Captivating from start to finish. The missing child plot has been done to death (excuse the pun) and yet I found this novel so different.
The plot was fast-paced and I loved the secrets that kept unfolding.
Will definitely be looking out for more S. E. Lynes books!

How life can change in a flash.

This happens to Ava and Matt when Ava leaves the front door open , her daughter in the stroller at the door and in ten minutes tops Abi is gone.

You are slowly but surely drawn into the lives of Matt ,Ava and the neighbours as police frantically search for Abi.

Ava overhears what seems an innocent remark on her first time out at a housewarming party.

Something is not adding up to what both her Matt believed happened.

Who to believe, who to trust? How can Ava make sense of any of this?

The pages turn quickly as you race to the conclusion of story.

This book will stay with me for quite awhile.

Take time to read the author's notes, food for thought.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a heart wrenching yet satisfying read.

Another amazingly suspenseful story from this very talented writer.
I absolutely devoured it.
So many suspects, I knew one of these neighbours was guilty, only I didn’t know who, how or why. Such a brilliant twisty story.
Thank you!

I wanted to like this more than I did. I found it to be more of a sad story than a mystery. So, it was not what I thought it would be when I first started reading. The description was. a little misleading.

This is another amazing psychological thriller by S.E Lynes. The book had me gripped from the first chapter and there was plenty going on in the plot to keep me guessing what had happened.
The ending is fantastic and brings everything together from earlier in the book.
I’d recommend this book, it’s a great read.

This is a new author for me and this book certainly didn’t disappoint. I was gripped from the beginning and couldn’t put it down. Although a very sad topic the story was well written and sensitive. I thought I had guessed who had done it more than once but I was wrong. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

This is the third book I have read by S.E. Lynes, and The Housewarming did not disappoint. You get pulled in right away and you keep guessing until the end. Although there were times, I felt, it got a little depressing, you can’t put it down. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC copy of this of this book.
This book was a quite different missing child story. It develops nicely as the story progresses. Ava was only upstairs for 5 or 10 minutes and Abi was secure in her pushchair but has disappeared. There are lots of unanswered questions but nothing comes to light and the investigation is scaled back. Then a housewarming party is thrown by The Lovegroves who are the next door neighbours and Ava is persuaded to attend only to begin to question things about that day.
The ending was not quite what I expected and was heartbreaking for several inhabitants of the street.
Great story will look to read more by this author.

Overall I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. At first I was a little worried it was going to turn into more of a women's fiction book but the more I read the more it attracted me in and I was soon hooked.

As I was reading the book I did feel a connection with the disappearance of Madeline McCann but the story really had me asking lots of questions of the storyline, which we answered, and of society in general and I feel that the book will live with me for some time.

For anyone that gets upset with stories like the Madeline disappearance this may not be the book for you but do try and give it a go as there is so much more to it than that.

How far would you go to protect your family, your friends and your life?
Do we really look after one another in our communities and society, or is self-importance greater than any other desire?
What would you do to protect the vulnerable in your community?
How important is individual and community responsibility to you?
Given the opportunity, would you do the right thing?

In this book you will ask yourself all these questions and more but the book also goes to another level and teaches you about emotions, perceptions and other things such as what is gaslighting, Angelina Syndrome and echolalic. and also the monkey experiment

One of my favourite quotes from the book is ' men marry women hoping that they will never change. Women marry men hoping that they will change, but they don't'..

Male r female, I hope that you will read this book and enjoy it and I would love to hear your comments on the book.

There is also a lovely letter from the author at the end of the book which tells you more about the background to the story and also gives you an idea of the author's character and writing style. This is the first book of hers that I have read but I will be looking for more and woulf be proud to have this book on my bookcase.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and author for allowing me to have an advance review copy of the book for the Kindle on agreement that I would leave a review of the book.

Definitely a 5 star book for me.

