I can't imagine anyone guessing the twist in this story, it left me absolutely stunned. The tension slowly builds to
the jaw-dropping conclusion which left me feeling conflicted. I really wasn't sure whether I pitied, understood or loathed the perpetatrator of so much anguish. One thing I was certain of was that this is one of the best psychological thrillers I have read this year.

Books like this always intrigue me and I just have to check them out. I really enjoyed the writing style in this book. The twists and turns kept my attention throughout. I will definitely be checking out other books by this author and I would recommend this book to friends and family.

The Playdate was my first Victoria Jenkins novel, and I can't wait to read more of her work! The Playdate was full of twists and turns, and I had a hard time putting it down because I was so invested in finding out how it would end. The characters were very well-written, and I liked that the story was told from the perspectives of both Dani and Adele. I highly recommend The Playdate...thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review it. : )

The Playdate # netgally


It's was a fairly fast paced book and something you just made you want to keep turning the pages the twist this way that way at first I was confused w
Callums attitude towards Adel. I didn't know what her agenda was. Especially as she wanted Dainh to confide in it became more twisted as time went on but what I liked about it was you still had no idea where this was going and was keeping gripped When. It seemed like Facebook was reaching a crescendo of a brilliant finish. Unfortunately that did not happen for me. It fell flat as soon as Adele arrived at her home and got everything ready for a tea party while having locked the 2 little girls Ivy and Layla with her sister and Dani on the way for the final ending. It was such a disappointment. I had reverted enjoying it so much just to be left deflated. When I see some reviews with A 5 star I do wonder if they have read the same book to mr. Well all I can say a gripping book with a really really flat boring ending a waste of time it was to me anyhow, in reading it. I really am sat here so baffled that one the one hand you are reading a gripping book and it's almost li!d the author has not got any idea as to the ending just making it up as she went along . I just can not get my head around a good book was totally ruind ........... I wouldn't easy your time

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I took this book camping, and spent the whole first day reading it. I couldn't put it down. I was excited to read it because I like The Accusation, and I wasn't disappointed. There is definitely some obvious red herrings, but it was so enjoyable that it didn't take away from anything. It's a perfect lazy day book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This book was definitely a slow burner, but it kept me guessing right up to the end. With a great storyline, with lots of twists and turns. I did find the first half of the book was rather slow but it really picked up past the midway point and after that I couldn’t read it fast enough. Dani meets Adele at a playgroup where she takes her daughter, she thinks that Adele could be a friend, something she doesn’t have very many of these days. Someone is tormenting Dani, by way of a flyer, an email to the playgroup mothers, and then her mother’s cat goes missing; she thinks she knows who is doing this to her, the wife of the man she had an affair with.
As Adele and Dani grow closer, we start to see that Adele needs a friend just as much as Dani, she seems lonely and scared. One of them is keeping secrets and as the book progresses, those secrets start to bubble over to a surprisingly shocking end.

I will definitely read my books by this author it was a great summer beach read.

Classic domestic thriller trope!
I enjoyed this but found it a little bit predictable and quite an easy read. If you enjoy a domestic/psychological thriller and are after an easier read/something you can pick up and put down this is the one! The plot was a little predictable and at times I was muddled between Adele and Dani's backstories so found it hard to follow. It really picked up in the last 25% though and was very readable!

This book definitely kept me on the edge of my seat.
Plenty of twists and turns
Can’t wait for her next book.
Another great read.
Thanks NetGalley.

Firstly thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

I picked this book up and read a chapter or two a few times before finally giving it a good crack. The first half was such a slow burn it took a long while to really get into the story - but the second half was much quicker and I raced through as the story unraveled. Its a bit of a predictable premise as so many psychological thrillers are these days but the author really put a twist on the expectations which made it an exciting read.

The story is told told from two main characters POVs - Dani (trainee hairstylist, young single mother, living at home with her mother) and Adele (posh, married, nice house) But have secrets that form the basis of the plot

Overall I enjoyed the book but it's not one that particularly stands out in the genre. I would however read more by this author as this was the first of hers I had read.

An excellent psychological thriller, Victoria Jenkins has mastered the misdirect in The Playdate. Instead of just one character with a secret, they all seem to be drowning in them. I made it through half the book before realising I had been taken in by all of the lies; I thought I knew exactly where this story was heading but could not have been more wrong. Every time I thought I had a handle on what would happen next, I was proven wrong. By the end, I had no idea what to expect.

I'm keeping this review spoiler-free because I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers, and I don't want to ruin the experience. The only reason I've given The Playdate four stars instead of five is because too many other secrets may have shrouded the final reveal - it did seem to come a bit out of left field. I think it would have been almost impossible to predict what would happen with the information provided throughout the story.

All the suburban feels with this one! This was a page turner and I could have finished this in one sitting. I couldn't figure it out till the end!

I received this arc through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

We follow two women and their diffeent perspectives, though one of them is not who she seems to be.

I liked this book a lot and would recommend it

A good psychological thriller with a few red herrings to keep you interested and surprised. The book is told from the viewpoints of two of the characters which I thought worked well. I enjoyed the ending and would look forward to reading other books by this author.

