more inside the thoughts of the main character (Kat) – there was a lot of exposition. In spite of spending a lot of time in her head, or maybe because of it, I did not connect to Kat as I would have liked. She was overbearing and unlikeable. The second part contained more interaction between characters, and there were more than a few twists that kept the plot moving. The result is a decent psych thriller that examines mother/daughter relationships as the daughter grows up. For more thoughts, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a complimentary, pre-release, digital ARC of this book.

I have enjoyed books from Sue Watson in the past, but this one fell a little short for me. I had a hard time relating to any of the characters. I had figured out the plot early on. It just wasn’t for me. And I’m sorry. But thank you for the ARC.

No one knows their child like a good mother. If they are in trouble she can sense it. This book is about such a mother/daughter relationship. When Kat’s daughter Amy goes away to college she is like any mother, sort of afraid but also I think happy that she is claiming her independence somewhat. They talk every single day. Then one day Amy does not call. Kat knows something is wrong but no one seems to want to listen. Even her husband.. Her bossy best friend. No one seems to get it.
You’ll find out why Kat is how she is while reading this story. I liked her but also thought at first she was a bit to clingy to Amy. Although being the mother of a girl I also fully understood. You want to protect your child from everything and when they go away it’s difficult to let go.
I truly enjoyed this book from start to finish. It kept me turning the pages and wanting to know what happened.. It was well written and most characters were a bit likable. I didn’t much like the stepdads way of handling things and the mother good grief but I did end up truly loving Kat.

Thank you #NetGalley, #Bookouture for this book. This is my own true honest review.

I give it a big 4 stars and recommend it.

Kat feels bereft when her only daughter moves to Wales to attend Aberystwyth University. The mother and daughter have a close bond and Kat wishes her days away waiting for a phone call, a brief text or most of all, a visit home.

So, when Kat’s daughter Amy doesn’t turn up as expected she knows there is something amiss. Her husband Richard and best friend try to reassure her but Kat knows her daughter better than anyone and she knows that something is not right.

I raced through The Empty Nest desperate to find out what happened to the teenager. Sue Watson has a talent for building up suspense and sending the reader down dark alleyways and dead ends, then producing a shock when you are least expecting it. Most of the characters (especially Kat) grated on me (as I am sure they were meant to) but it didn’t matter to me, as long as I found out what happened.

The overbearing mother, flaky stepdad and bossy best friend were all frustrating and irritating in their own way, but people like that do exist. As a mother myself, I was deeply affected bt Kat’s anguish which kept building and building. The maternal instinct is a powerful emotion and Sue Watson demonstrates this perfectly. This is a clever, tense thriller … everyone has a secret, many are lying…and finally, the epilogue had my head spinning!

Amy is 18-years-old and off to University. Kat, Amy's mother, is living in memories of when Amy was a child and never left mom's side. Kat always says that she and Amy are not only close-knit, but they are best friends.

Amy's been gone a few weeks and she and Kat have spoken on the phone every single day without fail. That is, until now.

It's been 2 days and Amy has not called .. has not answered her phone ... has not sent or received any text messages. Kat is beside herself with worry.

Kat's husband just tells her to calm down, Amy is fine .. just having a good time at school. She's becoming independent and doesn't need to talk to mommy every day. Even Kat's best friend, herself the mom of a teenager, tells her this is a normal thing.
But Kat knows right away that something is very wrong. Her daughter would never forget to call. She would never just disappear... After all, Amy has nothing to run from. Or does she?

This is a family with a lot of secrets. Kat can't even tell her husband about her past. Amy has been keeping secrets, too. And Kat's husband is hiding something .. but what? This is a mother who is obsessive about her daughter ..... with good cause? Who can she turn to when those around her keep telling her this is normal behavior for a teenage on her own?

The Empty Nest is a highly suspenseful psychological thriller with twists and turns that never quit until the final explosive unpredictable ending. There is a feeling of loss when a child leaves home to make their own way in the world. I feel Kat's rising fear and angst as the story progresses. The characters are finely crafted and memorable.

Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Amy is 18-years-old and off to University. Kat, Amy's mother, is living in memories of when Amy was a child and never left mom's side. Kat always says that she and Amy are not only close-knit, but they are best friends.

