Member Reviews

This is my first novel by Daniel Hurst and it sounded right up my street. I love a good thriller that is full of questions of whodunit. We meet Adele, who has had her fair share of lovers but is currently engaged to Tom who I found quiet dull and slightly boring when compared to Adele.

Adele appears to not be as happy as she seems as she is constantly going out with her friend, getting drunk and forgetting to tell Tom she is out. I felt quite sorry for Tom as if this was me being treated this way then I would not have any of it. But anyway, Adele's past lovers start to be found dead,. seemingly from suicide but this obviously is not the case. Adele starts to get increasingly worried as this pattern is exclusively around her past boyfriends.

I read this book really fast and I did enjoy it. I like Daniel Hurst's style of writing and I felt it was straight to the point, there was no faffing around.

A good plot and easy to read with elements of thrills and some twists. Thanks to NetGalley, Daniel Hurst and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

The premise was promising, the delivery poor. I kept reading although I did not like neither Adele nor Tom. Their engagement seemed to be like achieving finally a goal, not the fulfillment of love. Of course I wanted to know who did all the killing and why - only to be disappointed in the end.

Was this review helpful?

I was really disappointed with this novel which has SO much promise but unfortunately over shot all believability and there was no way to relate to the main character or even get invested in this novel.

Sad to say not for me

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Netgalley and Author Daniel Hurst for this ARC.

I believe in coincidences, sure. But, like, a coincidence here and there. One after another sends off alarm bells and Adele is most certainly in the danger zone--first, a high school boyfriend commits sucked, the right after the funeral another ex is reported dead from a car crash. Nope, nope, no! Something is not right here, but what? And who's behind it? And why?

She's got a wonderful, dreamy husband, and as a fan of Hurst's writing, he's obviously suspect number one. But what in the world would be his motive for killing his finance's exes from a long, long ago past life? She has a best friend who sometimes acts a little fishy, and every time Adele is with here they get into shenanigans, usually drunk. Then--boom--the perspective of someone known only as "The Boyfriend" comes into play as he stalks Adele. Who is this creep and what is his deal?

The relationship Adele has with her fiance is so weird and stiff. He's jealous and a bit controlling. She gives him zero respect and sees partying as a priority over him. No way that marriage lasts. They don't spend quality time together nor do they seem to love each other in any romantic way. There were several red herrings along the way of this rather intriguing mystery but the ending was so disappointing. After all that and the person came out of left field, which is not a twist. This story had great potential, but it needs some work. A lot was repeated in Adele's inner monologue and I got quite bored in some chapters, sludging through.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this novel. The plot was interesting and the story fast paced. I couldn’t put it down. The only issue I had was the ending left a little bit to be desired in that it wasn’t exactly clear with the killer did it. Other than that, I really enjoyed the novel and will be on the lookout for further novels by Daniel Hurst.

Thanks to NetGalley, Inkubator Books and Daniel Hurst for the opportunity to review this ARC. This review and all opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I really struggled to stick with this book. It was not very gripping and the characters lacked depth. The plot started off interesting but it somehow got lost and became unbelievable. Overall it was very disappointing.

Was this review helpful?

I requested a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions in this post are my own. As always, I try to avoid simple plot synopses and focus on what I liked and disliked about the book.

Adele, as a character is flawed, as all the best characters are. The story is told from her perspective and she does like to tipple, so I wasn't sure I could completely trust her from the beginning. My thought was that Tom, her current fiance, really puts up with alot!

I was intrigued by the story and it did keep me reading to find out who the true culprit was. (I will reveal nothing more about that here, in case you want to read the book!) Where it fell apart for me was the motive of the killer. There was no clear breaking point identified for what made the killer act after 20+ years, and I found it hard to suspend my disbelief that much. That's why this was rated three stars.

#netgalley #TheBoyfriend

Was this review helpful?

The book cover caught my attention straight away and once I had read the book description I knew I had to read it. The book had potential and was a quick read but didn’t quite hit the spot for me. Giving this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Was this review helpful?

Adele is preparing to marry Tom but on a night out with her best friend she discovers her first boyfriend has committed suicide, a few days later she hears about the deaths of 2 more ex boyfriends. She tries to convince the Police to take her thoughts that someone is targeting her seriously but will it be soon enough to protect her fiance.
I've read a few of Daniels books and really enjoyed them, this one sadly was not one of my favourites. Adele is not a likeable character, also out getting drunk with her best friend rather than spending time with Tom. There doesn't appear to be any relationship between them at all. The ending came from nowhere. Nevertheless it will not stop me reading more of Daniels books. Many thanks to Netgalley and Inkubator publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own

Was this review helpful?

Adele is shocked to find out that her first boyfriend committed suicide, but when over the next few days, her other exes start dying, she is panicked that they are all being murdered and her fiance will be at the end of the list. I hated Adele and Tom both. She was too busy drinking herself sick every five seconds to deal with anything rationally, and her idiot fiance was jealous and tired of hearing about all her ex-boyfriends, even though he was hearing about them because they all kept dying. I just couldn't enjoy this book. 2 stars.

