Member Reviews
First, I love Sheryl Browne’s books. This one was another great read from her. So as it reveals in the blurb Sarah and Steve are no longer married and her ex has a new girlfriend. Then she notices the stuffed animal that Ollie always sleeps with is not there. From that point on, the twists and turn just keep on coming. This book is told from many POV’s. It deals with many issues, anxiety, reality and loss. A true psychological thriller. Did not see the end coming which is something I love. I would like to thank net galley and the publisher for the ARC I received for a honest review. Great book for fans of this genre. (less)
This is my first book by Sheryl - and I can see that I now have lots of her books to catch up with.
The story fairly raced along - it did take me a short while to get into the characters - people do lead such complicated lives!!
Seeds of doubt are sown in Sarahs mind when her young son goes to stay with his father and his new girlfriend. First of all I thought this was just jealousy but then the story unfolds and it is all a lot darker than I first imagined.
The story makes you question the characters behaviour as all is not what it at first seems - more than once I changed my mind as to who was behind it all.
Slightly dark but an enjoyable read - glad I have now found a new author and I can catch up with all her previous books.
Sarah is suspicious of everyone, particularly her ex-husband Steve and she doesn’t feel good about his new girlfriend, Laura. Sarah is a very unreliable narrator, and the reader can’t trust her either. Nothing is really as it seems and creates mistrust. A slow-building plot that generates problems discerning what is really going on—I felt disconnected—separated.
A psychological family thriller that becomes complex and confusing. Ollie, their son, is caught in the middle with a secret he is not to divulge. Sarah is divisive and not engaging and I had problems following the twists. Not my cup of tea but there are those who enjoy this kind of family drama and will. CE Williams
A psychological thriller that builds slowly. It was annoyingly well written (in a good way 😆) that you were given snippets of information and drip fed which lead me to reading this in 2 sittings as I NEEDED to know what was going on. One minute I thought I had it worked out and then the next I was questioning my judgement. Each character has there own part with some more in the limelight then others. I found one minute I was feeling sorry for a character and the next I was urging them to be taken down. I love a storyline where your looking at each character, you’ve come up with so many explanations for what’s going on and what’s going to be divulged and yet until the author decides to put you out of your misery you have no idea. Such a good unputdownable read that will keep you turning the pages.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this ARC that was published on the 7th of April.
I found My Husband’s Girlfriend to be a slow paced mystery. The story is seen from the perspective of multiple characters which I liked because I was able to see what each character was thinking and feeling.
This book turned out to be a lot different than I thought it was going to be and I actually enjoyed all of the twists. I enjoyed the last part of the book because that is when the truth is revealed and everything starts to make sense. This was an interesting book with lots of twists and turns that I never saw coming.
I recieved an advanced copy for free, and this is my honest opinion.
Oh, this one kept me on my toes!
All is not what it seems in My Husband's Girlfriend. It's a great case of we shouldn't judge people by first impressions. It's an intriguing thriller that you won't be able to put down until you know the whole truth.
Very cleverly written, the author is fantastic at pointing you in one direction with how you think it's all going to pan out. Then taking you sharply back into another that you wouldn't have thought!
Just brilliant. Thrilling. Tense. Pacy. A heart pounding, spectacular, wonderful read. Amazing. Loved it.
Sarah begins to worry about her son Ollie after a visit with his father and his new girlfriend. Ollie has always had a comfort toy for sleep, and one night, she realizes he has a new toy and he - in the innocent way a toddler speaks - says that Laura, her ex's girlfriend, gave it to him and that he has a secret.
Quite naturally, Sarah begins to worry. Of course, her ex is unconcerned. Even her friends are not concerned. Sarah takes measures right away, and this includes meeting Laura one-on-one. Laura seems ideal so perhaps Sarah is worried for nothing. However, a mother's instinct is strong. And Sarah soon realizes that she definitely has things to worry about.
In this compelling read by one of my most enjoyable authors, we see Sarah making strides to work well with the split custody. As the characters came into play it was easy to put myself in Sarah's shoes, but also Laura's as a stepmother trying to win over a small child. However, in true fashion for a psychological thriller, there were some things that were just not right.
In fact, this book dealt with touching issues, and one of those is loss. How did loss play into the growing relationships with Sarah's son and Laura? As things developed in this compelling read, pieces of a jumbled puzzle soon began to fall into place. This story had surprising twists and turns, as well as rabbit trails, and this led to a thrilling conclusion that I would never have guessed.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Where do I start? I totally loved this book! I have read most of Sheryl's thrillers and this one is up there as one of the best, alongside "The New Girlfriend" (which is pretty hard to beat). But MY HUSBAND'S GIRLFRIEND was so bloody brilliant that I read it in one sitting, finishing at 3am.
