If I remember rightly, it was at about the turn of the millennium that my mum had a special birthday. And for it, the family clubbed together to buy a ride in a hot air balloon.

I recall the brochure advising us to bring twice as much camera film - yes, film, that's how long ago we're talking - as we thought we would need, and they were right. Don't forget that in those days, there was no such thing as Google Earth. The only sensation that I, and I suspect everyone else there had previously had of seeing the world from the sky had been from peering out of the tiny window of a commercial aeroplane.

The balloon was far, far better. Your view was unrestricted and you were closer to the ground, so it really did feel as though I was seeing places that I thought I knew, but from a completely different perspective and in a whole new level of detail.

There were other new sensations, too. I don't know why, but for some reason I had expected it to feel cold at however many thousand feet in the air. But it didn't, because of course the balloon moved with the wind. Which meant that the breeze that had been apparent on the ground was non-existent up in the sky.

It was a fantastic experience, but here's the thing. I suspect that, if I were to go up in a hot air balloon again today, I have no doubt that the organisers would still do everything they could to make it the best possible experience. And yet I suspect that I still wouldn't be wowed in the same way. Partly this is because I've done it before and know how it feels, and partly it's because, thanks to the aforementioned Google Earth, I know how it looks as well.

This brings me nicely to 'The Engagement' by Samantha Hayes - bear with me - because this book does what it does extremely well. The happy family dynamic of Hannah, devoted husband Rob and beautiful daughters Belle and Amber is about to be shattered when eighteen-year-old Belle returns from her first solo holiday to announce her engagement to 'Jack'. Hannah knows that this did not happen by chance. Because Jack is someone that she herself escaped from years ago. And she has kept this secret ever since ...

It's a fantastic premise, and from there the reader is easily drawn into 'past' and 'present' storylines. The 'past' storyline is told with both sensitivity and insight, and it doesn't matter that the reader already knows that Hannah ultimately escapes it because we still want to know how. Meanwhile, we also think we know where the 'present' storyline is going but that doesn't matter either, because we can still scream at the characters to wake up and realise what's really going on.

I really enjoyed the book and was compelled to carry on reading to the finish as quickly as possible. However, there's a problem. I'm not for a minute trying to suggest that this book is a copy of anything else, but at the same time it didn't really contain anything that I haven't read before in a psychological thriller. I suppose it felt a little bit like going on a hot air balloon ride for a second time. It's very, very enjoyable, but the initial wow factor has been lost.

The ending of the book was kind of a continuation of that. It's very well done and I certainly hadn't seen it coming, but at the same time it wasn't enough to leave me open-mouthed. I actually found myself feeling a little bit annoyed that one or more characters hadn't admitted to their closely-guarded secrets earlier, which could have saved them a great deal of trouble.

Ultimately, however, 'The Engagement' is a fairly easy and yet gripping read. It's for this reason, together with its many, many good points that it gets an easy four stars. If you're a bit less jaded than me, there's every possibility that you'll end up loving it.

My thanks to Bookouture for my inclusion on the blog tour. I will post my review on Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram and my personal blog.

This was my first book by Samantha Hayes. I did enjoy it but I felt like something was missing. I can't point my finger on it. Maybe it was the ending felt rushed or I guessed the ending. The character development was good. The writing style was great but still wasn't 5 star for me. I would give it 3.5 stars

Well that was a twist that I never saw coming and then there was another one! Don't want to say much and give anything away but recommend this one. Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

The Engagement by Samantha Hayes was a tense, psychological thriller that enveloped me right from the beginning. So many lies and so many secrets, all of which are revealed in the last few chapters of the book and the twists which I could never guess. Even though the book felt a bit long and drawn out, I enjoyed the multiple PoVs , dual timelines, dark and gritty premise and absolutely stellar writing but the icing on the cake was one last surprise in the epilogue that shows what a masterful storyteller Samantha Hayes is.

Thank you @netgalley and @bookouture for the digital ARC. The book is out now.

Another suspenseful and thrilling read this month from NetGalley! So thankful I was given the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy. How our past comes back to haunt you is the main theme from this book. How far do you go to keep your family safe - to what end? I loved this read and the dark secrets that were revealed.

A nice easy read, a little slow in parts but all tied nicely at the end with a little suprise! Thank you to Netgalley & the author for the opportunity to read for an honest review!

Samantha Hayes is one of my ‘go to’ (favourite) authors, so I was excited to read her latest psychological thriller, The Engagement.

