What a great book. Filled with so many twists and turns, this book had me gripped from the first page until the end.

Wow, I couldn't put this book down.

I knew I would love this from the synopsis and it really didnt disappoint.

There are some really sad elements to this book that are handled beautifully.

This book is fast paced and full of twists and turns. Each character brings something different to the book and I really valued qualities within each of them.

It's my first J M Hewitt book and I'm really looking forward to reading more.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Deliciously indulgent is how I can describe this absolute belter of a novel!! So easy to read, I literally inhaled it! Reading it while cooking, eating, bathing until I had finished it! Then I was left with the emptiness knowing it was the end! We are introduced to Paula as a slightly over weight housewife who desperately wants a baby with her selfish husband Tommy! At the same time we are introduced to Gemma/Anna who clearly wants Paula’s life! The majority of this takes place on a cruise ship to see the northern lights - and it is outrageous!! The steps Anna will go to to take Tommy from Paula are just mind blowing! Gutted it’s over / but then I recommend a sequel! Or prequel! Or a made for tv mini series!! Loved it!!

This was a bit of a slow burn psychological thriller. The main characters are Paula and Anna. Paula is married to Tommy and a housewife, but sadly no children yet although she desperately wants them. Anna is single and living quite a different lifestyle. The women meet when Paula and Tommy go on a cruise which Paula hope will save their marriage, but Anna is actually there with the sole purpose of destroying Paula and Tommy’s marriage.

I was entertained enough to want to know if Anna would succeed in replacing Paula and how she would go about it, so I read the book to the end, but I didn’t love it. I think my main reason for not loving it was that I didn’t like Paula all that much. She came across as weak and willing to put up with all sorts of bad treatment by her husband and what for? All so she could live in a nice house or was there more to it?

As mentioned it was a slow burn and didn’t get super exciting until the last 15% of the story when there was lots of drama and unexpected twists.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable read, this psychological thriller has plenty of twists to keep you engaged. The characters are all well written, well rounded and well thought through, the dark side of each character is realistic and not cliched at all. It gripped me, i couldn't stop reading!

This is a one setting read. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down until I finished. The characters were not particularly likable but the plot was good. Anna is after Paula's husband and will do whatever it takes to win him. Lots of twists and turns and a surprise ending. It is everything a thriller should be! I highly recommend.

Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this incredible arc for my honest review.

The plot line sounded interesting to me initially. However, as I read the book, I realize that this is not my cup of tea.

1. One of the things I like in a thriller is the pace--if it's fast paced, then that would be a plus one for me. Unfortunately, the book started slow, not much fast paced like I would normally expect from in a thriller
2. Another thing about the thrillers would be the number of twists and turns and unpredictablity--twists and turns would make a good thriller in my opinion. In this one however, the plot is too direct, not many twists and turns and is too predictable to me.
3. Characters are not very likable in my opinion. One person wants to destroy the marriage--the reason not very clear and the other person wants to make the marriage working.
4. The book was too slow and overall bland to me. The ending was OK to me.

I don't normally give bad reviews but to me, this book was a bit of a disappointment--worth 2.5 stars in my opinion.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

This is my first novel by J.M. Hewitt and I did enjoy it very much. It held my attention to well into the early hours and had me rooting for the main character. Full of suspense this is a great read for the upcoming months.

We follow Paula, who really wants to start a family with her husband, Tommy. Tommy surprises Paula by booking an amazing trip for them on a cruise, on this said cruise they meet another passenger, Anna, who is on her own and seems to make herself well known to Paula and Tommy. As a reader, Anna made me mad as I would seriously be annoyed if this happened to me and my partner.

The story is quite a sad tale, with Paula wanting a baby but we note that Tommy is really not emotionally available in the way that Paula needs or wants. He doesn't seem to spend much time with his partner and again if this was true to life then really their marriage would not be surviving longer than this trip. Mysterious Anna, seems to want Tommy for herself and really sets her sights on to him. I really felt for Paula as a character and top all of this off, weird things start to happen to her. In a nutshell, well as it says on the title Anna appears to be want Paulas life.

A good novel that will have you rooting for Paula. Thanks to NetGalley, J.M. Hewitt and the publisher for a copy of this novel in exchange for a copy of this book.

#TheLifeSheWants #NetGalley
Cliche and Boring.
Paula is married to Tommy and wants a child to complete their family. Although Tommy doesn't think so.
On the other hand, a woman named Anna killed an old man in which she works as his caretaker.
Now Anna wants Paula's perfect life. Would she be able to get it?
Read this book to know more.
Characters and narration of the story were cliche and boring. I didn't feel connected with any of them.
You can escape this book.

I think this book will make all the readers more grateful for their circumstances and will enable them to develop an understanding of adjustments that are crucial to leading a healthy and balanced life. This was a disturbing and exciting read...all the way to the end. You don't really know what's going on and I love books like that.

