Member Reviews
I really enjoyed this whole story! I think it functioned SO WELL as an audiobook. Armitage and Racine did an absolutely phenomenal job. I love duo narration audiobooks. The chapters without a defined narrator were so eerie with the voice changer. The back and forth chapters worked so well and helped us get to know both Jack and Anna so much more deeply.
I feel like the 3rd act of the story slowed down a little for me, but at the same time the ending was such a shock. For some reason I did NOT see this one coming. This story def has some INSANE themes that one should be warned about: depictions of animal abuse and rape.
I really enjoyed my first Alice Feeney book! Bravo to the author and narrators.
**2020 20 word review**
Very interesting thriller. I liked the different points of view and the vocal distortion of the killer. Worth the read!
*The NetGalley Audio App made it difficult to maintain my place in the story. The Bookmark feature does not accurately hold the audiobook's stopping point. This may have caused me to lose chunks of the story.
However, from what I was able to listen to, I very much enjoyed the two main narrators as well as the third voice of the perpetrator in the book. The story was gripping and highly suspenseful.
WHAT A RIDE. I didn't see the twist coming, and I really loved that there were three perspectives and three narrators. This was my first Alice Feeney book and I will definitely pick up more.
Thank you Netgalley for this audiobook of His & Hers by Alice Feeney.
This is a book narrated in two voices, Him and Her. The Him being DCI Jack Harper, and the Her being Anna Andrews, Harper's ex-wife. There is also a third voice that is masked and whose identity we don't know. The narrators were both very good, with delightful English accents :)
Jack is horrified when he learns the identity of the first murder, it's a woman that he has been with just the night before. Not only that, but she was the friend of his sister, and enemy of his ex-wife. One by one, more woman that he once knew are murdered, and Jack fears his ex-wife could be next.
I was IMMEDIATELY hooked to this book. The "mystery" voice has me guessing right up until the very end. The cast of suspects were very compelling, and there were moments in the book that made my eyes pop out of my head. Very fun summer thriller, highly recommend.
This was a wonderful read. The audiobook was the best way to take in this story. I thought I figured out the ending and bang here comes another twist to the story. I have read all of Alice Feeney's books and have to say this is the best. Will be looking forward to her next book. Thank you NetGalley, Publisher and Author for the advanced audiobook.
Oh. My. Goodness.
I'm going to be brutally honest here. I would never have picked this book up on my own, just reading the description. NetGalley just started offering audiobooks and had several titles available as "read now", this one among them. It's narrated by Stephanie Racine and Richard Armitage. I would listen to Richard Armitage read the phone book, so I snatched this up even though I usually dislike dual narrators. I am so glad I did.
This is a creepy, terrifying, twisty thriller, which is enhanced by the audiobook format. In fact, I think it probably works better as an audiobook than it would in print. The book has chapters from 3 POVs -"his", the lead detective on the murder that starts the book; "hers", a TV reporter with a drinking problem; and the murderer. The murderer's POV chapters are narrated with a digital voice changer, making those chapters so much creepier than I could ever read them to myself in my head.
The initial set up takes a little while, slowly pulling the reader into the story. You sense that neither Jack nor Anna are particularly reliable narrators, but every time I thought I had it figured out, that I was sure I knew who was committing the string of murders, there was a new revelation that changed everything. I don't dare say more because I don't want to risk saying anything that spoils the big reveal for anyone. I will simply say that I highly recommend this as an audiobook, just (a) don't read it at night and (b) maybe listen to it on a device you don't mind sticking in your freezer, because this is definitely freezer-worthy horror.
Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are entirely my own.
In this novel we meet Anna and Jack, a reporter and a detective chief inspector, as they try to solve the murder of one of Anna’s childhood friends. There’s always two sides to every story, and things are rarely as they seem. And as Jack appears to be set up for the murder, and Anna seems to be keeping secrets that may be the key to solving it all, things are heading straight towards disaster.
