I love Lucy Dawson’s books and ‘The Letter I Wrote’ is still one of my fav books ever so its no surprise that I loved this
Literally from the first sentence you know you are in the hands of a great story teller and that a fascinating book is starting
This is a story of a Dr, Julia, starting again after a recent scandal and all she faces in her new role/town, now I meet some real narcissist’s in my reading life but the 2 in this book, Nathan and Hamish, also Dr’s, that cause her misery top all recent encounters, they are the worst ( and best ) characters and you will be fuming as you read what they are up to and their entitlement and how they think they are untouchable, I cant stress enough how vile they are...and when Julia takes them on she is opening herself and her family up to more problems that she could have ever imagined
The book keeps its pace throughout, no wasted paragraphs and just when you think the story cannot get any more WOAHHHHHH, it does, it ends as it begins, brilliantly
This is a book you will find hard to put down once started and you will invest in Julia and be rooting for her throughout
Fabulously well told, involving yet easy to read and one of those books that make you really pleased you read

10/10
5 Stars

Thank you to Net Galley for approving me to read and review this book.

Julia is a plastic surgeon and has moved to Devon, with her family, for a fresh start after she took the hospital to court where she used to work. She has wondered if she would ever get another job in a hospital but she is thrilled when she is offered a job at a hospital in Exeter.

There are 3 male surgeons working in Julia’s department, one of whom has quite the reputation as a ladies man. His name is Nathan Sloane. Julia is unaware of his reputation and meets him for the first time at the school gates when she’s collecting the children from school and discovers that Nathan has a child at the school too. While they are stood at the gates, Julia’s ex-husband, Dominic, arrives and is very drunk. Julia is mortified but Nathan manages to diffuse the awkward situation and puts Dom back on the train to London, with £100 cash in his pocket.

Nathan becomes obsessed with Julia and it seems he will go to any lengths to make her love him back. At times, I thought some parts of this were a little far fetched but thinking about it, I would imagine that when you are completely obsessed with someone and appear to be slightly mentally unstable, you will go to any lengths to prove your love.

Clearly a lot of research has gone into writing this book. This can be seen from the in depth details around the plastic surgery industry. It is well written and leaves you wondering what Nathan will do next. I expected the disappearance of Alex to have happened sooner but can see why there had to be a significant build up.

I really enjoyed this book and screen shot the list of other books the author has written as I will definitely want to read more from this author.

Definitely a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read from me.

This one gripped me from the beginning. Very easy fast read that flowed well. It starts of with a bang and never lets up. It’s the type of storyline that you don’t know where it’s going or how its going play out. Loved Julia’s character, shes a strong female character who stands by her beliefs and really stands up for what’s right and takes no prisoners. Really liked how the author portrayed the gender role dynamics within the medical industry. This one has lots of twists and some loveable characters along with detestable ones that may make your skin crawl. Loved it and would definitely recommend.

Past secrets come to haunt the heroine of this exciting tale, resulting in the disappearance of one of her children. I enjoyed this book immensely and highly recommend it.

The Secret Within by Lucy Dawson is another gripping thriller from a talented author who has quickly established herself as a personal favourite. This is a fast-paced, insightful read that promises to keep you turning the pages.

Julia Blythe is a plastic surgeon who has just relocated with her family in response to the fallout that came from being a whistleblower in her previous position. When history begins to repeat itself at her new hospital, Julia finds herself plunged into a scenario that will put not only herself at risk, but also the lives of those around her.

I very much enjoyed this latest offering from Ms Dawson, and was quickly able to immerse myself in the sometimes sinister side of human nature as it pertains to modern medicine.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

The secret within is a tense rollercoaster of a read, that tackles gender inequality in the workplace,whistleblowing and being the patients advocate!
Julia a plastic surgeon is looking for a new start after a traumatic time at work so together with her husband, son and stepdaughter they relocate to Devon.
Julia’s new start is fraught with problems joining an all male team of established surgeons and with her history known to all its not long before she is speaking up about the Practice of the enigmatic, dashing fellow colleague Nathan! We are then taken on an addictive, chilling , twisty thriller of a read that keeps you guessing until the end! Malpractice,sexual gratification, bribery, corruption and abduction are rife as we discover the depths Nathan will sink to aided and abetted by his friend/ colleague Hamish.
A great read that I would thoroughly recommend
Thankyou netgalley for this early read.

