A firm four star read - Rona's books do not disappoint! I felt that this was firmly in the 'Mystery' genre with plenty of twists. Throughout the whole book I couldn't work it out - often suspecting several characters at once of being involved in the underyling drama. I love it when books are not predictable. There are some great characters in this book - great because you either love them or hate them. An author that can create such passionate feelings towards a fictional character is talented for sure.


It is a slow starter - the storyline takes a while to take shape. But when it does the build up makes it all worth it. Stick with it if you feel like that in the first few chapters because it's all part of the shocking elements of this incredible book.

Another fantastic book by Rona Halsall! After reading several others I just had to get a copy of I Owe You to see if it was as "unputdownable" as the others. This was my favourite by far.

The author really draws you in to the family dynamics and you find yourself liking or disliking the characters and you are really able to empathise with the characters. Sara trying to protect her family, Sophia and Molly being typical teenage girls, Matt trying to provide for his family.......so the ending is such an unexpected twist! What you feel is an ordinary family trying to get by suddenly is blown apart.

If you have enjoyed Rona's other titles you will love this, I know I did

This is my first book written by this author and I must say that I enjoyed it immensely! I buddy read it with 2 people and even though we agreed to read 5-6 chapters per day the writing was exceptional and we finished it in 3 days!

As I said the writing style was what appealed mostly to me. I liked the fact that every sentence builds up the tension and that you find yourself reading and reading and awaiting the big revelations!

The above mentioned tension in the book is one of the best building tensions that I have read in a while. It starts slowly and it just builds up and up and some of us bit their nails 😁 because it's that great!

The great aspect was that I suspected everyone at one point in the book. I thought it was marvelous how Rona managed to write a book where everyone seems guilty of something, that you suspect those close to Sara and those not so close.

She also manages somehow to guide you through the story where you are certain some people are involved, then you second guess yourself, then they reappear as suspects and you don't know absolutely anything before the end.

The fact that there are storylines that don't seem connected but the author somehow interviens them one to another and even a third storyline!! shows you how absolutely great a writer Rona is.

I am wholeheartedly recommending this book to anyone that needs an introduction to Rona's work.

Sara and Matt, a successful couple, hit a financial snag and both choose the wrong way to alleviate it. I have read several of Halsall’s novel and while not the best, it had an interesting premise. The first 2/3 were excellent and then veered a little off the rails in the wrap up.

Another great book from Rona. I love her thrillers as they keep me gripped from the first page and this was not a disappointment. I devoured this book in one sitting. This time we meet Sara and Matt a couple juggling life and family when Matt is made redundant. As Sara becomes the main bread winner and Matt decides to set up a business on his own things take a strange turn when she is given an offer from her boss to help with her money problems. As things take a dark and mysterious turn and Sara seems to be moving further away from her family the secrets and lies start to come out in a dangerous fashion.

Sara spent a lot of her childhood in foster homes and so is determined to give her own children the upbringing she never had. For fourteen years she has achieved everything she set out to do, even if it meant her own career had been put on indefinite hold. When her husband Matt loses his job and everything changes in an instant.

This is the fifth standalone novel I have read by Rona Halsall and until now they have improved each time. This story is completely different, there isn't one character in it who is remotely likeable and no feeling of anyone being caught up in a situation beyond their control if only there had been some conversation between them.

For someone so intent on providing the home life she was denied main character Sara is at best naive and, at her worst moments, a definite doormat. There are also stereotypical sullen teenagers, a controlling husband and bossy older sister in the mix and to be honest they deserve each other. I wanted to scream 'talk to him/her' too often as the plotline began for it to keep happening

This author has written some excellent books which I have loved and had definite 'Oh!' moments of enlightenment. This book unfortunately wasn't a pleasant reading experience and won't stay long in the memory which is such a shame.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review but would definitely recommend Ms Halsall's other books over this one.

Book hangover commencing!

Now if your after a book that will have you constantly second guessing, this is the one for you.

I won't go into any detail about the storyline as it will give it away bit YOU HAVE TO GIVE THIS A GO!

This is the first book I have read by Rona Halsall but I will 100% be downloading all others.

An absolutely fantastic read, full of twists and turns. The characters are believable and likeable, full of detail and easy to picture (always a plus for me).

I loved the way the main character Sara goes from a needy and in all honesty quite pathetic character to one who grows to be a strong willed protective mother and on the other hand how her husband Matt completely changes and not for the better as the story unfolds.

A definite must read that is an emotional rollercoaster from beginning to end.