The above paragraph was perhaps not the greatest way to describe this novel, but in truth, I don’t really know how to share what this book is about without spoiling it. This book will definitely be best going into without too much knowledge because it is a roller-coaster of twists and revelations and unexpected details.
I listened to the audiobook and one of the things that made this book an awesome experience was how one of the two narrators, Richard Armitage, really brought the character of Jack Harper alive. He was an awesome narrator that was so soothing to listen to.
At first I found that the book was progressing a bit slow, it took a while for it to take off, and most of all there was a lot of questions that never was answered in the beginning. The story is told in first person and especially Anna failed to explain herself a lot of the time. This made me feel left out. It’s clear from the start that she’s hiding things, possibly dark things, and that’s not really a problem per se, but it becomes a problem for me when she drags the revelations out too long. Things that feel rather unimportant was brought up in the first chapter, and was referred to all throughout the novel, until finally in at the end was properly explained. A few things being like this, important things, wouldn’t bother me, but when everything is like this it ends up being a bit of a frustrating read. So, if I had I read this instead of listened to it, I would have skimmed large portions, especially at the beginning. But since I listened to it, I didn’t have much choice than to listen to all of it, and even though it was rather slow and frustrating at times, Richard Armitage’s voice kept me there.
That said, the twists and turns and how the author keeps the reader guessing from beginning to the very end is amazing. I’m usually really good at spotting the perpetrator and the upcoming twist before it’s revealed. And by 50% I was sure I knew what was up, so positive in fact that I felt a bit disappointed. I was wrong, and I love that. In this book, everyone looks like a suspect and there’s really no way to tell who’s behind that distorted voice of the killer when they share their side of the story. They could be any of the characters we’ve met, and that’s what makes things so exciting. It’s impossible not to keep reading, you want to know who that person is and why they are doing the things they are.
Alice Feeney has done a great job at placing red herrings, dark pasts and current mistakes into a story where everyone is as unreliable as the next. Are they even telling you the truth, or are they lying to themselves and to the reader? Who knows?
The best thing: the ending. The author really keeps the reader’s attention until the very end, and when she does, it’s everything you’d ever want of a crime novel. All the questions are answered, all the loose ends are tied up, and you are left equally shocked as you are satisfied.
I loved this.
Thank you so much to Claire McLaughlin from Flatiron Books for sending me the electronic ARC of HIS & HERS by Alice Feeney and for asking me to take part in the blog tour this month! TODAY IS MY DAY to take part and I couldn’t be more excited!
HIS & HERS follows BBC Newscaster Anna Andrews and Detective Jack Harper as they both try to get to the bottom of a recent murder in their hometown of Blackdown Woods. That’s about all I’ll say for the plot because I HIGHLY recommend going into this one blind (or knowing as LITTLE as possible); this book honestly takes you on a crazy ride that will have you guessing at every turn. So the less you know beforehand, the better!
To get right to the point, this books gets ALLLL the stars! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 His & Hers was JUST the twisty psychological thriller that I needed to read. It was twisty, full of surprises and unreliable narrators, and every time I thought I knew who the murderer was, I immediately suspected someone else—I simply could not stop reading, or listening (I read along with the audiobook for this one)! I’ve seen that some people have been disappointed with the ending and the revelation of who the murderer is, but I can’t say the same. I thought that it was so well done and it absolutely made sense with the rest of the story. I loved it! I’d also like to add that the audiobook is just as incredible, and the voices they chose to portray Anna and Jack, as well as the mysterious third voice, were so fitting and absolutely perfect. Everything about this book, and audiobook, was incredible.
It’s been a little while since I’ve felt this way about a book and I’m so glad that it was with His & Hers because Alice Feeney is one of my all-time favourite authors and this book was one of my most anticipated books of the year.
