First of all a big thank you to the author, Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book to read and review.

Unfortunately I just don’t think that this book was for me. This started off incredibly slow. This was interesting and entertaining and once I got past the halfway mark, I couldn’t put it down. I had to know what would happen in the trial. However the ending also feels like it’s rushed and we don’t get all the answers that I would like. The ending felt a little sudden. When this is executed well in a thriller this can leave you reeling so it’s not always a bad thing but in this instance it just felt a little flat.

I enjoyed the legal part of this book but it was so so slow
I really didn’t enjoy the grooming aspect and this made me feel sick.
I didn’t like the characters or the ending
Not a great book

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Unfortunately not a well-written book, unlikeable characters, and lacking suspense. It was such a slow burn that it was almost a chore to finish, and there wasn't much to keep me 'gripped'. The storyline had great potential, but the writing left a lot to be desired and it didn't pack nearly enough of a punch for me.

Thank you #netgalley and #canelo for the chance to review this book.

This novel follows Mel, a well respected lawyer of twenty years. Behind the scenes though, her life is a mess. Her 16 year old son is distant and sullen and she is sleeping with a married man.
The last thing she wants or needs is to be assigned a trainee named Natasha. Natasha watched everything Mel does, and Mel starts to wonder if Natasha has an ulterior motive to being her trainee. Like she wants to learn all of Mel's secrets. And those secrets could ruin people's lives.

I enjoyed the legal side of this book. But it was very slow and took me a very long time to finish.
I really didn't like the grooming storyline between a mid 20s adult and a 16 year old teenager. That was quite gross.
The premise was intriguing, I just didn't like much of anything to do with the character's or the ending.
It had potential but it wasn't my cup of tea.

A very interesting premise and it certainly hooked me. Things escalate quickly - surprisingly so - and it's a gripping read.

Mel Goddard, a barrister at the top of her game, is introduced to the reader in this book. Mel is a criminal and family specialist.
As successful as she is with her work, her personal life is falling apart.
Trying desperately to balance everything, Mel takes on a new pupil at her Chambers, Natasha. Natasha is a huge hit with her clientns, the other members of Chambers and impresses in the Court room.
However, Mel notices that more and more things just keep going wrong with Natasha about. She finds Natasha manipulative, conniving and narcisstic. Is there really room for the two of them in Chambers?
Legal thrillers are the genre for me. Working in law, there is something about a legal thriller and being able to lose yourself in your comfort zome.
This book was fast paced and it drew me in right from the first page. I read this book in two sittings. The author is a fantastic writer who knows exactly how to hold the reader's attention.
There were a couple of legal terminology errors, which would only have been known if you actualy worked

I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book. It has been getting some excellent reviews, so I has expected it to enjoy it a LOT more than I did. Maybe I missed something?... but, while the premise was certainly intriguing to begin with, the novel just didn't deliver.
The story was just far too dragged out, the characters were very unlikeable and ending didn't spark any satisfaction in me at all. It had the potential to be a decent story, but it was very poorly executed. A book I wish I didn't bother with.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Addictive right from the start a definite page-turner. Well-written, good characters, good plot. Recommended.

A wonderfully written book, with a plot that has you engaged from the beginning.
The characters were brilliant and realistic, the storyline was unique and full of twists and turns, and the suspense levels were perfect, keeping the reader fully immersed in the world in which the author created right until the end.
A must read for those who love a well paced thriller!.

A quick read but all the time I was reading it I felt like it was one I had already read or seen something on tv like it. I think the concept was a bit of a jumble of existing plots and I wasn’t keen on how Mel changed her characte4 to fit the plot.

The pupil is centred around two Min characters Mel a well known high flying barrister in London and Natasha who finds herself completing her pupillage under Mel. The two women don't seem to click from the get go things are fast to unravel when Mel leaves the office with her desktop still logged on and Natasha comes across emails she is more than happy to use against her. Mel is convinced there's something not right about Natasha and after an incident things start to spiral for both women.

When I started reading this book I was expecting a thriller however this is not a thriller at all. That didn't negate from my enjoyment of rhis book. I found the psychological element of this book very interesting as both women are on two separate journeys both which make them re evaluate their lives. Yet we aren't privy to what they decide.
Both female protagonists are great strong women on the one hand but also have there fair share of issues. I found the comparison of upbringing written extremely well the assumptions we hold as individuals might not be quite as true as we had thought. Yet neither of these women give each other the time of day to learn why.
Natasha is painted in quite a negative light however she clearly has unresolved or untreated mental health issues this is pretty clear from the get go. Whereas Mel seems to have her own issues but she appears to be extremely high function.