Huge thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

This was a great domestic thriller I got sucked in the story right away and kept interested so much so I stayed up late so I could finish it. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

I Owe You by author Rona Halsall is an interesting example of what NOT to do when you are faced with financial problems!
The plot of the book is interesting and very good. I did not like any of the characters in this story. Sara was so insecure because of her childhood until she made stupid decisions. I wanted to shake her! Any sane person knows no good can come from stealing money! How could she agree to a whole weekend away from her family especially knowing Ezra would cry for her? Sara's actions made me hurt and I wanted to stop reading the book, but I did finish.
Sara is a wife and mother living a very comfortable suburban life until her husband, Matt, loses his job. Matt writes code for websites and decides he will start his own business in an office from home.
Sara has been working part-time at a local non-profit organization and hopes to be approved for more hours. The huge pivot point which starts a landslide of problems for Sara comes as she can not face telling Matt the money she had kept in reserve for emergencies has been lost to a risky investment. Sara had inherited the money from an aunt and wanted to use it to further her education. Matt had convinced her to save the money. Now Matt is asking that Sara give him the money for his new business start-up expenses.
Sara can not tell him the money is gone, so she decides to 'borrow' the money from one of the bank accounts she manages at her job. She fully thinks she will be able to repay the money when Matt's business is online. There is a huge problem with her plan. Another part-time worker discovers what she has done!
James offers her a way to resolve the problem. He will replace the money in the account for her if she agrees to act as his escort or companion when he needs to attend social events. Although Sara has misgivings about the deal, she agrees to the arrangement in order to repay her debt to James.
Matt was a self-absorbed scoundrel. The twins were selfish and secretive. Hailey was a bossy older sister. James faded away altogether after his being attacked. Fiona was a manipulator from the beginning.
I have read much better books by Rona Halsall, so don't hesitate to read her other books.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Publication Date: May 5, 2020

I have to say this book irritated me, which is not in any way derogatory, but shows how good the writers skills are with her characters. Sara was needy and pathetic, and all that emanated was her own fault. Not too keen on Matt, he appeared to want things all his own way, irrespective that it was Sara’s inheritance to begin with, so what, he was just manipulative and I’d have sorted him out from the off. Her girls were selfish little madams, I’d have kicked them into touch too. Even the young lad was disruptive in his own way, he’d got her round his little finger. I can’t say I was too impressed with her sister either.

However, after all that, the story did perk up and once the sisters did their own sleuthing, it was in fact, a very good tale. I was right about who was behind it all, that was obvious from the start. It wasn’t as gripping as many of the books I read, but then again, some of them are really grim.

My thanks to the author, and Netgalley for the ARC.

I raced through this book to finally uncover the secrets. Sara is a sympathetic character, and her dark childhood lends a certain type of depth to her actions. Full of twists and turns, Halsall's latest thriller is a true rollercoaster of emotion.

This book was a slow starter for me but in the end I really liked it. Sara and Matt have 3 children and she recently started working part-time at the community center. Matt loses his high paying job and decides he wants Sara's inheritance to start a business of his own. The trouble is, Sara invested her money in order to make more and she ended up losing it. She comes up with a way to get money to give to him and from there everything goes downhill. I felt there were some things that needed explained in the end but never were. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this very interesting book in exchange for an honest review.

To describe this book in one word..... brilliant.

Sara has a perfect life, a husband and three children as well as a job at the local community centre that she loves. But then Matt loses his job, and Sara makes a decision she will live to regret.

This book is perfectly written, the story keeps you hooked and needing to know what happens next. The twists and turns were just brilliant and often unexpected.

The characters in this book were also relatable, and I certainly found myself feeling all the emotions as we followed Sara's story.

Wonderfully written, fast paced.... just brilliant! I would certainly recommend this book!

I am a huge fan of Rona Halsall and I have read all of her books to date so I was really delighted to receive and ARC of I Owe You.
Sarah is married to Matt who works in IT and they have two teenage daughters and a four year old son. Sarah had a very hard childhood growing up in foster care and no stability so she pours all her love into her family.
Her inscecurity and need for love unfortunately makes her a pushover to her children and leads to her being disrespected by her daughters, One day her husband comes home early to tell her he has been let go from his IT job and his confidence takes a very hard knock and leads to sarah being the sole provider for the family but her part time job at the community centre is not paying her enough to cover the bills so through desperation she takes money from the community centre and James her boss discovers the missing money he tells her he will replace the money in return for favours from Sarah, and being desperate, she unwittingly agrees. Thus begins a tale full of twists that kept me hooked the whole way through to the brilliant, very surprising and somewhat shocking ending !!!!!!!!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Rona Halsall for the ARC of I Owe You, my review is honest and unbiased in any way.

Sara made one promise to herself when she was growing up in foster care: if she was lucky enough to have a family, she’d always do whatever it took to protect them. She is surrounded by a lovely home, teenage daughters and an energetic four-year-old son. But a problem is looming. A somewhat small problem that has the potential to grow out of control.

