Unlike other reviewers, I found The Image of You by Sonia Velton a hard book to get into. Partly, I think, because it was hard to invest in Stella. The premise of the book was an interesting one but Sonia does use a slow burn for this one, misleading us along the way down a couple of blind alleys. The back stories of the two main characters are indeed tragic in different ways. Stella is clearly isolated due to her mother’s emotional cruelty and toxic control. I do agree, as highlighted by other readers, that this element of the storyline gives a very good insight into the very real issues faced by many carers, especially when caring for a family member suffering from dementia. In Stella’s case this is heightened by her deep need to be loved and appreciated by her mother.
Connie’s life in Dubai, in the other hand, looks charmed. Stella sees Connie’s life through the lens of social media and this is another strength of the book. The perception of the perfect life through Facebook or Instagram posts of delicious brunches, days on the beach with friends, beautiful children and glamorous evenings out doesn’t allow for any glimpses into the myriad lonely times, the relationship tensions, the betrayals of friends and the dark underbelly of the repressive and exploitative side of Dubai society. To be fair, Sonia unwraps this quite well through Connie’s involvement with her housemaid’s friend. Overall there is a lack of joie de vivre about the storyline which definitely scratches below the surface of real life struggles. In an age of online living and shopping it was a nice touch to see the delivery driver as the only link to the outside world and a nice touch to use this to reengage Stella.
A clever book then, dealing with a number of current challenges as we live in this digital and often socially distanced age. Food for thought and a challenge to remain engaged and alert to those who need us to look below the surface and be ready to offer human support and make a difference. Three and a half stars rounded to four

Stella lives with her mother, a smothering narcissist. When she succumbs to dementia, the pressures on Stella's world intensify, culminating in tragedy. As Stella recovers from a near fatal accident, she feels compelled to share her trauma but she finds talking difficult. In her head she confides in Connie because there's no human being in the world that she feels closer to.

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 .something about life in this glittering city does not sit well with her. Used to working full time in a career she loves back in England, she struggles to find meaning in the expat life of play-dates and pedicures.

This is a great story of 2 women although thousand of miles apart share a bond. A gripping original story kept me hooked from the beginning,

This was a fascinating book from start to finish. We have all heard the stories of face transplants but have any of us thought any further than the article on the news or in the paper.

When we meet Stella she is an almost recluse who only really sees the delivery man who brings all her online purchases and then collects them to return them. I had worked out fairly early on that she was the recipient of a face transplant and having a paralysed facial nerve the exercises to encourage the muscles to work to try and smile again took me back to when I did them.

I loved the fact that the story was split into Stella’s story and Connie’s as it gave you a good rounded view of both of them. I loved hearing about Connie’s seemingly perfect life, which of course we all know nobody’s life is perfect and Stella’s lonely existence whilst she learns about her donor’s life.

The book certainly made me think about being the recipient of a donor organ. We all know of liver, kidney, lung, heart transplants but these are not visible and if it does nothing else it should make you think about being the recipient of a face transplant. To have to look every day at a face that is attached to you. It isn’t really yours! Amazing!

It’s difficult to review this book without spoilers, but suffice to say that it’s not what I expected. It’s unusual and challenging (in a good way) and it really made me think about how I’d feel and what I’d do in similar situations.

It’s a captivating read and you really end up pulled into the narrators’ lives. My one criticism (and the reason I’m giving this 3 stars instead of 4) is that I felt it was a bit too ambitious in the issues it was trying to cover and it ended up with some of them understandably not being given justice. But it’s a minor criticism really.

This novel is written from two women’s perspectives: Connie, living as an expat with her family in Dubai; and Stella, housebound after enduring a lifetime of being constantly undermined by her narcissistic mother. The intrigue into how these women are connected continues until at least two-thirds into the novel and other mysteries unfold slowly, making it compulsive reading. It’s very well-researched, sensitively written and I really enjoyed reading it.

I don't know what I expected from this novel, but it wasn't what I got which was a nuanced tale of something entirely outside my experience.

The two women that the book is about live far apart and seemingly have little in common. Connie lives in Dubai and is questioning her life. Her husband is pulling away from her and she is uncomfortable with the widespread use of foreign maids. In England Stella is hiding herself away, her only contact with a delivery driver who hands her packages through the gap in the door.

This is a slow burn of a novel with the writing drawing the reader further in to both women's lives. It is rare that I enjoy books where for the majority of the time the reader is simply an outsider but it worked.

Loved the ending.

