This was twisty and gripping. Aww, I thought I had it!

Joanne is married to Richard and they have a 4-month-old baby girl, Evie. They live in a gorgeous 5-bedroom country home in a quiet village near Chertsey. Richard has an adult daughter Chloe with his late wife but is estranged when he remarried. Chloe has a change of heart and wants to be part of her half-sister's life and decides she wants to move in.

Grab your popcorn! Don't Let Her Stay is an engaging and fast-paced psych thriller. I really enjoy the story which at first seemed pretty tame, but I had a lot of fun with this family dynamic. I feel that someone will have to constantly look over their shoulder. Who can you really trust?

I listened to this terrific audiobook narrated by Penelope Rawlins. I enjoyed her voice and glad I have two more books read by her on my shelf.

Thank you Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for this ALC.

The intro to Don’t Let Her Stay is a well executed hook. We’re dropped into an intense survival situation, a woman attempting to escape with her baby. It definitely worked well to pull me into the story, and then once I was on the hook we jump back three weeks or so to learn of the events leading up to that intro. Joanne is a relatively new mother. She’s happy. She was an adorable bundle of joy, a loving husband, and they live in a nice house…aka she has a lot to lose. Just as she is thinking about going back to work, part time, and is intending to hire a nanny her husband’s somewhat estranged daughter Chloe shows up…looking to patch things up with her dad, even weaseling her way into moving in and taking the role of nanny. Right away you can feel the tension between the Chloe and Joanne. Joanne is being nothing but nice and welcoming while Chloe comes across as one massive/entitled *bleep!*. And things only escalate from there. The story is tense, filled with twists, and I found myself wanting to yell at the characters from time to time as I listened, lol. This is quick and entertaining story that’s made me want to check out Nicola’s previous book. Penelope Rawlins does an excellent job wit the narration. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5. I’d like to thank Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of the audio version of Don’t Let Her Stay.

https://www.amazon.com/review/RPQRKXLJKUFMO/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Don't Let Her Stay had me from the very beginning. Nothing is what is seems and right when you think you have it figured out, you start second guessing yourself. I figured it out but the twists and turns kept me going back and forth. The Narrator did such a good job with all of the characters and the story was well done, though I felt it a bit repetitive in parts. If you like phycological twists and turns kinds of books, this book is for you. I look forward to reading more from Nicola Sanders and thanks to NetGalley for the chance to listen to this audiobook.

Don’t Let Her Stay
By Nicola Sanders
Publish date: March 7
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @netgalley and @dreamscapemedia for an audiobook ARC of Don’t Let Her Stay in return for my honest review.

Joanne is living her dream come true - a quiet life in the countryside. A beautiful baby girl. A new, much older doting husband. A sprawling house with six bedrooms to fill with the laughter of future children.

…Or is this just the life that her husband has made her think that she wants?

Joanne’s husband Richard is a real… Dick! Talk about gaslighting.
When his long lost 21 year old daughter Chloe appears on their doorstep, Joanne can’t help but notice that she acts much differently when her father isn’t around.
As her husband’s secrets start to reveal themselves, we don’t know who to trust.

Is Chloe up to something sinister?
Or is Joanne suffering from postpartum psychosis like her own mother?

This is a fast paced read that you won’t be able to put down. The writing is fluid and the dialog develops the characters in such a natural way.

This was SO GOOD as an audiobook!
Penelope Rawlins did an outstanding job narrating the different characters.

Read this if you like…
🧠 Psychological thrillers
🫣 Suspense
👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Domestic fiction
👧🏼 Creepy step-kids
🌪️ Lots of twists and turns
😅 Edge of your seat page turners
📖 Wide open endings

Thank you to Nicola Sanders and NetGalley for this audio-arc in exchange for my honest feedback and review.

Joann and Richard seem like the perfect couple, big country home, beautiful baby girl, and a wonderful marriage. When Richard's adult daughter from a previous marriage comes to visit and meet her baby sister Joann is surprised by how Chloe acts around her. Chloe seems to be the ultimate daddy's girl and seems to resent baby Evie and Joann. When Richard's past comes to light who can Joann believe?

I found this domestic thriller entertaining and it did keep my attention. However, the characters got on my ever last nerve. I won't go into detail as not to spoil it but I didn't like any of them at all. I listened to this book on 1.5 speed and found the narrator quite good to listen to. I was able to finish this book in just a couple of days. If you have a long journey and are looking for a quick listen this summer definitely check this one out!