Amy's been gone a few weeks and she and Kat have spoken on the phone every single day without fail. That is, until now.

It's been 2 days and Amy has not called .. has not answered her phone ... has not sent or received any text messages. Kat is beside herself with worry.

Kat's husband just tells her to calm down, Amy is fine .. just having a good time at school. She's becoming independent and doesn't need to talk to mommy every day. Even Kat's best friend, herself the mom of a teenager, tells her this is a normal thing.
But Kat knows right away that something is very wrong. Her daughter would never forget to call. She would never just disappear... After all, Amy has nothing to run from. Or does she?

This is a family with a lot of secrets. Kat can't even tell her husband about her past. Amy has been keeping secrets, too. And Kat's husband is hiding something .. but what? This is a mother who is obsessive about her daughter ..... with good cause? Who can she turn to when those around her keep telling her this is normal behavior for a teenage on her own?

The Empty Nest is a highly suspenseful psychological thriller with twists and turns that never quit until the final explosive unpredictable ending. There is a feeling of loss when a child leaves home to make their own way in the world. I feel Kat's rising fear and angst as the story progresses. The characters are finely crafted and memorable.

Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

4.5 stars

THE EMPTY NEST
BY SUE WATSON

"But having children is agony. From the minute their born we hold them to us knowing life will never be the same again. The worry never leaves us, but one day the children will--and we are left with our empty nests, and full desks, and we tell ourselves we now have time for ourselves. But what we don't realize is that we are never ourselves again after having children, they shape us as much as we shape them."

Kat is a helicopter mom to her daughter Amy. Even though Amy is an adult and has been gone to university for a couple of months. Kat doesn't let a day go by without knowing what Amy is doing or who she is doing it with. Amy is Kat's only child whom she had with her first husband named Tony. Amy has a four day weekend coming up which she us due home. When Amy fails to show up on her appointed day home without calling or texting her mom, Kat goes over the top with worry that she fears something awful has happened to Amy.

I think we all as parents would worry about our adult children or only adult child, if we were expecting them and they never showed up without a phone call or a text telling us something else came up. Not Kat. And this is where I had a problem with this book. Kat goes over the top with worry and obsessing that something terrible has happened to Amy. Crying and ruminating in her head right off the bat that the worst has happened. It got tiresome and their was just way too much catastrophizing.
The daughter is an adult and it was far too soon in my humble opinion to think the worst so soon.
This bothered me so much so that I was ready to set the book down with a DNF at about 6 percent in. I am glad that I stuck it out and gave the book a chance but it seemed sort of lackluster for me with all of that chattering and it just seemed unrealistic and too much too soon to be thinking of calling the police the same day.
Amy is a full fledged adult who could have had any number of things that came up where she didn't have a chance to contact her mom yet. To the author's credit there was good reason to worry but not to the extent that she did too soon.

I am not giving any spoilers away because there are a number of ways this novel could have played out. Did Amy just decide to go away with friends and forget to call her mother or decide not to because of Kat's obsessive helicopter ways? Did Amy's dad Tony take her to another country? There were some of Amy's flat mates who said that they saw her with an older man with gray hair? Could Amy's step-father Richard have something to do with her disappearance? You will have to read this book to find out. I did guess before the big reveal who was involved . The story did get interesting as I reached the 30 percent mark. I think fans of psychological thrillers will like this and this novel will find an audience. For me 3.5 stars rounded up. I would still recommend this and be interested in reading this author's other work in the future.

Thank you to Net Galley, Sue Watson, and Bookouture for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

When Kat’s daughter goes missing, she is the only one to think something is amiss but she won’t stop until she is taken seriously.

I enjoyed this book, I was swept along with Kat’s journey through all the twists and turns, through to the end. Although I suspected the truth at the end of the book, the ending still took me by surprise, and even though everyone had their secrets, it still left me feeling kind of uplifted. I completely recommend this book.

I did not care for this book. Amy goes off to uni and helicopter mom Kat nearly goes out of her mind when Amy fails to call her. I got really tired of Kat's nonstop whining and telephoning/texting trying to find out where Amy was. I really had to struggle to finish this one. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.