Member Reviews
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the chance to read and review Sheryl Browne's new psychological thriller, The New Girlfriend, set to release on August 3rd. All review opinions are my own.
This book was twisted, and in the best kind of way.
We follow several different character's POV's as they grieve the loss of Joshua. Joshua was the son of Cassie and was killed on the train tracks in July of 2019. Soon after his funeral, this woman named Kim knocks on Cassie's door claiming that Josh had a baby with her and that Cassie has a grandson. Soon Cassie learns that she will do whatever she can to hide her secrets and care for Samuel and protect him at all costs.
Wow, the cast of characters were all unreliable and that's what makes this thriller so good. Kim was insane, literally insane, and you could tell that there was something off with her early on in the beginning of the story. It was interesting to see some chapters go back in time to Josh's POV to see how all the characters are connected and piece together what really happened on that fatal night. Despite the police ruling it a suicide, Adam, Josh's step-father is not convinced and knows there is more than meets the eye.
I did not see a single twist coming, which made the roller-coaster ride of reading this short (294 pages) thriller such a blast. I cringed at so many different parts and it shocked me how far some people can go when they are desperate and obsessive. It definitely made me want to rethink all of my past and present relationships.
Cassie is so mentally ill and dealing with the grief of so many things, along with the paranoia that someone is texting her and threatening to tell her secret, makes her POV so entertaining and vile at times. There are so many different mental illnesses portrayed in this book, making it a true psychological thriller.
Overall rating is 5 stars. This book is making me hunger for some more thrillers.
Thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author, for letting me read a free copy of this book for review. I could not get into this book. I felt lost and did not connect to the story at all. I'm sad when this happens.
Another remarkable book from Sheryl, a fantastic read, just my cup of tea, extremely well written and a great story line which I got into from the very first page and was addicted until the last page.
The book had good descriptive characters, a brilliantly addictive page turner with a fantastic ending that I never guessed. I will be recommending this to my many Facebook Book Groups.
Well done Sheryl I can't wait for your next one and thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this brilliant book. A very worthy five stars.
I enjoyed reading this book. It started off slow but about halfway through it had my attention. I was able to figure out some things but there were a few twists I wasn’t expecting at all. I will definitely pick up another Sheryl Browne book!
This is a good, twisty thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. Now, I did figure out one of the main twists very early on, but the other twists took me by surprise. The narration flows well and the book is very well written. I plan to check out the rest of Sheryl Browne's novels.
Whew! What a ride! This is one of those books that has you thinking about the characters throughout your day even when you’re not reading. I worked out a couple of details but I couldn’t for the life of me figure everything out until the very end! I love Sheryl Browne’s writing style. I was so frustrated and wanted to yell at some of the characters! Loved the twists right up until the very last sentence of the book!
Definite 5 stars from me!
Huge thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me the incredible privilege of reading this book in advance!
This book just didn't work for me. I don't like to give critical reviews, so I'll leave it at that. I'd been looking forward to reading The New Girlfriend because I'd read one of Browne's earlier books and gave it a rave review.
Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing an ARC.
Cassie has lost her beloved son Josh and is deeply depressed.
Until one day, not long after the funeral, a girl named Kim knocks on her door, claiming to have been Josh's girlfriend and a mother of his baby.
The newly discovered grandson gives Cassie a reason to live, but as she tries to do what's best for him, she starts getting threatening messages.
The story alternates between Cassie's and Kim's point of views and grips you pretty fast.
It was an enjoyable read, reasonably fast-paced.
However, I found that it lacked the wow factor. I guessed a lot of the twists pretty early on so the ending lost its shocking delivery. Still, the last few chapters had me racing through it.
Overall, it was a good read and I will be reaching for other books from this author.
Thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for the ARC which I received in exchange for my honest review. The New Girlfriend is a jaw-dropping thriller from Sheryl Browne. The author makes good use of dual timelines and the story is told from several points of view. The main character is Cassie, a mother who has recently lost her 24 year old son. She is desperately trying to hold her life and her marriage together when a woman shows up on her doorstep with a baby she claims is Cassie's grandson. What follows is a twisty mystery that takes several unexpected turns. I don't want to say much more in terms of the plot because this is the type of novel where the less you know from the start, the better.
The book is definitely a page turner and is a very quick read.. I didn't like most of the female characters but Josh and Adam were both really decent guys who deserved better than the women in their lives.
The details surrounding Josh's death were particularly heartbreaking and I wished things had turned out differently for him. The final scene was a showstopper though, so overall I would say that this was a good psychological thriller.
Seriously though this is a fine psychological thriller with hints of a whodunit that is based around Josh and his Mum and Dad, an ex girlfriend and a baby that is left without a Dad when Josh mysteriously dies
There is deceit and lies, intrigue, and a lot, a real lot of twists, couple all that with a look at OCD, grief at his rawest and a vengeful stalker and you begin to get the picture
The author always writes for the reader and again this book welcomes you in, gets you settled and then BAM strikes with an exciting and ever moving plot
A different to the usual themes read that will make you wonder who is telling the truth and 1 character in particular you will love to loathe
A good enjoyable and interesting concept read
This book is definitely going to be one of my favorite reads for this year. Author Sheryl Browne has definitely done it again with this page-turner with lots of twists and turns so hang on for the ride of your life!
