Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to hoenstly review this book. All opinions are my own and everyones tastes differ.

As someone who reads a lot of thriller books and typically enjoys them, unfortunately this one wasn't for me. I found the plot line quite predictable and have annotations from less than 20% in which accurately guess basically the entire remainder of the book even the "twists". As a whole I found the characters lacked any depth or real attributes and the dialogue between them was often quite stilted. Unfortunately it just all came across as quite juvenile writing. On the plus the short chapters made it a relatively quick read.

I loved reading this book, it has plenty of suspense to keep you reading, I just couldn’t put it down. This is what I call a page turner !!
The characters were great, the story was so gripping and the style of writing was perfect. I have read loads of books by this author, and I haven’t been disappointed by any of them.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading psychological thrillers.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

The premise was interesting but the delivery did not do it for me. It was a fast paced read definitely but the writing was not the best and the storyline very predictable.

The Waitress was a perfect quick thriller read. If you’re looking for a palate cleanser or a quick book to help you hit your reading goal- definitely check this out!

The characters are not that likable but the story was easy & entertaining. There were a few good twists - some I guessed and some were surprises! I wish I could give half stars because I would have rated this 3.5.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Emily Shiner for sending me an advanced copy to read and review.

2.5 stars rounded up. A rather average experience for me: predictable story, the writing didn't blow me away. The cover looks very tasty, though. Maybe I will give this author another chance in the future.

This book was such a page turner! I was immediately gripped!
Shiner writes in such a filmic way, I was imagining the book as a Netflix series!
Early on, I really thought this book would be a 5* read, but unfortunately the more the book went on, the more bizarre it became.
This book ended so abruptly, the ending and the entire later part of the book felt so rushed.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and looks forward to what Emily Shiner does next as I really liked her writing style - but it's just like she ran out of words, or ran out of time at the end to finish the book 'properly'

Truly believe this book was predictable and redundant. No major gasps and title kind of gave it away.

Anne Marie is a single mom working to make ends meet. Her 16 year old son begins to get threatening notes, how far is she willing to go to protect her son?


Though predictable, I enjoyed reading this book

This book is about how far a mother might go to protect her child, but it's also about we delude ourselves about the people around us. The author does a great job of creating an atmosphere of queasy tension within an ordinary domestic setting. There's nothing that doesn't feel as if it could actually happen within the context of the MC's hand-to-mouth existence. The issue I had is that the MC is SO MUCH of a doormat it almost defies belief and it made this a less-than-enjoyable reading experience for me.

I would check out other books by this author, I just couldn't get over wanting to shake this woman for the majority of the book.

This was an excellent read! This would be a heavy 4.5 stars, so I've rounded up to 5 stars for my rating. I definitely, definitely recommend this book!

We follow along with Anne Marie, the single mother of an out-of-hand 16-year-old son, whom she adores, but seems to have an amount of fear of. She knows deep down he is a good boy, and she continually says this throughout the book, however, she just can't catch a break....

Until one day, he starts being kind and helping her. He's thoughtful, and considerate of her and their situation. Anne Marie can't figure out the change, but she is grateful for it.

Until she learns what brought the change about. That discovery sets her on a path of dire consequence. Is there any way to save her own son, and bring out the 'good boy' that she knows he truly has deep down?

Thank you to NetGalley and to Inkubator Books, the publisher, and also thank you to the author for the opportunity to review an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

The Waitress was a meaty thriller - lots of action, lots of emotion and flushed out characters. The book was suspenseful - who is the actual bad person in this book? Maybe all is not as it seems for this waitress and mother who will go to the ends of the earth to protect her son.

Very good read, I really enjoyed the story and the characters who are lifelike and sympathetic. You can feel Anne Marie's struggle and pain.

This book presents a complex exploration of maternal devotion and the complicated dynamics within the family. The main character's unwavering commitment to her son's protection is a central theme but unfortunately becomes repetitive, overshadowing other elements of the narrative. Her constant affirmations about her son's goodness and her perceived weakness left me feeling annoyed, despite son's blatant lack of care and misbehaviors, she continues to want others to see her son is changing. and is good. The title of this book is The Waitress, which does not align with focus being on the son. The storyline's weaknesses are evident, primarily in the lack of cohesion and resolution of issues raised throughout the book. The progression of the son's behavior at age 16 remains a focal point, and no accountability for his actions are inconceivable.

