This is the first story I have read by Maria Frankland, and I would have to say overall, I didn't hate this one.

The plot was thrilling and truly left me guessing at times. Although I was able to guess some of the twists, there were some that completely took me by surprise. I really enjoyed the perspective of what happens when your past mixes with your present life. Who can you trust if not your own husband? These characters weren't exactly my favorite and I found them all difficult to actually like or relate to. The story was well written and had some really great twists. I would say this book is kind of "meh" in the sense that although I was intrigued, I was not really entertained.
Despite being mediocre, I will still pursue Maria Frankland stories in the future.

I did enjoy the narration of the audiobook. The narrators were able to portray endless emotions and expressions with their voices which I think contributed in me finishing this in less than 24 hours.

A very quick paced story with some interesting characters. The audiobook was really well done. I thought it was overall just okay. After a week I wouldn’t be able to tell you what even happened.

3.5⭐
Genre ~ domestic thriller
Setting ~ Yorkshire, England
Publication date ~ March 19, 2024
Est page Count ~ 320 (p+ 50 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 8 hours 44 minutes
Narrators ~ Emma Swan, Kristin Atherton
POV ~ mostly dual 1st with extra POVs towards the end
Featuring ~ 6 parts, controlling husband, old secrets, revenge

Cassie & Jon have moved into his childhood home, along with 4 year old, Teddy.
Amy inserts herself into Cassie's life by offering to dog sit while Cassie begins a new job.
Becca lives next door and is not too happy when she sees John is back in town.

It's obvious Jon, Becca and Amy know each other and the author does a good job of building up the suspense of what happened 10 years ago.

It’s books like this that I’m happy I never have any strangers in my house watching my child or dog. You never know what someone will do when no one is watching. I'd probably install a camera if it were me. All characters were pretty unlikable, except for Suki the dog, of course. Jon was the worst. It's weird, but they all seemed older then 28, not sure why, maybe I expect controlling husbands to be older.

Overall, a solid, fast paced domestic thriller. The twists weren't overall thrilling, but there nonetheless.

Narration notes:
I thought they both did a wonderful job. They were properly frantic was necessary.

This was a great domestic thriller. I really enjoyed the plot and found the storyline to be unique and clever. The twists were somewhat predictable, but it doesn't take away from the thrill and entertainment. The writer did a great job with character development and I found myself having a multitude of emotions towards each of them, which is a sign of good writing. From the beginning, you can start feeling the suspense. This is a story that many will find parts to relate to which adds to the suspense. I also enjoyed the reader for this audiobook as they added a lot of personality for the characters.

I really enjoyed this book. I love books from multiple points of view, and this was well done.

Having two narrators was also fantastic for this type of book. It helped each character really have a strong voice for themselves.

I agree with others who have read/listened to this book, that when you think you know what is going to happen, things switch up a bit also.

The only thing that bothered me a little was how irritating Amy is talking about all the things that should be hers. But it becomes a little bit over the top at one point. But maybe that is what the author is trying to get across, and if she was, she nailed it.

I definitely recommend this for those who like multiple view points and keeps you on your toes, but not enough to lose sleep.

Thanks to NetGalley for making this audiobook available to me in exchange for an honest review. I'll start with the narration: it was great! You could feel the emotions of the characters as you were listening to it. Cassie and her husband, John, move to his childhood home after his mom passes away along with their toddler son, Teddy. Cassie hasn't been feeling safe in her new home so it's a great solution for them. The book was fast paced and kept me guessing. It was a bit predictable but not enough to keep me from finishing it. None of the characters really jumped out at me or made me root for them but the storyline was great! I've never read a book by Maria Frankland before but I'd like to read some of her others, she has a great writing style!

This book grips you from the start! A mystery that deepens with each page. A tale of deception, friendship, and the lengths one would go to protect their loved ones. This one will leave you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

Huge thanks to Maria Frankland and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Set to publish 3/19/24
I love the cover of this book 😻
I liked the narrator a lot!
This was a fast paced, easy to read psychological thriller that kept me guessing until the very end! I have read all Maria’s books and can’t wait to read her next one!

I enjoyed this book so much I instantly went looking for other books by this author.

Cassie, excited for a new start in their new home and community befriends Amy pretty quickly at her first trip to the neighborhood park. Amy comes across a little socially awkward, but Cassie brushes it off. She's just excited to make a new friend. In the end, Amy ends up being the best and worst friend Cassie could ask for.

I won't completely spoil the book, but Amy could have gone about things so differently to accomplish her goal. Having good communication skills would have been one of those things.

The build up to the end was great! The ending of the book was a bit of a surprise for me. I thought I saw most of it coming, but not all of it. I read a lot of thrillers and I love a book that I can't predict from a mile away.

Thank you for allowing me to read the early release copy of this book!

Book Title: I let Her In
Author: Maria Frankland
Narrator: Emma Swan and Kristin Atherton
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Pub Date: March 19, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars!
Pages: 320


Cassie and Jon who have a four year old son Teddy have moved into Jon’s childhood home which he inherited after the death of his mother.

Cassie is excited and Jon is looking forward to their family growing. Cassie loves their adorable son but he is feeling a need to have some independence. Jon is not pleased with her getting a job and id hopeful she will get pregnant.
Cassie wants to show Jon she can manage both home and work. She finds a qualified ‘Child Minder’ (UK term – US term Day Care). She meets Amy at the play park when Amy comments on having a dog just like hers. Next thing Cassie hires Amy to be a dog-walker and they become friends. Hmmm

Okay I found myself shouting at Cassie ~
Cassie has some concerns about Amy but is more worried about Becca who used to live next door - now caring for her mother and is someone Jon has known.

However Amy has me very suspicious. No surprise that Amy is not a dog walker -in fact not even familiar with dogs; perhaps is more familiar with Jon?

