This book pissed me off in more ways than one and I am still fuming while writing this review.

Danny and Juliette moved to the quiet town of Mapleton to start anew, after losing their daughter the year before. They met Sarah and Richard--the couple next door and everything seemed well. But there is something weird and unusual about the couple. What are they hiding?

Seriously, I felt bad for one of the characters in this story, she didn't deserve what happened to her. Sometimes, we think that we really know someone only to realise that they are not who they say they are and by then, it is too late. We're in too deep and it becomes so hard for us to leave because that person was able to manipulate and control us.

An easy read, a little bit slow and boring at times but tolerable. I'm not gonna be thinking about this book because it just made me so upset. It shows that the author's writing is very effective. It got me riled up. :/

Cheers to Netgalley and Bookouture for their generosity, as always.

The Life She Wants is an excellent psychological thriller. Juliette moves in next door to Sarah and Richard. Juliette recently lost her daughter and is moving to the country to start new. Her husband will soon join her but for now just comes on weekends. Sarah is worried about the new neighbors invading her life.

The book is written in three parts. The first part focuses on Juliette and her impressions of Sarah and Richard. Juliette knows something if off. The second part goes back to when Sarah met Richard. It is not a typical romance. The third part returns to present day where Juliette tries to help Sarah. But does Sarah need help?

I liked how this book kept you kept you guessing.

This is a great read.
Juliette and Danny move to Derby for a fresh start after their daughter’s death.
Their neighbour’s Sarah and Richard, have been used to having an empty house near them and it’s clear they have a few secrets that they want to keep hidden.
Juliette is alone in the house during the week while Danny is working in London and tries to get to know Sarah, but she doesn’t seem to want to socialise with her.
There are three parts to the story and we learn about Sarah’s past and how she came to be with Richard.
This is a great story that will definitely have you hooked.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

From behind the curtains, Sarah spotted the man coming out of the house, followed by the woman. It would be strange seeing people in the property. She wondered how much it would change their lives. For now, she would bide her time and hopefully get to know them better. She needed to gain their trust.

You can't help but feel for Juliette and Danny who've just bought the house next door to Sarah and Richard. Sarah and Richard's part in this book had me intrigued. I needed to find out what it was all about. There's lots of secrets and relationships that are complex. The story is told from Juliette's point of view with a dual timeline. We also hear form an unknown narrator.

This story quickly pulled me in and didn't let me go until the end. There's lots of red herrings to put you off the trail. At first, I didn't know who I could trust. I really liked how the book ended. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #MelSherratt for my ARC of #TheLifeSheWants in exchange for an honest review.

A gripping, unputsownable thriller. There is something about thrillers set in small towns and villages that grips my attention and this one had all the right ingredients. Juliette and Dany move to a small village to start over after the untimely and sudden demise of their small daughter and find themselves living next door to a strange couple, Richard and Sarah. A few days in Juliette sees a little girl in their neighbors lawn but Richard denies the same, insinuating that her grief is making her imagine things. And from then Juliette is hooked, to save Sarah and the little girl. And you are in for an exciting ride. A good book to spend your holidays with.

Firstly, fabulous cover. I have not read this author before although I had heard of her but the cover is what made me want to read this book.

Juliette and Danny lose a child and decide to make a break from where they are living in London and move to a cottage away from the hustle and bustle of the city. They meet their neighbor's Sarah and Richard and from the start they realize that something seems amiss with them. Richard is cruel and hard on Sarah and then after a conversation Sarah has with Juliette, Juliette decides she must help Sarah make a break.

I enjoyed the book, it was well written but I had hoped that there would have been more to the twists and turns. I guessed what would happen at the end which always leaves me feeling a little disappointed. I will read another book from this author as I would like to see what else she has to offer.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Danny & Juliette move to the country after the death of their daughter Emily, from meningitis. Juliette plans to work from home while Danny comes home at weekends with a view to getting a job close by. The house just has one neighbour, a little way away & a village close by. The house has not been lived in for a while, so they hope they won't upset the neighbours, Richard & Sarah. Richard & Sarah like their isolation. They hope they won't have to be too sociable! When they do get together Juliette is shocked at how controlling Richard is. One day she is convinced she sees a little girl in their garden but Richard is adamant she can't have- perhaps it is the grief of losing Emily? The first part of the book involves mostly Juliette & Danny with flashbacks to 2015 from Sarah. The second part is more of Sarah's story .

I really liked Juliette, but wasn't so sure what to make of Sarah! It was a well written story that really held the interest. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

A heartfelt story that follows Juliette and Danny, as they grapple with the loss of their child. They move from London to the countryside to escape the haunting memory of all the places they had been with their daughter.