I spent an afternoon lost in this book and really enjoyed it. Its pretty predictable but I liked the waitress angle for a bit of a change. The characters were well written and multidimensional and it's fast paced with short, engaging chapters so was super easy to just plough through in one sitting. Not reinventing the wheel but still a decent thriller

The Waitress
by Emily Shiner
Thank you Netgalley, Emily Shiner, and Inkubator books for the ebook!!

I gave the book 2 stars. It seemed just too predictable and Of course, the blackmailer from chapter two was givenaway. By the end, I felt there was not a person to connect or feel for.

Thank you to Inkubator books for allowing me access to this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was one that I had not heard much about and I really did not know what to expect. I am really glad I went in with very little understanding of the narrative as it totally and utterly blew me away!

From the moment we met Anne-Marie, I was drawn to her very multi-dimensional personality and this is what really steered the novel for me. The way in which the narrative unravelled at such a chaotic speed left me wanting more every time I put it down!

I love books that leave me questioning everyones intentions and integrity and the novel did this to me right until the very end!

I really enjoyed this book! It kept me guessing, and I couldn't put it down! I did get annoyed with the mom at times, sometimes I thought she was portrayed as too much of a pushover and it was frustrating! I loved the ending though and that made it all worth it! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Told from rhe pov of Anne Marie a singke mum to Dave. This is fast pact and deals with complex questions how far should you go to protect your child and what effect can you child doing really bad things have on the relationship and how do you reconcile the son you have now nearly a man with the well behaved littlw boy.
I found ot fast paced. Im places i was like surely there would be visable evidence. The actual crimes were ott its only when you strip it back and focus on the relationship told by pov that you appreciate how good this really is. There is never a line for anne marie she wants her little boy back and the final reveal shows she will do anything to get it. Much as i was deeply shocked by the lack of justice for the crimes commited i understood this was an important part of the story. I rightly gueesed the identitybof the blackmailer early on . I would like to have seen more about the side characters they seemed to be put on to progress the story. The length was fairly short and this gocus on the mother son relationship the crimes were just part of that. I throughly enjoyed this and would recommended it to anyone who likes a good relationship pov story with the odd crime .look beyond the crime to this is character driven story. It a solid 4. 5 star read gor me.
Thank you netgallery and publisher and author.

I was on the wall about this book. It was more or less believable and the normalcy of the setting added to the desperation of the storyline but I wasn’t really into the characters.
The pace was fast and the writing style easy to read, the plot fairly well written but nothing to really stand out and grab my attention.
I really disliked Dave and few hoping he would turn more likeable but instead grew more hateful.

Another fantastic book by Emily Shiner, The Waitress had me completely gripped all the way through, loved the little twist at the end!!

The Waitress by Emily Shiner was so good I ended up reading it all day especially as it was an easy read that will have you gripped from the beginning till the very last page.

Secrets can be kept. If you’re willing to pay the price.

But we all know that, secrets have a way of coming out and when they do they will always destroy things that are always in its way!

Anne Marie’s life isn’t easy. She’s a single mom in a dead-end waitressing job with a beater car and bills to pay. Adding to the pressure, her teenage son, Dave, is out of control, and no matter what she does, Anne Marie can’t seem to get through to him. Scream!!!!

Then, out of the blue, Dave completely changes. EH!
He’s kind, he’s thoughtful, he helps out around the house and looks after his mom. Anne Marie can’t believe her luck.

Has he had a bang on his head??

She then discovers the real reason for her son’s sudden transformation, he’s done something really awful and he’s terrified he’ll be caught. What could be so bad for him to change so much!!
But, someone out there knows what he has done and they are blackmailing him.

What has he done thats So bad?

As a mother, Anne Marie is desperate to protect her son and knows she has to somehow stop the blackmailer. But how?

As she considers her choices, But, Anne Marie realises she may be taking the first steps on a path that will lead her straight to the gates of hell.

But, How far is she willing to go to save her only child?

WoW this book was excellent and a great holiday read. I loved it. But don't start reading it if you are about to go to bed! It will be hard to put down once you start reading it!

Big Thank you to Netgalley and Inkubator Books for access to this arc in exchange for my honest review.