Warning - this review includes spoilers!

This book had such potential I loved the premise, Jennifer's husband passes away and his mistress shows up on her doorstop with his baby, claiming she owns the house. I was intrigued and I remember thinking how is the author going to go from there?

Spoilers - turn back now!

Unfortunately, the way Slater reveals Sarah (the mistress)'s motivations for her actions made me so uneasy. We find out that Sarah suffers from a mental illness and that she has delusions that her relationship with Jennifer's husband, Cole was more than it actually was. I felt really uncomfortable that the whole plot was centered on Sarah showing up and then moving in with Jennifer and it was due to her mental illness and wish to have this ideal family life. If Sarah had shown up to ruin Jennifer's life because she was just evil - that would have been interesting.

To make matters worse, we find out that Sarah was never the mastermind behind the "plan". She was manipulated by Corrine (a secondary character who wants revenge on Cole and Jennifer - I'd tell you more but more spoilers) into seducing Cole and then trying to tie up his financial life. Essentially, Sarah is robbed of any agency and becomes Corrine's puppet. Reading about someone who is struggling with their mental health being manipulated left me cold. Now.... if Corrine and Sarah had teamed up together as equals to exact revenge - that would have been really interesting!

The book had a great premise, but the representation of mental illness rubbed me the wrong way. I could only give it 2 stars.

The Girlfriend moves at breakneck speed through an absolutely wild situation, putting both its protagonist and antagonist in increasingly desperate positions.

Now, full disclosure, I am a signed-up and paid-for K.L. Slater mega-fan. Usually I'm an Audible-listener, and Slater is one of my go-to authors for a thrilling listen. My favourite from her extensive back catalogue is The Apartment, which got a big fat five stars from me on GoodReads in January this year.

So, I had high hopes for The Girlfriend, and of everything on my TBR (to be reviewed) list, it's been one of the most highly anticipated.

You can imagine my relief when it didn't disappoint. Exploring themes of fidelity, power, loneliness and mental health - this ambitious novel delivers on many levels.

Slater wastes absolutely no time getting into the plot, and we barely get to admire Jennifer's lavish lifestyle and Grand Designs-worthy home before it's all torn away from her.

The novel opens with the death of Jennifer's husband in a car accident, and before she's even begun to come to terms with the news, her husband's girlfriend and baby son are on the doorstep. As if that weren't traumatic enough - Sara reveals she owns the family home.

At this point I would say, if you like your thrillers to be hyper-realistic and Big-Little-Lies-esque, this might not be the plot for you. What Slater does best is dream up a scenario that is so unimaginable you'd never have thought of it - then runs with it.

In the case of Jennifer and Sara I think this works, because the husband/boyfriend Cole is out of the picture, and the two women take centre stage from the very start of the book.

I would say that I found almost every character in this unlikable to a degree. I wanted to shake Jennifer, I was almost glad Cole died a horrible death and Sara is... well Sara. This worked well for me though; if the book had had a totally innocent and blameless protagonist I think it would have been jarring.

As it is, however, the cast is well handled, with enough secondary characters to keep you guessing, but not so many to get distracting.

Another excellent move by Slater is the multiple-narration, particularly from the point of view of Jennifer and Cole's teenage son, Miller. I found his chapters particularly refreshing, and the shifts in perspective kept the pace up.

I find that lots of authors use multiple-narrators but cheat - by having them deliberately think in riddles, or exclusively refer to someone as "him". I know this is thriller-101, but it can get annoying. Slater, however, doesn't fall into this trap. We get a clear insight into the minds and motives of all the characters, with enough held back to intrigue, without irritating. This, I think, is a mark of Slater's experience.

I can't speak much about the ending without spoiling it - but I will just say I was satisfactorily surprised with the twist, and I raced through the final third of the book to find out what was in store for Jennifer and Sara.

A particular strength in the book for me was the fact that Jennifer really influences the plot. She is not the naive cheated-on wife to whom the plot is happening. As the story unravels she seizes opportunities and has real agency.

An immediate Audible purchase, I would say. The Girlfriend is as twisty and thrilling as you would hope a K.L. Slater story would be, and would make a great read over the Halloween weekend.