After being drawn in immediately, I knew this book would be a gripper of a read. I’ve read a few of SE Lynes’s books and they have been not only compelling to read but beautifully written. This one was no different.

The opening had a very poetic feel to it, like I was on a journey with the main character Ava. I too, as the reader, felt her disassociation, almost like being carried by an invisible breeze and not only that, it all made total sense - clever! Beautifully tragic. Frantic but takes its time - the time it needed to show me all I needed to know about Ava’s situation and how she felt.

This book was a journey of grief and guilt, and the interconnection we all share as humans. The letter to the reader at the end of the book is also a must read. It’s a deeper exploration of the themes and again, fantastically worded.

As for the hook of the story - missing child, a year on; it makes you wonder what could possibly happen at a housewarming party to shake Ava. What happened was, I had to read fifty percent of the book in one sitting to get to the end and oh my goodness! That’s where I stop talking and if you want to know more, you’ll have to read it!

All in all, a heartbreaking story, packed with drama and a fantastic supporting cast of characters.

The Housewarming (S. E. Lynes) is one of those stories where the reader is really kept in suspense as to what actually happened. Every time I thought I had it figured out, time and pages proved me wrong. This is a book that will keep you reading  well into the night. I want to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an early copy to review.

Thank you netgalley and publishers for the opportunity to review The Housewarming in exchange for my honest thoughts.
This was a punch to the gut read. It was extremely well executed and kept me, the reader guessing until the very end. I finished it very quickly because it was so good but also so difficult to take in.
This is a story about a mom who accidentally leaves the front door open while she runs upstairs to grab her phone before going on a walk. When she returns her two year old daughter is gone. No signs of her anywhere. The story quickly accelerates into different accounts from
Neighbors and friends about what happened the morning of the disappearance. A year later and there are no leads. They are invited to the new neighbors housewarming party to reveal the new kitchen they had been working on. Cocktails and merriment lead to loose lips and new information that will take the reader on a wild goose chase! Bravo to the author for this fast-paced thriller.

This is another cracker of a story from SE Lynes that taps into every parents worst nightmare then roundhouse kicks it in the nuts!
Any parent will tell you that in the heart-stopping moment when you lose sight of your child (and we have all had them...) no matter how long it is, you will never, ever forget that feeling of helplessness and guilt. For that to go on any longer than a few seconds brings me out in a cold sweat, so reading the beginning of this book was as painful as it was compelling, all due to the writing. I literally felt like I was in Ava's head and know that what she was feeling was all too realistic.
Cut to twelve months later and the entire neighbourhood is invited to a fancy housewarming on their street. Although still recovering, Ava decides to go and one encounter there will threaten to derail their lives all over again.
A dark and emotional family drama that I highly recommend.

This is a story that gives every parent nightmares. Ava is upstairs for a few minutes, content that her little girl Abi is safe and secure strapped in her pushchair.
When Ava comes downstairs, the front door is open and Abi is missing.

Fast forward nearly a year and they have 3 month old Fred, who they found out Ava was pregnant with the day before Abi went missing. There is still no sign of Abi and Ava and Matt are merely functioning.

This was a truly difficult story to read and it has been sensitively written by the author. I found myself sad and angry at times, my heart felt for any parents that have gone through something like this. The story makes you question how well you think you know people - friends & family. I certainly hugged my little one tighter and longer.

My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A two year old girl goes missing early one morning and so starts a tangled web of whodunnit.
Ava and Matt are obviously traumatised when their Daughter Abi vanishes from her pushchair and each blames themselves..
Short and snappy chapters alternating between the main characters, this was a real page turner.
The friends and neighbours on the estate pull together to find this little girl but a few of the residents are harbouring secrets and a desire to protect themselves and their livelihoods. There are a few of them covering their own tracks.
As parents, our worst fears centre around something happening to our children.. The author made my heart race and my blood run cold when Ava first realised Abi was missing., and in the days and weeks afterwards.
Ava, seeing her child settled in her pushchair , only popped upstairs for 2 minutes but haven't we all taken the opportunity to sort washing or make the beds or take a minute to check our phones.
A chance remark.at a housewarming party next door sets a ball of suspicion rolling when the story unfolds and the book races to an exhilarating conclusion with almost everyone on the estate under scrutiny at some point.
Thanks to the author, Netgalley and the fantastic Bookouture for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book book.

