I was on the edge of my seat with this book. Lots of great twists and turns. At times, I needed to put the book down for awhile because of was afraid of what was happening to Megan. Unlike most books everything did not end up okay for Megan.

I felt so sorry for Nerinne's children. What an awful life it had been for them.

This is the first book I have read by this author and definitely want to read more of her books.

There were times I wanted a little more information as to what was going on, but that added to the suspense.

This was a very intense read. At times it was hard to get through it, due to the brutal domestic violence. I was kept on the edge of my seat and could not put this down at times, but for me it did drag a bit in the middle.

Definitely a tense, domestic thriller and still an impactful story. Thank you for letting me read the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed reading Shelter, my first book by Catherine Jinks. It was scary, having been in an abusive relationship many years ago it did bring back memories that I had forgotten and were best left to rest in peace. However, I couldn't put the book down. I didn't see the extreme danger that was ahead for these two women who also had barely escaped more violence, perhaps ending in death.

I didn't see the twist coming until near the end. At first the visiting sheltered wife was meek and scared and all our heroine wanted to do was help her. That wasn't the game plan, but I didn't guess how far she'd go.

I would have hoped for a happier ending although i understand that small town gossip and law enforcement don't always know who to believe. Our Protagonist hadn't made nice nice with the neighbors so she didn't have a lot of back up when she needed it, sad but true, the honest one is not always the believed one.

I recommend if you've moved past a violent abuser and don't get overwhelmed with the antics of the hostile ex-husband. I was glad to receive this copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I only gave it four stars for the semi-unhappy ending, at least the girls were safe... for now.

Thank you, #Netgalley, Text Publishing, and Catherine Jinks for this advance copy of Shelter. This was a sad, frightful book of abuse in a family. I felt the anger, sadness, and hopelessness of the whole family. One of the books I felt I was watching. Great writing.

I went back to this book twice to get to the end. Middle aged Meg lives ion a desolate farm in Australia and helps hid women in abusive relationships. Everything is done quickly and you never know who you’ll be helping. Turns out the victim has severe issues and uses her two kids to manipulate poor Meg who has her own troubles. Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC.

Thank you #Netgalley, Text Publishing, and Catherine Jinks for this arc of Shelter. This book was so addictive, I was so curious where the story was going and the writing just pulled me in. I found the descriptions of emotional abuse disturbing, so be warned. There wasn’t much of a discernable plot at first, but once I saw what was going on the book moved quickly. I was disappointed in the very end though. I don’t think anyone should have lost everything. The writing was great, the characters were okay, and the story was pretty good. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I enjoyed this book. You could feel the fear of everyone involved. This book shows what some women go through in difficult situations. This is a great read and kept me on the edge of my seat!

Domestic violence but on steroids. This book made me uncomfortable which is why I finished it in less than a day. Psychological, brutal, hard to read sometimes. This has an unfiltered feel and I genuinely had to move around to remind myself that it was a story in a book. The characters were well thought out and flawed.

This suspenseful, atmospheric novel had me reading through the night. Meg, a middle-aged woman lives a quiet life on a small holding near a small Australian town. She is divorced from her abusive ex-husband and sees very little of her adult daughter. When a friend asks her to give shelter to Nerine, a mother of two small girls who is fleeing a violent husband, she agrees.
But Nerine becomes increasingly difficult and intrusive. Strange occurrences co-inside with Nerine's arrival . Are these strange calls and odd footprints the work of Nerine's dangerous and violent husband? Or do they signal the return of Meg's ex-husband?
The main character Meg, is extremely sympathetic; kind ,gentle and nurturing. Be warned this is both a suspenseful and deeply emotional read. I found it quite heartbreaking at times, but absolutely gripping. beautifully written and brilliantly paced. Highly recommended.
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I have followed the career of Catherine Jinks, since she started writing children's books, so am really happy to see her diversify into adult fiction again. This book was atmospheric and tense at times, with some twists that you would expect of a good thriller.

This book was sent to me by Netgalley for a free review on Kindle...it is about family abuse and those who shelter the abused. It is dark and frightening and not at all redeeming...I had a difficult time reading how the woman helping others was treated. This was just so different than other books...

Story was well written and the ending was a surprise. I enjoyed this book.. Lots of twists and turns .

Thank you to @netgalley for making Shelter by Catherine Jinks my first read of 2021. It was the perfect holiday thriller that I devoured over 2 sittings. An edge of your seat read that reeled you in hook, line and sinker. I thoroughly recommend this book to lovers of the page turner that you can devour in just a fewer sittings.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.

Nerine needs a place to hide from her abusive, violent husband. She found a chain of women willing to help. One of the stops is with a fellow abusive survivor, Meg, who opens up her quiet, off the beaten path, bouse to Nerine and her two young children. Meg starts noticing things and wonders if Nerine' ex tracked them down, if her own ex-husband is still tormenting her, and if they are in danger.

Shelter, the latest by Catherine Jinks, best-known for her young adult work, especially her Genius series, took a while for me to get into. Once I did, I could not put it down.

While Catherine Jinks is best known for her young adult series, this book is not YA. It is classified as a mystery and thriller novel. It is dark and gritty and includes adult themes. It focuses on a few strong women who survived abuse and help others in the same situation. It also involves gaslighting and manipulation.

I am interested in knowing if the legal ramifications are the same in the United States. If so, I think the outcome would have been different. Either way, Shelter is a slow burn but enjoyable read.

This 200-word review will be published on Philomathinphila.com.

Shelter is a tense, twisty domestic thriller, from Australian author Catherine Jinks.

