The New Girl is the story of a woman so desperate to escape her small town and get back to the city of London, that she naively enters into a work relationship that is toxic. Sophie is so caught up in proving herself at work that she doesn't see how she's been manipulated. And doesn't see the past catching up to her until it's too late. While you'll have to suspend disbelief a ‘la My Fair Lady, the story is well told, and the twists and turns kept the pace going at a rapid clip.

Ruth Heald did an excellent job of describing the atmospheric and creepy apartment that Sophie is allowed to stay in rent free. You can just hear the creaks and footsteps along with Sophie, and every time she walks home alone, I want to scream at her, "take a cab!".

Reading The New Girl was a great way to spend a couple of cold winter nights!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advance reader's copy for review.

The only good thing about this story is the pace. It has a nice pace, and the story did move along. However, all of the characters were underdeveloped and not relatable. Sophie has got to be the most naive character in all my time reading. There were so many red flags that were thrown into her face repeatedly. Yet it was just batted away and not for a good reason why it was discarded. There was a base for a good story and yet the characters were rushed; therefore, the story came together haphazardly. The ending was worse. Given the timeline, there was no way Sophie would have ended up where she was. If it was 5-8 years from the time the event ended, I would get it. However, the time was too short to get where she was. I think the author wanted to put Sophie at the top to show the others that she had overcome her adversary and triumphed; however, it did not come off that way. It was unrealistic.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sophie has a nightmare she wants to leave behind so when she gets offered a maybe “too good to be true” dream job she jumps at the chance… who wouldn’t? Someone knows her secret though and things start happening to make her uncomfortable. Honestly, I enjoyed this and am planning on checking out other Heald books on Amazon! Curious to see what else she’s written and happy to find a new author I enjoy!

The New Girl left me with mixed feelings. On the one hand there are some genuine jaw-dropping moments in the story. On the other, it wraps up in one of the strangest endings I can remember.
First the good.
The set-up is excellent. Sophie is the perfect foil. She ran home to her small town after a tragedy occurred while she was in college, but now that years have passed, she wants more than the town (and her long-term boyfriend) can give her.
She is very relatable in that regard.
Things look up for her when she finds her dream job, filled with people who take an interest in her. Everything is too good to be true.
Literally.
Even as Sophie falls into the spell of her new job and new friends, there are hints that not everything is as it seems. And when a blast from her past comes to light, her life is turned upside down.
There are whispers of Sophie’s past woven throughout the story and as her past and present collide, the book really takes off.
Up to that point, I found myself very skeptical of…well, everything. I have “scam” or “unreliable” in my notes at least six times. There are points that I think Sophie should have also realized the convenience and obviousness – but then she is so desperate to be successful that she is blinded to the details.
Things do get complicated as Sophie starts to put the pieces together but ultimately everything becomes clear.
The one problem I have with the book is the climax and aftermath. After all of the buildup, it all happens in a hurry. I wish there had been more time spent on it. And the prologue seemed like a total afterthought. For me, it was awkward and did not fit with the story.
But I did enjoy the rest of the story and would recommend The New Girl for the masterful gaslighting that occurs throughout.

An excellent read from this author, slightly different to her other books but this did hold my interest throughout, good descriptive characters and I can definitely recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this book.

Behind her dream life hides the perfect nightmare. I couldn't believe it when I got the call to offer me my dream job. It was right in the heart of the city with a flat provided. I jumped at the chance and within days, I had made new friends and I'm dating a wonderful man. For the first time in years, I feel safe. It's a world away from the life I ran from.... But soon strange things begin to happen in my flat: odd noises in the night, the feeling that I'm being watched. When I discover an old dress hidden behind my wardrobe, and wear it to work, the atmosphere chills instantly. The dress belonged to a girl my boss would rather forget.