Don't Let Her Stay by Nicola Sanders

Johanne is married with a 4 month year old baby girl. Her and her rich husband are settling into there new home when Chloe decides to come live with them. Chloe is Richard's daughter from a previous marriage. Chloe is in her 20's and causes all kind of havoc in the home.

This was a very face paced twisty read that keeps you on your toes. It is a domestic thriller and what you think you understand is going on is not really. There is some crazy things with Richard's previous marriage his wife is dead ruled an accident but was it really an accident?

I really enjoyed this one it was entertaining from start to finish. With one final twist towards the end which I was sort of expecting but wasn't sure. I cannot wait to read from this author again in the future.

Narrated by Penelope Rawlins who did a a clear and concise job telling this story. It was easy to follow and each character had there own voice. It was a solid four star read for me. I would recommend this twisty domestic thriller with some gaslighting thrown in to anyone who likes this type of thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for a free audio copy of Don't Let Her Stay for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book was very tense and kind of triggering for me. I am not sure why perhaps because I could see what was happening and she just would GET THE FUCK OUT until it was a desperate situation. Also, there is just no way in hell I would allow my hubs to talk to me or treat me that way, ever. I was certainly entertained so I don't regret reading this book. I think this is a me problem and not a book problem.

#DontLetHerStay
#NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape media and the author for the #gifted ALC in exchange for my honest review. Wow. What a PERFECT psychological thriller. Its been a while since I've been obsessed like this great unexpected twists and will absolutely add a physical copy to my forever shelf.

Don’t Let Her Stay
Nicola Sanders
Joanne has a loving and wonderful husband, Richard, they have a precious baby girl, Evie, and they live in a beautiful house. Life is good…until it isn’t. Chloe, Richard’s twenty-two-year-old daughter suddenly comes to stay with them during a break from school. The young woman hasn’t spoken to her father since he married Joanne two years ago. While it may sound reasonable, something wasn’t right. Could Chloe be trying to drive Joanne insane; could she be planning to kill her. When Richard is around Chloe had a change of voice and attitude.
This tale has enough twists and turns to the reader wondering what they will find on the next page. However, the ending of this book was a letdown. Penelope Rawlins, the narrator, did a superb job. This tale falls under the genre of psychological thriller.

I love an unreliable narrator! From the beginning I couldn’t help but wonder who the real bad guy is! I loved watching the dynamics of the family changed as the story unfolded. My first book by Nicola Sanders, but definitely not my last!

This book is deliciously dark and had me turning the pages at breakneck speed. This book had me thinking who can you ever really trust, surely you are safe with your husband. He tells you his daughter is sweet, but does she hold a secret.? The twists and turns in this book are crazy, i found myself constantly holding my breath. I don't think I will forget that ending easily and we need a sequel.

Joanne is a newly married mom to a baby girl living in an enormous country house in England. Her much older husband, Richard, is away all day working, and Joanna is at home with the baby with only the occasional visits from the distracted cleaner. She knows she's fortunate to have all she does, yet she misses her previous work as an estate agent. When her former employer calls her to locate some misplaced paperwork, Joanne takes the opportunity to see if there are any jobs that she could do for the company working from home. When this seems possible, Joanne eagerly begins looking for a nanny to come in a few days each week to watch her baby, Evie, while she tackles the work. Richard doesn't really seem to see the point, but he goes along with the idea. Then, out of the blue, Richard's estranged daughter Chloe gets in touch. She comes for a visit, which delights Richard, and meets Joanne and Evie for the first time. In Richard's presence, 20-year-old Chloe is all sweetness and light. When she's alone with Joanne, she becomes surly, rude, and hostile. Richard decides there's no need for a nanny when Chloe can look after the baby, and Joanne reluctantly agrees to let Chloe act as the babysitter. Joanne's mother struggled with mental illness, and when strange things start happening, she's left to wonder if she's inherited those tendencies, or if there is a more sinister explanation.