I ended up really enjoying The Playdate, but I found the beginning really slow. I’m very glad I stuck with it though! At around 60% things pickup in a major way and I found it to be unputdownable. Everything I thought I knew turned out to be wrong, and I didn’t anticipate where this ride ended up. I only wish it wouldn’t have taken so long to become so exciting.

Thank you to NetGalley, Victoria Jenkins and Bookouture for my e-ARC of The Playdate.

Thank you to NetGalley, Victoria Jenkins and Bookouture for my ARC of The Playdate.

Well this was an unexpected joy to read. I got stuck straight into this one without reading the blurb or reminding myself of the synopsis, and going in cold was a great shout!

The Playdate introduces us to new Mum Dani, who attends a playdate with her young daughter and meets Adele. Despite being from different backgrounds they start chatting and hit it off. Adele doesn't seem like all the other mums there who are stuck up and pretentious and for once Dani doesn't feel like she is being looked down on or judged.

It soon becomes clear however that both Dani and Adele have a back story - and through bread crumb back stories and teased facts we gradually learn how the two women are connected.

It builds up slowly, but progresses to be a really gripping thriller and even if you think you have it all figured it out there are still some real gasp out loud moments that will keep you reading on for dear life.

A fab thriller that I read from cover to cover in less than 24 hours.

A story of the friendship of Adele and Dani, two mothers who become friends as they are living in similar situations, playgroups, classes and new motherhood.

Sucha complex book, meaning that you grab on to the breadcrumbs of the trail only to find you were wrong all along.

A really good thriller

Disclaimer: I received a free digital ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of this book from NetGalley and Bookture. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This was my first Victoria Jenkins book, and I was pleasantly surprised with her writing style.

In this engaging thriller, two moms meet at a local playgroup and develop a friendship, which is not only filled with secrets and lies but also turns into a dangerous relationship for both of them.

This book was filled with spins I did not see coming.

It is an evolving plot in which the author leaves some crumbs for the reader to pick. They are subtle enough that they do not give up the ending of the book, so once the big twist is revealed, my mind was blown.

The beginning of the book is somewhat slow but packed with important details for later on. There is a lot of background information about Dani and her daughter's life, Dani and Adele's first meeting at the playgroup and their evolving friendship, the harassment Dani is experiencing, and glimpses of Adele's home life. We get to see both of them individually and together, so we get a good sense of who they are... or at least that's what we think.

The truth is that I thought I had it all figured out but I was very wrong. The first part of the book gives the sense that it will be a predictable plot, but then it goes in a complete direction that I wasn't expecting. The two alternate points of view give us glimpses about what both women are going through and ambiguous details about the secrets they're both harboring. But there are enough details to make you doubt your instincts while keeping the plot moving slowly but steady. Once the plot picks up, it just doesn't stop. It is an action-packed ending with a twist that left me baffled.

The main characters in the book are well-rounded characters with many flaws and good traits. We get to empathize with Dani while recognizing how her past mistakes are catching up with her. From Adele, we get the sense she is hiding something and has underlying motives to friend Dani, but we also get to see her softness when she is parenting little Ivy. Overall, both characters are well developed and fully rounded.

The secondary characters also give us insight into the women and the secrets they're keeping, and they allude to the secrets they're keeping during their interactions with Adele and Dani. Many of the details that are explained at the end come from the supportive characters, so they play an important role even during interactions that do not seem important to keep the plot moving.

Overall, this was great a read. A slow but steady read at the beginning with a fast pace at the end. And the main twist revealed is truly shocking.

Two women who were mothers with small children where author Vitoria Jenkins revealed the life of one while keeping the other shaded, building up the suspense.

Playdates between the two kids were arranged but things start happening to both of them, one subtly and the other, blatantly. My needle of suspicion kept swaying between the two, with theories formulated in my mind about how the two women could be connected.

I couldn’t connect to both ladies, though for me, the book became faster after 60% where I felt it entertained more. The ending was unpredictable. Not really sure how I felt about it.

Overall, an interesting read

First time reading this author and I was disappointed. Really enjoyed it. Felt it was a bit slow getting into it at the start, the characters were well written, and likeable. As the story and twists and turns revealed themselves you were hooked with the storyline. Would recommend.

Oh wow, this is such a tense and twisty thriller! It’s a long time since I’ve just sat and read for hours on end, but this book was one of those that I just had to drop everything and read it.

The story is told from both Adele and Dani’s perspectives, and at first it all seems pretty straightforward. They meet at playgroup, both from seemingly different backgrounds, but they get on well, and Adele is kind and friendly, and doesn’t judge Dani, who finds motherhood difficult at times. But there’s so much more to this story than it would appear at first, and both women have challenges and secrets.

The tension is so palpable in this book, there is such a feeling that something sinister lurks in the background, and it’s a real page-turner. I found it so difficult to put down and absolutely flew through the chapters.

Just when I had an idea that I knew where the story was going, a twist and turn came along, and I had no idea what would happen next.

A total edge-of-your-seat, unputdownable, twisty and addictive book. An absolute belter of a thriller