Cassie feels as if she's lost all hope. Her only son, Josh, has died and she is simply trying to hold on. Previously, Cassie had dealt with a serious illness so she often wonders if her husband Adam will stay around. They never had children together, and although Adam was a wonderful stepfather to Josh, now that he is gone, she worries as to what is left for her and Adam.

She gets the surprise of her life, however, when a young woman she briefly saw at Josh's funeral shows up on her doorstep with a young baby in tow. Not only does the woman, Kim, tell her that the Josh was the father, baby Samuel is the spitting image of Josh. Then, she said the two recently became engaged! Who is the girl, and why had Josh never mentioned her? Cassie hardly has time to think about that. She now has something to live for - a connection to Josh! And just maybe her insecurities concerning Adam will go away.

Meanwhile, a lot of matters begin to come to light. First of all, Josh's death was suspicious. Also, Kim seems more than a bit off. What is more is that Cassie has a huge secret she has kept hidden for years. She is now getting notes and such that talk about her "lie". What lie is this? What does it have to do with her, Josh and Adam? Also, why is she now being haunted now that Josh is dead and Kim has shown up?

Let me tell you, this book was a whopper! Without spoiling the book I just want to say that my head was spinning when it came to Kim. But she was not the only one. So, the question comes to mind: who can the reader trust in this story - Cassie, Kim, Adam, or even Josh? With the various points of view, even those of Josh before he died, let's just say that this story is filled with shocking twists that kept me tapping my Kindle from beginning to end. I love when I can get behind the motivations of characters, and then trying to sort out whether or not they are redeemable.

I have read several books by Sheryl Browne, and whenever one of her books comes up for review, it is an easy Yes. I always know that I am going to be taken on a wild ride. She definitely succeeded with The New Girlfriend. I can't wait to see what she next has in store for her readers.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

I am not sure why, but this book just wasn’t my cup of tea. Don’t be discouraged; I think some people who enjoy slowly unfolding plots would like this one, it just wasn’t for me.

In the opening chapter, we briefly meet Josh, who soon dies after falling onto the rails of an oncoming train. We then meet Cassie, Josh’s mother, who after months of grief, opens her door to a woman claiming to be Josh’s girlfriend and the mother of her baby. Cassie is instantly taken by this woman, but her husband is not so sure that her intentions are pure.

What I liked:
-I liked the opening, and getting to know Josh as a character before knowing him after death.
-Cassie’s husband is a solidly written character, as is the woman claiming to be his girlfriend.

What I didn’t like:
-Cassie. She hints over and over again at a secret, but it isn’t as doled out grippingly. She seems strange and naive, and I took an pretty quick dislike to her. Since she’s the main character, it’s a powerful blow.
-The story isn’t quite as gripping as I had hoped. It took a loooooong time to come around, and by that time it had really lost my interest.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free arc in exchange for an honest review.

A trio of women, Cassie, Kimberly, and Jemma, all with a cupboard full of skeletons and secrets, and what connects the trio is Josh. Josh is Cassie’s son, Kim’s on off boyfriend, (a tenuous relationship at best) and Jemma’s former boyfriend.

The story begins with Josh’s funeral after a tragic accident, where Cassie and her partner Adam, are struggling to get through the service. His death has sent them both into a downward spiral ( Adam wasn’t Josh’s biological father), but he loved him as if he were his own.

Some time after the funeral, a young woman called Kimberly turns up out of the blue, with a baby boy named (Samuel) who she claims is Josh’s baby, and finally, Cassie believes that she has something to live for after the devastation of Josh’s death. That is until she begins receiving threatening texts from someone, claiming to know what she did in the past - and we the reader aren’t privy to that revelation until much later on, but what occurs up to that point is truly riveting.

A well written, though complex psychological thriller. Some of the characters were easy to like, while others had the opposite effect. There were some great twists, due to expert use of smoke and mirrors, and all in all I have to say it was a real page turner.

I didn't find this story to be at all "totally gripping and addictive" It starts out very slow. Once we meet all the players, things begin to progress and the book becomes hard to put down, even though in reality, there is nothing new here. The characters came across highly unlikeable, with the exception of one character and the babies. The main character, Cassie seemed to suffer from silent rage, coupled with paranoia and some form of OCD. It could have been far more interesting if those things had been expanded on and explored, instead of being brought up and kind of brushed under the carpet. I'm giving this three stars because while I didn't love it, I also didn't hate it and the book was definitely hard to put down.