The storyline was intriguing from the outset, with excellent character development of a wide array of people. From despicable, totally unlikeable ones to those who pull your heart strings.

With dual timelines from Molly in the past, to Hannah and Belle in the present, the story draws you in well.

Samantha Hayes employs thorough research in writing about Molly’s past, handling a very challenging subject with disturbing clarity, raising full awareness of an area not often covered in books. And yet, sparing the reader from some of the unnecessary darker details.

Hannah, in the present, is facing every parents nightmare, whilst dealing with issues from her past resurfacing and haunting her.

This book is a multi-layered, twisty dark tale, which gathers pace hugely towards the end, guaranteeing the book is unputdownable. Somehow, the various strands are all brought together skilfully, making this a powerful read.

Belle shows up back home a day later than expected. However, after being gone for a few months in France, she comes home with a fiancé in tow, Jack. Her parents, especially her mother, are shocked. Why is her mother even more shocked that her father? Aside from the fact that Jack is at least twice Belle’s age, her mother Hannah recognizes him from her disturbing past, and the man she never hoped to see again is not named Jack.

While Hannah struggles to determine how this man ended up with her eighteen-year-old daughter and what his end game is, her dark past is slowly revealed. Hannah has kept this past a secret, one she never expected to face. It slowly becomes clear that Hannah‘s past was that she was deeply involved in the sex work business. How she came from that to where she is now with what has been a happy marriage with two children and a good life does not even seem possible. Lies and secrets had been working for Hannah but the truth is certain to come to light, and the level of danger that now faces Hannah is certain to upset her carefully orchestrated life.

Samantha Hayes has written a banger of a story, one dark and devastating, full of twists and turns that captured my attention from the very start. This book was impossible to put down, especially when the reader is forced to balance Hannah‘s past with her present while seeing in what ways Jack planned on exposing something she never thought would be revealed. This powerful book delivered a hard punch and came to a close with a shocking ending. Kudos to Ms. Hayes for writing such an effective story.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/rjypDbu7TOc

What a suspenseful thrilling read. What would you do to keep your family safe? Hannah knows that she can’t allow someone from her past to destroy her family. But how can she stop him?
Belle is happy & in love and she can’t understand why her parents can’t be happy for her. He is much older than her but he treats her so well. Jack knows that he can make Hannah’s life miserable and he will use any means necessary. He wants what Hannah took all those years ago and he won’t stop until he makes her pay.
How can Hannah get away from her past before anyone finds out everything?
Another great read by Samantha always a great read.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher Bookouture for the ARC copy. This is my voluntary review.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was sold at the description! Hannah's 18 year old daughter returns home from a trip to Paris engaged to a man more that twice her age and he's someone from Hannah's past.

This book was a great thriller that I didn't want to put down. Honestly, I thought I had the mystery figured out - which I did but the ending totally shocked me and added an unexpected twist to the book.

The timeline goes between then and now which helped to see the reasoning behind Hannah's actions. It was also good to see the reasoning why Hannah was such a hovering mom. A great story on how your past can come back to haunt you.

Wow, wow, wow this book was a wild ride! After finishing I've just had to put it down and tell everyone I know!!

It covered some difficult themes and really makes you think about what happens to people who don't have support, it was a thrilling read

This is the first I’ve read by the author and it was just ok. Most things were discussed over and over which made the book boring to me. The cover is better than the story.

I received this ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! What a twisty read this was, the opening pages just grip and intrigue you so you can’t help but read more and more.

I loved the back and forth between Then and Now because you got to learn more about why Jack was back and what his end game was with Belle but I soon figured out what he wanted from Hannah but the question was how was she going to give him what he wanted ?.

When 18-year-old Belle comes home from her time in France, and brings a new fiance' with her, her mother Hannah is horrified. Not just because he is a couple of decades older than Belle. Or that Belle is just barely no longer a minor. Those things are bad enough. But the worst thing is, Jack is a man from her past. Someone she had hoped to never see again. Now she has to stop the wedding at all costs. Hannah has to make sure that Jack doesn't take Belle down the same path she once had to follow. But he keeps raising the stakes, and Belle just won't believe that this is not the man of her dreams.....
I love this author's books. They are always full of twists and turns that you are not expecting. This book did not disappoint. I really liked Hannah. She was a bit over-bearing as a mother, but you see why later in the book. She was an excellent boss, though, and had a great heart. Belle was very immature and self-centered, which made her easy prey for scum like Jack. The book did a great job describing the deplorable conditions in a brothel and the kind of life those women have to live in order to just survive. I liked that the story was told in alternating parts between past and present, so you got Hannah's backstory slowly entertwined with the present day. I guessed part of the twists, but the one at the end really knocked me for a loop. If you enjoy a thriller with lots of suspense and twists, then you need to check this out.