Well the wonderfully talented Susie Lynes has done it again and pulled out all the stops on this one and created a heartbreakingly stunning story full of emotions and what an ending !!
When I saw the book up for request on NetGalley and saw the author was SE Lynes I didn’t hesitate to immediately request it I have read every one of her books and given them all five stars and so I went into reading this without even reading the overview and I’m so glad I did as I had no idea what to expect.
What a story it was just when I thought I had an idea what was going on along came a twist that completely floored me ohhhhh my it’s a terrific read. The characters are are all very believable and the story is done a slow pace so little by little you begin to realise all is not quite as it seems and this is a book to savour although it might just break your heart at times. So I would say just pick the book up without knowing what to expect I can promise you won’t be disappointed it’s brilliant and my thanks to Susie Lynes for yet again another five star read that I can’t praise enough .
My thanks also to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
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I always enjoy Susie Lynes books and this one didn't disappoint either. Thank you Netgalley for this ARC copy.

Ava and Matt live in his childhood home with their daughter Abi. Matt's best friend Neil and his wife Bella live on the same street and are Abi's godparents. Pregnant with their second child Ava thinks life couldn't get much better. Then in a split second all their lives change forever.

Ava only left Abi for a few minutes. How was she to know she would unclip herself from her buggy and slip out of the door that Ava had accidently left open? Frantically Ava searches the streets and questions all the neighbours but to no avail. New neighbours, the Lovegoods, had already left for work so they won't have seen anything. Would they?

A year later and with baby Fred now arrived Ava and Matt are still mourning the loss of the now presumed dead Abi. The new neighbours the Lovegoods have finally finished their renovations and are ready to reveal all to the street with a huge housewarming. As the drinks and chatter flow Ava begins to realise that some people may know more than they have said. Just what happened to Abi?

I didn't really like this when I first started as I found Ava pretty annoying. A few chapters in and I was hooked! The more I read the more invested in the story I got and there was always this feeling that something was coming. And then they did, secrets, lies and shocks. This was a really heartbreaking yet thoughtful read and leaves you questioning why people do the things the do. Bad things for what they think are the right reasons. Fantastic read.

A well written novel which had me gripped throughout but sadly I found it very depressing. However I am sure it will be a huge success.

It’s been a year since Abi disappeared, and Matt and Ava are still struggling to come to terms with the loss of their little girl. While Matt deals with his grief by accepting the likely explanation that his daughter drowned in a nearby river, Ava finds herself unable to let it go. When she overhears a passing comment at a neighbours dinner party, Ava knows she was right all along.

I had a love-hate relationship with this book! I started it and I didn’t enjoy it. I found it far too wordy, as if the author was trying to cram too many words in. I also found the writing style repetitive, there was a lot of ‘I am careful. I am very careful.’ And ‘this is horrible, just horrible’.

But that being said, as the storyline progressed I found myself noticing these things less and less. I really enjoyed the second half of the book and honestly didn’t see that final twist coming! Overall it wasn’t a bad read, but I probably wouldn’t pick it up again.

Ha ha here we are again. Another 5* read from S E Lynes. I am running out of ways to describe how much I love her books.

This is another brilliantly crafted, well written and super absorbing book. SE Lynes writing is beyond exquisite, the way she describes each emotion felt, makes me live the story alongside the characters and I have to remind myself to come back into the real world!

This is an author where I don't even read the blurb anymore. I know before I even start the book that I am going to enjoy every single word written. As highly recommended as ever!