The phantom child was a gripping emotional thriller which had me guessing from start to finish. It was such a rollercoaster of a read which I wasn’t sure how it was going to end was she out of her mind or not. There was many twists and turns which made it all the more gripping. There was parts were my heart was breaking and other parts were I was gasping out loud. The twist at the end was definitely jaw dropping.

Karina goes on a luxury villa in Turkey with her husband, Ronan, and her four-year-old son, Jacob, she thinks it will be a chance to relax and get her marriage back on track after a difficult period. But on their first morning, Karina is startled to discover she’s slept in late and not been woken by Jacob. She rushes to his room, but his bed is empty and he’s nowhere to be found in the villa. But when she wakes Ronan, he says he has no idea what she’s talking about. They don’t have any children, and he’s certainly never heard of a boy called Jacob. What has happened to Jacob or is he Karina imagination.

This was a brilliant fast faced thriller which I can’t wait to recommend thanks to netgallery and the publisher for my advanced copy.

What a ride!

This book was a thrilling, heartbreaking, emotional, and psychological mix. I really couldn’t decipher whether she was really out of her mind or not. And all that lost time! It was so heart breaking, but truly showed the strength and length a mother’s love is willing to go. And that twist at the end I definitely wasn’t expecting, though I did wonder why they added that other character in so briefly.

Such a good read, it definitely kept me on my toes and unsure. Recommended!

Thank you very much for this eARC that was generously provided by the publisher and author via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A winding rollercoaster of a psychological thriller. You never know when to expect the next twist nor what it will be! Well rounded characters and a gripping plot make this book an excellent read.

I found myself reading this book in the most awkward positions as I just couldn't relax. I needed to know where the story was going and the tension was so well-written that I felt a kind of nervousness that made me want to move (I know...I’m weird).
As a mother myself, I had clear flashbacks of the times I lost my own kids….there is no worse feeling than that. Telling a mother she never had a child is the most psychological torture there is.
The story was filled with twists and turns but was nicely woven into each other, so I didn't have any questions moving forward. The flow was sublime.
The story is fast-paced which works very well. The characters, however, were highly dislikable which was kinda okay for this story as you don't trust any of them. Karina was too gullible and easy to manipulate for my taste. There were some moments when I wondered why she didn't do certain things (no spoilers) but hey….it is fiction.
Overall I really enjoyed this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, NetGalley, and IPG for this ARC.

WOWZA!!! WHAT A RIDE!!! As a mother this book made me so angry, heartbreaking, and sad in so many ways! I was so wrapped up on the story and finished it in a day. I just can't even imagine! The story moved effortlessly and the characters grew. It was well thought out and trippy. I will definitely be recommending this book!

WOW what a roller coaster!! Perfectly crafted, full of suspense and with many twists and turns!

The author was really kind in the trigger warnings. I didn’t have any but I loved the heads-up.
Although this is in fact a psychological thriller, it seemed at times I was reading a fantasy book. There were elements that were a bit too unbelievable. Or maybe I was just going as crazy as the main character! That is why I read this in just two sittings: I was as confused as Karina, agreeing with her thoughts, wanting the truth to come to light.
The whole plot was unique, I had never read a book like this before and that’s saying a lot because I read dozens of psychological thrillers every year!
It is a very memorable story. Fast paced and unpredictable, this is a thriller to watch out for!

Wow, this was such a wild ride! I loved majority of the moments. I felt like I was going crazy with the main character. Such shocking twists. My jaw DROPPED at the main twist. I was so shook. Wonderful writing, it makes you want to keep turning the pages to try to find out what is real.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publishers to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

AJ Wills is definitely one of my favourite authors right now, as I always I get gripped immediately and kept hooked by the unexpected twists and turns.

Fantastic book with several epic twists. Gripping right to the very end. It's one of the best books I've read in a long time, and couldn't put it down. Can't wait to see what the author comes out with next!

This is the first book I've read by AJ Wills and WOW! What a book! The storyline had me gripped from the every first chapter. The twists were phenomenal. Highly recommend this book! 10/10

Good storyline! Had you guessing through most of it. Will defiently recommend this book to others! Easy to read and kept you hook through the whole book.

✨ A R C R E V I E W ✨
📖: The Phantom Child by AJ Wills
📚: 3/50
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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Review:
This book had me up till 4 am looking for answers. I was so excited about this book just because the cover was enticing, then I started reading it and didn’t stop till I fell asleep. Immediately I woke back up and finished it, it was so good! I hate the thrillers where you can see the plot twist coming, this one actually caught me off guard and I didn’t guess it. There were multiple plot twists! This book kept me on my toes wanting more! I have never read/heard of this author till now, I did check and he does have more psychological thrillers to check out so I’m thrilled!

Blurb:
With cracks beginning to show in her marriage, Karina thinks a short break to a luxury villa in Turkey with her husband, Ronan, and their four-year-old son, Jacob, is just what the family needs.
It’ll be a chance to relax, enjoy some good food, and more importantly to reconnect with the people she loves the most.
But on their first morning, Karina is startled to discover she’s slept in late and not been woken by Jacob.
He’s an early riser who always comes into their bed pestering them to make him breakfast.
So where is he? A needle of fear spikes through Karina’s veins.
She rushes to his room, but his bed is empty and he’s nowhere to be found in the villa.
But when she wakes Ronan, frantic with worry, and tells him their son is missing, he stares at her blankly.
He says he has no idea what she’s talking about. They don’t have any children, and he’s certainly never heard of a boy called Jacob…

Read this if you enjoy:
🤍 Psychological thrillers
🩶 Multiple plot twists
🤍 Short chapters
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I would like to thank NetGalley, Victory Editing, and AJ Wills for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own!
This title releases on 2.1.24!
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🏷️: #NetGalley

What a page turner, this definitely kept me on my toes! While it is filled with unlikable characters, this book is utterly chilling. I kept changing my mind as to whether Karina was totally crazy, or not, and it’s one of those stories where you feel like you can’t trust anyone!!

