The Patient
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 5/3/22
Author: Jane Shemilt
Publisher: William Morrow & Company
Pages: 304
Goodreads Rating: 3.63

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow & Company for providing a copy of the book for me to read in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: When Rachel, the therapist, meets Luc, the patient, the attraction is instant. She gives him the drugs he needs but may be risking everything in doing so. When a secret is exposed, they’re both in the firing line. Not all patients are telling the truth.

My Thoughts: The Chapters are average length. The POV is told by the therapist, Rachel, in alternating time periods. It was a bit of a slow burn throughout most of her book. Nothing wrong with slow burns. I personally prefer face-pace thrillers. However, having said that, I did enjoy the book. The characters were well-developed. The scenes were very descriptive, so much so, that you felt you were there. The book is classified as a psychological thriller but it is more of a dramatic domestic suspense. There were twists in the book, some expected, some stretched, and some unexpected. It was hard to connect with Rachel, and felt like she played the victim role somewhat. Overall, I did enjoy the book and would read other books by this author.

Kept me enthralled from the beginning. I loved how each character is lightly interwoven with the others. I was also pleasantly surprised with the ending, it flowed quite nicely. I kept thinking, "ahhh, this is the ending, ok" and was shocked as it continued on. This author really tied in a few different hints as well (I hate when the author forgets to address small hints!). I found that I was almost tired after finishing the book due to being pulled in quite a few different directions. I didn’t want to put this book down. Definitely recommend!!

At first, I was not too sure about this one. It was slow-paced to begin with, and I was not crazy about the main character. However, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed the twist and ending of this book. It was not intense, but it was a clever ending. I would recommend this book if you are looking for a mystery.

Rachel is a respected doctor who lives in a picturesque and affluent English village where her husband Nathan teaches at an elite private school. Competent, unflappable, and nearing 50, Rachel has everything in her life firmly in her control, even if some of its early luster has worn off. But one day a new patient arrives at her practice for emergency treatment. Luc is a French painter married to a wealthy American woman who’s just bought and restored a historic home on the edge of Rachel’s posh neighborhood. The couple has only recently arrived, but Luc is struggling with a mental disorder, and so he goes to the nearest clinic…to Rachel.

Their attraction is instant, and as Rachel’s sense of ethics wars with newly awakened passion, the affair blinds her to everything else happening around her. A longtime patient appears to be following her every movement, turning up unexpectedly wherever she goes. Her somewhat estranged adult daughter Lizzie is hiding a secret—or at least, hiding it from Rachel. Nathan has grown sour and cold as well—or is that merely Rachel’s guilty conscience weighing on her? But when one of her colleagues winds up murdered and Luc is arrested for the crime, everything Rachel didn’t know about her life explodes into the open—along with her affair with her patient—a disgrace and scandal that will have consequences no one could have predicted.

Rachel Goodchild is a 49-year-old respected doctor whose life is somehow a mess. Her marriage to the teacher Nathan has grown into a nowhere chasm, their love has grown cold. Her relationship with her daughter Lizzie also became more and more distant. When she met Luc for the first time, she can feel the attraction right away. It's a love story + mystery + domestic thriller combo!
Thank you Netgalley for e-ARC!

The Patient is a thrilling read. The complex narrative builttension, creating unease as I read. Rachel is an interesting character, at times unlikeable but always intriguing. I recommend The Patient to all readers who like to get caught up in a well-developed thriller.

Rachel is Luc LeFevr’s doctor. Her home life is boring, and Luc offers dangerous excitement. But she knows she will not see him again, so she sends him on his way.
Until she spots him again at a party. This time, it won’t be so easy to get rid of him.

A slow burn drama with a splash of mystery and romance. I enjoyed that the drama was built up and the characters were developing alongside. Did I expect more of a thriller based on the synopsis? Yes.
The characters were unlikeable and unreliable but it worked! The writing was great and the story kept me engaged, although I did guess what was going on most of the time.

Rachel at 50 is in a loveless marriage, a grown daughter she is struggling with, and now a new patient arrives at her work who ends up being her new neighbor, Luc. Feelings grow for the new patient. When one of Rachel’s coworkers dies, Luc is arrested, but is there more to it.
This mystery/ thriller book was one I could not put down. While it started slowly, by the middle it had me hooked. The characters for the most part was interesting, and I loved all the twists and turns this book took. The only issue with the book was that it kept jumping back in forth in a bit confusing way. Overall, I highly recommend this book. Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for a chance to read this amazing book.

I figured I’d enjoy this book based off the fact it was a thriller set in England, and focused on an unhealthy doctor/ patient relationship. Rachel, our narrator, was a really interesting character and I wasn’t fully sure whether I could trust her while reading.

I’d consider this book to be more a slow burn mystery with some suspenseful elements, but I really didn’t get thriller vibes from this one. There was a romance storyline that went along with the overarching mystery, but the overall pacing was much slower than what I typically enjoy in a good thriller.

I don’t think this one hit the mark for me, though there were some twists I did enjoy towards the end! Unfortunately, I just didn’t find myself invested enough in the story by that point for the twists to really make a difference.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the author for my copy to read and honestly review!

So I both loved and hated this book. I don't know why. Its not a bad book. I just didn't like the ending and some small parts. But I enjoyed the book as a whole. Thank you for the ARC.