Armed with a sense of adventure and ready for a change they arrive at their new cottage in the countryside surrounded by lush green fields and old charm. However, they quickly find that their new neighbors are a bit off. The neighbors Sarah and Richard, seem to be hiding something but what and why remains a mystery.

The story is mostly told through the eyes of Juliette, Louisa, and Sarah weaving an intricate web of flashbacks and the present day. The characters are well developed and written in a way that you can feel their pain and wish for them to prevail. However, there seems to be something missing, an intimacy that felt just out of reach.

“He has his own mind. He didn’t have to take after his father” The Life She Wants

The villain of the story had my blood boiling from start to finish, the portrayal of him being so good at being evil was infuriating. He made me root for Juliette, Sarah, and Louisa all the more.

While some thrilling moments got the heart racing, it struggled to hold me and pull me in. It felt that just as it was getting good the reader got transported to the past missing out on the action in the present.

The plot is well thought out all be it a little predictable towards the end, I still enjoyed the overall story and how it came together. One aspect of the story that was incredibly good and tugging at my heart strings was the depiction of family and how easy it is blame them for our circumstances. Family can be such a joy and saving grace and at the same time break us into a thousand pieces.

“You try and stop me, poppet. You’re family and we always look after our own” The Life She Wants

There are some great twists that the reader will find haunting which will intrigue them just enough to want to know what is to come.

Domestic abuse and tragic loss make up most of the story, wrapped in beautifully descriptive settings and healing emotions. An easy and enjoyable read for those that want a bit of a thrill but not too much.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A dark, disturbing read that should come with trigger warnings, this book left me with mixed feelings.

A year after the death of their daughter, Emily, Juliette and Danny move to the countryside for a fresh start. With Danny coming home only on the weekends as he ties up loose ends back in London, Juliette takes to the peace and quiet in the new neighbourhood. But things take a sinister turn when she begins to notice her neighbours' odd behaviour.

While I have read quite a few books on coercive control over the past year, this one was a special brand of evil. The domestic abuse was depicted quite in detail which made for some difficult reading. The narrative alternates between Juliette and Sarah's POVs with some flashback thrown in to the mix. With the way the story progressed and the suspense build up, the plot twist became predictable at about half-way mark.

The characters of Juliette and Danny were average, likeable characters - dealing with their grief, but weathering it with their love for each other. Richard, in my opinion, was scum, and the barely there glimpses into his past was no explanation for his actions. While the author tried to redeem Sarah towards the end by making her out to be a wronged/misguided victim/heroine, I really couldn't muster any sympathy for her.

Overall, an okay read. TW: Scenes of coercive control, gaslighting, domestic violence are mentioned in detail. Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Life She Wants’ written by Mel Sherratt in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Following the death of their daughter from meningitis, Juliette and Danny Ansell leave London to live in a secluded cottage in Mapleton. Their nearest neighbours are Sarah and Richard Sykes-Morgan who Juliette is convinced are acting strangely, especially as she sees a young blonde child running in their garden who Richard says she’s imagining. As Juliette learns more about Richard she sees another side of him, the one that’s manipulative and controlling and starts to wonder if he can be trusted.

‘The Life She Wants’ is a psychological thriller that has two time-frames, from 2015 with Sarah as a wayward teenager leading up to the time when she meets Richard, and now as Juliette and Danny move to Mapleton. This is a book of mysteries, who’s the young blonde girl in the garden, what secrets are Richard and Sarah are keeping, and which one of them is lying. This is a thoroughly enjoyable thriller that’s easy to read and kept me involved from page one. The further I got into the story the more tense it became, and as Richard’s true self started to emerge I wondered how it would end. This is another excellent thriller by Mel Sherratt with characters so plausible that up to the last page I couldn’t decide who was lying and who was telling the truth. It’s unmissable, dramatic with more than a few heart-stopping moments and amazing twists and turns. I can thoroughly recommend it!

This is my second book by Mel Sherratt and I have really enjoyed them both. The Life She Wants is fast paced and gripping. It deals with quite dark subjects but the author does this well. I will definitely be reading further books in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

What a fun read. This is the first book by this author that I have read, but it definitely won't be the last. Right from the very beginning I was hooked and wanted to read more. Wanted to see how everything would work itself out.

Juliette and Danny have just purchased a house out in the countryside after the death of their daughter. Staying in the city is just too hard with all the memories so they bought a house in a small village to try and get a new start. A house that had been sitting empty for some time. One whose neighbors have some secrets.

