Thank you Inkubator Books and Netgalley.
I struggled with this, really struggled and put down twice and decided on the third time I had to finish and to be absolutely honest I wish I hadn't wasted my time.
This was not for me, hence the 2 stars.

3.5 stars

There was a lot going on with this one, with unreliable and unlikeable characters, where you were never quite sure what to believe. It was a slow burn until it all started coming together, but overall still fit the formula of the cheating husband trope. Solid debut but not rushing to read a second.

thank you netgalley for sending me this arc. Meh this one just wasn’t it. I couldn’t stand then main character he was terrible. & it took forever for anything to happen

I couldn’t warm to the characters in this story however this didn’t affect the reading experience. A page turner, good pace, binge read worthy!

This is such a fantastic written story I loved all the twists and turns it was like being on a rollercoaster I didn't want this story too end but such an amazing ending I never guessed I love a good thriller that keeps me on my

There are plenty of twists and turns in this one. I found myself completely hooked and unsuccessful at trying to predict where this would go.

I was instantly hooked by this one. It’s one of those books that pulls you in instantly and becomes completely unputdownable.

II’ve literally devoured this in just one sitting with no regrets. This is an absolute must read.

This is a tale of deception, secrets and betrayal. It started off as a slow burn and was a little repetitive. The writing is brilliant. The plot is very twisty. The suspense is very good

This was a tense and interesting read that had my heart pounding! I didn't really like any of the characters but still loved the story. 5 stars!!

The Woman on the Bench was a page-turner with a totally unexpected twist.

Mark and Cecelia are a married couple, seemingly having it all, but the marriage has faltered in the loss of their newborn child. Their relationship has cooled, and Cecilia can't bear the thought of making love after this devastating loss.

Then Mark meets Alice and to say he became obsessed is putting it mildly. He thinks about her constantly and each private rendezvous with her brings him closer to wanting to leave Cecelia. But his wife knows a secret about Mark that will come out if he tries to divorce her. What to do?

Each character is very unlikable, but the story is still gripping, and the twist at the end makes it all worthwhile.
Thanks to NetGalley and Inkubator books for an ARC from a couple of years ago that I finally had a chance to read and review!

I couldn't get into this one. The main character was so unlikeable and seemed so selfish. He treated his wife as an afterthought, she's not even really mentioned in the first 1/4 of the book that often, and apparently he never talks to her. I just didn't care what happened to him.

Sidenote: The audiobook narrator is fantastic, so it definitely wasn't him, but the actual character.

Set in London, Mark and his wife, Cecilia, are going through a rough patch in their marriage. Celina has miscarried their child and Mark is wrestling with the affair he had with a co-worker and a hit and run accident that killed a man. But, nonetheless, Mark continues to think with his penis and finds himself attracted to Alice, a woman he meets at a party. As Mark's infatuation with Alice grows, he becomes suspect that Cecilia is having an affair with their artist friend, Phil. Author Eliot Stevens presents readers with a suspenseful look into a messy marriage. Careful readers may not be surprised with the ending as Cecilia finally is awaiting the birth of another child.

Mark and Cecilia have suffered a sadness in their marriage and things are no longer the same. So when he meets Alice he’s ready to make a drastic change to his life. Maybe he should have given the matter a bit more thought! I didn’t like anyone in this book, all were irritating in various degrees. It was also rather slow and each moment had to be explained in great detail which slowed it down even further. The idea was a good one and I enjoyed watching how for some characters nothing went to plan! A good debut and it will be interesting to see what the author will come up with in a second novel.

This was a decent book. I loved the twists and it was fast paced and easy to read. Thank you netgalley for making this book available to read.

I’ll be honest when I say that this book ticked me off quite often. Mark was not a lovable main character. He was whiny and very “woe is me” when pretty much all of his hardships were brought on by his own doing.
So when he cheats on his wife (again) and then plots her murder with his new affair, I was pretty annoyed. But I just knew it couldn’t end that easily.
And then the twist dropped and it damn near knocked my socks off. I won’t give anything away because the experience is necessary. But I will say, do not DNF this book, see it through because it pays off - I promise!

A killer twist indeed! Wow! Such a thrilling storyline with an ending that I could not predict. Can't wait to read more from this author

As someone who has had a cheating husband, I could identify with the pain Cecelia had to experience. Combine this with the loss of a baby, and this sets the tone for a very thrilling read that keeps you entertained until the end.

I loved the cat and mouse games created by Eliot Stevens in this psychological thriller/ The characters are not good people, so I enjoyed watching the events unfold. There were a few unbelievable parts, but it is a work of fiction. The story itself is very well-written and I look forward to reading more from Eliot Stevens!

Wow!! This was such a surprise! This debut by Eliot Stevens had me racing through each page of this twisted tale of deception, betrayal, and revenge. I thought I knew exactly where the plot was going, but it took a turn I never saw coming. I loved the clandestine affair with a touch of noir. The strangers on a train vibe added a subtle sense of intrigue and intensity. I anxiously await the next thriller by this very talented author. Thank you NetGalley and Inkubator Books for my copy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It took me a while to get into this book but once I did wow! It was fantastic! A great storyline and Eliot Stevens has an excellent style of writing.
Thank you to Eliot Stevens and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

It took me quite a bit to get through this book because the first half didn’t feel well-paced, and seemed repetitive, however, once the story began unraveling, wooooh boy! It really had me going crazy!

This is a twisty tale of love, passion, adultery, revenge and everything in between. I don’t know if I love the protagonist, or if he is even supposed to be one, but man oh man…you feel invested in his crappy decisions feeding into his crappy life. This is almost a tale of caution!