This is the second book I’ve read by this author and I did like this one slightly more. It’s a suspenseful psychological thriller told in a dual timeline, so the past one year previously working up until the present day and then in real-time.

My main issue with this that prevented me from fully enjoying it was that it was quite depressing there wasn’t ever anything happy occurring and again like the previous book by this author the main characters were by and large rather unlikable. Despite the above, this was well written and the story relatively gripping it definitely kept me turning the pages and wanting to reach the conclusion for answers.

This past story follows Leah as she finally prepares to marry her successful partner Harry who’s also the father of her child and from the instant he proposes things start to unravel and further escalate as they reach full momentum. Leah is largely dissatisfied with her current life but trying to convince herself she’s not and Harry who is secretive and becoming increasingly controlling.

Then the present shows us mother and young son Josh running from an unknown threat that is steadily looming in the background and as time progresses she becomes increasingly violent and unhinged willing to go to an extreme level to protect Josh from harm.

There was also a big twist which I actually hadn’t seen coming so that was well done and then the conclusion did manage to give me some closure but I wasn’t a fan of the letter. Overall this was a decent well written psychological thriller it just didn’t have any feel-good vibes to it so was equally quite depressing. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of The Lost Wife.

I had always thought that the stunningly beautiful Peak District would lend itself well to a thriller, and there are now several detective series set there, as well as this stand-alone thriller from accomplished writer Georgina Lees that works the dual-timeline concept well. In the present timeline, twenty-six year old Lea and her five year-old son Josh arrive at isolated Bramble Cottage, apparently for Lea’s honeymoon. But both Lea and Harry are traumatised and terrified of being found by unknown captors, and Lea’s husband-to-be Harry is nowhere to be seen. The terrible events of the past are slowly unveiled on the earlier timeline, with twenty of twists and turns in the storyline to keep the reader guessing. A thrilling read for lovers of the thriller genre and lovers of evocative settings! I am grateful to the publishers and NetGalley for the free ARC that allowed me to review this book on an honest, unbiased basis.

For better for worse, till death do us part...I will find you...

**TRIGGER WARNING**
Animal cruelty, brutal dog death

OK, so firstly, THAT alone brings the rating down for me. Why kill an animal so brutally? Why kill it at all? To me, it is senseless. I know it fitted in with the context of the story and by the end it did make a whole lot of sense but still...killing a dog, let alone bashing its head in with a shovel, is a big no no and my rating down will reflrect this.

A woman and child arrive at Bramble Cottage in the Peak District in the dead of night. Alone. Desperate. And hunted. They are coming for her, she knows It's only a matter of time. All because of the secret her husband kept.

The story unfolds through the alternating timelines of the present and respective months leading up to the present day. It follows Lea who has lived happily with Harry, the father of her four year old son Josh, for the past five years. Until someone plants the idea of marriage in her head. And Lea wants to know why Harry doesn't want to get married. Or is it that he just doesn't want to marry her? Until the night he surprises her by proposing. And then things slowly start to unravel as well as escalate.

Lea loves Harry...or at least she's convinced she does. Just as she has convinced herself she is happy when it is clear she is not. Nothing in her life has turned out the way she thought and she finds herself a mother too young and tied down at twenty six. She is largely dissatisfied and has no idea what to do about it. I hardly think marrying Harry is the solution but she seems to think it is. But Harry isn't who she thinks he is...and he has become increasingly secretive and controlling.

The story takes us right up to the day of the wedding and beyond. I was eager to know what she was running from and why. And what big secret Harry was keeping, because it was clear that he was. There is an impending sense of doom looming with an unknown threat lurking in the background. Lea is on tenterhooks and is beginning to wonder if she is imagining things.

I enjoyed this story until about halfway. Then the dog was killed and that took away most of my enjoyment by which time I just wanted to know how it all ended. I didn't care either way. My main issue with the story, apart from the brutal slaying of the dog, is that it is largely depressing. Nothing happy happens in the book. Not even the wedding was a happy occasion. Or the engagement before that. Everything is shrouded in a shadow of despondency.

There is a twist at the end of the book which I think is quite cleverly done and is probably its saving grace. The letter, however, I think was a bit drawn out and superfluous. I could have done without it. It took me 20 minutes to read it, that's how long it was. But it did manage to give some closure of sorts.

My first read by Lees and I would give her another read in the future. Just no killing of dogs, PLEASE!!

I would like to thank GeorginaLees, #Netgalley and #OneMoreChapter for an ARC of #TheLostWife in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

I found this book hard work. I took a long time to get into it, and I didn't really care for the main character. It's a good story, but it didn't grip me I'm afraid.