HIS & HERS came out earlier this week, on July 28th, and it is definitely one that you don’t want to miss. If you haven’t had the chance to read/get this one yet, I highly recommend doing that immediately because you will NOT be disappointed.
https://rebekahreads.ca/his-hers-by-alice-feeney/
I loved this book, just like Alice Feeney's previous books. There was one point in the book where I was a little disappointed, because I thought I had figured out the story and that it was too predictable. I should have known better. There were multiple twists still to come and even after I thought the book had given the final twist and I was just waiting for the loose ends to get wrapped up, I got hit with another shock. This book is a wild ride.
This is my second book by Alice Feeney, and I although I pretty much couldn't stand <i>Sometimes I Lie</i>, I didn't feel as negatively towards this one. That's not to say I loved it, though. There's something intangible about Feeney's writing or stories that just doesn't sit right with me, but I can fully understand why this has been such a hit. If you enjoy twisty thrillers that might keep you guessing to the end (sadly, it didn't totally work out that way for me), this is definitely one to pick up. Hence my 3-star rating, which is pretty standard for me - even for thrillers I fully enjoyed; I just didn't feel this one as much. It's a me thing, though, and no fault of the author's.
Given that I can't be more specific about what it is about the book that doesn't gel with me, I'm focusing this review on something about which I can actually articulate my opinions: the audiobook.
The good stuff:
Richard Armitage and Stephanie Racine narrate the alternating chapters for the two main characters respectively, and they both have fantastic voices. Their accents are also really easy to listen to (especially Armitage's, who I'm used to thanks to another thriller), and Racine's Anna has the exact BBC-type voice you'd expect from the character. There's also a third, anonymous character whose chapters are read with some kind of voice distortion to keep you guessing about their identity. It lends a creepy, ominous feel to the chapters where the killer is addressing the reader.
The not so good stuff:
All of the above is made completely null and void by the irritation I felt at Racine's glacial narration. Not only does she read slowly, she also takes these impossibly long pauses between sentences that make it feel like the story is dragging on forever without getting anywhere. This is even more evident given the contrast that's created by Armitage's narration every other chapter. In the beginning, her slow speed irritated me. Then, as I got to know Anna's character a bit better, learning that she's a BBC news presenter, I thought to myself, "Well, she does at least sound like one, slow or not," and I made do. This didn't last very long, though, and by the time I was 20% into the book, I started listening to Anna's chapters on 1.5x speed. I kid you not - even 1.25x was too slow. She doesn't even go all chipmunk like other narrators do at 1.5x - that's how slow she reads to begin with. I know this might seem nit-picky, but if you're listening to a thriller - a genre that often relies on the momentum created by shorter chapters and edge-of-your-seat pacing - having a slow-reading narrator just sucks the life out of the experience. To be honest, I can't help but wonder how I would have enjoyed the book had I read it instead of listening to it.
To summarise: Please do give this a go if you like a good thriller, but do steer clear of the audiobook version if slow narration drives you up the walls.
First, the audio version of this was fantastic. There were three narrators: his, hers, and then there's a third narrator (the killer) whose voice is electronically altered so you don't know if it's a male or female. They were both great voice actors, and I think listening to the audio enhanced the reading experience.
As for the story itself, I found His and Hers quite graphic in parts and a little too dark, overall, for my taste. I struggled to like either of the main characters at first, though they did grow on me as I continued reading. There were also few plot points I found a little too coincidental without any explanation. There were definitely some twists and turns to this story, and it kept me up late into the night to finish and see if I guessed the killer correctly.
Alice Feeney has written a thriller that left me guessing until the very end. This book was told from three perspectives, His, Hers.....and a suspicious third narrative. It was wonderfully crafted. I had five different theories for how this book would end, and none of them were correct. She wove together the plot lines flawlessly. The narration was perfection. Each character was perfectly portrayed, helping the reader to easily move into their point of view.
This story has it all - suspicious murder, unreliable narrators, tragic backstories, and a spiderweb of lies.
I wasn't sure what I'd be walking into with this book, but I sure as heck wasn't expecting what I got. This book got dark quite quickly and went to places I wasn't expecting and I highly recommend checking out the TW's before reading this book.