I could not get enough of this book. The author keeps you guessing until the eye end with many twists. The story is told in the present with one woman trying to steal another woman’s husband. There are also flashbacks from a girls childhood that you can only assume is one of the women. All I can say is I did not see the ending coming. If you love thrillers and books that keep you in the edge of you seat, you will LOVE this book!

What a battle between two determined women over one man! I felt neither one of the characters were particularly likable, and that actually made the storyline more believable. A fun read!

A roller coaster ride of thrills and twists. You won’t want to put this one down nor will you be able to stop once you start reading.

A fast-paced, suspense thriller that unfolds on a cruise liner; a vacation and a mystery rolled into one - sounds good, right?

35-year-old dedicated housewife, Paula Ellis is overjoyed when her husband Tommy surprises her with a cruise trip to Iceland. She hopes that while on the trip, they can finally start planning for the baby that she so desperately desires. Unbeknownst to Paula, a great danger awaits her on the ship in the form of Anna Masi. Anna covets Paula's life and will stop at nothing to get her way. Will the meek and mousy Paula have the strength to thwart cunning Anna's evil plans?

For a book with such unlikeable characters, this was quite an interesting read. Paula was a pathetic, whining mess of a woman who wallows in her own self-pity but refuses to do anything to change her situation. Anna can, at best, be described as a scary sociopath and Tommy was a despicable narcissist. The plot was revealed via the POVs of both women and also the flashbacks of one of the characters. Kudos to the author's writing that interspersed the mounting suspense with the beauty of the Northern lights and stunning views of Iceland, making for a compelling read.

Without sounding too preachy, the plot also touches upon issues of substance and sexual abuse, neglect, and gaslighting.
The flashbacks and the plot twist at the end offers a glimpse into what shaped the lives of the two women, thereby garnering them some sympathy, even though they still remain unlikeable. I had hoped for a different ending for Paula though.

Overall, an exciting thriller that does not disappoint. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Paula is married to Tommy, they seem to have a perfect life. Tommy has a good job and makes enough money that Paula doesn't need to work. Paula's desire is to have a baby, but Tommy always seems to have a reason to put it off. During her latest talk about having a child, Tommy surprises her with a cruise to Iceland, promising that they will discuss growing their family. Paula is thrilled at the thought of the trip.
Enter Anna. She has her eyes on Tommy and she will stop at nothing to make him her own. She wants Paula's life and has plans to take over it.

The book alternates between Anna, Paula, and an unknown perspective from the past. I guessed right away who the unknown was. I honestly didn't care for any of the characters, although Paula was probably my favorite. I absolutely hated Tommy. The story was ok, nothing spectacular or surprising. I did enjoy the book, even though some parts were pretty unbelievable.
Thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book despite the fact that there wasn’t a single character that I liked. The plot twist was a little confusing for me but overall it kept my suspense and was an enjoyable read!

The life she wants was a gripping rollercoaster of a ride for me with a few good twists and turns thrown in for good measure! Definitely worth a read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Paula is certain that her marriage is in trouble. She cannot figure out why though, and Tommy has put off having children for so long, it might be too late. He just isn't as attentive as he once was and she fears being replaced by another woman. So she is thrilled when he surprises her with tickets for a fun and relaxing cruise. Perhaps this will be the chance for them to reconnect and maybe even start a family. Paula is glad to push aside her obviously groundless fears.
Once on board though, nothing seems to go right for her. It doesn't help that one of the other passengers is a beautiful woman who Tommy seems to admire. But, watch out, because Anna has plans, very specific plans that include Tommy and most definitely not Paula.
Told in the past and the present, this is a story full of secrets, betrayals, lies, and murder. Most of the fun for me was trying to figure out if there were any nuggets of truth hidden between the lies. One revelation definitely surprised me and overall, while the characters probably won't stand out to me in the future, it was a twisty and enjoyable backyard read. 3.5 stars.

The Life She Wants is the perfect thriller! Full of chills, thrills and everything in between this one kept me reading late into the night desperate to know how it ends!
Full of fantastic twists and turns, believable characters and a plot like nothing I’ve read before!
Highly recommended.
4.5/5

Easy read psychological thriller that kept me entertained!

Paula and Tommy are married, but it seems like they are on different pages about what they want out of their lives together. Tommy surprises Paula with a cruise vacation, and, of course, it’s not exactly smooth sailing.

Fellow passenger Anna has her eyes set on Tommy and is willing to go to extreme lengths to ensure Paula is out of the picture.

I enjoyed how the author also provided one of the main character’s stories through mystery flashbacks, and although I knew who it was referencing early on, it was a fun little twist. Overall, this was not a story with (any) likable characters in my opinion, but very fast paced and a fair share of thrilling scenes.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.