The book takes a through a trail and it is written so well. As someone who studied law and once wanted to be a barrister myself, I found it fascinating and really well researched. There is alot of legal speak dotted throughout the book some explained others not, however if you are unaware of what it means it will not make a difference as a reader
Another topic that is covered well but repeated is type 1 diabetes as this is something Natasha suffers from. As a reader I learnt alot and I found it very interesting but some things about it were repeated several times however I believe the author is putting us in the shows of a diabetic.

The pupil is very easy to read as it has short chapters and each chapter is narrated by one of the women. I think this really added to the book because of how it progresses we are given a view into each women's world but yet we skip days sometimes weeks but it didn't feel like we missed them.

I enjoyed reading the pupil and I would recommend to anyone who likes a crime book or something that makes you think. Like I said its not a thriller although there is a build up. The ending was good didn't feel that the story could go much further. Plus the side characters like Isabelle, Jacob Georgie and Luke all added something to the story and brought depth with their characters. Happy to rate 3/5 stars for this book.

Thank you to netgalley, the author and publisher for the digital advance copy in exchange for my fair and honest opinions.

Quite a slow read where Mel had a good family and work life balance. Respect and money along with good cases made her a successful lawyer. But that was a facade, at home, things were quite different.

In this stressful time, she was given a trainee lawyer, Natasha, who kept a close watch on her, too close a watch. Told to me by their POV, it was interesting to know how convoluted the plot could get. Both the women seemed to have secrets.

The story ended with a flourish. But could have been better. This kept on the right side of interesting but I wish it had more of emotions and fireworks in it.

The Pupil is well researched with a good knowledge of legal systems, methods of career development, questioning technique and trial etiquette. However I found this more interesting than the actual plot line.

Unfortunately what starts out like it may be quite thriller-esque (think Girl On A Train), quickly loses its way with the plot trailing off to nothing but filler to pad out the pages while building up to the big trial.

I didn't particularly like either of the female lead characters. Both have their faults and are selfish and rude; one more so than the other. Mel wasnt the cut-throat barrister we see at the start, even going on to doubt her own ability and her own career success. She has her own morals and won't stoop to undermine them despite how they could work in her favour ... Until she does go against her morals after all! I found this frustrating as I didn't know if I was meant to be cheering for or against her! Natasha is awful. Selfish, narcissistic, dishonest, competitive, sneaky and conniving; she has zero redeeming features and I took an instant dislike to her. The best character was Jacob who had a very mature, responsible attitude despite his age and his mistakes. Luke is another good character but he's barely in it and he deserves a medal for putting up with his nightmare of a girlfriend.

I'm giving The Pupil 3 stars as I do think there will be some people who would enjoy this book. It was just a bit flat for me. I expected more shocks and scandal but it just wasn't there.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ros Carne and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3-4 stars, while this was a decent thriller, fast paced, and easy to read, I don’t think it was quite a 5 star read! It was well written and did provide the sought after components of thrillers, such as thrills, chills, shocks, but it was lacking something, holding me back from 4-5 or even a solid 5 star rating! I do think most who love thrillers will enjoy reading this, it may not blow your mind, but you will be able to easily finish and do so while enjoying the pages! I do recommend to those who are looking for a thriller to read!
Will make sure to buzz it up on the platforms, plus use low Amazon reviewer number to review.

# The Pupil #
Well written book. A medium paced one. The actual storyline quite a good one if somewhat different. I actually think because it is so different makes it more enjoyable.. A lot of books are becoming so similar that some are now becoming, oh here we go again. Although this is in the same type of genre. It’s about having something extremely interesting and not done before, not thst I can remember. Similar one. But not quite like this. It’s refreshing. To read a altogether different aspect of a psychology thriller. Some have been on the same lines. I must admit. Yet well you will have to read to find out I will never put spoilers in any review. A well respected lawyer who’s having problems at hone. That are truly bothering her and she’s desperate to fix them if she cdn. So on top of everything she doesn’t want this trainee she’s says she’s been lumbered with Natasha. Natasha seems like a nice girl who watches Mel closely. She not really a nuisance in anyway she’s intelligent and she as picked up that Mel seems to have a few problems. Sio she tries not to bother Mel too much, also Natasha comes over as a quick learner. Mel actually does feel a little guilty she’s not giving Natasha as much help as she probably needs.

This did what it said on the tin. It kept me engaged from beginning to end. It probably isn't something I'll remember in a year but it served it's purpose at the time and was enjoyable.

A good read with some great characters. I think though that it is predictable in places and not quite believable in others.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Mel is an accomplished barrister with a complicated personal life including her son Jacob and an affair with married man Paul. In the midst of this she is given a pupil, Natasha, who appears very professional and efficient but has her own set of problems which threaten to unravel everyone.

I really enjoyed this story and did not find it too slow as others have mentioned. Instead it cleverly embeds us in the characters' lives and motivations with enough tension to keep us turning the pages.

I really enjoyed this book and will give it a huge thumbs up. With a great story line and excellent main characters - I would highly recommend this book.