An interesting read with a continuous hook throughout the book that keeps you reading.The story follows a woman and child who are escaping from something horrible that happened at a wedding which resulted in the death of the groom. It is told in two timelines , the years leading up to the wedding and events following the reading although we are not told about the wedding day until the reveal at the end. The ending is surprising and unexpected .
A good holiday read.

This book took a long time to get to a twist. I liked it but I couldnt say I loved it. It kept me entertained but I was hoping for more.

Suspenseful and character driven. Very good read.
Many thanks to Harpercollins UK and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story wowed me! I thought we were following one path but were taken down a different way. The road this book travels is curvy and full of unforseen obstacles. A bouncing timeline lends itself to a wonderful confusion as things don't line up as one would think.

This book comes highly recommended to anyone who is looking for a good story that will flip on you just when you think you've figured it all out.

You never know quite where you are with this story. At least you think you are on solid ground but you’re not. From the very start there is something odd going on. A woman and her child running away from the bad people. Running from what and whom? It’s intriguing and the answers are finally and satisfactorily delivered.

The Lost Wife...

What do you think this one would be about ? For me, I thought it would be similar to Gone Girl. Boy, was I such a naive little thing....

This book is the prime example of how far someone would go when pushed. This book crosses every line in all the best ways possible. The writing style is fluid which allows you to read this book from cover to cover with ease. I loved the dual timelines and alternating chapters. It really pulled everything together that came to a head with a jaw dropping twist.

This book was absolutely fantastic and will be well loved by those who enjoy juicy domestic thrillers.

Teaser :

You always underestimated me and I always overestimated you.

Maybe that was our problem.

A woman and a child arrive at a cottage in the Peak District in the dead of night.

Alone. Desperate. Hunted.

She knows they’re coming for her. It’s only a matter of time.

Because her husband kept a secret from her. Until he was ready to destroy her.

Now, it’s her turn.

The Lost Wife is the jaw-dropping domestic suspense thriller from bestseller Georgina Lees, a scintillating story of a husband’s secret and a wife’s vengeance that will seep into your soul like a love song you’d rather forget.

Another title that I knew was going to turn into an awesome, thriller of a novel! Excellent characters, especially the main character. The author definitely keeps you guessing from the very first page. Must read!

Intriguing and brilliant
Loved this book, did not expect it to end the way it did. This book had me gripped towards the end it was so well written

Lea and Harry are happily married or are they! Does Lea even know or trust Harry, but it is too late now. This is an excellent book with unexpected surprises.

I have to admit I really struggled with this ine. It seemed so slow and wasn’t going anywhere. I got bored pretty quickly. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I really struggled with deciding if this was a 3 or 4 star.
I liked it, it was an enjoyable story --- for the most part. I really did not like the protagonist; from the beginning, something was very off-putting about her. The plot was the saving point of the book - it felt like it was all over the place and constantly had me questioning what I thought was the truth in this story. spoiler?
I would normally say this outright, but I recently had a discussion where just saying something like "the twist was completely unexpected" was a spoiler because it makes people look for it. I don't know -- aren't twists expected in this genre? I digress. I will say that the ending was not just shocking - but NOBODY in the reading group figured it out. NOBODY. Which should make this a 4 star simply on writing mechanics. Buuuutt - I just can't get past how I felt about the main character.
Ultimately, I thought it was a good book, I definitely recommend it, but it doesn't quite make it to the 4 star mark.

Thank you to the publisher for a review copy; this is my honest review.

An enjoyable read that keeps you guessing until the end! Along with a very unexpected ending!

A great quick read, ideal for someone who's maybe trying out a thriller book for the first time.

I loved this one. This is a mysterious and twisty thriller that will keep you up at night because you have to keep reading!

This is told in two timeframes, the past and the present and the timeframe is clear and easy to follow. I didn’t like the characters much throughout the book, until the twist when I suddenly understood why they did what they did. The twist itself is fabulous - all the clues are there but it was still a surprise.

Thank you to One More Chapter, NetGalley and Georgina Lees for an e-copy of this book.

An entertaining psychological thriller that slowly builds up the tension and keeps you guessing until the end. The story is told in two timelines that come nicely together at the end. And what a ending it is. I really didn't see it coming. If you love thriller, you should definitely pick this one up.

I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.

New author for me and kept me gripped!

Not normally my genre book but took myself out of my comfort zone and what a ride,
Very fast paced read about a woman and child who turn up at a house rental in the Peak District, supposedly a honeymoon, but no husband and the woman has a bloody wound.
The husband is not who he seemed and neither is the wife!
A psychological thriller with some gruesome moments.

OH wow, this book had me hooked right from the start. The writing was easy to follow and the transitions between the chapters were smoothie. This was a quick and addicting, quick read, I was left stumped at the end with a big twist I didn't see coming. A great thriller!