What a beautifully written book told from the point of view of two women who have never met. Connie has moved out to Dubai with her husband, Mark, and their two children, ostensibly for 2 years to earn more money and advance Mark's career. Connie finds it hard to adjust as she is used to working full time and is now expected to not only have no profession but is encouraged to take on a maid to help with the house.
Stella is a recluse in her house who has suffered a traumatic event and now lives alone after having been dominated by her mother for much of her life and made to feel inferior. Stella tracks Connie's life through her on-line presence and 'talks' to her in her head.
The story of both women is very interesting and their characters are so well portrayed. It is about three quarters of the way through the book before what connects them becomes apparent and the story moves to another level.
Fascinating reading.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Sonia Velton/Quercus Books for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

My first Sonia Velton book. I have no idea what genre you would put it in, probably Contemporary Fiction certainly not Thriller. This was a great idea for a book, although there is an ENORMOUS clue at the beginning as to why there is a connection between the two so when finally revealed it was a confirmation rather than a surprise,
I'm really not sure what I make of this book. An extremely good read but somewhat superficial in some respects especially the connection between the two women. Part of me felt that the connection could have been explored a bit deeper. The fact that I found the two lead characters immensely annoying, so much so I wasn't sure if I could continue reading didn't help. That I did continue reading is a testament to the writing of the author. Both of them were truly awful and the other characters were mostly faults and not fault free. Having said that, Connie and the maid's story made me warm to her as did Stella and the DPD man. It made me realise a certain decision was definitely the right one. As for star ratings I find this very difficult but ultimately as it was a very well written and a good read I give 3.5 stars
American spellings are a tad irksome too

This is probably one of my favourite books of 2021!

Stella and Connie two women with completely different lives who are brought together through tragedy. Stella has lived for her mother her entire life. She is smothered by her mother and although an adult she doesn't seem to have a life outside of her mother. Connie is a wife and mother of two. Her life on the outside appears perfect but in reality she's unhappy and lonely. So how do these womens lives cross paths?

There is just so much to say about this book, that I'm trying to find the words without spoiling the plot. Each woman is a unique and interesting character.
Now Stella is obsessed it seems with Connie the reason for why is unclear. So we as the reader are in a weird spot, we know that we are further ahead in Stella's story than Connie's so whilst reading the prose, I found myself desperately trying to get the answers. Stella is an amazing character, she's strange, she has a shopping addiction and returns everything but due to clear agoraphobia she gets deliveries. The intensity if her imagined friendship with the dpd driver is fascinating. It made me wonder how often I see the same faces at my front door and yet know none of their names. As Stella has the opposite problem. The delivery driver was almost a man character. I loved reading her chapters.
We also get to read about her relationship with her mother how she is where she is now and the role her mother played in this. If anything Stella's story is pretty heart breaking but it shines a great light on mental illness.

Connie and her family are living it large in Dubai. Gosh the amount I learnt about customs and traditions was insightful. Connie's story seems to centre around her house maid and her moral obligation to help everyone. She's pretty bad ass and sitting on the side lines just isn't her style! He husband is an idiot so she's pretty lonely out there, she wants to return home.
The storyline with the migrant workers is extremely important to Connie's storyline and it adds depth to a character who could appear pretty shallow otherwise.

So how do these two women collide? You will have to read the book and you will find out b
It's truly a work of art this book. If you pick this up looking for a heavy thriller filled book this isn't for you this truly is a psychological thriller
In conclusion as to not give any spoils away I suggest you read it yourself. 5 star review
.

Thanks to netgalley the author and the publishers for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my fair and honest opinions

Quite a slow starting book but a decent read once you get into the story. I suspected how the end was going to be so no big surprises.

Hmm, rather miscast as a thriller, this is the story of two women who have never met, one in the UK and the other living in Dubai with her husband and children, they are inextricably linked and the author has some fun hinting at the connection and misleading you on more than one occasion.

We spend time with both women in alternate chapters until the book comes to its conclusion.

I’m not as enthusiastic about this one as many reviewers are. The writing in parts is beautiful to read but there was something about the story and narrative that just left me cold. The characters I felt I was on the outside looking in rather than being alongside them and rooting for them. It also felt overly long to me, with many chapters that just went nowhere(along with some of the clunky story arcs, especially in Dubai).

2.5 stars rounded up to 3. I’m sure I’ll be in the minority here with my views but I have to be totally honest and admit I didn’t get too much enjoyment out of this book.

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC through Netgalley.

Such a beautiful read. Two women, two countries, lives somehow entwined. It took a while to find out how and it was an amazing surprise.
Loved this.

Clever, clever. Stella and Connie are the key characters in this novel, they don't know each other and their stories are told in turn throughout most of the novel.

Stella is obviously recovering from trauma, and the effects of being continually downtrodden by her mother for her whole life; Connie lives in Dubai with her family, and her marriage appears to be unravelling.

Although Stella appears to be confiding in Connie throughout the story, it's only all of a sudden that you work out how and why they are connected - and then the story gets even better. Fascinating.