Rachel Goodchild is a 49 year old, married, menopausal woman who is a doctor at a general practice in Salisbury, England. One night as she prepares to head home, a young man named Luc enters her practice desperately seeking help. As soon as Rachel sets eyes on Luc, she instantly becomes attracted.
Months later Rachel and Luc are both being detained for pending murder charges. How did this doctor and her patient end up in this terrifying situation?

The Patient is told entirely from Rachel’s point of view, with alternating timelines.

Part thriller, and part romance, The Patient is a slow burn novel centered around a mystery. Jane Shemilt did an excellent job creating the settings and characters in The Patient. I loved the fact that part of the story took place in southern France. The author’s descriptions on Provence made me wish I were there.

I enjoyed the main characters, Rachel and Luc. Honestly they were the only likable ones in this entire story. Both Rachel’s daughter and her husband treated her very disrespectful so that cultivated a lot of sympathy for her. I loved the fact that the main character was made into a menopausal women because so many women in that age group feel unseen.

The only complaint that I had with this one was the lack of suspense. I like a lot of suspense in my thrillers and I only remember one part of this one being even mildly suspenseful. But overall I enjoyed this unique story and I look forward to reading more of Jane Shemilt’s work. The Patient will be a story that I will not be forgetting anytime soon. I can see both thriller and romance fans enjoying this one!

The Patient by Jane Shemilt will be available on May 3. A massive thanks to William Morrow and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Slow burn mystery/thriller

Rachel Goodchild is a busy doctor, wife to teacher Nathan, and a mom to her grown daughter, Lizzie (albeit the two have a strained relationship). Rachel meets with patient Luc Lefevre, who is suffering from suicidal tendencies. There is instant attraction, but Rachel is a professional, and puts her emotions aside in order to treat her patient. Later, Rachel goes to a housewarming for her new neighbors, only to discover the new neighbors are none other than Luc and his wife Ophelia That attraction grows and Luc and Rachel begin an affair that has fat reaching consequences and their lives will never be the same.

This was a very slow starter and I loved the back and forth in time. I felt there were too many supporting characters (i.e. Liam) that didn't really add to the storyline. The main characters were all pretty unlikable, but you generally felt sorry for Rachel in the end. There was a bit of a twist at the end, but nothing super shocking.

Overall, this is a nice easy read, but not one I was able to get super involved or lost in.

Based upon the blurb I was expecting a thriller and instead got more of a mystery/domestic drama. It was also a slow burn which is definitely not my favorite. The character Rachel annoyed me and the choices she made at times were hard to believe. The writing style was ok, again not my favorite. Maybe this would have been better as an audiobook.

Rachel Goodchild is a middle age doctor who doesn’t feel appreciated in her marriage to teacher Nathan. Her relationship with her adult daughter Lizzie also isn’t the way she would like it. Her new patient Luc Lefevre left a lasting impression on her. As the book progresses the reader can see there is something brewing between the two.

However, are the risks that Rachel is taking worth it? Secrets are revealed and as a result puts Rachel and Luc in a precarious situation.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

With a title like The Patient, I did not need to read the synopsis to know that this would be a book for me.

I work in healthcare and enjoy every little thing about it, especially reading about it!

The Patient is a suspenseful, domestic thriller that will keep you on your toes and guessing the entire book. There is nothing "slow" about this book as I felt the pace was fast and steady the entire time. I finished this book in one afternoon and I was left with complete satisfaction.

Jane Shemitt, executed this plot with precision and attention to detail. This was my first book by Shemitt, but I know it will not be my last as I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this book.

The story takes place in England, and circles the lives of a physician, her patient, and their explicit affair. Not only is this wrong and unethical but Rachel, the physician, is also married. Rachel and Nathan's marriage is not picture perfect so when a handsome patient, Luc, shows up at her door, she cant help the chemistry she is feeling.

When the affair ends up in murder, Rachel is being charged as an accessory.

Sounds amazing right? Well, you are going to have to pre-order your copy, due out June 28, 2022 to find out what happens! I can promise you, you will not be disappointed.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!

I love a dark and twisty thriller and this definitely lived up to those aspects. I did not love the slow pacing as much. I feel like I would have enjoyed this more if it moved along faster.

I still liked the book and the ending was a shock!

Out May 3rd!

This book had an interesting premise but was a little too slow for me. I also didn't like any of the characters. Overall it was just an OK read for me.



Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the digital arc.

This book has a dark and intriguing storyline. I was immediately drawn into it once the action started. The ending was unpredictable for me. I definitely didn't have the murderer figured out until it was blatantly obvious. I would recommend this book to any murder mystery fans.

This book is dark and twisty, and I liked it. It’s a bit slow paced, so it took me a while to finish reading it. It was a bit predictable. But overall a good read.

This was a little bit of a slow burn for me and I don’t usually like those types of books. The characters come off a bit flat and not authentic. Found the story far fetched and wanted a twist that didn’t happen.

Thank you to @williammorrowbooks for my Advance Review Copy (ARC) of The Patient by @jane.shemilt. I loved this story & it is one of the better books I’ve read in 2022. The author is an exquisite writer and the narrative flows so effortlessly. The Patient is a domestic, psychological suspense novel that slowly builds tension; however, it is not through fast-paced twists and turns, but in the steady, methodical way in which Schemilt dives into the psyche of the protagonist, Rachel. I found this book almost addictive and I enjoyed peeling back, layer by layer, the hypnotic mystery surrounding the intelligent plot. I didn’t predict the ending and found it to have a satisfying yet impactful punch. I look forward to reading more from this author! This book will be published in May so keep an eye out for this one.