Is it anxiety, jealousy or gut instinct?
When Sarah's ex-husband Steve meets and moves in with his new girlfriend, she insists on meeting Laura first before their 3 year old son Ollie can visit. This is only natural since, as his mother, Sarah only wants what's best for her child. The meeting goes well, or so Sarah thought, until Steve berates her asking did she have to give Laura such a hard time. But Sarah never thought she did. In fact, she quite liked Laura and sympathised with her obvious nervousness and stammering. So what impression did she give Steve after their meeting then?
Without any further reasonable concerns, Ollie went to his first sleepover with his daddy and Laura. Feeling at a bit of a loss by his absence, Sarah enjoys a quiet night with her police officer boyfriend Joe, who she's known since high school. But when Ollie returns on Sunday evening, he begins to exhibit strange behaviour. Not only that, his comfort toy he's had since he was six months old seems to have been replaced with a new toy Laura bought him called Mr Whale. Sarah is uneasy. Ollie has never been parted from Bunny and will not sleep without him...but he appears to drift off just as easily with his replacement. So what happened to Bunny? When she asks Ollie about it, he says that Bunny has a 'portant job to do at daddy and Laura's - guarding his toy box. And yet, Sarah is still uneasy.
Then she hears Ollie chattering away to himself in his room one day about starfish and superheroes. Standing outside his bedroom door, it soon becomes clear that Ollie is having a conversation with an imaginary friend as she can only hear one side. She smiles, thinking it endearing that he has such a vivid imagination. But then her phone beeps alerting her son to her presence outside his door and all goes quiet. When she enters the room, Ollie is huddled in his bed strangely silent. Sarah asks him about his new friend to which Ollie whispers "It's a secret" and that he wasn't allowed to tell her. Sarah is troubled that her ex-husband's new girlfriend appeared to be telling her son to keep secrets from his mother. Not only that...but his room at his dad's and Laura's place seemed to be identical to his own room at home. From the same wallpaper to the same toy box to the same bed. And then the two items she was intending on getting for Ollie's upcoming 4th birthday, Laura then went out and bought for him. What was she up to? Was she trying to replace Sarah in her son's affections?
But whenever Sarah tried to raise her concerns with Joe or Steve, she was met with resistance. No one seemed to believe her or take her concerns seriously. But Sarah was uneasy. Something wasn't right. She had a right to be anxious where her son was concerned. Was she just jealous, as Joe and Steve seemed to think she was? Or was her mother's instinct telling her that something was definitely off?
Waking from a nightmare...but was it just a bad dream?
Laura fell in love with Ollie the first moment she saw him, with his halo of blonde hair and his beautiful blue eyes. She wanted him to be happy with her and Steve that she couldn't do enough for him. She made his bedroom identical to the one he had at home and gave him a new comfort toy to take to bed to replace the bunny whose ear had mysteriously been cut off. Instead of reading his usual "Never Ask" bedtime stories, she would instead tell him a special story of a different type of superhero who was just like him and who rescued the fish and starfish. But this story was a secret...and he must never tell anyone.
But Laura has secrets of her own. Secrets that if one would dig deep enough, they would uncover all she has been trying to escape from. And she mustn't let those secrets come out. For they will destroy her...and put Ollie in danger. And she must, above all costs, keep Ollie safe.
One of the main themes to MY HUSBAND'S GIRLFRIEND is the perceptions we have others and that we shouldn't judge them on first impressions. Everyone has a story that we know nothing about and we end up creating false narratives before learning anything about them. This is the case with Sarah and Laura. Sarah's uneasiness and constant paranoia (for good reason) kept her from seeing the bigger picture where Laura was concerned. And Laura's inability to face the truth of her past and recover her repressed memories kept her from trusting...well...anyone. Add Laura's overbearing, ghastly and somewhat bizarre mother "call me Sherry", who consistently puts Laura down at every turn, and we have a complexity of problems that give Sarah good reason to be worried.
A slow burn to begin with, MY HUSBAND'S GIRLFRIEND builds up a tension that soon becomes palpable. By 15% in the pace is ramped up a notch that by 30% you can't put the book down.
From the beginning, it may seem as if the picture we are given is clear, and all the pieces fit together nicely. But Sheryl has woven yet another intricate tale that leads us off on a tangent we aren't expecting...should we not be paying attention. Fortunately, I was. Unable to hoodwink me this time, I figured out the underlying riptide that was otherwise a surprising twist but I still enjoyed every minute of the ride.