The Secret Within was a long, crazy, head-spinning ride where I had no clue what would be awaiting on the next page.

Plastic surgeon Julia Blythe relocates to the small town of Devon with her family after turning whistle-blower at her previous workplace. What she hopes would be a new beginning for her family and her career, turns into a sick manipulative game orchestrated by the delusions of a narcisstic, obsessive mind.

The plot is revealed through the POVs of Julia and her two co-workers Hamish and Nathan. Julia is portrayed as a headstrong woman who voices out against any injustice before her. While Hamish is your regular narcissist, it is the character of Nathan that was truly a revelation. I couldn't figure out  if he was a pure psychopath or just plain mental.

The story was extremely tense and gripping. However I would have loved it if it was a tad shorter because after a while I kept thinking 'When will this end?'.

Overall, an enjoyable read. A big thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thought I was going to enjoy this book after reading the premise but I am afraid it sadly fell short for me. It was way over the top and implausible and most of the characters were unlikeable . Just not to my taste Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

I really enjoyed this book by Lucy Dawson. It kept me hooked from beginning to end. I particularly liked how she wrote from multiple perspectives. A young consultant is eager to start over in a new job after leaving her old post after whistleblowing in old role. She settles into her role and her and her husband , a teacher in the local school is happy for a while. History unfortunately seems to repeat itself when she becomes suspicious about one of her colleagues, a handsome successful consultant that appears to be manipulating women. She becomes emotionally entwined with him when he tries to manipulate her too. This book has lots to keep you engaged and the fact that it is told from many sides gives it the edge. Totally recommend

After reading "The Girls Are All So Nice Here" this was just ok-ish. I did like the different POV between Julia and Nathan and some of the twist; however I was just not into this. I also did not get how the cover has anything to do with the story. Maybe because the sky is dark and threatening and that is Julia on the cover. IDK. Still recommended but among the mediocre for me.

Thanks to Netgalley, Lucy Dawson and Bookouture for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 1/26/21

Overall a well written book with a good story line, although I didn't particularly like the characters but apart from that a good read which I would thoroughly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I have loved Lucy's previous books however I just couldn't gel with any of the characters in this book. I found the plot a bit far fetched. However there were some gripping moments that kept me turning the page.

An engaging book with themes exploring the treatment of women in the workplace and misogyny - Dr Julia Blythe is a surgeon and whistleblower - who after leaving her previous job under scandalous and distressing circumstances finds herself walking into a nightmare of epic proportions!

Billed as a 'gripping page-turner' I would not argue with that! I am sure I will be reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for sharing this arc copy with me in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited to read this new title from Lucy Dawson, her novels are consistently original and never fail to entertain. ‘The Secret Within’ absolutely lived up to my hopes and expectations from an author I hold in high regard.

Surgeon Julia, having left her post at a previous hospital under a cloud of controversy, is optimistically anticipating a new start in Devon, and relocates her family accordingly. When she meets fellow surgeon, and self-confessed hottie, Nathan, sparks most definitely fly, though not in any predictable fashion!

This is a real page turner with a truly outstanding plot. Character development doesn’t let us down, with some pretty narcissistic characters, who, while being in no way likeable, certainly add interest.

The story is told through chapters alternating between Nathan and Julia and this works well - both have very different perspectives and this makes the book all the more gripping. The ending is quite spectacular - I couldn’t give this book any less than 5 stars!

My thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author, for allowing me to read this book so I can review it. This book was fabulous. I was glued to the story, unable to stop turning page after page, from the very beginning. Narration style was perfect, just the way I like my thrillers. There were enough twists and surprises to make me happy. Every character was interesting, every story was easy to follow. This is a book a thriller fan will be happy to get lost into. I look forward to reading more from this author. Spectacular story!