Was this review helpful?

This was quite a tough book to get through in the aspect that it wasn’t very good. Unfortunately the only positive thing I can say is it is a quick read. The character development was nonexistent and I felt dispassionate about Adele the main character and her relationships. Relationships that we are given recaps on as if reading a cooking recipe. There was no grip to latch onto in this story. I had no emotions pulled out of me. The writing was a let down for me as well. It felt quite juvenile and the transitions felt so abrupt. The synopsis felt like it could be so good but eesh this was just so bad.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Hmm, the premise of this book had such potential, and there were moments of a captivating story. However, this was let down by the stiff and unlikeable characters and their relationships.
Adele is obsessed with having a perfect life and finally growing up enough to get married. A big deal of this is made, and it just didn’t seem realistic or a natural flow to her life. I’m not sure if this was written by someone who hasn’t settled down or doesn’t understand people who do, but it came across this way.
The way Adele orders her thoughts are very regimented and wooden. It made it hard to relate to her and empathise with what she was going through. Some of her actions were very questionable as well. I was glad she sought help from the police, though, as this is often avoided in many of these types of books. At least she did have one sensible reaction to what was happening to her.
Her relationship with Tom was just baffling. He seemed to be controlling, jealous and unpleasant. She had to tiptoe around him instead of treating him like the partner he should have been. She should be able to confide in the man she has agreed to marry and not worry about bringing up an ex from her past.
The idea behind the book was good, and there were moments when I was hooked by what was happening. The ending, however, was a bit of a letdown. The killer comes out of nowhere, I suppose this could be seen as a twist, but it just felt a bit disjointed. I know there are many red herrings throughout, but there was nothing that could have indicated who it was.
So, I finished this book feeling slightly disappointed. I’m glad I persevered with it, as I did almost give up on it due to the stiff characters and their personalities, but I think the story as a whole was worth reading. Not sure I’d read anything else by this author or even recommend the book. It was just a three-star read for me.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the book.

I try and not to give less than 3 star reviews because I understand the hardwork that an author puts in publishing a book but this one wasn't for me and the opinions are totally mine. I love thrillers and the synopsis intrigued me but the story fell flat. The character development was poor and I couldn't connect to Adele at all. I didn't care why Adele's exes were getting murdered because I didn't care about her. The only thing that kept me going were the short chapters and fast paced story.

Was this review helpful?

When someone starts killing off Adele’s ex boyfriends, she becomes increasingly nervous for her current finance, and more confused as to who it could be. Is someone really taking the lives of the men she has loved at one time or another, and when will they stop.

Fast paced and quick chapters keep you interested and wanting to read, however, that’s where it ended for me. The writing was childish. The character development was completely missing. The main relationship was piss poor and toxic. I could not get on board to care about this book. I was more confused as to why so,eons would care about Adele at all, never mind enough to kill her exes.

Definitely not the book for me.

Was this review helpful?

Adele has a happy life and is planning a wedding with her soul mate Tom. One day Adele hears that one of her ex-boyfriends has died by killing himself. Adele is shocked and sad at the tragedy. Then another one of her ex-boyfriends dies in an accident and Adele is again saddened by the tragic events. When another of her ex-boyfriends dies, Adele begins to think this can't be a coincidence - is someone out to get all her ex-partners? She realises she must try to find out what is going on, before all of her ex-boyfriends are killed and Tom is targeted.

A thrilling and tense story that keeps you turning the pages to find out what is going on. The book is really well written and there are a range of interesting characters that you can't help but suspect. The conclusion was shocking and exciting. Definitely recommended, another great book by Daniel Hurst.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.

Was this review helpful?

Solid mystery that will keep you guessing! I kind of figured out who it was at one point, but it didn't hurt my enjoyment at all. Just like Girl on a Train, really wanted to slap her to stop drinking!

Was this review helpful?

Good book! This book was an interesting story! A little different than what I'm used to but definitely good! This book had intrigue, suspense, action, and a really good who done it! The storyline definitely sucked me in! I definitely recommend reading this book! Its well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Was this review helpful?

Loved this book, one of those you just can't it down because you need to know what happened. And you're surprised because you thought you knew and were completely wrong ! It has a great pace and you become invested in the main character and her life. A great read.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely love this thriller and I was pretty much in the dark about what was going until the last page. If you’re looking for a one of a kind thriller that breaks away from the formula and keeps you interested this is the book for you.

Was this review helpful?

Inkubator Books ( another favorite publisher of mine!) and NetGalley!. Thank you guys for this advance ebook copy!
This book was wild and I enjoyed every second I was reading this!
Adele has her ex boyfriends falling over dead left and right! She finds herself trying to find who is responsible for the killings before she becomes a target!
I enjoyed reading about Adele she is a true bad ass. And isn't scared!
This book is full of twist and amazing turns that will have you guessing till the very end!

Was this review helpful?