In the Blink of an Eye by Kate Hewitt was such a good book. This was my first novel by this author, and it won't be the last. I truly enjoyed this book. It was very well written, with great storytelling, and well described characters. I recommend.

I really like books by Kate Hewitt and this was no exception. Told from the perspective of three mothers.
A little girl is found in a pond and is put into a coma This was a very good read trying to piece together what actually happened,, was she pushed,did she fall, etc. Kept my interest throughout.

This book is the story of three mothers. There is an incident at a child’s birthday party, and a little girl gets hurt. A little boy gets blamed. This book is told from the three mom’s perspectives. We never really know what is going on in someone else’s life…

I have read a few of Kate Hewitt’s books. She really knows how to pull at your heart strings. Her books are always a quick, solid read for me. In the Blink of an Eye is no exception. This book gives so much thought to how much tragedy can happen in the blink of an eye. The job of a parent is never easy.

Wetherby, CT is the perfect small town. Eleanor (Bella’s mom) and Natalie (Freya’s mom) are best friends. Eleanor seems to have the perfect life, two perfect children, an adoring husband and a beautiful home. It is Bella’s birthday and her mom throws her a party and invites the entire grade, including a new student that is struggling to fit in and having behavior difficulties. Bella ends up face down in the pond and everyone jumps to conclusions on what happens.

This story is the epitome of small town life where news travels fast and gossip spreads like wildfire. The relationship dynamics between the adults and children in the book are so relatable and feel real. They touch upon bullying, mental health, marriage issues, and so much more. I really enjoyed watching it unfold and the characters grow.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book. My opinions are honest and my own!

unfortunately i ended up dnfing this at around 20% - i wasn’t in the right headspace to read this and wasn’t enjoying myself.

thank you so much to netgalley, the publisher and the author for the arc 🫶🏻

First, I want to thank Kate Hewitt, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.

WOW!!! Kate Hewitt is known for her well written stories that pulls on your heartstrings. However, this time around she surprised me and did something a little bit different. She actually went a little darker than she usually does and I Liked that side of her! It made for a very interesting read.

I will admit the book wasn't as fast paced in the beginning as I usually liked. However when it did pick up I sped through the book no problem.

Kate educated her readers with such important medical conditions such as being a sociopath, conduct disorder, bullying, harassment, ADHD, ADD, and PDD.

#TeamKieren. All the way!! He was the one that pulled hard on my heartstrings the most. My heart went out to him for all that he was being accused of, how he was being treated,

I can’t imagine being a parent and the horror of finding your child the way they did! It was truly a shocking and heartbreaking scene!

There were a lot of wicked twists and turns and some shocking moments as well.

Overall it is a great read. If you are a fan of Kate’s book you need to pick this one up.

I enjoyed this domestic thriller, set in suburban Connecticut and following the mothers of three elementary school children that culminates in a horrific accident at a children’s birthday party.

Through the points of view of the three mothers involved, we observe how the story unfolds. Eleanor is the perfect homemaker and has-it-all together mom who is envied by all the class mothers. Freya is reeling after the implosion of her marriage, and is content to play Sherpa to the more popular Eleanor. And Joanna is new in town and protective of her son, whose difficulties have begun to emerge. The cloying, over-involved atmosphere of the suburban mom set heightens the tension as events spiral out of control, and secrets begin to emerge as the gloves come off.

While the characters may not have been likeable, they were well-drawn and relatable, and I enjoyed this multi-character look into the claustrophobia or white picket suburban life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy - all thoughts are my own.

This book was heart-wrenching, but still so well done. Following different families, and seeing their inner perspectives not only of themselves but of others in their lives felt so realistic to me. We often just see the "highlight reel" of people's lives, even in some books, but this book really gave the reader all of the different perspectives, and I was NOT expecting the outcome that came out of the entire situation. This book also really showed me how important it is not to judge people by what we assume/see - to invest in people, to pay attention, and to make people feel welcome in spaces we inhabit together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another great book by this author full of twists and turns that have you hooked from the first pages.

This book is all about relationships and friendships. This book had all the emotions going. I was frustrated, empathetic and I couldnt stop thinking about what i would in that situation.

Exactly my kind of book which had me hooked from the first chapter, fast paced and great style of writing. Certainly did not see the big twist coming.

A quick read with a captivating cast of characters, Hewitt is a talented writer. I enjoyed this story and cannot wait to read more from this author. Thank you netgalley for the arc.

So I’m not a huge psychological thriller reader but this one had be hooked from the beginning. Absolutely loved the multiple POV and this author was great at keeping you guessing with all the plot twists and turns. Can’t wait to add this one to my physical shelf. Definitely made me want to try more of these types of books!

Another stunning novel by Kate Hewitt, I loved it! She's got such specific and accurate observations about motherhood and families, making for a wonderful story. My only real struggle with this book was having to push through the first 10% because I struggled to get a grasp on the many characters and storyline at that point. Of course everything got much easier after the beginning, so I'm glad I had the patience. Another thing that readers might want t take note of are the fact that the misunderstanding trope is a huge part of the story, though in my opinion, the author uses it very well. I was in awe of the suspense created using three POVs and occasionally ending chapters at a cliffhanger to build tension. That made it a relatively quick read and I 100% recommend it!