Meg knows all too well what it’s like to suffer at the hands of an abusive husband so she is willing to accept the risks of providing temporary shelter to a young mother and her two daughters on the run. Meg’s home, ‘The Bolthole’, is an isolated property in country NSW, and great care has been taken to ensure the family are impossible to trace, yet Nerine remains terrified that her husband will find them. Though Meg does her best to allay Nerine’s fears, and reassure five year old Ana and 22 month old Collette they are safe, some minor incidents stoke’s Meg’s own anxieties. She thinks it is more likely her own ex-husband has returned to intimidate her with regards to a recent inheritance, than Nerine’s husband having found her, but the real threat is closer to home than Meg can ever imagine.

Shelter isn’t an easy read, the themes and issues central to the novel, which includes generational trauma, domestic violence, psychological manipulation, and narcissism, are uncomfortable to explore, however I got caught up in this taut, well paced thriller which cleverly subverts reader’s expectations. Though the primary plot twist is not entirely unexpected, it shocks nevertheless, and Jinks left me feeling breathless as the level of menace and violence accelerated in its wake. In regards to the conclusion though I am somewhat torn, it’s reasonably realistic and as such fitting, but not very satisfying.

At times I found Meg to be a frustrating character, however her behaviour really is in keeping with someone who has been a long term victim of psychological abuse by a narcissistic partner. Even though she is physically free of her ex husband, Meg’s first instinct is always to appease someone who exhibits high emotion, or makes demands of her, so she reacts, rather than makes decisions. Nerine is convincing as a mother paranoid about the safety of herself and her children, and though she’s not particularly likeable, she is sympathetic in light of the story she presents. Jinks’s portrayal of the children, especially Ana, deserves special mention, as they are accurately represented with regards to age and circumstance.

I found Shelter to be dark and disturbing, yet utterly engrossing, but fair warning, it may be too much for readers sensitive to its themes.

I enjoyed it for the most part until the final character motivations were revealed. I just don't find the aftermath that realistic. Further, making a certain type of person the villain makes me uncomfortable.

This book is a very harsh, unfiltered look into a violent and disturbing moment in time. Meg is a woman who has come out of the other end of a very emotionally abusive marriage. She is living alone on a farm, divorced from her awful husband Keith and estranged somewhat from her daughter who has moved to the UK to get as far away from her family as possible.
Meg is moving on with her life on her small hobby farm and part time job. The book opens with her picking up a young mother and her two small girls that are escaping domestic violence. Nerine, the mother, is very highly strung and soon she and her fractious daughters are wearing Meg down. On top of this it appears that Meg's ex-husband is trying to rattle her again with late night hang up calls.
This story is quite fast paced and it actually gave me a tension headache. I found Meg at times to be insanely frustrating and Nerine one of the most annoying characters that I have ever encountered in a book. I also spent a lot of time really worried about the two little girls in the story. Although the book is well written, and the plot made me not want to put the book down, to be honest it was very disturbing, I wanted to get as far away from it as possible but at the same time could not drag my eyes away. I am glad that I finished the book, but it left such a bitter taste in my mouth I needed to immediately pick up a 'light & fluffy' book to get some mental distance from it.
If you have a strong constitution and are mentally in a good place, then sure, read this book. If you are disturbed by themes of domestic violence, child abuse, animal abuse and are not in a mentally good place, then be warned - do not read this!
Thank you Text Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity the read this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Meg lived alone on a small bush property outside town, her only companion Esme, her devoted old dog. She’d divorced Keith, her abusive husband once Emily, her daughter was old enough for it not to be a problem for her – she now lived in England, as far away from the toxic relationship of her parents as possible – and although he hassled her occasionally, Meg was content, and felt able to offer Nerine and her two daughters, Ana and Colette, refuge in her home for a month. But Nerine was paranoid, terrified of Duncan, her ex, arriving, even though everything had been done to stop him being able to follow her. The children were frozen with fear, especially as Nerine spoke in front of them constantly.

Gradually Meg’s own anxieties ramped up; Nerine was demanding, and Meg was trying to accommodate her. Meg felt sorry for the children and tried to distract them with the chickens, collecting the eggs and Esme, whom they both loved. But everything was going wrong and Meg wasn’t sure she would be able to cope for much longer…

Shelter by Aussie author Catherine Jinks is brutal! That’s my best word for it. I loved Ms Jinks last book I read – Shepherd – and was really looking forward to Shelter, but the further in I went, the more uncomfortable and distressed I felt. Violence, manipulation, lies, cruelty – I couldn’t see it ending well! Domestic violence is a bane on society; this is all of that and more. Recommended to fans of psychological thrillers.

With thanks to Text Publishing via NetGalley for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Shelter is a suspense thriller centred around the pall of domestic violence and the need for victims to escape their abusive partners.

The story opens with a night time handover of a woman, Nerine, and her two children into the care of Meg, another victim of an abusive relationship.

Right from the very start the stress felt by Nerine and her older daughter, Ana, is palpable. Jumping at shadows and the slightest unexpected noise is the norm and this puts everybody, Meg included, on tenterhooks.

From the moment they set foot on Meg’s remote property Nerine’s fears manipulate Meg onto an increasingly dangerous path. When the fears progress into something more disturbing, that’s when events really spiral out of control.

Through Meg, we are given a comprehensive breakdown of the many different ways an abusive husband can exert his control over his wife. And we’re not talking about physical violence here. The constant controlling, belittling and derisive comments that slowly wears away at the confidence has a long-lasting effect on the mind.

This, I think, plays an important part in Meg’s responses to the behaviour of Nerine and her two daughters.

I thought this was a finely constructed suspense novel that moves along crisply with a tension level that was constantly bubbling away on an increasing heat. It led us in one direction, playing cleverly on our preconceived sympathies about who the victim is only to hit us with one body blow after the other.

Shelter is an absorbing dramatic thriller that provides sobering insights into the harrowing world of the domestic violence victim.