Well I never saw some of the twists coming. The story is a little farfetched, but I don't mind that if the plotline is good. I was quickly pulled into the story and I couldn't put the book down. This is the story of a woman who wants to move on from her past and she's now doing her dream job in London. But nothing is as it seems. Then the police come regarding her past. Is someone watching her? Filled with secrets, weird moments and twists, this is an enjoyable read.

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

Synopsis:
The job offer Sophie gets seems too good to be true: Right in the heart of London, with a free flat to live in and great career chances. After everything she's been through, she thinks she's finally happy. And safe. But someting doesn't seem quite right about some of her coworkers. Why were her two predecessors let go? And why is somebody trying to warn Sophie about the company?

My thoughts:
The New Girl is a gripping thriller in which you can trust no one. I loved the character of Sophie, because yes, she is gullible, but aren't we all when we want to trust somebody? The story was suspenseful, gripping, and twisty, and I read it in one sitting. Also, I did NOT see that ending coming. This was a quick, fun read you do not want to miss.

Parts of this book reminded me of:
- Now You Know by Nora Valters
- When She Was Bad by Tammy Cohen

This was my first book by Ruth Heald, and I cannot wait to discover more of her books!

Thank you for NetGalley for providing an ARC of The New Girl by Ruth Heald.

I read this book in 3 days, which is fast for me!

Sophie decides to start a new life in London with an up and coming marketing company. Little does she know that her past and her bright future are about to come together in dangerous ways. Sophie has to discover who are friends and who are foes in this twisty thriller.

Although I guessed the main plot twist around halfway through, I still thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and am looking forward to reading more by Ruth Heald now I have discovered her! Well worth a read!

I really enjoyed this novel, the storyline being contemporary, interesting, twisty and a little on the dark side without being too grisly!

Sophie is a young woman who has spent 10 years in a small town trying to feel safe after a horrific rape experience in London when at university. She finds herself at a turning point, continue life this way and settle down with her boyfriend, or take a risk, cut loose and return to London to pursue her dream career. The title of this novel points in the direction of the decision made!

I found Sophie to be a little naive but not an unlikable character. The characters were all quite simply portrayed but this is a novel that strives and (manages) to entertain rather than win literary awards so this didn't lessen my enjoyment in any way..

Overall I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this novel or award 5 very readable stars!

My thanks to Netgalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The New Girl is a gripping and thrilling psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns that will keep you hooked to the end. Well written and hard to put down. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

This was an interesting story. It was fun and different. Thank you NetGalley, publisher and author, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my review.

In this book we meet Sophie who has split up with her boyfriend and moved to London for a new start and a new job complete with fabulous apartment.
It’s an easy read and quite a few twists along the way.
As for Sophie, a wee bit dim to be honest,
But that didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the book which was very well written.
Would definitely recommend it and I’m happy to give it 4 stars.

Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the advance read.

I am providing an honest review in return for a copy of this book from NetGalley.
The New Girl had me hooked from the first couple pages. This one had me guessing throughout, who should I trust? Who shouldn’t I? At the end, it wasn’t who I thought, and those are my favorite kind of reads! Sophie thinks she has the perfect escape from her old relationship, a chance to start a new life, on her own doing what she loves. Things start to get weird…quick. People aren’t who she thinks they are…all she wanted was a new start! The storyline is great, I never got bored, kept me in it till the end. I am looking forward to reading another by Ruth!

A great page turner in the covid era... a great escape for an afternoon, a day at the beach, a vacation or plane read to divert ones thoughts from everyday life.

I would say this an average thriller. There is nothing memorable about it. Unfortunately, I have read too many books that are similar.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The New Girl by Ruth Heald is an unputdownable psychological thriller full of twists and turns. This book will appeal to fans of The Circle or Nine Perfect Strangers. The story revolves around Sophia, who has recently gotten a new job, a new flat, new friends, and a new boyfriend. Everything seems to be perfect. But the past has a habit of catching up to you, and Sophia's past is far from spotless. Is someone stalking her now? Is her job as perfect as it seems? And what secrets is Sophia hiding?