Joshua Colby ends up falling on the railroad tracks and dies. At the funeral, his mother, Cassandra, sees a pregnant girl but does not have any contact with her. Three months later, the same girl, Kimberley Summers comes to their home with a newborn baby and states that he is Josh's son, Samuel. From that point on, lots of strange things begin to happen making this a fantastic read. This book is told by various narrators which makes it an even better read.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this truly remarkable book that kept me up reading long into the night.
This book grabbed me from the very beginning. It’s a fast paced, edge of your seat thriller full of suspense and intrigue. It held my attention throughout and kept me wanting more. A definite read for fans of thrillers.
Cassie and Adam are devastated when their son Josh is killed under unusual circumstances. How can their beloved son be dead? Josh was run over by a train, but was it an accident, suicide, or murder?
A knock on their door on what would have been Josh's birthday blindsides them. Kim, who claims to have been Josh's fiancee is standing there, but she is not alone. She has a baby, Samuel who she says is her son and Josh's. She says she wants her baby to know his grandparents, but does Kim have a hidden agenda?
Cassie has secrets, Kim has secrets, Josh has secrets, and perhaps Adam deserves an award for the character most likely to tell the truth(or maybe not). The story is told from numerous points of view that all come together and tell us who is lying and why. I did guess a couple of the secrets, but not all of them. Who did I sympathize with? All of the male characters, the women had enough skeletons in their closets to put together a heck of a Halloween display.
The New Girlfriend kept my Kindle smoking on a very hot day. Luckily, it seems to handle the heat, the cold, and my furious page flipping with ease. A fast-paced read with interesting characters, and a plot that kept me guessing.
Holy Moly!
This book was one to remember. Sheryl Brown sure knows how to catch a girls attention and hold it till the very end!
If you have not read The New Girlfriend YOU need to!!!! Like RUN dont Walk
Thank You NetGalley And Publisher for this one of a kind ARC!
And Sheryl for writing such an amazing book!
Holy Sheets this one got me good. Had me hanging on the edge of my seat right to the very end!
Josh’s trains delayed so he debates whether to call his step father to come and pick him up or wait and he late. There’s a commotion and sadly Josh’s life ends.
Cassie Josh’s mother is grief stricken, she wasn’t well before he died and this has pushed her over the edge. Adam the saint (Josh’s step father) continues picking up the pieces.
Kim shows up on their door step with Samuel her baby and announces that Samuel is Josh’s son. Cassie instantly becomes obsessed with Samuel and starts to suffocate Kim. But Kim isn’t innocent, there’s something more too it.
This book is told from many different view points, Josh, his mother, step father, the woman he loves and the woman that’s obsessed with him. I loved the different vantage points and the scheming webs of lies that formed in each chapter.
Wow! Just wow! Right from the first page I was drawn into this story. Central character Cassie, recovering from cancer is dealt a second horrific blow when her son Josh is killed. Her marriage to builder Adam has been a strong one, but there are huge pressures as she tries to deal with this tragic accident. When a young woman (Kim) turns up on the doorstep with a baby and announces it is Josh's , Cassie doesn't believe her, but the baby's features mirror that of her son's and she knows, however improbable, she is telling the truth.
And so begins the nightmare. Sheryl is so good at creating bad characters and Kim is one of her best. She's plausible but more than that vulnerable and it's not long before Cassie and Adam are doing everything they can to support her. But to be a good liar you need a good memory and gradually Cassie begins to have doubts. And so she should because Kim is on a mission and she knows exactly what she's planning to do.
It's a well plotted book which took me on a journey where I had no idea of what the outcome would be. I did guess one particular thread early on but everything else was a mystery right up until the end. The New Girlfriend is a must read for all of those who love a good psychological thriller.
Highly recommended.
Sheryl Browne's writing has a way of hooking you from the first chapter. The New Girlfriend is full of suspense, it leaves you constantly guessing as to what is happening with the characters - Cassie and Kim - and who is Jemma - how does she fit into the story?
I found myself reading very late into the night as I simply could not put the book down - just when I thought I'd figured out the ending - I was wrong.
An excellent story with more twists and turns than a Florida rollercoaster. Very well written, the characters are colourful and richly described. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Thank you for the chance to read this book. Unfortunately, I got 25% in and was too bored to continue. This isn't a slight on the writer, the writing is good, and there's plenty of mystery for a great premise. But when I read I want to be hooked right away, but I couldn't hold my attention here.
Wow what a great book , had no idea what the ending was going to be . Very tense book all the way through that’ll keep you up all night . Great read about loss , emotions , families , relationships. Another great psychological thriller from this great author . Can’t wait for the next
Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Sheryl Brown for this review copy in exchange for an honest review.
The wound of losing her son is still so fresh when one day Kim knock Cassie's door with to tell her about the grandson. Kim is a girlfriend, josh never talked about. But the resemblance of Samuel to his father is uncanny to think otherwise. I don't want to go into the story.
This story rotates around mother, stepfather, girlfriends and baby. It also focuses on Abusive family background, protective family, OCD, grief, guilt a brittle relationship, eagerness, stalking, dark secrets and many many twists and turns. I hope you get my point.
It is a dark and sad story which made me angry a lot of times. The character development was beautiful but the characters were so grey. I couldn't guess any of the twists so yeah I enjoyed it. I had a bit problem with pace first half of the book didn't offer much but the second half was good.
The suspense was on point.