Told from the various perspectives of Sarah, Laura, Joe and Steve, each of the characters are well developed and cleverly portrayed. You feel just the right amount of sympathy to outrage as well as a range of conflicting emotions throughout as the story moves at the rate of knots. Sarah wants nothing more than to keep her child safe while Laura is the product of her childhood environment. It is easy to sympathise with both women...but is that all there is? Or is there something deeper, darker and more sinister at play?
MY HUSBAND'S GIRLFRIEND is easily one of my favourite domestic thrillers by Sheryl Browne. Not only is it cleverly written but this tense and sometimes dark thriller is so engaging that I could not put it down until I turned the last page. I simply HAD to read it in one sitting...it is THAT good! And thank you for not abusing or killing off any any animals while Sarah worked at the shelter. I can't abide any animal's death...even in a good story.
Perfect for domestic thriller fans and those of Shalini Boland, KL Slater, Lisa Jewell and Ruth Heald, MY HUSBAND'S GIRLFRIEND is a must read I have no hesitation in recommending.
I would like to thank #SherylBrowne, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #HerHusbandsGirlfriend in exchange for an honest review.
Sarah and Steve are separated and together they have a son named Ollie. Now they are both seeing other partners--Sarah is seeing Joe, who is working in the law enforcements and Steve is seeing a woman named Laura, who is working in the hospice and who seemed to be having a mysterious past.. So when Sarah starts sending Ollie to spend the weekends with Laura and Steve, she finds odd things--the fact that Ollie had a bunny doll with one of his ears being cut off and a Whale doll given to Ollie by Laura. Then Sarah, finds some disturbing and mysterious things about Laura and wondered if she made a right decision to allow Ollie to spend the night with Laura.
This was her third book I have read and to me it was actually good! The story was intense and as a reader, I was wondering was Sarah was simply worried or jealous that Ollie seemed to be close to Laura? Though it was fast paced, there were not much twists and turns but the ending left me speechless and unexpected that I didn't actually expect that ending!!! Character wise, I do feel sorry for Laura but I was also taking side of Sarah and Ollie sounded adorable. The situation seemed realistic to me. I also liked how as a backdrop and eventual twist at the end the author has put Joe's relationship with his ex-wife Courtney. The writing was good and the author did a good job drawing the reader into the story.
Overall, an unputdownable book that will keep you up all night too! Worth four stars!
Three year old Ollie's parents, Sarah and Steve have split up. Sarah is in a new relationship with an old flame, Joe. Steve and his new girlfriend, Laura, have judt moved in together. Sarah wants to meet Laura before she lets little Ollie stay over. Sarah sensed something about Laura, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Mother'sinstinct was trying to warn her about something, but what? Or is Sarah just jealous of Steve's new relationship?
The story is told from multiple points of view. There's plenty of twists and red herrings but the clues are there for you to find. The plotline pulls you in and doesn't let go ubtil the last page. The charactes are all complex, have secrets and i wasn't that struck on any of them. You will find youself second guessing everything. The story does start off slow but it soon picks up to a steady pace. Sheryl Browne has a way of captivating your attention. I did feel the endiing was a bit rushed. Overall, i did really lke this book.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author #SherylBrowne for my ARC of #MyHusbandsGirlfriend in exchange for an honest review.
I love Sheryl Browne’s book and this is another great psychological thriller.
Sarah and Steve have separated but they share custody of their three year old son Ollie.
Steve wants him to stay over at his new girlfriend’s house with him but Sarah asks to meet her first.
Sarah is not sure what to make of Laura at first but agrees to give her a chance.
Soon small things are happening and Sarah thinks Laura is trying to get one up on her all the time. Steve thinks she’s being ridiculous and her new partner, Joe also can’t see a problem.
As the story progresses we learn that Laura and her family have a secret and it’s causing problems between Laura and her mother and threatening to ruin her relationship with Steve.
There’s lots of times when you think Sarah is right to question Laura but she does have a knack of talking her way out of things.
I loved the nail biting ending and highly recommend this book.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
This is an interesting psychological family thriller which centres on mum Sarah and her ex husband Steve and their respective new partners, policeman Joe and troubled Laura.
The story is slow in places but has lots of inter back story and many characters who contribute to the complex plot.
Sarah and Steve’s young son Ollie is in the middle of a domestic drama for his attention and interspersed with this is a real threat to him from many sources.
A good read but slow and convoluted in places.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Wow My Husbands Girlfriend is phenomenal!