Having read all of Sheryl Browne’s books, I was looking forward to this. Slow to get into, I found it hard to get on board with the characters which made it harder for me to read. It won’t put me off her next one, but it certainly wasn’t top of my reading list this year.

Skillfully drawn characters are showcased amid a well-plotted narrative. Twists and turns, lies and secrets, kept me glued to this thriller from the very first page to the very last amazingly surprising conclusion.

Cassie and her husband, Adam buried their son, Josh, a few months ago. Today a strange woman is at their door introducing not only herself, but the baby she is holding as her son's child.

But as Cassie tries to bond with the baby, she starts receiving threatening messages from someone in her past ... someone she's been hiding from for a very long time. Cassie is terrified that if her secret comes out, she will lose her husband, her home, everything including her precious grandson.

As the messages get more sinister, Cassie realizes the person behind them knows every detail about her life and she fears that she is being watched.

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.

' Cassie and Adam are grieving for their son, when a stranger turns up on their doorstep claiming to be josh's lover and she's had his son. Holding on because it's their last connection to Josh, but is everything what it seems? '

So I really enjoyed this book to start with, it was fast paced and even though I could see where it was heading I was enjoying seeing how.. Then it got to around 60% and I found it getting abit far-fetched in my opinion.. There was certain things that happened, I was definitely 😲 but not in a good way!! Then it just got more and more unbelievable.. I'm not going to give spoilers but honestly it just didn't glow for me.

I didn't really like any of the characters aside from Adam, I like to think Josh was a good guy but unsure. But Adam was genuine and seemed like he always thought of everyone else.

Cassie and Adam are grieving for their son when a girlfriend they never heard about shows up at their door with a baby...their grandchild.

This was an interesting and original story. Told from the perspectives of a range of characters who all find themselves dragged into the chaotic aftermath of Joshua's death, this story weaves around, dropping hints and raising suspicions. The more eagle-eyed, regular readers of thrillers may be likely to figure out where the plot is heading but this is still any enjoyable read. There were moments where I was full of sympathy for what (some of) the characters were going through; most of the time I was infuriated and wanting the truth to be revealed so these horrible people would be exposed.

This book deals with grief, betrayal and mental health, as well as the lengths people will go to in the name of love.

This is the first book by Sheryl Browne that I have read. I went through a long phase of reading only thrillers and so only approach them from time to time these days. This was a great companion to the sunshine while sat in the garden. I give this a solid 3.5/5 and would be open to reading some of this author's other work.

This was an easy read, and I got through it in one sitting. The plot was interesting, though predictable at times. I was hooked from the start and needed to know the truth about what was going on.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this E-book to review via Netgalley.

Wow.. 'The New Girlfriend' by Sheryl Browne is a wild ride. The kind where you need a scorecard just to keep up with all the moves being made and the lies being told.

Opening with a bang.. or in this case.. practically the screech of metal and the weight of shock and disbelief, Cassie's only son is killed. Just a few short months later, a stranger appears on her doorstep.. claiming to be his girlfriend and bearing a baby in her arms that is clearly her grandchild.

In the wake of her loss, Cassie is struggling to cope with the changes that have come at her full speed ahead. The idea that her neurosis drove her son out of the house.. leaving her somehow at fault for his death.. paired with what appears to be a serious relationship he never shared with her or his stepdad, Adam.. has her reeling.

Attempting to do what she can for her grandson and his mother, she begins to get cryptic texts in threatening tones referring to a big secret she's been keeping. Someone knows what she's been hiding, a potentially life altering act that she'd do anything to protect.

Honestly, this story throws a lot at you. Many of the characters are embroiled in their own nest of secrets, each with something big to lose. While Josh, Cassie's son, actually seems like a basically good guy.. he's far from perfect himself and the result is a handful of people who all might have reason to be involved at least peripherally in anything bad that might have befallen him.

I really only found one of the characters to draw any investment from me.. any concern for their well-being, and that was Adam. He's a kind, genuine man.. who seems to try to do his best for pretty much anyone who enters his sphere of existence, even if they aren't entirely kind to him. And I'm pretty sure the author intended it to be that way.