Julia Blythe is a smart, widely admired and thriving plastic surgeon having to start afresh at a small public hospital in the south of England where she recently relocated her family of husband Ewan ,son Alex and stepdaughter Cass.. Why. Because Julie was a whistleblower at her last hospital revealing shoddy surgical work by a male colleague and the sexism of the hospital, exonerated, but not in public opinion. Settling into the new position, Julia is romantically pursued by a good looking, suave and reportedly never spurned colleague. Julia find this colleague Nathan, is sloppy at work and discovers more devious and disconcerting long running deviant actions by the male members of her department. Can this really be happening again? With a sense of dread and tension in the first few chapters, this is a great read, the story full of good characterization of all participants. We settle in and wonder where this story will go. The odd title, revealed in the second half, is an equally odd plot twist that works and rushes us to the climax. Any reader, along with all of the #MeToo women here should cheerfully cut out the groin of this perpetrator using his own surgical knife and be hailed as heroes.

The Secret Within (the title takes on new meaning once you've read it...) was an unusual read which I really enjoyed. Plastic surgeon Julia takes up a new hospital post in a new area after being hounded from her previous job for whistleblowing on a colleague. Julia just wants to do her job and settle her family - husband Ewan, teenagers Alex and Cass - into a new place, but it really is out of the frying pan into the fire with new colleagues Nathan and Hamish, who have their own agenda. Alcoholic ex-husband Dominic is also causing bother, frequently turning up out of the blue to wreak havoc.

I loved Julia's character - she's a confident professional woman (so refreshing in this genre) who lives by her principles and won't turn a blind eye to wrongdoing, whatever the personal cost. I really admired her resilience and courage.

We also see events from Nathan's viewpoint - he's a fellow plastic surgeon who runs a private practice alongside his NHS job - and he's a very strange character who apparently has a personality disorder of some kind, behaving in ways which are frankly bizarre at times. Then there's Nathan's old friend and colleague Hamish, who lacks Nathan's good looks and surface charm.

Lucy Dawson has clearly done her homework about the world of plastic surgery. The surgical operations were very convincingly described and had the ring of believability about them.

Without going into detail, some of the characters here are so irredeemably awful that when one died suddenly, my only reaction was a feeling of satisfaction. There are numerous violations perpetrated by certain characters and a palpable anger at the inequalities still suffered by women in the workplace. It's a brilliant read though with lots of memorable moments (including one real punch-the-air moment between Dom and Nathan - you'll know when you read it).

Loved it.

Starting off rather slow, with a lot of character building, hints and wrong doings and just getting to know all the key players, but then by around just after the half way point, it becomes rather unputdownable.

There was so many shocks and moments which leave you scratching your head. And that ending is rather intriguing.

This though is a hard book to describe, as all the best bits would definitely be spoilers, and the rest although great, won't do the book any justice.

I did though love Julia's character, and also that of her family, while here colleagues in her new job felt off rather early on. But we do get chapters from both Hamish and Nathan's points of view too so we get to know three characters rather intimately.

The characters even the dastardly ones were really well described and in the second half I just couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

It was a fascinating setting, the world of plastic surgery, breast augmentation and mastectomies for breast cancer patients. As they are all surgeons, we often get rather graphic descriptions of the procedures, which I believe to be really well researched.

I've read quite a few of Lucy Dawson's books now, and I'm always struck with how well they are written and how at some point during them, I just don't want to put them down, and just need to binge read to finish, as I need to know what is happening and have no desire to wait. And this was no exception, and I was really happy to spot this on the release schedules.

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Wow just wow! This book will stay with me for quite a while. Excellently written, fast paced and full of edge-of-the-seat drama. You know there are twists but you absolutely don’t see them coming and the ending will just blow you away.

This is an unusual read, being based mainly in a hospital and with the lead character a female surgeon, Julia and her and her husband and 2 children are looking to make a new start. Julia previously was a whistle blower which has left her reputation tarnished and she's nervous about getting a new job.

One of the interviewees then becomes obsessed with Julia. I struggled to engage with any of the characters and found it to be, overall, an OK read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.