Imagine your surprise when your young daughter comes back from her travels with a fiance on board , well multiple that surprise when it happens to be someone from your past that you would much rather forget .
This was an enjoyable read and I did feel for Hannah , especially has her backstory unfolded , she is so desperate to get Bella away from her fiance she will do almost anything
A good premise and a real page turner . Very enjoyable

This book had a great storyline and was a good thriller. It was a slow starter but turned into a page turner.
Thank you to Samantha Hayes and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

“The Engagement” is a pretty good thriller. I didn’t find myself very emotionally engaged, but once the story is well under way, the action carries you along and it becomes quite the page turner.

Hannah and her husband Rob are eagerly awaiting the return of their daughter Bella. Bella’s been in France on an extended exchange program, and she’s coming back the day before her 18th birthday. Hannah is longing to see Bella, plus they have a surprise birthday party planned.

But Bella comes back with quite the surprise of her own: a fiancé. A much older fiancé, Jack. As soon as Hannah sees him, she feels a sense of dread. She knows he’s not who he’s told Bella he is, and she knows it’s not Bella he’s after.

I initially found it quite difficult to suspend my disbelief. It’s some time before we find out what Hannah has done in the past, and without that information it’s seriously hard to believe what she lets Jack get away with. In fact, even after we knew, I found it a little hard to swallow. Yes, her guilt is reasonable. And maybe she is morally guilty. But it’s hard to believe she’d be at much legal risk, and although she might not have known it as a scared teen, she should certainly know it twenty years later as an adult.

So, I struggled with the central premise. As a result, I found this workmanlike rather than inspired. Yes, there was a neat twist at the end, and it was a little more credible that the person most affected by that twist would have fears. However, it still stretched my credulity a little more than was quite comfortable.

Nevertheless, two thirds of the novel rattles along at a good pace, and will keep most readers caught up in the action. You know there’s going to be a showdown at some point, but Hayes does an effective job at keeping you guessing about what form it will take, when, and exactly who will be involved.

The story alternates between the present and the past. This is a pretty effective way of with-holding information without being too obvious about manipulating the reader. However, as noted, I did feel that this made Hannah’s actions a little hard to believe. The story is also told by alternating narrators, and the writing style was effective in putting you in each head.

I enjoyed reading this, but it lacks the extra spark to be truly memorable. Many readers will find this a good, solid piece of entertainment, and few will guess the final twist. However, it stretches credibility just a little too much to be truly effective.

This book was difficult to read in many ways and heartbreaking, but incredibly good all at the same time. I had no trouble getting through it and found myself rooting for the main character and empathizing with her situation, while not always agreeing with her choices. Definitely worth a read!

While the plot blurb for this book was interesting, I wasn't completely blown away as the story worked itself out. It was extremely wordy and I found most of the build up/ dialogue completely unnecessary. I understand WHY they had issues with open communication, but the husband and wife‘s relationship drove me crazy (think miscommunication trope where the threat could easily be wiped out via a conversation). The twists the ending delivered made powering though slightly more worth it.

This books was so outrageous and drama filled.. And I couldn't get enough. What if your daughter introduced you to her new fiancé.. and you already new him from somewhere. Somewhere that you both aren't admitting.

Yes!!! Thank you Netgalley!! This was an awesome read. Compelling storyline with so many twists and turns. I couldn't put this one down!!

Keywords: twisty, domestic thriller, dark, suspenseful, secrets & lies, great ending.

This was my first read from this author. I'm definitely invested and want more of her bingeable, twisty writing style! I will be reading more standalones from her.

I especially enjoyed the epilogue and wish the ending was a little longer/expanded on! All those twists deserved more pages. I didn't predict anything that happened in the end though the twist was perfectly laid out.

I do think the book needed a bit more work. Amber especially felt like a throwaway character that didn't even need to be there... Same with Natalia, Leanne, Kate. I think a couple of the characters could have been tossed out to really emphasize the drama and twists of the story.

Surprisingly dark but really enjoyable. I know I'm being a little strict with my criticisms, but the author has soooooo much potential. I can't wait to read more. The backmatter with blurbs of her other books totally hooked me.