It definitely feels as if the other characters are meant to have somewhat ambiguous moral codes to begin with. Most of them seem to make their decisions from a selfish place with little regard to the collateral damage they might cause. I don't think Browne means for us to feel sorry for them, even if the things they deal with are a bit soul-crushing at times.

The author did a great job at keeping the ball moving.. so your eyes never lingered too long on any one possibility. Though in the end.. the answers are compounded. I was vindicated in my beliefs to a point, but surprised by the addition of some other parts to the puzzle. There was one plot point that felt out of place, unnecessary.. as if it was thrown in simply for a 'gotcha' moment, but the story as a whole is a solid read if you enjoy a good mystery.

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for the arc of The New Girlfriend by Sheryl Browne.

This follows Cassie whom feels as if she's lost all hope as Her only son, Josh has sadly died and now she is simply trying to hold on for all hope. Before Cassie has had to deal with a serious illness so she often wonders if her husband Adam will stay around because of that reason, They never had children together, and although Adam was a wonderful stepfather to Josh, now that he is gone, she worries as to what is left for her and Adam......

5 star read!! Wow what an amazing book, with amazing structure and great story line! it had me hooked so well done Sheryl Browne!! definitely recommend.

I will admit this book took me a while to get into. I found the beginning to be slow, but by the end I was well and truly hooked.

Cassie and Adam are mourning the sudden death of their son when a woman called Kim shows up claiming she has given birth to Josh’s child. Suspicious ey?
From the start Kim’s presence was unnerving and I never truly warmed to her, which was necessary for what happens in this novel. I was suspicious of all the characters even Adam, though deep down I knew it wasn’t him. Sheryl Brown does a great job of making you doubt each and every character and their true intentions. Though I couldn’t say this book blew my mind, I did enjoy it.

Adam was my favourite character; he was the rock of the family and received the brunt of the death of Josh. Cassie relied on Adam to comfort her and support her but barely supported Adam herself. Adam is a sensitive and emotional person who is always picking up everyone else's pieces, he is a fair person who does not get the respect he deserves at all.

I loved the development of the plot, but some parts felt extremely far-fetched aka Ryan and Josh being related. Ryan falling into Josh, Cassie being there as well? I disliked Cassie most of the way through, the way she treated Josh was not okay and she lives in guilt which is truly deserved. I can’t believe Cassie managed to keep Adam so out of the loop with Josh not being her biological son, it shows pure evil and contempt in her personality. The twist at the end (Ryan and Josh are brothers) felt thoughtless and added as a last ditch attempt to make the novels ending sit differently.

I was disappointed at the end that Adam and Cassie weren’t together, but at the same time not surprised. I can’t imagine many people managing to move past the fact their wife manipulated and bribed a woman into giving her child away. I must read for sure.

This would be a 4.5 rating. I really enjoyed this book. it was a i can't put it down book. so many hints and ideas along the way. I still didn't have a clue. towards the end there were a couple points that I was a little lost, but it all came together. it's set in the UK, so lots of foreign words, but not that that causes a problem for Americans to read. This book talks about child abuse so be prepared if that is a trigger. I'll definitely try more books by this author. Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy.

This is a fast paced thriller that will have you questioning everything and everyone.

Cassie and Adam are struggling to come to terms with the loss of Cassie’s son Josh. The police think it may have been suicide but Adam is convinced this is not true. Was it an accident ?

One day there is a knock at the door and Kim arrives with baby Samuel. She claims to be Josh’s girlfriend and the baby is his son. There is no doubt that the baby is Josh’s son, he is the image of him, but why is this the first they are hearing of him and Kim ?

Suddenly Cassie and Adam have something to live for and a purpose, they must look after their grandson. But things start to go downhill for Cassie ......... threatening texts, shoplifting, doubts about her husband, to name a few. What is the truth ? Will the truth finally be revealed ?

This is a fast paced psychological thriller with plenty of twists to keep you questioning what is the truth. You really don’t know who is telling the truth let alone what the truth is !! A great read that should definitely be on your list.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

WHAT. THE. FREAK. I tell ya author Sheryl Browne has evil synapses in her brain cells. She could twist a simple scene with her words, making it convoluted, wicked, and all time shivery. I kept swaying like a pendulum. To believe or not to believe the characters…

It was a simple straightforward story. Josh died on the tracks. His parents Cassie and Adam were heartbroken. On their doorstep stood a woman with a child claiming him to be Josh’s son. That started the story…

Having read all books by this author, I could see how far she had come. Evil came in various forms, and one of them was Sheryl Browne. She gave me unreliable characters, really weird ones, who appeared nice, but I was never sure of them. Then she gave me a plot which inverted over itself midway. The one I liked became the one I was scared of. Then she gave me reveals, not those tiny ones, but huge earth shaking…err…book-shaking ones.