I really enjoyed this read. I loved how much of a team Juliette and Danny were (for the most part). I loved how they were working things out and were still so much in love. Their neighbors, Sarah and Richard, were...interesting. Right from the beginning you have some chapters from their point of view and while you don't know everything that has happened, you know enough. And when things are revealed you know how things played out in the past. This was one of those reads where nothing really surprised me, there was no big twist, but I really enjoyed going along for the ride. If a story is well written I don't care if I know what happened/will happen. If a story is well written it will be enjoyable regardless, and this was one of those stories. I will say the one negative I have is partway through we suddenly jump back in time for a section, which was fine, but did take me out of it for a minute. We already had past and present interspersed so the strict jump caught me off guard, but it worked out. This was a fun read and I can't wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to the author, Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book

📚 BOOK REVIEW📚 The Life She Wants - Publication Date - 29th Nov 2021. So as I mentioned I have read this author before. ❤️ Sarah and Richard have lived next door to an empty cottage for a few years. Lots of hints that something is going on with them, especially when a couple finally move into the house next door. Why are they bothered by that, why are they worried about becoming too friendly with the new neighbours. A sleepy village is about to become a whole lot exciting ......👏🏽❤️👏🏽 a 4 star from me .,,,,,

Thanks #netgalley #bookouture for this ARC
#bookstagramshaz
#greatbooks #librarybooks #bookstores #readingiscool #booksaremagic #booksaremylife #bookpile #bookpassion #readreadread #bookishpost #booksonbooks #keepreading #bookclubs #bookwormlife #bookwormproblems #booknook #booksta #booksharks #bookreading #booklist #thrillerbooks #youngadultfiction #fictionbooks

This is my first book from this author and it definitely wont be the last.

I was on the edge of my seat reading this page turner from page 1 til the last page. So many twists and turns.i loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book

All thoughts and opinions are my own and arent influenced by other reviewers.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was a little confusing. The chapters kept going back and forth from the present to the past with different characters. However, once I figured out the dynamics of the characters and the timing it made for easy reading. When Juliette Ansell and her husband move into their new home, they immediately meet their neighbors. Her husband is having to commute back and forth when they initially move in, so Juliette is alone all week. She immediately senses something is not "right" at the neighbor's house. It is not really anything she can put her finger on until the day she sees a child in the back yard (the neighbors have no children). Richard Sykes is a very mysterious man, and he cannot allow the new neighbors to know what is going on in his home. He tries to convince Juliette and Juliette's husband that she merely saw a shirt on a clothesline. According to Richard there was a never a child in his yard. The characters are intriguing and the thrilling side of the mystery will have you holding your breath until the end. The end of the book was sublime! I found myself applauding!

Juliette and her husband Danny move from London to a small village after their daughter suddenly passes away, after moving into their new home they meet their neighbor Richard and his wife Sarah and immediately Juliette knows something isn't right with this couple. Extremely good read with twists and turns, one of my favorite reads from this year.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced copy to read and review.

I am a fan of Mel Sherratt's work and always look forward to reading her books but, I have to say, never have I been so confused as I was with this one.

Now, whilst at first this might seem to be a negative, let me reassure you that if you stick with it, everything falls into place very nicely and the confusion was well worth it in the end.

Told from different perspectives over different timelines, this is a complex storyline which deals with various unsavoury but important and contemporary themes; coercive control, domestic abuse and loss. These are hard-hitting subjects but Mel deals with them with respect.

There are a number of characters and all have a part to play but I found I didn't really focus on them that much as I was more interested in the story and how it was going to play out. That's not to say they weren't great characters, far from it, it's just that the story was so engrossing that they felt secondary to me somehow.

Full of secrets, lies and manipulation, this is a book that makes you angry and sympathetic all at the same time. It's definitely one that kept me totally engrossed and I couldn't read fast enough.

With atmosphere, suspense and tension aplenty, this is a book that I would definitely recommend to lovers of psychological thrillers and I have to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

Wow!! What a fantastic story!!. I could not put it down, I was so engrossed in the story!!.
A couple who've been through a tragedy in their life, move to a quiet secluded house in the country. There is a house next door but that's the only near neighbour. It's a beautiful spot and they love the thought of both living and working there full.time soon. Danny, the husband has to find a job there instead of London and they're sorted!. The neighbours are a little strange and as Juliette gets to know Richard and Sarah, there seems to be a story to unfold which could mean danger for Juliette alone at the house all week.....
#melsherratt, #bookouture.

Another great book from this author I just love the way she writes and I particularly enjoyed reading about Louisa and Sarah in the different years and how they were brought up, just so well written.

All the characters were so well described and it was a definite page turner for me, just brilliantly addictive from the beginning until the end and it kept me on the edge of my seat all the way.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book which I thoroughly recommend and look forward to read the next one from this author.

This was a great book to read, it kept me guessing what was going to happen and although I found it sad at times I enjoyed this one. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.