This book was not what I was expecting. It was thought provoking and emotional in places and beautifully written. However I found my interest waning at times and didn't engage fully with it. It was a good read overall but too slow a burn for me and emotive subjects. The writing and characters are good. It was more a psychological thriller rather than a 'thriller'. I would try something by Sonia Velton again in the future.

The description by the author:

Stella and Connie have never met and never will. So why is Stella stalking Connie's every move on social media?

Stella lives with her mother, a smothering narcissist. Her world has shrunk since the terrible accident that left her a shut-in. Her days are broken up by deliveries from a courier that she always returns and by the irresistible urge to watch the life of a stranger - beautiful Connie - unfold on social media. But why is she so drawn to a woman she has never met? And what caused the accident she doesn't want to speak about?

Connie is an expat living in Dubai with her partner, Mark, and their two children. On the face of it she wants for nothing and yet she fears that her husband is turning into a stranger. When she finds herself drawn into the lives of the local domestic helpers, she discovers that there are dark secrets in this glittering city.

Two women with nothing in common except a twist of fate. What happens when their lives collide?

Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus publishers for an Arc in exchange for an honest review

This book gripped me from the very beginning with its themes of isolation, loneliness and dealing with a relative with whom you have a destructive relationship but then they end up dependent upon you. It covers difficult subjects sensitively and the way in which incidents in the story link two families with very different lives, highly recommended,

A suspenseful, gripping read that was impossible to put down, I would absolutely recommend this book, it is brilliant

What an amazing book!! To start with I found the style hard to cope with but then I got totally drawn in. And when the connection between Connie & Stella is revealed the story then pulls at your heartstrings!
A truly good read.

Press, release.

I do know I’m not made of glass, Connie. I do know that. Most of the time. Bad thoughts again. I can’t help it. Still, if I’m going to get to know you , I suppose you’ll want to know all about me too. The thing is, no one knows what really happened. No one at all. Not Mark, not the doctors, no one. Well, she knew, but she’s dead, and the dead always keep their secrets. Don’t they, Connie?


This is a beautifully written novel in the style of upmarket literary fiction. Full of intrigue, tragedy and gorgeous phrases. From the minute I started reading it, I was intrigued. How are these two women connected? Is it something to do with Mark - Connie's husband? He is a rather shady character.


The contrast between Connie's life in Dubai with its sunshine and vast open spaces and Stella's insular life was a clever device and it made the divide between them even stronger. I just could not fathom out the connection. What had happened to them and why was Stella stalking her on social media? But it wasn't all about that connection that gripped me.


Stella's relationship with her mother - who develops dementia - is complicated and heart breaking. Her delivery driver is her only real connection with the outside world. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see if anything romantic would develop with that. I just wanted some love for her. Some escape from her trauma and quiet life.


In a dual time line Connie is also struggling with life. The school playground politics, a foreign land, no support network and trying to rediscover her identity outside motherhood. When she agrees to a housekeeper Connie finds herself entangled in the plight of exploited workers. This was a fascinating strand to the narrative as I knew very little about it. Tense. unsettling and exciting. I found myself researching more about this aspect after I finished the book.


An authentic story filled with astute observations of finding one's place in a modern life. Complex characters that engage you throughout and a fascinating insight into the Ex Pat life in the Middle East. Sonia is an incredible writer and I highly recommend this novel.

Thank you Netgalley galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review..

Stella lives with her controlling mother who has dementia Connie lives in Dubai with her husband and 2 children. Both women are on a tragic collision course that is both shocking and an awakening for one of these women.

The book is well written from both Stella and Connie’s perspective. Both women were lonely and unfulfilled in their lives. There are various sub plots within the story. However there were more questions than answers in Connie’s life especially her time in Dubai . The tragedy as it unfolds in itself is an ethical and moral dilemma which will have you thinking about the book long after you have read the last page. 5 stars

I really enjoyed reading this - it took a bit of settling in to, as there are two distinct storylines and the crossover between the two is deliberately vague. But when the answers come, wow, they pack a punch!
Connie and her husband Mark live in Dubai with their two children, adjusting to the expat lifestyle and all the luxury that it brings. Meanwhile in the UK, Stella is living an isolated existence, her overbearing mother has died and she can't face the outside world.
The book alternates between the two women's storylines and keeps them quite separate even though we know there is something that brings the two households together.
The story tackles some big issues including the reality of having staff in the Middle East and the effects that an oppressive childhood can have,

Brilliantly written thriller.

I really enjoyed this book, I love it when books are written with two separate stories that are somehow interlinked.

A clever plot where you figured out where it was heading but had no idea how it was going to get there. Good twists and turns kept you guessing until the end. The female characters were engaging and believable and I enjoyed the side plot with the deliveries . Unfortunately I found the ending a little flat after all the build up but enjoyed it overall.

What I had read so far before the book sadly expired had me totally hooked . I was facinated by Stella & Connie & how their lives were connected ,but sadly due to my health taking a rough turn I didn't get to complete the Book so I will now have to hope some friend or family member will kindly buy me a copy so that I can complete reading it !