The book would change directions frequently. I was kept on the back foot the whole time, not knowing what was happening. There were parts I guessed, rather I hoped the author would write in. And I was blown away when I was right… I think I would make a cool wicked character.

Suspense kept the prose flowing and secrets made it more intriguing. The story never let up until the last line when truth was revealed to me at last. It was not the characters but the author who had given in to the darkness within. Damn! A shiver sure coursed down my back as a strand of my hair caressed my cheek. Sheryl, pun intended.

Wicked… Wicked… Wicked!!

I enjoyed this book. It was a unpredictable book that kept me guessing until the very end, the plot was packed with twists and turns. Would recommend.

Buh bye sleep. This twisty story will draw you in from the first page and you're a goner. Utterly unputdownable you will loose track of time and forget about anything that needs done. Reading this awesome book is first priority. Pick up this winner of a book but it comes with a warning. You won't be able to put it down. Absolute must read. Happy reading!

Started this book thinking it was going to be a great read but I just couldn’t get into it. It was too slow from the first paragraph that I put it down and tried again later. I still couldn’t get pst the first couple of paragraphs. It might be a great book but it’s not the book for me. If you like books that are more of a slow burn then this might be the book for you.

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have been working my way through Sheryl's backlist of books since meeting her at a crime thriller night at my local library so was keen to check out this, her latest novel. I mean, that cover - you can't gloss over that on the shelf of your library/bookstore can you? It leaps off the shelf with it's vibrant colours and catchy tagline for a start: Your Secrets Her Lies. (Can you tell I am a girl who is taken in by a pretty cover design? I know...I shouldn't judge a book by its cover but hey...).

The book begins in a far less pretty manner, the prologue describing what turns out to be Josh's final few minutes of life. Maybe there could be a trigger warning for this opening chapter as it's quite an upsetting narration of how, whilst under the influence of a heavy night's drinking, Josh falls on to the train tracks and killed. It is told from his point of view, his thoughts of the evening's events and a vague background of how he came to be so inebriated. But there's always the feeling that we're missing something in his telling of what is going on - which all adds to the intrigue for the remainder of the book.

The main heart of the book is told by those left behind, the people Josh loved the most. And a couple of others. The author has done so well to weave her story so that we don't know how each of these characters figured in the months leading up to Josh's death. There's a massive rift between him and his mother Cassie, a situation his stepfather seems to have been keen to rectify right up to the end. The torment he puts himself through as he tries to come to terms with losing Josh is heartbreaking - I have to admit that Adam was the only character I really warmed to all through the book and he certainly had my heart strings pulling more than anyone else. Then there is Kim, a young woman who arrives on Josh's parents doorstep after his funeral complete with young baby in tow, who she claims belongs to Josh. Cassie and Adam have to decide whether she is telling the truth or not, a decision process which could mean they lose touch with their possible grandchild if they handle it all wrong.

I really flew through the pages as the plot meandered its way back and forth from the present day with Cassie and Kim's points of view taking the stage to months earlier when we get glimpses of life from Josh's view point. I frantically tried to work out who was telling the truth regarding the relationship between Kim and Josh - and indeed Josh and his parents - but while some aspects of the story were fairly straightforward to work out, others burst in and stole the show. It's hard to say much more than that without spoilers but OMG! that ending! I love it when an author manages to hide the biggest reveal right until the bitter end and Sheryl has done so BIG STYLE in this novel. It was one of those moments where I actually leapt from my chair on uncovering the final bombshell - one I certainly didn't see coming. As much as I loved this whole book, the conclusion is amongst some of my favourite reading of the year so far. I cannot recommend this book highly enough and I would love to hear whether it blows you away too. Personally I thought it was absolutely blummin brilliant.

A good summer read. This story has plenty of twists and drama. I did not like or warm to any of the characters which meant I gave this story 3 stars instead of 4.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.