Juliette and Danny decide to move to the countryside after the unexpected death of their young daughter. Danny is commuting from the city to the new home until he is able to sort out his work, so Juliette spends the first few weeks at the new home alone.

Juliette meets their neighbors, Sarah and Richard, and the rest of the town. She's excited to get to know everyone and settle into this new life. Juliette starts to notice Richard is condescending towards Sarah and is always rude to her. Over time, she sees and experiences some strange phenomenon that she can't explain, and no one believes her. Her door is left wide open, she swore she saw and heard a child running around outside, and pictures are missing from her phone. Is Juliette losing her mind as a trauma response to losing her daughter?

After a strange conversation in the garden with Sarah, Juliette is determined to find the truth about her neighbors. When she learns some unpleasant information, Juliette fears her own life.

This was a decent thriller. I felt tense towards the end when all the strange little things throughout the story fell into place and made sense. It wasn't anything special for me, but I didn't hate it. I would like to read more from this author.

“The Life She Wants” by Mel Sherratt was an interesting twisty read. Juliette and Danny move from London to try to start a happier life for themselves after the death of their young child. Sarah and Richard live next door and, at first, are welcoming and charming … then things change. It's really difficult to give more of the plot away as, well, then it wouldn't be a mystery/thriller in this case. There’s a number of secrets (and jumping about in the timeline), a bit of mystery, and there’s a lot packed into this book. I cannot say that I really connected to any of the characters, but that wasn’t a bad thing in this case. I do feel compelled to say that having visited extended family in Derby UK, I didn’t find it as horrible a place to be from as Sarah said it was (but the same could be said about any large town/city, I guess). My one comment was that because this was not a linear story, if I wasn’t careful I’d lose track of what was happening when - but I believe that was a stylistic choice made by the author. For me, this book was more a 3.5 stars, but I founded it up to 4. I would read another book by this author, for what it's worth, as it was enjoyable and I liked the writing style.

I loved part one of the story - the mystery, the secrets, the manipulation and trying to figure it out!

Part two didn’t hit the spot for me. I felt it was trying too hard to be shocking which was distracting and kept pulling me from the pages. Don't get me wrong, The Life She Wants is shocking, dark and full of action I just wanted the middle to be as strong as the beginning and end.

Thankfully the ending was brilliant!

3.5/5 (rounded up to 4 stars)

I have read all of Mel’s books and enjoyed every one and this was no exception. A bit creepy and disturbing in places but a very well written domestic psychological thriller. What a world we live in with some very messed up manipulative people. Although it’s fiction I’m sure it happens too often in today’s society. A couple still grieving for their late daughter and their neighbours with their domestic and controlled behaviour issues make for a very interesting book. I couldn’t wait to finish it but sad to at the same time. Bring on the next instalment.

Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Mel Sherratt for allowing me to read this Arc. Another brilliant psychological thriller by Mel Sherratt. This one was twisted and kept me on the edge of my seat. Fantastic ending!!

The Life She Wants by Mel Sherratt is another winner from an author who always makes it to the very top of my TBR. I have loved all of Ms Sherratt's previous work, and this latest is no exception.

Jessica and her husband Danny have decided to leave London for good following the sudden death of their four year old daughter. It seems a fresh start until they meet their new neighbours, Richard and Sarah. There is something off about the couple's relationship, never mind the twenty year age gap, but Jessica cannot put her finger on what exactly it is that is making her so uneasy. That is, until she spots a young girl running through the joined properties, and both Richard and Sarah deny any knowledge of her identity. Has the loss of her own child caused Jessica's mind to play tricks, or are her new neighbours hiding some very dark secrets?

This is a compelling read that had me questioning it all from beginning to end. I cannot wait for whatever comes next from this very talented author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

The Life She Wants may possibly be my favourite of Mel Sherratt's books so far!! It is the very definition of the psychological thriller genre and I was totally immersed after the very first chapter. It's different from her previous books, of which I've loved everything she's written, but you honestly couldn't read this without being totally gripped. There is just enough backstory for the characters to know where they've come from, but plenty left to wonder about and question their motives, especially the dynamic between Sarah and Juliette. This truly is one hell of a ride. Oh, and Mel, you owe my a night's sleep, as I couldn't stop reading until I'd finished!!

Dark, Disturbing Domestic Noir…
When seemingly perfect and idyllic lives are based on a tangled web of the deepest and darkest lies things are not going to end well. Dark and disturbing domestic noir with a compelling narrative, a credible and well drawn cast of characters and difficult and emotional themes dealt with sleight of hand. A solid read.

Another gripping psychological thriller from Mel Sherratt although not just as good as Invisible Victim/10 Days.
A creepy story about manipulation, domestic abuse and some very messed up people.

The Life She Wants by Mel Sherratt


You can always rely on this author to sent you on a thrilling , psychological full of suspense and at times , a very dark read .
We hear about Juliette and Danny who have recently moved into a new home after the devastating loss of their daughter .
They make friends with the neighbours Sarah & Richard , and to start , everything seems to be going well with the friendship. That is until Juliette sees a young girl in the neighbours garden despite them telling her no girl is about. Is she going crazy , or is something sinister going on ?
A brilliant , entertaining read.

What a dark and twisted tale of a all good common story about coercive control and domestic violence along side a story of a family grieving for the loss of their daughter and attempting to rebuild a new life in the country. Another great read from Mel Sherratt

Another exciting read from author Mel Sherratt. Some really interesting characters in this one, so well written and a very entertaining read.

Juliette and Danny move into a new home following the tragic death of their young daughter in an effort to make a fresh start and find happiness. Their neighbours Sarah and Richard appear to be friendly and all is well until Juliette is convinced she saw a young girl in her neighbours garden. Richard tells her that her grief is making her imagine things but Juliette is not so sure. She knows that she saw a child and wants to know more.

I found this a very good read from an author I have got to rely on. Interesting characters in this novel full of emotions and intrigue.

I would like to thank both Net Galley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Good book! This book had suspense, intrigue, and a few crazy characters!! It also had heartache and heartbreak! It definitely had some domestic abuse also so beware! The storyline was very interesting and kept my attention, it was a very good read! I definitely recommend reading this one! Its well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!