This book had me hooked from chapter one. There were so many twists that as soon as I felt like I had worked it out another revelation appeared and I was back to square one. A fantastic read with even more twists at the end, just don't expect a happy ending!

This book went by so fast. I didn’t even want it to end!!!!! I was pleasantly surprised by this story and couldn’t even put it down. I was even reading it in my shower. Don’t tell anyone! Haha

Another great read by Kate Hewitt. I was hooked from the beginning trying to figure out what happened at the birthday party , and I definitely didn't see the twist and what really did happen.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review

This was totally my kind of book. In the Blink of an Eye is said to be similar to books written by one of my favorite authors, Liane Moriarty. This is true to a certain extent, but not quite. There are a few similarities in the story that had me thinking of Big Little Lies, but it definitely lacked the uniqueness Liane brings to her novels.

The story is pretty much about every parent's worst fear. Joanna, her husband, and their troubled seven-year-old son, Kieran, is new in town. Queen-bee Eleanor, the envy of most women in town, is having a birthday party for her angelic daughter, Bella, who will be eight. Joanna is over the moon to hear that Kieran is also invited to Bella's birthday party, since he's been having trouble in school and finds it hard to make friends.

However, things go terribly wrong at the party as someone gets hurt and Kieran is blamed for it.

But is problem child, Kieran, really to blame for it? Or could it have been an accident? Is it possible that someone else, or even the mother could be responsible?

Friendships, families, marriages, and a town taking sides, is what drives this story, albeit at a slow pace. The outcome isn't predictable, but it's not really a mindblowing revelation either.

Although the plot caters to every parent's worst nightmare, much of the story is repetitive, and though I found the characters quite complex, I still felt the plot wasn't properly fleshed out.

That said, I have to add that I was hooked early in the story, and whenever I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. I enjoyed the twists, the focus on how some seemingly great friendships can also be toxic to some degree, the intricacies of marriage, and how tragedy can affect family dynamics.

Apart from a rather blah ending, I did enjoy this book, and am excited to read more of this author's books.

Many thanks to Netgally and Bookouture for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Kate Hewitt for the advanced reader copy of the book. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

Every now and then I find a book that's so relatable that I just can't put it down. In the Blink of an Eye was just such a book. The story in some ways is nothing surprising, but the observations here were so on target that I was compelled to finish it just to see how it was resolved in the end.

When I began reading, I sort of groaned. The setting was the near-perfect suburban-rural town of Wetherby, Connecticut. The houses here are expensive, and the first people who are introduced seem near perfect. Eleanor is a stay-at-home Mom who seems too good to be true. She's involved at school including the classroom and PTA. She is beautiful and has a handsome, seemingly perfect husband as well as two daughters. They eat all the best and healthiest food, much of which she makes herself.

Her best friend is Natalie, who is separated from her husband although she's not really sure why. She loves her husband a great deal, but one day he said he just couldn't do it anymore and moved out. It's been hard on her daughter, Freya. To make matters worse, the friendship between Freya and Eleanor's daughter, Bella, is not a healthy one, although Natalie doesn't see it.

Kieran is a new kid in school. He has some behavioral issues that have the school on high alert. His mother, Joanna, is trying to balance everything between working and taking care of her son, as well as her husband, Tim, who suffered a breakdown.

The story is told from each of their perspectives, trading off the point of view in each chapter. From this, though, we get some interesting insights on what it's like being a parent in this day and age. I see my own daughter struggling to be "perfect" under the microscope of social media and all of the pressures that come along with it. In a town such as Wetherby where it seems they are all trying to outdo each other, it's even worse.

I could also relate to the difficult relationship between the two girls who are supposedly "best friends." I had a similar situation when we lived in suburban New York with my oldest daughter and it's hard to navigate when you're in such close proximity. Hewitt gets the situation so perfect as Natalie wants to do something but she's not sure how to handle it in such a closed community.

Eleanor decides to invite the entire class to Bella's birthday party to be held in their backyard. It's a step back from the competitive birthday parties they've been having. Kieran is invited, although reluctantly. It's only Eleanor and Natalie supervising 28 third graders. Tragedy strikes when Bella is found face-down in the pond with Kieran standing over her. Eleanor immediately assumes Kieran did something to Bella.

Much of the story is not really that original. I've read other stories with a similar storyline. What Hewitt does, though, is capture just how hard it is from the perspective of a parent, particularly a mother. Eleanor is driving herself to be perfect, at the cost of her own well-being. She's afraid of making a misstep that will lead to criticism from her husband. At first, it seems that he is demanding that perfection, but it's really more her putting that pressure on herself. These women all carry baggage while they are trying to navigate their place in a world that still demands a false existence.

I do recommend In the Blink of an Eye to anyone who enjoys this type of fiction. It's extremely relatable and the story is well-written. I devoured it in a day.

This story revolves around three mothers and their children . Each has their own problems to deal with and they all become entwined. It is very emotionally told and teaches us never to make assumptions until you know all of the details. I could sympathise with all of the families and loved how everything came together at the end. Another brilliant story from Kate Hewitt.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review. I loved it.