I was really looking forward to reading this and it did not disappoint. When it began it seemed like a simple story, a couple who share a young son have split up and both found serious relationships. There seems to be jealousy on Sarah's part, she is worried Laura is trying to win the little boys affections and take on the role of mum. Then the twists and turns begin and it is obvious that the story has got a lot more dimensions than that. It becomes a rollercoaster ride for all involved and I did not see the end coming at all.
I have not read anything by Sheryl Browne before but I will definitely be reading more by her in the future. I highly recommend My Husband's Girlfriend.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.
I am a great fan of Sheryl's writing and I have to say My Husband's Girlfriend has certainly eclipsed everything else she has written so far. Sarah and Steve have parted. Sarah now has new boyfriend Joe, a policeman and Steve has moved in with Laura. Working out parental access for Steve means Laura will now share her small son Ollie's life. But Laura is a troubled individual and as this arrangement begins it is clear she is going to cause lots of problems .
Be ready for a completely absorbing read as Sheryl takes you on a a real twist and turn ride where just as you seem to have people worked out, they do something to make you realise you're mistaken. There are surprises all the way coupled with a tense plot which makes the book totally unputdownable. A fabulous read!
My thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC of My Husband's Girlfriend in exchange for an honest review.
I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘My Husband’s Girlfriend’ by Sheryl Browne in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Sarah’s ex-husband Steve is moving in with his girlfriend Laura and wants their three-year-old son Ollie to stay for the weekend. On his return home Ollie says Laura’s told him a big secret that he’s never to tell his mum, and when Sarah puts him to bed his much-loved teddy bear is missing and there’s a toy whale in its place. Sarah’s convinced Laura’s dangerous and a threat to Ollie’s safety, and then he disappears from the garden!
‘My Husband’s Girlfriend’ is a gripping psychological thriller that’s been superbly written with plenty of drama, suspense and intrigue, parts of the story told through the eyes of Sarah, Laura and Steve whose characters have been well portrayed. The plot becomes increasingly chilling as Sarah learns more about Laura’s past and the twists and turns keep coming as the story gets more tense and compelling. This is an exciting thriller that’s kept me involved from the first page to the last and I can definitely recommend it.
# The Whispers #Netgalley
This is a absolutely must read, there twists and turns right through the book, at one point my heart was in my mouth as I didn’t know what the outcome was going to be. Laura and her mothers. Well it was obvious that the mother was trying to hide something but the way she spoke and belittled laura was disgusting. However their are real people like this in life. You can understand Sarah’s fears for Ollie until the truth came out. But what was the truth because I certainly did not expect the ending to be what it was another final twist you don’t see coming. What a brilliant book. With all the twist and turns the author could have made it go anyway she wanted and I doubt I would have been disappointed. Howe it’s was pure GENIUS TO PUT THAT FINAL TWIST IN . I can highly recommend this this book it just flows so well from page one, I did notice that from the first couple of chapters it was clear about who the book was about which at the time I was surprised to find that out so quickly I thought ok well where do we go from here. I just couldn’t put the book down I definitely didn’t need to worry knowing so early on who it was that was being tested and who Sarah’s concerns where with but no way did I anticipate where all the twist and turn that would be involved I can noy praise this book enough just pure brilliance
We follow main character Sarah as she embarks on a new family dynamic; welcoming a new woman into her sons life. Events quickly turn strange and questions emerge; who is this woman? What happened in her past? Why is she becoming increasing obsessed with Sarahs son Ollie?
This is a fast paced thriller with lots of twists and turns. You'll be questioning each character throughout and find yourself doubting everyone.
If you're looking for a easy, interesting thriller, this is it.
The Ex factor. This book has plenty of it.
3 different women, 3 different viewpoints. Add 2 men with even more conflicting viewpoints to one of the ladies' and its almost gaslighting or so it feels.
When Sarah has to let her 4 year son Ollie, spend time with his dad Steve (her ex) and his new girlfriend Laura, she is a bit apprehensive. She finds a lot of things strange about Laura but both Steve and her current boyfriend Joe, think she is reading a bit too much into things and over reacting. One morning when Ollie disappears, with just her mother's instinct to guide her, Sarah has to save her child but from whom?
The plot is interesting and kept me hooked.
Throughout I felt too many exes kept popping up and almost every character was at some point not over their Ex.
Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC
Sheryl Browne books are always on my wish list and she doesn’t disappoint!
When Ollie comes home with a new toy to replace the one he has had since he was born, sarah starts to worry about her ex husbands new flame!
A twisty Taiwanese about secrets and families - it kept my interest, but the narratives were a little repetitive at times!
Typical domestic thriller that is just pure escapism!