I do like S. E. Lynes' novels - she's a very good writer within this genre, and this is definitely one of her best.

The Split is a linear story, aside from one scene-setting flashback at the beginning, which is quite refreshing when so many psychological thriller type books at present do so much time-jumping. (I don't mind it, but it's a bit overused.) There are two alternating point of view characters - Jessica and Will, a married couple with two young children, whose marriage has just spectacularly blown up. Works-all-hours Jessica has irrefutable evidence that stay-at-home dad Will has been having an affair. But is the situation really as it seems? (Spoiler: no.) The rupture in Will and Jessica's marriage quickly provides fertile ground for certain parties to further their own ends, as events begin to snowball fast...

This was a rollercoaster read which had me genuinely stressed at times. While it was clear there were connections between certain events and people, and a lot of manipulation afoot, it was cleverly calibrated to obscure exactly what was going on until the end. The gullibility of certain characters was frustrating at times, but we're all vulnerable sometimes, I guess.

Overall the story was far-fetched, probably, but so compulsive a read that I really didn't mind.

What an excellent read. This was very clever and hard to put down. As a reader, you can see what is going on and are powerless to stop it. A good technique. Will read more books by this author.

My Review:
Wow, wow and more wow!!!!! Another fantastic book by this fantastic author. She always keeps me on the edge of my seat. I have to say that this one really threw me for a loop. There were so many twists and turns that I did not see coming. Never would I have guessed any of them not it in a million years. What kept me so intrigued was the plot. I just can’t resist a book that has a lying dog of a husband in it. I can’t stand it when they think they can hide anything from us women. We always know when something is going on with them. Call it woman’s intuition With all this being said I just had to know what was going on in this book and fast. I swiped those pages quickly and stayed up late into the night to finish this. Let me tell you too how great those characters were too. They were all filled with secrets that were dying to come out. I was so into the unraveling of all of it. It kept me on my toes as each secret was exposed. Don’t even get me started on that ending either. It left me totally shocked and speechless. I really hated to see this one end. I can also say that this one will stay with me for a while. You will find out why when you finish it. Make sure you have tissues next to you at the end too. You will need them. I can’t wait for this authors next book. Hopefully it won’t be that long of a wait.

In conclusion, the plot, the characters and all the twists in this book made this book an enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

This had me hooked all weekend. Its a well written domestic noir. Granted the main characters are super frustrating since it colours all have been resolved if they'd just had a wee chat but then the book would never have happened so fair enough. It's very well plotted out and I was amazed at how it came together. Even when you think you know how it's going to end, I guarantee you'll still be shocked hy some of tbe amazing twists. Really good read

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookoutre for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Split by S.E. Lynes due to be published March 8, 2024.

Jessica thought she had it all with her husband will and their two children – until she receives an anonymous message “From a friend” with 26 pictures of Will with another woman. Is this the end of their relationship?
Although I did have some of this book figured out at about 40% I could not wait to see how it all came together.
All the characters were intertwined in ways I didn’t completely guess with an ending that I NEVER guessed!
This is my first book from S. E. Lynes – I can’t wait to read more – I totally enjoyed it!

.#netgalley #selynes #bookoutre #thesplit

Will and Jessica Draper have a nice life. Married for seven years with two children, they rub along nicely. Jessica is the breadwinner, with Will looking after the home and kids, plus being a part time life coach. When Jessica receives some dodgy photos via an anonymous WhatsApp message, their lives take a dramatic turn for the worse, with both letting circumstances and events run out of control.

An enjoyable read, with a nice, if predictable plot and denouement. The naivety of both the protagonists was at times frustrating, they each needed a good shake up! Although distraught by the thought of her husband having a lover, I think Jessica was more jealous of the Chanel jacket and Gucci pumps 😉.

A first for me by this author and I did like the writing style, apart from the many “wise words”, but that added to the dodgy character!

An entertaining book, will definitely look out for more by this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture.

Kaboom.......

S.E. Lynes has crafted a mindboggling winner here. It all began when I read her novel, Valentina, back in 2016. Lynes has an uncanny gift of carving out characters who reflect the flawed and the misunderstood. What she presents through her two main characters is akin to listening to their hearts beat. She gets it.

Jessica and Will seem to have it all. Like so many, they know the ins and the outs of their relationship and are accepting of the holes in the socks and the pressures of raising two children under the age of six. Love has its soft spots in which to land. It's the hard edges that can trip you up.

Will is a life coach counselor whose hours allow him to be pretty much a stay-at-home dad. Jessica doesn't have that luxury. She has a high pressure job that involves long hours and traveling. But they make it work........until an emotional bomb goes off early one morning.