Samantha Hayes' new book, "The Engagement" is intriguing and disturbing. Written through different POVs, the reader learns about Hannah- her past and present. Unfortunately, her past did not stay in the past and a mother's worst nightmare come back to haunt her freshly 18 year old daughter, Bella. Through twists and turns, the reader goes on the journey with Bella and Hannah. But will there be a happy ending?

Another stunning psychological thriller from Samantha Hayes. A parent's worse nightmare - a young daughter not even finished Sixth Form who comes home engaged to an older man. A lot more secrets emerge as backstories take you into darker times. A really great read with some amazing twists.

The Engagement is one of the most thrilling books I've read. The suspense keeps building until you can't take it anymore and you'll be reading far longer than you anticipated. Samantha Hayes does a masterful job of creating a story that will keep you on edge with characters you deeply care about but can't quite figure out how the past and present fit together. The book is told in two timelines and you get little pieces of what happened back then before it bounces forward to current day. Sometimes I don't like books presented that way, but it made this one even more exciting as you're constantly guessing what happened.

Hannah had a rough start in life, but now has a partner and two daughters that she loves with all her heart. Hannah and Rob have been together for years and have a daughter Amber together. Belle is the older daughter that Hannah had before she met Rob. She doesn't talk much about the father and just says he's not around. Rob has stepped up and been a father to Belle in every sense of the word. They're a very happy family. When Belle is in France for 2 months as part of her language program she's not doing what her parents think she is. Belle met a man, Jack, before she left for France and he goes to France with her. Belle falls head over heels in love with Jack even though he's 20 years older. Belle is 18 years old and has her senior year to finish before graduating. Jack convinces Belle that she doesn't need to finish school and that she can come work for him.

At home, Hannah and Rob are planning a surprise party for Belle's 18th birthday. The party is the day after Belle is scheduled to return from France. All of the family and her friends are coming and it's at a fancy club and has cost a lot of money. Hannah and Rob have splurged on Belle's gift, getting her a diamond ring, necklace, and bracelet. They had some disagreements about spending so much on her gift and the party, but in the end decided to do it. The day that Belle is to return, she lets Hannah know that she won't be returning until the next day. Hannah is panicked as that's the day of the party and everyone is already coming!! She also tells Hannah that she has big news. Belle tells Hannah she'll take a cab home from the airport. When she arrives with an older man that is close in age to her parents, Hannah and Rob have many concerns.

Belle then tells her parents and sister that they're engaged!!!! Why is Jack interested in an 18 year old girl? Why does Hannah turn cold and almost faint when she sees who Jack really is? Why is he calling himself Jack when that's not his name? Will Hannah's past come back to ruin her life? Is Jack here to get revenge? Is he going to hurt her daughter because of what she did? Will Hannah be able to keep her past a secret or will she have to go to the police? Will Rob find out what she did when she was younger? Will he stay? Rob is also hiding things from his past. What are the secrets he's keeping? Will they be able to keep Belle from marrying Jack? Who is the man that is following Rob? What does he want?

This book is amazing and I highly recommend that you read it. Be warned, you will want time to read, so start it on a day you have free time. I rate The Engagement 5 stars. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair review. #TheEngagement

I really enjoyed this book! I can't give away much of a synopsis without giving spoilers. But here goes:
Hannah is a woman with a past. She is shocked when her 18 year old daughter comes home from a trip, newly engaged to a man much older. But this isn't the first time Hannah has met this man. What does he want? Can Hannah convince her daughter that he isn't what he seems without blowing up the past she's tried to keep hidden?
This book was quite a ride. Though I did figure out the big twists very early on, to me that just means there were clues there and I was lucky enough to pick up on them. And that's how twists should be! Looking forward to the next read by this author!

A richly detailed story of how a past comes back to haunt. We see mistakes continue through generations as well as the human will to survive. The last few chapters are a stunner with twists coming undone and the truth finally comes out. A definite should-read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture!

A parent’s nightmare their teenage daughter going on a break and returning with an older man she has decided she wants to marry. This book captured my interest from the beginning incorporating twists throughout. I would recommend this book.