I have quite mixed views of this book. It reveals itself slowly so I started off thinking it was a bog-standard thriller or the "which one is the bad girl" type but then got drawn in as it was slowly revealed that something else entirely was going on. Very original story but I felt some of issues in Dubai - the migrant workers being exploited - were skimmed over as a filler and I didn't particularly like either of the main characters. However, this is an interesting and original read that really wasn't what I thought it would be.

The Image of Her is the first book I’ve read from Sonia Velton and I thought it was absolutely superb. As I enjoyed this contemporary, suspenseful and very original novel so much, I will definitely read Blackberry and Wild Rose, her historical debut.
This is the tale of two very different women, who live thousands of miles apart and in very different circumstances. The narrative weaves between the reclusive Stella, in the U.K and Connie, who lives with her husband and children in Dubai. In Stella’s chapters she ‘speaks’ to Connie about her life, the toxic relationship she had with her mother and later, her struggle coping with her mother’s dementia. As Stella observes aspects of Connie’s life through social media it seems she is envious of Connie’s lifestyle and privilege. However, all is not what it seems and the underside of some aspects of Dubai life is also skilfully woven into the plot. It is clear the destiny of these two women is somehow connected and I was well into the story before I had an inkling of what that could be.

This clever and compelling novel slowly reveals its secrets and there are many twists and turns along the way. The characters of Stella and Connie are so well drawn and believable, this reader felt enormous sympathy for them both and the writing is simply superb. I loved this book and would highly recommend.

I would like to thank the publisher, Quercus and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wowee is my first reaction., What an amazing book. The story begins with the first chapter and keeps you on the edge trying to figure everything out throughout. It covers many topics that are difficult to write about but in a wonderful encompassing way. All the characters are so real! The lives of Stella in the U.K. going through her issues of a controlling mother who has dementia and then Connie in Dubai who is trying to please everyone and defend the defenceless. Sonia Velton has captured these two brilliantly and woven real life situations around them both.
If I could give 10 stars out of 5 I would, this was such a fantastically compelling story.

What a great book from an author I haven’t read anything of before. However that’s about to change and now I look forward to reading more of her stuff!

Stella lives alone now, her only contact with the outside world is the driver who delivers the items she orders online.
Connie, her husband Mark and children are expats in Dubai. Mark is working there as an architect while Connie has had to abandon her career to go with him.
Stella is researching Connie from her Facebook history. Connie’s seems to be a perfect family life displayed there on the blogs and the photos.
The Image of Her tells Stella and Connie’s stories and the link that forms between them, alternating chapters with each voice. Stella’s life choices have been diminished by her disappointed and demanding mother, and Connie’s life is not nearly as perfect as the story depicted on her social media page. Ultimately, their paths cross in a way neither could have imagined.
This novel is an intriguing one, kept in the dark as the reader is for most of it. Trapped originally by her mother’s shortcomings and falling further as her mother’s health deteriorates, Stella is an unreliable narrator. Connie begins to feel equally trapped by the emotional demands of those around her and soon becomes involved in a situation way outside her comfort zone.
As the lines start to intersect and the dread increases The Image of Her becomes impossible to put down.
A very interesting read, and highly recommended.

I think it's one those "it's me not the book" cases as I started it 3 times and struggled to go on.
The style of writing is excellent, the characters are interesting but somehow I didn't care for them.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Image of Her was a gripping and thoroughly engaging read. The story centres on two women, thousands of miles apart who are brought together in the most unexpected circumstance. The prose is rich and often moving, especially in the case of the daughter who is caring for her spiteful mother who has sunk into dementia. However, the ending when it does come feels a little rushed and some of the topics seem to be treated in quite a perfunctory manner, e.g. the plight of domestic servants traded into prostitution. But despite this, i would still highly recommend. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for the ARC.

The Image of Her is a book written from 2 perspectives - that of Stella, and that of Connie. Stella is a recluse who seemingly lives for deliveries from the DPD guy! we know early on that she's had some sort of accident which has left her facially disfigured, and this story evolves throughout the book. Connie lives in Dubai with her husband and children, and she struggles to come to terms with the lifestyle there, the normality of having a maid to help at home, and she becomes more and more involved in the life of hers, and the exploitation that the hired help suffers. Stella tells her part of the story as a conversation to Connie. So they share some kind of link. But what???

I absolutely loved this book. I couldn't devour the words fast enough! I couldn't work out the link between the two women at all, and came up with loads of different reasons. Needless to say, none of them were right!! I think this would be a great bookclub read.

An excellent novel. I never guessed how these two ladies would be connected - lots of red herrings throughout. I think it was important to write about lots of the elements in this book that I’ve never read about before, and it was so well done.
Highly recommended!

Mixed feelings about this book. The premise is very original and not something I've seen tackled in fiction before and when I figured out what was going on it was surprising. The problem I had was that I just didn't connect with Stella or Connie as characters and they felt very two-dimensional. I also felt the author was trying to tackle too many big themes (trauma, dementia, the plight of immigrant domestic workers in the middle east) however I didn't feel that any were explored to their full potential and I especially found the plotline with Rosamie and Marijo was a distraction. The start is full of mystery and intrigue, who is Connie, who is Stella, what happened, how do their stories connect, is Mark a baddie etc etc but I found the latter half of the book (after the reveal) ultimately boring and disappointing and I was skimming the pages to finish it off. An original concept but could have been explored and executed better IMHO.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.