With nineteen novels and two million copies sold, I'm sure Slater doesn't need my praise, but I'm glad to heap it upon her anyway!

I was given a free advanced-reader copy of this book, in exchange for a review.

Kim Slater has done it again with her latest domestic thriller, The Girlfriend! It's a twisty and turbulent ride with many surprises along the way. Just when you think you know "who" it is, there's another surprise hiding around the corner. Gripping read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

If you like a good mystery/thriller book, you will enjoy this.

I love a good plot twist, and this book had more than one.

I don't want to give away too much about this book.. but if the description sounds interesting then you should definitely read it.

3.5 Stars for me.

This one had a lot going on! I had to keep reading as almost every chapter towards the end had a different twist... Who doesn't love a good twist?? The Girlfriend was well written and easy to follow along, definite page turner. Maybe too much going on in this book for me at times. I would have liked more focus and expansion on certain characters and their role in this book. I was completely blindsided by the end which makes a great book in my opinion. Overall a great Domestic Drama/Psychological Thriller.

The Girlfriend is about Jennifer and Cole, a seemingly wealthy couple, along with their two children. Add in Sara, who scoped out Cole at a networking event in her plan to satisfy her loneliness once and for all. Cole, with a previous track record of infidelity, takes the bait that leads him to a new baby boy. Jennifer still oblivious to Cole's acts. Jennifer finds herself in the most bizarre and heartbreaking situation... Cole was in a car accident and passed away. At her door now was Sara and her baby boy Rory. Jennifer's life was not what it seemed. Her house belonged to Sara, her husband had cheated again, her husband had another baby, and to top it off her husbands car accident was actually murder.

In an effort to keep her kids from being homeless, Jennifer agrees to let Sara move in with Rory and live under the same roof. NOTHING is what it seems!!!! Jennifer is in survival mode and will quickly piece together this giant jigsaw puzzle of betrayal.

The Girlfriend is a claustrophobic psychological tale so full of twists and turns it will keep you second guessing yourself right up until the end.

The only downside for me was that there wasn't a likeable character in the whole book so I was a little lacking in empathy.

Intriguing setup. After the unexpected death of her husband, Jennifer discovers he has been carrying on an affair. And this woman shows up on her doorstep with the baby they share to tell her that the house and all her finances now belong to her. The book leads you on an excellent game of cat and mouse that will keep you up long past bedtime. The only minor flaw is I wish they had gone into more detail about the mental illness of a character. We get bits and pieces of her backstory, but it needed more to explain her actions in the end.

Jennifer's world is turned upside down when her husband dies, and then even more so when a woman turns up at her door with a baby claiming that it is her husband's baby and that she now owns Jennifer's house... Jennifer soon realises she must do whatever Sara says so she doesn't end up homeless, and that involves letting Sara and baby Rory move in with her and her children... how will it all end? A thrilling story that keeps you turning the pages until the end. Plenty of twists and shocks. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.

Kim Slater never fails to deliver. This is a pure adrenaline fuelled thrilling ride from the first to last page. Jennifer has no choice but to let her husband Cole's girlfriend and their baby into her home after Cole is killed in a car crash. The grilfriend claims she owns everything, the house, the cars even his business. What follows is a nail-biting, intense read. I cannot rate this book highly enough. It was intimidating, full of twists and turns and left me holding my breath. I had no idea how this would end. I am just really glad I'm not Jennifer!

I started this book last night and could not put it down! It had so many twists and turns I did not see coming. I am looking forward to reading more in the future by this author! Holy wow what a rollercoaster ride of emotions this book was!

Fast paced twisty thriller. Jennifer's husband dies in a car crash and the next day a woman turns up claiming to be his girlfriend, with his baby in her arms. And from there, it twists and turns, well developed characters, which kept me guessing and no, I didn't see the final twist coming. Thoroughly recommended.

Wow wow wow!! The Girlfriend is one twisty, crazy ride from start to finish and is such a fun read!

Jennifer and her two children are getting ready for a big party at their home when the police show up with shocking information- Jennifer’s husband Cole is dead. The family is stunned by the news. As they are grieving, a woman named Sara shows up at the door with a baby she claims is Cole’s son. Worse still, she says she owns their family home and will be moving in immediately. When the police find that a blunt force trauma to the head killed Cole, everyone becomes a suspect and the family’s safety is in question.