I did find Karina herself unlikeable. This is because I found her to be utterly gullible, naive and unhelpful to her own plight, which frustrated me. I wanted to scream at her in points for being such an idiot! I enjoyed the fast pace, especially the ending.

Thank you for this one, I loved it and will be purchasing the hard copy!!

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reading copy of this book.

The storyline/synopsis of this book held a lot promise.
The start of the book held my interest. Could someone's child "disappear " while on vacation, and no one saw anything? The story got a little far fetched for me when Ronan is able to convince Katarina that they never had a son at all. When the story jumps 10 years into the future, it completely lost my attention.

2 out of 5 ⭐️

I'm a fan of AJ Wills, and this did not disappoint.

Jacob is the apple of his mum's eye. At 4 years old, Ronan, his step dad, booked their first family holiday abroad.
They're off to Turkey!
Karina is undoubtedly stressed with life with a 4 year old (been there, done that) along with making sure everything is packed and things go to plan for the most perfect holiday.
After tucking Jacob up into bed on the first night of their much needed holiday, what could go wrong? Why does nobody believe her? Is she losing her mind?

This book was brilliant. It was fast paced and it threw in umpteen twists and turns.
It's a ride!

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the title, the cover and the premise of this book. The Phantom Child is a twisted psychological thriller that has a disturbing and intriguing plot and good prose. It takes you down several roads that curve and swirl and pique your interest. AJ Willis's story about a woman whose child goes missing, then is gaslighted into believing she never had a child immediately grabbed my attention. Will you believe Karina (the mother) that her child is missing, or everyone else around her that she never had a child? Unfortunately, the way the story unfolded made almost everything unbelievable. Karina is weak, gullible, way too trusting and very easily manipulated. However, towards the end she makes bold moves and gets into confrontations that seem completely out of character. I'm still trying to rationalize how she never went to the police, or even earnestly tried to prove the child's existence. Ronan and Sammy (her husband and ex-husband) execute the worst case of gaslighting I have ever seen, which almost redeemed the book. However, Karina's behavior kept derailing my convictions. Additionally, the ending was just too far-fetched. Overall, I wouldn't tell anybody not to bother reading the book, it does work for some people. Thanks to NetGallery and Cherry Tree Publishing for the free advance review copy; my review is voluntary.

📖This book was such an intense read! I started reading it as soon as I got the confirmation mail, and I couldn't put it down for the next two hours. The language is easy, and the plot is captivating, the perfect cocktail for a thriller you cannot simply desert halfway. I was empathising with Karina to the point that I absolutely dreaded her falling asleep again, fearing her waking up to yet another life-altering change.
📖 The showdown with Sammy and Karina, both declaring their own perspectives to Jacob, was very well portrayed. The writing conveyed the tension of the situation perfectly well.
📖 There were certain legal aspects that, I feel, could have been better portrayed : for example, how Ronan got married to Karina with official convictions, how the Turkish police took Ronan's words at face value, why Karina didn't think about checking her online tickets, etc.,
📖 The plot twist regarding Jacob's birth was unexpected and incorporated really well into the overall plot. However, I had some difficulty comprehending why Sammy didn't expose the truth to Jacob during the airport scene. It does not seem to be in conjunction with his character, to take that humane step back.
📖 Continuing with that point, I felt that the reveal of Jacob's truth, alongwith the fact that Sammy had full knowledge of it, lessened the force of his motive a great deal. I would have loved to see some more coverage on him, to understand the true extent and inspirations of his villainy. Ronan's general equation with Jacob also deserved some more limelight in the book, especially considering how the former ended up.
📖 Overall, the book had a compelling writing style, and a solid plot overall. It manages to keep you on tenterhooks, and commands all your attention for all the 255 pages. Thoroughly enjoyed it and looking forward to reading more of the author's works.

Short Review posted and links included : Instagram, LinkedIn, Goodreads
Run Date for this long review : 2nd February 2024
Platforms for the long review : Instagram, Medium Blog, LinkedIn, Goodreads

First of all, big thank you to NetGalley, Cherry Tree Publishing and AJ Wills for giving me the opportunity to do this ARC!

What a great book! This whole plot was a first for me. I’ve never read something like this before. Which is always exciting when that happens! This book is a thriller and it keeps you flying through it. The writing is very good and the book is fast paced. Karina, our FMC is going through a mothers worst nightmare. Her child disappears while on a family vacation by the time they wake up in the morning. The kicker is, no one but her claims that he ever existed. The twists are incredible. And I kept putting myself in Karina’s shoes. What an absolutely insane situation this would be! I highly recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a quick read thriller!

I was pulled in by the concept of the tag line - a mother with a missing child but maybe the child never existed. This was fascinating and I jumped at a chance to read.

The story moves quickly into the plot and I enjoyed the questions it gave me - was he real? Surely he can't be because a mother wouldn't believe he wasn't?

This was where I had to stretch my belief a little because as a mother I find it hard to believe that a mother could ever have this dilemma in the first place. So I had to have a bit of a jump to accept that plot point and immerse in the story but I found myself able to.

I did wonder why on earth she never went to the police - I wanted to scream at her to find a birth certificate!

I didn't see the twist at all, so that certainly have it an unexpected angle!

Thank you to Netgalley and Cherry Tree Publishing for my advance copy.

The gripped me from the start. I couldn’t put it down and read way past my bedtime. Highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this ARC in exchange for my honest review.