TW: alcoholism, animal abuse, animal death, animal mutilation, bullying, cancer, child death, dementia, drugging, eating disorder, explicit photos taken without permission, forced sexual act with a minor (alluded to), gang rape, graphic violence, grooming, murder, parent with illness, physical abuse, rape of a minor (16yo with 30yo rapists), self harm, selling child pornography, sexual abuse, sexual coercion
I understand that this is a mystery/thriller book, and these often take you to quite dark places, but generally you have a bit of an idea of what you're going to put yourself through. If I knew that all of the above was going to be in this book, I likely wouldn't have picked it up.
I listened to the audiobook and found the narrators (apart from the third which was very difficult to understand at times, even on 1x speed) to be really pleasing to listen to. You can't go wrong with Richard Armitage. The narrative style of the book was well written and was easy to follow along with.
Mysteries are difficult to review because the joy of reading them comes from unraveling the plot, and I don't enjoy spoiling in reviews, but I will say that the 'twist' was a bit ... unrealistic and I still don't know how I feel about it.
Others may enjoy this book, but it definitely wasn't the one for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review
There are two sides to every story: yours and mine, ours and theirs, His & Hers. Which means someone is always lying” In this case, a third one!
Her - Anna Andrews, a BBC Presenter, a dream job that she would do anything to keep it. She was asked to cover a murder in a small sleepy town where she grew up. Little did she know that she used to be friends with the victim.
His - DCI Jack Harper working as a lead detective in the murder where he knew the victim and became a suspect in his own murder investigation
His & Her - As they present and investigate the murder, they became involved again and one of the them is keeping secrets and not telling the truth.
I just love the way the narrators read it - slow, clear and full of emotions. The killer voice was scary and creepy. In the first few chapters, the author slowly established the relationship of the main characters, but it will get you hooked up right away. It will leave you questioning who the killer is and will not know it until the event end!
This was my first audiobook which I have to thank Netgalley for. I decided it would suit me very well to listen to His & Hers on my daily walk and I have to say it was definitely the right decision. Having said that there were times when I felt people passing by must have wondered what was wrong with me when I was shocked or more likely sickened by what I was hearing and was aware that my reaction was showing on my face.
The murders, whilst gruesome in themselves were as nothing compared to Anna's memories of her school life which more often than not were utterly shocking. The story was so compelling and I became so heavily invested in working out who the murderer was that I sometimes rationed my listening time to make it last longer.
Stephanie Racine and Richard Armitage were the perfect narrators for this story which obviously has a dual narration, as in 'His' and 'Hers' which always overlapped seamlessly and probably worked even better as an audio book. I believe they also shared the voice of the murderer using a voice transformer which of course only serves to deepen the mystery further.
I did feel that Alice Feeney used a fair amount of artist licence to enable the flow of the story and then to tie it up but maybe I'm being a bit pernickity. As ever the author totally reels the reader in and I guarantee will keep you guessing right upto the books conclusion.
His & Hers
By Alice Feeney
Audiobook narrated by Richard Armitage and Stephanie Racine
I have been loving NetGalley’s new audiobook offerings! I have been seeing His & Hers on bookstagram and was excited to listen.
This is a thriller with layered characters and some investigative procedural components. The story was suspenseful even though I didn’t completely buy in to the ending. This might be an issue that lies more with me than the writing, since I rarely love a thriller’s ending for some reason. 🤷🏻♀️
The audiobook narrators did a nice job of bringing the story and the individual characters to life. I appreciate when the narration has just the right amount of acting and emotion and this was just right.
I will keep an eye out for this author as well as these narrators I
in the future!
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#HisHers
#MacmillanAudio
#alicefeeney
#richardarmitage
#stephanieracine
#audiobook
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#thriller
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#summerreads
This is the first novel that I've read by Alice Feeney and I will definitely be open to reading her other thrillers.
