Not my usual go to genre but I enjoyed it. It made me think a bit about its mystery and in the end it was ok.

Nothing in this book was what it seems. You think its going one direction, just to be pulled in the other, and I enjoyed this so much! This was a thrilling read, and I can't wait to read more by this very talented author! Highly recommended.
TB

What a thrilling and gripping read! I loved the characters and how twisted they were, it added to a lot of the tension and kept you within the pages.

Ahh I felt so (frustrated at times but also) sorry for housewife Paula who is married to Tommy, and is desperate for a baby. Quite why she seems so oblivious / accepting of all his flaws is a bit of a mystery to me but in any case, they go on a 'romantic' cruise.

Thinking this will provide the perfect setting to convince Tommy it's time to have a baby, Paula is excited for the cruise which she sees as being a turning point in their marriage and a nudge in the right direction for their future.

Unfortunately though, Anna is also on the cruise and appears to be hell bent on getting close to Tommy while simultaneously making life very difficult for Paula. While Paula isn't always the most likable of characters, in fact neither is Tommy or Anna, I can easily imagine how gut wrenchingly awful she would have felt as she was set up again and again in increasingly embarrassing and uncomfortable ways.

Overall, this is an enjoyable thriller, filled with gaslighting, tricky individuals and engaging twists. I think this is the first book I've read by this author and I will keep an eye out for more. Recommended!

The life she wants. What a fantastic read. It had me hooked from the off. It was so exciting. Had me on the edge of my chair. Had my heart racing. Everything you want from a good book. The writers writing style was very noticeable. It was very well written. Lots of twists and turns to keep your interest

Wow, what a gripping read! So much going on and some very twisted characters. It makes for a great read that's hard to put down and the setting adds to the tension. Such a clever read.

Paula wants a child, husband Tommy keeps fobbing her off and as a sop arranged a cruise to see The Northern Lights. On the ship and Anna is determined to take Tommy for herself and will stop at nothing to get her way. Although I liked the story it was predictable and so the twists weren’t too surprising. I would have thought there would be plenty of cameras on board a cruise liner especially near the riskier sections. The final twist was a bit far fetched - of all the people in the world and it had to be that one. Easy enough to get into and gripping in parts but then it just ended which was disappointing. Expecting maybe a chapter more but instead, the credits! Lovely descriptions of the Lights and scenery. I’d definitely read other books by this author, mainly to see if the new characters are as awful as the ones in this novel!

This story was very well written with lots of twists and turns. It was a fast paced book. The ending was superb and made the book for me. I didnt expect that at all.

This book had me hooked from page one! My favorite part of reading this genre is when there are unexpected twists and turns, and the author of this novel delivered. Would definitely recommend!

An exciting thriller that doesn't disappoint. Set on a luxury cruise ship this novel tells the story of housewife, Paula and wealthy husband, Tommy who appear to have the perfect life according to the sociopathic Anna who craves everything Paula has or seems to have. The author does a great job of taking the reader along on the cruise with its stunning views of Iceland and the Northern lights while ramping up the tension between the two women. As well, it touches on issues relating to sexual and substance abuse and gaslighting, which makes this a well-rounded and compelling read.

This psychological thriller was a excellent read, it’s a page turner that’s full of suspense and had to put down. The characters and setting were great, the plot was exciting and the style of writing was perfect. Full of twists and turns throughout that keeps you on the edge of your seat and with a twist at the end that you don’t see coming. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading this genre.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

I love domestic thrillers & can honestly say that The Life She Wants is one of my favorites this year! I loved the characters, the suspense along the way, & how the author makes the story shocking without making it overly dramatic. I highly recommend this book & will be telling everyone about it!

Wow, I was pleasantly surprised by how great this book was! Really captured my attention and hung onto it until I finished! Fantastic writing with superb character development and such a fun, unique setting! Lots of fun little twisty turns, chilling chills, thrilling thrills, and shocks! Fast paced, unputdownable, and as I mentioned just fun to read! Highly, highly recommend this fantastic little surprises of a book!

Will buzz around platforms and use my top Amazon reviewer number!