Story is told in 6 Parts from the POV of Cassie, Amy, and Becca
At first I am shouting at Carrie then I am shouting at Amy!!

This novel has several reveals that are surprises.
I wasn’t sure who I was rooting for but the story certainly had me curious and yes gasping at some of the reveals. Although I did guess some of reveals (okay one!!). I certainly wasn’t close to what was going on!!!!!


Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this early audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for March 19, 2024.

very intriguing book, i had a feeling of what the twist was going to be but it kept getting more complex and twisty as the story went on. very well written.

This was a very interesting book. I never realized who the murderer was. I was so not prepared for all the twists that came out. If your looking for twists this book definitely has them.

This sounded like a pretty average synopsis to be honest. The nanny who takes a child in their care and then makes threats in order for their safe return. Yes, this was the storyline but the execution was SO GOOD. The audiobook narration was fantastic and kept me entertained throughout. I loved how the story came together at the end when we found out the why of what Amy did. Highly recommend.

A gripping suspense thriller. Cassie and Jon move into Jon’s childhood home with their 4 year old son, Teddy. They look forward to building their lives in the familiar community. Cassie is befriended by a woman at a park named Amy and they strike up a friendship. Amy offers to walk their dog while they are working and Cassie hopes she will be a good friend in this new place. A darker side to Amy begins to unfold and secrets from the past are eventually revealed amongst the twists and turns the story takes. Edge of seat and breath holding events occur that keep the reader engaged throughout the story.
The two narrators do a good job however the voicing of Cassie (in her late 20’s) sounds like that is a woman in her early 50’s which was a bit distracting.
I will look for more from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the arc.

I was immediately drawn to the beautiful green cover of this book and was thrilled when I had the chance to listen to the audiobook ARC!

Not only is the color captivating, but the little bit of information the cover shares is perfect to get any reader interested, and definitely caught my attention!

Maria Frankland has written strong characters, and a storyline that keeps you trying to figure out the truth! From the beginning to the end I was sucked in wanting more information especially when it came to Amy’s past and what role Jon may have played in it!

And of course every good thriller has a twist and when all the pieces of the story came together it was not what I was expecting! Basically you need to mark March 19 on your calendars for the release of this fabulous book!

I just reviewed I Let Her In by Maria Frankland. #ILetHerIn #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC opportunity.

Let me start by saying that if you're new to domestic thrillers, I think this would be right up your alley. It's a fairly quick read/listen with an interesting storyline. That being said, if you're someone like me who lives and breathes thrillers, this might feel a little "been there, done that." I just kept having the feeling of wanting more, and the end felt a bit dragged out for me. The twists were also fairly predictable, and I wasn't able to really connect with any of the characters. It wasn't a bad book by any means, but I think it should be geared more towards newer readers.

3 stars for the actual book but 5 stars for the narration!

Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for an Audio ARC of the this title in exchange for my honest review.

For the good—- the narration was exceptional! It’s how I wish most audiobooks are as the readers were engaging without being performative. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to them.

With that said, this book just wasn’t for me. If not for the narrators I found the book boring. Not something typical in psych thrillers. I didn’t find there to be much suspense and it was quite predictable. It took me way longer to listen to this than typical as I kept falling asleep.

However, many people liked this so maybe it was just - me problem!

Goodreads review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6319708277

I Let Her In by Maria Frankland
Narrated by Kristin Atherton, Emma Swan

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

From where I stand in the shadows of Cassie and Jon’s garden, it’s easy to spot little Teddy in an upstairs window, playing alone in his room. So many parents don’t appreciate what they’ve got. It can take a threat to their child’s safety to make them realise how blessed they are. I wonder if it will come to that…

I was so excited – so relieved – to be moving to Cherry Tree Lane. I needed somewhere new, where I could start fresh with my husband Jon and toddler Teddy. Somewhere far away from the fear that came before. I felt so lucky to meet Amy on our first trip to the local playground. Immediately welcoming, warm and kind, she quickly became the friend I’d always wanted.

How wrong I was.

Because today, I turned up at Teddy’s nursery to find him gone. He’d been picked up an hour ago by Amy. She’s disappeared, taking my precious son with her. And it’s terrifyingly clear I never knew her at all.

Now the threats have begun. I let her in to my life, but she already knew everything about me, about my family. The one thing she doesn’t know – and the only leverage I have to get Teddy back – is what really forced us from our last home. But revealing that means destroying the perfect life I have now…

I have no choice. I’ll just have to live with the consequences. If I can survive the fallout…

My Opinion

What a strange, gripping book this was. I started listening to this audiobook late in the evening and before I knew it I was halfway through. From the beginning it was clear that there was something else going on, I am just not sure the reveal was what I expected. This took me on such an adventure. Going into this Maria Frankland was a new author to me, coming out of it I'll be back for more!

Rating 4/5

I am grateful to have received a DRC copy of this audiobook for review.
Both narrators of this book were very good. They gave individual voices to a range of characters, which made the story and the character perspective easy to follow. Additionally each chapter begins with the name of the character, making it easy to identify the characters.
I found the prologue to be a bit too revealing, which meant I was able to foresee some of the books "twists". I also found it a little difficult to get into the book at first as none of the characters seemed particularly "likeable". Once the story got going it was well paced and engaging and I did begin to feel more sympathetic towards some of the characters.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys suspense / relationship based drama.

I got access to the book by being an ARC reader on NetGalley. This book was very well written and the narration is very good.

The story starts off with a wife who is excited to move into her new house with her family and in my opinion makes a bunch of bad decisions I feel a woman and mother won’t make. I always knew another twist and turn was coming and it kept me at alert. The story is intriguing and keeps you in suspense to know what happens in each step. Very good book. I highly recommend reading it.