His & Hers is a twisty, psychological thriller that is perfect to listen to on audio and get lost in the plot twists while going about your day.
What kept it from being 5 stars for me:
I am getting tired of the main character being an alcoholic. It seems that many thrillers these days are using this trope - can't you use some other kind of trope?? The narrator for Anna was a bit boring and I found that all characters that she narrated were a bit one dimensional. I loved the narrator for Jack.
What I liked:
I liked that the Alice wrote from three perspectives: Anna (the reporter), Jack (a DI in Blackdown), and a mystery third person that you learn more from throughout the plot. Alice seamlessly blended in flashbacks into the plot of the story and it helped develop the plot. I would say that His & Hers is a mix of plot driven and character driven as flashbacks helped drive the plot and the development of the characters through connections with the flashbacks helped drive the characters forward in how they could be connected with the crime.
This may be one of the only UK set thrillers that has kept me interested in the plot right until the very end. I usually find UK thrillers hard to get through or I'm not surprised by the ending.
I truly believed that someone else was the murderer up until the very end, and that is what I love about thrillers. I highly recommend that you pick this one up
This book was thrilling from the beginning to the end. I read along with the audio book and and it did not disappoint. Fabulous narration by Richard Armitage and Stephanie Racine.
I love the triple viewpoints of this book. Told from his, hers, and the killers perspective. It was fast passed and the twists will have you turning the page quickly. Quite a lot of foreshadowing in this creepy psychological thriller. There were some particularly disturbing parts and I would urge those with triggers to read reviews before proceeding.
The story surrounds Anna a BBC television reporter and her ex-husband Jack a criminal investigator. They have a torrid past and suffer from so much emotional baggage. When people from their pasts and present start being murdered, secrets once buried start to surface.
I appreciate St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an early copy of both the book and listening to the audio version for free in exchange for my opinion.
| Story Review |
Full disclosure - after reading Sometimes I Lie, I went into His & Hers expecting to love it. And I did. So much. There were so many elements to this story - the cautionary tale for young women who are afraid to follow their instincts because they don’t want to be seen as rude, the reader’s inner struggle as they begrudgingly cheer the murderer on, and my personal favorite: the will they or won’t they sort of romance component.
His & Hers is a story of a man and a woman brought to a murder scene under very different conditions, but both end up being suspects along the way. I loved the dynamic of the main characters in this story, and enjoyed both of their points of view. Their past was told in a way that kept you guessing as much as the mystery did. Both kept their cards close to the vest, and it was hard to get to know either one of them, though I did like them both. Particularly for Anna, this book dives into her past before she even knew Jack, and it was meaty. Her household was one of dysfunction, and it was something she was never quite able to outrun. There were so many twists and turns in this story, and just when you thought you had a grip on what was happening, another curve ball was thrown your way. This really was a book about opportunities presenting themselves, and even though I kept thinking the characters were ‘normal,’ something else would happen showing me otherwise. Though maybe that is what makes them normal. The town of Blackdown was as much a character as anyone else, and any time it was mentioned, it felt ominous. It was clear there were few good memories there, and there were times when the mere mention of it gave me the creeps. There was a Mean Girl vibe to this story that makes me feel like if the movie was a Thriller, His & Hers would be it.
I enjoyed this story from the first page to the last, and while I thought I knew what was going on, it was clear as the ending came on that I had no idea. If you enjoy Thrillers, particularly ones that keep you guessing until the very end, this one is not to be missed!
| Narration Review |
His & Hers is narrated by Stephanie Racine and Richard Armitage, and they both did a fantastic job. After listening to Stephanie narrate Sometimes I Lie, I knew I’d love her narration for this one. She does such a good job conveying emotions, especially anxiety, which was prevalent in this book. I also enjoyed Richard’s narration for Jack. There was a kindness that I felt from his character, and I thought that came through in the narration. They both portrayed the characters in a way that felt credible and reflective of the author’s intention.