The story is told from multiple perspectives. Small details add up to an explosive finale that ties everything up so neatly. The story was brilliantly plotted and executed, and the entire ending was filled with surprises and twists. The characters were well developed and the dialogue realistic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion! I look forward to reading more by this author.

An engaging book with a new twist on the whole affair situation! I pretty much loved the whole thing except for two of the characters that really made me grind my teeth! Before I finished the book, one of the reasons I was annoyed was explained but Jennifer, the wife, was so darn gullible that you find yourself thinking she deserves the trouble she finds herself in. If anything, women should have learned not to blindly sign documents, not to allow their spouses full reign of the financials, etc. This isn't the 1950s! Oh, and be prepared for some seriously heavy foreshadowing. I realize the idea is to build up the suspense, but if the story isn't doing that already, one sentence at the end of a chapter isn't going to do it. Trust your writing and the reader more! There isn't a commercial where someone is going to pick up their remote and change books. Okay, ranting over. Other than this, the story keeps the reader on edge wondering what is going to happen next. Definitely a page turner and great for an afternoon where you don't have anyone trying to interrupt your reading!

Oh my what a mind twisting read this was. The scenario that they were left in was unimaginable (in a good way). I just couldn't imagine what I would have done in those circumstances. It was a really good storyline and had me hooked from the start. If you love these type of reads then you will love this

I read this with my small read along group and wow what a book. I couldn't believe what was happening from the very beginning. When Sara gave Jennifer the proposal she did I was gob smacked!! I kept thinking I couldn't live the way they tried. Such a thrilling read! Loved it.

This was the first book I have read by this author and she did not disappoint! I finished this book in under 2 days and it kept me absolutely hooked throughout. It was an easygoing read with nice & short chapters.
There were plenty twists within the plot and some surprises from a few of the characters, which I didn’t see coming, it really kept me on my toes!

I wish the ending had been a bit longer, as it felt a little rushed and quick, it was so well written but would have enjoyed it being drawn out a little more. The ending was heartwarming for Jennifer and her family, including the baby.

Thank you K. L. Slater, Bookouture & NetGalley and Publisher for approving me for a e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Great book with many twists. I has no idea where the author was going and it kept me on my toes. I highly recommend it.

Well another fantastic instalment from K. L. Slater. She does not dissapoint. I've read all the authors books and I am so grateful to have been given access to the latest novel by NetGalley, so thank you.

I love how angry her characters and her story telling can make you. You really love to hate some of the lead characters and Sara in this book was no exception. The premise of the book sounded fabulous. " Your husband dies, you are grieving and then his girlfriend turns up and says she owns your house and she is moving in!!!"

How awful and truly horrifying would that be to happen? I stayed up quite late in the night to get to the end of this book. I finished it far too quickly and i'm a little upset by that. I wish I could have read slower but the book was riveting.

Highly recommend this one.

Cole is a lower than a snake. He had an affair and now has a son with his mistress. Then he dies. Said girlfriend, Sara, shows up on widow Jennifer’s doorstep not only to reveal her husband’s duplicity, but also to declare she owns the house.
Jennifer is not having a good week. Her life is upended in mere hours and now her husband’s lover and son are moving in.
I rubbed my hands together because this is such a messed up scenario, definitely an attention getter.
Who’s playing who though? A master manipulator eventually emerges and lots of people lie in this book.
It definitely kept me guessing as I tried to unravel the whys and wherefore.

When Jennifer is confronted by a woman named Sara, only days after Jennifer's husband Cole dies in an accident, her life is flipped upside down. Sara claims to have been having an affair with Cole, and has had a baby with him. Even worse, after a string of Cole's terrible financial decisions, Sara owns the house Jennifer is currently living in with her two children. After some discussion, Sara and her baby move in with Jennifer while they decide what the future holds for them and the home.
This was a fast paced read, which I like. However, I could not get past the far fetched plot. There was so much that didn't add up, and I feel like that may be due to not getting enough back story. This was my first read by this author and I've heard great reviews of many of her others, so I would like to give another one a try.