The story is very suspenseful, as you wait for the next confrontation or odd situation to happen, and as the events inevitably head toward a tragic conclusion. The one thing that always frustrates me in modern novels of this type is why on earth, in these days of cell phones, can no one record the "evil doer" and present it as evidence to those who disbelieve the victim? It's puzzling. One annoying thing, which might not be as obvious in the book but was maddening in the audio version was how many times the name Evie was mentioned . . . it seemed to be every other sentence! It was Evie crying, Evie going down for her nap, Evie needing a feed, Evie needing changed, Evie, Evie, Evie. I know the baby took up a lot of the protagonist's time and energy, but we could have left a lot of that to the imagination and not been "Evie'd" to death!

If you love twists and turns and second guessing everything this is the book for you!

Someone in your house wants you dead. It's your stepdaughter, right? .. or could it be someone else.
I found myself getting frustrated with the main character and her actions. I couldn't stop reading/listening because I had to find out what happens next. The ending was perfect but I think a sequel would be great.

The narration was clear and easy to understand.

This is a solid psychological thriller. The twists definitely kept me on my toes, but the characters did nothing for me and the ending was a little too cliffhanger-y for me. I couldn’t feel sympathetic for Joanne, and Richard just made me mad. I think fans of this genre would enjoy this book but I don’t think I’d recommend to any of my reading friends.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ARC.

Joanne is married to Richard and, together, they have baby Evie. Richard has a daughter from his previous marriage, Chloe, who has been estranged from him since he married Joanne. Suddenly, Chloe writes to say she wants to come and see Richard and meet her new baby sister. Once she's moved in, life becomes a lot harder for Joanne and she starts to wonder if she's losing her mind...

Firstly Chloe would be every step-parent's worst nightmare. Honestly. She is just so manipulative and narcissistic. As the reader, it's painfully obvious that Chloe is continually letting Joanne down, however, Sanders writing style is so convincing that you can find yourself doubting what you remember and having to flick back to check. There were times that Chloe was so awful it made me uncomfortable to continue - because I was so infuriated by her - that I actually had to step away from the book.

Joanne is a FRUSTRATING character. She wants to be seen as the "good" step-mother so initially she constantly lets things slide figuring it'll get better. As a step-parent myself, it's a very difficult road to walk, and I understand her biting her tongue to keep the peace. But there are some things that are too large to be overlooked, were I her, I would've called them out. I found myself muttering aloud about Joanne's lack of backbone several times!

Richard was also a pretty awful character. He hasn't told Joanne about his past and has allowed her to make assumptions (that he knows she has made and yet he's never corrected them). He's condescending and priggish and, from what we experience of him, I don't think Joanne was lucky to be married to him, nor that he made any effort to assist her with the changes Chloe moving in brought.

The story is relatively straight-forward, based on the synopsis, but reading it was anything but. I loved where Sanders took her characters and that they all continued to behave in a realistic manner throughout. There was no entering the realms of Dynasty here!

I loved this book! The characters really get under your skin, for various reasons, and just when you think you've got it all worked out, the rug is ripped out from under your feet and you're back to square one - or are you? Definitely looking forward to reading more from this author and also highly recommend the audiobook version for this one.

3.5 stars

I flew through this audiobook in 2 days. It kept me engaged and wondering where the story was going. Just when I thought I had it figured out the ending left me a bit surprised. This is a good book for a beach or rainy day!

I couldn’t put this book down! At first I thought it was going to be pretty predictable, but once I got past the middle I was shocked at all the twists and turns! Such a great example of a well-written physiological thriller.

this book was so good. the ending was a trip!! i was guessing back and forth so much without any real indication of where it would end up. i absolutely loved this audiobook.

Life couldn’t be better for Joanne, she has a loving husband, beautiful baby girl and a gorgeous home. But then Chloe shows up, her husbands 20 year old daughter who hasn’t spoken to him since the day he married Joanne. After Chloe arrives, strange things start to happen that make Joanne think she is losing her mind, just like her mother did. Or could something more sinister be happening?

I have been waiting for a thriller like this! I could not stop listening. I haven’t read a thriller with this much tension since Verity. There is also a high level of suspense and those twists!! I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure this one out. I really liked Joanne, she is a very relatable character especially for mothers. I was actually shocked by the ending of this one! It made me want even more the story! I don’t want to say too much and give anything away but if you are a thriller reader you are going to want to pick this one up!

What a fun read. I love these psychological family thrillers! The characters were good and quite well fleshed out, some were likeable, some were not, lol. Great twists!