J.M. Hewitt is another author that is new to me and I must say, I quite enjoyed this sinister thriller. Paula is a housewife, married to the (let’s be honest) quite despicable Tommy, and is desperate for a baby. They go on a cruise, which Paula hopes will be the “next step” for their marriage… but alas… along comes Anna…

Told from the present POV of Paula and Anna (as well as an undisclosed narrative set in the past) this psychological thriller burns slowly to begin with, then twists into a pacy showdown with a delicious twist at the end. The characters are very well written - neither women are likeable and Tommy really boiled my blood - in all honesty, I could have easily lobbed him overboard! But both ladies are provided a degree of endearment through discovery of the past which allows you to empathise - people are never who they seem…

The setting was very atmospheric, beautifully written, and woven into the suspense. I also especially liked the descriptions of Edinburgh in the “past” narrative - yay 🙌🏼

Overall, an enjoyable thriller, filled with messed up people and juicy twists. Recommended!

Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources, J.M. Hewitt, and Canelo for the opportunity to read and provide an honest and voluntary review.

A cruise as a backdrop to a psychological thriller? Count me in. I couldn't put it down and read in one sitting. Clever, complex and captivating. While psychological thrillers can become samey, this avoids that completely and becomes a book you would need to wrestle from my hands!

This is a new author for me and I will definitely be looking for more of her work. This book was gripping from the start with so many twists. Some of the characters were really unpleasant which made it an excellent read. Highly recommended and well worth five stars

The life she wants is set mainly on a cruise to see the northern lights. We are introduced first to Paula who is a housewife as her husband Tommy earns a lot of money. Problem is she is unhappy she wants a baby and every year he finds a new reason why they should delay. Anna overhears Paula complaining about her life. After some research and a major change in circumstances Anna is also on the cruise with one mission only, to leave it with Tommy by getting rid of Paula. .

I found this a real interesting book, the writing was done in a way that left me wanting more. We have the present day with each woman and then we have before where we hear of horrific neglect. It took me a while to clock onto what the author was doing but once I had realised it had me page turning even quicker. It's such a fast paced story I got through it in a few hours.

Paula is your average bored and ignored housewife. She has everything except the one thing she actually wants. Anna is clearly unhinged. It's done so well how Anna starts taunting Paula an average person would miss how subtly Anna hides being a true sociopath I loved it!!
Tommy gosh isn't even worth the drama that unfolds in the bid for his attention. Anna is making him doubt his Paula and that's why I loved this book. If this had happened in real life who wouldn't think their wide is loosing it! Anna is crazy and I was sad that a clear storyline was started but ended just as quickly as it began.

The description is great and the northern lights just sound magical the cruise was such a good location for a cruise based story. I found myself wanting to be part of this world with the crazy people Honestly it's written so well I cannot fault it so I won't.

All in a expect the unexpected and just be along for the ride honestly j saw all the twists coming but I still read to check if I was right, I was, this book is fantastic and I highly recommend.
4.5 stars

Thank you to netgalley, the author and publishers for the digital advanced copy of the life wants . In looking for any more doors by this author.
Great book. X

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and opinion. The book is very fast paced and it alternates between the present and the past, I found it to be a good, entertaining read and it did keep me engrossed to the very end. I'm a big fan of psychological thrillers and I would say this was very good. It's worth the read and I appreciated being given the opportunity.

I love a book like this! It grabs my interest and I couldn't put it down. I read it when I should have been sleeping. I will recommend this book to friends.

Tommy and Paula are on a cruise: so is Anna. When strange events start occurring that adversely affect Paula, Tommy is sceptical and disbelieving. What lengths will Paula go to in order to protect her marriage to Tommy? How far will Anna go to get what she wants?

This psychological thriller is a jack-in-a-box of surprises! The parts from Paula's perspective show a woman who seemingly has a perfect life, whilst Anna is someone who is motivated by money. The 'before' chapters portray someone's childhood though their identity is kept under wraps. The finale is brilliant, unexpected and shocking. The Life She Wants by J.M. Hewitt is well worth reading.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Canelo via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.