"It's Not Me, It's You" by Charlotte Bigland is a dive into the chaotic life of Jen Beeny, a woman striving to start anew in London. Amidst her dead-end job and calamitous dates, Jen's world is turned upside down when her suitors start disappearing, making her the prime suspect.

My thoughts: I DNF'd this book at 25%, the writing style just wasn't for me and I thought all the characters were insufferable.

Well I’m a little bit speechless. What an absolutely brilliant book from the beginning, right up to the end!

Talk about a gloomy Sunday …

I use days like today as an excuse to stay cuddled up in my bed and binge read book after book. How many can I finish in one day you ask? So far I have finished two and on to my third .

All week I have read some amazing books (this rarely happens). I was looking for something different when I saw Bookstagram start boasting about It’s Not Me, It’s You! I had this one in my NetGalley library and I was curious as to why I had not picked it up before . The cover is engaging, mysterious and really drew me in. The synopsis ? Oh, well it seems as though to be packed with lies, deceit and secrets ready to be exposed .

I was about 5 chapters in when I knew there would be no way I would be putting this down until I finish . This book was made for me!!

The best part is, this is a debut! If Charlotte Bigland enters the playing field with a book like this, I can’t even imagine what is to come !!

It’s Not Me, It’s You, is out now, so no need to wait AND it’s currently FREE on kindle unlimited.


Teaser:

The last man I dated... ended up dead.

Jen is a normal, single woman living in a big city. By day, she's a receptionist and by night, she goes on dates. Lots of dates. Because Jen knows if she is going to find true love, it's a numbers game.

All of Jen's dates end with the same crushing sense of disappointment and she finds herself silently uttering those five familiar words: 'It's not me, it's you.'

But now it seems Jen is more than just unlucky in love. The police have knocked on her door with some questions for her.

The last five people she went on dates with have been murdered. And Jen is their prime suspect.

As she fights desperately to prove her innocence, she must ask herself, who would have a motive to kill those five people? And if the only thing connecting them is her, will she be next?

An absolutely gripping and addictive psychological thriller with a killer twist you won't see coming. Fans of K.L Slater, Sue Watson and Netflix's You will be totally hooked from the first page until the final, breath-taking conclusion.

This book started off really well, but then I felt that it fell about halfway through . The main character frustrated me quite a bit but I still enjoyed it, I just couldnt say I loved it.

I really liked the way this book was written. Truthfully, I requested it based on the title. I really liked it, and I was pleasantly surprised with how much I did like it

This was a good debut novel. It delivered what it set out to do which is a thriller with a twist.
There was nothing really groundbreaking or stand out different with this novel, this particular genre is flooded with a lot of similar books and I think it’s a lot harder to break into it and make a novel really stand out from the crowd.
This book was well written, good storyline, well executed, slow to start but picked up pace.
Overall an enjoyable quick read, but I’m not sure it’s one that will stay with me,
I would read this author again though, it’s a very promising start.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc.
3.5 rounded up to 4

There were lots of twists and turns in this novel and I wasn’t really sure who to trust – everyone seemed to be keeping secrets and lying about what they were up to. There were several red herrings and some misdirection that had me suspecting all kinds of things! I was trying to guess what was happening and kept changing my mind.

This was an ok read but, I did find it a little unbelievable at times. I e read a lot of similar books recently so maybe that’s why I didn’t enjoy this one as much. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Jen's life is thrown into turmoil when every person she has dated since moving to London either disappears or turns up dead. Jen knows she must be being set up - she couldn't possibly be killing these people, can she?

This book started slow but quickly picked up pace and had me gripped. I loved how the story started giving little hints, making me question and really think who it could be. Brilliant book that's absolutely worth the read!

Very gripping read! Loved the twists and turns and just a wonderful read. I literally have no words that won't spoil. READ IT!!!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Pacy Suspense…
Jen Beeny is, most definitely, a serial dater. She knows it. But, is she also a serial killer? When her past dates mysteriously begin to go missing, the police come looking. Is this all Jen’s doing? Unpredictable, pacy suspense where nothing is quite as it seems. A well crafted cast populate an edgy plot with credible dialogue and a well done backdrop.

Jen Beeny is in her early 20s and moves to London and ends up in a receptionist job and sharing accommodations with a creepy 50 year old landlord in a flat she thought would be all hers. She throws herself into the London dating scene. Her relationships go nowhere, turns out for a good reason! Five people she has dated have gone missing and then start turning up dead. The police and internet sleuths make the connection. Even worse, she is not just connected to all the victims, but was the last person they saw. Is Jen guilty or is something more at play here? In addition to being suspenseful, this was a fun mystery because of Jen's snarky humor.