Here is a chilling excerpt from the Prologue:

"‘I—’ She was shaking with fear, desperate to get away from him. But she knew she was trapped.
‘Never mind. We need to get you cleaned up and back to the party.’ He grinned then, as if they were in on it together, as if everything that had happened in the hut was just a joke between them. She felt bile rising in her throat.
‘If we go back now,’ he said, ‘then no one will even notice we were gone.’ He squeezed her arm just hard enough to hurt. Her heart raced as she flinched away from him. He smiled at her fear, amused, then pulled her closer, his stale breath on her face. ‘Don’t act so worried. We don’t need to tell anyone.’ His eyes were hard as he let go of her suddenly and she stumbled backwards. ‘I know you wouldn’t want to cause any upset. This can be our secret."

Overall, The New Girl is a psychological thriller that I could not put down. I had to keep reading to find out what happens to Sophia. One highlight of this book is the ordinary, everyday situations that Sophia goes through during this book. By showing us, Sophia's perfect life, it makes it all the more terrifying when little things start going wrong. Another highlight of this book was the twist ending. I was not expecting it at all, and it was very satisfying. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of psychological thrillers, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in January!

Meh. What started out as interesting read, turned into a silly tale of events. It was like the author lost interest in the last quarter of the story and wrote a silly and nonsensical ending. Would not recommend

A plot, with a very relevant premise, that instills unease in the reader from the get-go.

Sophie Williams has landed the role of brand strategist at an advertising agency in London, an offer with perks too good to be true. An outstanding debt following her father's ill-health and the chance to live her dream life, makes her snag the opportunity without a second thought. However, as she plunges headlong into her exciting new life, disturbing events occur, causing Sophie to wonder whether the perfect job was actually a devious trap.

The protagonist was pretty gullible, ignoring all the red flags that repeatedly smacked her in the face. This may have worked for the plot, but it totally amped up my anxiety levels, making me want to shake some sense into the girl. To me, her character seemed a tad uncredible as I was under the impression that a person who had been subjected to the kind of trauma that Sophie had undergone, always had their guard up. None of the other characters are worth writing about.

Though the crux of the plot was interesting, certain inconsistencies in the narrative made for a grating read. The story itself was long drawn out and I must admit that the climax failed to strike a chord with me. The epilogue, IMO, was overkill.

Overall, a story with a grave subject matter that could and should have wowed the reader, but somehow missed the mark.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The new girl by Ruth heald, The past can never stay in the past. Bad memories will come crashing into your present. Sometimes people are not who you think they are. This book is an average read. Not a page turner but a nice book to pickup when you have nothing else to do

Fresh starts. We all love them. Sophie Williams is no different.

Unfortunately, Sophie’s fresh start isn’t what she was expecting.

Ruth Heald, known for writing eerie, twisty and atmospheric psychological thrillers, writes about a girl who starts a new job in the big city and discovers that it isn’t, nor her colleagues aren’t, all she initially presumed them to be. To tell her message, Heald has slyly crafted the most annoying and irritating, almost clueless, protagonist. With very little experience, Sophie gets her dream job in London, complete with furnished apartment, paid living expenses including clothes, and all her debts paid off…and she’s not even the slightest bit concerned?! Is she blinded by the potential of this new job and doesn’t see that her unresolved past will come to haunt her present and future?

You’ll read about trauma in Sophie’s early life, a stalker boyfriend in her recent past, and a whispering girl in her present who warns Sophie of her future. Heald takes the threads from these three time periods in Sophie’s life and weaves them together highlighting the vulnerability of women. Heald demonstrates that it’s possible to be trapped in a job. In this case, Sophie’s debt load means that she is dependent on her employer and this leads to all kinds of trouble. Heald also raises the difficult theme of assault and delicately explores how it affects every aspect of the victim’s existence.

This creepy, fast paced, edge of your seat, gripping read needs to be on your radar come January 25, 2022.

I was gifted this advance copy by Ruth Heald, Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
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