A gripping and emotional read Two women who come together in strange circumstances Althoughthey haven’t met their experiences bind and strengthen them both
A great read

The Image of Her turned out to be a fantastic read, though it did - probably unavoidably - take a while to get into. I really didn't have a clue what was going on for a long time. But safe to say, when the truth is revealed it's probably not what most readers are expecting.

Stella's life has been blighted by her narcissistic mother, who can neither love her nor allow her to leave. Now her mother is dead, but Stella's life is narrower than ever - she hardly ever goes out and the only person she sees is the man who delivers her online orders. Stella feels the only person she can "communicate" with - though it's entirely one way and only in her mind - is Connie, a woman with whom she has an unspecified connection, although she appears to know her mainly through social media posts. We gradually learn Stella's story as she "tells" it to Connie.

Alongside Stella's narrative we also hear, sometime earlier, Connie's story - a British woman living in Dubai with her husband and two children. The expat lifestyle doesn't sit entirely comfortably with her, and her relationship with husband Mark also has its strains. Clearly, Connie has never heard of Stella.

I was interested in the strand about the human rights issues around the employment - and frequent abuse - of migrant workers as domestic staff in Dubai (among other places). Connie's dilemmas here were certainly relatable.

As I said above, it's a good while before it all comes together. When it does, though, it's devastating.

A very well written and well constructed story which ultimately packs quite a punch - recommended

This book is narrated as the points of view of two women who live in different worlds but have a connection. Stella is in the UK and caring for her mother who has always been very controlling. Stella had escaped from her controlling mother but felt obliged to come back and care for her when she was diagnosed with dementia. Some time after that there was a horrible incident which was life changing for Stella.

Connie is living an ex-pat life in Dubai with her husband, Mark, and their two young children. Connie is very fair minded and for a long time refuses to employ a Filipino girl for childcare as she sees it as exploitation of these young girls who leave their children and families behind for many years in order to earn money to send back to better their families’ future. Connie is finally persuaded to employ a Filipino girl but then is further drawn into the issues these girls find themselves in when employed by people who take advantage by treating them badly and paying them minimum wage.

I would have enjoyed this book more and appreciated enjoyed the main twist if I hadn’t guessed it in the opening pages. There was a very major clue and I am surprised that more haven’t mentioned it in their reviews. Without giving too much away I can only assume I have a more enquiring mind than other readers and like to understand the detail.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am hoping that what I thought was a major spoiler will be removed from the final version of this book.

I have enjoyed both of Sonia Velton’s novels and very much look forward to reading more by her.

The book is more an inside into the human psyche than anything else.
The story is interesting, the couple of twists are cool, and the not-so-overt details of some of the characters' lives are worth the read.

I received an ARC from Netgalley.

The Image of Her is a book that pulls you in from the very first page and keeps you enthralled until the end. The story is told from two points of view, Stella in the UK and Connie in Dubai. All through the book you know there is an untold connection between them and when you finally learn what it is it takes your breath away. Sonia Velton has done some excellent research and given us a well written, fast paced book that I read in two days. Both Stella and Connie are such well rounded, believable characters that I actually cared about them. I was so invested in their stories that I admit to reading some parts with tears in my eyes. This is one of the best books I've read in 2021 and one I am more than happy to recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest and impartial review.

I can’t say that I enjoyed this book, but it was really interesting and I learned such a lot from it. The issues it dealt with: Dementia, relationships, major surgery, exploitation of immigrant domestic labour, parenting etc, were so well written, in fact the whole book was well written, and maybe it it’s just me, but I found it depressing.
However, I’m giving the book four stars because of the writing, research and subject matter and I’m sure others will find it a great read.

‘Sonia Velton’s latest novel ‘The Image of Her’ could be described as an engrossing, psychologically plausible thriller but it is more than this. Without giving away the link between the two women at the centre of the tale (although it’s soon pretty obvious), this is a story about identity – about how we hang on to our essence and what makes us and breaks us.
Stella has lived most of her life under the thumb of her controlling, narcissistic mother. She is a classroom assistant, that is until she has to give up the work she loves to take her mother as the latter’s dementia takes grip. Connie, on the other hand, appears to have it all. A great career, two children and a loving husband. Nevertheless, when she moves to Dubai for the latter’s job, she begins to wonder what she is doing thrust into the role of 1950s housewife. Over the course of the narrative, the author portrays their characters sensitively and effectively: we cannot help rooting for them both, even though we know that disaster lies ahead when we understand what links them.
Aside from her compelling, complex female character depictions, Velton explores two very interesting and little written about unconnected subjects in the novel. One is an extremely complicated medical procedure and the other is the life of economic migrants in Dubai. I found her depiction of both fascinating. Indeed, there is so much material to explore that I imagine that she could have written a novel on each. Definitely worth a read. This novel will engage from the outset, yet it is more than a ‘mere’ page turner.
My thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.