Jen knows she's a serial dater, but is she a serial killer?
Jen Beeny is leaving her turbulent past behind and now it's time to start living. Or at least she's trying to. Between her dead-end job, live-in-landlord and disastrous dates, life in London is not quite turning out as she'd planned.
When her dates start to go missing, Jen is determined to ignore the sense of dread building inside her. She continues on with life...until the police come knocking. All signs suggest Jen is the culprit, and the internet sleuths are gaining traction. But Jen didn't do anything wrong, did she?

This is a totally gripping read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

Wow, what a stunning debut - one of those psychological thrillers that made me gutted to finish!!

The story is that of Jen, 23 and newly settled in London. Jen’s first year dating experiences and landlord hassles are entertaining enough in themselves, but then throw into the mix that all of her London dates end up either murdered or missing and I couldn’t turn those pages fast enough!!

Nothing else to say except READ THIS BOOK!!

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

It’s Not Me, It’s You
by Charlotte Bigland

Jen moved south to London — into a flat she thought was just hers (turns out the landlord is her flatmate—and a creep), got a job as a receptionist, and is ready to date! Unfortunately, all of her dates since moving to London have disappeared, or turned up dead. Police (and everyone on social media) are convinced she is a serial killer. Is she?

This is a quick read with a good twist at the end - a light thriller with an interesting concept. For me, most of the characters were unlikeable, so that made me really open to all the possibilities of where this book could go. This is @csbigland ‘s debut novel and I am excited for what comes next for her!

Thanks @netgalley and @emblabooks / @bonnierbooks_uk for the opportunity to have this ARC!

3 ⭐️

(Posted on Instagram @borrowersbookclub)

“Jen knows she’s a serial dater, but is she a serial killer?”

This is the quote that drew me in and I was excited to receive an advanced copy. Jen Beeny is a quirky, independent main character who is very easy to like. She’s funny and sarcastic but she does make some silly decisions which make you worry about her.

Synopsis:

Jen Beeny quickly moves to London after a disastrous fight with her mother. She finds a job as a receptionist and a cheap apartment that sounds too good to be true. Her social/love life is a bit tumultuous…especially because five people she’s recently dated have either died or gone missing. The police come knocking and all fingers point to Jen as the culprit. If she didn’t have a hand in their disappearances, who did?

The idea behind the story is a good one and as a debut, Charlotte Bigland did a wonderful job. At less than 300 pages, this book can be read in one sitting. Jen’s personality will keep you flipping through the pages wondering what she does next.

I will keep my eye out for further books written by Charlotte Bigland and look forward to what she has in store for us next!

Thank you to NETGALLEY and Embla Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed some of the dialogue and the descriptions of London and very impressed Leake street tunnel was ,mentioned as live more or less opposite and is a great attraction yet rarely written about ,it could have been more fast paced at times but for a debut novel was on the whole good,look forward to more from this author

7/10
4 Stars

Following an almighty argument with her mother, Jen Beeny moves to London to start a new life. Her accommodation is not what she imagined as she rented what she thought was a bedroom, bathroom, living room, & kitchen, only to find that her creepy fifty-something landlord is a permanent fixture. Her luck seems to be on the turn though as she lands a job working as a receptionist, & quickly makes friends with fellow receptionist, Saz. They both got their jobs through an agency run by Jamal &, on a night out to celebrate her employment, he introduces her to Seb who is the embodiment of tall, dark, & handsome, but also is a bit of a player.

In between visits home to her mother, who has an addiction to alcohol, Jen dates &/or sleeps with several men including Seb & Jamal, & one woman, Scarlett. They all seem to drop off the map a week or so after their dates, but Jen isn't too worried until the police come to her door. They take her in for questioning & show her the photos of 5 missing people which include Jamal, Seb, & Scarlett - all of them seen in Jen's company shortly before they disappeared. Then the first body is discovered & someone seems determined to pin the murder & disappearances on Jen.

As a debut book, I thought this was quite good. It got off to a decent start, but then seemed to falter in pace a little towards the middle. The story line became more about Jen chasing after Seb & her other disastrous decisions about her love-life than about the disappearances. As a main character Jen is, how can I put this, just a little bit dim at times. If you had had former dates go missing & the latest one of them texted you to meet them in a deserted park in the middle of the night, would you go? You wouldn't catch me within a million miles of that park! The men are (mostly) all a bit sleazy & you can't for the life of you understand why Jen keeps chasing after a guy who should have a neon sign around his neck saying "He's just not that into you". Overall it's a mixed bag but the author has talent & potential for future books.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Embla Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

What an incredible read! It had me on the edge of my seat, second guessing what i thought I knew. Highly unpredictable and highly satisfying. It is so intelligently written, which makes it impossible to put down!

Writing aside, i fell in LOVE with the cover. The vibrant colours really draw the eye! It will take centre stage on my shelf! The blurb doesnt give too much away, but perfectly sets up the story, and is intriguing enough to make you read it straight away!

This was interesting. I loved the premise and the writing. The characters were a bit annoying at times but I enjoyed the concept so much it almost didn’t matter.



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