Jessica scanned her emails hardly before dawn. And what she came upon threw her to the floor. "A Friend" sent her twenty-five pics of Will holding hands with an attractive woman while repeatedly entering into various hotels. It was obvious what was going on here. She wakes Will with the shake of a woman gutted to the core.

Lyne's description of shocking betrayal is so believable in its human aftermath. What transpires between these two will grab you in its clutches and won't let go. The Split is not just your ordinary tale of sexual improprieties. It is the hard leaning in of balancing out grievances with pride burning in the background. Once the match is lit, the flames can never be doused.

As a side note: The Split deserves a far better cover than the one presented. Covers are the draw to tempting what is inside. S.E. Lynes writes the good, the bad, and the indifferent facets of humanity. What you think you know about someone is certainly not what you think. Place your beloved in a pool of possibilities and watch, just watch, what happens.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Bookouture and to the talented S.E. Lynes for the opportunity.

This book had one of my very least favourite tropes - miscommunication. If the two lead characters had just talked to one another, there would have been no story. I really do dislike this plot device, and probably wouldn't have chosen to read the book if I'd known what to expect.

I do really like this author's writing. She is brilliant at writing well-developed characters and I always enjoy getting to know them. The book did hold my interest, and the ending was good.

I would personally recommend one of the author's other titles above this one (Can You See Her and Mother are my favourites), but this was a decent thriller if you can cope with the annoying miscommunication thing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

Will and Jessica have a great night out for their anniversary. The next morning photos arrive ‘from a friend’ to Jessica’s phone showing Will having an affair. From that moment their world implodes.
Will moves out and a kid stranger takes him under his wing. Meanwhile Jessica fights to maintain the life she and her children know.

This one has so many twists. What starts as a tale about an affair quickly spirals into so much more. Chapters are split between the two main characters. It isn’t until the very end when we find out the who the mysterious lady in the photos is. Or who Will’s new friend is. I feel like I was putting this together as Will was. I had suspicions (correct) but there was always so much doubt. A little far fetched but in a good way. A complete page turner. So good!

I have read and loved all of S.E. Lynes books and this one did not disappoint!

I'm always so torn from both needing to race to the finish and not wanting it to end.

Jessica and Will have been celebrating their wedding anniversary and everything seems perfect until the following morning Jessica receives phots in a text which looks like her husband is having an affair.

But as usual with her books, it is not a simple story of a man being caught cheating.

What then follows is a story full of twists and turns. At one point I had guessed a twist and felt quite smug as I never do but then was left gasping at a twist I didn't see coming!

Ultimately it is a story about relationships, lack of honesty, bad communication, assumptions, jealousy, insecurities and revenge

"It is so lonely in the cold, believing the worst of those you love"

As Jessica and Will celebrate their anniversary and discuss the many good things in the lives that they share, all seems well between the two of them. But the next day, when Jessica receives incriminating pictures of Will with another woman, she is left wondering how well she really knows her husband...

Meanwhile, Will seems unable to defend himself, beyond insisting that things are not as they seem. Indeed, that is about the only thing you can rely on with this gripping and unusual story.

Between Jessica's questions, Will's insistence that this is not about him having an affair, and the increasing sense that there is more going on here than meets the eye, this book takes the reader for a wild ride. Compelling storytelling that will appeal to anyone who loves twisty thrillers. It gets 3.5 stars.

Wow what ahead spinner this was! What appears to be a story about a guy cheating on his wife turns into a whole different tale. Fast paced and so many twists, who is who and what the hell have they done?? This would make such a great tv drama. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy. A fabulous read.

Spellbinding!
Lynes is an author at the top of her game with Jessica and Will’s fractured relationship. Oh my goodness, this is a heart in your mouth read where everything seems a little too close to home.. Imagine being sent images of your partner in an intimate embrace with someone that isn’t yourself. Lynes skill lies in dragging the reader out of their comfort zone and putting them right in the shoes of the protagonist. The addition of two children into the mix, a supportive friend, wonderful, but broken mother and the mysterious Margot, and we have a gripping thriller on our hands.

Well now... the was a cluster filled story. I was hooked from the start.twists after twists and a rollercoaster of messed up characters. A definite recommend

Thanks Bookouture and Netgalley. All thoughts expressed are my own and isnt influenced by anyone else

A couple celebrates their anniversary. All seems fine. Then...the pictures arrive. Is her husband unfaithful? Has this been going on for a long time? What is real? What is fiction? Can she trust the man she loves? Will she get rid of him? This story, while fiction, reads like nonfiction, at times. This talented author has written a page turner. Spend an afternoon trying to discern what is real and what is not...Thanks Netgalley.