More About Sara
Sara, perhaps because of the need to keep peace and the illusion of a perfect family, seems quite subservient and almost fearful of her husband. But out-of-sync with the personality we see, we learn that earlier she invested inheritance money left to her without her husband’s knowledge.

Her Dream
She would like the money to multiply so that in time she can go to school and advance her career.

Her Nightmare
But it’s not looking like schooling is in the cards for Sara right now. The “rainy day money” that she invested has been completely lost, leaving her a mental mess.

Especially when her husband, Matt, announces that he’s lost his job. But he has a plan. He wants to remodel their garage and start his own business. There is even a very good chance his first client is lined up. And the likelihood is huge that his business will bring in a great deal of money.

But he has no idea that the savings they’d put away are gone. And Sara won’t admit the truth to her husband. Especially, not after she’s seen his temper rear it’s ugly face lately.

The Plot Thickens
Sara has a part-time job that she can try to get more hours at, but how long will it take to replace the money that she took? Too long! Matt will need the money quickly. And he will expect it to be available.

Spooky Music
Her boss ends up offering her a solution to the problem, but will it be one she can live with, or will she be compounding one problem and one lie?

My Thoughts

I guess my first comment would be that this was certainly an unusual cast of characters. My second comment is that the story managed to hold my attention. And third, don’t over-analyze any of it if you want to enjoy the book.

Characters
Sara: Needs a family counselor and a backbone

Matt: (husband) Needs to grow up and take a pill if he needs one! I’m not a doctor, but I’m pretty sure he has a mood disorder.

Teenage Girls: Yes, teenagers can be a handful, but do they always have to be depicted as self-centered, rude characters? It’s really not okay in my book to disrespect your parents.

Hailey -Sara’s Sister: I suppose she overreacts to everything to keep us guessing. Given time, and toward the end of the book, she seems to get a grip on life.

4-year-old-son: Somehow is managing to remain a normal child.

What Concerned Me

This was a pretty messed-up cast of characters.

What I Liked Most
The writing is good. And regardless of the characters, I had no trouble finishing this book. It easily kept my interest.

My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC and the ability to express my opinion.

Wow! I have just raced through this book, what a story!
This is the first I have read by Rona Halsall but it certainly won’t be the last.
Very quickly you can see that poor Sara has got herself into a bit of a mess and can’t see a way out. All you know is that it’s not going to end well. But my goodness the twists and turns that develop as events unfold - it really kept me guessing until the end.
A great book, which progressed at a good pace and kept me gripped from the start. The story had a real depth and the plot had been cleverly thought through and well written.
I rated it 5⭐️ and highly recommend it.

Ohhh I do love a Rona Halsall book at this one is no exception and did not disappoint! A little slow to start but such a cracking, edgy ending!

The more you lie, the harder you fall and boy didn’t these characters all have us guessing! Sara’s love of her family is the backbone of this story and while there were so many times I wanted to shake her and yell at her, one could see why she was so desperate to make such hasty decisions.

Some very unlikable and untrustworthy characters, however not all were this way and I sure was surprised by one in particular.

Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in reply for an honest review.

Sarah has a happy life with her husband Matt and her children. two teenage daughters and young son. She will do anything for them as Sara had a tough upbringing, she was in and out of foster care when she was a child so, she wants the best for her children. Her husband Matt has a top job in I.T. and Sara works part time at a community centre. Her life is mainly looking after the children and Matt brings home the money.
When one day Matt comes home early to be told that he has been made redundant from his job. Sara shocked and panics at first but, decides to see if she can extend her hours at the community centre. But the extra hours, still won’t cover all the bills. Sara always goes by the book but as she is stressed out on where she is going to get the money and she takes some money from the community centre, thinking no one will notice. But James founds out and tells her that he will replace the money for her but, he wants some favours in return.
This is another great story by Rona Halsall, full of suspense deceit and lies. This had a great story line; the characters were well developed but I didn’t like the character of Matt and I couldn’t believe how naïve Sarah was in her actions. If she was a real person, I would have given her a really good shake up and tell her not to be so stupid. Four stars from me.

The title and the cover of the book are creepy!! Which is exactly why I had a feeling it would be an amazing one... this one definitely did not disappoint! Go ahead and read it!

I really enjoyed this book from a new to me author. The story was fast paced and at 130 in the morning, I didn't want to put it down. Was it the best thriller I've ever read? Nope. Was it fun? Yes!

One thing I do have to say about the story is how much I wanted to punch the main character, Sara, right in the crotch. She let her husband walk all over her and she complained about how tired she was after working full time for a whopping 2 weeks! She complained quite a bit and by the end of the book, I just wanted the author to kill her off. The ending was also quite predictable, but that didn't keep me from enjoying the story.

Overall, a very good read and I will be checking out more by the author.

*Review copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*