Interesting and unusual twisty read, cleverly told from two perspectives.

Stella's story is revealed as she imagines talking to Connie, a woman who she has never met but is compelled to get to know. Since her father left 30 years ago, Stella has gradually become sole carer to her overbearing narcissistic mother, reaching breaking point with the increasing demands as her dementia sets in. As she confides in Connie, Stella discusses the fickle nature of memory and the ways it can deceive us.

Connie left the job she loved when the family moved to Dubai and is struggling to adjust to her new life and the disconnection she feels from her husband. From the snippets she posts on social media, Stella tries to uncover the truth of what happened to Connie and brought the two strangers so unexpectedly close.

This was an unexpected gem!
It's utterly fantastic.
Fascinating characters, intriguing plot, compelling writing.
I devoured it if one sitting.

This was an enjoyable read tat had me creating theories from the start. The writing was beautiful although at times I did feel this one could have been slightly shorter. There were red herrings, misdirection and lots of tension. Just when I thought I had figured it out another curveball was thrown.

This book is extremely well written. It’s such a compelling read that I didn’t want to put it down. There are multiple twists in this. This is a very thought provoking read.

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it kept me guessing throughout which is a huge bonus for me, I struggled to put it down

I loved this book, the writing was beautiful and the story went nowhere that I thought it would. Following two strangers on different sides of the world the author wove the stories together perfectly.

Domestic thrillers are a favourite of mine and this one will stay with me for a while. I loved our two main characters and how absolutely real their daily troubles and struggles felt.

I wanted to hug both of them and was devastated when the book reached its inevitable conclusion, one we knew about all along but was so much harder to come to terms with after getting to see life through both women's eyes.

I would highly recommend this book.

I have finally gotten around to reading my ARC (thanks to Netgalley and the publisher) and I honestly regret not being able to do that sooner (due to LIFE). What a fantastic book and storytelling.

This was my first book by Sonia Velton and I will definitely pick up her other one now. I enjoyed the alternating storyline between the two main characters which were both very interesting and believable. The suspense building was superb and had me hooked until the end when I didn't see the big reveal coming at all.

Highly recommend this book - not just to lovers of the genre but honestly to everyone.

Thought provoking but at points quite slow going. I would not describe it as a riveting read although I did thoroughly enjoy it. It stayed with me for ages - thus the 4 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publishers, Quercus Books.

A thought provoking book with lots of twists and turns. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review

Great read. Didn't want to put this down. Brilliantly written from beginning to end. I really enjoyed this and found myself absorbed in reading.

I don't know why but unfortunately this book was just not for me. I tried to read it twice and gave up - that is why I have given 2 stars.

I loved BlackBerry and Wild Rose and was looking forward to reading The Image of Her.
Great, enjoyable read, with a twist I didn't get until it happened.
The story of Connie and Stella was mixed with missed opportunity and hardship and I was glad that things got brighter towards the end.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

An ok read but I didn't particularly connect with either the characters or the story so has left me a bit flat.

There have not been many books recently where I simply had to keep on reading to find out what happened next. This one is most definitely in that category. One of the best books I have read this year.

I found this a difficult read as I would have liked clarity as to why one of the characters Stella was researching the other Connie earlier in the novel. Slow moving and written between two timelines and viewpoints, it was not for me.

I had a few download issues with the book and by the time it was sorted, the file had unfortunately been achieved. Happy to re-review if it becomes available again.

It was OK not my usual genre so struggled to get into it and connect with the characters. I wouldn't say it's a bad book as just not to my taste I'm sure entry of other people will.enjoy it

Two women, worlds apart, share a connection that doesn't become clear until the very end of this unusual novel. We get to know Stella, homebound in the UK, constantly in conversation with Connie, a housewife in Dubai, who has no Stella in her social circle. What's going on here?
Meanwhile the story shares plenty of background information about the lives of these women, each heartfelt in its own way. Both are carers, both are pretty much on their own in dealing with life's daily struggles. In the end they come together in the most amazing way.

The Image of Her held me tight, impressed me deeply and gave me a lot of food for thought.

Told in two seemingly concurrent timelines written from the close third person point of view of two very different women.

Stella is a woman who rarely ever leaves her house and finds her pleasures in ordering trying and then returning expensive gowns. Reminiscing about lost loves sabotaged by her narcissistic mother.

Due to a terrible accident Stella is left with a scarred face and I love how this book address the stigma surrounding facial injury and how in fiction and popular culture disfigurement is considered a sign of evil and how it inspires fear.

This is the second book I have read this spring with a character who is an unpaid carer. The Imperfect Art of Caring was an uplifting and hopeful book on the subject but this one is much, much darker and shows how bad it can get when a narcissist who already has a tight control on their daughter and then develops dementia.

Connie on the other hand is also not a happy woman but for many different reasons. Living what seems like the perfect life as an expat in Dubai with her husband their two lovely kids and a live in Filipino maid but for many reasons she is not happy.
This book examined the darker side of the service industry in Dubai and other wealthy countries where many of the immigrant help are effectively held in slavery and often abused.

Both the POV characters are really well rounded and full of flaws and insecurities but I did feel that the secondary characters where a little thin at times but it didn’t detract from the story.

The two timelines don’t intercept until the very end and the reason for their connection becomes clear at about 75%, there are a couple of clues earlier but they just confused me.

What I liked:
Interesting characters
Tackles worthwhile issues
No romance just for the sake of it

What didn’t work for me:
A bit slow getting going
Secondary characters where a little thin

Suitable For: Adults only as it’s quite dark and addresses some very adult themes.
Sex: Nothing overt
Violence: Some
Drug Reference: None that I can remember
Swearing: None that I can remember

Review scheduled for publication on 2nd June 2022