I give it a 4 star - this might change if I convince myself to give it 5 in the next few hours!

Samantha Hayes is very good at writing in the psychological genre. I find her books go straight into the suspense and they keep going until the end. What would you do if your daughter came home engaged to a man twice her age? Not only that but he is someone from your past? Not only that but your husband has no idea of what you were before you met him. It was one of those books that you just cannot read fast enough. you would do anything to protect your life and the people you love.

A really good read I would recommend to anyone!

Thank you for the advance copy.

This was a great psychological thriller with so many twists and turns. It had a unique storyline and I certainly didn’t know what to expect.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get into this one and it was a DNF for me. Please do read it for yourself as there are great reviews out there.

Hannah thought she left her past behind her. Her daughter, Belle, brings it back when she comes home from a trip engaged to a man from her past life. The book is told from the past and the present as Hannah tries to keep her secrets from her husband and to get her daughter away from Jack. I found the book suspenseful but felt the twist at the end of the book came out of nowhere.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a great psychological thriller. It is a slow burn but it still had me hooked. I had no idea how Hannah was going to get Belle out of the mess she was unknowingly in. I did find Belle came across as incredibly naive and immature which made her chapters frustrating to read. I thought the twist was super obvious and then we got the explosive end and I was not expecting that.

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Samantha Hayes books always pack a punch with a lot of twists and turns with a lot of surprises along the way.

Wow what a book!! Samantha Hayes has well and truly delivered with this book. This is without a doubt my favourite by Hayes.

The Engagement is an interesting read, highly addictive and completely thrilling. There are so many twists in the pages that keep you guessing and wanting more. I have adored this book from beginning to end.

The characters that fill the pages of this one are so interesting. It becomes impossible to put this one down. I devoured page after page in just one sitting.

The Engagement is such a clever read, this is one that I have been captivated by. I have loved how Hayes has made me feel like I’ve been watching this play out in front of me.

I have been left completely speechless, the twists Hayes has included have been completely shocking and unpredictable. I have definitely had the rug pulled from beneath my feet in this one.

I’ve read many books by this author and this is definitely a favourite. This is a gem and one I highly recommend.

I feel like I say it about every book haha but I genuinely felt that I couldn't put this one down, as a mum myself I know like many other parents we only want the very best for our children so you can imagine the horror you'd face as a parent if your child brought home someone you know that is not a nice and genuine person.

That's what happens in this story, I don't want to give too much away so I highly suggest you read this one for yourself and I guarantee you will be addicted just as much as I was. I've recommended this one on many of the book groups I'm a part of on social media.

I read Tell Me A Secret 5 years ago and loved it! I’m always looking for a Samantha Hayes thriller! I could not put this down, it completely messed with my mind! Without giving it away… this is fast paced and there’s twists at every chapter. This story feels authentic with the topic of sex workers and you can tell Hayes did her research! Fantastic!

Wowee what a read. Could not put this book down. Absolutely gripping read. I have already purchased this for my Mum. I can't recommend this book enough.

I really wanted to love this book but ultimately had to give it only a 3-star rating. The synopsis caught my attention right away, the book on the other hand, took almost all the way to the end to catch it again. The first two-thirds of the book was a slow burn. I was tempted to not finish it because of how slow it was moving. The only books I do not finish though are ARCs. The end of the book bumped the number of stars this book received. It was fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat, needing to know what is going to happen next type of ending. If you are one that doesn’t mind when a book is mostly a slow burn then you’ll probably love this book. Overall, it was well-written and had a great storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Samantha Hayes for providing an advance copy of this novel in return for my honest review.

3 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Every time I start a Samantha Hayes book, I immediately have high expectations that it will compare to the first one I ever read - Date Night. None of them have come close to how much I loved that one. Maybe I need to try and stop doing that!

This was a decent, psychological thriller. I really enjoyed the first half, but towards the middle it felt like it just lagged. It was predictable and slow at times. I’m not a fan of slow burn thrillers. I want teasers to give some clues - something to keep me on the edge of my seat. This book didn’t do that.

There are a couple of dark topics in this book - including human trafficking.

Recommended for those who enjoy a slower thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Samantha Hayes for my advanced copy to read and review.